Sugarplum Quilts

Something done...finally!

2012-02-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

This week with kindy in fully swing I have been treating myself to a little sewing time in the mornings. I should be trying to clean my uncleanable lino (!!!) floor, but I prefer to hide in my sewing room instead and turn a blind eye to the weat-bix that has set like cement under the highchair.

I have got some projects ready to go, but I have taken myself aside and had a stern word and have decided to finish off some old projects before I go charging off to cut up more fabric.

A couple of years ago I designed this table runner for a Christmas in July retreat that we held.

I played with a second option set on point that we also taught, but I never finished putting the borders on the sample. I decided last minute to fussy cut the striped border fabric and mitre the corners and so it has languished in the too-hard basket (literally) until this week. Here it is dangling from my washing line.

Here's a close up of the block. The block is called the Honeymoon Block and so I named the table runner "Second Honeymoon".

I also made the first version in Martinique and when it's quilted I'll give it to my Nana. It looks really classy hanging there next to my washing, doesn't it?

I am linking to Sew and Tell Fridays at Amy's blog.....go check out what other crafty peeps have been up to this week.

Infinite Variety App

2012-02-06T01:40:00.001-08:00

Does everyone remember this quilt show?

Of course you do. If you're like me you drooled over over people's blog posts about this exhibition and wished that you had the opportunity to go. Well wish no longer peeps. You can go and without leaving your loungeroom because.............................there's an app for it. Of course there is! There's an app for everything. And best of all, it's free and it's actually really good. Check it out at the App store - Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts.

Lizzie

2012-02-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

Reading this blog you would think that I no longer sew. There has been some crafty action lately but it is slow and presently consists of lots of squares and triangles pinned together ready to be blitzed by my new Pfaff. This is hardly interesting. I thought instead I would introduce you to our cat - much more interesting.

Meet Lizzie......

Until Lizzie I had never had a cat. I have always been a dog person. Ridiculously so. My two dogs died about 6 months apart shortly after my first baby was born and it broke my heart. In April 2010 I was feeling ready for some furry love and stumbled across the Moorook Animal Shelter. Moorook is a "no kill" shelter situated in the riverland. I saw a picture of Lizzie (then called Lisa) on their website. She looked so dainty: her ears were very pointy and widely spaced; she had a serene expression and her tailed curled delicately around her feet when she sat.

I showed her picture to my husband and without much discussion at all we made the 3 hour drive to Moorook to check her out. Sometimes you just know "like you know about a good melon" Cutting a long story short....we brought her home with us. She had fleas, worms, some strange, mangy rash on her legs and the poos she did for the first couple of weeks defy description but she was very loving and sweet and she was ours.

Lizzie's days are now mainly spent snoozing on beds, nagging me for food and pacing in front of me on the desk while I surf the net, wiping her tail under my nose as she goes past. Not bad for a cat that started out life as a kitten dumped in the middle of nowhere.

Pinspiration

2012-01-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

Last year in October my beloved and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. I use the word celebrated rather loosely - my cousins came over and slaved like Trojans at a frantic working bee to get our house ready for sale. Very romantic!

I did however make this for my husband. 5 years is wood. So after getting the idea from pinterest I made this out of some vintage Scrabble tiles, a Ribba shadow box from Ikea and some scrapbooking paper from Spotlight.

Happy day! I love how it turned out. Off now to make tea while the cutest baby alive sleeps. Oh, the glamour!

Pink Skies

2012-01-09T02:52:00.001-08:00

We recently moved house. There are many things that I like about our new place, but best of all is the view from our kitchen window....

....it almost makes you want to do the dishes. Almost.

2012-01-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

I spent the bulk of 2011 holding a baby - sounds lovely doesn't it? As said baby was mostly crying, there wasn't much lovely to be had. But eventually he would sleep and I would rig up a complicated pillow system that allowed me to hold him and surf the net simultaneously. Now we're talking. During one of my many internet sessions I came across Pinterest. Ahh, pinterest.....how do I love thee, let me count the ways.....

It sounds silly but pinterest got me through 2011 - it inspired me with great ideas, comforted me with its collective wisdom and most important of all it taught me how to make rainbow cake!

Here are some photos from Scarlett's 4th birthday party featuring the magnificent rainbow cake. I used this recipe from Count It All Joy and it was an absolute winner. Thanks Meredith!

We had a rainbow party theme....

Party favours for the kids.

The cake...I ask you where would we be without smarties? I for one would be up the cake decorating creek.

At this point I was praying to our heavenly father that it had turned out (I always turn to God for the important stuff...) On a side note the rainbow cupcakes were made using this recipe from Glorious Treats - again found through Pinterest.

Yay!! Prayers answered. The rainbow cake is a crowd pleaser...it looks so innocuous from the outside, just a plain rather tall cake, but inside it's just so pretty!

So there you have it. Thanks Pinterest....I owe you one!

Ringing in 2012

2012-01-03T03:06:00.000-08:00

Finally, a new year. I have to tell you 2011 although you brought with you many blessings, I am glad to see the back of you. You were hard work. But you are over and 2012 is here and I "shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to encumbered with my old nonsense"

I spent the last evening of 2011 at our shack, sipping Moet out of a plastic cup. Can you feel the entire Champagne region of France cringe?

Happy New Year everyone, I think 2012 is going to be a good one. And I know about these things.

Tumbleweeds

2011-06-19T04:54:00.001-07:00

This week my two babies and I went to visit my Nanna. I am very lucky to be nearly 40 (good God – can this be true??) and still have grandparents to visit. This is one of the many advantages to having young parents.

