First Bush Fire Quilt that I have finished...

OK, the temptation got too much for me. I HAD to get my needle into one of the quilt tops that was calling my name so sweetly.

So here is the first quilt I did. It is not #1...it is #43. These are some blocks I just really really LOVED. As I opened each package that came to my house I sorted blocks and every once in a while there was a star that just SCREAMED at me to put it aside and save it for a bunch of other wild and crazy stars...so I did. Here are 30 of those stars all twinkling together. Yes...I know 30 is more than 25, but I just really wanted all these in one quilt. It is a bit bigger than the other quilts will be, but I love it so...Don't you?

Here is how I quilted it....swirls and twirls, my favorite meandering style.

And I ended up having to stitch the binding on by hand because I machine stitched it to the front instead of the back....it was my intention to make a pretty stitch on the front binding, but alas fate had another plan for me. One of the only times I get to linger in my reading chair is when I am binding a quilt. I can watch the kids in the playground from the window...but it is not hot and dusty like it would be if I was outside.

Erica came over Sunday and we sorted out another 400 quilt blocks into their sets of quilt tops. There are some more really glorious ones to come...oh heck they are all going to be awesome. I did take pictures while we were laying them out so I guess I should go upload them...in time.

I finished several bags...so the list over there is getting so wonderfully short! You know what I can't wait for? When we are all settled in Kansas and I take a couple orders....the turnaround is going to be like a week. How wild is that? I can't wait! I refuse to be backed up like I got with these last bag orders. It is not fair to you having to wait so long.

Oh and I decided something else. I will no longer sew for anyone or their spouse who works for my husband. It is a conflict of interest, and that is that.

on that note I have a big pancake to take out of the oven so the kiddos can eat before school!

Here is really the last thing...Have you seen Purl Bee's Sunny Tied Quilt? I love it so much. I have been wanting to do a tied quilt for a while and I love how they explain how to do it. I may have time to make a quilt or two for myself before we leave Australia!!!!!

xo

Tia

Some more of the List...

This lovely quilt was made by Lori in South Dakota. I love the blues in it, Lori. Beautiful work! I am sure it will be cherished.

Sew....here is some more of my list of blocks and quilts and quilt tops received thus far. These began arriving on the 16th of March. I love them all and I need to do another sorting.

1. Margaret Cunningham - Columbas, OH - 5 blocks


2. Lyn Leary - Commerce, GA - 2 blocks


3. Norma Hector - Decatur, IL - 2 blocks


4. Victoria Shockey - Reston, VA - 24 quilt blocks, 8 very large pieces of lovely blue fabric


5. Lori Haase - Parkston, SD - 1 complete Quilt, 8 quilt blocks, 6 fat quarters (wow...thanks so much!)


6. Fanny Cousin - Lyon, France - 6 blocks and 6.5 Meters of strippy boarders (lovely)


7. Ann Campbell - North Rocks, NSW (AUS) - 12 blocks


8. Kelsy & CAthy Richards - Laguna Niguel, CA - 26 blocks and thread


9. Lisa Demio - Hampstead, NH - 6 blocks


10. Lynn Wakeham - Urraween, AUS - 3 blocks


11. Angela Holden - Southland, NZ - (I forgot to write it down...I will fix it when I look back through the stack, Sorry)


12. MAria, Amanda and Jane - UK - 10 Blocks


13. Nancy Tyrell - San Diego, CA - 12 blocks


14. Sudi-Laura Overstreet - Mount Herman, NH - 6 blocks


15. Cynthia Infanger - Florence, AL - 4 blocks


16. Chris MacKenzie and Sandy Medhurst - England - 11 blocks


17. Ann Tegen - Rhinelander, WI - 4 blocks, thread and pins


18. First Christian Church quilters - Huntsville, AL - 4 blocks


19. Leah Day - Overseal, UK - 6 blocks


20. Marianne Gadeberg - Drogenbos, Belgium - 1 quilt top


21. NAtalie Canadas - Washington, DC - 2 blocks


22. Tess Howe - Penrith, England - 9 blocks


23. Lesley Price - UK - 9 blocks


24. Miri - Migdal, Isreal - 4 blocks and a lovely hot pad (thank you so much!)


25. Brenda Suderman - Winnipeg, Canada - 6 blocks


26. Regi Smart - MAine, USA - 1 block


27. KAthy T. - Tampa, FL - 4 blocks


28. Aino Bonnevier-Ekman - Denmark - 4 blocks


29. Wendy Pacher - Kurwangbah, QLD (AUS) - 6 blocks


30. Ros Burton - London England - 5 blocks


31. Val Curwen - Fowlmere, UK - 6 blocks


32. Lily - Narabundah (AUS) - 5 blocks and lovely thread


33. Lisa Harsima - Rapin City, SD - 2 blocks


34. Mary Geryets - Chico, CA - 4 blocks


35. Stephanie Blaney, Barb Lowe, Chris Appenzeller, Vanessa Gordon, and Julie Duensing - Brentwood, TN - 70 blocks (great job ladies!)


