A thank you and some happy mail

This quilt was send off recently.  It was made by Elizabeth and quilted by Carol of Turramurra Quilters.  It has arrived now and I received a lovely thank you message from the recipient.

Thanks so much for the quilt, I received it yesterday. Its lovely, I really like the Aussie green and gold theme and the laundry bag is a really nice patterned material, much more exciting than the calico issued laundry bag. I will happily put up your flyer.  All the best and thanks again. I honestly really appreciate the quilt and am so impressed in you ladies for doing this for us.

A couple of weeks ago I received these great May BOM blocks from Ilse.  I needed a few more and Sharina had emailed me and offered to make more if I needed her to so I took her up on her offer.

This is Ilse's six

And Sharina's blocks turned up today and don't they look great!

Don't they look great together!

And last but not least check out these gorgeous blocks for our June BOM all the way from Lisa in America.  This is going to be a gorgeous quilt!

And now I am off to finish sorting quilts for quilters.  I have spent most of today piecing backings for all the quilt tops I have so that tomorrow I can deliver quilts to two quilters and mail some other bits off.

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

Wednesday wonky log cabin

This gorgeous quilt was made by Liz from WA but it is made up of blocks donated by the Quilter's Patch group from Kalamunda.  Aren't they wonderful?  I think it is just so interesting to look at and I love the star in the centre of one of them.  

The Gumnuts are a design Liz created and they are to quote her "a representation of one of the fountains in the XXXXXXXX shire."  I think they are gorgeous!

This is a great example of what you can create if you get others to contribute.   It doesn't take too long to get the blocks together and even if you can't design your own applique motif there are lots out there that you can use.  Alternatively if you can still find some of the Aussie flag panels you can arrange the blocks around one of those.

Action in Mount Gambier
Susan from Mt Gambier has sweet talked the lovely Angela, store manager of Lincraft in MG to let her use a room for Aussie Heroes at no charge.  Susan is hoping to set up some sewing mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is looking for other Aussie Hero Friends to join her.  If you are in the Mt Gambier area and wish to join in please contact me so that I can pass on Susan's contact details.  Thanks Angela!


- Just a reminder - 

Aussie Hero Sewing Day Penrith Patchwork! 

Jeff from Penrith Patchwork is allowing us to use the back classroom at his shop from 10am this coming Saturday.  There is room for 10 people to sew.   The address is 97b Henry St

PENRITH, NSW, 2750 Phone (02) 4721 1213

Please let me know if you can make it.  You can either bring along your own Aussie Hero project to work on or I can provide something for you if I know in advance.  Just leave a comment or email me.   Novice quilters welcome.  I am happy to give instruction and advice.

Thanks Jeff!

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

Star tutorial

Just before I get down to business a few small titbits that I thought you would find interesting.  I have decided that time has come for me to be more assertive about getting the Aussie Hero name around Canberra so that those that need to know are aware of what we are doing.  First I called the Chaplain at Richmond to chat and see if they could refer me to a contact in Canberra!!!  BINGO!  Just so happens that the Chaplain I spoke to has just returned from "over there" and is actually the owner of an Aussie Hero Quilt!  AND it seems that one of the other Chaplains that was "over there"  will be returning to work in the fullness of time - to a job in Canberra!  Beauty!  Hope they don't mind hearing from me again!

Another lovely little titbit - through facebook a lady from the RAAF Base at Edinburgh in SA contacted me and requested a quilt for a female member who is serving "over there" at the moment.   That was no problem and I assured her that if there was anyone else just to let me know.  She has just come back with a name for me - and guess what!!!  She has already received a quilt!  LOVE IT!   Additionally there is a Quilt Group in SA that is near the base and they are going to endeavor to make quilts for the folks from Edinburgh that are going to be "over there" for Christmas!

Excellent!

