12th October 2021

Finally we are moving into a more positive stage of covid19 restrictions. Vaccinations have become our passport to a more unrestricted way of life for the first time in 18 months. Sydney came out of a very long lockdown last Monday. The future is looking brighter. Unfortunately, to enjoy these new freedoms all members have to be fully vaccinated, in order to attend our normal weekly meetings or to be able to access some businesses and events. This said, this does not stop us from communicating and continuing our normal activities, just less a few of us who have been waiting for our 2nd jab of vaccine. More time to get our projects up to date and learn new things via the Internet.

We apologise that we did not update the blog last week the 5th October, so much to do so little time to do it.

This week we have some show and tell we hope you will enjoy. But, remember we need your submissions to keep this blog up to date. Thanks to Lorraine Kelly and Elizabeth Buzzell for the following submissions.

SHOW AND TELL

Lorraine Kelly

Fabulous crochet runner.

Lorraine has been working on this Crochet runner since covid began in March 2020. Very fine work and a beautifully soft pink colour. Lorrane is a very patient person and always produces amazing work. Thanks for sharing Lorraine.

Wilga Bolton

A Model scarf.

Even though Wilga’s sight is challenging her weekly she has managed to knit this wonderful scarf. You can’t keep a good woman/knitter down.

Dianne Lyons

Green with envy

Dianne has finally completed this wonderful quilt. Good job Dianne, as always.

Claudette Hough

Flying geese

Claudette is working on completing a Wilga quilt. One day soon we will see the completed quilt so watch this space.

General

Funny is good.

Alison appears to be sharing a joke with Dianne and Beth. Would love to have been a fly on the table for this one. Laughing is always a good thing to be doing.

Our Puzzle Section

Are you aware that there is such a thing as Quilting Mysteries?

Have you read any books or know of any of these Books.?

Please let me know what you know, this seems like a fascinating subject to explore. I had no idea what result I would get when I typed ‘Quilting Mysteries’ into the search line on the Internet.

I look forward to your insights.

Happy Crafting…………………….Sue

28th September 2021

Spring has been spotted all around the Clarence Valley. Gives us all inspiration for our next projects.

Here we are at the end of another month. This year has flown by so quickly.

This week we had Robyn from Robyn’s Threads visit. She bought along all her beautiful wares. All members had the opportunity to purchase threads , fabric, needles and some stunning embroidery all in the comfort of our hall. It was a lovely morning.

Much to choose from.

Decisions , decisions, decisions.

Inspiration

Due Robyn’s visit we didn’t have show and tell today, so our photo ops. were limited.

But as usual ur Members kept busy in between spending their money.

Heads down and creating.

A catch up with Wilga by Claudette.

A cute Mug Bag

Marcie Hunters Mug bag caught my eye. Cute fabric and slightly different design.

Val Wrights design for her Friendship quilt.

Val Wright was handing out blocks for her Friendship quilt. Based on Australian Wild Flowers.

She still has a couple left if you are interested in joining in.

Sue’s Cushion

I finished a Cushion cover over the weekend. Made from a leftover block from a quilt I finished last year. Trying to use up any fabric or left overs before I start my next big project,

Colourful.

COMING EVENTS.

Next Tuesday is workshop day. Cathedral Windows with Claudette and Alison.

If you wish to join in this workshop, just bring along a creamy fabric for your main fabric and a contrast fabric for the cathedral window in the middle. A fat quarter for your creamy fabric and a smaller piece for the contrast, Good luck and enjoy the workshop.

Happy Crafting……………………….Sue

21st September 2021

General Business.

1. Finally, we appeared to be getting back to some kind of normalcy, only to be affected by our neigbouring town of Lismore. We were missing a few members due to the lockdown of Lismore once again. Some members had taken advantage of the lifting of our lockdown and traveled to Lismore last week only to be caught up in the reason for Lismore to go into lockdown again. For our safety, these members isolated themselves and had themselves tested. A very responsible and thoughtful attitude. We hope you are all safe and well.

2. A General meeting was held today. Our last General Meeting was 20th July,2021.

Minutes will be available once Robyne, our Secretary, is back on deck.

The next General Meeting will be held Tuesday 16th November, 2021.

Our Christmas celebrations were discussed and a date chosen. Mark your Diaries for 7th December 2021. All details will appear in our Newsletter.

Show and Tell.

We had quite a few stunning items in our show and tell this morning. All very inspiring.

Dianne Lyons

The most unusual, was from Dianne Lyons who had picked up her project from the Missouri Star Quilt Company on YouTube. Zippered Candy Bag. Made from Candy bags. Quilted. Most unusual.

from rubbish to cute.

