Sew Many Quilts - Too Little Time

Home Safely

2012-02-01T18:22:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry for the long absence on my blog and plan to catch up on all my news and travels over the next few days. Unfortunately I brought home an unwanted souvenir from China- a chest infection. We arrived home Monday and I've spent the past few days just sleeping and waiting for the antibiotics to take effect. I have also been quietly crocheting more squares for blankets for the homeless as well as knitting a baby jacket to donate.
I received a lovely parcel of blocks from an anonymous quilter in Vic and they will make some lovely quilts or gifts to donate. Cat from NZ also sent some more wonderful orphan blocks as well as some more fabric from her clean-out of her sewing room and they will also make some more quilts to donate.
We had a wonderful trip although it was tiring and very cold with temperatures if -7 to -12 and I had a chest infection for the last 2 weeks so it's taking time to get rid of the cough. I plan to start sewing again very soon, hopefully tomorrow so I can get started on this year's donated quilts.
I've really missed my blogging friends and will post more trip photos soon.
It's great to be home again.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Message from Jan's husband Ray

2012-01-16T02:10:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone ,Jan asked me to let you all know that she has no facebook or blog access from China ,she is well and is having a good time and will catch up on this blog when she gets home in two weeks.
Cheers everyone
Ray

Last day in Hong Kong

2012-01-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

Sadly the internet is very slow and hard to get here at times so I'm not able to post as much as I'd like. I may have to do updates of the trip when I get home again.
We saw the rare pink dolphins, visited Ocean Park, took the cable car to sse the Giant Buddha, saw an old fishing village built on stilts, climbed 400 steps to see the monastery of 10,000 buddhas and used the metro to travel all over HK. It's the last day here today and we're off to China tomorrow.
Having a great time and will update when I can. We loved the Giant Pandas at Ocean Park and also saw a wonderful 30 min live stage show of the Lion King at Disneyland.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Ding Ding Trams and Disneyland

2012-01-04T02:20:00.001-08:00

On Monday we took the Star ferry over to Hong Kong island as we are staying on Kowloon. We took the Ding Ding tram and travelled all afternoon for the princely sum of 60 cents AU. It gave us a good chance to see lots of the suburbs and some of the local shopping areas.
Tuesday we spent 12 hours visiting Disneyland and I was brave enough to try the rollercoaster ( in the dark no less) as well as a big drop via parachute ride. After being in line for an hour I was determined to enjoy it despite being afraid of heights.
We had a great day there and a wonderful spectacular firework display ended the day with a bang- very pretty.
Will update again when i get internet service. By the way why is it that everytime I travel someone buys a silly hat? Stephanie bought it as a dressup item as she has lots of school dress up days as she is a teacher.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Walking in Hong Kong

2012-01-04T01:49:00.000-08:00

We're having very long 12 hour days with lots of walking but it's the best way to get a feel for a place and see as much as possible. We really enjoyed our afternoon at the Nan Lian Gardens at Diamond Hill -thanks for the info Jenni S. it was well worth the trip out there and a good way to get used to the train system.
So far it's been an easy way to get around Hong Kong and a very fast and efficient service.
The subways are very clean and the streets are swept all day every day so no litter lying around. Our only compliant has been the difficulty with getting internet service.
Will try to update more often when service allows.
Take care, Jan Mac

Happy New Year From Hong Kong

2012-01-01T03:13:00.001-08:00

Well New Year's Eve celebrations in Hong Kong are not for the faint-hearted. We had a wonderful time at an Aussie-styled pub, Ned Kelly's Last Stand, in downtown Kowloon and drank Cosmopolitans all night. We met some lovely people who are Hong Kong nationals and also had a jazz band playing. Unfortunately we decided to leave the pub so we could see the fireworks over the Harbour and we were packed like sardines with about 2 million people. The roads were blocked and it took us 2 hours to walk 1.5 kms. A bit scary to be in such a crush of people but a great night anyway. Today we went down to the Harbour again and then took the Metro to Diamond hill to see the Nan Lian Garden. It is a beautiful serene area of lovely manicured gardens and a wonderful way to enjoy a bit of nature while surrounded by high rise buildings.
So far we've managed to buy a few things at the markets and Stephanie is learning all about bargaining. Our hotel is placed near Temple St and very convenient but the beds are as hard as the floor. In fact we tried sleeping on the floor and I think there was more "give" in the concrete floor! It has encouraged us to get out and explore as resting on a soft mattress isn't an option. I believe that "it's all part of the experience" and any other beds we encounter can only be better.
Not a lot of use of the internet here as we haven't been able to use the HK keyboard at the hotel.
Off to explore again so more later.
Hugs, Jan Mac

End of The Year Report

2011-12-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

I haven't been quilting for the past few days but I have been very busy getting ready for my trip to Hong Kong and China. We fly out tonight and will be away for 4 weeks. My DH will be at home to receive any parcels as I'm traveling with our youngest DD. We have 9 days in Hong Kong before we meet up with our tour and local guide for the 3 weeks trip across China.
I have managed to crochet almost enough squares for another blanket and will finish that when we return.
The total number of finished and donated quilts for Oz Comfort Quilts this year was 543 which I think is an amazing number. Thank to all of my very generous blogging friends for all their support and donations of fabric, QAYG blocks, quilt tops, fabric and money. We have managed to make a difference to many people affected by the natural disasters in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, as well as warming the needy and I'm very grateful for all the support.
I will be straight back into production when I return from my travels and I pray that we are spared the disasters that so many experienced this year. I wish you all the best for 2012 and I hope we can continue to work together to make life a little easier for those in need. I'll be updating my blog while I'm away as long as I can get internet access.
Stay safe. Hugs, Jan Mac

Featured Blogger- Giraffe Dreams

2011-12-21T01:56:00.001-08:00

I've chosen Carol E. from Minneapolis, USA. Carol and I first met online when we were members of the online quilting group, Sunshine. The group continues on to this day and I made some lovely friends through my membership, including BJ who was the founder of the group, and also Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.
Carol's father had just passed away and she challenged us to make and donate quilts in his honour. This was ten years ago and we are still donating to many groups, in our local communities and overseas. We've sent quilts all over the world, including some which were auctioned off at the Armenian Embassy in Paris (I think that's right) and we raised money to pay for heating for 3 orphanages.
Carol is a lovely lady and a very generous quilter, with very similar ideas to mine. She also believes that we serve God and our community by using our quilting gifts and talents.
I've added her photo with her latest quilt which she calls a Lego Quilt and it is such a masterpiece and made from 1 1/2" strips so I hope this is one which she will keep for her family.
So please check out Carol's blog, Giraffe Dreams, check out her lovely quilts and tell her I said Hi! She also loves to read and shares her latest book on Fridays which I think I may adopt too as it's a great way to find out about new authors to try and share with each other.
Thanks for stopping by. Do you have a favourite blog to share? If so I'd love to hear about it to expand my blogging world some more. You can also ask for your own blog to be featured if you would like to encourage more people to stop by your blog.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Out of The Box

2011-12-21T01:18:00.000-08:00

I seem to be very organized and have even found/made time to get some more donation quilts finished. I have several boxes of fabric which has been cut into 6" squares and have decided that I need to get them made and out of the cupboard. I did sort them into colours but had a box of just all sorts of bits and pieces. I did start randomly piecing them together to make backings for quilts which is an excellent way to use them up. I've also been piecing them to add to fabric to make it wider for backings. I seem to have lots of tops which are just a bit too wide for the quilt shop fabric which varies from 40 to 43" wide, and adding a strip of these squares uses them up but also makes them into backings wide enough for some of the larger tops.
Having finished enough baking for Christmas and as I seem to have most other things up to date I decided to see how many more quilt tops I could finish to donate to the needy for Christmas. I quilted 4 yesterday and another 2 this morning, managing to get them packed off to the post office and they should arrive in time to be given out for Christmas.
Tomorrow I'm off to Melbourne to arrange our visas for China and I may get a few more quilts done before we leave but they will go onto next year's total. The new quilts are on my other blog at Oz Comfort Quilts and I'll do an update of the number donated for the year, very soon. I did enjoy my short break from the donation quilts but it was also fun to get some more done and ready to comfort their new owners very soon.
Many thanks for all your help,
Hugs, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Tuesday Dutch Beauty

2011-12-20T04:08:00.000-08:00

I'm loving working on this cross stitch piece again and have almost finished the first row. It was a bit daunting to start with as it's such a large piece and worked on linen but I'm really enjoying it now that I'm using glasses with an increased magnification which is making it much easier working on the linen fabric.
I've found that I'm getting more of my own UFOs worked on now that I'm just concentrating on one for quilting and one for cross stitching.
I must get busy with the Stars quilt again as I am well over 3/4 of the way done with piecing the stars together.
I've also been baking for Christmas and have made 2 batches of lemon slice, as we have plenty of lemons on the tree, as well as apricot balls, rum balls and hedgehog ( a chocolate slice). I also met up with my sister and sister-in-law to plan the meal for Christmas dinner as we all contribute to providing the food to make it easier on the host family. It will be the usual fun and noisy event as there will be 34 adults and 3 children, all talking and laughing.
I feel very blessed to have wonderful family and friends to celebrate Christmas with and make new family memories. The young adults have been in the habit of playing charades in teams, with much laughter and I'm guessing this year will see the tradition continue.
I feel that I've been neglecting my blog at bit for the past few weeks but plan to remedy that with some postings about my favourite blogs and websites so you may like to check back tomorrow to see who I'm recommending. I'm hoping that this may give you all some new blogs to read over the holidays as well as allowing us to share those blogs which interest and inspire me. I'd also love you to make your own recommendations too and I'm going to try to post more often again now that life seems to be settling down here again.
See you tomorrow.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Are We There Yet?

2011-12-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry friends but I missed posting an update on my stars quilt on Sunday. I have been working on my cross stitch more during the week and haven't found/made time to work on the Stars.
The time has just flashed past for the last 3 weeks and I have just checked the calender to see how many days I still have before Christmas. I don't think there will be enough to get everything done and I've been very busy with family commitments. The good news is that our house guest has been reunited with his Dad and now has support services etc in place.
I was very happy that I'd already delivered all the donation quilts and the last 4 were delivered to the local women's refuge for their clients for Christmas. I was also asked for a cot quilt for one of my DD's fiance's family and managed to get it finished before I start on today's Christmas baking. I've also been called into work so I'll have to get busy and get the baking done now.
I hope all of your Christmas plans are going smoothly. Luisa also asked if I need more QAYG blocks and of course I am happy to accept any donations of blocks and will get them made and donated as soon as I have time.
I'm off for all of January as I am going to Hong Kong and China with one of my DDs. so I'll be back into the donation quilts when I return.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Update

2011-12-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on my Dutch Beauty cross stitch piece when time allows. I'm so glad that I delivered all the quilts and packed away the donation quilts for the rest of the year as there has been little time of late for anything other than family commitments and Christmas preparations.
I also have a couple of baby quilts to make before Christmas so I'm trying to get them done this week.
I hope you are all enjoying a break over Christmas too.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Stars on Sunday Part 7

2011-12-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

A little late but I did manage to work on some more stars for this quilt as well as stitching more to the top. I've now stitched 47 stars to the top and the pile of star pieces has decreased a lot. I need to make a decision about how to finish the edges and whether or not to make half stars to fill in the gaps on the sides.
It's been good to stay focused on just one project for a while and to get it finished.
I hope you're all ready for Christmas now. I still have a few gifts to buy and of course a lot of cooking to do. I always look forward to spending time with family and friends and it's a lovely time of year to count our blessings.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Tuesday

2011-12-06T14:46:00.001-08:00

I didn't proceed with the small cross stitch pieces to finish off as I was excavating the sewing room and have mislaid the pattern LOL
I did find this piece and decided to get some more done while I had time.
This is a huge piece known as Dutch Beauty. It is a sampler made in 1790 by a 13 year old girl form the Low Countries (Holland). It measures about 1 metre across and is a very involved piece but the variety of the desgins makes it an easier one to keep my interest.
The first photo shows my progress to date and then next two photos show this week's progress on stitching the little men. I hope to keep working on this one for the next few weeks and will have more progress to show next week. I took a photo of the pattern so you can see how large the design is but will try to remember to scan it so it shows in more detail.
The days have been very busy lately so it's been a relief to have packed away the donation quilts and focus on family for a bit.
Take care, Jan Mac

Stars on Sunday Part 6

2011-12-04T01:13:00.000-08:00

I'm back into routine or at least a somewhat altered routine and have been working on my stars again this week. I now have 40 stars joined together and have less than 10 to stitch to finish the quilt.
Then I need to stitch half stars and add borders but the end is almost in sight. I was going to use the signature blocks for the backing but it will be much too large so I'll probably make another quilt from those.
Tonight I plan on doing some cross stitch too and will show that progress on Tuesday.
Thanks for stopping by.
PS Also just wondering if you think it is good to have lots of blogs listed on blog sights so it's easy to cross from one to another or do you prefer to have a less cluttered blog to read?
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Change Has Arrived

2011-11-29T12:45:00.001-08:00

Sorry that I've been MIA for the past week but there have been some big changes here. We delivered more quilts to a group which helps the needy in Melbourne and also took down a car load of knitted blankets, quilts, as well as toys and 3 large bags of donations of Christmas gifts for the homeless and various organizations. The three very large bags came from the Kyabram ladies and Lesley Lowe and they have done a wonderful job with all their donations to bring some joy to people who have very little.
I also received this fabulous big bag of QAYG blocks from Sandy L. and the Geelong Stitchers (Vic). The blocks are beautiful and will make some wonderful quilts which I'll get started on when time allows.
The change of circumstances which has taken up a lot of my time in the past week is that we have taken in a teenage boy who has been having a hard time due to his parent's recent breakup. He can't live with his father due to distance and lack of space and he won't live with his mother. He's a lovely lad and so grateful to have a quiet and peaceful place to live. We're taking it a day at a time but life is busy with making the arrangements with the various agencies, job seeking and just spending time together debriefing and counselling. He's more settled now and with Christmas approaching we are making sure that he is supported through this transition from his immediate family. He was so at a loss that he'd been walking aimlessly around the streets and had worn blisters on his feet.
I'm sorry that I missed my posts for cross stitch Tuesdays and the stars on Sunday but will try to get back on track with those when time allows. I guess that must have been the reason why I felt the need to pack away the donation quilts for a time, I just didn't know why then. We did deliver 52 more quilts and I'll do a tally for the year soon.
Hope all of you are nearly ready for Christmas because it will be here very soon.
Hugs Jan Mac

