Creating for a free-motion workshop

I don’t recall ever offering to help anyone or advertising that I will teach free-motion quilting but somehow it just happened.  I think the fact that I love this part of the quilting process the most must have played a role and now I am in it for better or for worse.  Luckily mostly for better as most of the students eventually see this is after all not brain surgery and just a matter of practice, practice and more practice.

With 2011 not even done and dusted I was again asked when my first workshop in 2012 would be.  So I knew I had to do something but what?  Not having a single artistic bone in my body I had to find something new, fresh and my own to serve as useful end result and also give a beginner enough exercise.  I am so over making and joining squares or dividing a large piece of fabric into squares.  Surely there must be something more pleasing to the eye?

Then one sleepless night while channel hopping on TV I saw this quick flash on Cartoon Network and I think it represented an explosion.   As with anything animated it was funky, alive and extremely colorful and I there and then knew….. THAT would be the next free-motion workshop or then something similar.

I couldn’t start working on it right away as I was busy with the projects for our goody bags for the 2013 National Festival and didn’t want to stop midway during my monthly target, so I had to let it slide. Done with one months’ target and with hubby playing golf early one Saturday morning I could give it a try.  Now obviously by then I only remembered a thought bubble, stars and plenty of curly shapes but for once my bad memory had an advantage as now I am not copying anyone else’s idea.  It was just much cheaper to first create with paper to see what it would look like and if, in fact, it could work.  So I did just that.

Now at this stage I was so chuffed with my art attempt that I stopped just there and actually felt that I accomplished something or then at least made a start.

Another golf day in the blazing sun

As much as I huff and puff about my friends' need to invite me to golf, this one happened timely as I had nothing else to write on my blog.  Still working on the projects for our National Quilt Festival in 2013, started with preparations for my free motion class next year and otherwise finishing up with my very last class being this evening.

Friend Rina invited us to a champagne breakfast at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum and then we set off to hit a couple of balls.

Poor Marie was not at all informed about the plans for the day and having taken a lift with Rina had to simply fall in and even though she played in sandals; did far better than us as she did not lose a ball.

As my heading indicated, it was hell hot in central South Africa and my bottled water soon turned lukewarm and choosing to wear black did not make it any easier.

Now watch Rina - aim, with the sand bunker right in front of her....

Massive hit.....

And yip, it landed right in the sand.  This is so typical of our game and I suppose Marie did not lose a ball as she never hit it far enough to be able to get lost.

Karin sorting through her gear to find the right club.

Fishing for balls - not compliments - as try as you might not even the kindest person would be able to compliment our game or whatever you want to call our attempts to hit the balls.

Thank you girls and especially Rina for the lovely breakfast and gift.

I've lost one more

They say memories are golden

well maybe that is true.

I never wanted memories,

I only want you. 


A million times I need you,

a million times I’ll cry.

If love alone could have saved you

you never would have died. 


In life I loved you dearly,

In death I love you still.

In my heart you hold a place

No-one could ever fill. 


If tears could build a stairway

and heartache make a lane,

I'd walk the path to heaven

and bring you back again. 


Our family chain is broken,

and nothing seems the same.

But as eternity calls us one by one,

the chain will link again. 

Going to miss you Pebbles!!

Goodie bag project

I am still keeping up with making our monthly quota of projects for the goodie bags for our National Quilt Festival but on Friday night, Karin and I had a couple of kind faeries over to give us a little (in fact a LOT of) help.
Iessie, 'tannie' Magriet and Wilna offered to give up a nights' sleep to sit and stitch with us and it felt like we moved mountains.  We got no less than 100 of what we needed done and Karin could take 60 to get up to date and we shared the rest.

Now at least we just have half of what we're supposed to do left and they even took some home to finish further for us.  then, absent but also a huge help is Rina, who took no less than 10 meters of fabric to work.  Okay she doesn't sew it herself but pays someone to do it... still, less work for the two of us.  Thanks Rina - must be lovely to have lots of money.

However the night and continuous stitching took its toll and we all took a break occasionally just to get our backs in a different position.  Here Karin and 'tannie' Magriet changes position, scenery and enjoyed the cooler weather outside.

Fabric bowls with the Rotary Cutter group

I had the Rotary Cutters group over at my house on the first Tuesday of the month and with it being their second last meeting of the year, we made it a play date.  Our last meeting will be dining (drinking) out in December.

We layered the tables with newspaper sheets and then the cutting, spraying and packing started.  Now they all know why we were taught to cut and paste in our earlier school years.  You never know when you'll need it again.

Elsa covering her top layer with SOLVE before the free motion stitching is done.

She had a class with me the next evening and brought along her completed bowl.  Turned out pretty with it being different colors on the in- and outside.

Sonja threading her machine after her fabric has been packed and layered between two layers of SOLVE.










Estelle trying to make sense of the strips and colors.











Marietjie, talking non-stop, while cutting out circles for her bowl.










Jolita packing strips and after rinsing the SOLVE, she tied her bowl with ribbon to keep the shape.











Wilna quietly doing her thing in her corner.





Daléne decided to take a short cut with bigger squares.

 Frances had the most interesting array of fabric and decorations.  This should turn out rather beautiful.

Unfortunately we had to wait for these to dry overnight and finished much earlier than anticipated but that was just the ideal excuse to enjoy the 2 bottles of 'Bloos' wine Estelle brought along.

See you in December ladies - this time drinking only, no sewing or working on a project!