Did you know?

With our National Quilt Day, a huge success but now behind us I wondered how many of you knew that the USA also celebrates their National Quilt Day on the third Saturday in March (give or take a week or two), so this year our guild was spot on! 

However  2011 is the 20^th anniversary of their National Quilt Day and the National Quilting Association of the USA has selected a free log cabin pattern by designer Barbara Harrell to celebrate this day.

This quilt finished 64” x 64” and can be downloaded by clicking HERE.

National Quilt Day – The final part

Doing handwork, chatting and drinking tea was not all we did.  We also had a couple of exhibitions apart from the quilts inside the house on display.

Here the Material Girls man their table and these gals do it all.  Knit, crochet, teach the less fortunate, make the most divine bags (I would be lost without the quilt carry bag I bought from them) and their specialty, Shwe-Shwe quilts.

More vendor tables everything from single fat quarters, pre-packed Mulberry Lane sets and very pretty hand embroidery thread.  Linda Landman (purple top) , a very busy bee, in our guild, refused to show some cleavage for this photo.  Knowing that she does not work on the internet or even read or send a SMS allows me to gossip as much as I wanted to about her on this blog.  You’re not splitting on me okay?

Finally we had some demonstrations and even more lucky draws.  Here Iessie Steenberg demonstrates a handwork project from designing your own template in the size you prefer up and to completing your quilt.

Then little old me took the hot seat proving to people that free motion quilting is nothing to be afraid of.  If I, with my 2 brain cells (one says smoke, the other one says eat more toffees) can do it, so can anyone else owning a machine.

Our final demonstration on Scrapbooking with fabric came from Elsie van der Bijl.  This lady sure does know how to play and make beautiful heirlooms choosing the most appropriate fabric to the theme and then jazzing it up with tiny trinkets.  Her son, married to a lady from the USA and now also living there, is about to receive what will come from this demonstration.

As if we weren’t spoilt enough on this day, each demonstrator got a neat “thank you” gift and for this I wish to thank the organizers of this special day.  What a great success it turned out to be!!

National Quilt Day – Part Two

…………what a match! 

Fortunately we only had one injury on our National Quilt Day but looking at this picture and if this is the way she sits on a chair I am sure you can imagine how she came down the stairs.  Unfortunately I was not close-by with my trusted old camera to capture this rare moment.  Karin, my co-producer, of this blog making sure I cannot miss her when taking this photo.  Speaking of co-producer I wonder when her first blog post will appear?????

The other ladies behaved like good quilters should and while sipping their tea did some handwork.

We had several lucky draws and here Iessie Steenberg gives our chairperson, Marianne le Roux,  the chance to draw a lucky number.

We were continually served with coffee/tea and I had a hard time getting these waitresses to be still for a moment to allow me to take a photo.  How lovely it was to be seated and served.

Still this was not all but more about our National Quilt Day tomorrow.

National Quilt Day – Part One

The day we looked forward to finally arrived and what a pleasant sight it was when I arrived (I was not late okay) to see a sea of cars in front of the Freshford House Museum.

Upon entering we were welcomed by hostesses on the stoep of this lovely old historical house/museum who informed us where to go and what would happen when.

An even bigger surprise awaited me when I went around the house through the lovely gardens and found a crowd of ladies sitting in the shade sipping their tea and just talking quilts.

Everyone who bought a ticket ( ja……. I told you to buy one so toughies if you missed out) received this little goodie pack containing a sweet and salty snack – sorry ate mine, couldn’t wait for the photo session  - and a little quilt pattern.

Now I’m off to watch a little cricket, Tendulkar is killing us and I can feel South Africa needs my support, so more about our National Quilt Day tomorrow.

Prelude to our National Quilt Day

The day has finally come!!  Tomorrow is officially our National Quilt Day celebrations and true to her nature organizer, Frances van der Walt,  who lost her mother-in-law after a massive stroke earlier this week, made it all possible even with the obvious sadness at home.  We salute you Frances!!

Those who have already been to the exhibitions at the Freshford Museum couldn’t stop talking about the 65 quilts on display in the old time setting.  Here we thank each and every member who gave a quilt to display.  Without you………… well, need I say more?

Frances had the opportunity to take photographs in the museum which is usually not allowed and how I enjoy showcasing these here.  Let the truth be told, Bloemfontein has the finest museums in our country.

You still have time to buy your R40,00 ticket for the tea garden, snacks, free pattern and demonstrations that will take place tomorrow, Saturday, 12 March 2011. 

So why you are still reading this, pick up the phone and get your ticket!!  The quilts anyway look better in real life than on these photos.

See ya’ll there tomorrow!

20 Quilting Comebacks, Putdowns, Insults, & Funnies

Quilters have feelings too! Sometimes a funny saying, putdown, insult, and/or comeback can give you the room to work in peace that you need. Please use caution when using the following words, as they may upset, insult, and make people laugh:

- You're as hot as a quilter's iron! 
- You're as subtle as a pricking needle! 
- You're more nervous than a quilter checking out at a fabric store! 
- I've seen prettier eyes on needles! 
- You're as happy as a quilter in a fabric store! 
- You're suggestions are as welcome as a grape juice stain on the last
-- piece of solid white fabric I need to finish a quilt! 
- I've got scissors sharper than your wit! 
- You're as helpful as a crooked rotary ruler! 
- You're mouth is faster than a sewing machine at full speed! 
- I've got quilts that are more interesting than you! 
- You're duller than a blunt needle! 
- You're as confused as a quilter who ran out of thread! 
- You're as welcome as a paper thimble! 
- I've seen feet move faster on a sewing machine! 
- You're more nervous than fabric near scissors! 
- You've got more wrinkles than a piece of fabric fresh out of a dryer! 
- You're about as interesting as ironing 10 yards of fabric! 
- I've got more thread clinging onto my shirt than you have hair! 
- You're jokes are as tantalizing as a piece of muslin! 
- You're more frustrating than a bobbin out of thread!


Unfortunately I cannot remember where I found this and I hate not giving credit to the person who came up with this but it was just too good not to share.  Enjoy!

First fundraising project for our 2013 festival

Our very first fundraising project for the 2013 National Festival was a huge success and raised the awesome amount of R6,440.00 and we have to thank Cristelle Myburgh for this.

Cristelle is a member of the Loslappies group, on our festival committee in charge of Fundraising and Hospitality, and started quilting in 2010. She owns a deboning company in Bloemfontein and when she heard about our quests for fundraisings projects she came forward and DONATED a beef carcass and offered to have the meat processed into mince and sausage for our members to buy.

Orders were taken and the meat delivered at our first quarterly guild meeting.  Cristelle we raise our glasses (not those on our eyes – those we intend to use when being transported in a taxi in Stellenbosch at our National Quilt Festival) to you and do not have enough words to thank you for this generous donation.

To all the members who ordered the meat – without you Cristelle’s hands would have been tied.  Keep up the positive attitude and let’s support all future projects in the same spirit.

Remember our National Quilt Day exhibition, tea garden and demonstrations are coming up THIS Saturday (12 March 2011).  Have you bought your ticket from your group leader yet?