New class list is up!!

Our term 2, 2010 class schedule is now online.

Click here OR

You can always click on the link on the right side margin on our blog page for our latest class list.

Yippee!!

We have been waiting so patiently for this fabric to arrive. Ta-da!! It's Rural Jardin by French General. Click on the link above to see all the prints in store.

French inspired, Liberty-esque, and a great price. Only $22 per metre!

I know you will love this range as much as I do...

There are 3 pretty toiles in the range: blue, red and ecru.

See you in the shop, where fabric fondling is allowed!! (of course you can pat your fabric after it comes in the mail... we post anywhere!!).

Flower Fairies fabric

I just love it when new fabrics arrive.

These are the focus prints from the newest Flower Fairy fabrics.

More fabrics are expected at any time now. When the suppliers have them in stock they will ship them to us straight away.

Let's hope we still have some of these prints left when the new ones come in!!

Meet Tugger

Four new kids' prints just came in... it's hard to make quilts for boys sometimes... these fabrics will make it so easy to sew for your little man. Quilts, art smocks, library bags, swimming bags, stretch them over canvas for the bedroom walls.... whatever you like!

Meet Tugger - the little car. This little plane fabric has a lot of movement in it.

The little red fire engine...

The yellow bulldozer...

Fat quarter packs containing all four fabrics are available.

French Braid quilt class

Well... we had a great time in class last Saturday... I was able to snap a few photos of French Braids with their sashings and borders before they were taken home.

I expect in only 2 hours of sewing at home the participants will have finished their quilts.

These were made from Jelly Rolls or Rainbow packs (these are packs of 2.5 inch strips) This one belongs to Rosemary.

Maree used the Astor Manor jelly roll (I think that was the last one in stock).

Rosie used a Pashmina Jelly Roll and matching border. We are out of the jelly roll, but we still have some of these fabrics on the bolt (designs inspired by old pashmina shawls).

Sue used this bright jelly roll. She is going to join squares from the layer cake for the outer border.

Dee chose this Christmas Rainbow pack - doesn't it look fantastic teemed with the Wintergraphix for borders and sashing?

Debbie used the pink Rainbow pack. I chose a print from the Holiday Heritage range for the sashing - it went perfectly with Debbie's border fabric.

Look out for this class again next term... I will schedule 2 new dates for full day classes on Saturday.

Garden Party has arrived.. won't you join us?

Oh! What a gorgeous selection of prints!

These fabrics are so pretty.. with their olde worlde charm, they offer lots of possibilities for stitchery, applique and piecing.

These fabrics are from the range "Garden Party" by Blackbird Designs.

I'm going to use the cross-stitch prints as backgrounds for applique.

Also available in fat quarter packs and fat eighth packs

Purple sparkles

Jean used one of the purple fibre packs to make this cushion. The fibre pack was a Christmas present (we still have some in stock).

Jean used hand and machine embellishments to make this cushion - it's so sparkly.

I'm feeling inspired. Thanks for sharing with us Jean.

Some of us are finished...

Well, here are some of us with our embroidery and embellishment samplers. (Some people did not want to be in the photo)...

Thank you Judy (pictured holding her framed sample) - I think we will all be hot-footing it to the same framer for to finish our pieces too.

Mine isn't quite finished, so don't look at all these too closely. (I've only got to put on a few gold stems, sew on 2 stumpwork leaves and add the berries. Beautiful!!

This is most of the Wednesday group, the Thursday group are also mostly finished. What an achievement! I can't wait to see next year's class sample! We have to wait while Judy works it over Winter.

Stars and Coxcombs

Sometime it feels like Christmas when we are unpacking so much new, fun fabric all the time!!

We chose these 1800s reproduction fabrics from the Stars and Coxcombs range by Terry Clothier Thompson because they are such good blenders.

We also think that in these colours, they would make great Christmas quilts with a warm country feel.

What do you think?

Also available in fat eighth and fat quarter packs.

Introducing...

Introducing the new pattern by Make It Perfect - The Shearwater Kaftan!!

It's got just the right combination of floaty and fitted, and can be adjusted to 2 different lengths.

Cheryl couldn't wait to make this top for herself.. and here she is... buying the pattern one day, and wearing the finished top on the next day!

Cheryl used some of the fantastic Bali prints we've got on the bolt. (I will show you some of those later...).

Thanks for sharing with us Cheryl, I can't wait to make a few myself!

Leon, the king of beasts

The lion is the King of the jungle, and he is sure to win the heart of a little one.

This is Leon the Lion. He is just so huggable, and with his moveable limbs, he is sure to hug back!

He's the doll that's not a doll - perfect for a gift suitable for a little boy or a little girl. I know you will enjoy making him.

Leon is a pattern by Australian designers Melly and Me. Click on the link above to purchase this pattern.

Too busy to breathe!

Do you know what I mean when your brain and body are so busy you forget to breathe? Thank goodness for the subconscious in more ways than one.

I really enjoyed my 2 days of walking around the house with "itchy" fingers, looking at UFOs and perhaps a bit of dabbling with them as well...

Then I got back to work, and thought.. Hmmm... when is the QuiltAid quilt due. What? In only four days!!!

So, I got really busy. I had already designed the quilt to incorporate all 12 blocks... I just had to make it, testing out my pattern, then write up the instructions...

Phew! I've done it... in a marathon effort. My DH has photographed the quilt top flat, and photoshopped the binding on for me! (Don't tell will you?).

From tomorrow (Wednesday) you can enter a competition to win all 13 patterns needed to make the quilt above. Click here for details.

I also managed to squeeze in a whole day at the Australian Quilter's Convention (AQC). I saw so many friends, and came home very inspired.

In only one week I am on retreat for the weekend, so I am readying lots of little projects that I want to finish while I am away!!

Gotta run... byeeee...

Butterchurn and Cheddar

This homely range is named "Butterchurn and Cheddar" ...

These are essential ingredients for your circa 1850s reproduction quilts.

Cheddar refers to the orangey tones in the same colour as American cheddar cheese (Aussie cheese is quite a different colour).



Aussie cheese is more like the buttery tones in this range. Nevertheless, these oranges are called "cheddars". After the red and green craze in spectacular applique quilts in the 1840s, little bits of cheddar began creeping into these quilts to the point where some quilts contained lots and lots of cheddar by the 1850s.

I like to add a little bit of chrome yellow and cheddar at a time - a bit more like grated cheese added to a bolognaise.

Thus, Butterchurn and Cheddar fabrics are essential to your reproduction stash if you really want to re-create the look of quilts in the 1850s.

Click the link above to see all 12 pieces in the range.

Also available in fat quarter and fat eighth packs.