My Nanna resides in the first town I ever lived in. It is tiny. Tumbleweed tiny. And it seems to shrink further every time I visit it.

This is the sign that welcomes you to the town. The first time my Dad saw this he was indignant – they had down-graded the town to a village. As you can see Bute is so small they don’t even declare the population. I think it is a statement of the highest optimism to say that the population is growing.

Bute is bordered on one side by distant rolling hills and on the other by endless wheat plains…

My Nanna lives across the road from the wheat silos and, strange as it may seem, I love the silos. There is a certain majesty to the way they rise up out of the wheat and stretch into a endless blue sky.

Bute has some lovely old buildings that smack of South Australia….

The Town Hall

And the RSL hall

But the business side of the main street makes me sad…

When I was small there was a bank, a hardware store, a deli with a toy section, a supermarket and a shop selling farm equipment. Now just the supermarket remains.

Meanwhile, the nearest town, Kadina,is going ahead like crazy. They even have a Target and are building McDonalds. I was looking through old photos while I was at Nanna’s and was almost overcome with nostalgia for a lost time and a disappearing place.

Does this happen to you? Or am I just a sentimental fool?

Roots

2011-04-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

My family have a shack on the beachfront in a teeny tiny town on the lower Yorke Peninsula. This week, I packed the Amy Butler Weekender and the next generation and we drove down to spend a couple of days with my dad who was there fishing for a couple of weeks.

I find that some people use the term "shack" very loosely. I remember going to a friend's shack at Goolwa when I was about 16 - they had air-conditioning and Italian ceramic tiles on the floor. Shack indeed! Rest assured that I am not one of these abusers of terminology. Our shack is just that - it hasn't changed much since our family acquired it 50 years ago.

This is our air-conditioning....

I kid you not. And let me tell you - it does not cut the mustard on a 40 degree day in a shack made of fibro with a tin roof and no insulation. Talk about sweat! In my day I have bitched long and loud about going to the shack in the Summer - but still every Christmas I drag myself down there for about a week.

This week Dad was re-cladding our toilet...no such luxuries as a flushable potty at our place...we have a drop toilet. Here is the old one - it hasn't been in use for as long as I can remember and is now home to bees.

But on the flip side this is our view

At this time of year the weather is gorgeous - nice sunny days and nights cool enough to light a fire. And best of all we have the entire beach to ourselves. Perfect for collecting shells....

Or doing a spot of sewing....

Or walking a constipated, screaming baby to sleep...

For letting time stop...

Air-conditioning and a flushable toilet aside, we're lucky.

Mad March

2011-03-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

March was madness. But in between getting through the first six weeks of Ethan's life and the completion of a total bathroom renovation (that was 10 weeks without a bathroom - what an effort!) I did manage to complete a couple of quilts this week. Here they are for your viewing pleasure....

This first quilt is for Scarlett. I saw the pattern for this in an Australian Patchwork and Quilting and I had intended to make it for her before she was born (hilarious!! she is now nearly 4). By the time I had finished making all of the little star blocks she was almost out of her cot, so I added a sashing and a coloured cornerstone and a couple of borders and voila! it is now fit for a single bed. The pattern is called Jake's Stars and is by Carolyn Konig...if you like it you can purchase it here or it is in Vol 13 No 12 of APQ if you happen to have one laying around.

When playing with so many different fabrics I think there is always one that becomes your absolute favourite and mine in this quilt is the lavender spot. Delicious!

Mum quilted the quilt for me using a pattern called "Pretty Posies" it is probably my all time favourite pantograph. I love it. Here is a close up of it from the back of the quilt.

My next finish is my string quilt. This one is for me and uses scraps from all of my civil war fabrics. I love this quilt, so much so that I am making another one for Scarlett in pretty colours - but more on that later. The wadding in this quilt is Hobbs Heirloom wool wadding and it is worth every cent. It quilts up like a dream and it is so snuggly.

This is such an easy quilt to make and this one is extra special to me because my husband helped me make it. I was demonstrating the technique at the Australian Machine Quilter's Festival and of course was running behind schedule - so Greg and I cracked out the spare Janome and after a quick how-to we spent the afternoon in a session of dueling machines whipping up blocks together. Nothing like a man sewing to quicken the pulse.

I have put together a tutorial for this quilt and you can download it here.

I love this quote from Teddy Roosevelt on the label...it is something that I am trying to live by and the perfect adage for a scrap quilt.

And finally a close up of the backing fabric. To me backing fabric is important and I will spend hours looking for the perfect one for my quilts. I particularly like cross-stitch prints for my backing...I can't remember which fabric collection this one is from but Blackbird Designs do a great range of cross-stitch prints.

So, goodbye March and hello to April, Easter, Anzac Day, the Royal Wedding and Hot Cross Buns!

This is how we ended March in our house.....storytime.

What did you do on the last day in March?

P.S. I am linking to Friday Finishes over on Amy Lou Who's Blog. Go for a visit and check out what other crafty peeps have been up to.

What happened to February?

2011-03-09T00:14:00.000-08:00

Quick post.....

So, February wasn't all babies, babies, babies. Before he was born I did manage to knock off the following from the to-do list.

Before I get to the photos I just need to say that I love, love, love Debbie Maddy's Carpenter's Star pattern. For the baby quilts I finished of in Feb I just sized the squares down to 4 7/8". And they turned out so stinking cute! They are yet to be quilted and the photos are a bit dodgy - but you've gotta run what you brung. So without further waffle, here are my February offerings.