UFO Progress

2011-11-23T00:19:00.000-08:00

I've decided to finish some of the many UFOs I have at the moment as well as choose one new kit or pattern to make up. The first one was a bag kit I bought from one of the Craft Shows. I can;t remember how long ago I bought this one but it could have been 10 to 15 years ago. It only took a bit over an hour to make the bag and I'm very happy with it.
I've also been making more stars for the Sunday Star project (UFO) I'm completing and I have really shrunk the pile of fabric for the stars so I must be making good progress there.
I also packed some more soft toys I'd found to be given to needy children and received 7 fabulous mini Christmas stockings from Gina Wilson (Vic). I was planning a trip to deliver the quilts and Christmas gifts today or tomorrow but I have another dental appointment tomorrow so I'll be making the delivery ASAP.
PS *The mini Xmas stockings measure 3" across the foot and 4.5" in length- the pattern is on the sidebar on the right.
*Also could the lady who wanted to purchase the Kate Greenaway pattern from me email me again please as I have lost your address in the computer crash last week.
Many thanks, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Tuesday Part 6

2011-11-22T00:21:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it but I finished the cross stitch Kate Greenaway Alphabet sampler that was published in 1979 and I bought it that year to make during my first pregnancy.
Well you know how that idea went as I was working full time until I was 42 weeks pregnant. I remember wanting to come into labour so I could get a break from work LOL.
I finished this piece during the week and I think I'll make it into a wall hanging as it will cost about $200 to have it framed and it's too large to frame it myself.
The next piece of cross stitching shown here are 7 pieces made for me by our eldest DD when she was recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She did them as a surprise for me and it was a wonderful gift as I know and appreciate how much work she put into these. They just need some outline stitching and some beading and I will frame these with a bought frame as they are fairly small on 18ct aida. I want to get them finished so she can see how much I love and appreciate her work on these.
I had root canal done today so I won;t be doing much tonight but I have found a few projects I'd bought and never even started so stay tuned for some new projects to appear here.
Hugs, Jan Mac

My First Textile Art

2011-11-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

I have finally finished a UFO of mine and it is my first piece of Textile Art. I took a class called Luminous Landscapes with Gloria Loughman at AQC in April this year and used her technique to represent the scene in my photo.
I took the photo last year and it was a happenstance photo where we were camped on the border between Sth Australia and Northern Territory. We were inside the camper and just happened to look out and saw this wonderful sunset. The photo looks a little dark here and I actually lightened it a bit more for my class piece.
My DH loves it so that's a bonus and if you get a chance to take a class with Gloria then take it. She's a lovely lady and an excellent teacher with lots of experience which she shares willingly. I'll take another class with her in the future just because I had fun and learned so much. I'm very pleased to have one of my UFOs finished and have finished the last donation quilt for the year (shown on the other blog). I say that but I'm sure I'll still work on them for a couple of days a week when I have time. I'm taking a break to concentrate on family commitments and Christmas and to have some fun working with my projects that have been pushed to the backburner for quite a few years while I worked on donation quilts..
It's time to get some on my UFOs finished too and I will be reporting on my cross stitching tomorrow. Don't worry this break probably won't last long. I'm delivering all the quilts and Christmas items for the needy on Weds this week so if you have any mini Xmas stockings please post them directly to Janice Bartlett and email me for her new address.
Judy Cooke sent these 12 fabulous Christmas stockings and they are so pretty with their feathery tops that they are sure to be a hit.
Thanks for all your support, Jan Mac

Stars on Sunday Part 5

2011-11-20T04:05:00.001-08:00

Family commitments have kept me busy this week so I haven't sewn as many stars as I would have liked but I've still made progress so I'm happy with that.
This week I've stitched 38 stars together but I have made more stars and I've sewn in a lot of the beige diamonds around the edges.
I'm going to try to get more sewn this week but with all the quilt deliveries etc my time will be taken up and I'll hope to stitch some at night.
I'm also getting my Christmas shopping done now so I don't have a last minute rush. I read to day that there's only 35 sleeps until Christmas so I plan to deliver all the Christmas gifts and quilts for the needy this week and then concentrate on things I need to get done for the family. I'm also trying to resist starting a new quilt for me and am just planning the colours I want to use at this stage. I would like to have some hand applique to work on and I have a couple of projects that I could alternate with the stars. I'll have to see if my resolve to finsih the stars first holds.
Hugs, Jan Mac

More Arrivals

2011-11-17T03:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I met up with the lovely Lesley Lowe from Kyabram as she had lots of quilt tops and 2 quilts to donate as well as lots of donations for Needy Stitches.
Here is one of the quilts she donated and they will both be shown on my other blog.
The beautiful and bright QAYG blocks came from Leonie of Luv Lee Handknits (Vic) and she sent 4 lovely blocks to be made into quilts. The bright colours will be lovely in some kid's quilts.
Thanks you to everyone who continues to support these quilt projects with their donations.
Many thanks, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Tuesday Part 5

2011-11-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

I expected to have finished this cross stitch piece by now but I found that I had made a mistake by one stitch on the letter Z. I was using a photocopy of the pattern so I could cross off each row and the photocopy was a bit crooked so I was a stitch out and although it wouldn't have been detectable I decided to un-stitch the error.
I hadn't made any mistakes for the rest of the piece so I decided to get it finished correctly rather than quickly. I finished the last design of a girl reading a book and have almost finished the letter Z now.
I should have it finished and ready to show you next Tuesday. I'm not allowing myself to think of the next stitching UFO I want to finish until this is completely done. Oh I'm not usually this disciplined so I'm going with it while it lasts. LOL
Hugs Jan Mac

A Virus !

2011-11-14T00:18:00.000-08:00

I've been absent again as I had an "off week" and just didn't feel well. I was aching and felt nauseated but nothing else eventuated so I had a quiet week.
We had our youngest DD back home for the weekend and had a lovely time catching up even though we talk on the phone every day LOL!
Her mischievous kitten was very happy to play with my knitting yarn while I crocheted more squares for blankets for the needy.
I have also been without a computer since the weekend as it had a virus as well. Luckily DH is a computer techie and he's spent lots of time sorting it out and I think it's finally right again now.
I missed posting on Sunday for the Star quilt update so here is my progress so far. I've joined 35 stars as well as joining more star pieces together. It's less than I'd hoped but still progress so I'm happy with that.
Hope all is well in your corner of the world. BTW There is still a need for more mini Xmas stockings if anyone still has some to send.
Many thanks, Jan Mac

I'm Home

2011-11-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

We are glad to be home again after our 4 WD trip. We started at the Border Track over on the Sth Australian and Victorian borders, and then traveled to Wentworth in NSW.
From there we did the "Darling River Run" which follows the Darling River from Wentworth where it joins the Murray River, up to Walgatt in NSW. We saw lots of emus and their chicks and traveled on many dusty and corrugated roads.
We had planned to be away for another week but the friend who was traveling with us blew up his engine just out of Walgatt so we had to tow him 140 kms (100 miles) back to civilization. It was a big ask as we also were towing our camper trailer and we had to tow his car and camper as well. Luckily we made it to Coonamble safely. From there we arranged for his car and camper to be taken to Dubbo and we brought him home with us.
I arrived home to find a lovely gift from Kaite M. who sent me a lovely broach made from a textile house. The fabric for the house looks like there are flowers twining across the house and it looks very cute.
Thank you so much Kaite- I will treasure it.
I also received two more lovely tops from Mary-anne R. (Vic) and they will be finished and donated soon. I missed an update on my cross stitch and Star progress so I hope to show a finish on the cross stitch piece next Tuesday. I took a break from stitching while we were away and it was too hot to do much knitting or crocheting so I'm back into the swing of it again now.
It's good to be home!
Hugs, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Tuesday Part 4

2011-10-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm in a rush to post this today as I've just been called into work. I have completed 2 more letters and I'm working on the last one. Then I just have another girl to stitch and it is DONE!
I can't believe it after all this time.
I hope to show a finish very soon.
Bye for now,
Jan Mac

Fairy Dresses Monday

2011-10-24T14:45:00.001-07:00

I have been busy sewing gifts to give to needy families for Christmas and here are two of the little fairy skirts I made for little girls to pretend they are princesses or fairies at their very own party.
They were easy to make- I just cut a piece of fabric 3" wide across the with of fabric. Then I doubled the tulle and cut it 4.5" wide across the width of fabric. I folded it so I had 4 layers and stitched them around the strip of fabric, overlapping them by half. I left about 10" of the support fabric to make ties so the skirts can be tied around a little waist and I used 8 pieces of overlapping tulle on each skirt. It's hard to see in the photos and I didn't have a little girl to pose in them but I hope you can see what I mean. I also made a headband to match the skirts.
Hopefully some little girls will have fun dressing up in their fairy dresses and twirling around playing make believe as little girls do.
I also finished off some more QAYG quilts and they are shown on my other blog. We're off camping for a week or so at the end of the week so I'm trying to get my Christmas donations finished and delivered before we leave.
I can't believe that it's only2 months until Christmas. Where has the year gone. I've traveled quite a bit this year but we have still donated over 430 quilts so far and more to deliver very soon.
Hugs Jan Mac
PS Don't forget to check back later for Cross Stitch Tuesday. LOL

Stars on Sunday Part 3

2011-10-23T01:25:00.000-07:00

I've found that by committing to writing about working on my UFOs and posting about it once a week I am actually able to focus on getting them finished. Otherwise I get distracted by working on donation quilts first. I am still working on them but I'm also making time to work on finishing some of my projects and I'm really happy with my progress.
The first photo shows the star quilt top from last Sunday when I had attached 25 stars for the top. I also spent more time making star sets this week and the final photo shows that I now have 32 stars in place.
I must be almost half way now I think and the hardest part is trying to balance out the different colours. It probably won't matter in the long term as red shades seem to be predominant and I have red fabric for the border.
It's good to be able to see that I will be up to attaching a border in a few month's time.
I've also finished off more donation quilts shown on my other blog so the week finished more productively than it started. Yesterday I was going to attend the country meeting of my Vic Quilter's Guild but it was going to be a 5 1/2 hour drive so at the last moment I decided to stay home and use my time more usefully. Maybe I'll make it to a meeting when it is closer to me.
Back to sew some more stars as it is still Sunday here.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Christmas is Coming

2011-10-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

I received seven beautiful quilt tops from a lovely supporter, Sue V. (Vic) and they will make some lovely Christmas gifts for the needy who most probably will not receive any other gifts. I know it will be too warm for the quilts to be used at Christmas time but I know they will be appreciated as a gift from the heart. I have quilted one of the tops already and it is shown on my other blog, Oz Comfort Quilts.
Margo Barber (Tas) has also been very busy knitting mini Christmas stockings and these are really lovely and will be much appreciated by the organizations who use them as small gifts for the needy. I have more sewing to do and Christmas will be here before we know it so I'd better get off the computer and back to work.
"Stars on Sunday" update will be posted later today.
Hugs Jan Mac

A Mixed Bag

2011-10-20T01:10:00.000-07:00

This week has been a mixed bag health-wise. We had a rushed trip to hospital at 1.30am earlier this week, with DH having chest pains. Luckily he was fine so we were home again by 4am. At the same time I had toothache and persevered for a few days with codeine etc while I waited for a dentist appointment. I had the nerve removed today and go back for a root canal in 4 weeks time- I can't wait!
Not much else has been happening but I did manage to finish off 2 more QAYG quilts and they are shown on my other blog.
I also bought some frames for these lovely postcards I bought in Rome- my favourite city. I hope they don't look too kitsch but I plan to hang them where I can see them every day and relive the memories of walking around ancient Rome- all that history! The cards are much better than any photos I took as there were so many people in the foreground of all the photos that it's very hard to get a good view of the ancient buildings.
We've just watched the mini series of Rome in Caesar's time, and I now plan to read Colleen McCullough's books, the Men of Rome series, based on Julius Caesar, again.
I plan to resume normal operational routines tomorrow and hope to have more finished quilts to show soon after a good night's sleep.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Tuesday

2011-10-18T02:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I was surprised at how much cross stitch I'd done for the week and this week I managed to do less but it's still progressing nicely.
I have finished the letters X and Y and have started the letter V. That's probably been less than last week as there were more children to be stitched, but I'll have to remind myself that even if I only completed one letter a week it is still more progress than I'd made from the last 10 years or so.
At this rate I should have the whole piece finished in another week or so and I'm really pleased with that. Of course I have the next piece chosen to work on but I'm sticking with my resolve to finish this one first.
I also finished quilting the rescued quilt that Gina W. (Vic) found in her local op shop and it's shown on my other blog. It will be a lovely gift to comfort someone in need of a warm hug, so thank you very much Gina for helping me to rescue this lovely quilt.
Hugs, Jan Mac.

