Some Quilting Therapy........

I have been sewing some candlewicked blocks for years now, and finally have finished the 25 blocks, joined them etc and begun the quilting journey.

I decided to quilt a feather motif in each corner of each block (25 x 4 = 100)!!!!!! Needless to say it has been a mammoth job, but I love the result, and it is great fun to drop the feed dogs on the machine and just "go for it".

Onto the borders now....I use "quilt and tear" paper.........don't quite trust myself yet without that guidance.

I'm really happy with the little feather motifs that frame each design........

Here's a bit of a view of the overall effect, but it looks a bit crinkly on the table......better one to follow when I finish.......

Better get back to it.................

The Finished Purse from GDITC....Ta Da.......

This is the beautiful project I started in Nundle at Kerry's Girls Day in the Country last weekend.. Anni's design, and gorgeous hand dyed felted wool...so lovely to sew with...like sewing butter.....FINISHED......I love it

I was so pleased at how easy the frame went on...never done one before, so was a little nervous to start with....

There was a great swap of little items from Anni's designs. This was great fun....here is my swap pressie.....made by Kylie.......the scissor fob sits proudly on my little embroidery scissors now.........love it....thanks Kylie.....

I took my Mum with me to Kerry's day and we sat at table with all wonderful ladies. The very persuasive "bloggy queen" who established me into blogland worked her charms on 2 of the ladies at my table.....AND....now they have started blogging too...woo hoo....great work girls....here's a link to visit them both..... here and here.....................

P.S. for anyone interested, the quilt behind my purse photo is the project at my sewing machine at the moment....a candlewicked quilt I've been working on for years.....quilting it now....photos soon.....

More on Nundle....

I brought home some special things .....

I fell in love with the wool felt...hand dyed by Anni's husband...great job Pete...it's really yummy...

 Some of Anni's latest designs...just "had to have"....you know that feeling when confronted with such loveliness and you know you won't have this chance again for a long time.....

Kerry's book....What a beautiful treasure trove the Cottage on the Hill is....WOW....I was in heaven...and Kerry is such a lovely person, had to take a little of her home (via her book!)

Kerry had some FANTASTIC lucky door prizes...and guess what !   I won one...this lovely charm pack....think I'll make one of Kerry's quilts from her book with this one...

Stay close by...after I return all these goodies to their cupboard, I will photograph my finished project from the workshop....did you hear that Chookyblue ??? FINISHED ! Your favourite word on Saturday ....LOL
Pop here to see what Chookyblue finished on Saturday at GDITC.......Then come back here real soon to see mine finally done...

What a Weekend!

Just got home last night from Girls Day in the Country at Nundle NSW, hosted by the ever-lovely Kerry Swain.

But wait there's more...the ever-talented Anni Downs from here was the guest tutor. 

 This is what greeted us on arrival...after saying 'Hi' to Kerry first of course! There was such a 'buzz all round the room...I felt like a school kid at their first birthday party!

Anni soon got us started on our choice of 3 specially designed projects for the day...I chose this one...yummy wool felt...we got the whole kit to complete this project in our goody bags. (This is Anni's...mine isn't finished yet...haha....too much talking!!! )

Some of Annis designs on display...it was great to see all the items I've admired on patterns and in her books actually 'in the real'....could touch and feel them....I was in HEAVEN.....I just looove Anni's work.

Check out the setting....those beautiful quilts hanging up in the background are some that last year's group completed as a pledge to make Anni's Gardeners Journal quilt, and have it completed by this year's GDITC....great job, girls. Pop over here and get a closer look at them.

And this was just the actual 'Day', the weekend was also full of dinners, meeting bloggy friends for the first time, special show and tell with the girls....you know who you are....and I might add that these special ladies who rock up each year to Kerrys GDITC are a fab bunch...made me feel so totally welcome....thankyou, thankyou, thankyou....

 Special thanks to the bloggy Queen, she knows who she is, who made the link into blogland happen for me, and enabled these new exciting doors to open.......

Better go finish the purse now.....

My First Post

Well... I am now the proud owner of my own blog, with lots of thanks to www.chookyblue.blogspot.com (hope the link works, Chookyblue!!) who has encouraged me and offered so much help, that the dream became a reality. Thankyou chookyblue. (She actually set it all up, and then spent xxxamount on the phone to me to talk me thru using it!!).
 I have been a blog follower for ages now, getting lots of enjoyment from looking at sewing that others have completed, gaining tips and ideas, and becoming inspired....so it's my turn now to give a little back....
So.... let me introduce myself to you. I am a 40+ Mum to 2 children, a 14 yr old daughter, and a 10 yr old son. We live on a property "Shiralee" (hence the name of my blog) where we graze hereford cattle and I do a little teaching on the side. I am  passionate about all things sewing, including patching, quilting, embroidery, stitchery...etc, etc...I will show lots as we  progress through coming posts.Here's a little piccie of our farm so you can imagine the setting.

(Can't tell you how pleased I am that the photo turned up IN the blog, right where it should have...Chooky's a good teacher!)
This is a week of milestones, and "firsts", and hopefully making lots of new friends in stitching...not only have I I begun blogging, but I am getting packed to attend Kerry's Girls Day in the Country in Nundle on the weekend...this is a first for me too. I am so excited, especially to meet Chookyblue in person, and be able to meet all her "Gang". Is anyone else reading this going too? I am a lover of all designs by Anni Downs and she is the tutor for the workshop.I'd better go and finish packing my bags..... Hope you have agood weekend whatever you're up to...