My Birthday Present to You

Today's my birthday. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm 59.

Three years ago today, I quite vividly remember spending my birthday in this down under city.

Foreground: Sydney Opera House; Background: Harbour Bridge

That day, we rode the ferry from Five Dock... 

 

to the CBD (Central Business District) 

Sydney CBD view from the top of Sydney Tower, the gold spire in the center of the previous photo.

In the CBD I shopped for opal (the national gemstone of Australian) earrings, and got them.

Most often though, birthdays are low key in our family. This year is slightly different because I'd like to give you a chance to win one of three presents. This is an Australia-themed giveaway.

You might remember that back in August 2011, I started making this Friendship Medallion Quilt. The pattern is a freebie from Patchwork Pumpkin, an Australian quilt shop. Instructions come with a few strings attached.
1. You are not allowed to purchase any fabrics for the quilt top. You must use your stash!
2. You may swap fabrics with your friends.
3. Show us your quilt centre to get the next border instructions. No proof? No pattern. No exceptions!
Wanting a stash-busting project, many of you saw my posts about this and decided to join me. Because so many of you did that, Patchwork Pumpkin asked if I would like to give away two of their patterns! Two of you have a chance to win a pattern of your choice from Patchwork Pumpkin.

While I was cutting out each of the eight parts for this medallion quilt, I thought about how great it was to be stash-busting. And gosh, why not cut out TWO of every piece needed?

So, for example, in part one (as seen on the right) instead of cutting out just 64 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" turquoise prints and 40 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" white prints...

I cut out 128 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" turquoise prints and 80 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" white prints.

I continued to double-up on my cutting throughout all eight parts, setting aside the half I didn't use. With permission from Patchwork Pumpkin, I printed instructions to accompany each part.

That means, my giveaway gift is this. THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

A cut out kit, not just hunks of fabric, to sew your own 85" X 95-1/2" medallion quilt top like mine.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.
Anyone can enter once for a chance to win one of two patterns or the kit. Here are the parameters:

• I'll ship the kit within the lower 48 U.S. states. An international kit-winner should expect to pay shipping. 
• Three winners will be selected Thursday, March 22.
• In your one comment, tell me two things:

1. Whether you'd like to win the "pattern" or "kit" or "either."
2. Something you know or like about Australia, whether you've ever been there or not.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. 

As for celebrating my birthday, what I'll be doing is this.

Hosting our second Sunday afternoon open house. Last Sunday's visitors, who numbered a dozen, were mostly curiosity peepers. We're hoping this Sunday's visitors will be more serious since we'll be hosting an open house every Sunday until the house sells! I can't think of a better birthday present than an offer. Linda

A Day with Sydney Southern Cross Quilters

On Saturday I joined the Sydney Southern Cross Quilters (SSCQ, pronounced "squilters") at their first Saturday of the month get-together at the Blue Gum in Waitara, a community on Sydney's north side.

To see more pictures of our day, visit the SSCQ blog here.

I'm grateful for transportation offered by my daughter and Di. On the drive we passed trees changing into autumn colors. With the mild weather I've been enjoying, I have to remind myself that this part of the world is heading into winter.The Blue Gum is a hotel and restaurant. Quilters meet in the area with all the glass topped by the white, dome-shaped roof.

It was a treat to see what everyone was doing: hand applique... knitting, and redwork. Heather is hand-piecing the border for this wonderful, colorful quilt. Her color sense is magnificent. Aren't these blocks in Heather's quilt just delicious!?No surprise... several quilters here are also into hexagons. These are Lyn's flowers for the Dancing Dollies quilt she's making. Pennie has been working on this English paper-pieced diamond-shaped hexagon quilt since 2005.

That's a AUD$2 gold coin (no US coins on me) to give you an idea of the small size of these hexagons. Pennie freely admits she's about sick of hexagons. Well, wouldn't you be? Stitching all those plain white hexies to one another?! Goodness!Here's the back of Pennie's beautiful work.As if she isn't mad enough to do all those hexagons, Pennie's also making minis.

To give you a perspective on the mini-ness of this approximately 6" X 8" quilt, I photographed it with my glasses and a AUD$2 gold piece.

Pennie's nearly finished with the mini Trip Around the World on the left.
I had a good chuckle over Pennie's remark that she is making these minis "to use up her stash."