Quilt number 1 is made from Whimsy by Fig Tree quilts and is for my BFF Georgie's newest addition, Angus (he was born 3 weeks before Ethan)

I am really into piecing backings at the moment and it can get you out of a tight spot when you don't have quite enough backing fabric.

Plus it gives you a great spot to put the label.

Note to self - iron things before you take photos!

The other baby quilt I made was for my boy. It is made from the delicious La Petite Ecole range by French General. Here's a confession - when I first saw this fabric I cried. I blame the hormones but still - crying over fabric - what has become of me??

Lastly, I finished this quit top. I originally bought alot of the fabrics in this quilt for a quilt-a-long but then decided that I didn't really like the project. So, all of those lovely reds languished in the tardis for a few months until I came up with this....I plan to put a tutorial/pattern sheet up for it soon. I absolutely love how it turned out. Even Scarlett declared it to be beautiful when I was laying it out. And as anyone with toddlers will know - 3 year olds can be a tough crowd!!

Ok, baby crying. Going now.

Tell me. What makes you cry happy tears?

Hail Caesar! Introducing Ethan James, boy wonder.

2011-03-01T16:55:00.001-08:00

So, in February I finished making this darling boy.

Although it only took two of us and a bottle of wine to make him, it took a team of about 12 highly skilled professionals to get him out. Sparing you the gory details my first extremely protracted labour ended in an emergency caesar and after many hours of soul/womb searching, I decide to go for a repeat, elective caesarean this time. Thank God I did - because this little boy was sitting in the same unmovable position inside of me and it took over half an hour to extract him.

I have often fantasised about living in another era (really, I just want to be Anne Shirley), but over the last couple of years I have had reason to thank my lucky stars that I was born in 1975 with all of the benefits of modern medicine available to me. If not, I wouldn't have made very old bones - if I had survived appendicitis then childbirth would have taken me out!

My little family is now back home (after a 5 day pitstop at Mum's while I got over my tears, sore boobs and terror of being left alone with two children) and settling in nicely. I wish that everyone had a Mum and a Nana like mine - the world would be a much better place. But having said that I am selfishly glad that it was me who got them - I love them both so very much. Here we are circa 1980 - and yes Nana still has that wallpaper.

Scarlett has been obsessed with Dr. Seuss lately and during my nightly readings I contemplate his wisdom. So I will leave you now with an exerpt from Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So...get on your way!

Dr. Seuss makes me happy.

What makes you happy today?

Anticipation

2011-02-09T06:24:00.001-08:00

This week saw me put the finishing touches on this..............

This bassinette has seen some action. My friend Kellie gave it to me. She herself has placed 4 babies in it plus it has been lent out to numerous others. Scarlett spent her first 5 weeks in it - until she became so large that she needed to upgrade to the jumbo cot.

I decided that for this baby I would paint it the perfect shade of blue (which in case you were wondering is Dulux Wild Clary). Blue for boys and because blue is my favourite colour. Of course, all of this painting took place during the recent heat wave - painting semi-gloss enamel in 42 degree heat is no fun I tell you!

I can't believe that in less than two weeks there will be a baby lying in that lovingly painted blue cot. My baby.

The little pillow slip was hand embroidered by my Nana for her first baby over 60 years ago.

60 years and three generations of anticipating delicious babies.

Sleepover!

2011-02-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

This week's finish was actually finished the week before Christmas but I just didn't get around to blogging about it then. Better late than never.

So without further ado.....Introducing the Melly and Me Sleepover bag.

This was Mum's Christmas present. The fabric is Blush with some co-ordinating spots and stripes bought from Hettie's Patch. The pattern is the Sleepover, which I bought from Fabric Patch. The O-rings, cute decorative zipper pull and metal feet came from Nicole Mallalieu. How I love internet shopping!

This bag is huge! For the photo shoot I packed it full of 6 towels, 3 hand towels and 5 face washers. So clearly the sleepover bag can pack some heat! The bag itself was quite easy to make - joining the top and bottom sections took some fiddling but I got there in the end. I wouldn't recommend making this bag unless you have made bags before. The pattern could have done with a few more diagrams for the assembly part of the process.

All in all a gorgeous bag. Mum loves it and can't wait to tell people that she made it herself.

I mentioned in a previous post that we have a cat called Lizzie.....here she is trying to get in on the Sleepover photo shoot.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Lizzie. It is unnatural to love a cat so much.

Another January Finish

2011-01-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

This year I have joined OPAM hosted by Peg and Kris in the hope that I will be more motivated to completely finish all of the projects I have stacked up in the Tardis. So far, so good. I have finally knocked the Amy Butler Weekender Bag on the head and this week I finished off this little cutie.

It is a table runner for my daughter's room to go with a quilt that is still languishing borderless in the to-do box.

I made it using this the Easy Angle ruler by Sharon Hultgren - a great little tool for making half square triangles from strips rather than squares. I used the left overs from my Bliss Jelly Roll and some Moda Bella solid.

Mum quilted it for me with CCs in the pinwheel blocks and a leafy motif in the setting triangles.

It is my first time binding something that wasn't square and I used this tutorial from Heather Mulder Peterson for guidance. I also decided to include some ric-rac in the binding because you just can't beat it for cuteness!

I have a couple of projects set for completion in Feb - not least putting the finishing touches on my little tenant. It is going to be a big month!

