Swaps, Shopping, Prizes..........

GDITC always means a swap...........Make it, Bake it, Fake it Swap is great as everyone gets to join in......its a swap we do with our blog friends in our group...........if you don't have time to make something or bake something just fake it and buy a gift.......this way everyone can join in.......

I faked it this year and Janice received my gift.......no pic sorry.........

I received from Sandy and you may think she faked it but really she didn't as she designed and put the kit together for this gorgeous little pin cushion.........

This is what it will look like when I make it up.............

I'm sure Sandy won't mind me using her photo esp if I include the link so you can buy one for yourself......

you can find them @ Shiralee Stitches........

so tiny and cute........

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GDITC always means some shopping.....both at the Cottage on the Hill and designer goodies on the day............

the kit for a baby quilt..........

Some of Anni Downs Hatched and Patched new fabric just in store Garden Whimsy..........so pretty............

A new bottle of Best Press

WARNING - has anyone else had the problem I had the squirty/spray on and while not using it in summer the whole bottle had somehow leaked out all over the ironing board..........thru the nozzle............so now I will never leave the screw top off when not in use................such a waste of a nearly full bottle...........

Some of Bonnie Sullivans new patterns..........and some cards  - quilty cards are always great...........

Now I must say I was not a huge fan of Bonnie's work before the workshop...........her things were a little more black and prim which is NOT me.......but I must say I LOVE all these new designs.............very happy with the project on the day.............and as Bonnie lies in the USA I had never met her before but she was soooooo lovely and we had a fabulous time...........

Bonnie is preprinting fabric........nothing like I have seen anyone else do......the pattern on the back ground is also preprinted.......the lines you can leave or stitch over..........add a bit of wool work and jobs done...........

the pre-printed christmas ornaments...........just add some wool and stitching....

I won these as I was one of the 4 ladies on the Saturday who had done the whole 10 years...........Me, Marcelle, Helen and Lea......Not sure if there was anyone on the Sunday............Lea I didn't know the first year but Marcelle and Helen we catch up every year since then just at GDITC...........Lea and I are good friends..........spending lots more retreats and sewing weekends together.........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.......

Keeping the love of blogging alive

Lucy Love.........

I am so behind with this post..............but it has been great to see some of the girls Lucy Boston quilts in progress........we often contact each other to see what we are up to or what do you think of this block.........

This is Sandy's.............She runs it as a BOM thru her shop online shop Shiralee Stitches........Sandy has also fussy cut the cross point blocks that make the 2in square (inside the grey) and they look great.........

the rest of us have done lots of her blocks but also made some of our own.........

It was great to see them together..........amazing the difference in the colour choices.................

Googy Girl is using blue.........looks so different........its the lovely french general blue..........

still amazes me how each block shows a different pattern........be it x or + some even the whole square........just by placement of fabric............

oh I love fussy cutting in Lucy.......

Here is an update on mine............6x2 so far.............we actually had mine and Sandy's on the bed together at GDITC and can you believe none of us took a pic............I was sure one of us had taken one........mine looked softer but in Sandy's the blocks popped out and showed off more............

Sonia didn't get to GDITC this year but I've caught up with her a few times since then and we had some great Lucy time.............we put these on the design board to see what they were going to look like............really liking the red too..........

Here is the stitching in the car on the Syd trip.............this one needed the extras around the edge but it is now sewn into the quilt............

I can't tell you how exciting it is now to have this coming together..............it sure is exciting to see those minutes, hours, days, weeks and months of stitching coming together...............oh I still have a long way to go but I can now see that this will come together and get finished............not tomorrow but it will happen...........

Hope you find some stitching time this easter weekend............

Catch you later...........

Chookyblue...........

From Special guest to waitress..........

What a few days.............we headed down to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.........had been wanting to go for years and the CWA that I am a member of won a grant and someone had to be there to receive the grant and give a speech........the speech bit i didn't get til I was well and truly locked in to going.........OMG I was so nervous about it but the ladies said it went well.....no one fell asleep and no one left so thats good........I had to drag out a dress and dust off the high heels - only have one pair.............

put my best manners on..........

they had some very special guests Linda Hurley the wife of the NSW Governor..........she is just delightful and so easy to chat with........

Sue Ryan (above) head of the Royal Agricultural Society Charity Brunch committee........this is a very small committee of 5 ladies (who I think are all RAS Councillors or wives) holding a fundraising brunch each year

Raising some serious funds from one morning brunch......