Stars on Sunday Part 2

2011-10-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's time to report on my progress again on the UFO I've chosen to finish. Last Sunday I had 13 stars stitched together and today when I stopped for a photo I was surprised to find that I'd stitched 25 stars together.
I've also been making extra cream diamonds to join the stars as well as making more stars to add to the top.
I'm very happy with my progress and even our visiting little kitten gave them a Cat Scan of approval.
What is it about cats that if you put a quilt or quilt top on the floor to take a photo, they always go over to lie on it?
Spending more of my time cross stitching or hand stitching as cut into my knitting time but as the weather is rapidly warming here, the hats and warm garments won;t be needed for some time now and it's good to get some of my UFOs finished.
DH has been asking if I've started on a fabulous new quilt pattern that I bought recently but as I have an unexplained desire to finish off some projects I want to get these out of the way before I start a new one. Of course that feeling may change but at the moment I'm sticking to finishing off UFOs. I have another hand applique piece that I need to finish off too so that may join the current rotation of UFOs to work on.
Have a great week.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Friday's Outcome

2011-10-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

I received yet another wonderful parcel of QAYG blocks and Lynne and Susan, blog readers from NSW, very generously made and donated 25 beautiful blocks. These are so pretty that they will make a lovely quilt for a needy person.
I also managed to finish making another pair of PJ pants for DD as well as quilting another donated top and that is shown on my other blog.
I'm also working away on my current cross stitch UFO and my patchwork UFO, the hand pieced stars top made from oriental fabric.
I'll post an update of the Stars top tomorrow and I'm busy preparing more star sections to piece together. I think I may be about a third of the way there or at least a quarter done so I'm happy with the progress.
More tomorrow.
Hugs, Jan Mac

More Wonderful Donations

2011-10-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've received more wonderful donations from my very generous blog readers and these will be on their way to help the needy very soon. Kaite Matilda (NSW) has very kindly knitted 20 mini Christmas stockings and they are really cute and will be used to hold lollies and given as a gift to the homeless in Melbourne and surrounds. Thank you so much for making them Kaite as I have been busy quilting and not made as many as I'd intended.
Gina Wilson (Vic0 also has found this lovely half finished quilt at an op shop and very kindly sent it to me to finish off and donate on her behalf. It just needs to be quilted and then it will be very gratefully received by a needy person. It won't take me long to get it finished and then I'll wash it to freshen it up. The photo of the finished quilt will be on my other blog very soon and I have just uploaded photos of quilts I've finished this week. That's all for now as I'm off to my paid job.
Many thanks for all your help, readers.
hugs, Jan Mac

Cross Stitch Tuesday

2011-10-11T02:41:00.000-07:00

Well so far the plan for finishing off UFOs is working as I've been able to focus on finishing just one cross stitch UFO at a time. I started 2 weeks ago and the first photo shows how much had been done before I put it away in the cupboard, many years ago.
The first week I managed to finish the letters E and J (shown in the 2nd photo) and I expected that it would take me a couple more months to finish as I had 12 letters to stitch and I thought 1 or 2 a week would be good progress.
I was very surprised to find that I've stitched letters O, P, T, U and I've started the letter X in the last week. I'm very pleased with my progress and I'm reminding myself to stay focused and get it finished.
I know some people find working on projects by using a rotation method works for them but I think that this time just working on one at a time is helping me to finish a UFO. I get enough variety by working on donation quilts during the week as well. Whatever the reason I'm happy to have been able to get this much done so quickly and I can certainly see the end is in sight. I'm now thinking of which cross stitch project I'll work on next but I'm determined to finish this one first.
Thanks for helping me to stay focused and accountable on the blog.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Arrivals By Post

2011-10-10T02:42:00.001-07:00

I've received more wonderful donations from very generous quilters and they will enable me to get more quilts finished and donated.
Gina Wilson (Vic) sent the beautiful quilt top as well as two very cute mini Christmas stockings. If you click on the photo the stockings will be much clearer.
Bev Dean, Linda Farley and the Wednesday Stitch and Bitch group in WA made 2 lovely QAYG blocks as well as 4 lovely jumpers for babies and 12 beautiful beanies which will help to warm some needy people.
The last photo shows some of the beautiful QAYG blocks donated by Robyn Roberts (Vic). Robyn has been very busy and sent 51 blocks which will make some lovely quilts for the needy.
Thank you all so much for your continued support for these quilt appeals.
Hugs and blessings, Jan Mac

Stars on Sunday

2011-10-09T02:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why but I've been feeling compelled to finish off some of my UFOs and I'm not going to fight the feeling. Instead I've chosen one cross stitch piece (and I'll post photos of my progress every Tuesday) and I have also chosen one patchwork piece to finish. Of course I'll still be making quilts to donate but the family are also looking forward to seeing some finished quilts for them.
I attended an Aussie quilting retreat about 5 years ago and we swapped 6.5" fabric with a theme of Oriental, as well as a signature square also measuring 6.5". As I swapped with about 123 people I had many squares to use up. I foolishly decided to make the oriental fabric into stars and with careful cutting I managed to get 3 pieces out of each 6.5" square. I'm setting them with a plain diamond between each star.
This project stalled as I haven't worked on them consistently after starting them this time last year. Then I thought I'd lost the constratsing background fabric so was worried about joining the stars in case I had to use a mixture of other cream fabrics for the background. Luckily I found the fabric while cleaning up my sewing room and rather than lose it again I thought it would be a good idea to get them finished.
I took the first photo on Friday and had joined 8 stars together and today I have joined 13 so far. I think there will be about 62 stars when it's finished and of course I have to make the stars as well but it's a start.
I'm going to commit to showing my progress every Sunday and hope that will keep me focused on finishing a UFO for me. I didn't consider how the fabric varied so much in each square and although each of the 3 star pieces are cut from one piece of fabric, they do look different in some of the stars. Hopefully it will look better when more is done.
Back soon,
Hugs Jan Mac

More From the Magic Cupboard

2011-10-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

I've been busy dressmaking this week and using up more fabric from the "Magic Cupboard". Two more pairs of PJ pants and a pair of shorts for one of my DD's. I did have more planned but had to spend a couple of days in sewing machine maintenance. Luckily DH is a techie and managed to fix the faults himself.
It was a good chance to do some basic cleaning etc and make sure they run smoothly. The over locker hadn't been used for some time and just seized up while I was using it. Some cleaning and oiling sorted out the problems luckily.
I also managed to put a top together from donated string pieced blocks from Holland. I think I'll add borders to make this top larger. I still have enough blocks for another top as well.
I also finished off another QAYG quilt and that is shown on my other blog.
It hasn't been as productive week as others but I'm also taking some time to work on my projects and have been doing more cross stitching and I'm keen to finish the Kate Greenaway sampler I'm working on at the moment.
I have decided to post about my cross stitching every Tuesday so it will encourage me to keep working on these cross stitch UFOs and get them finished. So far it's been a good plan and I have plenty of progress to show for next Tuesday so check back and see whether or not I have finished. LOL It grows slowly compared to quilting but I am getting there.
Hugs, Jan Mac

More Finishes

2011-10-04T01:49:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't finished as many quilts in the past week I did manage to get some other items finished. The colourful blanket is large enough to fit a single (twin) bed and will be donated to an organization which helps the needy. I often crochet while I'm waiting for a meal to cook or while I'm watching TV so the blankets seem to make themselves without a lot of effort.
I also finished off a crocheted baby blanket as well as a pair of boxer shorts for an 8 year old girl and both will be donated too.
The boxer shorts were made from the fabric I had left over from making some PJ pants for my DD. I'm trying to avoid putting fabric back into the cupboard after it's been used for a project and I just cut the largest size of shorts I could get from the fabric. I'll get a top to match it and it will make a Christmas gift perhaps.
I also had a lovely phone call from the new mum who loved the quilt for Myles. She said it brought tears to her eyes that she had such a lovely quilt with her son's name on it. They are both doing well and it was a lovely surprise to receive her call as she certainly has enough to focus on at the moment. It's always lovely to hear that someone loves a quilt you've made for them and I hope I have made some quilts that their families will treasure for years to come.
I also finished a couple of quilts and the photos are shown on my other blog.
The weather has been beautiful so far this week and now I just have to adjust my sleeping pattern to fit in with daylight saving again. LOL
Hugs Jan Mac

This and That

2011-10-03T02:36:00.000-07:00

I've had family here for the last week but I have made some progress on my cross stitch and have finished the letters E and J, so I'm pleased that I'm working my way through this UFO.
Today I also made a pair of PJ pants and another skirt for my DD and have a lot more fabric she has designated for more clothing. (LOL) which I'm hoping to make progress with this week.
I also found a donated set of QAYG blocks made in the rail fence pattern. There were 16 made blocks in the set as well as quite a lot of fabric for more blocks, so I made enough to finish a quilt with 24 blocks, set 4 x 6.
I should have that one finished tomorrow as well as more crocheted items so I've been happy with the finishes as well as spending time with family. There is more rain predicted so it should be good weather for quilting for some time yet and with air conditioning I can't say that the heat of summer slows down production too much.
Hope you're all enjoying some time working on Works in Progress (WIPs) and well as choosing a UnFinished Object (UFO) to complete. I plan to finish the current cross stitch sampler until it's finished and then select another stalled project to finish off.
Hugs, Jan Mac

We Are the Champions

2011-10-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

A great game which was too close for comfort for most of the day.
Thankfully we won again!

Normal blogging will resume tomorrow- or maybe the next day ! LOL!

Hugs Jan Mac (Geelong supporter since 1961)

AFL Grand Final

2011-09-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day for us as our AFL team is in the Grand Final against Collingwood. There will be no quilting done today while we wtach the big event on television.
Of course the day also involves eating barbequed sausages with onions in bread, some beverages and a celebration cake.
At least we hope it's a celebration cake and not a commiseration cake!
In the meantime I'm working on some more crochet squares for a blanket for the needy as I can do that while watching TV and I don't need to watch what I'm working on.
Anyway it's almost time for kickoff, so Go Cats!!
Back tomorrow.
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Special Delivery

2011-09-30T02:23:00.000-07:00

We had a new member of the family making a very early arrival this week and how else to celebrate but to make him a quilt.
He's 10 weeks early but Mum and baby, Myles, are both doing well and after spending a few weeks in a Melbourne hospital he will be transferring to a hospital nearer to home.
I hope his parents like his new quilt as it has Peter Rabbit designs and cute baby animals on the fabric as well as some brighter blue for contrast.
I used my "Around the Block" book by Judy Hopkins, and enlarged a 12 inch block to 24". Firstly I deducted 1/2 inch from all the pieces, then doubled the size and added a 1/2 inch on again for the seam allowance.
It probably sounds like it's confusing but basically when the pattern asked for a 4 inch square, I took it to mean 3.5 inches without seam allowance. Then I doubled the size to 7 inches to make the block twice as large and then added on 1/2 an inch for seam allowance again.
It was an easy way to make a baby quilt and the pattern is called Rising Star. I added a border to make the quilt larger and added the lighter squares in the corners of the border so the bright blue wouldn't be too over-powering.
I will make a larger quilt for Myles when he grows enough to return home with his parents but wanted him to have his own quilt to distract from the medical paraphernalia while he's in hospital.
He was in a big hurry to get here and I hope he doesn't take life head-on all the time or his parents will be worn out. LOL Welcome little Myles!!
Hugs, Jan Mac

Donations From WA

2011-09-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

I received two more lovely parcel of donations from Delys Rogers in Western Australia. Delys has very generously supported Oz Comfort Quilts all year and this time she has sent 12 lovely knitted beanies, 2 scarves and 16 more lovely QAYG blocks to be made into quilts for the needy.
All of these will soon be on their way to be given to the needy and the sudden burst of cold weather we're having has meant that these warm items are still in demand.
I've also been busy crocheting more squares to be made into blankets and hope to get another delivery made in the next week or so. Finishing quilts has taken precedence over making more mini Xmas stockings so I really appreciate those of you who have made and sent some too. I've been trying to finish quilts and Christmas gifts for the needy so I haven't made enough of the stockings yet.
Thank you all for your generous donation of time and materials to help the needy.
Hugs Jan Mac

Cats and Quilts

2011-09-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

As I used to be more of a "dog" person than a "cat" person, the family think it is hilarious when I fuss over our DD's kitten. They are staying her for a few days and the kitten is very cuddly and full of mischief. I have to be careful to shut her out of the room when I'm using the quilting machine as she climbs all over the quilt when it's pinned and even when the machine is stitching.
Despite paid work, I did manage to finish 3 QAYG quilts so far this week and they are shown on my other blog. I've also been crocheting squares and knitting a baby jacket as well as some cross stitching so it's been a case of working on different things for small amounts of time but I have managed some finishes as well as some progress on WIPs so I should have more to show very soon.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Good Week for Finishes

2011-09-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

I managed to finish 6 quilts this week and the last 3 are on my other blog at Oz Comfort Quilts if you want to check them out. One is another QAYG and the other two were donated tops.
I also finished off the red scarf and knitted a hat to match so they will be put away until they are needed.
I also enjoyed starting to work on the alphabet cross stitch that I showed on a previous post. I am enjoying it as I have bought one of those magnifying glasses which hangs around your neck, and being able to see the linen makes it so much easier to work on it. I was having trouble counting the linen threads before and I guess that's why I stalled on finishing it. I will probably make it into a quilted wall hanging and I appreciate the comments from my readers. I have some more finished cross stitch pieces which need to be made into something. I will make some into wall hangings and some into cushions but the really large pieces which have taken lots of hours of work may need to be framed. In that case I'll need to save my pennies for those special ones to be framed. I wonder if family are more likely to treasure them if they are framed or made into a quilt?
At least if I have them finished I can enjoy them rather than having them stuffed away in a cupboard.
Have a good weekend everyone. We have family coming to stay so there may not be much quilting done but lots of chat and laughter.
Hugs, Jan Mac

WIPs and UFOs

2011-09-21T01:58:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely surprise birthday party for my youngest brother on the weekend and a lovely catch up with everyone. Then after work I cut my foot which meant I've had to rest up a bit more.
I wasn't able to use the quilting machine until today but I did manage to finish off 3 more QAYG quilts and they are shown on my other blog at Oz Comfort Quilts.
In the meantime I decided it was time to find some of my UFOs and get them done. The first one I've found/chosen was a cross stitch which I bought over 30 years ago. It's a Kate Greenaway Alphabet Sampler and I loved it and planned to stitch it for our firstborn. She turns 31 in November so you can see it's been waiting for completion for some time. Perhaps it will make a suitable gift for our first grandchild instead! Luckily there's no likelihood of one making an appearance too soon so I may actually get it finished before then.
I love cross stitching but I think I stalled with several of the projects because they are so expensive to have them professionally framed. I can make them into wall hangings and I think that may have to be my compromise as I have too many to be framed but I do want to display them. Anyone else have any suggestions? I think finished will be better than to have it languishing in the cupboard.
I also finished knitting a red scarf for myself and that's one UFO finished although it was probably more a Work In Progress (WIP) than an UnFinished Object (UFO). I've also started to knit a hat to match for a winter trip I'll be taking in the new year.
I keep looking at starting new projects but I need to focus on some finishes for me first. I have no problem finishing off quilts to donate but unless I have a specific date and purpose for a quilt, I tend to work on other things. I must remember to chant "Focus" whenever I start to think of new projects. LOL
Time to stitch.
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Denim Day and Delivery

2011-09-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

I was going to quilt some tops yesterday but had other things take precedence so I did manage to get a start on some gifts for the needy. I found some denim jeans in the "magic cupboard" and decided to make some tote bags and some covered notebooks for teens. I used denim for the books too and am still undecided whether or not to decorate the bags. I may just make a colourful sash to thread through the belt keepers so that can be removed it the teen doesn't like it. I've made lots of these bags in the past and not decorated them as that's the way I like to use them but I'm open to suggestions. I also have a teddy bear that is almost finished so the gift box will be filling nicely.
I also received another 35 lovely QAYG blocks from Cat Magraith in Sth Australia which will help[ to make more quilts to donate. I'll also add the pattern for the knitted mini Christmas stocking to my side bar.
I have paid work again tomorrow which will mean no sewing most likely but there's always Monday. Tonight we have a surprise 50th birthday party for one of my brothers so it will be a fun celebration with family and friends. I can mention it here because I know he doesn't usually read my blog. LOL
Hugs, Jan Mac

Can You Hear the Bells?

