Forever Always Online: What a huge weekend!!!

WOW, where to start, it was a huge weekend for me last weekend. Still feel like I am recovering.

Guess I start at the baking. With a big weekend planned and all events being the bring a plate to share kind....it's Brownies to the rescue who can resist a perfect Brownie, well I know I can't {smirk}. Friday had me planning the brownie baking first thing in the morning and lucky for us the arrival of a Innovations catalogue came - now these either never make it out of the plastic before hitting the recycle bin, or I devour them with interest, this particular catalogue had arrived on Thursday and one of the family had opened it and left it on the table with the rest of the mail for mum to sort. I was just tossing it in the recycle when on the walk to the bin, I did a flick, and the first thing I see is the perfect brownie tin...now I had seen these on websites for sale in the USA, but between postage and the price I always thought Oh one day!! Well at $20 and we could pick it up. YEP that's what I did, I shipped hubby up to French's Forest at 9am on Saturday so that I could get to baking.

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I was actually shocked at the size to start with, and only made one single batch of my Perfect Brownie Mix, soon realising that it needed a batch and a half or even a double batch I think. But I do love that I can do one row with just choc drops added, then another row with some choc drops and some walnuts, and then the last row is our favourite with the raspberries....oh my we love this new pan... So with brownies baked, it was off in the car with the best smelling hot brownie straight from the oven. Warning don't do this, you will be craving brownie all the way!!!

First stop after 1 and half hours in the car with that wonderful brownie odour....was my sisters as we were joining her at a friends for a shoe party. Amazing leather shoes, oh to have more money it was a Laura Benini Party and I have never seen so many Australian Made Leather Shoes, apart from the only ones that appealed were a winter shoe, and coming into spring it just didn't seem right, so I was very strong and held back on my purchase but Bianca got the best pair of work heels ever, and she was ever so tempted on the handbag, but held off due to the remaining party plans we had still to view over the remainder of the day.

Then it was back to my sisters for a spot of dinner, cut up that Brownie and plate it up to take onto the next venue a Girls Night In event hosted by my friend Tia - OH my, apart from getting lost in the dark - yes I have been to her home before but in the dark and with a few too many back seat drivers who had all had a few glasses of bubbles....well let's say we ended up at Picton but managed with a phone a MUM call back at Bingara Gorge Estate - were gob smacked at the cars out the front, what a huge turnout Tia got - close to 50 woman, amazing. So needless to say we purchased some Emma Page jewellery, {yes we fell in love with this wonderful range of jewellery at reasonable prices so we are hosting our own Jewellery night soon} Heidi picked up some handbags, and her and Jazz both had their eyebrows waxed....we had a great night, but then it was a long drive home, but at least it was quicker than the lost trip there and we were in bed before midnight.

Image by RetroMummy

Then it was up and slice up more of that brownie for my take a plate to the Quilts for Queensland Quilting Bee that Corrie of RetroMummy had organised. WOW what an event to be a part of, such a good cause and well it was amazing, working and chatting and stitching with the 19 other lovely ladies. I was blown away with the stack of 23 quilts that we completed, when I arrived and set to helping Corrie unpack the boxes and post bags, I really didn't see us achieving such a great amount. And I honestly don't think Corrie, when she first requested 12 inch blocks expected it to get such a great response either.

We each had a our sewing machines whirring away, not long after we had laid out about 20 quilts all from assorted 12 inch blocks that Corrie had received from every inch of this amazing giving planet!! As soon as a laid out quilt was removed by a stitcher somebody was laying out more blocks, and then that was soon gathered and stitched too.

The quilts ranged in size from 9, 12 and even 16 x 12 inch blocks. It certainly was amazing to see how so many random blocks can come together to form stunning quilts.

Lunch time came all too quick, but amazingly I think all the blocks were quilt tops by this stage. Lunch need I mention that there was way too much food, amazing frittata's, sandwiches, cheeses and crackers then there was the brownie :) and many other little cupcakes and cookies galore.

After lunch it was onto the laying out of quilts with either polar fleece on the smaller ones, flannel on some, and wading and fabric on some of the larger ones, some machine quilting, binding and before we new it the day was done, and we had achieved a wonderful pile of quilts completed, and many ready to be stitched either by longarm quilters at home or by a few good friends who like to hand quilt.

Lisa with her first completed quilt
Image by RetroMummy

I was lucky enough to find myself seated next to Lisa a lovely young girl, who had never completed a quilt before - so it was wonderful seeing her achieve her very first stitched quilt top and then the completion of putting on a flannel backing as well. Lisa was very proud of her achievement. During the day we chatted and I soon learned that she is keen to begin making her very first quilt using the amazing Very Hungry Caterpillar Fabric stash she received as a gift. I look forward to seeing it soon. Perhaps at another stitch in that Corrie has promised to organise for later in the year, or even at my next Forever Always Retreat Lisa and Corrie are keen to come.

I didn't get any photos on the day, so these images have come from Corrie's RetroMummy Blog - which if you visit you can see many more photos of the quilts from the day.

I brought 6 quilts ready to complete home with me. This one above that needs to be bound...(Monday I made the binding and machine stitched it on, it's sitting ready to hand complete tonight).

This above pile, of 12 inch quilt as you go blocks ready to make into 3 of the raggy style quilts. Yesterday I managed to stitch up one quilt ready for snipping.
I also brought home two amazing quilt tops ready for hand quilting there were many hand pieced items on both of them, one a bright and modern and the other more traditional both in colour and design. Both these had wading and backing - I had to stitch up the backing for one of them as it is rather large. I have left both of them with Evelyn Gill from the Monday Sewing group I attend at Campbelltown Library to hand quilt, she was very excited when I shared them with her yesterday!! Once Evelyn has quilted them I will bind them before passing back to Corrie. Promise to share photos of them then too!!

Corrie surprised us all with a lovely, but not necessary little gift for joining her on the day, of a lovely charm pack, I love the blue and yellow cottageness of this pack, I see a table runner or topper in this one!!!

So Monday was a full on day, with the long drive over to the library and then another 4 hours stitching and chatting. Then Lunch with family, always nice when Dad joins us too. Ran in Sharryn Thomson in the car park, so a chatter and natter then home...almost feel asleep at the wheel, driving really knocks me around.

Home and I feel asleep with a cuppa before dinner. so sadly didn't make my Monday night quilting group.

Today it's been packing and sorting out for the carpet that comes on Friday. I have left hubby to do some painting so I could do a bit of blogging and maybe some stitching, still working on that retreat class for March. Here is a little sneak...