Friend of the Day Liz B 10 Decmber

Before I introduce today's Friend of the Day just a reminder that Aussie Heroes is now officially in Christmas holiday mode, well as much as we will be!  That means there will only be three posts a week - Monday's Friend of the Day, Wednesday's Happy Mail (keep the BOMs coming) and Friday's Quilts of the Week with a surprise or two thrown in now and then to keep you on your toes.  I will still be taking and allocating requests and answer (and probably sending) emails. You would be surprised at how much time I save by cutting down the posts to three a week instead of six.

And now, allow me to hand you over to Liz B for her Friend of the Day post......

Hi my name is Liz – Liz B that is. I live about 3 ½ to 4 hours drive west of Sydney in the Capertee Valley. My husband Rob and I live on a small property called Gethsemane.

I was told about AHQ by my son who had the radio on one morning at work and heard Jan-Maree being interviewed re a workshop at Penrith Patchwork so I phoned her there that weekend and started sewing. I have sent off about four quilts and a dozen or so laundry bags, and I’m hoping to be able to devote more time to it in the new year.

I sew for AHQ because I want our troops to know that we care about them and are proud of them.

I have been sewing since primary school days and completed a drafting and dressmaking course at TAFE in my late teens, however I didn’t start quilting until 13 or 14 years ago and now I can’t shake the habit.

Q&A 
Q.  Do I have any connection to the services?
A.  Does living in a house that looks like an Army hut count?
I do have a friend who has four sons in the Army and my dad was in the RAAF in WW2.

We bought our land back in the nineties but couldn’t escape from Sydney where we lived at Arcadia until our kids got married and left home. Arcadia is a semi-rural area on the outskirts of Sydney but fast becoming suburbia. We thought we had escaped from the kids as well but lo and behold they have followed us. Our daughter Verena, her husband Ken and two children Stephanie and Mitchell live in Mudgee – not too far away and our son Hayden with wife Alisa and their two girls Amelia and Haidee live in the nearby town of Rylstone. We do enjoy having them all so close and we are able to do “Mardie and Pa” duties when necessary.

Our property is about 25ks from our nearest towns – Kandos and Rylstone and believe it or not my closest patchwork material shop is about 1 ½ks from my front gate – it’s called the Homestead Selection and has lots of fabrics that you just don’t see anywhere else.  The nearest material shops after that are in Bathurst which is 1½ hours drive away.

Pics of where I live

The last fabric bargain I purchased was from our local Child Flight op-shop where I volunteer one morning a week and sew items for sale in the shop – op-shops are great places to get fabric from, you never know what you might find and it helps other charities as well. Just think outside the square a little and don’t just look at material but at things like embroidered tablecloths, place mats and doona covers. Quite often these things end up in the op-shops after one or two washes and some are even brand new, you just have to be there at the right time. Don’t go home to think about it for a few days because it won’t be there when you go back. I have bought some beautiful antique laces in these places.

I am very fortunate to have a building separate from our house just for my craft. I also have my Gammill long arm quilting machine set up in this room. I have to admit that I probably do more charity work on the machine than paid work, but I love doing it. My room is called “QUITS” that is because my dearly beloved said that I had to call it quits on spending money once I’d had the room built – so QUITS it is. Some people have thought that the sign maker made a spelling error and left out the “L”.     

A flying Pig is on the side of "Quits" coz I never thought I would ever have a craft room

Pics of some things I have made

A dress for Amelia, flower girl at a local Deb

 and little sisters Haidee and Anya had new dresses too

My cat Chi on my Australian Wildflower quilt

Q. Anything quirky to illustrate my story?

A.  I will let you be the judge!

Around the farm

Welease Wodja (Monty Python fans will understand Wodja Wooster!)

Three little pigs

Killer Wombats

Now leasing - Modern Apartment

Giant Geckos

Raw Prawns and Puff the Magic Dragon

Yes, even street lights from a junk yard

As if you would want to U turn from our front Driveway.

Thanks Liz!

I really love those scupltures and asked Liz if her husband created them all and said that I suspected the Grandkids must love coming to visit them and this was Liz's reply - 

Yes! My husband did make all the wonderful "sculptures" - the grandkids do love coming to our place and they love their Pa as well. He is always doing and saying crazy things so they now just say "Oh Paaaaaa" (it's hard to put the tone of the Paaaa onto paper but I'm sure you get my drift.)

I am sure I (and we) get the drift.  I hope Liz doesn't mind me sharing that but I thought it was gorgeous - what lucky grandkids.  Actually I think lots of us would like to visit.

Till next time (Wednesday remember) ........keep spreading the word and happy stitching!