What's in the bag?

If you saw a purple bag, what would you expect to find in it?


What if I told you that I obtained this pretty purple bag and its contents at a spectacular sale at Quilters' World here in Toowoomba?! Aaaaaah! You guessed it - FABRIC!!!!! I had decided that good things come in brown paper bags, but have to amend that to include purple bags now! Tee! Hee! Hee! You see, Pauline (owner of QW) has had a change of circumstances forced upon her - all the the land and buildings around them were sold to a developer, leaving her with no shop car park and no street parking - how rude! And rather inconvenient when one has a business that people mostly DRIVE to!! So ... she decided that if she couldn't beat 'em, she'd join 'em and as a result, she is re-structuring her business. While the shopfront will close in about a week, Quilters' World will still operate from the web site (listed to the left!) and Pauline will focus most of her attention on her first love - teaching workshops and classes. She has exciting plans to eventually set up a workshop premises in Toowoomba, but isn't rushing into anything, as she wants to find just the right spot. So ...... wow! This story is getting long-winded! To cut the story a little shorter - Pauline had a sale to clear lots of stock so she didn't have to pack and store it and of course, being the helpful person I am, I helped her by taking some off her hands! Tee! Hee! Hee! It sounds so altruistic when I put it like that!!

Now, I bought two lots of fabrics. The first was for my stash.


The green with daisies and the red with flowers were both picked with my ladybird quilt in mind. The green spot? Well I got it because ... it was green ... and because it has spots ... and because ... well ... JUST BECAUSE! Tee! Hee! Hee! I have no doubt I'll find a project for it!

The second grouping of fabrics was bought for a friend - really!!!


Aren't they pretty?!!! I just love the hand-dyed look, especially in such vibrant colours. These fabrics are destined to go towards making two quilts. I've corrupted my friend Lynda enough that she's going to tackle her first ever quilts!! Yay!! Spread the love, I say!! Tee! Hee! Hee! It also gives us a fabulous excuse (as if we need one!!!) to go to patchwork shops and then discuss our purchases over a coffee!! The two quilts Lynda has planned will be for her children, Jayk and Amy. Jayk is mad, keen on dinosaurs of all sorts, shapes and sizes - I asked him the other day which was his favourite in a poster and he pointed to one and said "That one ... and that one ... and that one ... and ..." Bit like me with bears!!! And Amy's quilt will feature mermaids and dolphins. If you ask her, Amy will tell you her favourite colour is ... "Rainbow!" Tee! Hee! Hee! If Lynda lets me loose with my camera, I'll take some photos along the way to show you our progress.

And speaking of progress, the instructions for my buccaneer bears have been written, I just have to proof read them and I find that's most effective if I walk away from them for a few days, then go back again, otherwise, it all looks right and I just want to move on!!! And I've finished these instructions not a moment too soon, as I head home to Mundubbera the weekend after this to teach a bear making class at a Cottage Craft weekend in Gayndah and the pirate crew member is one of the options being offered! Phew!! I had one of the ladies who's signed up for the class call me last night with a few questions and double checking what she needs to bring. She told me she's REALLY excited to be part of the class, as she loves bears and collects them, but has never attempted to make one before. We're going to have lots of fun!! Oh, and I HAD to share this photo with you! I was walking through the lounge room last night and happened to glance at the chair where my two pirates are currently perched awaiting their official photo shoot. Obviously, my beloved Geek Boy has dumped some of his 'stuff' in this chair somewhere along the track because the bears have gone from sitting up, alert and straight to this ...


Oh no! They look like they've been into the rum stores!! "Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate's life for me ... HIC!!! Drink up me hearties! Yo ho! HIC!!" I think there's been a pirate party in my lounge room! I wonder how I managed to sleep through it!! And why didn't they invite me!!! Tee! Hee! Hee! I'll have to sober them up to take their official portrait. Hmmm lots of black coffee or a threat to walk the plank - we'll see which is more effective!

And on that note, I think I hear the kettle calling me for my afternoon cuppa, so I shall sign off for now. Oh, Linda from Many Things To Do has tagged me to answer five questions and I keep forgetting about it until the end of a post! So, Linda, if you've popped in , I haven't forgotten entirely - just momentarily!! And I promise I'll respond to the tag next post. Until then, hope you all have a productive day - or stop for a cuppa and enjoy a break!!! Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS