Flowers for Alison Block 5 Ready to Download

Block 5 is ready to download on the BOM page.  If you have missed any of the previous months they are available in my etsy shop for $3 for each pattern.  

There are only 2 more appliqué patterns to go, a small one in January and a larger block in February.    

Borders are optional.  At the moment I am thinking of putting a wide border with appliqué all around but there probably won't be additional patterns as it will be made up from shapes that have already been used.  So you will just get a finish it like me set of instructions and it is up to you if you want to continue to follow along or just leave the centre of the quilt as is or maybe use one of your appliqué fabrics to border the quilt.  

If you have any questions let me know.  I have put the templates separate for this block as some of you have had difficulty printing out the templates.  Hopefully this will stop this.  Just remember to download the 2 sets of templates. 

Watch out for the next instalment in early January.  

Quilting Focus and Block 5 is on schedule

I have been asked to join Quilting Focus as a regular contributor which is great fun.  If you have any suggestions of what you would like me to Focus on let me know.  I look forward to sharing some knowledge.  I seem to be far better at writing about quilting at the moment than getting down and actually doing it, but the BOM must go on.

I have headed to the sewing room this weekend and created the border for Block 5 of Flowers for Alison.  If you can suggest a name for the block that would be good I haven't a clue about what the flower could be.  For the moment it is called Potted Colour.

I have two more corner stones to make then I will be all ready to work on the pattern and have it up by the 1st of the month.

Next month I will be working on another small block and I will be giving instructions for piecing the first 2/3rds of the quilt.

There is one more block designed after this one and then you will be able to complete the centre of the quilt.  I have ideas for the border but that will be optional if you want to include it in your quilt.

New Fabric, New Music and a bit more

I went shopping last week for some more fabric for the Flowers for Alison Quilt, there was not a need for it more like a want.  Added to the stash of fabrics for this quilt were a few more Kaffe florals and spots as well as some Tula Pink lovelies.

I haven't felt well again this week so there hasn't been any more progress but I am feeling better now so have started pulling fabrics for the corner stone appliqué blocks that will be included in Decembers pattern.  I was actually going to print off the pattern just now but got side tracked doing my article for quilting focus and then writing this blog post.

Squid had a fitting for her high school uniform this week, the smallest jacket they had is still ginormous on her, though everything else is ok, but miles too long I will have to take dress and skirts up by about 4".  

Squid hasn't been sleeping well this week, due to a bit of stress at school and worrying about high school and worrying if she will know anyone in her class as all of her friends said that they were going to transition on a different day.  So we have had lots of talking in her sleep or no sleep but at least she hasn't been sleep walking which is usually what happens when she has things on her mind.  We found out on Friday that the friend she put down to be with is going on the same day so she feels a bit better but is still really worried about transition day.  So we will be in for another fun week as Squid on little sleep is usually very interesting.  Maestro handled it all so differently but he had been visiting high school for high maths throughout grade 7 so it wasn't so scary for him.  Squid is such a different creature.

When I'm under the weather, I retreat into books and and music.  Just after this post, I discovered Boy and Bear who have been added to my listening list.  Boy and Bear are a Sydney based band described as indie folk-rock in a similar vein to Mumford and Sons. Last week I added City Calm Down who are a Melbourne group who I think have a sound similar to New Romantics music of the 80's but apparently it is a blend of electro-pop and post-punk according to Spotify so what do I know.

And I have been binge reading Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling Series which is best described as Sci-Fi Fantasy/Romance and this week Julie Johnson' Cross the Line was released and I read that as well. There are a couple of other writers I have been reading lately that are due to release books shortly most of which I think I have pre ordered so I look forward to them turning up on my Kindle App.

Now I'd better head off and print off that pattern so I can stitch this week.

Flowers for Alison update and SAPSASA Tennis Week

I've decided to not produce a block for Flowers for Alison this month and prepare 2 blocks for 1 of December.  It was just going to make the whole pattern thing a bit messy.  I'm halfway through the first block and I think I will do the 4 corner blocks for that were left from border of Block 2.  That way you will be able to join half the quilt together.  There are two more appliqué blocks left one is quite large and the other is a smaller one, so I will probably leave the large block for January when I have some time off.  There will also need to be some more filler blocks made.  I have an idea for borders but I want to get the centre finished before I start making firm plans.

Squid was in the Western District Squad for the SAPSASA tennis carnival this week.  So we had a week of tennis.  She had a ball and the team took out the 2 Div competition.  The kids all got on really well and they just had a lot of fun and didn't take it all too seriously.

 Squid with a couple of friends and their medals.  

Here are all the kids that participated from her school.  

Before we went on holiday Squids film for the International Youth Silent Film Competition got in as a finalist and was screened at the Capri Theatre. Squid and her fellow actors/film makers went along for the screening the Group's film took out the viewers choice award.  The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place getters were all High School Students so the kids were amazed that the viewers loved their film the best.

All the film makers from the first screening.  

Quilting Focus Guest Blogger

I was approached before we headed up North to see if I would like to be a guess blogger on Quilting Focus a website dedicated to Australian and New Zealand Quilters.

My first post is up on the website and I will be doing a few more over the coming weeks if things pan out it may become a regular thing.

Travelling Up North and an Apology

Sorry I have been absent this month.  Early in the month I let the Chemist convince me that the generic version of the medication the Dr has me on was the same .... so not the case so sided effects returned.  By the time things settled down we were full on into travel prep and heading up North to the heat and sunshine of Cairns.   

So for the apology… due to the factors above I haven't started Novembers block for the BOM which is going to be a little/lot late this month but I will keep the current block up until it is replaced with the next one and I will try and get back on track for December. 

Now for the Holiday and a few pictures of what we got up to.   DH has been at me for about 12 months to organize a holiday and I’ve been avoiding it as I usually come back more stressed than when we went.  This time it was not the case, I loved it and came back very relaxed.  We kept busy as the kids wanted to do stuff but a couple of the days we only did morning things then had the afternoon for the kids to play in the pool at the resort and me to sit on the balcony and read while looking out at the said pool and ocean view. 

Day 1 Travel and settling in to the resort. 

Resort Pool and across the road the beach.

Day 2 Drive to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, this was a fantastic stop which I really wasn’t that interested in but the resort recommended it.  There were things to do throughout the morning and talks to listen too about birdlife as well as the crocodiles and the kids tried crocodile we then headed up to Port Douglas for a swim.

Day 3 Day trip to Reef Magic, Pontoon on the Outer Great Barrier Reef to swim with the fishes, which was just magical.  We snorkeled had a couple of trips out to the reef in glass bottom boat’s this for me was the highlight of the trip.  Maestro took his gopro and we got some underwater footage but he hasn’t downloaded it yet (too busy reacquainting himself with his steam account). 

Day 4 we drove to Karunda and went to Birdworld which wasn’t big place but we got there early so the birds were quite hungry and took food from out hands as well as a couple were happy to sit on the kids hands.  We then headed into Cairns for lunch.

Day 5 was Skyrail and we traveled by this up and back to Karunda again, and back above the tree tops.  DH didn’t enjoy the trip up,  but surprisingly it didn’t bother me. 

Day 6 was travel again.  Our plane was delayed in Cairns due to technical difficulties and we ended up missing our connecting flight in Brisbane which meant a 3 hour layover but we survived.  I took a couple of shots of Cairns and the reef from the window in the plane.