Super Happy Friendly Friday!! Yippee!! 
This week we have another one of my favourite Aussie quilters. Melissa of Clothwork constantly impresses us with her beautiful colourful quilts. They have a modern yet timeless quality to them. Melissa hasn't been blogging as much lately because she's studying full time but when she does it's always worth seeing what she's up to! In the meantime let's find out more about this week's friendly feature super star...  


Hi Melissa, Tell us a bit about yourself?
  Im a mum to two kids 7 and 5 and  I love to sew!  I got my first 'proper' sewing machine when i was 7.  Its an old hand crank Wertheim which was about 100 years old when i got it! and its still sewing beautifully,  (my kids now use it )  I used to make all of my barbie doll clothes on it!  Being a stay at home mum I was able to indulge in some sewing and blogging but this year I have been able to return to full time study - ( Residential Building Design and Drafting ) which has been a dream of mine for a long time.  = Lots of study and little sewing : (


How long have you been quilting?  
Ive been quilting for a few years pretty much since ive had kids really... I made a quilt when my daughter was small (still in a cot) and it took me nearly 2 and a half years to finish it!  Mind you i cut it all out with scissors and hand tied it and hand sewed the binding,  Its terribly wonky, no blocks line up, some of the seams are coming apart but i love it!  Thankfully my quilting has since improved and i invested in a rotary cutter!!


What enticed you to start quilting? 

 I think it was seeing some quilts the ladies from Material Obsession had made and the fabrics they used ( Amy Butler ) it really opened up a whole new universe!


What do you love about quilting?  
Definitely the fabric!!  Dreaming up endless fabric combinations!!


Is there any part of the process that you don't like?
 Not really, basting is a tedious process but its good to get that big sandwich all together!!


Do you have a favourite sewing saying or motto? 

 I like the saying something about if you cant notice it galloping past on a horse its not worth worrying about.  Thats me, I like things to be well made but if its not perfect it doesnt bother me too much. ( It does if Im making it for someone else though! )


What model sewing machine do you use?  
I mainly sew on a Janome 1600p.  Its a very basic machine, straight stitch only but its really fast and has built in scissors! LOVE!!


Do you listen to music while you sew? What is your favourite type or cd?
Actually I dont, I enjoy the sweet sound of silence (after my kids have gone to bed - its usually when i sew! )  


What is your favourite food?  
I love all sorts of food!!  Hot and spicy especially!!


Do you have any furry friends that keep you company while you sew?

We have a Kelpie named Rainbow who keeps me company and she sometimes likes to get in on the photos!


Tell us about the house block you've made? I had lots of fun making the block for Rachael's quilt.  I used some of my favourite scraps and just improvised as i sewed it together.  




Its a quilters house with a tape measure front door, happy children playing, white fluffy rose clouds and a nice pink Monaro in the driveway for GBF!!
Enjoy your block Rach - cant wait to see the finished quilt! xx


Thank you Melissa!!! What a gorgeous house and garden!! So many special details! I can see your study in Residential Design is paying off!  I love all the scrappy fussy cutting, the pieced roof and the pink rose bud sky. And let me tell you, Gbf is over the moon about having a Monaro in the driveway!!! 
Pop over and say hello to Melissa at Clothwork. She hasn't posted on her blog for a while but the latest post has the most beautiful stitched alphabet sampler. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!! Gbf is making yummy gourmet pizzas for our dinner. Pizza and blogging.. what a great start to the weekend.