A slice of a quilter's life - Lisa B and Sue N

It is time for another look at some of our quilters - another Slice or a Quilter's Life.  This time our quilters are Lisa B and Sue N.

Enjoy!

First up, Lisa B

I have a wonderful hairdresser and will therefore never be grey haired, at 5’9” will never be little and at this stage I’m pondering how long I will stay in my 30’s (so I may never publicly admit to being old) but boy do I love to quilt.

I am relatively new to quilting and actually started taking sewing lessons so

 I could sew a laundry bag. I have progressed to quilts (albeit simple ones) and there is a certain joy in taking a request and working out how to transform it into a quilt. I don’t have a creative job - I am an accountant and whilst I love numbers (who doesn’t!) it is probably best that I am not creative with them. Aussie Hero Quilts is something I just stumbled across but I am so glad I did. Because I needed to take lessons I now belong to a lovely sewing class that I attend every Tuesday night, and as much as I love the sewing, the tea and biscuit break at 8pm and the gossip/chat that accompanies it is one of my favourite parts!

The girls at work are always kept up to date with my latest quilt because if there are any hand sewing/embroidery bits to do I try and do them at work in my lunch hour to save the time at home for the sewing machine. I am a bit seasonal in my sewing. I try not to take on any requests during the busy time at work as I don’t have that much time to devote to sewing, and if things are a bit busy at home I try not to take on any requests so if I know that I have a bit of spare time coming up I scour the request list for something that will be within my sewing abilities.

I have also been known, when people visit, to ask them to come to the sewing room to chat to me whilst I sew because I am on a deadline. Inevitability they leave with bits of thread hanging off them. I clean the sewing room every now and again but thread and material offcuts just seem to magically appear all the time.

My family are now experts on keeping an eye out for Australian themed material and are very understanding (mostly) when we are out and I say ooh look a material shop – I’ll just pop in here. Owing to my ever growing stash I have had to rehouse some items in cupboards at home to make way for the material.

I don’t really have an average day for AHQ as I tend to work in blocks throughout the year but this is how I fit AHQ into my life.

Regards

Lisa B

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Hi, My name is Sue N. I am a wife, mother of 3 adult children and 2 cats and I love to sew. I am passionate about charity and along came Aussie Heroes quilts and laundry bags and I was hooked.  I am a person who is at home most of the time because of health issues but that is another story. My day to day is like this.

8.30 am I get up have breakfast of toast and coffee, sit at the computer and read my e-mails, go on facebook to catch up with the news.

9.00 am I am in the sewing room. This used to be one of my kids bedrooms and I love it. I have my request list taped to the door with the details of what where and when it needs to be done. Measuring and cutting fabric, then putting them together into a quilt top and the time disappears. I take a break at 2.30 for lunch, toast and coffee again, also at the computer. 3 pm back in the sewing room. 

I sew until 6 pm.  By this time the quilt top is done and pinned and sandwiched on the table ready for the next day.

I have dinner at 7pm  steamed vegetables and concentrate on my other charity stuff, in the sitting room knitting scarves, hats, gloves and blankets for  the homeless. I finish and go to bed at 1 am and struggle to get to sleep, it usually takes me until 4am to nod off and fingers crossed I stay asleep, I feel lucky if I get at least 2 hours straight. But I stay there anyway, asleep or not until 8am. then the day starts again. This time quilting the quilt and trimming to size and adding the binding.

I am very lucky and fortunate that my husband supports me in all that I do. I hope to be able to make for many many more years to come.

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Another two amazing ladies.   Actually all of our ladies are amazing and all have their own stories - even it most are too shy to share..... think about it thought please.   Both the other quilters and the recipients and their families love to know who sews for AHQ so won't you consider sending in a piece that tells about your Slice of Quilter's Life?

Till next time...................keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan--Maree xx