ACQ Finale

These three ladies were lucky enough to do Esterita Austin's workshop and they used our fabrics for the class. They were so kind to come back and show me what they had achieved. Didn't they do well?

Kathy Sherry


Rachael Bond

Debra Bloxham

After 4 exhausting but fun days the final minutes dragged by but once the show closed down it was a frantic rush to bump out the show. Orange safety vests came out and it was organised chaos.
We managed to completely pack up in one hour which was a good effort for two tired little bodies.

Don't know why I keep taking photos out of plane windows but there has to be a quilt in it somewhere. Thanks for all your kind comments about my show posts.

AQC Update

Here are some of the Egyptian embroideries brought out for the AQC by Jenny Bowker. The two Egyptian gentlemen shown in the previous post are proving to be the hit of the show. Watching the speedy needle creating the most amazing designs are keeping viewers mesmorised. I think they are astounded at the interest shown in their work.

The first one below is the one I bought and I can't wait to get it home

These ones are based on door designs and are meant to be hung over doors



Traditional designs taken from tombs


We loved these ones too


The quilt show downstairs is also providing popular with tACTile group pieces definitely my favourite.

This is just a taste but go their website for more on this talented group of Australian Art Quilters





Dinner on the banks of the Yarra with quilting friends topped off and exhausting but great day

Long Day

Pleasant flight this morning down to Melbourne and met by Peter at the airport followed by a painless drive into the Convention Centre. As organised our pallet was waiting for us in front of our booth. Always daunting being faced with 4 metres of blank wall and two tables and a pallet load of boxes.

We spent about an hour and a half pinning up quilts and then got told we were in the wrong spot. They had put our banner on the wrong wall. So we had to take it all down and put it up again next door.

Of course there is always chaos on the floor for hours

Suddenly it all seems to come together and we are quite pleased with it.

A drawcard at the AQC this year is the visit by Jenny Bowker and two of her special people from the Cairo souk. They are tent makers and have brought a collection of wonderful embroideries. I thought I would let them (and us) set up before I looked at them closely. I had seen some on Jenny's blog and was interested in purchasing one. Well I am glad that I popped over before we were finished. There had already been a rush on them and the ones I was interested in were already sold. Luckily there were still some left for me to buy so I am happy. This is Achmed the tentmaker and his nephew who is here to help and as he speaks English quite well he can explain and translate. I am hoping to spend more time looking over the next few days.

Countdown to AQC

All the boxes are shipped and the car is loaded with everything we have forgotton. I think every piece of fabric we have dyed in the last few months is about to arrive in Melbourne for the Australasian Quilt Convention AQC.

This is just some of the boxes mid way through packing.


Flying out in the morning and then the day will be spent setting up. This is always a fun time seeing the results of a lot of work come together. I think I will try and do a few photos of the setup depending on the chaos.

The difference in a small business like ours is that our main product - the fabric - is created from scratch by us. We have calculated that every piece of hand dyed fabric is handled at least 10 times
Measured , cut, presoaked , dyed , rinsed, washed , hung out to dry, brought inside, folded, cut, packed.

No wonder we are exhausted. Even the bead mixes have to be created like mixing a salad.

My friend Rhonda stayed a few weeks ago and we even roped her into folding fabrics. She posted some photos on her blog of our clothes line on an average day. She does amazing work and I am really lucky to have some of her pieces. I am gathering a rather nice collection of work by textile artists. I might show you some of them soon. They give me great pleasure daily.

Not Vietnam

No I haven't jumped on a plane for a quick weekend away although you could think I have. We have a suburb in Sydney called Cabramatta which is now completely transformed into a Vietnamese enclave. Not only is there wonderful traditional food but they have many fabric stores just to prove that dressmaking is not a dying activity. I was after something special so a trip to Cabramatta was definitely required. Of course it had to be around lunchtime.
The fruit stalls were full of lychees and rabutans and dragon fruit which are plentiful in Asia but not all that common in downtown Sydney. I have not seen lychees sold but the bunch before.



Tomorrow is the Lunar New Year and this is obviously celebrated with passion here too.


The tulips were remainders from Valentines Day (I was informed by the owner of the restaurant) and the watermelons part of the New Year celebration.

Week 3 Drawing Class

Finally something that is recognisable. Tonight's subject was Tone and my boring vase is certainly taking on a life of it's own. Charcoal is very messy but good fun.

I was very excited as I finally found some perfect containers for my beads. Clear plastic - easy to stack and firmly fitting lid. I now have 500 of them but not all for my own use. They are for the mixtures on my website.

Latest publication

I posted this fabric earlier as one of a selection offered for a ad. Here it is and it gives me credit which is always a bonus.

Drawing Class

OK I am brave enough to put myself up to ridicule. I think it will be good for my soul and hopefully to also see the development of my skills (or lack of)

Week One - measuring - transferring images in correct proportion to a page. Results - pathetic but you have to start somewhere don't you. Actually it is quite good that you can't see it too well as it is dreadful.


Week Two - perspective - loved this one - always like drawing lines although my hands were itching for a ruler. Pencil control is something I yearn to develop.

Final Snippets

These are the last snippets from Tokyo - I think it is time to get back to reality. Thanks for your nice comments. It is always nice to know you are not talking to yourself in cyberspace.
I love interesting signs - this was in all the railway stations.

More interesting sweet/biscuits/cakes - not sure but they look delicious.

I am sure these are also delicious but just not as appealing.

Now just what would I do with more Amino??

Looks like bananas are extra luxury items in Japan too.

Edible Japanese Snippets

Food - my favourite topic
Here are some yummy cakes - but are they - look again. They are actually small towels rolled up to look like cakes - not sure why but aren't they cute?

Lunch is always a time to try out lots of little tastes

But would you eat at Cafe Smell?

Fresh is best but not this fresh

For desert you can't go past some delicate cakes. The Japanese excel at packaging and design



You can always check the menu outside most restaurants which makes life very easy if you don't speak Japanese - pointing is an acceptable form of ordering.

Drawing Class

I cannot draw - I cannot transfer an image from my eyes to a page. It frustrates me that no one ever taught me to draw in 6 years of high school art class. So I have finally done something about it and enrolled in a nine week evening class run by a local art store.
Lesson one was mainly about learning about the tools and charcoal and pencils. I now know the difference between H for hard and B for broad pencils and the difference between natural and compressed charcoal.

We also spent the best part of the lesson learning to measure with the pencil and squinting.
I think I will enjoy this class and may be brave enough to share my progress with you.

I am also curious about someone from Sassafras who seems to have been permanently on my blog for a couple of days. I hope it is something technical and not that you are hanging around waiting for something interesting to happen. You may be disappointed.

We have also been dyeing frantically for the upcoming Melbourne Quilt Show.