2011-09-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

I know you don't want to hear it but Christmas will soon be here so it's time to get ready. I think I can hear Jingle Bells being played already even though we don't have snow here. It must be all that snow we saw on the Swiss Alps.
A lady who helps me to distribute goods to the needy in the Melbourne area is asking for 5,000 mini Christmas stockings which will be filled with lollies and given to organizations which work with the homeless and other needy people.
I took the wool and knitting needles with me so I could make them while we traveled but the heat wave in Europe meant that I only managed to finish 8 so I need to work on lots more now that I'm home again. I've also made one from fabric and plan to make more that way as they are quicker than the knitted ones, although those are quick to make too.
I made up a pattern based on the size of the knitted stocking which measures 2.25" by 4.5". I made the fabric stocking larger as it won't stretch and it consists of just two pieces of fabric, one for the front and a reverse one for the back, with a 1/4" seam and 1/4" hem at the top. The fabric one measures 2.5" by 4.5" and I'm sure that either will be welcomed by the needy. I think I may make the next lot of fabric stockings a bit wider so they can hold a few more lollies so maybe another 1/4 to 1/2" in width would be good. To make a pattern I just drew around the knitted stocking and added on more at the sides so it's nothing fancy.
If you have the time and some scraps I could use any you have time to make, especially as I'm also making toys and quilts to be given out as Christmas gifts for the needy. So far this week I've finished 5 QAYG quilts and 4 of them are shown on my other blog with more photos coming soon. Busy times now that I'm home again.
Many thanks for your support.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Hong Kong to Home

2011-09-13T02:22:00.000-07:00

We loved Hong Kong apart from the high humidity and it was a great way to take a break on our way home. We did a night cruise on the harbour to see the Light Show and we also did a half day tour up to Victoria Peak in the cable car as well as going to the Stanley market and visiting a fishing village in Aberdeen. We even toured around the fishing village by junk (boat).
I bonded with a new friend in a jewellery factory and she bonded with m y credit card and is keen to see me again. She was a very good salesperson and very friendly so I may see her when I go back again.
Bargaining at the Ladies Market was also a highlight and although we didn't purchase much we did get to try our hand at negotiating for lower prices. We had a very early start on Saturday when we flew home and since then we've been busy catching up with family and our sleep.
Our trip was a great experience and all the work we put into the planning really paid off as it went very smoothly. I didn't get much knitting done due to the heat but I do have a small pile of mini Christmas stockings to finish to donate to groups which help the needy. I have managed to finish off 2 QAYG quilts (shown on my other blog) over the last two days and I have another one almost finished so it's been a quick return to normal duties here.
Back soon. Hugs, Jan Mac

Verona and Venice

2011-09-06T10:10:00.001-07:00

We stopped off at Verona on our way to Venice as we wanted to see Juliet's House which the recent film is based on and involves people leaving letters for Juliet of Romeo and Juliet fame. We saw the balcony along with hundreds of strangers, then had lunch and caught the train again.
When we arrived in Venice we were greeted by a brass band which, although very nice, wasn't really necessary. Then we saw gondola races up and down the main canal in front of our hotel. It seems we arrived during a special week of festivities.
We took a boar tour out to Murano and Burano islands and saw them make blown glass and lace respectively. We both bought a few souvenirs of glass for bracelets and small iutems of hand made lace but we didn't get carried away with spending too much.
We also walked all over the city, seeing St Mark's Square and the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte Rialto). There were crowds of people and we had some rain for the first time on our trip but we didn't let it spoil our plans.
We met some other Aussies at dinner last night and they told us there was going to be a rail stike today so we decided to get up a bit earlier and take the train to Rome while they were still running. When we arrived we found that there were demonstrations in the centre of Rome and we couldn't get a taxi to our hotel so we walked for 45 minutes dragging our cases. We were very happy that we havn't been shopping much yet.
We spent the rest of today wandering around and enjoying Rome again and we fly out to Hong Kong for 2 nights, leaving here in the morning. Not sure if we'll have internet in HK or not as we didn't have it in Venice but I'll update as soon as I get home if not earlier.
It's hard to believe that the trip is almost over after all the planning and we're looking forward to seeing Hong Kong and maybe doing a bit of shopping there.
Thanks for following our travels.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Beautiful Innsbruck

2011-09-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

We have really enoyed our last two nights in Austria at the lovely old town of Innsbruck. We stayed at an hotel in the old part of the city and the hotel was first opened to guests in 1459. Mozart and his father stayed here in 1769 when he was just 13. The hotel is beautiful but the towels seem thin enough to have been in use since Mozart's visit.
We have enjoyed the quiet and relaxed air of the town and there were many weddings today at the town hall in the market place. We also visited the Imperial Palace and gardens and saw many beautiful rooms used by the Hapsburg family.
There were also many huge oil paintings of various members of the Austrian aristocracy and we were able to wander through the palace rooms inlcuding the chapel which was dedicated to Prince Franz Joseph, by his wife, Maria Therese.
The photo of the car being loaded onto the back of a truck was something we saw on our walk around the newer part of the city- a car was impounded for illegally parking in a parking space for a disabled person.
We're off to Venice tomorrow and can't believe that we will be home in a week's time. I have even resisted buying any fabric even though I found some today as I know I'll be busy when I get home and the fabric will probably sit in the cupboard. I'm also mindful of still wanting to travel light to make it easier to get on and off the trains.
Back later.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Highlights of Vienna

2011-09-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

We had two days in Vienna and of course we had to try the famous Sacher Torte which is a very rich chocolate cake with apricot jam filling and lots of cream.
We also managed to get tickets to the training session of the Spanish Dancing horses and watched them do some tricks and lots of walking and trotting around the arena. We also visited the Schonbrunn Palace which included an evening meal, followed by a concert with music by Mozart and Strauss. There were also two ballet dancers who danced to the Viennese Waltz, and two opera singers who sang in German. A bit hard to translate but basically I think she'd lost her cat, asked him to find it, he found a cat but not the right one and she wasn't happy to accept it. Glen thought a turkey was mentioned but I missed that bit.
Unfortunately we couldn‘t take photos at the Spanish Dancing school or the Mozart concert as they said it would frighten the horses and musicians respectively.
We‘re off to Innsbruck today for two nights as we want to take another spectacular rail trip over the Brenner Pass to Venice.
Bye for now.
PS I forgot to mention the "pooper scooper" man who did a great job at the Spanish Dancing horses show!
Hugs, Jan Mac

Salzburg and The Sound of Music

2011-08-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

We have really enjoyed our two days in Salzburg as we managed to get some culture as well as find a laundromat and finish our washing.

Yesterday we visited Mozart's home which is now a museum and we really enjoyed seeing all the historical displays.
We also enjoyed some typical Austrian food such as schnitzels and Salzburger Nockerl, which is a special souffle served with cranberry sauce and delicious.
Today we took the Sound of Music tour and enjoyed seeing where the various scenes were filmed as well as hearing stories about the making of the film. The tour guide was very good and we sang along to the CD of the film score while we drove through the countryside. It was a good way to see more of the surrounding countryside too.
Tomorrow we are off to Vienna and a Mozart concert so we are having a variety of experiences on our trip. We enjoyed the smaller city of Salzburg and we were surprised to hear that there is only a population of 148,000. Most of their industry comes from tourism and of course the Sound of Music plays a big part in that.
The weather has been a bit cooler for the last two days so we're enjoying a change from the excessive heat of Italy too. I can't believ that the trip has gone so quickly and we will be home in about 10 days time but we have a lot more to do before then.
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Castle in Germany

2011-08-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

We did another 3 countries in one day as we left Swizterland, passing through Austria on our way to Germany. We wanted to see the Neuschwanstein Castle, built by King Ludwig, and almost bankrupting the country. Of course now it‘s a huge tourist attraction.

We took the train from Zurich to Fussen which is the closest town, and then took a tour of the castle.
The castle is often referred to as the Disneyland castle as I think they used it for the Chitty Bang Bang film. The views were spectacular and the castle wasn‘t finished but the completed rooms have lovely wall paintings and very elaborate chandeliers all in the shape of a crown. The main one weighs a ton.

Fussen is a lovely little town and it was easy to arrange our own visit there rather than take an organized tour from Munich. We stayed the night there and then took the train to Salzburg and we were very surprised to see so many homes with the roofs completely covered by solar panels.

Hugs, Jan Mac

There's Money in Zurich

2011-08-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

There's also lots of people and many expensive cars. We had 2 nights there and the weather had finally cooled down and we even had some light rain. That wasn't a problem as we did our own walking tour the first afternoon and then a trolley tour of the city and a boat ride on the lake on the second afternoon.
We were told that there is a laudromat at the Zurich station so we took our dirty clothes for a walk but there isn't one there so we brought them back to the hotel and will try to find one in Salzburg.
The information says that there are 350,000 passing through the Zuirch station every day. We were probably the only two with our dirty clothes.
The scenery is lovely there and the homes on the lake are fabulous but apparently only 7% of the city's residents own their own homes and the rest rent.
We also finally had our meal of Swiss fondue. It's usually a meal for the winter but we found a restaurant which specializes in a cheese fondue which is eaten with bread. It was delicious and we finished it off with cake doused in kirsch.
We managed not to leave too much of our own money in Zurich and there was the usual juggling of the last of our Swiss francs before we left and could use Euros again. Still having lots of laughs and we also found that the toliets in Swiss stations are called McClean. You pay according to which body function you wish to perform. It must be something you get used to but I wonder how they determine whether or not you paid enough. Also raises the question of what happens if you anticipate an outcome which doesn't evenuate.
More to come, Jan Mac

The Bernina Express

2011-08-26T12:14:00.003-07:00

No it's not a sewing machine sewing quickly, it's the name of a scenic rail trip which goes over the Swiss Alps. It starts in Lugano with a 3 hour bus ride to Tirano which is just over the border in Italy. The road follows the Italian lakes and the scenery is very pretty with roads which are only wide enough for the bus at times and the driver sounds the horn to warn oncoming traffic.
After an hour's break for lunch at Tirano we boarded a train for Chur, which is 4 hours or so away. The train goes over the mountains and the scenery is lovely with lots of mountain views.
A man comes through the carriages regulalrly offering refreshments to purchase and a stuffed mountain goat is on the front of his cart- probably one which didn't move quickly enough.
The trip can also be taken in reverse and this was the other train trip we particularly wanted to do as it's classed as one of the best train trips for scenery.
It was a great way to see lots of the Alps and the views from the carriages was great as they have extra expanses of glass.
You guessed it- there's more to come but that will be tomorrow.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Whispering Wednesday

2011-08-26T11:55:00.001-07:00

We left Interlaken on Wednesday and took a slower train to Lucerne, seeing lots of lovely scenery with mountains, lakes and chalets along the way. We changed trains at Lucerne for our train to Lugano, in the Swiss Alps. Unfortunately we found ourselves on a "quiet carriage" and a passenger had nominated himself as the "noise police". We were speaking quietly as we settled in with our luggage etc and he came over and told us there was to be no talking or noise. Then he went over and shushed a married couple who were speaking quietly. They left the carriage but we decided to stay and see if we could be quiet for 3 1/2 hours.
Apart from a few quiet giggles and some written notes passed like we did at school, we managed to keep the peace. The conductor came through and spoke to another passenger but that was allowed apparently. All part of the experience and it did liven up our memories of the trip.
Now we will try to avoid these carriages in future but haven't seen them again so far.
The photos don't do the scenery justice with the heat haze and the glare on the snow but the views are fabulous, we are having fun and we can't ask for more.
I'm very lucky to be able to share this trip with my sister and I expect that we'll still be on speaking terms when we finish LOL.
We are having plenty of laughs and no more Campari so life is good.
Yes there is more to come later.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Journey to the Top of Europe

2011-08-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we took the train from Lausanne to Interlaken and it only took a couple of hours. We walked to our hotel with our suitcases and checked in before taking a trip to the highest train station in Europe at Jungfraujoch. The railway is owned by a private Swiss company and it wasn't cheap but the views were spectacular. We traveled on a cog railway and had to change trains twice. Finally at the top we had views of three mountains- the Eiger, Jungfrau and Monch.
It was well worth the trip even though we didn't get back to our hotel until almost 7pm. The photos don't really do the scenery justice but as we'd planned our trip around this one and the Bernina Express we were very happy that we'd done our research and managed to fit it in to our schedule.
We were at 11,333 feet so we had a bit of altitude sickness and just felt a bit light headed but a great experience.
More to come, Hugs Jan Mac

Three Countries in a Day

2011-08-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

We haven't had time or internet for the last few days so I'll update several at once. We left Genoa last Monday morning, had lunch in Milan and then arrived at Lausanne in Switzerland for our next stay. While there we found that we could take a boat trip across Lake Geneva and be in France in 35 minutes. Of course we couldn't resist so we arrived in Switzerland at 5.15 and and hour later we went to Evian in France for dinner- doesn't everyone? LOL
We ate crepes as our French cuisine and enjoyed the boat ride too. There was a storm with lightening when we came back to Lausanne and our schoolgirl French lessons came in handy as "Mon Dieu" came to mind.
One young lad tried to take photos of the forked lightening but missed it every time.
We had an early start the next day as we had one of our big train journeys into the alps so will tell more in the next post.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Beautiful Florence, Warm Pisa and Hot Genoa