36. Laura Bazell - Placentia, CA - 1 quilt top, backing fabric and binding (thank you so much!)


37. Aimee Mobley - Moscow, ID - 2 blocks and $10 (thanks so much!)


38. Wendy Womack - Round Rock, TX - 2 blocks


39. Solidia Hubbard - Elkhart, IN - 1 quilt top (so very very pretty!)


40. Emma How - Hawthorndene, SA - 1 wonderful finished quilt (wow...you have really worked hard in this quilt drive! Awesome, thank you so much!)


41. Chris Harvey - Auckland, NZ - 6 blocks


42. the Nathan HOmestead Quilters Group - Auckland, NZ - 12 blocks

Wow...that is a bunch of blocks and quilt tops! I am pretty sure we have close to 1500 quilt blocks at this moment. I will have to add it all up. Can you believe this? It is stunning the amount of LOVE you are all sending along with your work. Thank you all so very much for participating in this project. The date we were going to have the quiltathon is back up in the air as the room wasn't available on the 18th and the other option (the 4th) I was not going to be available. SOOOOO I will let you know when it is going to be as soon as I know. Again, forgive me if I have copied your name incorrectly, my handwriting is not awesome when I write quickly so that makes it difficult to read. Just drop me a line if I have something copied incorrectly and I will do my best to fix it!

Cheers!

Tia

Some reasons I love Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Studio

The mail was late getting delivered yesterday so I didn't pick mine up until this morning...but what a thrill it was!

Last year I would buy fabric at least every week or every other week...I bought heaps. Now I do have a little sewing business, so it was all purchased for a purpose, but still I bought stacks of fabric. This year I really have not bought much at all. 99.9% of my fabric shopping is conducted Online. Due to where we live there is just not much selection, so I shop elsewhere. So I love it when I find a great little Online shop to get my fabric fix from.


Many of you know Kathy Mack from her Blog Pink Chalk Studio Blog. She has a shop too. She made some blocks for the Bush Fire Quilt Project and sent me 6 boxes of wonderful safety pins so we can pin baste all these quilts that are coming together. I dig Kathy. I have bought fabric from her a couple other times, but I want to share my purchases with you this time.

This is the stack of Denyse Schmidt fabric I bought...it was even ON SALE!!!!! WooPeeeeee!!!!

I keep reading all over blogville about how awesome Wonderland is by Momo....well I went ahead and ordered some of that too. It is SEW fantastic! And So very much better in real life. I just can't imagine how awesome this collection must be in a shop all rolled up on the bolt. Gosh I miss visiting fabric shops and wondering around in a daze dreaming of all I could make and what looks great with what....soon I will be back in the real world and one of my first stops is going to be a fabric shop with my mom! Get ready mom...I know you want to look at clothes...but I so very much prefer looking at fabric.

Here is the big Wonderland print all stretched out. Isn't it terrific? I see bags when I look at it, What do you see?

Here is my stack of Pink Chalk Fabric lovelies! Oh and have I mentioned how fast they came? That Kathy is one quick shipper!

Here are all the Denyse Schmidt quilting cottons (I have a bunch of the decor weight from Country Fair as well) that I could find in my sewing room...they look pretty happy together, don't they? I am pretty sure I have more somewhere else...but I just don't know where I stuck them.

I am having to rummage through my fabric collection and try to decide which fabric I am going to pack up and take to Kansas with me and what I will try to find new homes for here. I have so very much fabric....Heaps and heaps of it. At this point I think there is only one more line I am going to buy before we move and that is Far Far Away by Heather Ross....I a quite excited about it. You may ask yourself "Why should you get rid of any of your fabric??" well...we are moving from a 4 bedroom house where I am using one of the bedrooms as my sewing studio to what will more than likely be a 3 bedroom dwelling. It will more than likely be smaller with less closet space.

I have so much to blog about....but so little time! The Quiltathon has been moved again since the weekend of the 11 the room was being used. I should know tomorrow or the next day where and when it will be. Stand by for that information. Also I am back on bags for the rest of the week. I hope to have quite a few ready to mail out Friday! Woopee!!!

xo,

Tia

Bush Fire Quilts #1, #2 and #3 have been pieced.

The first 3 collaborated quilt tops have been pieced. I picked them up Thursday at the quilt club meeting. Christine did a great job and I love how each one twinkles. Don't you?