Head on over to Peg or Kris's blog to check out what other industrious peeps have been up to.

Adoption

2011-01-29T15:10:00.000-08:00

This is Kuta.

He's very handsome isn't he? He is not actually our cat. He just thinks he is. About a year ago we did get a cat, her name is Lizzie (but that is for another post).

Back to Kuta.

About 3 months ago he started just passing through our backyard. Then he started to hang around and do pussy things - climb trees, play with our cat. Before long he was venturing inside and helping himself to the kitty buffet in our kitchen.

We began to have concerns that he was the unfortunate victim of a deceased estate nearby, but after some investigation we discovered that, no, Kuta belonged to a perfectly good family 2 doors down. (This is how we discovered his name - previously we had been referring to him as Gandalf the Grey).

Now it is common knowledge that cats are stealthy and I can attest to this as the latest development in the not-so-hostile takeover of our family has been playing out over the last couple of days. Kuta has been sneaking in to our house at about 6pm, hiding in my wardrobe only to present himself on the bed at about 2am. As he wears a little bell around his neck this has scared the crap out of me!

He is currently on our lounge watching ABC kids with our daughter. Operation infiltrate complete.

Has this every happened to anyone else?
Do cats just decide where they are going to live?
Imagine what he'd be like if we encouraged him with food?

Liebster Blog Award

2011-01-24T01:38:00.000-08:00

I am feeling the love this week. Joan of CaliQuilter has given me the Liebster Blog Award - thanks Joan! This is a way of recognizing small (yet deliciously entertaining) blogs with under 300 followers.

In turn, once awarded you pass on the award to three blogs that you enjoy thereby spreading the love....so here are my Liebster winners. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Stitchery Do

Click on the link or their blog headers to visit them.

Drum Roll Please!

2011-01-21T02:35:00.000-08:00

Well the Amy Butler Weekender is done! And like many things that you build up to frighteningly insurmountable proportions in your mind - it wasn't bad at all. In fact, I loved making it.

Here it is in all it's glory....

Ready to be packed and taken to hospital.

I read many blogs about making this bag before I started and on the advice of many other "Weekender Warriors" decided to add some inner pockets. For the zippered pocket I followed this fantastic tutorial at U-handbag.

For the pocket below I just used the outer pocket pattern, lined it in black and reinforced it with the sew in interfacing. For the finish along the top I used the same method as for the outer side pockets. I divided the pocket into two with two rows of stitching about 1/8th of an inch apart.

I was so in lurve with my AB bag that I decided I needed a matching toiletries bag. Voila!

So, in review here are what I consider the pros and cons of this challenging pattern and my hot tips for successful sewing.

Pros - The pattern is really well written and when it is finished it is a lovely bag that will hold heaps. For the photo shoot I packed it with 7 bath towels, a hand towel and two face washers. Now that's a lot of manchester for one bag!

The timtex can be very difficult to manoeuvre through the machine but the lovely stiffness of the the finished product is worth it.

Cons - it is a very expensive bag to make. If I made it again I wouldn't use Amy Butler fabric for the lining; I'd go for something like a cotton drill in a plain colour.

The cutting takes a long time.

It can be physically very difficult to coax the bag through the machine. I had very sore shoulders for several days after finishing the project. But no pain, no gain right?

Tips - These items could make your Weekender Bag experience much easier. They did for me.

The pattern calls for you to sew the many layers (in some cases over 6) together with a zipper foot. Craziness!!!! I don't know how anyone would even attempt to make this bag without a walking foot to help you evenly sew through all of those layers.

I also found using the binder clips to be a winner when in the final construction stage of the bag.

Finally, I attached a magnetic fabric guide to my machine mark the 1/2" seam allowance. This gave me something to butt the fabric hard up against and kept my seams nice and even.

For other blogs featuring awesome weekender bags check out

http://notquitevintage.typepad.com/not_quite_vintage/2007/03/for_dawns_weeke.html

http://jenandfranz.blogspot.com/2010/06/amy-butler-weekender-bag-part-3.html

http://marynannasews.blogspot.com/2010/05/thank-god-for-sallies.html

http://www.madebybird.com/4-weekender-bags-in-4-weeks/

As for the swearing....I have to admit to letting about 6 magic words fly during the construction of this bag. And they were all of the type that would make a sailor blush.

Good Gravy!

2011-01-16T17:34:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I made this quilt from Minnick and Simpson's Bar Harbor line....

And this month it is featured in the lovely Homespun magazine.....

Scarily, the magazine also features a personal profile. It was very daunting getting a photo done that would be seen by thousands of people around the country if not the world. I had to call for the heavy artillery and crack out the war paint and the hair straighteners for the occasion. Don't be alarmed dear reader, I didn't let go of my true self - not that you can see them but I am wearing pajama bottoms in the photo!

A huge thanks need to go to Catherine and the team at Homespun for doing such a lovely job with the photo shoot of my quilt, converting my pattern for the magazine and the text in my profile. You are truly a pleasure to deal with and it is a real thrill to see my work in such and esteemed magazine.

And if not for my project you really should check the magazine out because this month it features a gorgeous project from Roslyn Mirrington of Bloom. You can see the project on her blog. Lovely, isn't it? I am pretty keen to make it. I am thinking of something in red and white and linen.

But for now I have to rejoin my daughter who is busy with her making box. An unattended 3 year old with glue is never a good idea. I thought you might enjoy a sample of her work....

What that girl can do with a feather!!

Cover me. I'm going in!

