Knit One, Save One

I know! That's exactly what I was thinking! Isn't it too hot to HOLD yarn, let alone crochet with it? Yes I think it is.

Staying inside due to the heat and needing a creative outlet however, my daughter instantly turned her thoughts to winter pursuits and sat in front of her fan with her favourite hook. Why? Because every winter there's so much need for woolies all over the world...and there never seems to be enough time to get around to making them within the season...so why not start early?


Actually, my daughter has just learnt to crochet and
decided to put her baby beanie making skills to use. For those of you in America, the Knit One Save One project is a great way to get involved in something creative, progressive and important. You can follow the link here:

http://www.savethechildren.org/programs/health/child-survival/survive-to-5/knit-one-save-one.html

In Australia, the Guardian Pharmacy chain run a great seasonal promotion drive for hand knitted items to distribute to those in need, and its never too early to start.

I'm still shocked and saddened when I hear that for most of the world's people, the basic necessities are a struggle.

This beanie from start to finish took 45mins to crochet. I haven't yet met a quilter who isnt talented in knitting or crochet, so if you have a spare 3/4 of an hour, why not brush up on your knitting skills, use up those yarn left overs or just do your bit for those in need? It's doesnt take much and if we all just did one, there'd be enough to go around.

Why not Knit One to Save One today?

Thinking of a new technique?

Have you tried your hand at a stencil quilt yet?

Stencilling is an heirloom quilting technique, it was practised by the earliest quilters. Today, I havent noticed many quilters embracing the possibility and scope that a stencil quilt can offer....why not?

If you're thinking of trying a new technique, or if you thought stencilling was 'too modern'....think again! Stencilling is a beautiful, skillful craft, why not incorporate some stencil blocks into your next quilt?

My Heat Struck Garden

Being in a heat wave and draught means that my garden isnt looking as lush as I wish it was. I've had to plant draught hardy blooms, which aren't as lovely to look at, but at least they stop the garden looking totally barren.

Due to water restrictions, the plants have pretty much been left to their own devices. I've newspapered and mulched, some have thrived, some have died. The boring plants seem to survive. I have a creeping rose bush which yearly gives out masses of small scented blooms and although it's sunburnt and struggling, it always comes back good. I'm always suprised at the fight for life that roses manage, it's a bit of hope in a dry garden where you find yourself yearing for beauty.


My fern leaves are crisp brown wafts that break off in the wind and what I think was once a rather beautiful shrub ( I can't remember, its been so long) is now just dried twigs.

I yearn to sit in a garden brimming over with the flowers I have planted in the past: the many varied roses, from carpet hedges to elegant long stemmed blooms that loved a severe dead heading and pruning any time of year, the canterbury bells, the bavardia, the geranium, the poppy, the white and pink hydrangia, the 5 lots of lavendar from white to violet...I can see and smell them already....


I admire the local gardeners who have altered their former green European gardens and worked tirelessly to re-create Australian gardens. Personally, I love succulents and just a few cactuses here and there, but I'm not inspired enough to change my whole idea about what a garden is.

Realistically, the only plants that can truly survive in this climate are natives, and whilst people some love them, they all look like boring dried out tuffs of grass to me, and I'm not afraid to say so.

Frankly, it's too hot to go outside, or sit outside. I think twice about walking from my front door to the car when I want to go somewhere. Sometimes it's just not worth the heat stress. I think the only lush garden I'll be enjoying this summer is a stencilled one.

Phew

What a relief - it's 'only' going to be be 30C today. That means I can finally finish quilting.

Yes it appears that I'm back online! Hopefully that will be the last meltdown I have to endure... I'm a week behind thanks to the heatwave.

My sewing machine overheated and knotted the threads

and bobbin spool.... so I had to leave it alone, it just didn't want to stitch in the heat, and either did I.

I've found that a lot of electrical good seem to malfunction when it gets above 35C so I decided not to push it. This morning it's stitching just fine.

