BIG NEWS about - The Amelia Challenge Quilt

For those of you who still don't know the big news, The Amelia Challenge Quilt, the fourth book in the Australian Challenge Quilt Series, is now available. Contact me by email for all the details on how to order your copy: rowekeys01@optusnet.com.au

Balance?

Why is it that life seems to give, only to take away? Yesterday I made a serendipitous find when driving around to a friend's house. I came upon this public art piece in  my neighbourhood. This is nothing new, I know, but whilst I have seen plenty of pictures on the Internet of this type of knitting art in public spaces, to have it in my own neighbourhood was a real treat. I went straight back home to fetch my family and take them around to see it, to share my joy.
Later in the evening we had a phone call. The news was bad. A friend has lost her husband, suddenly. We've not even reached 50 yet. I don't know exactly how old her husband was, but it would be about my age, and I don't think I'm old. I cannot even begin to imagine how my friend must be feeling. I cannot associate with her in this dreadful time of sadness, and there is nothing I can do to ease her pain.
So why is it that whenever I take true and pure delight in my life that something always happens later that very same day to take away the joy?

Warrandyte

Here I am at Warrandyte, sitting by the Yarra River sketching the rocks. It was a much needed afternoon away from the house to sit and relax in the fresh air. The day was quite magnificent, neither too hot nor too cold, and the river provided plenty of inspiration for creative photography and a little bit of drawing.

More drawings from class

I feel like I'm getting back into the swing of drawing now. I even feel more motivated to get out there and try to draw, yet I'm still not creating the time to do this, despite the desire. Not sure what's holding me back. This time I tried working in pastel, selecting red, which seemed to help - it's my favourite colour and colour does affect us very powerfully. I'm still lovin' my course. :)

Textile Art Course, Drawing Class

I have returned to school this year, to study Textile Art. This is something I have wanted to do for years (was on my bucket list) and now it is happening and I'm loving it. Drawing is the first class for this semester. I haven't drawn for nearly 3 decades yet I wasn't frightened about getting back into it. Our teacher is wonderful and very encouraging. She would have us draw every day and that is my aim - to make sure I spend some time every day with my visual diary, drawing. I find when I do sit to draw I enter another world, I become calm and serene, and exist only in the moment. It makes me feel good.

My talents are not great. Nothing comes easily to me but I'm not displeased with my results.

The following was an exercise where we had to draw using only straight lines. I confess to a little trouble getting things to sit where they should in relation to each other.

 For this exercise we blackened the whole page with charcoal and then had to take 'off' the black, using a kneadable eraser, to produce the image by concentrating on the lightest areas. I hated this task as I was doing it, and did not like the method at all, but have to say, of all my drawings so far, this is my favourite. How weird.

 This drawing came from a simpler exercise which was  to draw what I saw using charcoal, looking at the dark areas for heavy shading compared to the light areas.

 I like the contrast of the very dark and very light areas.

Busy with Amelia

I haven't blogged for ages because I've been so busy working on The Amelia Challenge Quilt, trying to get it ready for readers who have been desperate to read the next installment. My head has been down and my tail up! Meanwhile, I've had sample chapters printed. These will be sent to shops who stock the books, so customers can read the first chapter without damaging the actual books (are YOU one of those people who bends covers in bookshops?!!).
This past Friday I had orientation at Box Hill Institute. I have begun my Diploma of Textile Art and am SO excited by it all. I will keep you all posted on my progress. The only homework so far is computer work. Nothing to share there.
I do want to share with you that Amelia is, in my own opinion, the best book yet. I have enjoyed writing it, and my characters have really surprised me with what they're getting up to. You'll love it!

Owl Apron

Before Xmas DD and I were in Spotlight and saw a shop assistant wearing this owl apron. DD loves anything with owls these days, and we luckily found the bolt of panels as we were leaving. It has been sitting near my sewing area for weeks because I didn't have the quantity of plain red fabric in my stash that I thought I had. I sat down and considered what I could do differently, looked in my stash and found this rooster fabric. DD is extremely keen on chooks, so this became the obvious solution for the lining. Now it's a double sided apron.

As she will be using it for bookbinding, I anticipate it will be covered with glue by next Xmas.

Another Quilt from "The Amelia Challenge Quilt"

One of the characters makes this quilt in the next novel - The Amelia Challenge Quilt. Can you guess who it is? Unfortunately it's not a great photo and my red design wall doesn't help matters much. The colours are very rich and golden. The fabrics are from a range called 'Florentine'. Am not sure how to have this quilted yet.
P.S. re the possum we saved last week. The vet put him down. They said he had an injury to his stomach area and he wouldn't have recovered well enough to survive in the wild. We didn't notice any such injury and think he was put down because he was a brush tail possum. :(

Possum rescue

Bad luck turned unto good luck for this little fellow. I came home mid morning to find this furry ball curled up in the middle of the back lawn. He is a brush tail possum, probably a teenager because he is not full grown. They are very aggressive compared with ring tail possums so I wasn't keen to pick him up. My daughter rescued him for me. Without fear she patted him and he must have been too sick to care. He did not appear injured, but the neighbour had poured citronella into her pond to keep away the mosquitos and perhaps this possum had drunk the water. Maybe he had a very bad stomach ache. While he waited for DD, I put a box over him to give him a dark space and popped a plum on the grass in front of him. He ate it. Then he was taken to the vet where they'll fix him up and put him with a wildlife carer until he is well enough to go bush again. And even luckier for him that this all happened yesterday when it was a pleasant day, for today has been a multiple of deluges, with fast, driving rain and plenty of wind. Good luck little possum.