This is Quilt #3

Here all the quilts are on the line. Christine from the quilt club pieced them all. THANK YOU SO MUCH CHRISTINE!!!!!

This is quilt #2

And here is quilt #1.

It is hard to pick out favorite blocks isn't it? They are all so wonderful. But what an awesome thing is happening here. SO many quilty hugs...Thank you so much for participating everyone!

Current List...

I know this is going to be ugly...but I am feeling some mad guilt for not having a list of who has donated and what they have so kindly given. So here is the list for the time being...until I figure out how to do it better. I know it is crap....but you will see how many fine stitchers I have blocks from in my sewing room.



The first bit is your name, the second bit is where you are from, then what you donated and the last funny numbers are which quilt tops your blocks are in (those numbers should be between 1 and 43). There are some random numbers tossed in just to confuse me...sorry about that! Sew without further Ado....The LIST!!!!

• > Kate FDarwin (NT)2 1
• > Ann StuererCenter, TX3 3
• > Darla TaylorMedlow Bath (UK)1 4
• > Gail McQueenWestleigh, NSW1 6
• > Carol VandenbergLondon, ON (Canada)2 6
• > Mary PriceSouth Australia1 7
• > Sara AmosSyracuse, NY13 7
• > Sieck - When Pigs FlyOakland, OR3 8
• > Beth CaseyFelton, CA2 8
• > Amy HodgeMountain View, CA4 8
• > Cherie MooreBelleview, IL2 8
• > Brenda SudermanWinnepeg, Canada3 9
• > Janet ByerwaterChicago, IL2 9
• > Elena McDowellRaliegh, NC2 9
• > Pat ParksOconowoc, WI4 9
• > Simon ScogginsRingwood East, Victoria4 11
• > Susan FlemmingRome, GA2 12
• > Esther RobertsMapleton, QLD4 13
• > Selina HardingJimbooma, QLD2 13
• > Deb NicholMcLaren Vale, SA3 13
• > Paula LairdNambour, QLD9 Backing 13
• > Valarie PhillipsBeckly, WV2 13
• > Victoria GertenbachReinholds, PA3 13
• > Robyn PrundyBirkhead, Auckland, NZ1 13
• > Christina RacharLondon, Ontario1 23
• > Julie HuntsmanMarysville, OH2 2 x quilt tops 242
• > Shari JamisonHelena Valley (AUS)2 24
• > Esther BeechcraftSouth Hobart, Tasmania1 1 x Quilt Top, 241
• > Erin SeabornNorth Haven, SA (AUS)2 angels 26
• > Amory StephensonDallas, TX1 30
• > Rachel GriffithSouth Amherst, OH1 31
• > Vicki CalToronto, Canada1 1 x Quilt Top, 1 x Binding, Fabric 361
• > Lyn MetcalfNorthgate, SA (AUS)2 36
• > Nicole KongnenburgHafrsfjord, Norway11 36
• > BuckleyLondon, Ontario2 37
• > Judy GNarangba, QLD4 39
• > Sara HomeyerAda, Michigan3 43
• > Julia C.Port Kennedy2 1, 2
• > Milly S.East Fremantle2 1, 2
• > Jacquie G.KC, Kansas2 1, 2
• > Kristin C.Richboro, PA2 1, 2
• > T. CrawfordLa Habra, CA2 1, 2
• > Ellen O.Greenville, NC4 1, 2
• > Lorraine M.Isle of Capri2 1, 2
• > Helen W.Riddells Creek (VIC)2 1, 2
• > J. BoathAdelaide4 1, 2
• > Elanor F.Orange East (nsw)2 1, 2
• > Leonna BowersSpokane, WA2 1, 2
• > Sarah GraingerGainesville, FL2 1, 2
• > Mary NielsenPasadena, MD2 1, 2
• > Marilyn ButlerKansas City, MO2 1, 2
• > Judith MagnussenAliso Viejo, CA2 1, 2
• > Lisa FilionQueensbury, NY2 1, 2
• > Amy FriendWest Newbury, MA2 1, 2
• > Michelle E BencksoRahway, NJ3 1, 2, 43
• > Ramona BatesLittle Rock, AR3 1,2,3
• > Helen SimpsonThornlie, West Australia6 10,11
• > Jeanette GrahamBooval, QLD4 10,11
• > Ann JonesBrittany, France5 10,11
• > Ann ChristensonDenmark2 10,11
• > Janet CummingCoopers, QLD30 10,11
• > Jennifer BrockLauncesion, Tasmania2 13, 42
• > Nova FlitterKarratha, WA (AUS)8 13, 43
