BOM underway and things to share

The BOM using the 13th Anniversary designs from BFC Creations is well and truly underway. Blocks 1-3 have been sent out to those who have signed up to receive them.

BFC 13th Anniversary BOM Block 1

BFC 13th Anniversary BOM Block 2

BFC 13th Anniversary BOM Block 1

Choon has sent in some photos of some small quilts she has made using he Bridie's Blossoms One Metre Wonder patterns. The links to these patterns can be found under the Free Pattern/Free Project Tab at the top of the page.

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My friend Lexie has finished quilting her beautiful BFC 10 000 member BOM quilt.

Lexie's BFC 10 000 member BOM quilt

Sandy's blue colouway BFC 12th Anniversay BOM quilt just sings to you from the page.

I have been making some penguin key fobs to give to visitors when they come to see the penguins on a Saturday night. We have some beautiful baby penguins growing like weeds.

Lilly The Penguin Key Fobs

New BOM is underway

The new BOM using the free 13th anniversary designs from BFC is underway. Block 1 instructions as well as the requirement list have both been sent out via email. If you are on Comcast or AOl those providers may have blocked my emails. There is till time to sign up for this BOM but you must download the free designs as they come up. I am using the Grace set of fabrics from Connecting Threads in this quilt. The Rose patterned fabric will be the outer border.

BFC 13th Anniversary Block 1

Urban Threads have a cute freebie just in time for Christmas Stitching

Don't forget to visit  Creative Machine Embroidery and download their latest freebies.

Heads up and new BOM

Suz from has once generously offered another free set for her BFC 13th Anniversary. I will be doing a BOM with this set but it may be a longer time frame than usual. Suz only has each new design up for 2 days so you must download them, If you miss any they will be available for sale and she is having a 70% off sale right now while the set is being released. You will find each new design on the BFC Creations Home Page or New arrivals page.

I have sent an email to all of those who participated in the 12th anniversary BOM. If you wish to participate and have not received you can reach me HERE.

Whilst we were in Canberra we were once again visited by many birds. The magpie who visits often came back as well as these two glorious king parrots.

Male king parrot

Female king parrot

Magpie

Pictures from my visit to Canberra

We visited out daughter in Canberra during September. I caught up with some sewing pals and went out to lunch with them.

 We also visited the garden spectacular that was Floriade.

These swamp hens and their gorgeous chicks nesting in the lake  kept everyone entertained at Floriade.

Swamp Hen chick

Swamp hens with their chicks

Darlene has sent in some photos of her pole twist table runners

Darlene's Pole Twist Table runners

This is a quick and easy table runner and looks great in Christmas fabrics. The link to download the tutorial is HERE

Last night we had a few glimpses of the supermoon. With all of our rain recently  we were lucky to get any.

Supermoon November 14

Supermoon November 14

It has definitely been a while

It has definitely been  awhile since I last posted on here. I am pleased to say that things are starting to gt back to normal. I had to have an unscheduled check up at the beginning of October due to some concerns but that went well and I have my next check up early January. The only ongoing treatment am having is physio for lymphedema.

However, I have not been idle since my last blog post. I have now completed 5 units of my Diploma of Family History through he University of Tasmania and currently working on units 6 and 7. The final unit will be in early 2017 and hopefully I will graduate in August 2017.

We have just been to Hobart to spend some time with my husband's family. This was to celebrate our 60th birthdays but that was postponed from July when I was unwell. We spent some time visiting friends, doing family history research and went to the cinema to watch The Light Between Oceans which is set in Stanley Tasmania. Beautiful scenery an dour nephew was one of the stand in townsfolk. We visited St Matthews Church in Glenorchy and found the headstone of one of my gggg grandmothers, Susannah Mortimer. We were thrilled to find some of her history showcased in artwork on a nearby wall. Susannah was one of the very early settlers to Tasmania. 