2011-01-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

After about 18 months of procrastination and general task avoidance I have decided to finally put my Amy Butler Weekender bag together. I have finished cutting everything out (a Herculean effort in itself) and have even made the handles and some of the piping.

I have read on many blogs that the bag is a bit of a demon but I would really like to have it finished to take to hospital with me next month. To be perfectly honest I am less nervous about having a caesarean than I am about making the bag!

My plan is to tackle it slowly, one step a day, so that in a week I will hopefully transform these fabrics.....

Into this bag.....without any swearing.

I think I could be kidding myself.

Come on Down!!!! Quilt Show Alert!!!

2010-09-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do this long weekend?

Pop down to Mawson Lakes for a Quilting Extravaganza!

The Australian Machine Quilters Festival will be taking place at Endeavour College at Mawson Lakes from Friday the 1st to Monday the 4th of October.

There will be great shops and companies represented (including - Horn, Hettie's Patch, The Patchwork Apple, Patchwork on Parade, A1, Constantine Quilts, Sue's sewing world and many more) with super show specials.

Demos will be taking place all weekend. There will also be a fantastic quilt show to be inspired by - there will be over 90 quilts on display by some of the finest machine quilters in Australia.

This festival is for anyone who uses a sewing machine! More details can be found HERE on the official website.

I will be working on Mum's booth (patchwork on parade) and doing demos throughout the weekend so pop by and say hello!

See you there!

Hibernation Complete!

2010-09-27T18:31:00.001-07:00

Well it is a very long time since I posted! I am still here and, like Humphrey B. Bear, have been leading a very exciting life since April.

In May my husband and I made this :

And I have pretty much been asleep ever since.

I am awake now and ready to play. Stay tuned!

Friday, but not quite finished.

2010-04-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

On Friday I spent a lovely day doing a workshop with Marg Low at the Patchwork Apple in Woodside.

We started the day with a little trunk show of Marg's designs. It was so nice to sit back and be dazzled by pretty things. Here is a little window into the lovliness....

A wee table-topper made from sawtooth stars in reproduction fabrics. I have in mind to make something similar using Ohio Stars.

A sneak peek at a project Marg has designed for the Red Club. It was very gorgeous. I am a sucker for hexagons.

Here are some super cute Christmas stockings sitting on a miniature quilt again designed for Red Club.

How gorgeous are those sweetheart birdies? I bought this pattern from Marg on the day and am keen to make them to hang on the door handles. The button is from Theadora Cleave. She makes truly lovely things.

Vicki fondling Marg's wares...

We went to next door to the Lobethal Bakery for lunch. As you can see I enjoyed highly nutritious, fat free fare. But how can you resist happiness in a can, a bolognaise pie and what are seriously the best jam berliners I have ever eaten (and believe me I have done some research into the matter)? You can't, so I capitulated and enjoyed every calorie laden morsel.

So what did we actually do with Marg? This....

Rhonda's finished journal cover

Kris's bookmark.

My half-finished journal. I was so happy because Marg taught me to needleturn applique which is something I have wanted to learn for ages. Cop the birdie! He's appliqued!

As usual I have come home, uploaded my photos and realised that I was too busy talking and didn't get pictures of everyone's projects. So I'll just leave you with another bird picture. Did I mention that he is appliqued?

Leapin' Lizards! I'm in Homespun!

2010-04-13T04:06:00.001-07:00

Volume 11.4 is on sale now at your local newsagent.

This exciting moment has been a long time coming...I made this quilt during our quarrantine last June. I am so pleased with the gorgeous layout that the team at Homespun put together.

I have got a couple of other exciting things in the pipeline that I can't wait to share with you, but for the moment I am going to celebrate being published in this fabulous magazine with a cup of tea and some more little houses.

A new obsession

2010-04-10T22:36:00.001-07:00

I love the American Better Homes and Gardens Creative collection and I especially enjoy Quilt Sampler magazine. You can see by the top right hand corner that this edition has seen some lovin'. What I love about this mag are the editorials about the quilt shops they feature. They are choc full of great photos of the shops - a wonderful source of inspiration and the shops featured provide a pattern for the magazine.

In the Fall/Winter 2009 edition there was a feature on a quilt shop in California calledTemecula Quilt Co. If there wasn't a large ocean between us I would love to visit this store. It has a focus on reproduction quilts and the photos from the magazine spread have been drooled over by me on more than one occassion. The quilt pattern that the store provided (it's on the cover) features little houses. I am in love! I started making some last night before bed and have done 3 already. I am going to make a chunky cushion out of them (there is just such a cushion in the photo spread). The houses are only 4.5" finished so they are made up of lots of tiny pieces. As a result my first one was a little 'how's your mother' but I have got the hang of it now.

I have a bundle of binding to do so those little houses are the carrot I am dangling in front of myself. I have got three more cut out and ready to go as soon as the last stitch is put into this quilt.

Ok, off to bind now. Must resist houses.

Friday Finish. Hurrah!

2010-04-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago one of my very favourite people had a pretty impressive Friday Finish of her own. My friend Alex gave birth to her first baby, Connor.

This is the quilt that I designed and made for him and today I finished stitching on the binding.

You can download the free tutorial for this quilt HERE

When I was thinking about what to name this quilt I got to thinking about pop songs, poems and romantic love - heavy stuff, but bear with me. A few years ago I saw an episode of Oprah (it always comes back to Oprah!) in which the songwriter Diane Warren was talking about the inspiration for her songs. The song which I want to talk about here was "Because You Loved Me" which was sung by Celine Dion and was the theme song for "Up Close & Personal". The movie was a very gushy, romantic film and I am sure that couples all over the world danced their bridal waltz to Diane Warren's song. However, this song was not written for a lover but for her father who had encouraged and supported her. This got me to thinking about how many other seemingly romantic love songs are not written for a lover at all, but for a friend, a parent or a child (Steal My Kisses by Ben Harper is a perfect example - written for his son).

So in my mind, Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is the perfect anthem for a mother to her child and that is what I named Connor's quilt.

Remember to drop by Amy's and check out the other fab Friday Finishes. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Sleigh bells ring....are you listening?

2010-04-05T22:51:00.001-07:00

Join us for a festive two day retreat at Mannum, South Australia to celebrate Christmas in July!

When: We have two weekends available -

Friday 2nd of July - Sunday 4th of July

Friday 16th of July - Sunday 18th of July

Where: The Pumphouse at Mannum on the Murray River

Getting There : Mannum is just over an hour's drive from the Adelaide GPO and is situated on the Murray River. Don't drive? No problem - let us put you in touch with your fellow retreaters to arrange some car pooling.

Accommodation : We will be stitching in the historic "Pumphouse" situated in the grounds of the Mannum Caravan Park where you can enjoy FREE accommodation in the bunkhouse in a dorm-style share room, sleeping 4 in bunk beds. Alternatively, we can arrange for you to stay in a deluxe cabin with an ensuite - this type of accommodation will incur an additional cost.

Catering : the weekend will be fully catered, including breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon teas on both days, non-alcoholic drinks (BYO welcome) and dinner on the Friday night - we've booked a table at the riverfront Pretoria Hotel for a traditional Christmas dinner on Saturday night.

Projects: There will be 3 yuletide projects for you to choose from: A gorgeous Christmas Sack, an Advent Calendar or a lovely Table Runner (pictures will be available in early June). Or you can feel free to bring your own projects and get a head-start for your Christmas giving.

Don't quilt? No problem, we are open to retreaters of all craft denominations - bring along your projects be they knitting, scrapbooking, card making or whatever and enjoy the time to relax and create.

Shop : What is a quilting retreat without a bit of retail therapy? Patchwork on Parade will have a shop on site with a wide range of tempting fabrics, patterns, nifty notions, giftware and more.

Cost : This retreat is $200.00 all inclusive (with the exception of dinner on Saturday night). Contact Sharon on 0411 268 924 for more information and to secure your booking.

Click HERE to download the retreat information PDF to share with your friends.

Introducing the Tardis...

2010-03-30T02:43:00.000-07:00

I was too ashamed to take before photos so therefore my after shots are lacking in oomph. But let me assure you, if you had seen the towering piles of fabric and the miscellaneous bags and boxes stacked up under the window on my side of the bed you would be gasping in admiration of my new cupboard.

We live in a small house and I have been pining for a sewing room for some time but let's face it - that is not going to happen any time soon. As my beloved says - you've gotta run what you brung - so when I saw this cupboard on the super cheap at Super Amart I plonked down my $149 super quick. I didn't like the dodgy plastic handles it came with so Greg (be still my beating heart) took to it with his power drill and attached some others that I picked up at IKEA today.

Over the past week I have been organising, labelling and culling and this is the result. How long it stays like this is anyone's guess. Mine is 3 days.

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow with some retreat photos.

Bye for now.

Free Antique Nine Patch Pattern

2010-03-22T23:02:00.000-07:00

I made this quilt for my BFF's birthday last year out of Cotton Blossoms fabric. The pattern is available for free download via my media fire account. Click on the link at the end of this post to get your copy.

You can download the free pattern for it from here.

Labels can be a good thing...

2010-03-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

For me, one of the best parts of quilt-making is doing the label. It means that the job is DONE! And it is your chance to put your mark on your own little piece of quilt making history, And if you quilt is a gift, it gives you the opportunity to tell someone how much you love them.

I thought I'd share with you how I make mine.

You will need.....

A print out of what you want your label to say, a rotary cutter, quilter's ruler, cutting mat, sticky tape, fabric for your label and a ZIG pigment ink pen. (Absent at time of photgraph - pins, contrasting fabric for border of label.)

But I am getting ahead of myself here. About the print out. I design my labels in Microsoft Word. This way I can use a lovely font, play with the size and the text and get everything just right. (My handwriting is not to be trusted to stay in a straight line).

There are loads of gorgeous fonts out there that you can download for free. I use either dafont or fontfreak for my fonts. The fonts in this label are Brock Script and Aramis.

I also like to include a quote or a little message on my labels, this quilt was inspired by Jane Austen and so I put the opening line from Pride and Prejudice on the label. A great source of quotes is quote garden.

There is all sorts of information you can put on a label but I don't like them to be too cluttered. I usually just have the name of the quilt, the quote, my name, who quilted it, when it was made and what is is made of. If it is a baby quilt/ utility quilt I just write a little message on it and that's it.

Once you have the text for the label printed out, use your ruler to determine the size of the label and cut your label fabric accordingly. Remember to include your seam allowance in the measurment. For this label I decided that 6.5" x 6.5" would be the size.

Next, tape the paper to your light box and then tape your fabric over the message, taking care that it is lined up properly and that the fabric is nice and smooth. If you don't have a light box then a window works just as well (it's just a bit more tiring on the arms).

