Gum Valley Patchwork

Leap Year Sale

That's right my first ever Leap Year Sale is on tomorrow.

I will be opening an hour earlier at 10am.....to give you an extra hour of Leap Year Sale Shopping time.

So what's on Sale? For one day only, I have pulled out over 200 bolts of fabric from the shelves in the shop, and put them in the Classroom.

All of these fabrics have been marked down from $22 per metre to just $12 per metre.

They will be great for backings, borders, backgrounds, stitcheries, bindings, etc etc.

There is a 1 metre minimum cut......but at $12 a metre, that's a bargain!

Then at 4pm tomorrow afternoon (Sunday 28th), all remaining bolts will be returned to the shelves at their original price of $22/m.

I will also have some extra specials on the day at just $5 per metre (one metre minimum cut).

Linda   :)

NOTE: no further discounts apply to the fabric on special.

Farmers Wife Stitch Along - Day 2

Yesterday was the regular monthly get together of our Farmers Wife Stitch Along Group. We were a few members short due to one thing or another.....me included as I had to take my Mum to a specialist appointment in Warrnambool. But I was back in time to see the progress that everyone had made since our first meeting. Sandra has changed her choice of fabrics......every quilters' prerogative to change their mind! Shirley has cut out an amazing 85 + blocks.....all neatly filed away in a folder ready for stitching. Anne completed yet another beautiful hand pieced block to add to her growing collection, and Jodie was working out another gorgeous Liberty block for her 1930's FWQ. Me.....well I hadn't worked on mine since the day after January get together.....mind you I made 5 blocks on the day and then another 5 the following day......I knew that if I didn't put it away I would have them all done! After the ladies had gone yesterday, I pulled out my fabrics, spread myself out and started stitching.

I had already worked out the measurements to rotary cut quite a few of my blocks, so in no time at all I had made another 2 blocks and I have another one cut out and ready for stitching.

I might work on another 'one or two' today before I pack it away until our March FW Stitch Along.

I have also signed up for The Splendid Sampler......oh dear! I have only managed to stitch one of the blocks so far......

With 4 block patterns released so far, maybe I will do a couple of these today too.

Linda    :)

Health Centre time again

Time for our fortnightly measure........

Unfortunately it's too hard to weigh at this stage.......

See how much he has grown in a fortnight......wonder how much longer I will have to wait?

Linda     :)

 

Under the Mistletoe

Last year this beautiful range of fabrics arrived in the shop......I love the 3 Sisters Christmas fabrics as quite a few of them are versatile and slot very well onto the shelves of the shop after Christmas has passed.....greens, reds, blues and creams. In the 2015 Moda Christmas catalogue there was a pattern for a table runner using the fabric and the good intentions I had of making it last year somehow vanished. But it hasn't been far from my mind, so on Sunday I set about to make it up.......

I chose to use some of the Moda Wool felt for the holly and berries applique, and using a whip stitch they went on so quickly that I was finished in no time. I am so pleased with it! I will be kitting them up as complete kits.......fabric, wool, embroidery threads, binding, backing, Parlan, pattern and even some freezer paper to help with cutting out the wool pieces. You just need your thread to stitch it up with! The runner measures 29cm x 88cm and the cost is $35 per kit. They will be available at the end of the week. Order online here.

Linda    :)

It's a Leap Year Sale

Yes this year is a Leap Year......that special year we get every 4 years, where we score an extra day......yay! It is also when all of the single ladies out there can ask the guys to marry them. According to an old Irish legend, St Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every four years. But if you want something more interesting to do.....then why not hop along to my very first Leap Year Sale.

So that you don't lose your extra day on Monday 29th, I am going to have my Sale on Sunday 28th February.

I will open an hour earlier.....to give you an extra hour of Leap Year Sale time........10am to 4pm.

So what's on Sale? For one day only, I will be pulling out 200 + bolts of fabric from the shelves in the shop, and putting them in the Classroom. They will be marked down from $22 per metre to just $12 per metre. They will be great for backings, borders, backgrounds, stitcheries, bindings, etc etc. There is a 1 metre minimum cut......but at $12 a metre, that's a bargain!

At the end of the Sale, all remaining bolts will be returned to the shelves at their original price of $22/m. Please don't ask me which ones will be on sale as I haven't decided that yet....but if I have time I will post a few photos the night  before the Sale.

Linda   :)

 

She's leaving me.....again.

Last week Russell told me that I had an email.......one of about 20 that come through every day......my first reaction was what's wrong! Then he said "You'd better read it for yourself". Dread turned in to delight, when I read that 'Elenor Jean' had been invited to be one of 25 - 30 Australian quilts for an upcoming exhibition called 'Australian Uncovered'. The exhibition will be in the form of a timeline, showing the progression of quilting in Australia, from replicas of early quilts to contemporary pieces. The exhibition will be held from May until July (yes this year!) at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado, USA. Yes 'Elenor Jean' is off to America!