Ages ago I showed you this quilt that I made for Belvedere's boss and some of you asked for a tutorial.  I am sorry it has taken me so long to get to it but I have been flat out.  At the moment I am working on another request quilt or a different design but it also uses the stars so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and make a tutorial whilst I made the blocks.

And NO you clever people out there who read my other blog this is not the BOM for July.  That one is dedicated to the folks in Egypt and that is all I am going to say!  LOL!

So, on to the tutorial.

I love these stars.    I use them for so many things and I like to make them  so that they can be trimmed to size and you don't have to worry about losing the points.  You will see I do  a lot of blocks like that.

First you have to do some cutting.  Blue is my background colour in this example, yellow the points and red for the centre.  Start by cutting eight 3" squares from the background colour and one 3" square from your centre colour.  Then cut eight 2" squares from your point color.

Next take your 8 point squares and, using a pencil or chalk, draw a line diagonally from one corner to the other.  This is your sewing line.

Place one yellow square in the corner of four of the blue (background) squares 

and sew along the line.

Like so!

Cut away the extra. 

Iron the yellow square open so your square looks like a square again!

Next take the four remaining yellow point squares and place them on an adjacent corner and again sew along the line.

Again cut away the extra and iron the yellow square over to get back to having for squares again.

Take your four remaining blue squares and sew on each side of TWO of your squares with yellow points.  Take the two remaining squares with yellow points and sew one on each side of the red centre square.

Now here is an important part if you want it all to fit together nicely - the centre row  with the four yellow points and the red centre - iron the seams towards the red centre.  

You will end up with less bulk that way.  The outer rows with the yellow points and the two blue squares -iron away from the yellow points - again less bulk.

 You will see in the next photo that the seams face away from each other and therefore will be less bulky when sewn together.

Now take one of the outer rows and pin it to your centre row.  

Make sure your seams align and pin so that they don't move during sewing.  Repeat with the final row.

You will now have someething that looks like this and needs ironing.  Which ever way you iron it you will get some bulk where the yellow points intersect with the red. Decide how you are going to iron the seams and stick with it for all the blocks.

Turn it over and this is what you have.  These blocks are around 7 1/2 inches depending on whether you used you quarter inch foot or not.  I am planning to trim these blocks to 7 inches to make them fit my project better.  You can also trim these down to 6" or 61/2" if that suits your purpose.

So now we are half way to the tutorial for the red quilt above.  For that quilt I trimmed the stars to 6 1/2" to fit in with my 6 1/2" strips.

Don't forget our 

Aussie Hero Sewing Day in Penrith this Saturday.  

All the details are found here.   Leave me a comment or send me an email if you think you can make it.

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

Strippy String BOM Update and special sewing day

Time for an update on our Strippy String Blocks and I have to say I am loving them!

Sue P sent me these ones and on the weekend I put them up on the design wall and played around with some layouts.  Which one do you all like?

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Version 4

Personally I think I am tending toward Version 4 so I am keen to see what everyone else thinks.

Here are some from Karen in NSW that arrived just today.  Thanks Karen.  There are two weeks of the month left  - I wonder how many more blocks will arrive in the mail.   I would like at least enough for another quilt.  I need 32 blocks for one quilt unless I put some plain blocks in.   I know there are some coming from America already....what about you?

Catch up on April

And here is the latest April BOM quilt.  I was going to out a white border on it but didn't have enough white so went with this fun blue that isn't repeated in the blocks.  I actually don't mind it and I have to say it will be a lot more serviceable that white!   When I was a little girl we used to live in a small country towns around WA as my dad was a teacher.  Wherever we lived there was red dirt and dust and in winter MUD.  I think if that everything I put a bit of white into these quilts as I have heard so much about it being dusty in Afganistan and elsewhere.  Because of the mud my mum used to dress us in brown and "serviceable" colours!  Hence my choice of a more "serviceable" colour!

This is the other April BOM quilt.  I actually took it outside this afternoon to lay it on my colour coordinated royal blue car but the light wasn't great.  Probably better than it would have been inside though.  I have quilted it is wonky lines - 

 parallel wonky lines all over it.