• > C. WalshColfax, WA (USA)2 13, 43
• > 1sr Christian Quilters GpHuntsville, AL106 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20
• > Jennifer ThorntonDayton, TX1 Fabric, Bias Tape, Poly Backing, pins 14, 16
• > Jo Ann MouldsChicago, IL2 18, 19
• > ?Lincoln, PA3 18, 19, 20
• > Kathy TRhodes, NSW10 Scrap Bag 18, 19, 20
• > Christine QuinnNew Zealand26 3 x Quilt Tops 18, 19, 203
• > Marci HainkelKansas City, MO9 18, 19, 20> Kaori BowenHouston, TX3 18, 19, 20
• > Kathy PaglieraniArlington, MA4 18, 19, 20
• > Jen MullenBossier City, LA5 18, 19, 20
• > Jan WatfaNorfolk, UK9 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
• > Kristin L.Hawaii2 2, 43
• > Roz KeeneyBertram, TX2 21, 22
• > Michelle FoxRedondo Beach, CA5 21, 22, 23
• > TeresaUSA9 21, 22, 23
• > Linda RonneGuthrie, OK12 21, 22, 23
• > Melanie RoathGuthrie, OK3 21, 22, 23
• > Melanie TremelingAustin, TX (USA)8 21, 22, 25, 26, 43
• > Connie SaylerGold Beach, OR (USA)3 21, 23
• > Dayna WilliamsonLarson, WI3 22, 23
• > Heather TranseauHouston, TX3 22, 23
• > Theresa StangMpls, MN(USA)16 22, 23
• > WendyWethany, CT2 22, 23
• > Kristi LivingstonFt Sask, AB (CAN)2 24, 25
• > Heather McArtherBunnaby, BC (CAN)2 24, 25
• > Megan NewtonDresden, OH4 24, 25, 26
• > Jody SandersFt Myers, FL9 24, 25, 26
• > Lynn AtterberryHavana, IL15 24, 25, 26
• > Heidi ElliotState College, PA10 Thread, 3 x Backs 24, 25, 26
• > PalomaAnn Arbor, MI1 24, 25, 26
• > Jan WilburCody, WY (USA)3 2 X Bindings 24, 25, 26
• > Kathleen EubanksSouthern California4 24, 25, 26
• > ?Traphill, NC3 24, 26
• > EmilyCenterville, UT4 24, 27, 28
• > LoL LacemakersCherry Valley, IL43 1 x quilt top 24, 411
• > RhondaBridgetown (AUS)2 25, 26
• > Jessica SheaFairfax, VA2 25, 26
• > Jute AngelsBrisbane (AUS)2 25, 26
• > TracyPereira, UK5 27, 28, 29
• > Blackberry QuiltsSonora, CA3 27, 28, 29
• > E. PfisterBoxborough, MA3 27, 28, 29
• > Crystal BergstromMinneapolis, MN5 27, 28, 29
• > Amy LobsigerFerndale, MI2 2 x bindings 27, 28, 29
• > Coly QuiltersColeumbally, Australia12 1 x binding 27, 28, 29
• > Linda HarveyLandisville, PA15 27, 28, 29
• > Susan NixonSioux Falls, SD (USA)5 27, 28, 29
• > Terri CohenThousand Oaks, CA4 27, 28, 29
• > Alicia WellsOlalla, WA6 27, 28, 29
• > John AdamsCary, NC7 27, 28, 29, 43
• > Rita ChuBerkeley, CA3 27, 43
• > Lise NapthaliGlenomie, NSW (AUS)2 28, 29
• > Alison Kennedy-CookeSingapore6 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
• > Rebecca Babb-BrottIpswich, MA2 29, 43
• > Katie PedersenSeattle, WA2 Fabric scaps 29, 43
• > Margret GunnGorham, ME8 3,4
• > HarrisTwain Harte, CA4 3,4
• > Julie TreacyToowoomba, QLD52 2 complete star quilt tops 3,42
• > Andrea BurtonGreenwood Lake, NY5 6 rolls of binding 3,4
• > Sheirdan PowellStanhope Gardens, NSW4 1 bindind & Safety pins 3,4
• > TessYork, UK2 3,4
• > Jennie SchauerMarengo, IL10 1 Quilt top and 3 backings 3,41
• > ZannahShelton, WA (USA)2 3,4
• > Lisa BurnsFindlay, OH (USA)9 30, 31, 32
• > Britt PaulHillsborough, NC4 Fabric 30, 31, 32
• > Lucinda JonesMorrisville, NY4 30, 31, 32
• > Nikota SmithNorth Vancouver, Canada4 30, 31, 32
• > Kristin & Erin ShieldsBend, OR (USA)20 30, 31, 32, 33, 43
• > A. DekerfBelle River, ON (CAN)2 30, 32
• > Paula HewittWakerley, QLD (AUS)29 3 X quilt tops, fabric, paper pieces 30, 33, 34, 353
• > Karen StephensKent, UK5 30, 34
• > Alissa Haight CarltenLA, CA2 30, 43
