BOW - re Jane Austin...

I have just received a notification from Barbara Brackman's site where she was sending out her Grandmother's Choice (Votes for Women) blocks that I have been working on, so say it was the last bit of information on this fantastic quilt.

BUT - she is working on another BOW - this time in memory of Jane Austin.  How fabulous is that!!!  If you want to put your email address in to get the updates etc here is the link.  She is starting a new blog for this particular quilt.

I'm going to have to get a move on with my Votes for Women quilt as I have the perfect material for Jane Austin's one.

In the meantime here are the last blocks finished.  Now I have to get my thinking cap on for a setting for these blocks.

Don't forget to check out Barbara Brackman's new blog and put your name down for the next BOW quilt.  Maybe we can get a little exchange of photos happening...

OMG has it been hot!

Last week here in my part of Aussie land we experienced some of the hottest days on record.  I thought I was going to melt!  I have a small portable air-con but it is only good for my lounge room.  And did it work overtime!  We had 4 days in a row of over 41C (103F) reaching 44C on Thursday (110F) with no respite at night - although it did get done to 28C (81F) one night.  But I survived and am now enjoying some sunning days with a sea breeze.  We usually get the odd day over 40C in summer here but this year the four days in a row was an exception.

On the plus side, because it was so hot in the back of my house where my sewing machine is, of course nothing got done, but I was able to do a lot of hand sewing by the air-con in the lounge.





This first pic is a little applique on three blocks from the 'Votes for Women' quilt.

The next one I finished the applique for the centre block of another quilt and also managed to finish the hexagons for the surround.  It is pinned on at present - just needs to be appliqued to the centre;  then I have another round of applique and finish with a border of hexagons.








I was quite pleased to get so much done.  Of course I was also watching the Australian Open Tennis championships and so wishing I wasn't playing in that heat (or even sitting in the stadium).

To top the week off, Cathy Miller (the Singing Quilter from Canada) and her husband John Bunge have been out here in Australia on a working holiday.  I met both Cathy and John a couple of years ago when they were in Townsville for the Scquilters Retreat and we have exchanged the odd email and read each other's blogs.  Plus we both looooove hexagons.....

When I heard they were heading for Melbourne, driving from Adelaide, I hinted that they might like to stop off in Anglesea.  Well they did.  They also know Margaret who lives here in Anglesea too, we decided (because of the heat) that the Golf Club would be a good place for lunch.  Unfortunately for Cathy and John the kangaroos were deep in the cool of the surrounding bush.

It was lovely to catch up on all their news and yes, we had a little show and tell.....  Here we are - Cathy in the middle and Margaret on the right.

On a different note - with this heat we have also had some serious bush fires here in Victoria - especially in the Grampian ranges where a few houses have been lost.  In total across the State of Victoria there were something like over 150 fires burning at one stage.  That's a lot for our little State.  Unfortunately we do have the title of the most fire-prone State in Australia.  Here in Anglesea we are always on high alert at this time of year as we are situated right near an extremely large natural forest and the area is tinder dry at present.

Sending my prayers to the areas that are/have been affected and hope this break in the heat will help extinguish the fires.

Happy New Year to you all - and my 'Word' for this year

When I read the above link that was sent to me via FB, I thought it sums up everything a New Year can bring.  On reflection of 2013 I found I had a lot of 'unfinished business' hanging around and it wasn't until nearing the end of 2013 I realised that most of it had been resolved.  I now look forward to having 'a clean slate' to start the year off and that there is New Beginnings for me this coming year.

One of these New Beginnings is - I am moving home AND moving to a new town.  This has been a hard decision to make, but I believe it is the right thing and the right time to do it.  Now that it has been made I am so looking forward to it.  I have lived in Anglesea for 30 years and raised my three boys here, but they have all moved on with their lives and doing very well. I am so proud of their achievements.  As some of you know my Mum passed away during the year and another chapter of my life had closed.  My dear Dad left us over 18 years ago now, so I feel that with Mum's passing I now believe I can go forward.

You might have noticed in the above paragraph the word 'believe' crops up a couple times.  Well that is my word for the year 'BELIEVE'.

I believe if you have the faith and believe in your decisions to make a choice you can reclaim your life.

You should believe in your abilities whatever they are - be it sport, craft, quilting, looking after your family, making new friends and being a good friend to others.  This belief will put you in the right position and frame of mind to break out and try something new also.

So go forward my friends and believe in yourself and you will make it through the good and bad times.

Have a fabulous year everyone, and don't forget to let me know if you have chosen a word for the year and what it means to you.

Take care

Joy