Why I love the first Saturday of the month

There's an excellent reason for loving the first Saturday of the month.  The Sydney SCQuilters meet for a day of quilting, gossip and food, all carried out at a local watering hole.  Bliss.

Outside the weather continued along its usual appallingly wet way.  It's a wonder we don't all have barnacles sprouting off us the way we have had to sit through a virtually non-existent summer.  The current flooding in our State is the size of France we were informed last night on the news.

So there was no better way to chase away the wet weather blues than to feast our eyes on this bright and cheerful work in progress.

I love the simplicity of this Japanese inspired quilt.

Of course, our gossip is not idle.  We discover new fabric locations, where and when the next quilt exhibitions will be held, what new trends in quilt and fabric designs are currently taking off - you know, all the essential things that keep the world spinning on its axis.

It's a whole thirty-five days until the next first Saturday.  I guess I'll just have to be patient.

To read more on today's wonderful activities, visit the Sydney SCQuilters' blog here.

The Reincarnated Kimono Project

I'm very excited to be invited to take part in an exhibition organised by the lovely Melanie of Kimono Reincarnate.  At the same time I'm a little daunted to find myself in such exalted company.

This is the exquisite piece of kimono fabric which Melanie sent to use in my quilt.  Now as you know, we quilters cut fabric into little pieces and put it together again.  How could I possibly do that to this stunning piece of fabric?  It took days to work up the courage and I hope I have done it justice.

I am frantically machine quilting today, as the work has to be completed by the weekend, in time for hanging early next week.  Excuse me while I run.

... Perfect the Next

True to its word, Brisbane turned on the most beautiful Spring morning on Saturday.  The birds were singing, the sun was shining and the crowds came out for a day of fun at the BrisStyle Indie Designers' Market.

There was music ...

wood-fired pizzas...

... and lots of lovely people out to enjoy the early Spring weather.

Inside the hall we set up our stalls full of tempting goodies.

My next-door neighbour was Catherine of Made by Maisie.

Opposite me was Holly of Pannikin with her delightful badges, cards, etc.

The crowds obviously liked what they saw.

Outside the sun kept shining and the people kept coming.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These gorgeous bracelets by Sophie of Strat Designs were good enough to eat.
 

The canopy of Sophie's stall threw this dainty shadow of the Poinciana tree overhead.  What a beautiful day it was.

 
 

However, another day, another story.  Sunday the rains came and we battled the elements to get the Hot Fudge clothing into the exhibition hall at Schoolhouse Quilters.

 

 

The wild weather was soon forgotten once we stepped inside historic Brookfield Hall.  The quilts were absolutely stunning.

 

This masterpiece by Glenys Cheng took four years to complete and the hand quilting was breathtaking.

 
 

It was time to visit the refreshments room to sit quietly and contemplate the beautiful works of art before us.

Then a visit to the sales room to get started on some early Christmas shopping.
 
 

What a weekend.  It was, of course, Father's Day on Sunday, so we had a late celebration before promptly falling asleep in front of the television.

Ah Brisbane.  Beautiful one day, perfect the next, then a lot of rain.

And All That Jazz

The rains held off, we built it, and they came.  JEMS Quilt Sitters' 13th Annual Exhibition took place over the weekend and was a raging success.

Anything that didn't move had a quilt thrown over it...

...or some bunting.

By the time we opened on Saturday morning, there was a healthy queue anxious to get in early. 

Those in the know headed straight for the Sales Room, where all sorts of hand-made goodness awaited the anxious buyers.  After that they relaxed a little, taking in the marvellous quilts.

As you can see, there was a wide variety of stunning quilts and considering we had to adhere to a strict set of rules (a little too complicated to explain here), it was quite amazing to see the results.  I wish I had room to show them all, but my poor computer would be crying out for mercy. 

My own quilt was was inspired by our recent overseas trip.  Our last port of call was a glorious week in our favourite city, Rome.  I manipulated some of my images in Photoshop before printing them out onto fabric.  I wanted to show how the ancient and modern meld so beautifully into today's Rome.

The refreshment room was busy all day, with people enjoying some time out to enjoy freshly ground coffee, tea, sandwiches, scones and slices.  Then it was time to hit the sales room again.  I was delighted with my sales of Hot Fudge clothing over the two days, selling several dresses and skirts, as well as cushions, library bags and traveller's shoe bags.  By the end of the first day the three trestle tables which had been laden with so many tempting goodies was looking a little sad, so we consolidated them onto two tables and covered the remaining table with beautiful quilts for sale.

On Sunday afternoon more crowds turned up to veg out to the cool sounds of Stitched Up Jazz.

Note the young ring-in playing his guitar next to his adored grandfather.

We were lucky to have not one but two wonderful vocalists, who sang all the classic hits of the jazz era.

And there was dancing.

The next generation are well and truly converted to jazz.  A perfect ending to a wonderful weekend.

Mission Impossible

Well, not quite - it is possible to be in two places at once if you plan ahead.  Take next weekend for instance.  Jems Quilt Sitters will be holding their annual exhibition on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July, while BrisStyle will be holding their first Eco Market on Saturday 10 July.

Mid-winter in Brisbane is the time to get out and about, and what better way to spend the weekend than take in both a market and an exhibition?

What do a Roman cafe and exotic, fanciful birds have in common?  These are tiny glimpses of just two of the many art quilts which will be on display at the Jems Quilt Sitters' exhibition.  Historic Brookfield Hall is the perfect setting for this ever-popular weekend.  Apart from the stunning quilts, there will be a sales boutique where you can start your Christmas shopping super early.  There will be quilts for sale, as well as beautifully hand-crafted items from the very talented members of Quilt Sitters.  I will be selling my Hot Fudge label, so do stop by and say hello.

If you are partial to a little jazz, then come on the Sunday, bring along a picnic blanket or fold-up chairs and sit back for the most enjoyable afternoon filled with fun, laughter and music.  Oh, and there will be lashings of scones and cream, freshly made delicious sandwiches and coffee, tea or soft drinks.  Bliss.

To complete your shopping spree, take a trip out to Hamilton on Saturday to St Augustine's Church grounds and hall, where you will find the BrisStyle Eco Market in full swing. 

From top: Kitty Boo Boo, Cairo Made That, Edward and Lilly, Renee Treml, Little Jellygnite, and Ruby Red Studios.

This is a first for Brisbane, an Eco-friendly market where you can buy the most gorgeous items, knowing that you are doing something to help the environment.

So if you'd like to spend a few hours next weekend admiring stunning quilts, listening to some cool jazz, buying up big, or simply wanting to save Planet Earth, look no further.