My Latest Happenings.

Sunday night and putting things away in my sewing room, getting ready for the new week ahead. I have a few jobs coming up for my Janome .
I finalised a Christmas present  for my neice over the weekend an Apron I started  last week. She is the most wonderful cook so I think she will like the Apron. I love the fun fabric.

My Grandaughter has been here for the weekend and still on my placement wall is her  blocks sorted for her quilt . Kristy lives in the country town of Tamworth 4 hours drive from the coast here. While visiting she did some more work on the blocks (25 , 10 1/2" blocks)  adding the cream sashing strips between the blocks in each row. Kristy is really getting used to the sewing machine now as this quilt is her 2nd .
 At her home there isn't a machine so she only gets to use mine when she visits which is normally in the school holidays, and in between we usually go to visit them.
I asked Kristy  will I help her a little while she is away and sew the 5 rows together and when she is back it will be ready for her to put the border on and quilt. I know she would like it finished for Christmas or the January school holidays.

Kristy Lee.

The rows need to be sewn together now with the cream sashing strips.

 Looking  good!!

I did a small embroidery over the weekend which I have to finish putting the binding around and a Christmas stocking I have to line the inside. It has been waiting for a while now, so hopefully I can show these as finished next post.
Sweet Dreams, Jen x

Great weekend of sewing.

Hello everybody, I had a good weekend at the sewing machine  completing a few projects.  Not much housework happening. Although I did do some ironing and cooked a nice meal for dinner.

Finished my sewing machine cover today.

I have been meaning to make a cover for my sewing machine for ages and  have had the fabric for a while .
Still have another  Janome that needs a cover also.

  I embelished it a little with what I found , A pretty piece of pink lace motif for the top, some
white lace trim ,  embroidery stitches and a button.

I had this block put away and if I can remember I think it was when I tried to do free machine embroidery with scraps of fabric (small pieces) and threads to layer ,scraps of lace, some cord, some tule to use for a  layering technique over the base fabric. I can't say at the time it was my favourite thing to do. It is pretty though.

Clickity Clack  a Julie Lembit's cute bag  design ready to fill with my winter knitting.

Also managed to finish the knitting bag for my cardigan project, still haven't finished the cardigan as yet.

Achieved 2 more Dear Jane blocks.

This block was a lot of trouble, 23 pieces . I will be forever getting some of these finished.
Trying to at least do 1 a week.

I  like doing the needle turn applique the best. My blocks will reflect my version of  the quilt. I am not going to make the whole quilt. They are such tiny pieces in the blocks.  I am trying to hand sew as much as possible.

 I was pleased with my achievements this weekend. I still have a few more projects to finish.
The first 2 projects that come to mind is the quilt I have started quilting then have to do binding. A small Halloween embroidery . Just remembered an Apron as a Christmas gift!!. I had better make a concentrated effort on the Apron first.  I'm sure there is something else around.  Anyway  it's all very therapeutic.
Nice of you to call in.
Until next time
Jen x

Absolutely Beautiful Spring Weather .

Hello lovely blogging friends.
Perfect Spring weather here today, bringing the tulips out in time for the Tulip Festival in Bowral.
We visited here a few weeks ago .

THE ROYAL VISIT.         Queen Elizabeth on her first day enjoying perfect weather in Canberra our National Capital City to visit the annual flower show Floriade

A Project I have not long finished is my  Welcome sign.  It has been finished for a little while now when I think about it, just thought I would share as I was really pleased with it. Very country I think.

My Grandaughter Kristy (12yrs) has sewn some more 10" blocks for her quilt and has them on the design wall. Now waiting to do some cutting when she is back again at the end of the month for the cream sashings and borders. I may have to help a little with the cutting. She slides off at the end with the Rotary cutter sometimes . I think her hands being small it is hard to spread them on the ruler.  Though she is going really well manageing the sewing machine. This will be her 2nd Quilt. Kristy has chosen the music fabric herself and colours.

Nothing else to report at the moment . I have finished 1 Dear Jane block and 1 other that I have to fix the seam line  where I didn't sew straight and then 2 more are finished.
Goodnight everybody and sweet dreams.
Jen x

My boys in the Sewing room.

Hello Ladies,   Here is my boys , Burney and Gus, they keep me company in the sewing room. Sitting on their shelf watching over me as I sew.

I think they have great expressions on their faces, so I say hello Burney and Gus when I come in to sew. haha.