 I am hoping they show up in the pics as they were fun to do but needed a lot of masking tape to make them out!

Pam from out Penrith way has been very busy.    First up we have a special sewing day coming up this Saturday.  It is short notice but we suspect it is only the first on many to come in the future if people are interested in coming along.  Here are the details...

Aussie Hero Sewing Day Penrith Patchwork! 

Jeff from Penrith Patchwork is allowing us to use the back classroom at his shop from 10am this coming Saturday.  There is room for 10 people to sew.   The address is  97b Henry St

PENRITH, NSW, 2750 Phone (02) 4721 1213

Please let me know if you can make it.  You can either bring along your own Aussie Hero project to work on or I can provide something for you if I know in advance.  Just leave a comment or email me.   Novice quilters welcome.  I am happy to give instruction and advice.

Thanks Jeff!

Also, Pam is a real estate agent and she has a number of other irons in the fire.   She will be meeting with the tradies she give work to and will be asking for donations for the cause. She has also been approached by some of the tenants that have said they would be happy to give some goodies for the guys so will start taking donations for that. She is going to put up the list on the notice board so they know what to donate.and keep you posted as to how we go. As she said, it helps when they know she has one in the service. (a RAAFie chappie!)

Way to go Pam!!!

Don't forget, let me know if you can make it on Saturday!

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

Another thank you

OK -word of warning!  The teens have used up all 500GB of our monthly data allowance and I am typing this hoping like crazy that I can save and post it.  Have not yet worked out how to post with photos on my ipad.  Anyone with any hints in that regard please email me.  Grrrrr


You may remember the great pic that Sue P sent me of the quilt and laundry bag that she made.

Well, it has arrived and here is the response.


Thank you very much for your email. I recieved the Quilt and Laundry bag in country on approximately on the 2nd of June. However, I didn't recieve it until the 8th. I have been very busy over the last few weeks.


I would like you to know I have a laundry bag that is envied by all who come across it.  It is very distinct in its characteristics, it has bought many a comment. It is also extremely easy to find amongst the piles of washing.


The quilt is awesome. I have it in my room and took it out with me one time, however, I don't think I will be doing that agian as it got filthy.  I had to wash it twice.  I felt terrible as I was thinking when I washed it if Sue would be happy with me. She did say this is the only Quilt like it in the world.  However, it kept me warm and I didn't need to carry around a giant sleeping bag.  The quilt provided enough warth throughout the night.


I mentioned earlier in an email that it is a small world. Well once again this is evident. Sue and Trevor who made the Quilt and Laundry Bag live in RXXX,  a town I am very familiar with.   I spent a lot of time there  as a child.


I hope you are well and all is well with Aussie Hero Quilts.


Thankyou once again. Please let Sue and Trevor know I will write when time permits.


You have to appreciate that these guys take the time to write and say thank you when they are often very busy working 15 hours days seven days a week.


Donations


Nancy in Kambalda, WA is one busy lady.  She so far has 25 quilts ready to go and more waiting to be quilted.  She has ladies in town who sew for her with material donated to her and a sewing group that can piece a group quilt top each week if the pieces are pre-cut beforehand.  In order to keep all this going she had managed to get some fabulous support from those around her.


The Eastern Goldfields Order of the Old Bastards - Boulder gave her a sizable donation which covered the cost of a load of batting and a large purchase of fabrics as well.  I spoke to the President and thanked him personally last week and he told me that many of their members are Vietnam Veterans who well know the value of what we do.  I have also written a letter of thanks that can be read to the group.


Nancy also gets considerable support from the local Quilt Shop where she helps out regularly called Chez' Crafty Affair.   Nancy says Chez lets her do all the ironing and most of the cutting of the wadding and backing in the shed at the back of the shop.  Some days apparently it looks like a bomb hits it as they just leave it and go back next time.   Don't we all need somewhere like that.


