don't we look young

Calendar

14th April -  RR's -  cutting and sewing strips for Hidden Wells

2nd May - retreat 

11th to  16th June - Sydney Quilt show

7th July - QQ's - probably handwork and finishing off Wells

20th to 24th August - Rosehill Stitches and Craft

12th to 14th Sept - Indulgence

29th Sept - basting quilts or Melitta's

6th Dec - FAB Xmas lunch

5th Jan 2009 - FAB day

January 17th

Well wasn't it a great day. Chris was totally surprised ... doesn't the quilt look gorgeous!  I received a delightful thimble bead ... can't fit any more beads on the bracelet now.  Cheryl also managed to select all of the fabrics for her Hidden Wells quilt and we have planned all of the dates for our whole year!  Talk about organised!

Thanks everyone for a top day.

January 17th

Remember to bring 40cm of your busy fabric for the retreat quilt.  I will need to get active and calculate how much of other fabrics we need to bring.  Shall put up some photos and fabric requirements for each..... check back soon

Tie Quilts

Another 'bright idea'.... I had collected what seemed like thousands of ties after writing to the Sun Herald 'You Asked' column. 

Where I expected enough ties for say three or four quilts I received enough for about twenty quilts.  As a group the FABs made two or three and Gerringong Quilters also made several.  The rest of the ties were packaged into a kit and sold at the Gerringong Quilt Show.  All proceeds went to Children's Medical Research.  I still have about twenty ties which I plan to do something  with ..... soon

Journal Covers

As you can see everyone was hard at work.  This was actually a very busy day as we also made a Blanket of Love Snowball quilt.  Chris enjoyed making the blocks so much she went and purchased a lovely kit using the same blocks in old fashioned soft lemons and pinks .... which will be finished in 2008!

Melitta's 50th - photo needed

For the next baby of the FABs Melitta also received a Girlz Stuff quilt.  Since it had been necessary to start all of the quilts around the same time and Melitta had only been quilting a short time it was difficult to decide what type of fabrics she would tend to favour.  The decision was simplified by the fact that all of my country fabrics were in a bag for RR's quilt, while the soft or florals were in another bag for MM's quilt.  This left either dull and boring civil war fabrics, horrid novelties, leftover bits and pieces or brights.  It was decided that as Melitta is such a happy person brights were the way to go.  This was a fun combination to work with as most of us hate working with brights and yet the final result is gorgeous.

Retreat photo needed

I have included this as a group photo as it is the only one I have anyone have a total group please email me ... will bring my tripod to next retreat.

Our first FABulous retreat was held in a gorgeous little cottage ????? 

The rain throughout the weekend meant that little time was spent enjoying our surroundings and instead we chatted,  ate, laughed and yes even managed to make some quilts.  

Some real gems were made during the weekend and photos will be added as soon as I get them.

Chris was extremely pleased with her two day effort and as you can see it was a real beauty.

RR 50

A country Girlz Stuff quilt was completed for our Ravishing Rhonda.  As before everyone made a few blocks and then our two ladies of leisure, Marvellous Margaret and Galavanting Cheryl managed between their many travels and engagements to join the whole things together.  A gorgeous multifabric outer border was made by joing together several pieces of maroon/red.  Looks lovely doesn't it.  What about the chook bag on the second pole  and before you ask "yes.  We are certain that RR would use these accessories regularly if only she had them in real life!"

MM's 55th - photo needed

To celebrate MM's retirement and reaching the wonderful age of 55 a Girlz Stuff quilt was made.  This was our first quilt made following this design and everyone found it quite a challenge as the instructions were so free / vague.  

The background fabric was purchased in Hawaii and so there was no chance of going back for more.  It had been purchased without any idea as to how much would be needed and the guesstimate was pretty good .... about an A4 page worth of fabric remained when the quilt was completed.

Because MM is a soft and feminine person a floral basis was decided for the main fabrics.  Chris and Cheryl spent one day 'in hell' (according to Paul) making their blocks under the guiding hand/ bull whip of myself making their blocks, while Melitta made hers with a bit of help a while later.

The quilt top was joined together and spaces left for MM to add her own touch of individuality.

Sewing bags

Photos needed here also.

Another successful sewing day.  Everyone managed to successfully make their sewing caddies, proving that sometimes my ideas do work and my instructions aren't totally hopeless ... this project is going to be published in Patchwork and Stitching early in 2008.

2006 star quilts

photos needed .... who has finished ... I haven't but I will get there

For 2006 it was decided that we would each make two 6in friendship stars for each others birthday.  Well this turned out to be fun.  People could choose what colour they wished the stars to be.  As easy as the stars may look they presented a challenge ... points going wrong way .... points disappearing .... fabric being lost ..... these were just the problems I had.  I am sure others experienced these and possibly other problems too.  

Who finished?  Me?  well I'm almost there ..... in truth I forgot about them until I started to do this blog but they will be finished soon .... well this year anyway.

Cheryl send me a photo and I will upload it and same goes for any others

Royal Stuff

MM organised the secret making of Royal Stuff to coincide with the publication of my profile in DUQ.  

The blocks were made by all of the group and given to me at our FABulous Me sewing day.  I then had the pleasure of joining them all together.  What a wonderful opportunity.  

I had been planning to make a quilt on point but hadn't worked out what design to make the blocks ... nor had I generated enough enthusiasm to start making them either since neither the prospect of making a repetitive design nor a sampler design thrilled me.  Problem solved when all the finished blocks were presented to me! 

Thank you all for a FABulous quilt.

FABulous Me

Got to admit these are pretty FABulous self portraits.  Will need to do a make up day so that we can have everyone's self portrait here!

The plan here was that we would each design an A4 sized self-portrait and vliesofix it all in one day.  Afterwards people were to quilt and embellish it as desired.  Because of other

commitments only three of us turned up for the day and we managed our tasks sufficiently well enough that the resultant quilts were published in Down Under Quilts in 2007.

2005 heart Quilts

For 2006 we made heart blocks.  Each person chose their own colour heart and the plan was that everyone made a heart for each other person and sent it for their birthday.  The birthday girl then had to design something to incorporate all of her blocks.  What wonderful results and all so different.

Also in Chris' photo is my Constellations quilt which was made with 1801 1/4in hexagons cut from the bag of shop samples RR gave me ... wasn't she wonderful .... fueling an obsessive nature!

I still need a photo of cheryl's quilt.  please forward so that I can upload it.

Xmas 2005

Our first Xmas get together.  Secret Santa was decided by some confusing system that I followed well and explained as clearly as I usually do ... consequently there was a lot of confusion.  

Little gift bags were made beforehand in which we were to place our gifts.  Perfect instructions guaranteed that most of us had difficulty with the drawstrings, the stitchery or something else.

Who still has their bags?

The Start

Well here it is girls .... our own blog!  Check it out and add your own bits too!  I will over the next few weeks add some more photos etc