Stimulating the Senses at Quilt Camp

It was a special time for me over the Mother's Day weekend. I went on the Phillip Island Patches Weekend away - it's Quilt Camp really. We stay in a school camp, our meals are prepared for us... we relax, chat, socialise, and sometimes even sew!!

Upon arrival Friday afternoon, we unpacked the hugely overloaded car (poor little Kermit) into our sleeping quarters, and moved our sewing supplies into our designated workshop areas. After fish and chips on the beach for tea I finished quilting this little mini quilt - remember this??? It's been a heckuvva long time in between stitches!!! The binding was ready to hand-stitch down.

The next day we settled into our workshops. I enrolled in the Caroline Sharkey "thread and painted landscape" class.

Basically, we chop perfectly good fabric into little pieces. Like so...

This (above) will be the greenery in front of the water - I am using a photo as a guide to "build" my landscape. I've included lots of tulle pieces to add texture and depth. Actually, this photo isn't very accurate. It's much more green than blue.

These little bits of fabric will be used on the water. The little pink scissors are what we use to cut all the little snippets or confetti pieces.

With so much snipping it was necessary to take a break - numerous walks were required, and enjoyed... breathing in the seaside air.


The smell of spray glue and hot sewing machine oil made stimulated us all... but conversations couldn't be sustained while sewing machines were making zoom zoom noises... Music filtering into the ears surely assisted the creative process.

The R-rated coffee machine (adults only) sure was a hit with a lot of campers. Personally, I thought the drinks from the machine tasted disgusting. But, I'm a kid, and I'm not supposed to use it anyway...

Different people were constructing different parts of the scenic landscape. This is how a tree went together.Saturday night dress -up. The theme for the weekend was flowers - these are the flower children.

Every now and then I glean a little inspiration from somewhere... like these toadstools growing in the kiddy playground.

Olga Walters (legendary quilter and quilt teacher) have some sort of bond... we really only see each other on these weekends each other.

But as you can see, we are kindred spirits...

Not sisters... but sisters... :)
My dear friend Rosie introduced me to these weekends away.... They bring such blessings and joy.
Show and tell from everyone in my workshop.
Of course we stopped at a cafe while journeying home... and because it was Mother's Day we were treated to special cookies.
Jocelyn said this cookie was meant for me because the swirls matched my Maori koru pendant.

Blessings, blessings, blessings.

And now, I feel inspired to keep sewing!!