• > Barb CampbellClearwater, BC (CAN)2 31, 32
• > Jen EskridgeAltus, OK2 4 x Bindings 31, 32
• > Caron LageSt Cloud, MN4 31, 32
• > Siobhan FurgorsonMartinez, CA (USA)2 31, 32
• > Cheryl GulvinWestfield, NY2 31, 32
• > Louise, MalletteOttawa, ON (CAN)6 31, 32
• > Corinne, GoekeSpencerport, NY2 31, 32
• > Judy StevensFairview, NC2 34, 35
• > Carrie StallingsWest New York, NJ2 34, 35
• > Michele StachowicikSnolqualmie Pass, WA8 Thread, 1 Binding 34, 35
• > N. JansenThe Hague, Holland2 34, 35
• > Di Riley?3 2 x Coffee Cards 34, 35
• > Quilting LibrariansBloomington, IN21 34, 35, 36
• > Mary ColemanSpokane, WA4 34, 35, 36
• > Saranya McNultySampran, Thailand7 3 x Bindings 34, 35, 37
• > Tan Lay NgohSingapore4 Fabric 34, 35, 37
• > 4-WindsBartheleny, France37 34, 37, 38, 39
• > Nettie PetersonCentennial, CO2 34, 43
• > Rhonda BrassRiverside, CA2 1 x Quilt Top 35, 361
• > Kathy MackBainbridge Island, WA (USA)2 6 x Boxes of Safety Pins 35, 43
• > Cylie EllisSeaford, VIC (AUS)4 37, 38, 39
• > LorraineKarratha, WA (AUS)20 37, 38, 39
• > Marion EdwardsMoe, VIC (AUS)8 37, 39
• > Nata Sha BnuecherBerlin, Germany3 38, 39, 43
• > Town & Country / Lynne GourlySmithton, Tasmania41 4 x Bindings 38, 40, 42
• > JillSan Diego, CA2 38, 43
• > HelgaBrisbane (AUS)10 39, 41, 42
• > JaneWhitby, UK2 4, 43
• > Helen ToveyNorth Fitzroy (Melbourne)25 1 x Crib Quilt 4, 5
• > Jeannie FletcherElenora, QLD6 4 x Quilts, 1 x Quilt Top 4, 51
• > Laura ForresterTasmania3 4,6,7
• > ??2 6, 7
• > Sharon KonvalinBuckley, WA (USA)4 6, 7
• > Denise FrickAnn Arbor, MI2 6, 7
• > Katie MayCharlotte, MI12 Fabric 6, 7
• > Caroll DrudyGrand Rapids, MI2 6, 7
• > Tiffany JohnsonHarker Heights, TX2 Ric Rak 6, 7
• > Sue BrownMount Vernon, WA (USA)3 6, 7
• > Emma HoweHawthornedene, SA8 Binding 6, 7
• > Marja VisserNederland (Holland)3 6, 7, 43
• > Sally MurrayChester, CT12 6, 9
• > Julie BrobergDenmark2 1 x Notebook 7, 43
• > Kathy EarleyTeague, TX4 7, 8
• > Kristin BahnEssex JCT, VT10 8, 12
• > Jo LucasNew Arley, North Worwickshire (UK)5 8, 12
• > Leslie MorrellWest Bint, NY4 8, 9
• > June WoodridgeBlanchetown, SA (AUS)25
• > Wendy SchneiderSpringboro, OH4
• > S. ChisholmOttawa, ON (CAN)1
• > Gail NorbackNorthville, MI0 1 x quilt top and fabric 1
• > Marlene KoonsAuburn, CA0 Box of fat quarters and beads
• > Georgia McDonaldNSW, Australia 1 x quilt top & pin cushion 1
• > ?Wichita, KS0 4 x binding
• > Lurline G.Port Kennedy2
• > CarolineDulwick Hill2
• > L. ChounSaratoga, Ca2
• > Jean Lemin & Pamela TownsendCooranboona,NSW 4 quilt tops 4
• > Judy SandayRosebay, NSW32 Scraps & Fabric
• > Claire ShormanBerkley, CA3>
• > Sally Cuttling Monroe, OR0 1 x Quilt Top, Notions & Fabric, 1 x Quilt Tak, thimble & needles, thread, pencil chalk pen 1
• > Sonja CallagherRichmond, BC (CAN)0 1 x Quilt Top, thread & binding 1
• > KathleenNSW0 Thread & Pins
• > Lynn 1
• > Helen SimpsonThornlie, West Australia0 5 x Bindings, Safety Pins
• > Elizabeth MartinCarina, QLD (AUS)0 1 Quilt Top 1
• > Susan ParfreyPerth, AUS6
• > Jane Partridge for Joyce HolmesTamworth, Staffordshire (UK)14 Vintage Blocks
• > Carrillo (Amber)Waialua, HI (USA)2
• > Ulla RantakarFinland 1 x Quilt Top 1
• > Cindy SchiniererNew Carlisle, OH 1 x Quilt Top, Scrap Fabric, thread, binding 1
• > Teresa Sealy & HannahEly, NV0 2 x Quilt Tops 2
• > ?London, Enland1
• > Liliane LutgenLuxemburg0 1 x Quilt Top 1
• > Jane HannaHeathmont, VIC (AUS)2

