Lunch

After speaking, a small group went to lunch at Anna Karena, a quirky café at Burleigh. I loved the eclectic decor. The salad was good too!

Gold Coast Quilters

Nice drive to Burleigh on the Gold Coast to be guest speaker at the Gold Coast Quilters Guild last week. I received a warm welcome and met up with many quilters I know.

Two well known friends Ella L and Lorraine.

I gave my lecture Quilting Adventures From Mt Isa to Mongolia and had a selection of quilts for showing, including my first quilt, the small log cabin to the right of Silent Sentinels. It was a pleasure to share information and techniques with the enthusiastic group.

 

Ice dyeing

I have heard of ice dyed fabrics as a method, but not seen it done. At the recent SAQA MOB[Members of Oceania Brisbane]  crafty get together, Glad was doing some.

She came prepared with lots of ice cubes, dye powder and fabric.

Using a tall cylindrical vase she layered the fabric, dye powder and ice. Very clever as she was transporting it home and this was easy to seal off.

The dye drifted down as the ice melted. We didn't see the finished result- perhaps another day.
 

The view

Always nice to go somewhere you have not been before, as was the case with this view, looking down Kirra Beach, Gold Coast.

Remember to swim between the yellow flags for safety! 

Relaxed

I have come back refreshed from our short time away, having found it very easy to relax. Perhaps the gin and tonic helped a little?

Ready for the Christmas countdown, with 1 quilt for the Viewpoint 9 challenge to complete.

Yatala pies

Yatala Pies are famous! The shop has been a favourite spot to stop for generations of travellers on the Gold Coast road & we sunk our teeth into a couple.

Swell Sculpture Festival #4

I can't resist sharing just a few more of the great creations from the Swell Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast at Currumbin, as this is the last weekend to see it.

Mexettes at Palm Beach market

There is an excellent weekly Saturday market at the Palm Beach High School grounds, Gold Coast. Lots of fresh produce, meat, seafood, live entertainment & delicious food stalls plus good coffee! We went for the African baskets, which come in all shapes & sizes. L-R Marg, Marcia & Di, members of our friendship group the Mexettes.

Di arrived with her own beautiful,  hand made shopping bag.

Swell Sculpture Festival #3

Kate, there are some nice cafes along Pacific Parade, which look out to sea & the sculptures.

Swell Sculpture Festival #2

Swell Sculpture Festival

The Swell Sculpture Festival, at Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast began on the weekend & continues until September 19.  Many people were out enjoying & interacting with the artwork.

Colour at Versace

I never tire of the glorious colour & pattern combinations at Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast. The foyer is magnificent with a huge chandelier & Medusa head mosaic floor & well worth a visit.

This time I had an iced coffee.

Gold Coast break #5

A power outage this morning left us sitting in the dark at the kitchen table chewing on our muesli without our usual hot cups of tea for him & Milo for me.
However I'll leave you with the final pictures of the Gold Coast & this delicious hot seafood plate from Saks Restaurant at Marina Mirage.

Gold Coast break #4

Along the coastal areas the Pandanus is a common sight. From a small plant it grows into an interesting branching & twisted shape of long spiky edged fronds. The fruit is fibrous & woody but a great shape & texture.

Gold Coast break #3

Still "lost in the rainforest" & contemplating the variety leaf shapes with soft & delicate to hard & spiky.
I am quilting my first entry for STATE of the ART quilt 10 exhibition. The deadline is October 31 with an online digital entry format.
My composition has repetition & bold colour but I may just add some further variety yet.

Gold Coast break #2

Burleigh Headland is undeveloped and has several walking tracks through the remnant rainforest which was very dry. Being in such a setting there was inspiration all around & the 2 photographers I was with had their big cameras & were taking shots.
I used my small point & shot to record details I found interesting for future compositions. The large hexagonal basalt columns which litter the headland formed intriguing patterns & I began photographing the negative spaces between them- the gaps!

Nature finds a way to survive in any location. The large tree roots wound sinuously over basalt boulders, hugging them close.

Gold Coast views

It's wonderful how a few days away can be so refreshing. The photo above is from Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast looking north. I couldn't resist the stretch limo parked outside Jupiters Casino & the 'Limousine Zone' sign.

I'll show you what else I got up too in the next couple of blogs.