Scatterday G

Scatterday G, originally uploaded by FranW.

Colour-G 4 green
Household Item-G 4 Grater
Vehicle-G 4 Govt vehicle

There's green fabric inside them thar bins - I don't use green, so I'm not too sure how it all accumulated!

This shape of grater isn't made any more. I don't like using other shapes and I've had one for nearly 40 years. The other I bought at a market in case one wore out.

Graeme works for Tas Gov't, number plates start with G.

P.S. I've started cutting the batiks - half way through blocks.

My Fingers are itching!

New fabric arrived yesterday, 30 lovely Tonga Batiks. Such wonderful colours and my fingers are itching to sew a sample.

I borrowed 2 books from LPQ library and I am thinking something from Stack the New Deck, as they're only 10" squares. I can wait and do something else from Convergence - can't I?

Mt Wellington, Hobart

August 07 024, originally uploaded by FranW.

I stayed with my sister, Chris, who has a lovely view from her house (not as good as mine LOL) but we can see Mt Wellington from her back deck. Much better now there are no leaves on the trees and the neighbour's have trimmed their huge hedge.

Rob & Graeme

August 07 019, originally uploaded by FranW.

G just happened to be in Hobart at the same time, Rob and I had already organised dinner together, so we had a gatecrasher!
"DeeDee's" in North Hobart, Indonesian/Indian, very nice.

Constitution Dock, Hobart

August 07 014, originally uploaded by FranW.

I had a Valuer's meeting at the Tasmanian Museum & Gallery opposite the docks. I love it down here, especially on days the wind's not blowing from Antarctica !

I didn't do it!

Berlin Wall, originally uploaded by FranW.

My overseas family are heading off to Norway for a few days, Nic is working in Oslo at a Ruby Rails Conference (all a bit beyond me) and they're driving from Berlin and will do the sights.

I'm not sure which part of the Berlin Wall Banjo painted!

Renewal

Renewal sample, originally uploaded by FranW.

One of the projects I managed to cross off my list today was the quilt top I made from the "Renewal" fabric range by Brannock & Patek for Moda. This photo of it on a bed will do until it gets hung on the wall at The Quilt Patch. I like making simple machine piecing patterns now. The joints in both of my thumbs are "disintegrating" and I now try to save my handsewing for the bindings which I quite enjoy doing. I suppose after nearly 40 years of handsewing something's got to give?

The prairie points aren't really PP's, they are triangles from another quilt underneath and they're part of a border. The fabric looks better sewn together than sitting in bolts too!

Time not wasted completely!

L is for list, I working on it!

Graeme is away this weekend, footy in Melbourne with friends. I have made a list as I find I waste time on the computer, playing here especially!

I will get a few more things crossed off tonight - easy, all I have to do is wrap a gift to take to Hobart for a new great niece. Being a great aunt makes me sound so old . Grandmother not so, but my children's cousins having children suddenly adds another dimension to who I am!

The embroidery won't take long now I've found the thread, I don't do it much.

Taxation- well that's an ongoing job.

Kitchen floor - that will be done late tomorrow so the mop still feels damp when he gets home, otherwise, how will he know?

Scatterday Challenge L

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! I have joined the dark side!

L for lunch - he cuts his own,and just like his mum did he wraps everything separately in lunch wrap paper!

L for Lions - Brisbane Lions that is.These belong to Banjo, I'm minding them.

L for linked blocks on the Line -I am chain piecing blocks for a new quilt. What a wonderful view when I hang out the washing :-)

L for lemons and Limes - I know I've got 4 but I couldn't decide and the limes had started turning yellow which I think is weird, or is it just a Tasmanian thing?

Octagenarians at LPQ's

I belong to Launceston Patchworkers & Quilters (LPQ's)and we love to celebrate regularly-with food!
Two of our members have just turned 80 - so we lunched! We have about 9 members who're 80 or over, and 6 of those come regularly to our weekly meetings. Amazing- does quilting make you live longer and happier?


Pictured are Barbara and Tiny with their Friendship Quilts that have been made for them.The centre is LPQ's logo which is appliqued and the writing machine stitched.The block is a simple Signature block which is made and signed by members.

Antique Quilts

I have a small collection of old quilts - only one was purchased outside Tasmania.


In a few weeks I have been asked to give a talk about them to members of the Tasmanian Quilting Guild
It's also the AGM. (I hope they've got all of their nominations organised)

It will be good for the quilts to have an airing and be re-folded, they will appreciate it!

Now I don't have a lot to say about them as none of them have recorded history. I thought I had 11 plus a tea cosy, but I have discovered another one I'd forgotten to list in the National Quilt Register

I wonder if I will find any more surprises?