Still, I'm one on the lucky ones - I didn't have to suffer any blackouts during the heat. I really detest suffocating heat - it's just paralysing. I didn't accomplish anything. So today I'm making up for lost time.

These are some fishy pictures that my daughter took to help inspire my quilting. I'm always find bodies of water alluring: from the sea, to rock pools, ponds, deep puddles, fountains to fish in a bowl...I just love observing the life going on beyond the rippling surface.

Its all to do with layers, thats what makes the ordinary seem so extraordinary in my eyes: I love the yellow unfurled inner petals of a blooming red flower....or moving through layers of dense green tree foliage to uncover an unexpected birds nest spun from abandoned bright threads amongst the twigs....or stencilling - stencils are improved by colour layers, as is quilting itself. Ahhh, layers. I feel ready to quilt again...

Heat Wave Aftermath

My internet provider Hotkey has been experiencing technical issues...a melt down...basically it means that I have not been receiving emails and my internet access is patchy at best. Hotkey expects to be back to routine by the end of the week. Until then, I'm pretty much offline.

If you have sent me an email - I have not received it. Would you please re-send it again next week (to be on the safe side)

Thanks for your understanding during this frustrating time

Esther

too hot to blog

Stuck in a record breaking heat wave. Everything I've started: I've stopped. It's too hot to quilt and it's too hot to blog.

Heat Wave

It's going to be one of those weeks! I can't wait to get tothe other side of it.

There's a heatwave expected all this week (I'm already heat exhausted) and, in typical fashion, I have 2 quilts to quilt lined up. What was I thinking? I've decided to stick with my quilting schedule - this year I want no ensure no more UFO's are created (actually I wanted to dust off and finish all the ones I already have) and this means working to a plan. As much as I resist plans, I've reached the point of having to get seriously scheduled.

This is hard for me - with quilting I prefer to work as the mood takes me. However this has also meant that I actually do have a lot of UFO's, a lot to quilts ready to quilt, a lot of new design stencils and a lot of new quilts waiting in the wings. I decided that this year was going to be stash busting, and it's also going to be working through some 'must make' quilts.

This week I also started preparing for some workshops coming in the next few weeks. I really enjoy teaching stencilling - it's a great workshop and I'm always impressed with what fellow quilters and curious students manage to create after just a day of learning the technique.

Of course, workshop planning wouldn't be complete without some supply issues. I'm currently trying to source the right shade of paints - it appears that everyone shops for art supplies at the same time!

Sometimes the organising takes more time than the workshop itself.

Well, I know I shouldnt complain, at least I'm sweating over something I enjoy doing....

Feeling Creative?

...then get out your stencilling brush!

One thing I really love about quilting is it's scope.... to challenge, delight, inspire and encourage - that's how I got into stencilling, and I haven't looked back.

If you'd like to try something new and you're in Melbourne next month, why not come along to the AQC - Australian Quilters Convention? I'm a tutor this year and my workshop will be exploring stencilling.

This wall hanging, Not Quite Shabby Chic is one of my favourite workshop quilts to teach - its so adaptable, just a switch of colours can change the whole feeling, the stencil roses bouquet in the centre is a really rewarding (and straight forward) piece to stencil.

If you have'nt tried stencilling yet, you're missing out!

Click the AQC button on the left hand side of this blog for more info!

CORRECTION!

The glitch gremlins are in....

Block 3, Love Apple, has 2 measuring mistakes.

A Block 3 correction sheet has now been added to scribd.com with the error positions highlighted and the correct data entered. Please download this correction sheet when downloading block 3.

Apolagies to all of you who may have been confused by this error, and thank you to Eugenie for pointing it out.


PLEASE NOTE:

When a block's finished size is, say, 16" by 9" and in the cutting directions I instruct that the background be cut to 16.5" by 9.5" - this is NOT an error. I always allow a half inch for seam allowance. There have been a few queries about this half inch, and this is the reason.

Finished size means no seam allowances, so when the block size is indicated at the beginning of the pattern, it is listing the finished size. When making the block, the seam allowance size is referred to.

