The Holiday

                                                        Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas

                              View from our hotel balcony, Cairns at dusk 

We have just returned home from a lovely week in Port Douglas and 3 days in Cairns. Ahh yes! Beautiful one day, perfect the next (as the slogan says). We were not disappointed. I didn't want to go (for many reasons) but of course once on the plane, one must go-with-the-flow. We stayed with our Tassie friends in their delicious apartment, just a stone's throw from Four Mile Beach. All we really did was relax. That was the idea, what is required. Relaxing brekkies in our just-around-the-corner cafes, relaxing walks on the beach and streets, relaxing lunches, relaxing swims, relaxing reading, relaxing dinners and yes ..relaxing ice-creams!!!
Ahh yeh, thats right, I didn't want to go.....
While our friends went home to the cold, we then had 3 days grace in Cairns. So different to Port Douglas but still wonderful. A must see, Rusty's Market is full of the most delicious fruit and veg. Paw Paw, pineapple, bananas, strawberries all of which we had to consume before coming back to SA. (quarantine). A day trip south to Innisfail to visit friends then back to Cairns ready for home. I wish I could've stayed for .....

                                             Jemima slowly blowing out Papa's candles.

Back with a thump, to the freshness (thats a 'kind' word) of the Hills, Kym's birthday dinner with all the family including the much-missed 'little girls' and my Garden (Applique) Club today @ the shop.
So much for a holiday....Still when the opportunity arises...

Hi to you all. I have been away from Blogland for awhile. Don't ask me why, I don't really know. Lots of things I guess.
....just out of the 'blog' routine basically.

I actually have been busy sewing. I resurrected this quilt to do something @ our 'Garden' Applique Club.

I have finished piecing my long time UFO, '1930's Dresden Plate'. I began this back when one of my girls had tennis training (handy to have in the car). The plates are done by hand and am planning to hand quilt it. In another 15 years time! BTW I have also finished all the blocks of 'Sylvia's Bridal Sampler', just have to arrange and put them together!!! Its huge, so it will be a big job.

While in my shop I now have a lovely supply of the much- awaited 'Tilda' products. There are fat quarters of the gorgeous fabric

 Giftwrap, boxes, stickers and cut-outs for cardmaking and scrapbooking, buttons,

 and beautiful tins.(set of 3)

I'll finish this blog with a pic of my Granddaughters. This is all I can find atm its when Chelsea was born, I will have to find another more recent pic....
cheers for now, Jane ***

Just a reminder.
We have Sit n Sew from 1pm tomorrow.
Come and enjoy a cuppa and catch up with a bit of quilting and a chat.

I welcome yesterday with much love, 'Chelsea Grace' as my newest grandaughter. Mumma and baby are well, as are Daddy and Jemima and all their family!
I'm sure I will have pictures to follow.

No.91

This is No. 91 of Sylvia's Bridal Sampler Quilt. My new favourite! Its called 'New Mexico'.

New Mexico

 This is the next one.... and below is the amount of bits to make this sweet innocent (!!!) 6" block. I'm not going through the book religiously (like some), at the moment I am picking and choosing.

 We must be mad. How many hours does this take, you ask? Don't.
Some can take like 3 days!!! No not really that long, sometimes it seems that long, especially when there is a problem...

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler Quilt is growing.... only 48 and a half to go.....still there is no hurry.

The Garden Club

We are starting an applique group called the 'Garden Club' beginning February.
We will meet the second Tuesday of each month, 10am - 4pm.
I think the first day (Feb.) I will show you a few patterns and we can have a 'meeting' on whether we all do the same or otherwise.
Look below for some inspiration.


What do you all think?
For more details and to register, please email me on info@patchworkapple.com.

Notepads

        New from Anni Downs, some cute notepads. 3 sizes, available now.

January 1st. 2012

January 1st. 2012

 Another year to look forward to...forget about the things we were supposed to do last year and look ahead. Its the only way.

2011 began with Kym having kidney stones, this year begins with him sick in bed with a chest infection....so much for New Years Eve! No, we didn't have plans anyhow... its just a busy time of year, workwise.
2011 we built a new room for The Patchwork Apple and moved in May.
2011 I did numerous quilt fairs all over Aust. as well as organising a quilt display of my own in Oct.
2011 a few 50th. birthday partys and heaps of (friends)new babies...(our second grandy due in Feb.!)
2011 Kym was asked to travel to USA and Chile, as he will also do in '12.
2011 Jessica and Sarah began their 'Red Cherry' patterns and now making lots of appliqued T Shirts. See their facebook page. They have a lot planned for '12, on the personal front. 
2011 Olivia worked hard all year and begins a new chapter in the new year.
2011 Cherries were quite good. We finished Friday..thank goodness...its now 41C today, so if there were any left they would now be shrivelled! As well as us pickers! These pics. are 'Rainiers', a sweet light variety which we often don't pick due to bad weather.

