Inspirational Quilts

Hello ladies,

Winter is upon us and so are more colds and virus’ than I can ever remember. I ask myself - is it that our immune systems become more comprised as we get older and the answer is a resounding yes! I have also found that when you get a cold/flu, it takes forever to get over. So many people I know have been sick for weeks on end, and it really knocks people around. I hope you are all keeping warm and safe.

I am currently having a short break and we have escaped to a small town 15 minutes out of Bendigo called Marong, (and this is our third visit here). It’s secluded, quiet, surrounded by beautiful walking tracks and much serenity. This morning I was woken by the sweet smells of breakfast cooking - ahhhh the joys of having young teenage boys with an appetite that never ends. It was however almost 9am so fair time I was up and about - but isn’t that what holidays are about?

I have spent the last four days- yes that’s right - all four days- reading through patchwork books, watching YouTube and working on my hexagon quilt - paradise really. Yesterday I thought I would head into the patchwork shop in town, however when I did a google search it appeared - but no address. I tried calling but it rang out. I called the next day and message bank kicked in so I left a little message. She called me back this morning advising that she closed down almost two years ago and only deals online - is this where all the patchwork shops are heading?. Although I was disappointed, it was probably a good thing - as I need sewing supplies like a hole in the head. Anyway - back to YouTube - I have realised watching all these videos that I really need to retire and just spend my days sewing. There is so much out there in sewing world that I feel like I’m missing out. I said to Angelo this morning, just give me 10 minutes to watch this one tutorial and we can go for a walk - three hours later tummies are rumbling, and before I know it, I was nowhere near the technique I’d started watching three hours ago. It really is a rabbits warren and one tunnel leads to another and so on……

Mary and Joe Gauci
I would like to send out a big thank you to Mary and Joe Gauci for all their help and support in quilting the backlog of quilt tops I had accumulated.

Mary, a retired Technical Designer with the Department of Defence, has been doing free motion quilting on her Gammill for over five years. Although I met Mary almost 15 years ago when she attended one the many Inspirational Quilts quilting bees, a chance meeting at a sewing group in Wandong last year saw us re-connect. She kindly offered to do some quilts for the charity, and since then, she and her partner Joe, work as a team with Joe loading the quilts onto the machine for Mary to quilt, and from what I understand, Joe is an early riser and has them loaded before 6am - ready for Mary to take off the moment she has had her brekky! Earlier this year, I visited their home for a quick cuppa, arriving at around 10am with the quick cuppa ending shortly before 3pm. They both made me feel very welcome and support the charity, and I certainly appreciate their assistance.

Signing off now - just heard the notification bell from YouTube about a new tutorial! (this will need to be turned off once I get back to the real world)

Nancy xoxo