One of those days

DO you ever have those odd days that just zip by...one minute you are waking up with the kitten clawing your scalp while he kneads your hair, the next you are dropping your kids off at school (did I even get my cup of coffee?) Then a bit later you are surrounded with fabric, then you try to answer some emails...then it is back to do the pick-up. The birds are so very loud and the air is so clear...kinda feels like a dream. But when you arrive at the school you see your child and his class being sprayed by a fire hose? They were being visited by the local fire department and the firemen were spraying the kids with the water. It is still pretty hot here, so the kids dried off on their march back to class. But then the day continued with it's strange flow. Emma wanted me to watch her do her math (which, secretly I find pretty dull) so I decided to work a bit on my doll quilt #6 swap while she added. I am pretty sure I made too many of these little triangles for what I have planned...but those are the breaks. Maybe my partner wants a bigger than doll sized quilt, or maybe I will just make two. Never know what is going to happen around here.

I am worried about my mom, she is ill. Keep her in your prayers.

I am having a sewing weekend so I look foreword to that sew very much. Also we have nailed down a date for the QUILTATHON!!!! It will begin on the 18th of April and carry on to the 19th of April. We plan on it being a 24 hour deal, so as long as it is ok with the town council and we can the the police to stop by more frequently to keep the ruffians away that will be pretty cool. We are now off to hunt down some sponsors...mainly for "Tea" Tea comes in all shapes and sizes here in Oz, so if we are going to be there for 24 hours we will need all kinds of tea to keep us going. Coffee too, of course. I like coffee. Anyone with a hook up at Starbucks? I haven't had any of that for a couple years.

Tomorrow I am also going to photograph some of the quilt tops I have not featured yet. I can't wait to show you all.

Oh and Simon is trying to make the spreadsheet read-able for everyone. Maybe it is just too big? I tried to upload it to google documents and was going to link it that way...but it was to big. I do hope this spreadsheet thing is the biggest snag I run into during this entire Bush Fire Quilt Project. I thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for all your hard work and beautiful blocks...big quilty hugs for all of you!

Busy week so far

Last weekend the Arizona Cardinal Cheerleaders and the band Edison came to town on a USO tour. Since we are considered "remote" they included us on their tour. We had lots of fun... on Saturday morning the cheerleaders led a cheer camp and that evening the kids got to preform. The boys got to dance "free style hip hop" It was pretty hilarious, since I think that may be the second time in their entire short lives that they have even heard "Hip Hop" music. Emma got to do a Congo line thing, there were so many little girls having a wonderful time up on stage. Some of the moms danced...but I figured no one came to the show to watch me dance...so I just took pictures ;o)

The back of this little poster is filled with comments to my "Lil Kool Guy" and "lil Gangsta"

I only have one more bag to go with this set of Hero bags. If you recall, I made a Hero Quilt for CPT Lyerly's son a couple months ago, this is the rest of the order. Sometimes I feel like it is so much easier for me to make a quilt or two than to find the time to sit down and make a set of bags. I guess I am pretty burned out on the bag making....I look foreword to a break (with the move to Kansas and being separated from my sewing machines) and I sure I will be ready to start up bag making again full force when we are settled, but right now finding the time is really really hard. I don't have very many left, and this weekend should be a very good sewing one. Gosh I love those quite sewing weekends.

This is my Ethan and the Ethan from Edison. I didn't know my Ethan's shirt was gaping open like that...but oh well.

Here my gang is with the ladies after 3 VERY VERY LATE nights in a row. I think I am STILL tired from it all! I just don't go out very often, and late nights take a toll on me. LOL....not too long ago I functioned very well on about 3 hours of sleep and worked 3 jobs and went to college...