I finished a UFO today .A Sewing Companion that has been sitting on my shelf for a while .I really like the pretty girls on the fabric . So was pleased to see  it finished. I'm not sure it may be a gift at Christmas time.

I'm thinking I will put a ribbon tie on the front so it can have a nice  bow.

The glamour girls on the back.

I'm going to see if  I can make a couple of  Dear Jane, Civil War  blocks over the weekend. I haven't sewn any for ages.  Just a short post tonight.
 Everyone have a lovely weekend and enjoy your sewing.
Jen x

My Black Period.

Hello everyone, Beautiful weather here at the moment,so nice that we took our lunch down to the lake today which is only 2 mins in the car .  It  was lovely outdoors in the sun for an hour. I wish I had taken my camera. I will next time as we do this often.

I have just recently finished my attic window quilt. It is a little creased to show ,(maybe I should have ironed it first)
.

I seem to be choosing the colour black in my quilts a lot .I am calling this my black period !!
Why is this ? I know black with colour is quite striking but have decided No more black in my quilts.

The New Babies in our street.

These birds are Pluvers and they have been sitting on eggs in the vacant block near us for 10days swooping on us and the neighbours if we go outside. Today when we arrived home from grocery shopping and went to pull into our driveway  here they where with the hatched babies only a day old. Mum and Dad watch over them and don't let them get out of site as they can't fly as yet. They carry on very loud protecting them if  they see us watching.

How green our gum trees are after the rain.

The bush over the road from our front door is looking so fresh and shiny green .
This week I am going to the nursery to get some plants of Australian Bottle brush shrubs for planting in the bush so they will be flowering for summer.

I am going to do a Before and After that I am quite happy with how it turned out.

 The hall table being delivered

This is   Before . I felt I needed a small hall table in the entry and took me ages to find something that I felt went with everything.
So this is the end result.

The  After photo.

I havent any finished projects at the moment but I have 2 nearly finished which I will share soon.
Thank you for calling into my blog.
Stay happy and well,
Jen x

Choosing my blog name.

I was prompted to  post this after visiting Connie from" Quilting by the River " blog who gave a link to" As Sweet as Cinnamon" blog who asked what motivated you for your blog name.
On thinking back on this my" Aussie Quilters Cotton Club" name.The name came about as where I meet each week with my dear sewing friends. We have a room in a Bowling Club and the men bowlers actually named us the Cotton Club as when we leave on the floor is cotton threads everywhere from our sewing. haha.I thought well Australia's cotton is in strong demand around the world and our Cotton growers have great optimism as I do when I start a new quilting project. Also the Cotton Club was a  famous Night Club in the 1920s -1930s a legendary meeting place for groups. If you are an Australian from down under  you call yourself an Aussie . So that is how Aussie Quilters Cotton Club came about.

 Thought I would add some Australian photos I have.
                                            Australian outback pub.

Billabong rest stop.

 Camping at Dunny Doo.

From the riverboat along the mighty Murray River.
Bye for now ,
Jen x

Busy Busy Busy.

Hello everyone ,School holidays are here and the grandchildren  are filling our home. I have one staying for the week and two more close by coming everyday ( 1/12yrs 1/13yrs and 1/15yrs) They eat everything in site so have been cooking heaps muffins,pancakes, slices and a  cake, I don't get time to take a photo as it just vanishes . Teenage boys can eat. I must say they are fun to have around.
Today I am getting 3 more grandchildren staying for the weekend (3/ under 4yrs) Accompanied by their mum and dad.
I have finished a Quilted  Wall Hanging tutorial by Jenna Excell @www.sewhappygeek.co.uk which was very easy to follow and enjoyable to sew.

The fabric is a variety of Australian Wildflowers. 14 1/2"  - 21" I am going to brighten my sewing room with this wallhanging.

My Grandaughter (12yrs) while staying in the school holidays has started her 2nd quilt and has some blocks on the design wall .These fabrics she has chosen herself and wants a cream fabric to strip in between the blocks and for the border.

Some have been pierced and the others are ready to sew.Kristy will not get her quilt finished this school holidays but when she comes for the next hols will finish it ,(just like she did with her first quilt.)

I have finished two star blocks to send to Scrappy Appleyards request and they have been posted.

I must finish as my computer is wanted by my grandson and I have to get ready for when my little babies arrive.
 Have a happy sewing weekend .
Jen  x