Now, take your time to carefully trace the text using your ZIG Millennium pigment pen. I like these pens the best because they are lovely and fine but you can of course use another type of permanent pen. Done! Now carefully untape it and using a hot, dry iron set your ink.

The next step is to put a border on it. This is just like putting a border on a quilt. Determine the width you want your border strips to be (in this case 1.5") and cut 2 strips this width by the width of your label (1.5" x 6.5")

Attach these strips to your label and then repeat for the side strips adjusting your measurement accordingly (ie. the side strips in this case would be 1.5"x 8.5")

Next, turn your label over and iron a little hem about a 1/4" all the way around the edge of the label.

Then, pin the label to the back of your quilt and using a blind stitch, stitch it in place.

All done!

If you'd like to see some other examples of labels I've made click here.

Ready for the Easter Bunny

2010-03-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Easter Bunny can hop, hop, hippity-hop our way whenever he likes. Scarlett's Easter basket is finished and we are ready to collect eggs!

I made the basket from a kit from Hettie's Patch out of some cute Alexander Henry Fabric.

This week I also finished this cushion. I made it from the scraps of this quilt and Mum quilted it for me. You can't see it from the photo but this cushion has a covered zipper in the back - I have never been prouder of myself than I was putting that zip in!

I hope you all have a great week and maybe if the planets align I will have a Friday finish this week!

Retreat Wrap Up!!

2010-03-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Well we've been back in the real world for a week now, so it's time to share a few photos. I have to thank Loz and Vicki for most of these - for some reason mine came out blurry. Camera shaking from the consumption of too much Coke maybe??

The Venue

The Accommodation

The Interior of the Town Hall

The Kits and Attendee's Gift

The Projects

Happy Retreater

Hilary Painting

Mum hard at it in the kitchen

Finishes!

Special mention has to go to Kris in the photo above. She left the retreat on Friday night to go home for the birth of her grand-daughter and was back on deck the next afternoon. With all this going on she still managed to quilt, ric-rac and bind her quilt! Talk about above and beyond.

What a demon! Lorraine managed to finish two quilts. The 1st one she made out of fabric she bought at the retreat....gorgeous Garden Party and Old Primrose Inn. Now that is dedication.

Deb managed to whip this up from scratch over the weekend. And gorgeous it is too.

We couldn't have managed this weekend without Nana (Mavis - now dubbed Maisy by Vic). She cooked and baked and gophered all weekend without flagging. You'd never know she was 81! Here she is with Mum and a mountain of cakes that she made.

All done!! Here we are in our recliners stuffing in fish and chips. What a team! (Note the coke clutched in my hand...I think I have a small problem).

Thank you to all of the very special ladies who attended our retreat. We had an absolute ball and can't wait for the next one. On to Mannum!!

Friday Finish

2010-02-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

This week I finished the Jelly Stars quilt for our retreat next weekend. I loved making this quilt. The fabric is Aster Manor by 3 sisters and it is really lovely. The colours aren't really me so I am going to make another one out of Garden Party by Blackbird Designs and this one will be for Mum.

I had quite a bit of fabric left from the Jelly Roll and so was able to make Bloom's lovely new cushion with the leftovers. It was such an easy project - her instructions are so clear. I knocked it up while Scarlett was watching Cinderella. It was the first time I have have ever made piping - it always seemed too hard, but Rosslyn's instructions were awesome and so I had some piping success! Yay!

I am in the middle of making a few other bit's and pieces with the rest of the leftovers - Mum will have a fully co-ordinated bedroom set....quilt, cushions, table runners - it's the neverending Jelly Roll!

Be sure to follow the link and check out the other Friday Finishes at Amy's.

Final UFO

2010-02-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

This is the last ghost from sewing past. I love this quilt. The fabric in it is Charleston III and it was my very first ever internet fabric purchase and I made it at a workshop with Lessa Seigle. It is unfinished because I just don't know what to do in terms of borders. Any ideas? At first I was thinking of doing some kind of appliqued border, but I really don't think that would suit this quilt. I am now leaning towards a thin brown border to frame the quilt and then some scrappy flying geese to finish it off.

What do you think I should do?

More Flowers From My Attic

2010-02-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

Now when I say attic I am using the term very loosely. Our attic is actually just a hole my husband cut in the ceiling and then inserted a drop down ladder into. So, no whitewashed floorboards, gable windows, muslin curtains and brass bed, just a place to store things we don't want to think about until we really have to.

One of those things is this quilt. I made it using the Broken Star pattern by Debby Maddy with Hemming House fabric. It is a great pattern - the quilt comes together really quickly and the results are gorgeous. I made it for my dad for his birthday a couple of years ago but wasn't really happy with the border fabric I chose. So I wrapped it for him as is with the idea that he'd have something to unwrap for his birthday and could help me decide on a border fabric. After he unwrapped it and we laid it on his bed the extremely underwhelming response I got was......hmmph. From this grunt I just assumed that he wasn't too keen on my creation so I packed it away in the "attic" and moved on to other things.

But as you know, men can be strange. The other day, I was over at Dad's place and he was asking when he was going to get his quilt! I told him that I thought he didn't like it and so I had never finished it. Apparently I had got the wrong idea and that "hmmph" was actually a grunt of pure joy and delight and should have indicated to me to complete the quilt forthwith. So, now I am back to my original conundrum of selecting a new border fabric with the additional challenge of being a fabric detective to find out if there is any Hemming House left on the planet!