I have sorted almost 1500 quilt blocks for the Bush Fire Quilt Project. I swear Stu and I must be completely stupid, but we can't figure out how to post my spreadsheet without it being so tiny it is impossible to read (even after you click on it and it opens in a different window). Basically if you have sent your blocks I LOVE them all and they are safely sorted and entered into my spreadsheet. Maybe I am being a bit nuts about trying to keep track of all the blocks, but that is really important to me.

Quick post...

This is just going to be a quick post since I have a table full of bags that I am working on, and needed to take a second for a break.


Quilt tops and Liberated Star Quilt blocks have been rolling in all week...I am still in shock about how fabulous you all are in giving of yourselves in this way. We are sure making some awesome quilts together! I just can not thank you enough for giving of yourselves in this manner. While what we are doing here won't rebuild a house, our quilts will help comfort some great people.

Here are 15 quilt tops that have come in over the past couple weeks. Each one has been stitched with such care and love. I need to hang them on the line and get better pictures, but maybe I will wait until after the quilting is finished.

Here are 6 fantastic COMPLETE quilts that have been donated to the Bushfire Quilt project. These will go down in our first shipment to Victoria.

Here are 10 Liberated Star Quilts that have been made by you wonderful ladies and sent already assembled into tops to me. These are all so wonderful that my hands ache to stack them and get started on the quilting. BUT I MUST FINISH MY BAGS FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!! It hurts, but I have to resist. Well...it is win/win for me since I have some magnifico bags on the table right now, but I do really want to work on the quilts too. Once again, I do miss having a clone wondering around the house with nothing to do.

Here is the stack of quilt blocks as of Wednesday...these guys need to be sorted into their 25 quilt block groupings so they can be pieced for the quilt-a-thon. The Quilt-a-thon will be in April, so there is still time to get your stars to me. I think I need to get another roll of batting, don't you?

Thank you again so very much for participating in the Bushfire Quilt Project everyone! It is just so amazing to see this stack grow and grow. My husband just finished with our taxes, so he can get back to spreadsheet data entry- then I will post the updated sheet again.

Happy Day All!

Tia

Happy Birthday Boys!

Today we had the boys Birthday Party. I am not real big on goody bags (remember my kiddos have dreadful teeth, so I had prefer not to give out candy) So I decided on a craft for the kids to make. I planned on the kids making monsters. Ethan is all into monsters, so I figured this would be right up his alley. I made them up ahead of time (well most shells were made ahead of time, Emma kept going and inviting neighbors over, so the stack of monster shells grew) and let the kids stuff them by them selves. That way they could think they made them all by themselves. I used ugly tea towels, napkins and wash clothes that had seen better days, so I really didn't delve into my fabric stash (which a ton is going to have to be sold before we move since we are moving to a far smaller dwelling ;o(


Here are most of the monsters after they have been stuffed and had legs sewn in. We used cotton stuffing and dried lentils. The legs are 55o cord, the eyes are army buttons and red buttons, the hair is 550 cord, 550 gut or wool fleece or a combination of the 3.

I had the kids sit on a quilt so I could keep a bit of control over them (it is like herding cats no matter how you slice it) while they stuffed their allotted monster shell. I see Erica is there helping and I have the finger of power pointed at someone.

I made one tremendous cake for both boys to share (Ethan's birthday is on the 5th and Sam's is on the 8th, so they are just going to have to deal with having joint birthday parties) It was supposed to be a checkerboard cake, but it really is more of a marble. The 2 cake recipes are from Martha Stewart but the Icing is my own and it rocks:

Strawberry Butter cream:

You are going to blend these all together in a mixer until it is at the consistency you like. I also add milk or cream if I have it on hand to give it a bit more creaminess.

• pint of fresh strawberries chopped, capped and squished
• 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
• pinch of salt
• dash of vanilla
• bag of powder sugar
  

Sam got to the cake while it was in the fridge and helped himself to his birthday cake...that part was kinda quarantined.

Overall it was an awesome birthday party. We had some great friends stop by for a visit...and another stopped by later in the afternoon and stayed for dinner, but now the house is silent again, and I count my wonderful blessings. My cup runneth over. I think of the trouble I had having babies (3 Miscarrages and 3 Circlages) and now my youngest is 4...

xo,

tia

Hand Piecing with Jinny Beyer

I learned more today in one 6 hour class than I have learned in years. What have I learned? I learned to Hand Piece. Yep...the Berninas got a break today and I had the privilege of learning from a true quilting master. Jinny Beyer came to town and had a workshop where she taught us to hand piece. I leaned to hand piece years and years ago at my first quilting class in Heidelberg, Germany. I didn't know what a lost art it was at the time...I wanted to quickest and easiest way to piece and then quilt. Today I had a refresher. And it was fantastic.


