Gum Valley Patchwork

The bestest thing ever

Do you have a tool or sewing implement that you just couldn't live without? I don't mean the obvious like your sewing machine, rotary cutter, ruler and mat. Something small that has saved you heaps of time and saved you from using naughty swear words. Well this is mine.

 
Absolutely fabulous for turning body and other parts when making softies, dolls, bears and bags. Over the years I have many requests about where to buy them.....well now I have them in stock (well they are due to be delivered later this week) and can be purchased  here online or at the shop. They are $25.oo  each.

Linda   :)

 

I was abducted by aliens......

....not really...... but I have had a hard time trying to come up with an excuse as to explain my absence from blogging! Apart from me walking around like I have a stick shoved up my backbit.....and no that was not from the aliens but from me doing my back about a fornight ago. How you ask.......lifting 3 big boxes of fabric.....which I have done many times before........followed up by lugging around 20 litre buckets of milk for the calves.....again done many times! The short version is 5 days of not being very flexible even to the point of having a hard time putting on my socks and undies :S  ........ so it was off to the doctors...........anti inflammatory drugs and valium plus no lifting calf milk and wrestling with calves (or Russell!)  = a much improved back....still twitchy but much better. What annoyed me more was that I missed 2 absolutley glorious gardening days last week and was stuck inside doing the accounts! I guess the weeds will wait.

Back soon.....I promise!

Linda   :)

I think I'm in love......

So sweet you are
Like a shining star
You brighten my whole world
It brings me joy being your girl

'Cause everything's good about you
I couldn't live without you
You're so sweet, you're so fine
I'm so thankful that you're mine

Full of clover
Bustin' out all over
You're the summer in the park
You're the candle in the dark
And I love you, so true
Yes, I do

You're the love of my life
You're a pure delight
The short time I've been with you
You must've come from heaven above
You're the poets meaning of love

You're tender touch means oh so much
You're the sunshine after the storm
When I'm cold you make me warm
And I love you, so true
Yes, I do

It's a lonely day and night
And things will be alright
Together just you and me
Just living in pure ecstacy

'Cause everything's good about you
I couldn't live without you
You are my guiding light
When things go wrong
You make them right
This heart inside's bursting with pride
Please let your love surround me
And always stay around me
I love you, so true
Yes, I do, yeah

 
It's Smith!

Linda   :) 

Wanted.....

someone who is an expert at Tetris.....because I need to squeeze in an extra 36 bolts of fabric into the shop...lol! I wasn't expecting this range to arrive until September but it was delivered yesterday when I was at the dentist....

 
It's 'Curio' by basicgrey.

 
I spent the afternoon having a tidy up and a little re-arrange.

 
It looks so beautiful all lined up together.

I still have Jelly Rolls, Charm Packs & (one) Layer Cake left. The fabric is $22 per metre.

Linda   :)

PS. Did you see 'someone' special in the background of the top photo?

Weekend Stitching

I have been busy sewing this weekend but I'm afraid I can't show anyone what I'm making. All I can tell you is that I have to make 70 and so far I have made 30........just a little hint.......it's for the Stitch in Spring in Simpson day, they look very pretty and I'm sure the ladies attending will love them!

I planned to make my own Pickle.....a wonderful new pattern from Jodie designed especially  for beginners.

 
but alas it wasn't to be. I had to be home right at 4pm as we were herd testing tonight and I couldn't sneak an extra 30 minutes at the shop. She is all cut out and ready to go so maybe I will be able to introduce you to her next weekend. Now if I could only get that craft clock to really give me an extra 8 hours in the day imagine what I could get done!

Linda   :)

A helping hand

Being a farmer means that you have lots of different skills. One of those skills is being a 'midwife' when the cows sometimes are having difficulties in delivering their calves. We generally don't have to assist many.........Jerseys tend to have no trouble 'spitting' out their calves but the Friesians (the black & white ones) sometimes require our help. The other night we helped one of our cows to calve......the mother hadn't had a chance to lick her clean and she wasn't strong enough to get up and follow mum.......so what do you use to shift a new born calf?.......a wheelbarrow of course!

 
The calf is now doing well.

