Red Bag Finished

I've finished sewing the red bag seen in an earlier posting. More news and photos of the bag soon.















I've had a lot of enquiries from people wanting to make the bag and have put a kit on my website.

https://www.rosdye.com.au/bag_by_ros_ward.htm

Purchases can be made through PayPal with your bankcard, they are very secure. Or you can direct debit to my account from yours at your bank, or send me a money order.

I'm taking orders now and have quite a bit of fabric to dye to fill orders recieved so far.

Decorating for Christmas
Tis the Season, and I've got everything hung up and arranged the way I want it.
The dining room wall has had the wallhangings taken down and the Christmas ones hung. I'm liking it.
The loung room has the Santas and helpers arranged on a bench made by my DH's Uncle
The Merry Christmas was made by a friend.
The tree is just a baby but it enough for me now there are no children in the house.
Around the window in the dining room are Pot Holders that I swap with friends each Christmas. I missed a couple of years so only have 10 out of 12yrs of going away with these friends.

Thirteen Thirteen Thirteen
This was a group project when my local patchwork group was still quite young and there were a lot of new patchworkers in it.
We decided we'd make a block - School House - and swap them and make a quilt.
This is mine almost finished. The blocks joined with tree blocks, only the quilting to go.
For a long time if the number 'Thirteen' was mentioned there was a chorus of 'Thirteen Thirteen Thirteen' in the meeting room which would give us all a good laugh. It still happens now on occasions, something thats going to stay with us for a long time.

Starting another Bag

I liked the first bag I made, unfortunately it was just a little small for my needs.
This is dyed cotton fabric and I've spray basted the backing to wadding, its about 14" x 30" long.
Then I spray basted small pieces of fabric (that I'd torn into strips then cut into pieces) to the top of the wadding.
Using a Rayon thread I'm now stitching the pieces individually with the stitching going in different directions.
More later. Its going slowly as I'm making some Christmas decorations to swap at my Quilting Groups Christmas breakup.

Bag Making

I dyed some muslin fabric (not quilters muslin) which is really soft and with some torn strips, batting and a backing I made the bag seen below.

A Corner of my Garden

Queensland Quilt Show is over for this year. This is one of the quilts I had on display.
I took a photo of a corner of my garden, (the name of the quilt) and made this quilt from the photo. I made a few changes to the original photo and added a few extras, like the gum leaves hanging in the corner. I'm surrounded by gum trees and just needed a few gum leaves.
A large gum tree snapped in half during a storm last year thats why the tree trunk doesn't go to the top edge.
I bleached the lines in the plants using a tiny paint brush and was hovering at the sink ready to plunge them into water when the bleach had done what I wanted it to.

Jan Stroud's Winning Quilt
Got a photo of this quilt from a happy customer who entered it in a local show and was she thrilled when she won 1st in her category and Grand Champion of the show.
Congratulations are in order. Well done Jan.

Busy Day Cutting Out
Lots of cutting done yesterday to get strips and squares done for a fabric club to add to my website. www.rosdye.com.au
I loved playing with the fabrics and seeing all the colours and textures. A feast for the eyes. It was more fun arranging the squares for the photo, lots of trouble with my digital camera though, it just doesn't want to focus these days and I lost count of the number of photos I actually took and had to delete due to being blurry.

A Quilt Finds a Home
this is little Abbey and her new quilt, I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it. She looks snug as a bug under there.

Latest Work
This piece started some time ago when I did some printing on fabric at art college.
I've finally done something with it in the hope it may go on display soon.
This was done when I learnt screen printing, haven't done any since I might add. I really liked doing this but as yet haven't got my hands on a screen (they're expensive) and life got in the way of trying something else.

Weekend Away
Another great weekend away, lots of busy ladies working on their project, some starting some finishing.
Here is a sample of what was done on the weekend. Almost like a mini quilt show when it was all spread out.

I chose a piece of fabric to work on without adding any other fabrics to.
Stitched some flower shapes and leaves and zig zagged around the outer edge.

This piece was done as a reminder of my recent holiday.
Marks left in the sand as the tide went out were quite amazing on one part of the beach, this little piece holds nice memories.

One piece of fabric for the background and the tree.
I tore narrow strips from the fabric and stitched them down to form the tree.
Then I cut little triangles for the leaves and placed them on top of threads that I'd saved and a friend had given me on the weekend.
I used a dark thread to outline stitch around the tree trunk and branches which helps it sit out a little from the background.
I think I'd like to do this again in a larger size.