Ironically my first quilting instructor had studied under Jinny Beyer....and then Jinny herself comes all the way out here to the middle of Australia? It was destiny, I had to go to her class! She said she has been so inspired by the colors out here in the Bush that she is going to design a new line of fabric around them. I completely understand...the colors here are otherworldly, especially at gloaming.

This is Jinny Beyer's 9-11 quilt. The center is a little Statue of Liberty. She wanted a piece of fabric for each life lost on that terrible day...this quilt has over 4,000 pieces. Each of those tiny pieces were hand pieced and then when the quilt top was finished it was hand quilted. She said it takes her about a year to make a quilt. 3 months to piece a top and then about another 9 months to hand quilt it. Wow...and I thought I spent a ton of time on a sewing project! She is so brilliant, the math and computations that she uses to create a quilt top are mind boggling (well, my mind felt boggled!). I have been doing the Liberated piecing technique for so long now that it was odd to actually try to match up points and measure.

Here are Jinny and I. I loved her necklace. It is a fantastic Chatelaine (like the Lady of the Manor would wear long time ago with a needle case, scissors, and her thimble) Here is a link to a website where you can get yours if you like (Thimbles by TJ Lane) that website does not do the wee little tools justice. I purchased myself a fancy thimble. And I love it. They are super expensive...I wonder if I can make it a tax expenditure? It is a tool....

Here are Wendy and I making our templates. I look pretty drunk in this picture, but I swear I am totally sober. I hate it when I make goofy looking faces when I am getting my picture taken. Oh well...I had a blast.

This is Jinny with another of her extraordinary quilts. All that is hand pieced!

Here I am with my block and what I got done in 6 hours. The fabrics were not my choice, it was a "lucky dip" and you got whatever set you pulled from the bag. I think it will look better when it is finished and I take a picture out in the sunlight. See my fancy little thimble? I love it.

What a great day...just me and a bunch of great ladies learning something wonderful. I wish you all could have been there!

XO,

Tia

267 blocks in 36 hours

Once again I have to say how thrilled I am with this project. You have all poured so much hard work into each and every one of the quilt blocks I have been stacking up on my table! Thank you so very much and together we are going to make some fantastic quilts for the people in Victoria.


Click on this spreadsheet picture and it will get big enough for you to read. All the folks at the top of the list have already been sorted into quilt top groupings. The people down a bit have yet to be sorted into quilt groupings, but your quilt blocks or quilt tops have arrived safe and sound and are hanging out here at the house until our big "quilt-a-thon". There are a couple mystery blocks. They arrived with no names and no address so if you think I should have your blocks, let me know and I will give you credit for your hard work. No worries!


Tomorrow is my second son's birthday. He will be a big 6. He had a root canal done today, and was far more brave than I would have been. The dentists visit the schools here in Australia, and they seem to be really competent. They do things quite different than what I am used to from all our dental visits in the US. Seems to be a more Holistic approach. My poor boys have dreadful teeth, but the dentist feels she can have them in good shape in a couple months. I have emptied the cupboards of all sweeties...which I really didn't have that much of anyway, but the dentist was arguing with me so I did it.


I have made pretty good progress on Ethan's Solar System quilt...maybe some pictures tomorrow!


OK, My husband has let me know that it is bed time...so sweet dreams all!

XO,
Tia

My 15 minutes of Fame!

Guess what? I am in a magazine! Woopee! Check out the April/May Issue of Country Woman Magazine. You will find me and my big smiling face and some of my lovely bags!

Pretty cool, huh? Mom can you get me a copy?

XO,
Tia

Great Sunday sorting blocks

Today my friends Erica and Beth came over to help sort blocks and get them married up with their buddies so I can pass a couple tops out to the Quilt club on Thursday. We had a great time and sorted out the blocks for 13 quilts.

I just can't tell you haw great these quilts are going to look. All the different fabrics are fantastic and the twinkle is wonderful.

Here is Beth...we tried to do 2 quilt tops at a time so we could separate quilt blocks. On average you are sending at least 2 blocks, so in order to really spread out the quiltly love and so your quilt blocks can go further...I have them split up. So far it is really working out fantastic.

There I am. I figured we would be hot in the back yard so I asked Erica and Beth to come over early in the morning...but by 0900 it was already over 95 F, so we decided to stick to the AC in the dining room.

Here is a top with mainly plaid stars. Helen T of Melbourne made all but the very center block on this quilt top. I love all that plaid!

Here are all the bags sorted and labeled. My husband even already updated the spreadsheet so I know which quilt every one's quilt is in. What a handy man? I am so pleased with the work Erica and Beth did this morning! Thanks so much ladies!

My 2 little boys have birthdays this week, so I better get cracking on their quilts.

xo,

Tia