What's enough red anyway?

Red and White is so stunningly simple...yet evocative.

Personally, I can't get enough red in my designing at the moment, and whilst Red Delicious has definitely started taking care of my fabric stash, I knew I wouldn't feel finished until I extended the red theme with some stencilling.

Stencilling is a beautiful, traditional and almost forgotten quilting technique - I utilise it alot as it allows you to make designs from your own sketches in an original, challenging and enjoyable way.

Here I designed a Red stencil cushion, I know, I know...I even thought about moving into Blue & White (also stunning) but my heart currently belongs to Red!

Country Craft and Decorating Magazine is now available, so why not add to your red project list?

Red Delicious, Block 3: Love Apple

Love Apple is launched

It's nearly time.....

No sneak peeks, just a reminder....it's nearly time to change blocks again

Farewell Grace

Farewell my dear friend Grace

'We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned
so as to have the life that is waiting for us'

...you are already sorely missed...

It's still a New Year

We're still in January, and already some fellow stash busters (who shall remain nameless) have faltered. I know it seems hard, but what better way to focus on creativity, and design, and resourcefulness than using what we already have? I'm commited to staying on track with this! In fact I've already started designing another stash busting quilt

It may be economy, shelf space or guilt, but whatever the motivation for stash busting, remember - hoarding fabric does not help quilts (even future quilts!) get made - I can vouch for this.

Just this week I caught my daughters wondering out loud about what they would do with all my fabric if I suddenly wasn't around...which motivated me to stop looking through my latest quilt catalogue ( I was just looking)

Now really, it's not that hard...and every month on the 15th its going to be just that little bit easier - with a new Red Delicious block and a new reason to use up whats already sitting on the shelf waiting to be used....

Welcome 2009

New Year's Resolution

My NYR is to use all (ok, most of) my quilting fabric stash. I already had a lot of fabric before I even started quilting....and it's just kept growing. I have yards and yards of fabric I ordered online that looked perfect in the catalogue or on screen -but was out just a tone or two when it arrived, so it couldnt be used to plan....and then I have stashes from when I find stunning prints that I know I will need 'one day' ...and then I have fat quarters from shows and shops and markets that compliment already existing stashes...and of course I've been given a fair share of prints too.

But just recently, I went looking for some suitably inspiring fabric and I opened a stash box (I have them arranged in colours, prints, themes, etc) and the box was so jam packed (and looked so pretty) that I had second thoughts about rummaging through it. I had arranged it so well that it could have stayed like that undisturbed until one day I went out and bought exactly the same print and shade...forgetting I already had it.

Now this surely isnt impossible, because as I kept looking through my boxes I found fabric I didnt recognise, had forgotten was there and never even knew I had (a fat quarter wheel of chrismas prints comes to mind - perfect for a new December tablecloth that I need, and that I wasn't even thinking of, for instance)...

So, when is enough fabric, finally enough? On the one hand, nothing in my stash is inspiring me right now, its good for 'other ideas' but none that I'm currently entertaining. I have lots of plans for quilts I want to make and I don't want to be constrained my existing stash. Also, when you have an idea and you need a certain tone...its hard to match your colour theme from an existing batch, you usually have to go out and buy some more. Or, you buy a backing fabric and then by sheer coincidence you find a great 'zinger' for a quilt you're working on...and it has several prints in the range that you need to compliment the look. Then of course, there's always lovely new fabric coming out which is fresh and exciting and I have to stop myself buying it all up and just storing it for when I 'get around to it'....

On the other hand, my shelves are groaning. They are so tightly stuffed that it can take me 30 minutes to expertly remove a 'layer' without disturbing the fabric surrounding it. I have run out of boxes (which are a nuisance to wheel out and un-stack and then re-stack) everytime I want to start something. And then of course, I'm bored of looking at the same fabric all the time, knowing that something should be done with it, rather than have it just sitting there. I could easily buy fabric almost constantly, infact, everytime I go out I could probably pick up a few more fat quarters or metres of something really special....but when am I going to get around to sorting out all this fabric? There is always going to be something new and interesting coming out, but I've decided to devote more time to my numerous pending ideas....and commit myself to creating new projects, patterns and ideas that use up existing fabric only.

