Have Nun ... Will Travel

HAVE YOU EVER had a running gag with someone? My husband Tony and I have one that goes back many years, to the time I put a wind-up nun in his Christmas stocking. Well, she has turned up in the most unusual places and sometimes at the most embarrassing times. She has a penchant for hiding in my shoes, or in Tony's underwear drawer. Once she travelled all the way to Perth to accompany Tony on a business trip and he didn't discover her presence until he opened his briefcase at a meeting. Boy, was he surprised.

Well, apparently she felt it was time to come with me to Toowoomba, about one and a half hours' drive from Brisbane.




Around thirty members of Schoolhouse Quilters were on our annual weekend retreat and our accommodation was at the beautiful one hundred year old boarding school, Glennie, which has been our destination for three years now. The girls are on vacation and we took over their facilities for a weekend of fun, frolics and just a little sewing.


On the way up a few of us met for lunch in a coffee shop at Toowoomba. As I left the car and put on my jacket pocket (it's cold in Toowoomba) I knew instantly that I was not alone. There in the jacket pocket was ... the Travelling Nun!




She had the time of her life helping me construct my quilt top and we are planning her next appearance - my husband is looking very nervous!


One of the many tea breaks


Dinner table Saturday night


In between eating (well, it was cold), most of us worked on a quilt top constructed from fabric jelly rolls (pre-packed 2½” strips of fabric). I wanted to use some of the left-overs from my children's clothing and I also wanted a more scrappy look.



We all had the most wonderful, creative couple of days and accomplished all that we set out to.



In the end I decided to make my quilt top cot size and will have it ready for our new granddaughter due at the end of October.



After laying it out on the floor, I quickly pieced it and packed it ready for the trip home.



Before we left, members of the school staff showed us the school's Centenary Quilt hanging in the school hall.


Some people can't resist the touchy-feely experience!

Naturally, we visited a local quilt shop, Precious Time - the shop that lives up to its name. It's a beautiful shop, tucked away in a quaint old timber cottage/shop and the staff treated us like old friends. I couldn't resist buying a couple of soft toy patterns by the remarkable Australian designers, the sisters Melly & Me (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5000609). Keeping in mind that this week is RED in Fede's weekly colour challenge, I bought this fabulous fabric and will make up one of the patterns this week.