Favourite Holiday Photos
I've just had 10 days holiday with dear husband and we had a wonderful time.
This is where we stayed, six klms drive up the beach. Our camp is up in the trees with a beautiful view of the ocean, sunrise, lots of walks on the beach and good fishing (for those who fish).









I did take some sewing with me, the binding got done on the quilt hanging on the chair. I still have to do the hanging sleeve ready for the Queensland Quilt Show.

Bleached Log
A tree died and fell from the hill onto the beach and has been bleached in the sun and buried in the sand as the tides wash over it.

Sunrise

The sky was ever changing these are some of my favourite photos

This photo on the left is not one of the best photos, I'm not really good at holding cameras still but I do like this image even a little blurry.

Image on right was left in the sand when the tide went out.

Quite spectacular is nature.

Our Visitor
This extremely cute horse 'Carlton" (better known as 'Carlton Houdini' at the moment) is visiting us for a little while until he's found a new home. He's done a good job of the grass in the back paddock, so much so that he's now getting through the old fencing around here and trimming some grass for the neighbours. Hope he gets a new home soon.

New Project
This is on my design wall at present while I think about what to do with it. At first I though a whole quilt would be good really brighten up my bedroom. Mum helped pin it to the wall while she was here for a little holiday, there were a couple of blocks she really liked and wanted to make into cushions. I'm not a cushion person but hearing someone else talking about the seperate pieces was interesting. the plan was to make it a pattern but I'm wondering if a small book with different ideas as well as a quilt layout would be another option?
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Beenleigh Quilters 2oth Birthday Celebrations
Last week was the dinner to celebrate the Beenleigh Quilters 2oth Birthday.
Lots of past and current members attended and danced the night away. Great entertainment on hand thanks to a members family and a great night was had by all in attendance. As a life member it was great to be there and celebrate with everyone and I got a lovely certificate thanking me for my contribution to the Group. Everyone got a lovely bag as a present at the end of the evening.

Postcards Received
The last of my postcards have arrived and are now pinned on the wall with others I've received.
Ann Halden's Winter


















Bern Johnson's Autumn


















The Swap Wall

Busy Quilting

This quilt has been pinned for some time. It was made with scraps left over from trimming dyed fabric and of course left over pieces from other projects.
It is big enought for my bed, exact measurements I don't know. I'd like to get it on the bed so the quilting has begun.
How nice it would be if it was finished before the end of winter which in Queensland isn't far away.

New Design Wall
Busy time this morning making a design wall that is more useful sizewise than a quilt thats already hanging on the wall.
This is a 2mtr piece of marine carpet bought from Bunnings Hardware Store. I think it cost me $60ish.

I can't take the credit for doing the installation, here's a picture of the cheap home handyman (husband) that did most of the work. If you look closely you'll see the stacks of fabrics & containers that now have to be put in a new place. Had to move a cupboard and bookcase. The hardest part will be putting everything away.

Postcards Delivered

This weeks mail is exciting. I'm in another postcard swap and the postcards are starting to arrive.
the first one to arrive from Carolyn Minto of Canberra with an Autumn theme


the second one from Jan Cotton of NewZealand with a Winter sports theme

Present Time
Here I am unwrapping my present.
Bought for me by Lexie while she was in Devon, UK on holiday.
I asked Lexie to say hello to Devon for me while she was on her holiday as I was born there and she was thoughtful in her present buying to get some watercolours with a local Devon theme.
Also a lovely picture frame.

Giving out Presents
Our birthday weekend was a great success.
Lots of laughter and a few tears, it was all too much for the wonderful Allyson who does all the organising so we can have a stress free weekend. She really does emotional well. I think this was when the first present was opened.

Retreat Visitors
This little Joey had just had a run around in the cool morning and was about to go back to his warm bed. A very cute show early in the morning. The rest of the house was still in bed so I had this entertainment all to myself.

Raggy Hexagons
Using up flannel fabrics. Squares sewn together, layers glue basted, then the hexagons were stitched around the outer edges. All raw edges were clipped.
A good size knee rug that keeps my knees warm on cold evenings.

Double sided

Present Open
Concertina style, it will be able to sit on a shelf or be folded up.

Birthday Present
This weekend I'm going away for a retreat and we all celebrate our birthdays during this time.
Each lady gets a present specifically made for her by one of us. This is my present for a special friend and I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Discharged Fabrics


Some of the discharged fabrics pinned together.
I'll just look at them for a while, move them around and take a few more pictures until I dicide what to do with them.
They haven't been cut, just overlapped and pinned together. Next with be some cutting and playing to see what else I can do.