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Friday 28 September 2012

Some Swap Sewing...


DS Doll Quilt Swap
This quilt is for my partner in the DS Doll Quilt Swap.
I seem to have acquired an bit of a stash of Denyse Schmidt fabrics...I am laying the blame squarely on Spotlight (and maybe some came home from SIT 2012), but what better way to use them than sending some off to another DS liker.

Have you tried these magic little Clover binding clips yet? I'm totally converted...I love them...they do just what I want and I only missed a tiny bit of the binding on the reverse. *little happy dance*.
By the next quilt binding I reckon it'll be perfect.
Clover binding clips
Love the way this mini quilt turned out. It's based on this tutorial, but I initially cut out  3 3/4" squares of the DS fabric and 2" white strips. Then I squared them off to 5", so when they are cut into 4 quarters, you will end up with 2 1/2" squares, rather than the 6 1/4" that  Amanda made using the layer cake. (If that all sounds like gobbeldygook, it just means I made this quilt waaaay smaller than hers.)

The finished size is 14 1/2" square.

The other swap finish is my September block for Sew & Bee Happy

Judith asked us to make a crazy patchwork block using this tutorial. The blocks are being made into a quilt for her charity group. Pretty happy with this one too and it's ready to be mailed (except I forgot that this is the long weekend so it won't go now till Tueday...oops).

Here are some of the blocks I've got back from my turn as queen bee...
Kaleidoscope Star blocks

I need to use these holidays to make quite a few more, but they are looking great and this quilt is getting a big head start thanks to my lovely bee ladies!


thanks for taking a peek over the fence...


Thursday 27 September 2012

Wide Open Spaces...

One of the places I have always wanted to visit is Uluru (or Ayres Rock as it is also known) in the Northern Territory.
http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/publications/uluru/pubs/visitor-guide.pdf P32
Uluru - Northern Territory

That's where I've been.

I couldn't help but take a photo of my first view of it as we left the airport to drive to Yulara  - the resort outside the National Park.
Road to Uluru
The outback is Red. Red rock. Red ground. Red dust.Red ground at Uluru
The "rock" looks like it has been painted on a background. Nearly every photo I took with family in the foreground looks like they have been superimposed - the kids keep refering to it as looking like they were standing in front of a "green screen" (that's the TV generation for you!)
Uluru afternoon
 It's true too that the colour of Uluru changes with the light of day. I've now seen it chocolate brown, dusty orange, bright orange, purple...and a mixture of all of those. These two photos are taken about 5 minutes apart.
Uluru sunset

 I knew it was big, but until I saw it I really didn't comprehend just how big.
This photo is of the 4 girls sitting only about 10 or 12 metres above the ground where I was standing!
Uluru - Lungkata walk
Just when you think that all you'll feel is 30something°C heat and all you will see is red earth and rocks, then you walk around the next bend and come to a lush area where a waterhole is located.
It hadn't rained in the area for 150 days (all the locals were counting!), but look how green and cooling it is!
Kuniya walk - Mutitjulu waterhole

In the photo below, you can see the part where tourists can climb the rock - that white trail from the middle peak down towards the tree. That's the wear from all the visitors feet over the last 50 or so years. There is a chain to hold on to but it doesn't begin till the the steep part above the tree and where the "cracked" rocks are.
The traditional owners allow climbing, but the request that you don't because of their cultural traditions. In any case it is closed if there are high winds (over 25knots), or temperatures are forecast to be over 36°C - it was actually closed the three days we were there - first day because of the wind and the next two because of the temperature - 37°C and 38°C on the following two days.