Silk purse from sows ear. Or should I say Plastic.

YouTube is the place to go to find different and unusual projects.

Helen Granleese.

As usual we expect the most inspiring and different projects from Helen.

Her grandson Albie’s Quilt had everyone talking and admiring.

Called Albie’s story it details in the quilt the story of Albie’s life. From farm life to outings etc.

Helen’s use of felt and fabric is truly amazing. I am sure many of us are inspired.

Kaffe Fasset fabrics and felt combined.

Albie’s Quilt

Even the back is gorgeous.

The detail is stunning.

Is this your next Project..?

Elizabeth Buzzell.

Elizabeth’s show and tell was a lovely Christmas stocking made by Colleen for Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Airlie. All embroidered on Colleens machine. Lucky Airlie.

Love the detail.

Marlene Sheehan

Marlene bought along some of her Candlewicking items for show and tell.

Hard to believe some of those stitches are french knots.

Marlene also bought along some patterns for our Library. Lots of Candlewicking patterns for our members to borrow and make.

You too can aspire to be a Candlewicker.

Plenty to choose from.

Sue Carl

This week I made a baby quilt for my neighbours new grandchild. This is their first grandchild and of course a baby quilt is a must. It was a Boy.

Called Sleepy Sheep.

As our new normal means we live from day to day. We can not plan too far into the future because, lockdown and restrictions, are ruling our lives for the moment. BUT as Patchworkers we are well used to adapting and changing at a moments notice.

What we can do, is keep busy, sew, knit, crochet and garden. Anything that keeps your life on an even keel. If you need help with anything, we are only a phone call away. If you can’t get to the shops for some haberdashery item, or anything for that matter, there is always someone available to help.

Check with one of our members, you may be surprised at what we have stashed away.

Coming Events.

Robyn Jones of Robyn’s Nest has been rescheduled to join us next week, 28th September, 2021. Come along and bring some money for those threads, embroideries, etc. Should be a great day.

Happy Crafting………… Sue

14th September 2021

MPQ returns to it’s home.

Finally after nearly a month we were able to meet as a group again. We had a good turn out of members. All excited to get back together. Our President , Claudette Hough welcomed everyone back with a speech and a revision of covid rules and some events in the future.

SHOW AND TELL

Quite naturally there were a few of us who had completed projects during lockdown and wanted to share our joy with the group.

Sue Carl

I had been working on my ‘Wind Chime’ quilt for 3 years, and finally it was finished. It was 50% hand sewn, and 50% machine sewn. Not being a hand sewer, my tolerance to the hand sewing lasted 18 months and then I resorted to machine sewing. I finished the top early in 2021 and it took me the past 6 months to sandwich it and quilt it. Not bad for 3 years work.

Wind Chime.

Ursula Rubli

Ursula has been busy. She has completed a beautiful quilt and a bag. Both are stunning, it is what Ursula does, stunning patchwork.

Just gorgeous.

Ursula’s use of colour and design is perfect.

Marie Young

Marie bought in the Friendship quilt she has finally finished. Just Lovely Marie.

Lots of love in this quilt.

Marcia Hunter

Marcia brought in a pair of quilts she helped finish for a friend who hand stitched over some years, on night shift as a nurse. It is marvelous what can be done if you have patience and a good friend.

Lovely colours.

Events to note for September.

21st September MPQ General Meeting

21st September Marlene Sheehan to Show and Tell some candlewicking items in lieu of the workshop we were unable to have due to lockdown.

28th September – Birthday celebrations for our Birthday Girls.

Newsletter is now available on the Blog or on paper.

Happy Crafting…………………………..Sue

11th September 2021

GOOD NEWS – Lockdown has been lifted.

We are very pleased that we can resume our meetings again after this 2021 Covid Lock Down.

Even though we can meet again at the Uniting Church Peace Hall, we still need to adhere to the Covid 19 requirements. This means we still need to wear our masks, practice social distancing, ie one person per 4 square metres and take our own mugs for morning tea as we were before this current lockdown.

Unfortunately, the LCACA Exhibition has once again been postponed due to Covid 19. It will be held sometime in the new year on a date to be decided.

Also the Patchwork and Quilters Artist of the Month, which was to be September, has also been postponed until next year.

So the good news is that we have plenty of time to create and quilt for these events for next year which will enable us to have an awesome showing for these future events.