2011-08-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed Florence despite the heat and enjoyed walking around the old part of the city along with many other tourists. This morning we took the train to Pisa and stopped off for an hour and a half to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It's still leaning but has been cleaned during their recent restoration. Many of the stone works in the museum or church floors here and in Rome reminded me of patchwork patterns and the intricate mosaic work of the paintings in St Peters and floors in the Sistene Chapel w ere things I would have liked to study without all the tourists. Never mind they were all there to enjoy them too. Pisa was 37 or 38 degrees and the train to Genoa was delayed and the air conditioning wasn't working so it was a very hot trip on a crowded train. We enjoyed walking along the water front near our hotel and a lovely meal of shrimp (prawns) for our evening meal.
In the morning we are catching the train to Lausanne in Switzerland via Milan and it will be hot again so we hope the air conditioing is working. At least our hotel is lovely and cool here.
Off to have my third shower for the day. LOL
Hugs, Jan Mac

Things I've Learned

2011-08-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry no photos this post as I can't use my lap top and am using the hotel internet.
We're in Florence and it's a totally different feel to Rome. We took the 48 hr bus trip around town when we arrived yesterday and even went out to a small town on the hilltop overlooking Florence. Today we're off to explore by foot and by bus if we tire.
I like to try new things, especially if a place is famous for it, such as drinking a Campari and soda in Italy. Well I tired it in Rome and it's not a drink for the faint hearted. I tired a Camparui Spritz ans should have realized it wasn't a gopopd cjoice by the look on the waitress' face. I found it to be very strong but thought maybe a Campari and soda was what I needed. I tried that too and still couldn;t drink it. I can drink straight Scotch but not Campari. I ended up having some in Lemonade. It can be up to 28% alcohol so that may be a clue there!
We also nearly took a French speaking tour in Rome but common sense and my sister, Glen prevailed. I did think it may be a good way to take a French refresher class but may be not.
I alsom learned that I don't want to be a tour guide in Rome. It's a hard job and like herding cats!! People just wander off to the bathroom and don't even tell the people they are traveling with so the guide anxiously searches for them until she has the right number of people again. On the Vatican tour we took 3 hours and it was still a bit rushed. The guide told us that groups from cruise ships take 500 people through in 1 and 1/2 hours and they literally run and try not to be left behind. I was grateful that we only had 25 people with us and paying for the Skip the Line ticket was woirth every bit of the money.
Off to explore again today and hopefully will have photos again soon.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Pompeii and the Vatican

2011-08-18T08:37:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we took the train down to Pompeii via Naples and did our own tour of the ancient ruins of Pompeii. It was very hot at 33 degrees C. and we appreciated every bit of shade we could find. The train was an easy way to get there and much cheaper than taking a bus tour from Rome.
This morning we visited the Campo dei Fiori to see the morning market and the fruit and spices were very fresh and plentiful. We bought beautiful large peaches, bananas and grapes for our train trip tomorrow when we move on to Florence.
This afternoon we took a 3 hour tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistene Chapel and St Peter's cathedral. The crowds were large and it it was hot and felt airless in parts of the museum but we enjoyed the tour and the guide was very knowledgeable. We were very happy to have spent extra money in booking the Skip the Line tour for both the Colosseum and the Vatican, as it meant we didn't have to queue up in the sun for the entrance to the Vatican.
Tonight we're going to walk down to Campo dei Fiori square again for our evening meal. We ate there two nights ago too and enjoyed the food and atmosphere, and it's close to our hotel. We've loved Rome and we're moving on to Florence tomorrow for 2 nights.
Bye for now, Jan Mac

When In Rome ...

2011-08-16T22:28:00.001-07:00

You must be prepared to be out walking to see all the sights and enjoy all the history. The meals are fabulous and we had a lovely fish salad, with tuna and shrimp, for lunch and then we were serenaded by the maitre d'. The weather is hot but we're out sightseeing all day, even on the first day when we were still tired from the flight.
We found it easier to get our bearings once we walked from the hotel to the Vatican, up to Gianicolo Hill with a view of the city and then down to the Isola Tiberiana, then up to the Colosseum and on a On-Off bus trip around the city sights. Yesterday we did a walking tour of Ancient Rome and the Colosseum and then had a lovely meal in a piazza.
Today we're taking the train to Naples and Pompeii so will have many more photos and memeries to share.
Bye for now, Jan Mac

Almost In Italy

2011-08-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

Another busy but productive day and I finished 2 more quilts (shown on my other blog) as well as another large crocheted blanket. The boxes are packed and ready to go and I've finally packed my suitcase.
I'm taking my knitting for when we are traveling on the train and plan to knit mini Christmas stockings for the needy. Janice from Needy Stitches supplies many organizations which work with the needy in Melbourne and they have asked for 5,000 stockings to be given out at Christmas time. They are filled with some lollies or some soap etc and may be the only gift many people will receive. The groups need them by Oct I think so I plan to work on them while I'm away.
If anyone wants to join in they are very quick to make and you can post them to:
Janice Bartlett, 71 Maple St, Seaford, Vic 3198

The pattern is:
Using 8 ply and no 8 needles, cast on 24 stitches.
(Knit 1, inc in next stitch) to end 36 sts.
Beg with purl row st st 7 rows
K14 (K2tog) 4 times K14 (32 sts)
Purl
K12 (K2tog) 4 times K12 (28 sts)
Purl
K10 (K2tog) 4 times K10 (24 sts)
Purl
Beg with knit row st st 12 rows
Garter stitch 5 rows
Cast off and sew up side and bottom seam

Have fun with them and lets see how many we can send to Janice. I am sure that if she receives more than 5,000 they will all be used by other organizations.
I'll try to check back when I next have internet access.
Hugs, Jan Mac

The Magic Cupboard

2011-08-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

I've been overlocking around the edges of polar fleece that I had in my "magic cupboard" and making nice, warm fleecy blankets which will be given to a day for the homeless in Ipswich later this month. I have 3 more to finish as well as some more quilts before the truck is on its way to Brisbane again tomorrow night. I also used some polar fleece that had been donated and as there is such a big demand for blankets I know that they will be snapped up quickly.
I also received 3 more lovely beanies from Heather Coyne (Vic) and they will also be going to the people who are now homeless, due to the Qld floods, around the Ipswich area.
I also finished off more quilts as shown on my other blog, and they are also going to Qld with the delivery tomorrow.
Now have I finished packing yet?? No but there is another quilt pinned on the machine and ready to be quilted and with luck I'll get a few more finished tomorrow as well as packing for my trip and cleaning the house. I can rest on the plane!
Hugs, Jan Mac

Four More Sleeps

2011-08-10T02:07:00.001-07:00

My sister recently had a special birthday and as our DHs don't want to travel overseas again we decided to celebrate with a trip. On Sunday we leave for a 4 week trip through Italy, Switzerland, Bavaria and Austria, finishing with a 2 night stop-over in Hong Kong. So only 4 more sleeps before we're off. I've been very busy checking schedules etc online as we're doing our own tour using Eurail and have planned it to include as much spectacular scenery of the Alps as possible. I will try to keep my blog updated but it will depend on our internet access.
In the meantime I've also been trying to get as many quilts finished as possible and I just have a few more boxes to pack and post before we leave. I did manage to deliver all the quilts for the kids' camp and now I just have some fleecy blankets and quilts to finish for Qld.
I also received some lovely QAYG blocks from M. Towler (NSW) and the bright colours will be great for more kid's quilts. Sophia Frankan (Vic) has once again been very busy knitting beanies for the needy and she has sent in 8 this time which will be very welcome in our cold weather. The last parcel came all the way from The Netherlands and was sent by Barbara Bourree and her group of quilting friends. They sent a large pile of string pieced blocks and they will make more beautiful quilts.
Many thanks to everyone for all their donations.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Comings and Goings Again

2011-08-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

I posted off another two large boxes of quilts on Friday and these were the remainder of the quilts for the kids' camp as well as some extras for other organizations which help the needy. There were 14 quilts, some fleecy blankets, knitted jumpers, beanies and toys.
I also received two more boxes of fabric this week. The first one was from Jen and Yvette in Maitland (NSW) and the second was from Helen Wiltshire (NSW).
It's been a busy week with family staying during the week and our youngest DD coming home for the weekend and another 3 skirts being made. I was also visited by a lovely lady who brought quilts down from Canberra and they will be shown on my other blog.
I've also managed to pick up a chest infection too so I'm not talking when possible and trying to rest my throat. I forgot to say that I also managed to finish another hat and scarf set and the colder weather has made it a pleasure to be inside knitting.
Hopefully it will go very soon as I have a busy week planned this week.
More to come, Jan Mac

Busy, Busy

2011-08-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

The weeks are very busy with more quilt finishes and quilt deliveries to make. I went to the Victorian Quilter's Showcase on Sunday and will show some of the photos from that tomorrow. I also managed to meet up with Vicki Lynch (WA) who very kindly brought another 22 beautiful QAYG blocks with her. I also received a lovely quilt top from Gina Wilson (Vic) and it will be quilted as soon as possible so it can be on its way to its new home.
Later that afternoon I delivered another 40 quilts to a group which helps the homeless in Melbourne and also most of the quilts requested for the upcoming kids' camp. I stayed overnight so I could attend my quilting meeting and also received a huge pile of QAYG blocks from Margaret Fleming, a lovely quilt (shown on my other blog) and many knitted jumpers from Jacqy Wong, 9 lovely knitted beanies from Beryl Baker, as well as many knitted jumpers and blankets from Jenni Omand and her lovely sister-in-law in Sth Australia. I had emptied the cupboard with all the donations to be delivered to Melbourne so the cupboard has started to fill again and I'm starting to fill more boxes to deliver.
I also finished another scarf and delivered many knitted garments and crocheted/knitted blankets. One of the ladies who helps to distribute the quilts said that she'd asked a young man to choose a quilt for himself as he's living in short-term accommodation which helps the homeless to get established. He was only 17 and had become orphaned at the age of 16 and spent a year in foster care until he was too old to remain in the system. He had spotted one of my crocheted blankets and asked if he could have that instead of a quilt as it reminded him of one his grandmother had made and of better times with his family. Of course she said yes and also offered him a quilt but he only wanted the blanket so someone else could have a quilt.
Stories like these help to keep me focused on making more quilts and items for the needy. Times are tougher than ever for many people and the gift of a handmade item can bring so much joy and comfort to people when someone they don't know thought to make them a gift. It helps them to feel part of the bigger community too.
So thank you all for your part in helping those who are often overlooked.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Country Living

2011-07-27T03:32:00.000-07:00

I had intended to post before this but we've had no phone or internet connection since the weekend. Believe it or not the reason we lost the service was that cockatoos had chewed through the wiring on our aerial. We often have lots of them around our home and last week there were literally hundreds and obviously we're going to have to keep an eye out if they land on the roof area again. They can be very destructive and often chew through tree branches which are a thumb's breadth in size.
In the meantime it meant I was able to finish off more quilts which are shown on my other blog, as well as finishing off another crocheted blanket and a knitted scarf. We've also been busy spring cleaning the shed so lots of old things are being removed and more space cleared so DH can work on the cars in there again. It's 50x25 ft in size and was where we lived while we were building our home. Having so much extra storage can be a trap as you tend to hold onto things in case you need them. It's good to have a big clear out and sort through what you want to save and what you can bear to let go. Luckily we live out in the country so we can burn the unwanted rubbish and the rest is being donated or sorted and stored for future use.
We have more to do tomorrow and then I plan to spend the rest of the week quilting so I will have more to donate to people affected by the floods in Qld. The lovely sunny days are making up for the cold and frosty mornings and although it's still winter here it feels like spring is on its way.
Stay warm, Jan Mac

Today's Arrivals

2011-07-22T01:52:00.000-07:00

Today's mail brought more parcels with donations from around the world. Gail Oxford (NSW) sent 2 huge parcels with ready cut fabric strings as well as 23 pretty QAYG blocks which will be used in a quilt as soon as possible. The second photo shows some of the lovely knitted garments donated by the Kyabram quilters and delivered by Lesley Lowe (Vic).
Cathy Bruton (Vic) has also sent another 13 lovely QAYG blocks as well as a donation of money for postage costs and a lovely crocheted blanket.
The last parcel came all the way from Finland with my blogging friend, Ulla Rantakari sending a beautiful quilt with a striking sashing design (shown on my other blog) as well as 6 beautiful pillowcases made from kids' prints fabric, and 3 kniited beanies a scarf and a lovely pair of warm knitted socks.
All of these donations will bring comfort to so many people and I thank you all for your ongoing support.
Love and hugs Jan Mac

Quilty Comings and Goings

2011-07-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

I've received more wonderful donations from around Australia and it means that we can help so many more people to stay warm.
Mary Bargery (NSW) has again sent a beautiful quilt shown on my other blog as well as 39 beautiful QAYG blocks.
Dallas Neumeyer, Pauline Lees and the Come Quilting Loose Threads quilting group also sent a fabulous parcel with a quilt (shown on the other blog), as well as a quilt top and backing, basted and ready to be quilted, and 15 lovely QAYG blocks.
Delys Rogers (WA) has again very generously sent a pretty pink quilt top, with backing and binding for a young girl, as well as some fabric, a bag to match the quilt and 6 knitted beanies. I'll be quilting the top tomorrow and it will be given to a young girl when she attends a camp for abused kids.
Yesterday I also met up with Lesley Lowe who brought over two very large bags stuffed full with 3 quilts (shown on the other blog), as well as many quilt tops with backing/binding, cloth bags and many knitted beanies and fabric. The Kyabram quilters have been very busy supporting others less fortunate by making quilts etc.
As well as all of these donations coming in I sent off 2 very large boxes containing 14 large quilts, knitted/crocheted blankets, knitted beanies, scarves and baby items. They will be distributed to needy people who are helped by different organizations around Melbourne. The boxes weighed a total of 26kg so that's a lot of warmth to share around where its needed.
Thank you all for your ongoing support with these quilt appeals.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Sewing and Spring Cleaning