Anyhow, here are a few shots of the one I "discovered", the centre medallion and the back. There's quilting on the back BUT not on the pieced front! Does that mean that an older quilt was sewn to a newly pieced front? The art of making do and fixing up?


I will talk more about my old quilts once I get them out and digitally photographed.

Serendipity

Serendipidy- the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely. (thank you Mr Wikipedia) and it's made me feel so guilty!


I belong to the Friend's of the Museum Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston.

Every month there is a Morning Coffee with dried scones and white bread sandwiches and a guest speaker. It's all part of the Oral History Program and today's talk, Stan Gottschalk was fantastic, held the room full of us riveted for nearly an hour.

I was supposed to be going out to lunch with a friend who cancelled at last minute, so I thougth I'd wander into the galleries and catch up on any exhibitions from the month.

Rounding the corner I saw our Collections curator Glenda King sitting on one of the lounges talking to another person. Upon getting closer I saw that it was Annette Gero, historian and antique quilt collection. http://www.quilt.co.uk/quilting-articles.asp?idNo=17

We hadn't talked for a few years, which is good in a way, because every time I think of her I feel guilty. Why? Because I too have a collection of antique Australian quilts that need more TLC than I give them. I am sure she doesn't have her collection bundled into cupboards and in trunks!

She has been down to Tasmania for a few days filming a Collecting Quilts segment for the ABC "Collectors" program which is to be aired on ABC TV, 5 October. She has also just completed a new book which is now at the printers, I look forward to that one. It will also have patterns in it written by Kim McLean.

The photo is of shelves with 3 antique quilts and an old electric blanket.

You have to do the best with what God gave you.(Mrs. Gump)

It's Sunday today and another perfect day for AFL football at York Park ( known as Aurora Stadium to anyone not Tasmanian ). I thought I'd take a few photos showing the ground and the whole view from home for my Cow friends who like footy and views. Hawthorn are playing Port Adelaide - the radio's on but I don't listen :-) I think Hawthorn are winning. (They didn't- last minute loss)
I've just finished watching "Forest Gump", the movie, which has some classical lines in it (Title of this post)
Now, not that God gave us the footy ground,we can thank our past Premier for that with a $15 million grant, but He certainly contibuted to the view.

We were like peas and carrots, Jenny and I.(Forrest Gump)

I've been married to Graeme since 6 November 1971. We forgot our first wedding anniversary and decided thereafter not to bother remembering them. I think this is the secret to our success!
His friends say to me they don't know how I put up with him and I need a medal.
My friends say the same about me.
I think Forest's quote is quite appropriate.

Mama always said life was like a box a chocolates, never know what you're gonna get.(Forrest Gump)

Pennie Darling regularly posts photos of the flowers in her garden.Not to be out-done, here is the colour in mine. I have quite a lot of shades of green at the moment too! You must remember that I live in the deep south where it's still winter!
BUT, I have THE VIEW that everyone envies :-)

Just like the box of chocolates - I'm being continually surprised!

I'm sure there are one or two blooms here that don't flower in your gardens.

Fran's Quilts

I don't have a photo handy of my first quilts, not even sure I have digital photos of the first 20 years of my quilting life, I must rectify that. This is a picture of "Rose Star Charm" a hand pieced, hand quilted charm quilt done a long time ago. I only do hand work now for bindings!

I am a quilter-there, I've said it!

I made my first piece of patchwork in 1974, the year Nic was born. I bought my first quilting magazine in 1968 - wow! I couldn't understand how quilts were made from calico and muslin and still look like they were quality prints. Of course now I know it's small prints (calico's) and plains Dyed calico's). The rest is history, I read books and sewed and then I did an American patchwork class with Vicky Buckingham in 1982. It all made sense then and I was off and running. I began teaching late that year with my first 2 classes being held at Lilydale around the pool table at my parent's home. To supply my student's needs I began stocking goods from home and in 1986 The Quilt Patch opened. I am the only partner still in the business 21 years on.

Banjo's First Quilt

Banjo's First Birthday

Our darling Grandson Banjo turned one on the 11th, it's hard to believe!

For a while this blog will contain random items of interest.

I've been happily married to Graeme for nearly 36 years, 2 sons Nicholas aged 33 and Robert, aged 30 and one lovely grandchild Banjo Indiana who turned one on the 11 August.

He and his parents are living in Berlin until the end of September when they will come back to Brisbane to live. That will be nice in one way as they will be closer, but in another it will curtail our excuse to travel overseas. While the family has been in India, The Netherlands and Sweden we visited for several weeks at a time. A wonderful excuse for a holiday. :-)

The other son is living in Hobart so I don't tend to go there much as DH visits almost weekly, so a few days there is akin to work for him :-(