For those who had planned on going to the Craft and Quilt Show at Southbank in October on the bus, we are sorry to inform you that the bus has been cancelled due to uncertainty with the NSW/QLD border being open. Again, we will have to plan for next year. The positive is that we have more time to save up some spending money for when we can finally get there.

We are looking forward to having our meetings regularly for the remainder of the year.

Happy Quilting

Claudette Hough

9th September 2021

The good news is::::::: Lockdown is scheduled to be lifted at midnight on Friday 10th September. All reports say that Regional New South Wales, mainly Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers, will be released from lockdown. I am never a pessimist but a realist. We should wait until midnight Friday to confirm this statement. We will post a statement from our President, Claudette Hough, on Saturday, with details of how we will proceed for next week.

We have received some lovely photos from Marie Young showing us what she has been up to during her lockdown period.

Marie Young

Beautifully embroidered Friendship quilt

Marie has been working on this quilt for her friend Ros’ for some months. It is finally completed and ready to pass to her friend. Lovingly embroidered by Marie.

The all important label.

Marie has been harvesting flowers from her garden. What a beautiful array of blooms.

Stunning

And not to be outdone by Lorraine, Marie submitted her version of sunset last Sunday.

Very beautiful.

What was I doing whilst the sunset was out there looking so beautiful. I was dutifully quilting my ‘Wind Chime ” quilt. After three years in the making the end is very close, no time for sunsets. (maybe next week,)

Only 2 more days of lockdown. Make the most of it Ladies.

Happy Crafting……………………Sue

7th September 2021

Looking forward to lockdown being lifted on Friday 10th. Can’t wait to get back to Group and catch up with everyone and see what they have been doing during the past month.

Spring is finally here and the weather is beginning to warm up, and our gardens are flourishing along with it.

But some of our Ladies have been keeping busy in their gardens as well as at their sewing machines, or hand work.

Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine has been busy with her camera and taken some lovely photos of her garden and last Sunday’s sunset after the rain. There is inspiration in the flowers and the sunset.

Over the roof tops. A landscape quilt?

Orchids are blooming this spring.

Lorraine sent along this picture of the orchids in her garden to let us know Debra’s are not the only ones blooming. Again I can be inspired to do an embroidery of orchids. What do you think?

Beautiful.

Love these colours.

Robyne Plater

Robyne has been busy sewing something quite different from the normal. An outfit for her great granddaughter Isabella. Very cute.

All Robyne wants now is a photo of Isabella wearing it.

Sue Carl

I am still quilting my ‘Wind Chime’ Quilt. But can only do it in the daylight hours when I am not out in my garden. In the pre-dawn i sew my embroidery, which is now finished. It has been embroidered onto a lace handkerchief I was given 20 odd years ago. It was too pretty to use as a handkerchief. I hope I haven’t ruined it with my novice embroidery.

Scottish thistle.

I am so looking forward to the end of this current lockdown, and feel quite ready to start something new.

We have received our 3 new books by Angela Waters, on free motion quilting, and they will be available in our library as soon as we can return to our weekly Group.

Happy crafting…………………………..Sue

31st August 2021

Well here we are at the end of another month in lockdown. This one is scheduled to be lifted 10th September, as you know they keeping giving us these dates and yet we are still locked down.

Not to be mentally locked down, MPQ members having been keeping busy with all types of projects. Getting those UFO’s out of the way, Knitting, embroidering, quilting, Spring cleaning and of course our other passion, gardening. Spring will be here tomorrow, not that it hasn’t shown us what it is capable of over the past two weeks. Everything is growing or sprouting, even our imaginations. Can’t wait to see what everybody has been up to, a few of our members have sent along some photo’s to share with us all.

Gail Hancox

Gail has been very busy over the past 6 months. She has completed two tapestries.

She must have been tired of all those hexagons, she is well on the way to putting them all together. Good job Gail, can’t wait to see the finished quilt.

Gail’s tapestries will be framed. The big tiger has already been sold. The lockdown has prevented it’s new owner from claiming her purchase until after restrictions are lifted. It will be worth the wait.

a real pussy cat.

Another stunning Gail Hancox Tapestry.

Of course Gail is still working on a Tapestry and she hopes to be finished before lockdown is over.

Will be lovely when completed.

The way they keeping moving those goal post Gail, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Thank you for sharing.

Debra Patch

Even though Debra has been keeping busy with many projects, she took some time out in her garden. She sent this photo of an early orchid to brighten our day. It brightened mine, Thanks Debra.

Vivid colours. Very spring like.

Marie Young

Marie has been knitting cotton dishcloths out of leftover crochet cotton. A diversion from that lovely quilt she embroidered for a friend. (pictures to come.)