Uluru - Mala walk
Not that I would have climbed anyway out of respect of the Anangu culture...also, this is on the last page of the visitors guide :
http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/publications/uluru/pubs/visitor-guide.pdf page 36
Kata Tjuta is also immense and I didn't understand the scale till I saw it. One of the girls is in the foreground...but if you look at the line of trees, halfway along you will see the MaTH and another of the girls...the tiny speck of red and blue...that's them...as I said massive!
Kata Tjuta  - Valley of the Winds walk

Even though the two formations are in the same park, they are so very different - a bit of geology and history from here:  http://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/about-uluru-katatjuta/

Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park

 The National Park has an area over 311,000 acres and comprises two main significant sites:
  • Uluru (sometimes called Ayers Rock) - is one of the largest monoliths in the world. Made of arkosic sandstone, Uluru rises 348 metres above the desert floor and has a circumference of 9.4 kilometres.
  • Kata Tjuta, known also as The Olgas. Kata Tjuta is the Aboriginal name, which means "many heads'. It is a group of more than 36 rounded red domes rising from the desert floor. The tallest is said to be around 546 metres high. Kata Tjuta is about 30 kilometres west of Uluru.
Sunset and sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta are spectacular, with the colours at both sites becoming more vibrant and even changing. Uluru and Kata Tjuta have significant meaning to Aboriginal people. They both form an important focus of their spiritual life.
Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park is Aboriginal land. The park is jointly managed by its Anangu traditional owners and Parks Australia. The park is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Area for both its natural and cultural values.
There will probably be a lot more travel photos in the next few blog posts, especially because our favourite month is approaching...
<a href="http://isawyoudancing.blogspot.com.au/p/blogtoberfest-2012.html"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8013933741_3f0a265aff_m.jpg">
It's happening here and you can sign up with Kat @ http://isawyoudancing.blogspot.com.au/p/blogtoberfest-2012.html
thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Friday 14 September 2012

What Goes Out, Must Come In…

...or something like that!
While I have been getting swap items made and posted, they have also been arriving in my letterbox.

I was in the Modern Scrappy Bits Swap and these arrived from Leah (Smoochee on Flickr).
I just found another great use for chalkboard fabric!
IMG_5416
Leah sent me an amazing and varied amount of swap fabrics and I can’t wait to get playing with them…lots ofwonderful things to make on the flickr swap page, if you are looking for some new ideas!

Another fantastic swap was the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap #5. Here is what came my way…an absolutely gorgeous crochet creation – it combines 2 of my favourite things: books and crochet.
IMG_5368IIMG_5370
It’s from Carol Ray who is a fibre artist from Southern Iowa here is a link to the Iowa Studio Tour…if you’re from that way you might pop in and say I said hi!

This isn’t from a swap, just a lack of will–power!
IMG_5411
But really…what would you do if you were confronted by Denyse Schmidt fabrics at $6.00 per metre?…
IMG_5415
…or a bit of text fabric that grabbed your attention?..
IMG_5417
…and I really needed a 60 degree ruler (at 30% off)…but the reason for that will have to be explained in another blog post!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence…

Saturday 8 September 2012

September Swapping and Sewing

During the last couple of weeks – yeah I want to know where they went too – I’ve been getting my swap projects together.

For the Modern Scrappy Bits Swap,  I turned these scrappy blocks…

scrappy patches









…into this pencil case with a “warm” colours side,
warm colours
and a “cool colours” side.
cool colours
I love this interior, my swap partner will always know where it came from!
pencil case interior
…and sent off these lovely scraps as part of the swap too!
swap fabrics

Miss Bee had a 13th birthday to go to. We know this family love handmade and heartfelt, so we had fun making this “Whimsy Wallet” pattern that I picked up from the 
Mad Quilters Gathering a few weeks ago.

Whimsy wallet



inside whimsy wallet
















The DSDQ Swap isn't due till the end of September, but I just couldn’t wait after I found this tutorial
…here’s a look at the unfinished quilt top…would you be happy to get this? It will end up 14” square.
DSDQ swap quilt

The last bit of this post is for Cas
Rand cushion
...but I think she’s going to win this little knit-a-thon! (and she hasn't mis-read the pattern rows like I have, but there was no way I was going to undo the rows, so the top part of the cushion will have the stripes deliberately "wrong" as well, so I don't run out of this beautiful yarn)


thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

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