Linda   :) 

A tasy diversion

A new parcel of fabric was delivered on Tuesday.......unfortunately it wasn't to my shop but to someone else's! The courier company's driver didn't realise that I wasn't open on Tuesdays and ended up delivering it 10km down the road to G.O.R.G.E Chocolates. Well it looked like I just had to 'drag' myself down there and pick it up! Jason and Mel are the new owners of GORGE Chocolates and have relocated the business from Melrose Rd onto the Princetown Rd into a new shop front on their property. It is a fantastic setting with lots of tempting treats......we came home with some chocolate coated bananas, chocolate coated aniseed rings (Russell's favourite) and some white chocolate coated marshmellows......very yummy and very gone! Oh and we also came home with the fabric.........'Bowood House' by Robyn Pandolph.

 
It is the first time I have had one of Robyn's ranges in the shop.

 
and I can't wait to use it!

 
$22 per metre.

Linda    :)

A special trip

This morning I left home earlier than normal but my destination wasn't the shop......I had a much more important place to be prior to the 11am shop opening. I was headed for Terang. You might remember me mentioning that part of my prize for winning Best Quilt was a lovely big bundle of Fat 1/4's which has been donated by The Quilted Crow in Tasmania. As I own my own patchwork shop and really have quite a large stash of fabric, I didn't want to see the fabric bundle sit idle and not be used. So I decided to pass it on to some ladies who I knew would love it to bits! In Terang I called in here:

 
(I pinched this photo off Cooinda's website.....it wasn't sunny today but raining!)

Cooinda is a disability service provider for the district. I met with Heather, (one of the wonderful ladies who works with the clients), who showed me through to the room where a group of approximately 12 ladies meet on a Thursday to do all things crafty. Heather and her support crew have taught the ladies a range of crafts including patchwork, applique, embroidery, knitting and crocheting. Some of the ladies are members of the Camperdown Clocktower Quilters and they have produced many beautiful quilts.

  
 The Cooinda ladies were very excited about the bundle of fabric and all lined up for some photos.

 
Heather (red top), myself and Michelle (with fabric), and the other ladies for a lovely group shot. Michelle certainly had a tight hold on the fabric....she had her eye on the lovely purple fat quarter on the top as purple is her favourite colour.

The ladies also do screen printing, usually on a Friday. I snapped this shot as I was leaving.

 
I'm sure the ladies will love playing with the new fabric and will make some lovely projects with it.

Linda    :)

Exciting news

Before I tell you some more very exciting news I would like to thank everyone for all of the messages, cards, phone calls, emails, blog and facebook comments about my 'Dear Prudence' quilt and her wins in the 'Fabric of Society' Challenge last week. I have been blown away by the response, especially the lovely post on Polly & Laurie's blog. I used the 'Wiscasset' range of fabric's in the quilt which was designed by them.

Now on to the news. You all know that when I made my 'Dear Prudence' quilt I was recreating a quilt from The Fabric of Society book by Dr Annette Gero.
The original quilt was made in 1857 by Prudence Jeffrey on board the sailing ship The Phoenix to Australia. Prudence, and her husband of 2 years James, set sail from Liverpool, England on 14th June 1857 and arrived in Melbourne on the 26th November 1857. I have read and re-read the story of this quilt so many times. I marvel at what a magnificent quilt Prudence stitched while heaving up and down on the open seas during the 5 month journey to a new country. No rotary cutter, mats, pre-cut papers, special sewing light, bottom line sewing thread or being able to just go and grab the 'right' piece of fabric off the bolt. She and her husband went on to have 12 children - maybe that is why the quilt was never finished!

On Friday while I was standing talking to ladies at the Quilt Show when a woman approached me. She asked if I was the Linda who made the quilt. I replied yes I was and with that she asked whether I would like to see the original quilt that was made by Prudence herself. Well if I didn't have a smile on my face before this I did now. Margaret told me how a woman called Janene that she worked with had for some time been telling her about this quilt that she owned that was made out of all these tiny hexagons. Finally Janene took the quilt to show Margaret......it was all folded up in a calico bag with a cake of soap neatly tucked inside. This was Prudence's quilt. WOW! I had goosebumps....how wonderful! Margaret and I have exchanged details and I am hoping that when I go to Melbourne in November I will be able to see THE quilt that inspired me so much. 

It was the best finish to a wonderful day, and I am so looking forward to meeting Janene and her Prudence quilt.

Linda   :)