 So 2012...I'm not much on 'New Years Resolutions' except for the lose weight and get fit 'usuals' but as I previously blogged, I was going to plan ahead more, so I guess I have made a resolution for this year. yeh!
One thing I did plan, was to take Jemima to the Lobethal Pageant. The last couple years, we've missed, so now that Jemima is just old enough this was the Plan.  Everyone else 'piked it' but Sarah and I. It was a lovely warm evening and little Jem loved it all. It was perfect.
She's also very busy with our new chooks. She calls them the 'brock brocks' !! Think about it...what does a chook say?
As well as our veggie garden. This pic is just the peas and raspberries but do we have some tomatoes!!

So to all of you in blogland,  Happy New Year!
Sit back, enjoy life and don't forget to laugh!
cheers Jane ***

Its Cherry Time!

Well just lately, I have enjoyed some time in the garden. Something I haven't done in years. When I first joined Facebook, I put down as a hobby of mine..gardening... and my family thought it was hilarious. I said I  'enjoyed gardening', that didn't mean I did a lot of it! Well that was then. Now I do a fair bit. If its not doing major stuff, like spreading the mulch and weeding, it is little stuff like a bit of pruning here and there, or pulling weeds...there are ALWAYS

 weeds. So the two pictures here, show the two beds I have weeded and put out new mulch in, so they are all fresh and pretty. Gradually I am adding more plants to the 'below' new garden which is next to the new shop. I am loving it. Our veggie patch is doing well too. Last week I picked the first of the raspberry crop, 200gm. and they keep coming. I will show pics. next time of the veggies perhaps.

 Meanwhile after a couple of days here and there, we are now full swing into the cherry harvest. This is also something I haven't done in years. When the shop was new, I used to have 'harvest leave' to pick, while Annette manned the store.
I have on and off, done a bit during my Christmas break but this year is full on.
A light crop (which means not alot of fruit) but its excellent quality and sweet. This variety is Lapins. This was taken last week and they won't be ready to pick until Christmas Day. (which really means the day after Xmas). We have heaps of varieties, which vary in their ripening stages. Lenswood is virtually the last area to start harvest (in SA) hence we will still have cherries after Xmas. So far the weather has been kind, not too much rain to do much damage. Rain splits cherries. And not too hot, that splits me!! And the birds are keeping away, due to some sugar spraying.

The shop will still be open, while I'm picking. Jessica will be here. If you would like some cherries, call us or visit our shed door sales. (Ellimatta Orchards on Cold Store Road). Till next time, Have a Cherry Christmas.

Organisation is the key

Sometimes I wish I was as organised as my mother-in-law.
She's up at 6.30am. Washing and ironing done by 8am. Drive to post office for mail and pick up paper (for the crossword, of course.) Thursdays is shopping day. (She has even made her travel plans to rotate around Thursdays..) I can find her at certain shops at certain times on Thursdays, eg. bank at 9.30am. Hair on Fridays. I could go on and on... this has been the same for the 35years I have known her, so I could probably say her whole married life....60 years in January. It is perhaps obsessive to a point but I think it keeps her young. It keeps her going each day.
So as I have been thinking about this lately, I will be making a New Years resolution, to be more organised. (so I can grow old with ease) I am sort of organised for some things, not others. I am better under pressure and I don't think that's good, for me or my family.

So one plan will be to update my blog regularly....yeh, yeh, here we go again, I hear you say. I would like to log 'my life in Lenswood' for a year, so this way I can at least record by the way of the blog!Well that's the idea anyway. watch this space...

Video is all go!

Had a little technical hitch...I did anyhow. My video in the Quilts Revisited blog is now up and running again. Go back and have a look.

Moda Bake Shop

From this......

then this.....

to this.............
This is the newest Moda Bake Shop box of sweets. Thought I would make one up to show you. It just took me most of Sunday to complete. Size is 26" square. Comes in two colourways...the other is green country colours. Can order them from my website. (below)

Quilts Revisited overview

At the beginning of the month I held an exhibition of Repro. quilts from our students from the past few years.
I must say I was extremely happy with how it all looked. With a theme like that, all the quilts enhanced each other.
Rhonda Mathews of Aldgate won the Viewers Choice with her delightful, 'Pond House' quilt.
Jessica looked after The Patchwork Apple shop. She had a display also of The Red Cherry Pattern Collection's quilts.
Beautiful refreshments were served by Sarah and friends, amongst my antique quilt collection.
 Sarah and her 'clever' fella made this great little video of our exhibition. I  hope this gives you an overview of how it all looked. All of you who didn't make it...this is only half of what you missed! Enjoy....

Quilts Revisited Exhibition by The Patchwork Apple

We are all set for a brilliant couple of days.
The Woodside Institute looks fantastic (if I don't say myself!)
Its packed with quilts and goodies.
Come and see for yourself!
Open today and tomorrow....10am - 4pm

No time today for pics..... next week

Quilts Revisited Exhibition-this weekend!

'Quilts Revisited' Exhibition is on this weekend!