And finally, the local Snap Printing has been wonderful donating the printing of labels for all those quilts.    What a wonderful community.

Well done Maria

Another great effort has been made by Maria.  Check out the fabulous quilt tops she has made - you can see them on her blog.  They will be in the mail and on their way to me this week.


And still talking about support.  The wonderful owner of Penrith Patchwork is letting us use his classroom on Saturday to layer and pin the two quilt tops that Pam and I made from fabric he donated a couple of weeks ago.   If there are any other Sydney Aussie Hero Friends that would like to join us at the shop in Saturday please let me know - email or leave a comment.  I am not sure of the times etc but I will confirm as soon as I can.  


Extra good news.....


We now have a quilter happy to quilt free of charge for Aussie Heroes in each State except for Tassie.  In South Australia Chris, The Hilltop Quilter, runs a longarm quilting business.  If any SA ladies would like her to quilt for them she is happy to do their quilts free of charge.  Batting can be supplied at cost price.  Just contact me for her email address or phone number.   I might add that she also has a group of ladies that come to her for sewing classes once a week and they are all making quilts to send off.    Excellent!


Just so you know...


I am hoping to send five to eight quilts and 5-10 laundry bags off to Afghanistan every two weeks.   The next mailing date is the 22 June.  Email me if you want to get in on the action.  I am also looking for at least 15 quilts and laundry bags to go to Egypt for the new team - mailing to start on the 16th of July.   Once again email me if you want part of the action.  


Now if you have already told me about a quilt in waiting or a completed batch of laundry bags you will get first dibs on both of these.  


Also, if you have emailed me and told me that you are planning on making something or have started a quilt etc, please still get back to me and let me know you are finished and it is ready to go.   You would be surprised how often "life" gets in the way and the quilt that was definitely going to be completed in a couple of days is still incomplete two weeks later.  That is just the way it is - nothing the feel bad about as we all have things happen, just please keep me posted with what it happening.


Cross your fingers and hope that this posts okay and I can continue to post all week as I have some good posts planned and already in draft mode, including an extra tutorial, and I will be really cranky if I can't post them!


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

This week's quilts and other bits

First up tonight, before I show you the quilts that have gone out this week we had  a lovely email from a female serving member who said -

Hi Ladies,

Just a quick note to say how awesome the quilt and laundry bags are that XXXXXX received from you. I do not have facebook, but I had a look at your website and I think it is a fantastic thing that you are doing. What a great bunch of ladies! The small quilt for Belvedere (our mascot turtle) is especially gorgeous! And I love the kangaroo on XXXX's quilt. I think you ladies are the Aussie Hero's - it is always great when people appreciate us.

I have a bright doona cover over here, so do not need a quilt but would really love a bright, loud laundry bag if someone had the time.

How is that for affirmation?  So, seeing as all that is requested is a laundry bag, I wrote back and asked if there was a particular interest or hobby and found out that the West Coast Eagles are a passion along with all sports and bright colours. Now being a West Aussie Sandgroper myself you have no idea how much I wanted to take this one on myself but I just can't.  I have enough (maybe too much) on my plate at the moment so I put a call out to my list of volunteers and YAY!  Marg from WA picked it up in minutes!  I look forward to seeing what she does.

Talking about having special tastes or interests - 

This is Marg's quilt for, ha! just kidding I am not telling who it is for!!!   Anyway her quilt ad laundry bag appropriately feature NSW emblems - 

And get a load of the laundry bag - the Ken Done Opera House on one side and

The Rocks and Convicts on the other.  Love it and I have it on good authority that the recipient will too.

This quilt top was made by Andrea and quilted by Carol and it is winging its way to Afghanistan

and the same story for this one except that it is winging its way to Dubai.