And as if this wasn't exciting enough, guess where Hannah and I will be on the 5th & 6th May.........Denver, Colorado.......right next door to Golden and with 2 spare days before we pick up with our National Parks and Canyon Country tour. And guess what day the exhibition opens on?.....the 6th May.....yay! I am really hoping that this does not change......so I will have fingers and toes crossed. Poor Prudence is starting to get just a little jealous........one day Prudence......one day.

Linda     :)

Garden Delights Block of the Month

If you have been thinking about doing this Block of the Month, then time just might be running out for you to sign up for it.

I only have 3 places left, and once they are gone that's it. There won't be any more kits available and as I have designed this BOM it isn't available anywhere else (unless someone has copied it and if they have I will be very very upset!). So if you would like to sign up you can place your order online by clicking here. All of the details are in the product details.

UPDATE: Thanks to the 3 ladies who have signed up for the Garden Delights BOM.......all gone now!

Linda    :)

 

Cottage Garden Threads Collectors Club

With the last posting for Year 2 of the Cottage Garden Threads Collectors Club going to the Post Office on Monday, it is almost  time to start Year 3. This next 12 month program will see each mailing contain 4 different Cottage Garden Threads to add to your collection and a newly designed small project to stitch and make. Each month will have a new project.......it might be a bag, a cushion, sewing accessories,.....and more! Here is a little sneak peek that Katie sent through yesterday....

The fabric is NOT included in the monthly package........but I do include a special little extra gift every month in the mailout. I have had included over the past 2 years.....fat 1/8ths and fat 1/4s, zips, ric rac, buttons, purse frames, spring bars, felted wool, Staflex, fusible hexagons, bangles, patterns, ......plus more. What will I include for Year 3?......I don't know! If you would like to renew your 'membership' to the CGTCC, then please let me know........if I don't hear from you I will not renew your membership. If you would like to sign up and start this great club, you can do so by placing your order here: Cottage Garden Threads Collectors Club but be quick as it starts in March. The cost is $25 per month plus $2 P&H (in Australia).

Linda    :)

 

Bomb site

is the best description of my lounge room at the moment.......and the classroom......and my bedroom.........I think that you get the picture! It usually happens at this time of the year as the Heytesbury Show approaches

and my plans for being super organised for AQC get thrown out the window.

So my good intentions of productive use of time is best represented by the following photo......

and I'm pretty sure that today will be no different!

Linda    :)

All good things

While the old saying that "all good things must come to an end" certainly applies to some of our vegetables in the garden, new ones are finally coming to the peak of their production. Last night I picked, podded and froze the last (well almost) of the peas. We now have 51 small, 1 cup bags of peas in the freezer, ready to use over the coming Winter months. We grew all of those from under one packet of seed so for just a very small $ outlay and a bit of love and labour....and they taste delicious! Another last is the Raspberries. I have always wanted to grow them so last year I bought 10 raspberry canes and 2 plants in pots.

I have managed to keep the birds away and have enjoyed quite a few feeds off them......and I know for sure that next season I will have 20 times more.......check out all of the new canes......next season's fruiting wood......I think that it has certainly helped that they are planted near the drainage line for our waste water!

So while the peas and raspberries are finished, the cucumbers, zucchinis and beans are well into producing and will go on for quite a while. While we have had a few feeds off the beans, they are now producing way too many to use so last night I started on blanching and freezing the excess.......6 bags done with lots more over the coming months.

The strawberries are also producing well (about 4 - 5 punnets a week) and having spent about $75 on plants they have just about covered the cost and now we are eating for free.

The Beetroot is ready for a Beetroot Chutney making day, the capsicums are coming along nicely and keeping us in supply, the chillis are starting to turn red, the spring onions are tasting great, the tomatoes are growing well but are slow to ripen, the pumpkins still look sad but we will get probably about 20 pumpkins from them so at least it isn't all bad, the carrots are finally looking like they are almost ready, the parsnips have huge leaves but I know that they are all show at this stage and will not be fooled into pulling any up, and the lettuce bed is almost full.......and in light of the recent food poisoning scare I am certainly glad that we grow our own!

And of course there is my 'baby'. Remember on the 25th January I blogged about my Watermelon........well here 'he' is as of last night.....

So in under 2 weeks it has grown into this.......

Yes I took my tape measure down to have a little bit of a measure.

Now I just have to make sure that the Bush Rats don't decide that they want him more than me! Stay tuned for more measuring dates!

Linda    :)