Marg Low Designs

my trip to Attic Crafts

A big thank you to Teena and Donna, at Attic Crafts Bendigo, for a fabulous morning tea last Wednesday. I know I had a great time meeting lots of like minded girls.

I found time to catch up with Barb  and a visit to her favourite shop Mon Couer. I was good though and resisted the temptation to purchase everthing I oohed and aahed over.

I could not resist this yummy ticking (not half a metre, which is all I needed, but a metre). There are many gorgeous fabrics to chose from at Attic Crafts, you can see just a few in the above pictures. I didn't know which wall or bundle of fabric to start with. If you're in the Bendigo area make sure you include the shop on your list of places to visit. 

And it's already been cut into it. How good is that - it didn't make it to the stash. The stash of  fabrics I had to have becuase I needed them for a project that would absolutely, positively be started the next day ...... I guess it comes as no suprise that for some fabrics that day is still just around the corner, but not for this one.

Biggest Morning Tea

I'm almost packed for the trip to Attic Crafts for their Biggest Morning Tea - a fund raiser for The Cancer Council of Victoria. It's on this Wednesday 27 May 10 am -12 noon.

I've gone through my samples trying to guess which ones will be of most interest. I'd like to pack them all but it's just not possible. If your in Bendigo please drop by for a cuppa and to say hello.

Pictures of my packing are hardly inspiring so I thought you might prefer to see some of the things I've been working on.  This is Barb's 'everyday angel'. How gorgeous is she? So simple and quick to make.

I love all Barb's buttons and think I may have inadvertently set myself a goal to use all of them. Pretty in green and pink.

Just as lovely in the red.

Yes, they are from the Greeting Cards pattern, but with a couple of changes, transformed into  needlecases.

And a peek at the inside.

Love the spot. It's a piece I haven't been able to bring myself to cut into, but I'm glad I did.

Santas don't have to wear red

Of all Barb's new buttons I think this one is my favourite. Well it is at the moment, I'm sure I'll soon be tempted with another of her gorgeous designs soon. I thought you might like a peek as this is just one of the projects on offer at the Christmas Workshops.

  These tags have been made for ages. I do that sometimes, make  part of a project, get sidetracked (very easily), and then after a time come back and finish it off.  Last week I finally got around to doing just that. You'll have to wait until the workshops to find out what I've done with them.

You'd think now the samples are finished I would be writing the instructions, but no, I'm curious to see how the tags look needlepunched, then I might just try a little applique..... Oh no, they're as addictive as Barb's buttons.

saturday christmas club

Lots of laughs this morning and as you can see some stitching too. Sue, Lynne, Heather, Kaye and Madeline had these made in record time and started on another.

Classes are always a lovely source of information and ideas. Kaye demonstrated cord making using the bobbin on her sewing machine and Sue explained how to make multi coloured cords.

The birthday card Sue made at the last class. It is so pretty; love the blues Sue has used. And her Plum Pudding pincushion. Sue admits to being a Plum Pudding girl. Why is it there can be one thing we enjoy making above all else. For reasons we cannot explain it strikes a cord, a yearning to make them.

For me it's doll quilts, what's yours?

pandora quilting

We all like to feel special, and how special is this. I've just had a a quilt quilted by Rose of Pandora Quilting. Returned in this lovely packaging which in turn is perfect for reusing, if the quilt is a gift.

It looks to good to open.  Yes the ribbon and quilt are even colour coordinated. An example of the care Rose goes to.

20 x 20 challenge

This year Murray River Quilters celebates 20 years. The members were challenged to make a 20 x 20 quilt; 20 fabrics and 20 inches square. This is my effort. I wish I could have kept going. I would love this for the centre of something much larger. Perhaps one day I will. There's more than enough fabric left over to make a good start. Picture the Fat 1/8's with only a corner cut out and all the whole ones not used. Much prefer to have too many fabrics to choose from rather than not enough. So if your'e wondering how my fabric stash is going it's growing very nicely, thank you.

The guest speaker at the gathering on Saturday was Helen Godden. If you ever have the opporturnity to listen to her speak or view her quilts make sure you do. A very entertaining speaker and her quilts need to be seen to be believed.

a winner and 21st update...

Finally, I can start to relax. I now feel like the quilt will be finished, labelled and wrapped before the  big day. Hope I just haven't jinxed myself!  I picked the quilt up today and sewed the binding on straight away, now I just have to sew it down. I can only work on it when Bec's not home so it has taken a bit of juggling. I'm sure it's still a secret and would love to keep it that way.  I did go with the original border fabric and I'm glad I did. It's taken on a different appearance now it's cut and joined. Funny (interesting) how this happens. Guess that's one of the reasons why I love playing with fabrics so much - it never ceases to surprise or please.

Casey is the lucky winner of the Greeting Card giveaway. Thank you to everyone who entered. It's inspiring to read all your lovely comments. The pattern is on sale, simply contact me or ask for it at your local patchwork shop.

Christmas club

Hard to believe but the second Christmas club class was held last night. One moment it was ages away and then the next it's here (a bit like Christmas and birthdays). The second project is  Christmas Charm. These decorations were made by Pam, Cheryl, Corrie, Ann and Robyn. Aren't they gorgeous?  I'm always thrilled when the girls go home with the project finished. Finishing, makes me want to make more!

 Pam obviously feels the same about finishing. Look at how many eggs she's made and how perfect is the basket? So beautiful I would have to leave them out all year.

You don't often get to see what the girls have made at home; it's lovely when they bring in show and tell.

nice things in the post.......

How nice to find this parcel at the front door. Seeing the lovely doll quilt Lyn made a few weeks ago, reminded me of the goal I'd set myself last year to make one a month (secretly I was hoping it would be two, my enthusiasm was running so high). So I decided a new book might be what was needed. It's a beautiful book and I've already marked two, three, no four as must do! I couldn't resist the Ladies Art Co. block tool. I first saw reference to them in the book Childhood Treasures by Merikay Waldvogel, and not soon after at the antique quilt study group, Yelena  had an original block - templates still in the envelope. So after handling one of the originals I just had to have the modern version. Just think how many samplers I can make now - yes I am getting a little carried away.... It's nice to dream.

How gorgeous are these new designs from Barb! Truly I don't know which one to sew with first. I think the santa is pretty special, but then the angel is oh so cute and the house is, well yummy. Decisions, decisions......

Yes, the post has been very nice to me.

the 21st quilt

This is what I was working on this morning. I finished piecing the stars and added the sashings. Now I am running just a tad behind schedule with this quilt. It has to be finished by the end of this month.

Given Bec reminds me every so often I still haven't finished the cushion I started making her over 10 years ago there is no way I can get away with not having this quilt totally finished.

But there's a bit of a problem. I'm not 100% sure about the border fabric now. Remember the quilt has been based around this fabric ever since Bec spotted it in the stash and said 'I like that'.

So I'm going to sleep on it and hopefully when I pull it out of the cupboard in the morning it will be fine. It has to be; I'm running out of time!