(Sophie Hansen, Natasha Maclaren-Jones, myself)

Sophie Hansen from Orange Australian Rural Woman of the year 2016 was the guest speaker. She is so passionate about social media and using this to tell your farm story, home cook, food writer.......visit her blog @ Local is Lovely

Natasha Maclaren-Jones is the first female whip in the state government.

It was such a lovely morning............they held a silent auction throughout the morning which also raise funds..........the food was fancy and lovely not what I can ever get in my home town..........I felt very spoilt.........it was an honor to represent my branch at this function and I can't wait til they start the project that we were funded for ...............

After a quick change of clothes to something much more practical and back into my RM boots I was off to the CWA tea rooms at the show.........these are so well known and very popular - there is pretty much a line up of people for tea and scones all day........people were very patient.....Fairy Girl and I worked out the front for the afternoon shift clearing and wiping down tables.....we never stopped..........I would definitely do it again......i'll make better plans for next year..........I just dropped in the afternoon before and asked if they needed help.........I tell you it is a hive of activity and everyone has there job to fill...........

Onto the crafts pavilion...........some of the quilts........

I found a Lucy Boston.........

this amazing cake was made from wood............it looked so real.........

recognised this quilt immediately as one of Carols @ Cherry Pie Designs patterns.....she actually knew the lady who entered it too..........

under 20yrs work...........

this circle blanket  was gorgeous...........nice to see one finished as I had seen a few of these growing online.............

We loved both these mini quilts..........the bottom one was about the size of a A4 sheet of paper..............

amazing flowers........

there is something for everyone at the show.............

I don't have any pics of the Man From Snowy River show but there was also camp drafting finals, Polocrosse, the above were motor bikes and utes doing crazy stuff...........

great fireworks display............

just got these on my phone..............

 the other thing for me that is a show tradition is the District exhibits.........made with produce from the areas..........

 it's been years since I went down but I can't wait to head down again next year..............Its still on until the 19th so go along.......the weather is great in Sydney this weekend.......

Catch you later............

Chookyblue............

the end.............

After the sad news on Sat afternoon that GDITC will be no more breaky on Sunday morning was even more special as we had no idea when and where we would see each other again.........would we see each other again............

I was so sad on the way home and for the next week really......still am.....I think that is why it has taken me so long to blog about out weekend..........

Mt Misery was the venue for breaky..........esp for us an early open.........

such a happy group of girls...........

until we had some tears saying goodbye..........everyone leaves from here.............

Susan and me.....

more to come............but nearly done.........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

GDITC Saturday...........

Saturday started off grey and drizzly around but we enjoyed a nice walk...........

it was fresh but strangely the breeze was warm.............

a good breaky to start he day...........

Our gorgeous project was this from Bonnie Sullivan USA.............

new to me she is printing fabric ..........we appliqued a bit of wool on the spool, stitched over the leaves and added the buttons........done.........

I know sit down but I had a high achievement on the day...........

got my pincushion and needlebook done..............

Bonnie helped with the pincushion........it is attached to the lid of the container...........

great christmas decorations.........these are also preprinted patterns and you do a little applique of some wool and add a few stitches to smarten it up and it's done...........

lots of great friends to spend time with.........

my biggest partner in all things quilty Miss Jules and me.........

Kerri and Dawnie.........

Googy and Suzie..........

My table (back) Diddles, me, Lea aka Fairy Floss.......

(front) Googy, Suzie and Dawnie........

Me and Bonnie with my project finished so far..............

she was an absolute delight to have as a tutor........

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Thanks heaps to Kerry for organising 10 years of amazing workshops.......by chance it has become a melting pot of bloggers from 3 states.......all with the one amazing connection to blogging and stitching..........I was so so so sad to hear it was to be our last Girls Day In The Country............

the bloggy girls............

such a wonderful group.........

(back) Fiona, Googy, me, Diddles, Lea

(middle) Kerri, De, Marilyn, Janice, Deb, Jenny, Sandy, Dawnie

(front) Lynda, Susan, Dzintra, Bonnie, Kerry, Suzie

Sarah in the background but me and Elizabeth.......

late night party girls.........

such a ball.............thanks to Kim and the absent Heath for having us once again at the caravan park..........always such a perfectly neat park with immaculate cabins............and the great BBQ again on Sat night...........

I have missed swap pics so will try and get those taken but we did our Make it, Bake it, Fake it swap on Sat night.........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........