Gum Valley Patchwork

Christmas Club Class

It's getting to that time of the year again when my Christmas Club classes fire up. This series of classes is run similar to the popular Material Girls Club, but with Christmas themed projects to make and take home. At each class you will make a different project that has been pre-cut for you and ready for stitching.

The dates for the class are: Monday 10th September; Monday 1st October; and Monday 12th November. There is an afternoon class (12.30pm - 3pm) and an evening class (7pm - 9.30pm). The cost is $25 per day, so a total of $75. Places are limited and fill fast, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Linda    :)

Late Winter sunshine

With fine weather predicted for a couple of days, I took the opportunity today to get out and tackle a part of the garden that has tormented me for years. It is the large garden bed right slap bang in the middle of the lawn. It's remained neglected and unloved for many years, even when I had the Timboon Garden Club visit last year I ran out of time to get the area trimmed, weeded, planted and mulched. But with a wedding booked in the garden in early November, it was time to get that monkey off my back and tidy up that garden bed. I did a little bit yesterday afternoon, but today I spent about 5 hours out in the late Winter sunshine, armed with pruners and spade.

The edging of rocks had almost completely sunk into the ground or been covered over by overgrown plants and weeds.

While the Buddleia and Pittosporum trees are desperately in need of a good prune back, I have resisted as I don't want the garden to look too bare come November. I will just neaten them up for the time being and get the chainsaw out next Autumn! Although I am only about half way through the weeding and pruning process, it does feel good to finally get stuck in to it. I even found one of my old handmade beanie hats that I used to wear around the farm. I had obviously taken it off, put it down and promptly forgot about it.........for about seven years......lol!

I must have used very good quality polar fleece when I made it because it hasn't rotted at all........in fact if I washed it, I could probably wear it again.......but I don't think I will worry......lol!

Linda    :)

 

Production line

It's an annual occurrence for me at this time of the year. I work on a production line of cutting, stitching, quilting, turning, and finishing off the handmade goodie bags for my Stitch in Spring event. Every year I try and come up with a different design to make.....some have been easier than others, but all are handmade with love and maybe just a little swearing.....lol!

Once I have finished this year's bags I have estimated that my tally will be around 935. And this year's bag?.......well that's top secret for the time being!

Linda    :)

A case of the 'can't be bothereds'

Forgive me followers for I have not blogged. It has been 17 days since my last post and to tell you the truth I don't really even feel like writing this post.

Let me set the scene......I was just getting over the pulled muscles in my back, walking better and looking forward to getting stuck in to some stitching and gardening. Then I got Russell's cold.......kind of him wasn't it to share his germs with me, but I guess that's what you get sleeping with a sickie....... I said sickie not sicko.....lol! I thought that I would just have it for a couple of days, the usual length of time a cold stays with me, and then I would be back to normal. But oh no........after 10 days I developed Sinusitis and on Wednesday I gave in to the pain and went to the Doctor. I know that there is nothing you do for a cold but Sinusitis is a different thing altogether. Antibiotics were prescribed and although I am in to day 4 of the 5 days of popping giant horse sized tablets, the pain is still there along with the severe case of 'can't be bothereds'.  On Friday I decided that some gardening might make me feel better.....out in the late Winter sunshine, and although it did help a little, I felt the previous 3 1/2 weeks of unwellness more than I thought that I would. A bit of weeding and 5  wheelbarrows of mulch was all that I could manage......I was huffing and puffing and feeling that I needed a good lie down!

Yesterday, pruning some roses was less stressful, and this morning mowing the lawns was much better.

I'm off to get my repeat script tomorrow, and hopefully this will help me to get back to 100% and back to blogging.....and enjoying it!