Woodside Institute

Onkaparinga Valley Road,

Woodside

10am - 4pm

 We have been rather busy getting ready for our first ever exhibition for The Patchwork Apple. A reproduction quilt extravaganza!! Due to the high amount of classes, BOM, patterns, etc. etc. in repro. fabrics, I decided to get a few of the quilts together and show them off. 
All the pinning of sleeves have been done...we started tacking but we have done 32 so we ended up pinning....

 I actually have attached 'some' labels to my own quilts. Should have been done years ago.

 All the labels for each quilt have been printed...I hope.

Quilts have started arriving and its looking good!

So if you have some time over the weekend, come and visit us and have a browse.

The 'Paper Bag Challenge' was held last year. A small group of ladies participated and their interesting quilts will be displayed.

The Patchwork Apple will be onsite for sales.

The Red Cherry Pattern Collection will have their quilts on display also with patterns available.

Antique quilt display

Refreshments available.

$4 entry

In A P & Q this month I have an ad., showing off The Red Cherry Pattern Collection's new patterns...and my new logo.

I don't usually like full pages, a bit much... but this is rather good, including my profile.

 Arriving yesterday are the new Moda Bakeshop boxes.

 Included in each box, is a mini honeybun and 120 precut squares.(of 3 different new ranges) AND a pattern. Bit cute.

Details @ www.patchworkapple.com

I know I haven't blogged for ages. Don't really know why.

I feel like a few more followers. If you do read this blog I would love you to add to my followers list. please?

And I promise I will blog more!

Cinderberry Stitches

Before I pack my bags and head over the border to Victoria, I thought I would quickly tell you that I'm going! Off to the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair, starting Thursday until Sunday. This year we have a special guest appearance by Natalie Lymer of 'Cinderberry Stitches' who will be signing her latest book, 'Cotton Floss'.
On our stand F30, we will have her samples
from her book to entice you!
The cutest of quilts with owls, bags, stitchery toy owls and toadstools.
Natalie will be there on Saturday 10am - 12noon. Why not come by and say hi!

btw The Patchwork Apple will still
be open tomorrow. Jessica will be in
attendance.

Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair

Here's Vicki and I ready for the crowds @ Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair. Not looking too bad?
I had a bit of a trip getting there and am feeling a bit seedy at this stage.
Due to Volcanic Ash Cloud over Adelaide on Monday night my flight to Sydney was cancelled....(was due to fly out in the morning).

Within 2 hours of finding out this news, I had a bus trip to Melbourne booked and a flight from Melbourne to Sydney, packed my bag and was on the bus in Adelaide (35min drive)
on a horrible night of rain and wind. Had never travelled overnight before on a bus but it was okay. Not much sleep but I was lucky to have a spare seat next to me, so didn't really have too much to worry about. My 3 life savers, Kym chucked in a blow up cushion at the last minute and Sarah packed me a box of snacks. While Vicki picked me up (in the middle of a busy highway) @ 5.30am just out of Melb., so to catch the flight to Sydney in time.

Straight from airport to set up our booth. Then staggered to the wonderful Holiday Inn, Darling Harbour where we had a brillant stay for the rest of the week. Thanks to Darryl...with 2 Rs. The Red Cherry Pattern Co. was well received and our quilts made the booth look very bright and cheery.

I was very fortunate to attend the Leutenegger 120th. Birthday Cocktail Party on Saturday night at the Sydney Opera House! Absolutely wonderful. The magnificent views of Sydney Harbour, the food and drink and the people made it a night to remember. Congrats Chris and Fiona.

Monday was left for sight-seeing and enjoying the time with good food and coffee. A chance to stretch the legs and absorb the sights and sounds of my fav. city.

Wonderful displays (this one below of macarons) in the new Westfield Sydney Tower.

Fabulous food level and other stores. Vicki made a great discovery in Metallica clothing.

We also saw what all the fuss was about in Zara. Just to be cool! Yes, we saw it all!!

Now I'm back in the shop today and yesterday.

While I love Sydney, looking out my window now, while there's no twinkling lights and sparkling harbour and certainly no people, it's pretty hard to beat!

cheers Jane ***

Launching The Red Cherry Pattern Co.

Last week we had a lovely couple of days, showing off my new store and introducing The Red Cherry Pattern Co.
Customers were encouraged to browse a room full of samples and patterns and indulge in scones and a cuppa. Lucky draws were often and everyone seemed pleased and the girls were happy to meet potential customers and get out there! The Red Cherry Pattern Co. are my two daughters, Jessica and Sarah....I'll produce some patterns too under this umbrella but mainly the girls are excited and producing quite a few designs spearheading young sewers and new mums.
So keep this Logo in mind!

Here's 3 of their new patterns which are also available as kits.

All available on my website www.patchworkapple.com and on facebook.

I'll have the full range @ the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair, Darling Harbor next week as well as in store..of course!

All of you visiting the Sydney Show, be sure to drop on by D09 and say hi. Its always fascinating to here that you actually read my blogs!



cheers Jane ***