New York Beauty

The five days before Xmas were my second marathon as I made this quilt for my Mum. I had done a class at Michelle's Sewing Basket in Ringwood, with tutor Lesa Seegel. The aim was to improve my curves. I learned that I was better at it when sewing by hand than by machine, but still rather poor workmanship. Fortunately Mum loves anything I do. These were the best photos I could get considering I was on my own at the time. (Haven't trained the cat to hold up a quilt for me yet!) This quilt was made using scraps of blue fabric from my blue Giant Dahlia.

Table Runner for Horse Lovers

Happy New Year. I love a new year. I always make lots of plans, write lists and set a lot of goals. I bought a fantastic new diary called "Mi Goals Diary". Check them out here. It's the best diary I have ever had.
There has been a lot for me to blog about lately, but I haven't made the time. I'll start with a few catchup blogs. Two weeks before Xmas I had a 3 day marathon in which I made a table runner for people who are horse lovers. The dresden star has folded points (the white pieces) sewn into the seams. It's a lot of fun to make. I included these blocks in my Quilt for Japan earlier in 2011.

The Building that Brought me to Tears

Bonython Hall - part of the University of Adelaide.

As we approached this building, when on holiday there last month, I became excited at its Gothic style, my favourite style of architecture. I began snapping away with my new camera. We came to the steps and the great doors were open, inviting us in. There was no hesitation as I entered the building and lifted my head to take in the magnificence of the ceiling, the decoration, the flying arches, the heraldry and all the space about me. My eyes welled with tears of joy at its beauty.
A small group of people were gathered at the far end of the hall. They began to disperse. A woman headed towards us and said she would have to lock the door now. I asked if we were not supposed to be in there, and she kindly said it was okay (one of those times when having grey hair and looking like a little old lady when you're not, actually works to my advantage). She allowed us to take whatever photos we wanted before leaving.
That was a day in which we were truly blessed, to have come to that building, the one building on North Terrace I really wanted to see inside, and the door was open for us.
(And if I cry at an Australian Gothic building of the 19th century, I'll need more than a box of tissues when I go to England!!)

Beautiful Hahndorf

Hahndorf in South Australia is one of the most beautiful man-made spots I have been to. My husband and I fell in love with the place. While there I took some more 'artistic' photos with my new camera. Mind you, I took over 650 photos in 10 days, so here are just a few taken around Hahndorf -

South Australian talks

I haven't felt much like sharing with the world lately, plus I am busy writing, so my head is immersed in a very particular place at the moment. Still, it's high time I blogged and shared some photos. Above is me giving a talk to the lovely ladies of the Murray Bridge Library Group in South Australia last month. While holidaying there, I also spoke to Salisbury Stitchers (below), a group that meets in suburban Adelaide, and who specifically invited me along to their meeting.

Both groups were very warm and welcoming. I found South Australian to generally be friendlier and more relaxed than Melburnians. There is a lot to see and do in Adelaide and I look forward to going back again some day.

The Next Amelia Challenge

I've been agonising over what to do with my "Etchings" (by 3 Sisters for Moda) layer cake for most of the day. Have finally worked it out. Now to do the maths.

(pre-approved by the cat though)

Cupboard Cat

Kitty in the Expedit

The Amelia Challenge Quilt sneak peak

I have been on my annual holiday, returning last Tuesday, and the last five days have flown past quicker than when I was away, yet I don't seem to have done as much. However, I have been working on my Amelia Challenge Quilt, pictured here, finished five minutes ago. Of course it still needs to be quilted and then I think it will be even more beautiful. It has a special name but you will have to wait until the book The Amelia Challenge Quilt comes out to find out what that is, and why. Meanwhile, I thought you might like a sneak peak.
smiles
Margaret

And the Winner is ...

 In honour of remembrance day coming up on 11 November I put everyone's names into the hat - a genuine Aussie slouch hat.

 Hubby swished them around a bit and drew out the luck winner who is ...

CONGRATULATIONS GILL from the UK.

Please email me with your snail mail address and I will get these in the post to you. [rowekeys01@optusnet.com.au]

Hopefully they will make good Xmas reading for you.

Thank you to all the lovely ladies who entered my little competition - even from the US! It was terrific to meet you and I hope we keep crossing each other's paths.

Happy Blogtoberfest

P.S. I finished the last redwork block today - phew!

Redwork Comic Relief ???

I forgot to blog yesterday. I was drowning in redwork!! As mentioned previously, I am on a deadline now, to finish my Amelia Challenge by the end of Saturday. So far I am on track, with most of my time spent stitching. ONE TO GO! Wahoo!!

My own Amelia Challenge

The Amelia Challenge Quilt will be the 4th book in the Australian Challenge Quilt Series and I now have to admit to myself that I am struggling with my own Amelia challenge quilt. The design had 13 blocks with the redwork pattern you see in the photo and I have just finished number 10. I thought I was up to number 11 but alas, there are 3 still to do. Yesterday I decided I would have this quilt finished by the weekend in readiness for my trip to Adelaide to talk to some quilt groups there. Now I know my challenge will be mightier than originally thought. The blocks each take about 7 hours to do.
Deep breath. Here goes ...!