Sunday, June 16, 2013

Summer in Singapore

Our group is light on members this month as school holiday see families returning to their own countries or are dealing with children and/or work. Nevertheless, those who have been attending have been busy as usual.
The gathering group also bid farewell to some long time members who are returning to Australia to take up new challenges. As is our routine, the group make memory blocks to commemorate their time with us and these have been presented in a loving and caring way to Elizabeth and Marg to wish them well.

Marg's memory blocks

Marg chose this pattern and it always seems to look amazing in whatever colours are used. The group wishes her well on her return to Melbourne.

Presentation

Elizabeth has been an innovative contributor to the group for 3+ years and has shown generosity in sharing ideas and providing quilts for charities over that time. Most recently she has developed and supervised a BOM folk art quilt which she will continue to share with us from her new Perth home. She selected a modified trip around the world block as her parting selection.
Trip around the World
So our times here in Singapore are often touched with bittersweet moments. Fast friendships are made and we are all well aware that they can be gone just as quickly. However, some of them remain true and memorable and continue on between the countries and across the miles and we are all the richer for those people touching our lives. These two women and many who have gone before them will be missed but remain in our quilting hearts.

As usual there has been busyness and we have a new member who is so enthusiastic and delightful. Ya Hui has been working hard at her new passion and has produced some delightful pieces. She is an inspiration and helps those of us who have become a bit complacent to get motivated again.

Not bad for a beginner!
Alison is an excellent quilter and so often our quiet achiever. She is very experienced and apart from collecting fabrics that sometime need hiding from her significant other (!!!), she produces beautiful work and is a driving force in our group. Here she has produced a delightful collection using the same pattern to achieve very different results.

WOW!

Kath has also been quietly achieving and her hand work is a credit to her. She loves coming to group as she says some of us make her laugh!


Perfect piecing

Sandra has been taking lessons and has been producing crazy quilt blocks, the likes of which not many of us have seen before. She has toiled and sweated over these for many months, in fact nearly a year and has produced items that are truly ready for wall display. Here is a glimpse. The full quilt will be revealed another day.

Beautiful hand work
So life here in Singapore chugs along just like most other places. Our group provides friendship and fun, sometimes tears and tantrums but is never dull. We value each others company, make some life long friendships and love and learn from each other. We all need each other as family and we enjoy our Tuesday gatherings. Go well all those who are moving on and continue your delightful quilting work. Stay motivated all those left behind and embrace new members as soul sisters and show them what a great place Singapore has been to all of us. Having said that, there are some things about Singapore that will never be understood. Comments on the following photo would be appreciated. Found in a much loved local department store. WTF?




STOP PRESS

Can we have all hands on deck for Tuesday 18 June 2013? We are trying to pull off the quickest made little girls quilt in record time. It is to be cut and sewn on Tuesday and some will be bringing machines and rotating cutting boards to make a disappearing four patch block. Contact Alison or Jessie for details. This is for a gravely ill little three year old who has a terminal illness and needs to return to Australia from Singapore as health insurance will not cover her palliative care costs. It is small comfort but provides some brightness to her bleak outlook. Lets rally together and produce something beautiful.