This year, I'm going to be stash busting.

Baking!

A few years ago (after exhausting all the flavours and types at the local patisseries, cake shops and bakeries), we wanted to enjoy some new cakes, so my daughter's took up the challenge of beginning to bake all our cakes - for every occassion.

I think this was the best cake decision we've made, it's really enjoyable to watch my girls bake and realise again and again just how much work goes into a good cake. This was a first attempt at croquenbouche, and it tasted delicious. The only thing missing was the spun sugar nest - which just didnt come together (she lost patience with the candy thermometre and decided to glue the stack together with chocolate instead!).

It's so nice to finally be able to delegate some cooking!

Block placements, take 2

I know, I know, you're all eager to see the block placements. I'm STILL having trouble with my EQ6 so I've handed it over to someone who doesn't mind the software...and hopefully it will be up either before or with the next block....thank your for your patience and emails...it's coming....soon

Seasonal Sewing

What's Christmas without some last minute sewing?


We grew tired of our usual festive tablecloth, so I decided to quickly make one at the last minute. Actually, it wasn't a real UFO, it was just a hemming project. I had this wonderful apple print fabric that I bought a few years ago to be a quilt backing...but I really didn't want to see it languish at the back of a quilt, its so pretty and festive, it was definitely calling for some attention. I love the apples, and of course the red. I zipped up the red edging in just a few minutes. I love stumbling across great print fabric that just 'tells you' what it wants to be!


And then I found another packed away stash of fabric and I decided that it too was destined to be a tablecloth. We have a birthday just following Christmas in our family, so I like to have a change for the table.


This one took a little longer as I had to join it all up (it was cut in large squares and rectangles). I added some trim, and that's that! Who said Christmas was too busy a time for some home sewing?

Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas Everyone

Update

Some pics of the finished birthday quilt. I can't take the credit for this one, I only quilted it, but it always feels nice to make something as a group effort.

I havent packed away the unfinished pink/green UFO yet...which is promising, its on the wall, reminding me to get on with it...but, it is Christmas afterall, so I dont know WHEN that will happen.

about the 15th

Every month on the 15th (Australian time), the monthy free BOM will be removed and will no longer be available. After the 15th, you can buy any missed blocks through my Etsy shop.

Now, I know we all hate a deadline (the months just seem to fly by) but the 15th of the month is definitely the deadline for each monthly BOM. In fairness to those who purchase the block through my shop, there will be no emailed blocks or exceptions after this date. I want you to all enjoy this mystery BOM, so please remember that:

Red Delicious will always be free

if you download it before the 15th of each month

Info about Nightshade, block 2

In answer to today's most popular question:

The finished size of the Nightshade block is 16 inches x 9 inches. (Finished size means NO SEAM ALLOWANCE).

Cutting size: when cutting the background fabric for Nightshade, I have ADDED a seam allowance (making it 16.5 inches x 9.5 inches).

Please read the BOM INTRO before starting any blocks,

it just makes it so much easier

Block placements

I've been asked a lot via email in the last 6 hours, so just to let you all know, I will be providing the placement of each block in the scheme of the quilt as we progress every month.

At the moment I'm still wrestling with my EQ6 software which is driving me plain crazy with frustration! You see, I had the quilt outlay and blocks ready to insert each months block, and then I moved something....and couldnt get it back....and then it all went wrong...so I'm going to correct it shortly and put it up so that you can see where each new piece of the mystery belongs....When I sort out my software stand -off, I will post up the outlay promptly...until then, think of it as a 'double blind' mystery...

Nightshade is available

There seems to have been some delay with the Scribd.com site uploading the files at midnight, but its OK, Nightshade is definitely up now- I just checked.