With me, on the left is Loz. We have a mutual friend in Iowa, Deb.

In March, Loz entered and won first place in my blog giveaway.
How convenient that I could deliver her prize to her!

I thought I was fortunate to spend a Saturday with these ladies last October, so what a treat it was to do so again. It was just like meeting up with quilter-friends at home.

The afternoon concluded with another adventure: riding the train back home. Di dropped me off at the railway station in Hornsby and 41 minutes later I arrived in Burwood where I was picked up by my daughter. Riding the rails was another way to see and experience Sydney for only AUD $4.60 for a one-way ticket.

The train passed over a couple highways. Note cars on the "wrong" side of the road. From experience I can tell you that driving on the left is an ability that does not come easily to me. Even without distractions, and whispering my driving mantra, "Stay on the left. Stay on the left," I've had two occasions when I found myself profusely thanking God for protecting me. Whew.

The train cross waterways too.

I returned home to see these two off for a much-deserved evening out. Don't they look smashing!? Love those red shoes, Jill! You don't look like a mum with a seven month-old.With Celina away for an overnight, Tay and I shared a quiet evening: a bedtime bottle, a bedtime bath, and a bedtime story.

Just another beautiful day in Oz.

Meeting Quilters and 'Roo on the Barbie

Saturday was full of delightful activities. I am grateful to Di, who drove me around Sydney to get to the monthly meeting of the Sydney Southern Cross Quilters, or "Squilters" as they call themselves.

The group meets at this restaurant in Waitara, a northern suburb of Sydney.

On the left is the beautiful Di. We first met through the Quilting Down Under (QDU) chat group, and became acquainted during several face-to-face calls via Skype. Now we're meeting regularly at her church, St. Mark's, where she is one of two Stitchin' Mission coordinators.

What a fast and dear friend she has become!

Then, I had the happy opportunity to also meet a mutual friend, Loz, on the right. It's somewhat of a story, but Loz is the friend of one of my Iowa friends, Deb. Note the photo Loz and I are holding between us - that's Deb and Loz. Yes, it's a small world all right! This Squilters group meets to do hand work such as English paper piecing, hand-piecing, and stitchery. Here is Loz with an English paper-pieced quilt she made. Lovely!This is a hand-pieced Periwinkle Star quilt made by Heather. (Click the photo to enlarge it.) I wish I'd taken a picture of sweet Heather who was full of helpful quilting tips and suggestions that she shared with me.

Erica was hand-piecing this one.

Christine was stitching this pin cushion.

What a group! Amongst all the mandatory visiting and project-sharing, and lunch, there was barely time to do any stitching! During show and tell, we saw this lovely, seven-foot long, machine appliqued table runner,

this whole-cloth machine-quilted wall hanging,and this pretty Disappearing Nine Patch, among many others. After such a lovely day, it was difficult to say good-bye to new friends. This parking lot sign warned me, but no worries about me being quiet!
Saturday evening we went to friends for dinner. Remember I mentioned that I wouldn't likely ever try kangaroo? Well, our dinner host had something else in mind.

Yes, that's kangaroo, skewered, marinated, and ready for the barbie.

Hot off the grill......and onto my plate, and into my tummy.

I can't believe I ate the whole skewerfull, but I did! 'Roo has a pleasant flavor, and is a little chewier than other meats. Because kangaroo has little to no fat, I learned that the trick to proper grilling is to not overcook it which would make it tough. I can't say I'll ever intentionally eat kangaroo again, but I'm glad to have had the chance to try it. A unique experience.

As our host pointed out, what other country in the world eats its national emblem?!

Some of Our Things are not Like the Others

Take a look at the flora I enjoyed during a walk between the apartment and Celina's school.

Jacaranda

A jade plant we cherish as an indoor houseplant grows abundantly outdoors here.
And bird-of-paradise are everywhere! I thought this one looked like it was crying.

Americans and Australians may both speak English, but it's entertaining to note the differences in our lingo. While at the Burwood Mall in Westfield, (New South Wales, Australia), I scoped out a few similarities and differences.

Spoken in every language...

A trash bin,

a diaper disposal container in the parent's room,

and this message that's our take on "Don't drink and drive." Downtown Sydney viewed from the mall parking lot.