2011-07-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Yes I know I've been missing from blog world for a week but our youngest DD was home again on holidays and my time on the computer was limited.
The weather was lovely and although the nights were cold and we had morning frosts, we were in the mood for some spring cleaning. I went through my patchwork patterns and removed those I know I'll never make as well as some notions for dressmaking that have been sitting on the shelf for far too long.
I also tidied up my magic cupboard of fabric and found that I have more than enough pairs of denim jeans to make into quilts as well as plenty of shirts to make into quilts for males ala Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville patterns. By grouping all the different types of fabric together I now know what I have to work with and what to stop acquiring so I hope my cupboard won't be bursting at the seams again. I also gave away a lot of dressmaking fabric that isn't suitable for quilting and I know I'll never use. It was time to bless someone else with them.
We also had our DD's playful kitten with us for the week and she took over the house again. I've never seen a kitten play "fetch" before and she loves you to throw her soft mouse toy and she keeps fetching it until she tires of the game. We also found DD's earliest quilt top that she jade at about 12 and it was never finished. She chose all the fabrics because she loved them at the time but can now see that they would look better with a narrow sashing between the blocks to tame the colours and prints. I'll take that apart for a future sewing project. We also made another couple of skirts and the pattern has been used so much that I've made a duplicate from interfacing as it had started to tear.
I've also been finishing off some more QAYG quilts and they will be on my other blog.
Later I'll post the latest delivery of donations from around Australia.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Mail Delivery Today

2011-07-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

I've been busy finishing off QAYG quilts (shown on my other blog) from donated blocks and it was lovely to receive more blocks today to add to the pile to work from.
Kaite Matilda from NSW has been busy again and sent some money for postage, some baby wool, a lovely quilt, which is shown on my other blog too, as well as 12 more bright and fun QAYG blocks for kids' quilts.
Wendy Carter (Vic) has also sent another 35 QAYG blocks in lovely colours as well as some bright blue binding strips so they will make another fun quilt for someone.
Cat from New Zealand has also sent a lovely collection of FQs to help make more quilts for Christchurch as well as for others. They are also in bright and fun fabrics and she included a really cute hand-made card.
I have packed another box of crocheted blankets, knitted items and quilts to post off to a group which helps the homeless in Melbourne so I'll update the total when they are on their way.
Thank you all for your ongoing support with these quilt appeals. The weather is so cold here at the moment that it's no hardship to stay indoors and quilt or knit. In fact I hope to finish some more squares for a blanket tonight.
Hugs and thanks, Jan Mac

Oz Comfort Quilts On TV

2011-07-13T01:27:00.000-07:00

Click on the link following to see a couple of our quilts which were given out to the homeless by Mission Australia at a special Christmas in July event held in Brisbane yesterday.
Seeing the smiles on the faces makes it all worthwhile even though you only get a quick look at two of the quilts.
http://ten.com.au/ten-news-brisbane.htm?movideo_p=44240&movideo_m=117747

Family Celebrations

2011-07-10T02:48:00.000-07:00

This week I did manage to finish off the fitted dress for our DD as well as another couple of skirts. I also had to finish a quilt for my new great-nephew. I've started to make quilts for my nephews and nieces when they have babies and I stitch the child's name on the quilt so of course each new baby will have to have their own quilt. I like to personalize them and as this little boy is named, Jhett, and his mother is a teacher, I used ABC fabric as well as fabric with planes. The parents were very pleased with the quilt and as you can see my brother is very happy with his first grand child. Jhett looked a bit worried with all the attention but I think he was due for a feed.
The reason for our family gathering was my older sister's special birthday. It was a lovely night spent catching up with family and friends and a special visit from one of my brothers who'd flown across the country to make the party after telling all of us he'd be unable to be there.
I did manage to finish off another QAYG quilt to donate before we left for the party, and that is shown on my other blog. Tomorrow I plan to get busy quilting again as soon as I catch up on my sleep. We had a very late night with all the talking and the time just flew so we only had a few hours sleep but it was worth it.
More tomorrow, Hugs, Jan Mac

Dressmaking 101

2011-07-06T02:21:00.000-07:00

This week has been filled with sewing but not quilting as I've been teaching our youngest DD how to make her own clothes. She quickly learned the value of finding a pattern which fits well and then using this with a variety of different fabrics to make outfits. She started with a simple skirt pattern and has finished 6 skirts so far this week. There is still one more to finish off but it's a bit fiddly as it has a chiffon over-skirt. The rest of the skirts varied from a suede to suiting to satin fabrics and all will look different with a variety of tops.
I also made a fitted black shift dress and spent quite a bit of time taking it in so that it fitted as she wanted. I'll try to take another photo of this being worn as it looks much nicer than it does here.
She's been drawing up her plans for clothes for some time and is so excited to be able to make up her designs and will have lots of new clothes to wear to work. It's been fun to pass on my Mum's sewing skills to my DD and we've both loved spending time together. Her new kitten has also joined in the fun and has had to be separated from the patterns before she tears the tissue paper so when she popped into a tidy bin for a moment it was a good chance for a photo.
I did manage to finish one quilt shown on my other blog and hope to get another one done soon. I'll be able to resume normal quilting duties next week.
Hugs Jan Mac

Lovers of Applique

2011-07-05T02:09:00.000-07:00

I had a special day on Saturday when I attended an extra meeting of my group- the Castlemaine Applique Group. We meet 4 times a year but this was an extraordinary meeting as we had special international quilters as guest speakers.
Approximately 200 quilters attended and ay what is the largest applique group in Australia. Mary Koval, a specialist in reproduction fabrics and fabric designer from the US, spoke about her designs and how she became interested in antique quilts and fabrics. She has a stall at the Houston Festival every year and sells antique quilts and fabrics there. She asked for all quilters attending on Saturday to sign her memory quilt and most lined up as you can see in the photo.
Petra Prins, a Dutch quilter who designs fabric and also has a quilt shop in The Netherlands, spoke about antique Dutch fabrics and quilts and showed one of her new books, Treasures from Holland.
The next speaker was Nels Kooiman, who co-owns the quilt shop Den Haan Wagenmakers in Amsterdam, with Petra, also spoke about her quilting journey and how she had enjoyed traveling with Petra and being inspired when visiting other quilters.
The last speaker was Carol Veillon, who produces the French quilting magazine, Quiltmania. She spoke about how she started out to produce a magazine which is now sold with three translations to meet the need of quilters internationally.
All of the speakers were very entertaining and the fabulous quilts which were shown at Show and Tell were very inspiring. Carol said that she was very impressed with the amount of time and detail that Australian quilters spend when creating their quilts and said that she would be putting out a special magazine edition about Australian quilters and their works. There was a photographer who took photos of the speakers quilts as well as those shown at Show and Tell and we could all purchase a CD so we're sure to get some nice photos to remember the day too.
The day was very well organized and it was lovely to meet up with one of my blog readers, Ann Birch, from Vic.
I took some time to work on another block of my Civil War Bride quilt and enjoyed taking some time for hand work. Since then I've been busy dressmaking with our youngest DD so I'll show progress on that tomorrow.
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Day in the Country

2011-06-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a week busy with family commitments but I did manage to hand stitch a donated star to a background fabric. It was easier to do this than to measure up and try to fit pieces to each side of the star which varied a bit. Now I need to add borders and make it larger with some added squares of fabric or other blocks.
I met up with Lesley Lowe again yesterday and she once again very kindly brought over a large number of donations from the Kyabram (Vic) quilters. They have been very busy knitting and the sweaters, beanies and scarves will be so appreciated as we are in the middle of our cold weather now. They also donated 9 quilts which are shown on my other blog as well as some quilt tops. The ladies have been very generous with their time and talents and the warm garments and quilts will help to make life a little warmer for the people who receive them.
I also sent off 6 large quilts to Cat to distribute to the people of Christchurch (New Zealand) who are facing many challenges in staying warm this winter after the earthquake. I did say that 500 homes won't be re-built but I got that wrong and it is actually 5,000 homes which must be incredibly hard on the Christchurch communities and I hope that the quilts will help to remind them that we are trying to support and send comfort.
Today I contacted a group of volunteers who are helping farmers recover in the Charlton area after the floods and they gave me a contact person who may be able to distribute quilts for me. However when I rang them they said that they had quite a lot of blankets donated and if someone was feeling the cold they were welcome to take a blanket. Having already sent 30 quilts for distribution I've decided not to send any more unless they would personally give them out to people who suffered damage to their homes. I only make two stipulations when donating quilts and that is that they aren't sold or stockpiled and I can't be sure that these things won't happen if I send more quilts as they kept talking about them as blankets and didn't seem to understand that they are a gift of comfort and not just for warmth. In the meantime I get so many groups in need of quilts and willing to distribute them correctly for me that I'll keep working with them at this stage.
Today has been a lovely sunny day and I was very keen to finish off a QAYG quilt I'm putting together but we had to cut fire wood so I took some photos so you can see where we live. We cut up any trees which fall down in storms and try to get them cut up before the ants move in a eat them away. We love the peace and quiet of living in the country with farming land on three sides of our farm and natural bush and river frontage on the other side. We've had koalas and kangaroos in the bush land near our home and we have plenty of noisy bird life around us as well as a group of magpies which have made their home here. They never swoop us and they sometimes come and tap their beaks on our glass door if they want some bread to eat.
My Dad has recovered from his surgery and now our youngest DD is coming home for some holidays and to have more lessons in dressmaking with me. She has many ideas for skirts and dresses that she plans to make this coming week so I anticipate another busy week, but I'll be trying to fit in some quilting time as well.
If I get off the computer I should be able to finish another quilt now.
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Huge Weight Gone

2011-06-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

Not much sewing was done today as the sun was shining and spring cleaning was taking place. My father is having eye surgery tomorrow and coming to stay for a few days so it was a good opportunity to have a good clean-out of a bedroom for him. That meant moving a pile of quilts which are ready to post and then I decided to give the room a deep-clean and remove anything we no longer needed.
We had a huge TV which we weren't using so I rang a couple of refuges to see if we could donate it. It was too large to give to someone if they were going to be moving often but would be ideal for a refuge. Luckily one of them was very happy to accept it for their refuge for teens and young adults. The refuge is located near us and 10 minutes later it was gone.
It was a huge weight gone from us as it took up far too much room in a bedroom and wasn't being used and they were very happy to have it for their clients.
I did manage to finish off a QAYG quilt shown on my other blog and the lovely Kaite Matilda from NSW has been very busy and sent another 2 lovely warm beanies.
I may not get much time for sewing for the next few days but will be working on knitting etc in the meantime.
Hugs Jan Mac

More Comings and Goings

2011-06-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happened to the rest of the week. I was busy getting as many quilts finished as possible for Christchurch as the news reports that 5,000 homes will not be re-built- the areas being considered too dangerous for future collapse. This must be devastating for those families who will have to relocate permanently and as Cat has confirmed, the conditions are fairly grim at the moment with lack of heating and constant tremors still being felt.
Thanks to so many wonderful donors from around the world, we are able to make life a little easier for people affected by earthquakes, floods and tsunamis as well as the homeless, with the donations of so many quilts and items of warm clothing.
Ulla has been very supportive with these quilt appeals even though she lives on the other side of the world in Finland, and she's also linked to my blog with news of how quilters can help by making a small financial donation via the Paypal link on my blogs, which will be used to pay for postage and other costs of finishing the quilts.
I have also received more wonderful donations from Sue Fleming (USA) who sent 35 QAYG blocks as well as some beautiful raspberry red binding strips to join the blocks.
Kaite and the ladies from her local patchwork shop in Bathurst (NSW), who sent 75 QAYG blocks as well as a beautiful finished QAYG quilt which is shown on my other blog for finished quilts.
The beautifully wrapped box came all the way from The Netherlands and was posted by Marijke Kleefman-Sandee. The post office staff wanted to know if it was my birthday and although it isn't Marijke and her lovely Mother sent a beautiful parcel of donations to gift other people in need. Marijke sent 8 quilt tops, with some binding and also 3 crocheted blankets made by her Mother. These are so lovely and will warm some people in in of comfort. I'll finish off the tops and post the photos as soon as possible.
Robin Walker (Tas) has again been very busy and has sent another beautiful quilt top with backing and binding and the batik colours are so beautiful that they will be loved by its new owner.
I did manage to knit a beanie for Christchurch and I also made a sleeping bag for the homeless which I will post more about soon. I am adapting the pattern so that it's more practical and easier to make. I have spoken with a group which helps the homeless and they said they would be a wonderful item to keep them warm on the streets, more than quilts which they worry about having stolen or getting too dirty.
Finally I did the family thing yesterday and went to see a country football match with my DH. There was a very cold wind and I was grateful for my warm hat and gloves as well as our thick coats. It reinforces the knowledge that the homeless are doing it tough as it was cold even when the sun was out.
Time to get back to the sewing machine again after I put more photos of finished quilts on my other blog at Oz Comfort Quilts.
Take care, Jan Mac

When Will It End?

2011-06-22T02:41:00.000-07:00

Christchurch is again in the news with further tremors felt today. It must be very hard to try to go about your normal day when you've had a sleepless night due to severe earth tremors and wondering if this one will bring your home down. Parents report making a dash for their children in the night in case there is structural damage to their home.
The AAP News report said:

CHRISTCHURCH has been again been rattled overnight by a swarm of powerful aftershocks, knocking out power and forcing the closure of the city's airport.

"It felt like one of the largest quakes we've had."

A number of aftershocks have struck the already quake-battered region including a 5.3 magnitude tremor, which struck at 8.34pm (AEST) at a depth of 10 kilometres.

One Christchurch resident told the New Zealand Herald that the quake came suddenly and brought a "violent rattling".

"It built in intensity and then the lights went out. It felt like one of the largest quakes we've had."

The quake was the largest to hit the region since magnitude 5.7 and 6.3 quakes last Monday and was followed by at least a dozen more aftershocks of magnitude 3.1 or greater centred around the city.

New Zealand's GeoNet monitoring service said the tremors were felt across the city, which has suffered three major quakes in the past nine months, including a 6.0 tremor on June 13 and devastating 6.3 quake in February that killed 181 people.

Police said there were no reports of major damage after the latest scare, although the Christchurch Press and Radio New Zealand said power supplies were down in a number of suburbs.

Christchurch airport said its terminal was evacuated after the tremor and runways were being inspected for damage.