Block 2, Nightshade

It's the 15th! Where has the month gone? It feels like a few days since I was designing Red Delicious and now we're already onto block 2.

Welcome: NIGHTSHADE, block 2!

When I first had the idea to start a free mystery BOM, I had no idea that it would grow into something so rewarding. Block 1, Love Birds has now had over 11'000 downloads - more than I ever expected. THANK YOU for joining in !

Lots of you out there love your reds and have the stash to prove it...I've been really impressed with the amount of fabric and reds some of you are fitting into a single block - its inspiring!...and I love all the pics you've sent in of your finished (and almost finished) blocks, keep it coming!

Red Delicious is now a worldwide BOM, with downloads, emails and block pics from every continent! So, dust off your next batch of reds and get stuck in, January 15th will be upon us before we know it....

3 DAYS TO GO

3 DAYS TO GO!

On the 15th of December, Red Delicious BLOCK 1 will no longer be available for free. After the 15th you can buy block 1 from my etsy shop for a minimal fee.

I know many of you are taking part in this mystery BOM and I dont want you to miss out, so please hurry!

Red Delicious will always be free

if you download it before the 15th of each month

Quilting...

What quilter doesn't love a deadline in December?!

I'm at my machine again tonight, finishing the birthday quilt.

After this one, it's officially Christmas season for me and I'm going to stick with designing, catching up with the quilting magazines that keep arriving on my door (time flys when youre quilting!) and of course, designing some more quilts. ( I have a few new ones brewing that I have to get down).

At some point, I'll have to take a moment to consider doing the Christmas shopping too..

Finished

Progress....and now its finally finished (and just in the nick of time)

I really enjoyed turning my white stash into hand dyes...there's something really rewarding about creating your own design and using your own hand dyes.

The colours still don't show up in my pics as true to life, each time I post they look completely different.

Sometimes I think that in order to be a quilter you need to be a professional photographer and computer technician as well. I still fiddle with my camera settings, and I STILL havent designed a quilt on my EQ6 software, even though I've had it for years. Sometimes I fiddle around and print out frames, but I always end up just drawing my designs by hand. This can be very frustrating, especially as all this new software is supposed to make life easier and quicker...I guess I'm just stuck in my ways.

Finally finished, but the week is not over yet. I have that Friendship Group Quilt to Quilt tomorrow!

Ok, a little sneak peek

It's nearly time....here is a sneak peek of BLOCK 2,

arriving on the 15th (Australian time)

Do you have your next batch of reds ready? Remember, You only need scraps - don't go out and buy any!

It's nearly been a month and I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. I knew a free BOM was a great idea....but I wasn't expecting so much positive support and feedback! Nearly 10'000 downloads and counting...

Thank you to everyone who has decided to take part in this mystery. I have received some GREAT email pics of finished blocks - I'm in awe at how fast they started arriving in my in-box. It's good to know that I'm not the only one with a red stash!

Can't wait to see the next batch arrive!

Detour

What's December without a detour? I've put Dream Fountain on hold for today as I have Quilter's Friendship Group Duty ( I won't say which one as that may give it away)...I'm in charge of quilting a quilt that the group has made for an "0" birthday.

When lots of people are involved in a project, things don't always fit at the last lap, so I'm unpicking this quilt's ditch stitching tonight as it's uneven - it has too much ease. I have to admit, I am a bit of a perfectionist and I can't start quilting unless the top is as close to perfect as possible...I always tell my friends, once you start unpicking- it never ends! You see more and more mistakes that you want to correct. What starts with a small 'fix' ends up with 6 hours invested. There's just no easy way out, good quilting needs a good foundation.

It's times like these that I wish I had a long arm machine, because with domestic machine quilting you just can't get away with fudging it - even a little bit...

UFO Progress

It's a week for getting things done. Here is a pic of my nearly abandoned brights UFO. I've nearly finished piecing, all thats left to do is the sashing and border...and some serious quilting of course!

When I found this quilt, I couldn't remember why I'd started this one in the first place. But now, I like the green coming through the pinks.

