Adventures in Kingaroy

Last month sometime...is just a blur really, I was invited to teach at Quilter's Rest Kingaroy Queensland 3 hours north west of Brisbane out in a dirt road seemingly miles from anywhere and there it was....like an oasis. A beautiful property run by Marion and Alan Lees, a working property with cattle and tractors and gumboots and all that rural stuff, plus a purpose built quilter's retreat. A big air conditioned classroom with lots of natural light and easy clean floors, big tables and comfy chairs, lots of powerpoints and cupboard of handy to have supplies. Off to the sides of the classroom are 4 doors, bedrooms with 2 single beds, dressing tables and space for exhausted quilters to just step from their midnight sewing to bed....perfect! A comfortable ensuite is also plus access for making a midnight hot choc or a morning cuppa. Outside on the cool verandah are views of the cattle and the house gardens which are filled with blue wrens and frogs...mind you with no daylight savings, the Queensland sun rises very early, as do the frogs in the down pipes which amplify and sound like a gaggle of geese....well that's what I thought the noise was at 5 am! Frogs are cute at 8am and onwards but not at 5am!

Along the verandah is a path to the main house (above left) where the fly screen door is always unlatched ready for guests to pop in for a cuppa or cooked breakie or roast dinner. Marion and Alan are excellent hosts and made me and all the students so welcomed..you feel like one of the family sharing a beer with Alan from his home brew and exchanging recipes with Marion or sitting around the fire as the billy boils as the camp fire pot roast cooks...... Now you might be thinking yeah, all very nice but they are a long way from the nearest fabric shop or sewing machine retailer, what if I forgot my batting or need yet another fat quarter.....No worries mate. Alan converted the carport shed to a retail shop (above right) and its stocked with the best range of batiks and haberdashery and batting and paints and threads and everything a girl needs...except maybe chocolate. They also have a range of Pfaff sewing machines and are one of the states top retailers. Marion is passionate about her quilting and sewing and loves her Pfaff so has no trouble sharing her love with others.

 I hear Marion has a great deal going on this demonstrator model!!!

So apart from the lovely welcoming surroundings, I met 10 terrific ladies from the local area, very keen to learn and try new things. We did 4 in the Raw  which is one of my raw edge applique classes and Arty Farty Sunflowers where we paint and applique and stitch a whole cloth piece. What a great bunch of talented friendly ladies...it was a pleasure to spend 2 days with you all.

 That's Marion in the patterned white blouse directly behind my behind.....so glamorous!

Quilter's Rest  Kingaroy.......What a surprising find at the end of a dirt road!

www.quiltersrest.com.au   Helen Godden gives it 5/5 Golden Fat Quarters.!