The airport also closed briefly after the June 13 quake but reopened after a few hours.

Quake-weary residents of New Zealand's second largest city are stressed from the constant aftershocks, describing living in Christchurch as "purgatory".

"We do not know when the next one's coming, it's a recipe for people to collapse," a resident said.

The latest tremors come as New Zealand Prime Minister John Key revealed on Monday the bill from the Christchurch earthquakes had soared to $19.22 billion, far more than previously th

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/christchurch-rocked-by-51-aftershock/story-e6frfkyi-1226079554118#ixzz1PzqjmI6r
I hope and pray that these tremors stop soon so they can start to recover and feel safe in their homes again. The quilt shown is made from blocks donated by Cat in New Zealand. I used the leftover block and siggy squares on the back when I pieced a backing for the quilt and it will be soon winging its way back across the Tasman to be donated to someone in Christchurch. I've finished 6 quilts for them so far this week and plan to post a box of quilts off this week as soon as I find a large enough box.
I hope that the quilts will bring some comfort to their spirit as well as their communities as they try to re-build their city.
Many thanks for all your help with donations.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Comfort for Christchurch

2011-06-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

Cat very kindly sent me some photos of her recent visit to Christchurch and the devastation is still very obvious. It must be very hard to face these sights of your city's damage due to the earthquake. The recent news reports state that many people are leaving Christchurch as they are feaful of more earthquakes. It seems that the uncertainty of rebuilding is also taking its toll.
Cat also sent me some blocks for a comfort quilt and I think they were from a swap she participated in online as the blocks have come from the US and the UK. I managed to get the blocks made into a top today and also used one of the remaining blocks for the back when I pieced a backing and I included the siggy squares on the back. I've quilted it and only have to stitch the binding on tomorrow and then it will be shown on my other blog.
This week is all about making quilts for Christchurch and I want to very sincerely thank those lovely people who have donated some money to cover the costs of sending more quilts.
I also received these lovely crocheted squares from Stephanie Driel (WA), which will be used to make more blankets for the homeless in Australia.
Today I finished the binding on a child's quilt, made another QAYG quilt for Christchurch as well as putting the blocks that Cat donated together and finishing the quilt, apart from binding so it's been a productive day.
Time to spend some time knitting now and put my feet up for a bit.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Our Weekend Break

2011-06-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

It was good to make so much progress with the quilts for the past week as we had a wedding to attend and more family commitments over the weekend. The wedding was lovely, the bride was beautiful and we all had a fun time catching up with friends.
We also spent time with family while we were in Melbourne but we were happy to be home in front of the fire after a cold day with some rain. It makes me really appreciate my home comforts and keeps me knitting and quilting so the homeless will also have some comfort.
Today was busy with family events and my Dad's 86th birthday celebrations so not much time for quilting. I plan to get an early start tomorrow though and will have more quilts to show on my other blog too.
I also want to send a very appreciative thank you to those people who donated via the Paypal button on my blog. I was very reluctant to ask as I don't like asking for money and the whole process of using Paypal while not being a registered non-profit organization was worrying me. I thank you for your trust and I'll keep you updated as to where the money is used.
God bless,
Hugs,Jan Mac

Can You Help Please?

2011-06-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is just a short note to ask advice about how to raise money for costs of sending quilts for Oz Comfort Quilts as well as a way to raise money for costs of toiletries etc. for the homeless.
I am hoping someone can help me to know how I can raise money via the blog.
I was going to add a Donate button which will direct any donations via Paypal but I didn't proceed as I heard that Paypal can freeze the money if you aren't a registered non-profit organization and you need to raise $250 before you can access any funds.
I only want to set up a donate button so that people can just donate their change or small amounts as this would be a huge help and these small amounts would add up to enough to cover postage costs of quilts to places such as Christchurch. It costs about $14 per quilt and this doesn't sound like much but when I send so many quilts it certainly adds up.
I don't like to ask for money normally as people have already spent money in sending the QAYG blocks etc but as I fund all the other costs, apart from donations, it can become an expensive process.
Any advice re Paypal or whether or not I should just provide my bank details via email for direct payment into a special account, would be very helpful.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Christchurch wakes again to earthquake damage

2011-06-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

The people of Christchurch need our help! The newspaper reports have all documented that Christchurch has sustained more damage due to ongoing earthquakes and earth tremors. I can only imagine how this must be affecting the families who live in those areas and the strength needed to be positive and calm so that the children will be resilient. My heart goes out to the people who are living under extreme stress, not knowing if this quake will bring their homes down or cause more damage and I am working on quilts to send over to my blogging friend, Cat who will be passing them on to organizations in Christchurch to help those people in need of comfort.
A house stands damaged at Shag Rock near Sumner after the cliff fell away during two magnitude 6.0 and 5.5 earthquakes struck on June 13, 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The aftershocks have followed four months after the major earthquake which hit the city on February 22, 2011 resulting in the deaths of 181 people. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

The Australian newspaper reports:

A number of roads, bridges and all schools are closed in Christchurch, as the New Zealand city once again wakes to the destruction caused by earthquakes.

Aftershocks, including a 4.7 magnitude quake, rattled the city overnight, following magnitude 5.5 and 6.0 earthquakes that struck yesterday.

No-one was killed but hospitals have been treating people for injuries caused by falling debris.

An estimated 20,000 residents have no power and some are without water.

Seismologists said that aftershocks in the magnitude 4 to 5 range could continue for days.

THE shattered New Zealand city of Christchurch was shaken again yesterday by a series of earthquakes, the strongest measuring magnitude-6, just four months after 181 people were killed in the worst natural disaster to hit the country in 80 years.

A huge pall of dust hung like a shroud over the centre of the country's second-largest city, most of which had been destroyed by the February 22 earthquake that measured magnitude-6.3. Terrified residents held onto one another in the streets and wept as the quakes struck the city in rapid succession.

The first earthquake, measuring magnitude-4.3, struck just before lunchtime and was followed by a magnitude-5.5 tremor at 1pm (11am AEST), which was centred 10km southeast of Christchurch at a depth of just under 11km. Eight minutes later, another tremor measuring magnitude-4.4 struck in the same place and at the same depth.

The largest aftershock struck about 2.20pm local time and was felt as far as Wellington on the North Island. The GNS Science website put the quake at magnitude-6, at a depth of 9km, and centred 10km southeast of Christchurch.

At least 10 people were taken to Christchurch Hospital with injuries caused by falling masonry after the 1pm quake, but there have been no reports of deaths.

Two demolition workers were rescued from the collapsed St John's Church near the central business district and there were fears for others who had been working amid the rubble of the previous earthquake.

Many buildings, including the Canterbury University and the newly formed Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, were evacuated along with a shopping mall and a supermarket. Others, including the cathedral partially destroyed in the February quake, collapsed further. Members of the Civil Defence who had set up headquarters at the Christchurch Art Gallery were forced to flee after it shook so violently that those inside feared the glass windows that make up most of the building would shatter.

After the final, magnitude-6 quake struck, Bob Parker, the mayor of Christchurch, said: "We are being enveloped by dust. It's very, very scary. It's just terrible. I've never seen swaying like that," he said of an apartment block. Mr Parker told Radio NZ: "I am very, very concerned about our teams that have gone in there to check that people are out."

Yesterday's quakes were the latest in a series of strong tremors that have hit the stricken city since the February quake, which left 100,000 homes damaged, 10,000 beyond repair. More than 900 buildings in the city centre alone are expected to be demolished.

An inquest into the collapse of the CTV building during the February earthquake, which killed more than 100 people, was briefly evacuated during the lunchtime quakes. Jarrod Booker, a reporter with The New Zealand Herald who was in the building covering the inquest, said the ground began shaking severely and moving from "side-to-side".

"People started running out of the building, they were quite frightened," he said.

The repeated aftershocks have left nerves shattered; thousands of residents have left the city, many of them permanently.

Eleanor Stewart, 82, who is waiting for her apartment to be repaired after it was nearly destroyed in February, said: "Every time there is another strong quake like these you wonder if they will ever be able to start the repair work."

Emergency crews raced to the city centre to assess the damage and check for casualties, while at least 54,000 homes and offices were left without power or phones. Television footage showed thick, swirling mud pouring down streets as liquefaction once more broke through the surface, closing roads in the centre while falling boulders threatened houses on the city's outskirts.

Prime Minister John Key said the latest quakes would not weaken the government's resolve to rebuild the city. "We stand beside them; we are committed to rebuilding the city," Mr Key said.

The Times

So dear readers our friends across the Tasman are in need of warm quilts, knitted beanies, gloves, mittens and scarves as many are again without power and heating. If you have finished quilts or knitted items you can post them to Cat at:

For Christchurch

PO Box 13529

Onehunga

Auckland

NEW ZEALAND
Cat was visiting Christchurch to deliver quilts when the latest earthquake started so she has first hand knowledge of our frightening they can be and the fact that they have been a regular occurrence makes them more rather than less frightening as you never know if this tremor will bring substantially more damage.
If you wish to post directly to Christchurch you can post them directly to Miriam (Miriam attends a Church in the Eastern Suburbs so has connections of people in the harder hit areas) at :
Comfort For Christchurch, c/- 39 Sandwich Rd, Beckenham, Christchurch 8023, New Zealand.
I had a phone call last night from a lovely lady who has made 5 quilts to donate to either Qld or Christchurch and she wants to make a couple more before the next shipment goes. I assured her that a shipment leaves here every week or every second week and that although the last lot has just gone to Qld, the next one there will be in about 4 weeks time and I'm currently working for Christchurch as well as making quilts for kids who have been neglected or abused.
So dear friends if you have any spare time I am accepting any donations again as the need continues to be great and I have managed to use up almost 300 QAYG squares in the past 10 days. I also have some ideas for small gifts which will be given to the homeless at Christmas time and I'll post details about that soon.
So in the meantime keep the knitting needles busy. I can send things to Qld for free so I'm happy to accept donations and pass them on; and if you have any finished items, please consider posting them direct to Cat or Miriam for Christchurch.
I'm showing a photo of a QAYG quilt I made today and this one will be going to Christchurch very soon when I get more finished to send too.
Thanks you again for all your help. These projects wouldn't be possible without all of your help from around the world.
Hugs and blessings, Jan Mac

A Lovely Break

2011-06-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time away and went camping with friends over on the Victorian and South Australian border. It's an unexpected area of desert and sand dunes which gave the fellows some good fun 4 WD driving up and down the sandy tracks. Most of the tress are scrubby but there were a couple of areas of beautiful gum trees. The days were lovely and sunny and the nights were crisp and cold. In fact it was so cold that it was warmer in our fridge than in our camper! Unfortunately there wasn't enough room to sleep in the fridge LOL.
We came home on Monday evening after driving through the areas affected by floods in Vic and although Charlton still seems to be recovering, Rochester looks like it's almost back to normal. Yesterday was spent in packing the last of the quilts I'd finished and sending them off in the truck for Qld flood victims. Check out my other blog for the totals and an update on where they are going.
I also managed to finish a couple more scarves and received 4 beautiful beanies from Ann Halden (NSW) so the collection for the next distribution has started again.
Today will be spent in getting more quilts finished as the nights are very cold and I'm very grateful for my warm home. If you have time to finish off a quilt to donate, or knit a beanie, gloves or a scarf, they will all be very welcome for distribution to where they are very much needed.
Hugs and stay warm, Jan Mac

The Colour Purple

2011-06-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a good week for finishing off QAYG quilts and I love the purple one which was made from a lot of donated blocks from many different people. I never used to buy purple or mauve fabrics but having worked with so many different fabrics I find that I do like purple now and have even started to buy it as it rounds out my stash to include more colours.
I also received a lovely parcel all the way from Ireland from G. Wheatley and she sent 2 beautiful quilt tops and a set of blocks which will make some more lovely quilts to donate.
I'm taking a break for a few days now as we are going camping but will be back to the quilts again soon. I also posted off 2 quilts to Japan and plan to take my knitting with me and get more scarves finished as well as crocheting more squares for blankets.
Stay warm everyone.
Love, Jan Mac

Helping the Homeless

2011-06-08T02:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy and productive time here as I'm working my way through the pile of donated QAYG blocks and getting more quilts finished. I've made 5 quilts over the past two days and should get another one finished tonight. Now that the feedback has been that the quilts, blankets and warm garments are in big demand it's been great to have time to get more finished.
I've just heard about another group which helps to find housing for the homeless and then find work etc for them as well as long term accommodation, so many of these quilts will be going to this group to help them warm their clients.
I've also been receiving more beautifully knitted beanies and they will also be going to groups which work with the homeless. Jenni S. (Vic) has continued to knit beanies to be donated and sent another 4 in her last parcel. They are really lovely and soft and will make life a little easier for those who receive them.
Thank you all for your help with these projects.
Hugs, Jan Mac

More Wonderful Donations

2011-06-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

The postman has been busy here again and I've received more wonderful donations from around the world. Ulla Rantakari from Finland has again sent 35 beautiful QAYG blocks as well as some beautifully soft hand knitted socks and beanies. Margarte Maguire (SA) sent 15 QAYG blocks and included some without floral fabrics for the men. Delys Rogers (WA) has been very busy knitting again and has sent 8 lovely beanies and a soft, warm scarf. Sophia Frankan (Vic) has been busy knitting again and has sent another 4 lovely beanies and Ann Birch (Vic) has also kept busy and sent another 6 lovely beanies. A friend of Terry Patterson (NSW) has very generously donated 5 fabulous large quilt tops as well as backings for them and they will be quilted ASAP and then sent off to where they are needed. I also received another 13 QAYG blocks from Edwina Hempstalk from New Zealand and these will make more beautiful quilts.
I sent off another 9 quilts last Friday, along with scarves, beanies and a couple of children's sweaters I'd knitted. These have gone to Janice of Needy Stitches and will be given to the homeless in Melbourne. I forgot to take photos of the children's sweaters but it was good to get them sewn up and out of here to make more room.
I hope that I didn't offend or worry you when I asked for finished items at the moment. I can always use QAYG blocks but have been a bit submerged by fabric scraps and need to get more blocks made into quilts so I'll have more room for donations very soon.
I spent two days sorting through the donations and putting things into order, and then over the weekend I was teaching our youngest DD to sew and we made 4 A-line skirts on Saturday. On Sunday we sewed on the borders of a quilt she was making and then I quilted and bound it and showed her how to hand stitch the binding down.
It was a busy weekend but very enjoyable to be able to pass on my sewing skills. I've been hearing about so many organizations asking for warm items for the homeless and flood affected people that the rest of the week will be about finishing off more quilts and sending them off where needed.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Parcels Arrived

2011-06-02T02:11:00.000-07:00

I've received more parcels today and have more to photograph and add to the blog tomorrow. The first one was from Kay Champion (Vic)with 15 QAYG blocks and I also received some strips of fabric from Fran Smith and Barbara Smith from Canada, and they will be used for more QAYG blocks.
I also received a beautiful quilt top and backing from Sandra Lowe from Singapore. Sandra brought them with her and posted them while on holidays here in Australia.
I also received a very nice letter from a lady in Theodore (Qld) who received one of the quilts I sent some weeks ago and she was very grateful for the gift of a quilt.
The past few days have been spent packing boxes of quilts again and I'm posting some more off tomorrow to a group who will distribute them to the homeless in Melbourne. I'm also sending off beanies, scarves and crocheted blankets to them as winter has arrived.
Hugs, Jan Mac

A Frosty Morning

2011-05-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Winter is almost here and we even had a frost this morning so I know that the quilts, crocheted blankets, knitted hats and scarves will all be very welcome to those who had their lives disrupted by the floods and earthquakes.
Yesterday I delivered another 16 quilts to Rochester via Lesley Lowe who very kindly came over to pick them up. She also brought another lovely child's quilt (shown on my other blog) as well as lots of fleecy material, 20 knitted beanies, a scarf and more lovely cloth bags.
I had hoped to send lots of boxes up to Qld today but the truck broke down and won't be going this week. The good news is that this will give me more time to finish more quilts, blankets and scarves.
I also received a very large pile of more QAYG blocks and 3 beanies from Stephanie Driel (WA) and I also managed to finish another crocheted blanket (still some orange yarn left, LOL) as well as 4 more scarves.
Time to get some more things finished.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Now Where Was I?