I'm sure I'm not the only quilter out there who has made or started something...and then 're-discovered' it and wondered, 'what was I thinking here?'

I really need a throw quilt. Many of my quilts are on the walls and some of them are really precious so I dont throw them about or let my cat climb or claw them.
This one will be a 'useful' quilt.

Progress

I've been busy today, working towards getting this wall quilt finished before monday ( I have to set deadlines on myself or I never finish). It's a whimsical quilt and I've decided to call it Dream Fountain.

This is step two, and I'm loving the brights, it's a nice change and it's really rewarding to work with hand dyed fabric. That's also why I enjoy stencilling so much - the artistic control, down to the last detail.

I'm builing this quilt from the 'background' up. I've placed the squiggles in their spot, but I've got a long way to go yet.
I'm having difficulty photographing it so the hues are correct - it looks a bit too stark in this image - but you get the idea.

New Designs

Now that I've satisfied my red craving with my monthly BOM, I've been struck with inspiration. It's not like I don't have a million other things to do....but when you feel you must....so for the last few days I've been hand dying a pallette of vivid hues

I've been inspired by a walk through the garden again....(nature can't get it wrong when it comes to matching colours)

Green is my other favourite colour (my quilts are like my wardrobe, I love wearing Reds, Oranges and Greens - not all at once). I'm still working hard at getting to love Blue a little better, I know it's classic, but often I don't get past navy. I just need to appreciate it in nature somewhere to apply it to a quilt design.

Christmas is nearly upon us, so before I definitely didn't have a spare day to dye, I got stuck in, and I'm now in respite from a few days of non stop procion shifts.

Above is a pic from some of my new pallette. The grey didnt show up well in the photo, but it's a greeny grey and it makes the greens and oranges look alive. I'm really inspired with this design at the moment and think I will have to finish it before Christmas. Or it might become another UFO and sit on the shelf for years before I discover it again!

Colour Palette

Here is my latest inspiration, a passionfruit flower; I love this colour combination. I'm drawing up a design called Dream Fountain and these are the colours that have moved me towards blues and yellows.

Another Red Moment

Oh Apple !

I was sent this photo by a fellow RED admirer. What a bough.

Esther's Occassional Quote for the Day

Red Moments

What a delightful suprise!

I took this photo walking across a damp field.

I found a ring of toadstools, just like a fairytale.

I dont need more reason to enjoy red, but when I stumble across it, I like to celebrate it. I'm always amazed at the vibrancy of colours in nature.

Inspirations

I would NEVER have merged these three swatches.....

before seeing them exist in nature first.

The question I most get asked is : where do you get your ideas / inspiration from?

For me, it all comes down to colour.

Well, mostly, I get my drive to do something creative in quilting after I've enjoyed something beautiful - and that happens most often after spending time appreciating nature.

My work never ends up looking like what I've enjoyed - well rarely ( I have created a few pictorial wall hanging quilts) but mostly, I get an idea, or a desire to explore a texture or merge some colours and I start sketching and those sketches turn into entirely new ideas and designs. It may take a while, sometimes months or years, but once I decide that thats what I want to do - then I just let it brew into an idea in it's own time.

Sometimes colour and texture inspire me. Sometimes I have no interest in particular colour schemes and then I see some tones recreated in a place where they look stunning and it makes me reconsider my thoughts about a particular colour.

When I created Nightshade, I had previously loathed purple quilts. I didnt have a single one! Then one evening I was out in the garden and everything took on a beautful deep lilac hue before sunset and I was instantly inspired.

These beach shots were taken at twilight and I was overwhelmed with how many ideas there were just waiting to be used. It makes me wonder how many breathtaking moments I miss everyday because I'm otherwise distracted . Inspiration is everywhere.

Seeing colours in their natural environment helps me make choices when I am riffling through shelf after shelf of prints. Recently with Peony Pride I decided to follow the 'colour rules' and obediently observed the 'correct' charts when I was colour mixing - the whole time I wanted to rebel and just do it my own way like every other time, but I stuck to it and Peony Pride's colour scheme is 'correct' and I almost hate to say it - the most successful harmony of colour in any of my quilts.