A lovely way to keep yourself busy Marie. They look too good to use.

Beautiful colours.

Sue Carl

Even I have been keeping out of trouble. I have made my first mini quilt. Used fabric that came with 3 copies of Patchwork and Quilting Magazine many years ago. It was suppose to make a table runner. OH well, necessity is the mother of invention. I think it looks better as this mini quilt.

what will be next?

Colouful array of items.

I finished all my pouches. 8 fat quarters and I managed to make 12 small pouches, 10 medium pouches, 2 coasters and 3 tissue covers. Hardly any wastage. Managed to buy the fat quarters for $2 each. One day we may be able to sell them for our charities.

I am currently quilting my handsewn (mostly) ‘Wind Chime’ quilt. It will be slow going but hope to have it finished by the end of lockdown.

Do YOU have anything to share with the Group? Just send your photo’s along for inclusion in the blog. Or maybe you have a funny story about your time in lockdown.

General

As you may know LCACA have had to cancel the October exhibition at Maclean Showground, until 2022. This is very disappointing for all the exhibitors and the committee who had put so much work into preparing for this exhibition. It is only a delay so let’s hope their efforts can be resurrected in 2022.

Keep busy and safe,

Happy crafting……………………...Sue

24th August 2021

Non Meeting Tuesday

Here we are on our second week of lockdown. Which means we have not been able to get together for two weeks. Has this stopped us, not on your life.

A few of our members have been sharing their photos and comments on what they are doing to keep busy during this time away from each other.

Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine has been busy spring cleaning (i thought about it, but that was as far as I got) and enjoying her garden as well as sewing outfits for her great granddaughter.

What a cute outfit. Best dressed child.

Lorraine tells us she has never grown Hollyhocks before. She obviously knows what she is doing, because they look gorgeous.

Stunning

Beautiful.

Penne Carr

Penne has been busy hand sewing this applique’. She decided to turn it into a pillow.

Colourful, stunning and innovative.

Well done Penne. You always come up with unique items. Gives us all inspiration.

Narelle Green.

We all know that Narelle is always on the go doing a variety of things.

She has been busy with Liz Imrie’s 80th Birthday cake his week. She has produced a cake that could be mistaken for a quilt. Sooo beautiful, we are sure Liz will love it.

Stunning 80th Cake for Liz Imrie.

Narelle sent along photo to show that she doesn’t do all the sewing alone. She has an assistant that she has been keeping secret. Or is Narelle the assistant? The face says to me that the Cat is in charge.

What;s next on the agenda, meow.

Sue Carl

Well I have been busy this week as well. I have put together my first ever mini quilt. Just have to quilt it. Photo’s on completion.

I have been making many pouches to add to the stock, 10 medium and 14 small. Let’s hope we get to sell them all off soon. 1 tissue cover. I have even started another embroidery of a thistle. Don’t know how it will turn out, but found 2 linen lace handkerchiefs that were wallowing away in my cupboards still in the original packets. Time to move things on.

This is invitation to you all to share your lockdown stories with us all.

Happy crafting……………….Sue

18th August 2021

Well here we are in a snap lockdown. Yeah! More time to sew without distractions. We hope you are all safe and well and getting those outstanding projects closer to completion. Don’t forget to take photos and send them along for the Blog.

Lorraine Kelly has been busy making some lovely little dresses for her great granddaughter.

So cute

Doubly cute.

I myself have been busy finishing projects my daughter gives me because she thinks I am sitting around with nothing to do. As you know most Patchworkers are never sitting around with nothing to do, there is always something on the go.

Natalie’s pillow finished.

I finished the embroidery, and my daughter wanted it made into a pillow. So here it is. Thanks to Marcia Rutledge for her advice on the colouring and set out. Helped by Alison Merrin’s idea’s on layout and finally Fay Farnham who suggested the piping touch. I couldn’t have done it without the expertise of these accomplished Ladies. We are so lucky to have so many talented people in our Group.

MY daughter added that she needed more coasters, so another half hour and we had those done. Now I can get on with my projects.

Six coasters.

The next project was to produce more Pouches for our sale table at some point. These pouches have been popular since I started making them. Let’s hope they are popular enough to actually sell and make a little money for our chosen charities.

Lots of colour. Buttons needed.

This lockdown is slated to finish at midnight on 21st August, 2021 . If all goes to plan we should be able to reconvene on Tuesday 24th August, 2021.

Keep sewing, keep creating, keep busy, we will get through it all.

Happy creating……………………….Sue