Susannah Mortimer O'Brien

We also visited a salt pan lagoon at Tunbridge in the midlands. I lived at Tunbridge with my family until I was 10 years of age. In years gone by people would harvest the salt left in this salt pan when all of the water dried up in summer. The day we visited was extremely windy as you can hear in the video.

I have made a baby quilt for the new niece of my daughter's housemate. It is stitched using the new Baby Elephant Applique set from Hatched in Africa. I have written a tutorial for this quilt and it can be downloaded from HERE.

Baby Elephant Quilt

Bridie's Blossoms packages were also delivered to our Hobart Hospitals whilst we were visiting last week. I also made some key fobs for the very hard working midwives.

Bridie's Blossoms Packages.

Checking In

I spent most of the weekend sending out almost 80 emails to people requesting the Floral dance BOM. To date I have had replies from 3 people to say that they received the link to download the files. I am just checking with people to make sure that the emails did get to everyone on my list. I did send them in a few goes so hope that I did not make any errors.

I received very good news last week. It appears that the wonderful oncology surgeon  removed all of the cancerous tumour and I do not need any follow treatment at this stage.  I am recovering well from the surgery and should be back t my old self before too long. 

Although we have had some dreadful dreary weather we had some beautiful sunrises last week.

Well it has been a little while hasn't it?

This year is flying by and things have certainly been happening here.

My world was turned upside down a few weeks ago when I was diagnosed with uterine cancer. I am now home after having surgery last week and optimistically looking towards the future. There are many more quilts and projects that need to be planned and created. 

Before my surgery I finished my latest BOM, using the Floral Dance designs from Hatched in Africa. I created this quilt with an embroidered border, the first of my BOM quilts to have one.

HIA Floral Dance BOM

If anyone would like the links to the block constructions for this quilt top you can email me. Please be aware that it may take a day or two for me to reply.

I am also undertaking a Family History Diploma through the University of Tasmania and that has been keeping me busy whilst I recuperate. It has been very interesting to discover the many convicts that I have in my family history and to unravel their stories.This is a photo of my great ,great,great grandmother Julia who was transported to Tasmania for 7 years in 1850 for stealing among other things, fabric.

Busy, busy as quilt to get finished

It has a been a few weeks since my last blog post but there have been more frequent updates in our Facebook page. Remember you can view it even if you are not a member of Facebook.

I have finished the Jacobean Roses BOM and all lessons for that have been sent out. Just have to find time to quilt it now

Jacobean Roses BOM

I have also spent a busy couple of days finishing the  Magnolias In My Garden BOM quilt top.

Magnolias In My Garden BOM

Blocks 1-6 have been sent out in that BOM and I hope to have the remainder emailed out in the next fortnight or so.

The reason for my haste is that I planning on designing a new BOM with the Floral  Dance designs from Hatched In Africa. I am assuming that those people on my Jacobean Roses BOM will more than likely want to do this so they are automatically included. If you wish to be on the mailing list for this new one please email me.

This is the colour  palette I am going to use hopefully with some White Fairy Frost that I still have. This quilt will have embroidered borders. These fabrics are the Pen and Inked range form Connecting Threads Will also use some other tonals for the applique etc.

I have also been very busy organizing some Bridie's Blossoms packages so that I have a good stock on hand for when hospitals and funeral homes require them.

We have had some gorgeous little birds visiting our fountain. We are in dire need of rain and the poor little birds love having a bath. The little white eyes are just exquisite. 

This little male Eastern Spinebill had a lovely time. He has a gorgeous little red eyes and an amazing bill/beak 

Hallie has also started taking my husband for a walk. She is very insistent and won't stop meowing at the door until he takes her out.

New tutorial posted

I have just uploaded the tutorial for my new Bridie's Blessings One Metre Wonder Quilt 2. Once again this quilt uses only 1 metre or 1 yard of the main focus fabric. This little quilt measures 43 1/2 inches square and is ideal for charity purposes or a new baby gift.

Bridie's Blessings One Metre Wonder Quilt 2

The designs I used for this quilt were the Colourwork Owls on the Block from Hatched in Africa. You can download the instructions for this quilt HERE