I always prefer to feel a certain way about colour and let it evolve and choose its own scheme....but sometimes it doesnt translate well. So now I settle on taking my inpsiration from nature and matching it correctly on the colour chart afterwards. I cant find inspiration if I just 'select' harmonising colours - I like to have experienced it somewhere, in its natural state first.

Peony and Cake - Birthday Perfection

Peonies are my favourite flower. I've been having a peony year - with my quilt Peony Pride, my endless sketchings of peonies and peonie sampler quilting and now, for my birthday, a breathtaking peony bouquet.


Peonies are perfection in a flower. And the perfume - it's just glorious. It's mild and fleeting, then collects intensity - I've been breathing the scent non stop for days and I can't get enough of it. It just reminds me of how difficult it is to bottle beautiful and natural scents.


Unfortunately, peonies only last a few fleeting days. When they crumpled, I couldnt part with them and the petals were still heavily scented, so I collected them in paper and they are still scenting everything beautifully. I definitely have to look into planting a poeny garden, even for a few days of flowering, I cant think of a nicer thing to enjoy in a garden.

This cake was almost too beautiful to cut, I love the chocolate leaves. The cake is a delicious walnut / chocolate layer cake.

This is the experiemental lemon layer cake. I think they girls enjoyed decorating it more than the cake itself.

The year has gone by so quickly, before I know it, it will be Christmas!

FREE FREE FREE...

Red Delicious is launched!

Many thanks to Brenda - without you, I would'nt have known what to do! You have saved my blog yet again (Brenda is also the reason many of you can view my images these days as she kindly let me in on the secret of "re-sizing" images). Well, what can I say? I put my energy and desire to learn new things into creative things and not technology (although I should!)...as there is no real reason not to know these days...ahem....anyway, thank you so much for the advice. I feel like I learn something new everytime I get on the computer!
Brenda's site is linked on the side of this blog under 'Serendipity Patchwork and Quilting'.

Red Delicious is easy to access. Simply double click the BOM motif on the side of the blog and it will redirect you to the PDF file.

Enjoy!

UFO Update

My girls still arent showing any interest in seeing this quilt finished....and I dont need any encouragement to abandon it again!

I still dont know what I was thinking when I cut it up and packed it away - except that I was enjoying a period of brights. The problem is that as soon as I start a project I'm thinking of another one.....It did look like this UFO (still unnamed I'm afraid) would stay on the wall a few more weeks yet....but we had an unexpected cold snap during the last few nights and were all bemoaning the lack of quilts available to cosy up with...and as it's expected to be hot again mid week I'm furiously working to finish it before I change my mind. Again.

101, advice sought

I promised that I would launch Red Delicious on my 100th posting....and the good news is, it's ready to go!

The bad news is that I am looking for a suitable way of hosting the PDF file up on this blog so that it can be accessed easily by any one who's interested. So far, all the file sharing programs I've seen are unsuitable and advert clogged.

Bare with me, I am seriously technically challenged and have been trying to work this out most of today.

I will launch Red Delicious ASAP. If you have any file hosting advice, please feel free to share.

Well, what a suprise

Well, what a suprise!

I can still remember the first afternoon I spent exploring other artists, gardners and baker's blogs, thinking what a great technology - for everyone to share what they're doing with anyone who's interested.

It's hard to believe that this is my 100th post! Especially since I often think, well I don't have anything to say....or more often, I'm just too busy getting on with things to get around to posting. I've been rounding up loose ends these last 3 weeks, and havent had much time to post.

To celebrate 100 postings, I will be launching my mystery BOM, Red Delicious shortly. I know we all have serious fabric stashes that we intend to get into, and this BOM is a perfect way to make more shelf space.

Thank you for emailing me your comments and stopping by this blog, I'm always suprised with the range and interests of those who stop by, its always great to hear from you all.