This is Claire's BOM quilt - love those colours and hopefully so will the fellow in Afghanistan who receives it.  Those lovely ladies from Turramurra have made 15 quilts to cover one particular group.  Jessie's soon-to-be-daughter-in-law has her brother over there and the ladies have made one for each member of his group - that makes Jessie a pretty awesome Mother-in-law to have, the Turramurra ladies a pretty awesome group of friends and the fellow in Afghanistan.....well I expect his popularity stakes went up once the quilts started to arrive!  

Just for interest's sake we currently have 6 special request quilts under construction in varying stages and one laundry bag alone PLUS a special request of a T shirt quilt AND two quilts being finished off for EGYPT.  I guess that is what is keeping us all out of mischief!

And today Caroline came over.  I had to answer a couple of phone calls and then a new Aussie Hero Friend Judith dropped in for the first time to see what's what AND went home with a quilt to bind!  All the while Caroline sewed and I managed to fit in a little.  The last APRIL WONKY cross quilt top is now together except for borders.  The black, white and red pinwheel quit that PAULINE sent all the blocks for is now a quilt top, just awaiting its borders and the two Earthy toned quilt tops that Cat sent me the blocks for are now together.  Caroline brought over two quilt tops that she has finished - multi coloured pinwheels using leftover BOM blocks and some extras she made and a great blokes one with tank fabric and khaki stars!  They will be going up to Sue in QLD to quilt!  Thanks SUE!

All in all that is a pretty good result for this week!  I don't know about you but over the weekend I am hoping to get to all those borders and get them done AND sew some more strippy string BOMs

No post tomorrow night but I will be back on Sunday with the latest.

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

Happy mail

Look what the postman bought me today - Happy mail!!!  Thanks Sue!

Sue keeps an eye out for fabulous bargains and then stocks up on fabric and sends me parcels so heavy I can hardly lift them!  How about some great gender neutral laundry bags or quilt backings.

 This stripe is really cool - lots of bindings and laundry bag tops - there is no way i will use this for backings as it is soooo hard on the eyes but that is absolutely fine coz I love striped bindings - doesn't everyone?

 And I am not really one for leopard print but I love zebra and check out this gorgeous giraffe print.  Love it. Some how it seems a lot more whimsical than leopard.

Three lucky guys will be getting soccer laundry bags! Hope they don't go to the rugby fans over there - though at least they are BLUE for the current STATE OF ORIGIN WINNERS. Just had to throw that in there - I am so not a rugby fan! 

 And finally a heap of great fabrics for laundry bags, backings and more laundry bags.  I usually like to refold any donated fabrics so that they all fit in neatly but there is so much on each of these that they are just too heavy.  I will have to wait till there is a willing teenager around to help me!

Thanks Sue!

Now what other news.......

There is a rumour going around that there might be an article about Aussie Heroes coming up in a National craft/quilt magazine.  Not saying anymore so don't ask!

Are you interested....

In August I am heading down to Canberra to be the guest speaker at the Canberra Quilters evening meeting and I would like to take some quilts along to show everyone.  what I don't want to do is just take my work along.  I would rather be able to show of some of what you guys do.  If any of you are interested in making a quilt and sending it to me I will use it for show and tell in August and then again in September when I am the guest speaker for the local Rotary Club and then I will either send the quilts off for special requests or keep them for the Christmas mailing.  Please leave me a comment if you think you can manage it.

Oh and one last thing.....

I have begun the habit of going through the list of special requests each week and sending an email to the quilter just to make sure there are no issues I am not aware of and to make sure there are no problems.  To lighten the load on me can I please ask anyone currently working on a special request quilt to shoot me an email or leave me a comment and give me an update.  That would make things much easier for me.  From now on I will try and remind everyone to do this every Thursday night and then any one I don't hear from on Friday I will chase up on the weekend.  Also some times things happen, life gets in the way, illness strikes or whatever and we can't achieve what we hoped.  If ever that happens to you please don't hesitate to let me know. 

That is about it for me tonight.

Tomorrow night I will be back with the latest photos of quilts which have left these shores!

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