Linda    :)

 

A few dates for your diaries

As September is fast approaching, that means just one thing for me.......the Stitch in Spring is just around the corner and the next 6 weeks are going to fly by! There is lots to do so I may be a little quiet when it comes to my blogging. This post isn't about the SIS, but, before I go into blog 'stealth mode', I wanted to give you all the heads up about the dates for my Stitching Retreat weekend next March. As you might be aware we had a few 'hiccups' with the Retreat this year as the venue was turned into an evacuation centre for the bush fires that were in our area. For those who attended, it will be a Retreat that they will never forget. For the 2019 Retreat there will be a few things that will stay the same and there will be a few new things which will change.

The date will still be the weekend after the long weekend in March........so in 2019 it will be Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th March.

I am relocating the Retreat to the Simpson Community Hub at the Simpson Recreation Reserve. This is where the Christmas in July event was held and after so many positive comments, particularly about the lighting and ease of access, I have decided to move the Retreat closer to home.

So with this move I guess I can't really call it 'Stitching by the Sea' anymore, and 'Stitching by the Dam' just doesn't have a particularly nice ring to it. So I do declare that 'Sit & Stitch in Simpson' will now be it's official title, but will probably be more commonly known as the March Retreat......lol!

Registrations will open on Monday 22nd October at 9am (another date for your diaries), but don't worry I will be blogging more about the event (with the finer details) a little closer to the registration date.

Linda   :)

Rest and recovery

Last week we spent three days in Melbourne moving some furniture around for Hannah. Those three days (and a dodgy crappy bed at a motel) took a toll on my back, and I must've torn/damaged some muscles. Thursday to Sunday saw me walking around like I had a stick shoved up my backside......too scared to bend, twist or do anything really. Although I have lots to do in the shop, I decided that I need to take it very easy and, with the help of some legal drugs, I am starting to feel that I am over the worst.......thank goodness. With shop work on hold for a few days, I pulled out my Circle a Day Quilt blocks to stitch. I had started these blocks in January but stopped in early February and that's been it.......until Friday. I am using my Minick and Simpson fabric stash to make the blocks. Creams and beiges for the backgrounds and all other colours for the circles.

Three days (and nights) stitching circles has added 78 blocks to my original 49.........so I now have 127 blocks finished.

As careful as I was, I have managed to have 3 double ups in the circles......which I was trying to avoid. But I've decided not to worry about it so they are staying!

I'm not sure how many more blocks I will make, but thinking that 144 is a nice even number for a 12 x 12 quilt.

Linda   :)

Once Upon a Memory

So when one Christmas range of fabric just isn't enough, what do you do? Order another one of course! 'Once upon a memory' is by Holly Taylor for Moda fabrics, and is quite different from previous Christmas ranges I have had in the shop. There are a couple of things that I always look for when ordering Christmas fabrics.

I try to avoid over the top Christmas fabric.....you know what I mean......those glitzy in your face prints. Yes of course there has to be some Christmas prints, otherwise it wouldn't be festive.

I like the majority of the range has to be versatile, and have the ability to be used in many different projects. It slots perfectly onto the shelves after Christmas and can be used for whatever you want.

and I think this range fits the criteria perfectly!

  It is the first time that I have had a fabric range from Holly in the shop and I'm looking forward to making a few Christmas (and other) projects with it. The fabric is up on my website for those wanting to buy from the bolt. Price is $24 per metre.

Linda   :)

Home for Christmas

Christmas fabrics have been arriving thick and fast into the shop during recent times. The first to arrive was the whimsical 'Home for Christmas' by the lovely Anni Downs from Hatched & Patched.

Anni was one of our guest tutors at our 2017 Stitch in Spring in Port Campbell. This is the first time that I have had Anni's fabric in the shop, and I'm sure that it won't be the last.

I used a few of the prints for one of the projects at my recent Christmas in July event......teamed it with one of Anni's stitchery designs......a perfect match!

Here is the newest project that I have stitched up using the fabric is this 'Home for Christmas' table runner.

Fussy cut pieces and four-patch blocks make up this runner which is perfect for your table at Christmas. I have kits available for $30, and as always they include everything that you need to make the runner.......fabric, borders, backing, Parlan, binding and instructions.

The fabric has also been uploaded on to my website and is available for $24 per metre.

Linda   :)