Working, working...

Paid work has taken lots of my time this week and I've only made 6 pillowcases and knitted 3 hats and a baby jacket. I also quilted a donated top and these will all go to Pine Ridge Reservation.
I've started another baby jacket as well and I have more night shifts to work for the next week so there won't be as much quilting happening then either. I did manage to get some more quilts finished but no photos yet so I'll post more later.
The pillowcases are made from very cute fabric and the purple fabric with hippos was my favourite and I think they'll make some kids in foster care very happy with their own pillowcase to keep. Hugs Jan Mac

Progress So Far

So far this month I managed to use up 164 yards of stash. I've been knitting while watching the Olympics and have managed to get 7 more tops quilted and finished this week as well as making a QAYG quilt from donated blocks.
The star blocks came from all around the world to Tia of Camp Followers Bags. She and the lovely ladies of Alice Springs put them together and when they ran out of time to quilt them all they sent them down to me with the boxes of finished quilts. I'm working my way through them now and they will be going to Kinglake as I've been asked for more quilts to give out there to people who have returned to the area after the fires.
I know the quilts will be loved and appreciated by their recipients.
I also made 4 pillowcases yesterday and will make some more before work today and show photos in a couple of days. These will be going to Pine Ridge Reservation in the US.
Hugs Jan Mac

Now Where Was I?

That's right last week passed by as a bit of a blur. I worked night duty and yes I did plan to retire last Sept but they asked me to work casually when I'm not away traveling. So it suits me and will give me some handy money to spend on my travels and quilting.
We had a lovely time on Saturday night, doing a cruise on the Yarra River in Melbourne to celebrate one of my BIL's 60th birthday. There was a lot happening at the time but I think he liked his quilt.
I also have been knitting while watching the Winter Olympics this week and have finished a baby's jacket which will be donated to Timor or Pine Ridge. I also found the perfect fabric for the binding on a quilt top which was donated for Kinglake and that's another one done now. Check my other blog for more photos of quilts for Kinglake. The QAYG quilt was one I put together over the last couple of days too, so I guess I've still been reasonably productive. I've also spent a lot of time online organizing my trip to Houston for this year's Quilt Show in November so I'm getting excited about traveling to the US for the first time. Hugs Jan Mac

It's Finished!

Today was very hot and humid but I managed to get the denim quilt finished thank goodness. It isn't a beautiful quilt but a utility one for my BIL, using some of his old shirts and jeans. I also left on buttons on the pieces I cut from the shirts and also used some of his pockets from old jeans.
Hopefully he'll like it. My sister thinks he'll be very surprised and I wanted to thank him particularly for his help with transporting quilts and goods for the bush fire areas as well as for East Timor. He's loaned his truck and been a big help with moving boxes of donated goods.
I'll try to get a photo of his reaction when he opens his present.
The quilt measures 55" x 85" which is a good size for him and it has no batting as the backing is a thick woolen fabric and it's fairly heavy.
I also managed to bind 2 of the quilts for Kinglake and will show the photos on my other blog at oz comfort quilts.
Hugs Jan Mac

A Day To Remember...

It's been 12 months since the terrible bush fires caused the deaths of 173 people and destroyed several communities as well as many houses, and there have been many memorial services today to honour those who died.
It's also my birthday so after a family meal last night I had a quiet day to work on some projects today. The main thing to finish is a quilt for my BIL's 60th birthday next Saturday. I'm making a denim quilt in a rail fence pattern with some of his shirts as the middle strip. I'm then stitching them down to a woollen fabric which will form the backing and the batting. It's to be a "knock-around" quilt he can use when he's off camping or driving. I also bound 2 of yesterday's quilts and will add the total of stash used soon. I also boxed up 18 scarves and a hat to send to Pine Ridge Reservation for the elders. The photo of the pink and cream scarves shows some lovely angora wool which was a legacy from my lovely Mum and I hope they love their soft warmth. The pile of quilts are those I finished earlier this week and I haven't worked out the stash used there either. There's always tomorrow for some of those jobs.
Back to the denim quilt as I'm working nights this week and need to get it finished before that, as sleep will be my main priority then.
Hugs Jan Mac

Finally Quilting Again

I received a lovely card this week from one of my quilting groups, Australian Quilters Association. The card read:
"Jan Congratulations! on your nomination for the Australia Day Awards. Your work helps many people in different places and lifestyles. We're proud to have you as a member of AQA".
What a lovely acknowledgment from my quilting peers.

I've finally managed to get back to finishing quilts off this week and have quilted 11 in the past 3 or 4 days. Today I quilted 4 tops and I still need to do the bindings before I can count them as done. This top is a really lovely ones with pansies fabric used for the blocks. It will be loved by its recipient so if you recognize it please let me know so I can add your name to the label.
Earlier this week I heard from the ladies who have helped me to distribute the quilts in the Kinglake and Marysville areas and they have asked for more quilts for the people who are returning to the mountain. Luckily I had kept some for this occasion as well as working on more during the Christmas break. I hope to take them down very soon so they can welcome the people who are returning. In the meantime I need to finsih off a few more of the tops which were doinated as well as constructing more quilts from donated QAYG blocks.
Busy, busy. Hugs Jan Mac

Sew Far This Week

On Monday I made a pair of sleep pants and a pair of shorts which used up 4 yards of fabric from the stash and they will be donated to Pine Ridge Reservation.
Yesterday and today I quilted 7 quilts altogether and I have bound 3 of them so far so I won't add up the fabric used from stash until they are all finished but the total is going up. Unfortunately I can't see a dent in the stash yet.
The first quilt is made from a selection of orphan blocks ranging in sizes from 6" to 12" and the other top was donated.
More later.
Hugs Jan Mac