I am constantly amazed at the sheer volume of my fabric stash! The bulging cupboards, baskets and boxes make it impossible to function properly and so it is time for the Major Tidy Up!! 

It is also wonderful what you find during the process!  There are those absolute treasures which I haven’t seen for ages - buried under a mountain of accumulated bits and pieces.   And at the other extreme, there are those cringe pieces!  Whatever was I thinking when I bought them!!  

I have been quilting for some time now, and fabric seems to have this remarkable habit of multiplying! Despite all of my efforts at sorting, stacking and classifying, it can be a major undertaking finding the exact piece I have in mind for a current project.  Simply - too much ’stuff’ choking up my work space and storage areas and actually inhibiting my quiltmaking!

I am currently having the biggest purge of fabric - ruthless culling is taking place and together with my good friend Jan, we are conducting a combined Garage Sale of no-longer-needed fabric and things. I now understand that I don’t have to justify my existence and worth based on the volume of ‘textile might’ in my sewing studio!  I have also shed that need to stockpile fabric for my ‘retirement’ and when I may need to be more frugal with the pennies and purchases.  There will be more than enough left to keep me going…

It is truly an uplifting experience clearing the space. It makes my heart skip to see from one side of the sewing room to the other!! And with this comes the most tantalising goal of all: to re-focus, re-invigorate and re-launch into exciting new creative ventures.

I was so delighted to be invited to take part in designing and making a block which will be made into a beautiful quilt for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation “65 Roses Ball” and charity auction in Sydney next year. 

There is an enchanting story of a little boy being unable to pronounce his sister’s condition ‘cystic fibrosis’  -   instead he referred to it as ‘65 Roses’ and with this lovely connection, the name has been adopted by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  

So the brief was to include roses in the blocks and above is a photograph of some delicious roses from my garden which helped provide inspiration for my block. With nine well known quilters taking part in this project, I am so eager to see the other designs AND the finished quilt which I am sure will be just gorgeous!  

The fabrics were selected from Robyn Pandolph’s Somerset range which reflects her gentle, romantic design style. The block designs will be published in Quilters Companion magazine starting in January 2010.  

I have permission to show you a sneak preview of a tiny portion of my block!