Keeping busy

This is our shop, in Crystal Brook.  

It's called Quilts and Collectibles, and we've stocked it with a range of our quilts, some fabric, and many of the gorgeous little things we've collected over the years.  The things in the shop are what we're prepared to part with, we still have lots of treasures at home. Mereth keeps producing wonderful things that I've never seen before, she must have so much stashed away.  I never really had to monitor how much I had, because I have so much storage room; but I'm finally wanting a bit more space, so certain select things are going into the shop.

There are three of us stocking and running it, and we're having fun meeting fellow enthusiasts from all over Australia.  There are so many people travelling in caravans, and they visit our little towns to get an idea of country life. It's interesting to talk to people who've been on the road for a year; I'm pretty sure I couldn't manage without my sewing room for that long.

We've sold a lot of quilts, now there is room on the shelves at home for more, so we can get quilting soon, knowing there is somewhere to put them.  Tops take up much less room, but I have a hankering to finish some of my favourites.

I've had that Royal Winton tea set since 1981; I was moving up to Queensland and I traded all my household furniture for this tea set.  Mereth looked after it for me until I came back in 2007, and I've enjoyed it ever since.  It was a setting for 8, so I kept 2 trios, and a cake plate and sugar bowl, and the rest can go home with someone who loves it.

I made a trial block of my Hunter's Star and scorched it; I am such a klutz at times.  I'll leave it for now, and make the other blocks I have cut out.  I may not need this one, but if I do I can pull it apart and replace the scorched fabric then.  I make so much extra work for myself sometimes.

While I"m manning the shop I've been working on my Moorland blanket, from Attic 24.  It's easy, and I'm always trying to get one more row done.  I'm over half way, and enjoying it so much that I think I'll do one of her other blankets, next winter.  It's getting too hot here to be making rugs.

I'm selling a few of my machines too, they are a talking point with the older folk who come in.  Sometimes it's like we're a little museum, inspiring all these memories in people.