2011-05-28T01:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week with paid work intruding into my sewing time and I'm sorry that I've neglected my blog a bit. I've been working on sewing the flannel squares into 9 patches for backing blocks for QAYG blocks whenever I'd had some time and I've also managed to finish off a few more QAYG quilts and have shown more photos on my other blog.
I also received 13 more lovely beanies knitted by Jenni S. and Sophia F. (Vic) and they will be on their way this week to a group in Qld who are helping the homeless who have been displaced by the floods. I have also been busy getting quilts ready to send to them for distribution and will give an update of the numbers very soon.
I've also included a report from the group who have been distributing the items to the homeless in Brisbane (Qld) as I think it helps to know what is needed and can be used by those who need some help with quilts and warm garments. I'm also including another part of the report on my other blog.

I don't have many "special stories" to share but I helped one young man with a beautiful little boy in a pusher. Baby's name was William and he will be one next week. Dad has full custody of him, don't know why, but they are living in a car at present as he can't find any rental accommodation. all dad originally wanted was a blanket for William because "the car is getting colder and colder". Well William ended up with a couple of blankets, jumpers, some child's socks/bed socks; beanie, toys etc etc. Dad asked if he could keep a toy aside to give to William for his birthday next week as he couldn't afford to buy him anything "nice" for his birthday.
Dad brought William back to me later to show me that William had had his first ever haircut. So cute, but I noticed Dad had also had a haircut and was looking pretty good himself, and he was thrilled when I mentioned it! It was difficult to get Dad to take anything for himself, all he wanted was things for Will. He did tell me that since he has had William, he does not smoke, drink or do drugs, everything "has to be just perfect for William". He wasn't saying that because he thought that's what I wanted to hear, it was very obvious that he would walk over hot coals for his son. But I did get Dad to take a beanie, scarf for himself by telling him "if you get sick because you are cold, who is going to look after William"? He hadn't thought of that before!

My other "special" was a lady who told me she was 77. Had been on the streets for 9 months then got upset, so didn't ask her any questions as to why etc. She had a battered old pull along trolley with her, that held all her possessions. I did ask whether she had a "permanent" place in a park or whatever but she said No, because once she stayed 3 nights in the same place and the police moved her on and she was so upset because never had she been in trouble with the police before. So every day she just moves around the city/Valley area looking for something "with a roof" where she can stay, but even most of the hostels etc are full. I asked if she slept in parks mainly or what and she said she would normally find somewhere where there were lots of bushes and she slept in amongst the bushes! I thought as much as I had noticed some dead twigs sitting in her hair. But such a well spoken, very quietly spoken lady. I seriously think she was probably originally from a "well to do" background and whatever has happened to her has brought her to this stage.
She was so grateful for even a scarf...kept saying "are you sure, dear'? I loaded her up with a blanket, couple of beanies, scarves etc. Would have love to have given her a jumper but they were all gone by that stage!

The newspaper report yesterday said that on any night there are 45,000 young people who are homeless and 25,000 families. It's not usually seen by most of us and I think it's shameful that we give so much to other countries but fail to look after our own communities.
Sorry that's my rant for the day and I'm off to finish another crocheted blanket as the nights are cold and I'm grateful for my warm and comfortable chair, with a good light and food and a warm cup of tea whenever I need one.
I feel very grateful that so many of you feel the same and support these quilt appeals as well as with your lovely knitting.
Warm hugs, Jan Mac

More Bits and Pieces

2011-05-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

I was given some 4" squares cut from flannel shirts and have started piecing them into 9 patches and then using them for the backings for more QAYG blocks. They will be lovely and cuddly and will keep someone warm if they are homeless. They will make some more lovely quilts for the homeless and I'm also using up more string sized scraps to make more larger QAYG blocks to match some that have been donated.
I can't see any improvement in the amount of scraps yet though so I'd better keep at it. Surely eventually I'll make a difference.
Hugs Jan Mac

Bits and Pieces

2011-05-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some bits and pieces as well as trying to sort things in my sewing room. I received these lovely fleecy pillows from Jan Massey (WA) and I've been using up the cuttings of batting to stuff pillows for them. They will be wonderful for teenaged boys and a lovely and cuddly. I've also been using up scraps for more QAYG blocks which I'm making for the homeless connect day to be held in Ipswich (Qld) in June. Many of the people who are now homeless have been displaced from theior homes by the floods and have been unable to find rental accommodation now so I know they will need and appreciate more quilts. I've been busy packing boxes with quilts for Qld as well as putting more quilts aside for Rochester in Vic. I've also been using some orphan blocks for either the front or backs of QAYG blocks and they are a great way to use up blocks that don't match up with other blocks.
The last photo shows a 1940s star quilt top that I'm quilting. I love to finish off other people's UFOs and make them into something useful and this is one of the vintage tops I bought some years ago. I took the afternoon off from the Comfort quilts and have been working on quilting this top. I plan to finish it tomorrow and then will show a photo when it's bound. I have more QAYG quilts on the go too so will soon have more to show on my other blog.
In the meantime I'm crocheting another blanket from more bits and pieces of yarn and taking a break from the sewing machine tonight.
Hugs, Jan Mac

The End of the Week.

2011-05-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

I received more parcels today and I'm continually amazed at the generosity of my blog readers. Susan Clissold (NSW) happened across my blogs and was inspired to try making some QAYG blocks and also beanies and scarves. She has done a marvelous job and made 8 beautiful QAYG blocks, 13 beanies and 6 scarves which will all help to make life a little easier and warmer for those affected by the floods. Susan also included a lovely note and it is so lovely to know that so many people are being helped because people are willing to give of their time and talents to help others.
I also received a parcel of 8 lovely QAYG blocks from Wendy Cross (NSW) and they will all be used to make more quilts to donate on your behalf.
I've had a busy week with paid work too but I have managed to finish off more quilts and will show more photos on my other blog soon. I'm also working on another crocheted blanket for the homeless and it's a great way to use up lots of bits and pieces of yarn.
Once again thank you all for your help with these projects which are helping so many in need.
Love, Jan Mac

Today's Arrivals

2011-05-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

The postman has been very busy here again and I've received more wonderful donations from around the world.
I received a lovely box from Diny Negrijn-Peren of Holland and she sent 48 lovely string pieced blocks, some lovely head scarves and a beautiful card with a photo of Dutch clogs.
Lesley Cole from the UK sent some orphan blocks as well as 32 QAYG blocks.
Delys Rogers (WA) has again sent a lovely quilt top, backing and binding as well as a lovely knitted beanie.
Maureen Hume (UK) sent another parcel containing another lovely quilt top, backing and binding and the last photo shows another crocheted blanket I've finished and made from donated yarn. The blanket is folded in half but as you can see the "toxic" orange/yellow yarn lingers on but I think I've almost used it up now.
The weather is much colder here at night now and we've had quite a lot of rain so I'm enjoying the sun today while I finish off more bindings on quilts. You can see the recent finishes on my other blog and more will be posted there soon.
Many thanks for your help with this quilt appeal.
Love, Jan Mac

A Day Off

2011-05-15T02:57:00.000-07:00

I took a day off from the comfort quilts yesterday and drove over to Castlemaine which is a bit over 2 hours drive from here. I went for the Castlemaine Applique Group meeting which is held very 3 months. I had been to a meeting about 18 months ago and then life got in the way and I didn't get back again until now. It's a great day with Sit and Sew, a shared lunch and lots of lovely Show and Tell to admire.
There was also a speaker who shared her family's Welsh antique quilts and it was lovely to see them up close.
I also visited Threadbear, my favourite patchwork shop which just happens to be situated in Castlemaine and as we ate lunch there I just happened to fall in love with a few reproduction fabrics that just had to come home with me.
I spent the day hand stitching the 12 piece pie blocks and more feathered stars so I'll have more progress to share with you soon.
It was a lovely day and gave me a chance to work on my own projects which may or may not be donated in the future.
In the meantime I have a crocheted blanket to finish off.
More later, Hugs, Jan Mac

More Sub-contracting

2011-05-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

I am so very grateful for all your generous donations which have allowed us to help so many people. I received a letter of thanks for the quilts from a group in Qld as well as from Rochester in Vic. Our weather is getting much colder now and we had to light our fire for the first time this year and I'm very grateful to have a warm home, especially as we have been having heavy rain today. I can;t even imagine how terrible it would be to look after your family while you are homeless and the statistics show that many people are just one pay cheque away from becoming homeless, if they lose their jobs. The people who have been distributing donated goods to the homeless have said that there are many people who are homeless for the first time and many are homeless due to the floods.
I received more beautiful donations of crocheted blankets and draw string bags from Margo Barber (Tas) and she also sent 2 beautiful quilts which will be shown on my other blog. I also received a very large box containing a quilt and a large stack of QAYG blocks from Vireya Jacquard. She has been very busy working with the Sussex neighbourhood house and the Moreland City Council (Vic) as well as a Multi-cultural Women's sewing group from the Brunswick Baptist church to make a huge number of blocks again.
I also received 5 parcels from Maureen Hume and the Camberley U3A Patchwork Quilters from the UK and they have sent 2 lovely quilts as well as 2 lovely quilt tops, backing and bindings. Maureen read about the quilt appeal in the UK magazine Popular Patchwork and the quilts are wonderful and will be shown on my other blog.
I also received a letter containing fabric strips for more QAYG blocks from Fran Smith of Canada and a large parcel of fabric for bindings from Maria Goodwin of Qld.
I also sub-contracted again by sending Cat in New Zealand 5 quilt tops which she is quilting and donating to Christchurch. She received some backing fabric and batting and very kindly offered to quilt the tops which was a big save on postage for me. Please check out the quilts on Cat's blog as she has done a lovely job with them, despite having the flu.
Hearing about the great need for warm garments and blankets/quilts has encouraged me to keep working to get more finished so I haven't taken any time to work on my project this week and will have to make some time very soon, although as my project is a "nice to have done" and not a "will keep someone warm quilt" it is hard to put aside the more urgent quilts.
Time for bed,
Hugs, Jan Mac

Sub- Contracting

2011-05-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm so lucky to have so many generous people who make and donate QAYG blocks, quilts, quilt tops and also hand knitted items. They all help to support those who are less fortunate in our communities as well as those who have been affected by our recent natural disasters.
I received another 8 beanies from Jenni S. and Sophia F. (Vic) and they are very kindly knitting up a lot of the donated wool for the homeless. I also received another large bag of wool from Kaite Matilda and her friend from NSW and it will soon be knitted or crocheted into squares for blankets and then donated.
I also received a lovely parcel of 12 QAYG blocks and fabric for binding from Lynn White (WA) and all of these donations make it so much easier to donate more items.
I regard all these helpers as sub-contractors who make it possible to make use of all the donations as quickly as possible. There's no point in having quilts, or fabric and knitting yarn in the cupboard when it could be used for keeping someone warm. I even use left-over tapestry yarn to crochet into squares for blankets and the smallest amount is still useful. I also combine thinner yarns and unravelled wool for crocheting into blankets and as the weather is becoming colder, they will be especially welcomed by the homeless.
Thank you all for you help.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T02:26:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day with time for things you love to do. I spent the weekend helping our youngest DD to make a special quilt for her best friend's wedding in June. She did a great job and has stitched their names and the wedding date as well as two gold rings in a special block in the middle of the quilt. We still have to add borders and then I'll quilt it for her. It's only her 4th quilt and she did a great job, but more importantly she enjoyed the process.
I also managed to finish off 4 more scarves and a beanie with a fancy cable, and they will all be going to Qld for the homeless.
I also received 21 beautiful QAYG blocks from Anne Brennan, S Edwards and the Morwell (Vic) quilters as well as 10 fabulous beanies made by Ann Birch (Vic).
These lovely donations will all be so welcomed by the people who are now homeless due to the floods in Qld and I'll be sending them on their way very soon.
The last photo shows our youngest DD's new kitten, Buffy. She certainly livens up the household and I've had to rescue quite a few balls of wool from her while I'm knitting. It was quite strange not to have a kitten pounce on the ball of wool today.
It was a lovely weekend and although I wasn't able to finish off any quilts while I was helping my DD make her quilt, I did manage to finish off a few more knitted items.
I hope you all had a lovely weekend too.
Hugs Jan Mac