UFO Alert

2010-02-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

My second UFO for the week is a cross-stitched Chrismas stocking by Shepherd's Bush. I bought it on my honeymoon in Tasmania from a cute little shop in Hobart. I intended to whip it up in time for Scarlett's first Christmas - she is now two and it languishes in the corner by my bedside table.

One day santa will have some legs....but not any time soon.

Unfinished Business

2010-02-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

This week I will be featuring the projects that haunt me. Call them UFOs, call them WIPs, call them the ghosts of quilting past. These are the ones that make me feel the heavy burden of guilt whenever I gleefully begin a new project, or buy new fabric. We all have them - they trigger your mother's voice in your head when you reach for your Visa card in the quilting shop...."finish that one before you start something new".

I have been blogging for nearly a year now and I am ready to share my guilty little secrets with the blogosphere (and harvest your ideas for how to finish one of them off).
Today's featured quilt is actually the first quilt I ever made. It was done before the rotary cutting revolution and machine quilting (hence its unfinished state). By some miracle I still love the colours and the fabrics in it which increases its chances of getting off the UFO list. Forgive the creases - it has been folded up in our attic for many years.

It is a lap sized sampler and it is the quilt that started my addiction. The trouble is that I have started and almost finished hand quilting it and I never seem to have the time to just sit and stitch - I am either pushing fabric through the Janome full throttle or glued to the internet, fingers poised like claws over the key board - not the best position for hand quilting.

During the class that I took to make this quilt, the teacher said we should stitch in patterns and motifs that were significant to our lives at the time. In this vein, I was quilting while on holidays over New Year's and foolishly stitched in the date. By husband (evil man) thinks that this is hilarious and likes to bring it up in company. Often.

This is a back view of the quilt, but there it is in all its glory. '97 stitched into my very first quilt. I think it's time I got a move on and finished it off.

See you tomorrow with more flowers from my attic.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-02T16:37:00.001-08:00

Jelly Stars

2010-02-02T00:20:00.001-08:00

One down......

Three to go.

I am really enjoying making this quilt. It is going together really nicely and this Aster Manor is lovely to look at.

Back to the grindstone now.

My Creative Space

2010-01-28T01:20:00.000-08:00

I've decided to join in with Thursday's creative space - head on over and check out where others work their magic.

This is my space, I wish that I could claim a studio or even a sewing room, but alas I can do neither. My work is done on the kitchen table. Thank God for Summer - we can eat outside and I don't have to clean up this mess three times a day.

I have inserted some numbers into the photo to talk you through some elements of my mess.

1. This mural (scribble) is proof that I share my creative space with a toddler. The only room to yet escape her stealthy crayon work is the lounge room. It's the quick and the crayola around here.

2. This is my trusty Janome. I would love to see the stats of how many hours I have sat at it with the pedal to the metal.

3. My new favourite toy - my Philips GC3360 - who knew an iron could give you so much pleasure.

4. A quilt I am working on in 30s reproduction fabrics for my best friend's little girl.

5. Lisianthus, one of my favourite flowers, although I do prefer them in pink.

6. My trusty companion. My mini DVD player - locked and loaded with season 6 of Frasier.

7. My next two projects ready to roll. Aster Manor and Simple Abundance Jelly Rolls. Almost as delicious as the pastry variety.

Where do you create?

The Postman Always Delivers Twice

2010-01-27T03:03:00.000-08:00

My love affair with the postie continues.....

This week he has brought me the following Moda loveliness.....

Simple Abundance. I have an abundantly simple project in mind for this. Hopefully I can finish it off shortly after I complete the abundantly complex quilt below....

Jelly Stars in Aster Manor. It is going to be delicious. I have sorted my jelly roll into the colour combos I like for the stars and I am ready to roll. I can't wait to post the first finished star.

Off to the Janome now. Frasier is waiting for me.

Summer Retreat Projects 2010

2010-01-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the quilts for our upcoming retreats at Wallaroo and Mannum. We are offering the same two projects for both retreats. I have designed one of the quilts and the other is the gorgeous Jelly Stars pattern by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts. The quilts are both made using a Moda Jelly Roll and yardage. But first a little story about the one that I have designed....my first Friday finish for the year!

Those of you who know me are aware that I am a Jane Austen tragic. I have a mini library of her books on my bedside table and read them all (except Mansfield Park) at least once a year. The basic shape of my new quilt is inspired by a coverlet that Jane, her sister Cassandra and their mother made.

Here is the Austen quilt on display at Austen's last home, Chawton.

The fabric I chose for the quilt is Rouenneries by French General. This fabric line is absolutely gorgeous but it has special significance for me because in a past life I spent a very drizzly Normandy winter living in Rouen, the town after which the fabric is named.

This is the very famous Le Gros Horloge which spans the street leading to the main shopping district in Rouen. This clock dates from the Renaissance and tells you not only the time, but the phases of the moon and depicts the days of the week using mythological subjects.

The photo below is of the Rouen cathedral, made famous by Monet, who made it the subject of over a dozen paintings. He used to sit in what was then a dressmakers shop opposite the cathedral and paint it at different times of the day exploring the effects the light had on the Gothic architecture.

One of Monet's paintings of the cathedral.

So without further ado I would like to introduce you to "Jane Says" my latest design. It is made for a queen sized bed and measures 78" x 85" with the border on.

Below is the other quilt we are offering, "Jelly Stars". It measures 74" x 74".

Patchwork on Parade will have kits available for both projects in Rouenneries, Aster Manor, Wiscasset and Blessings. Simple Abundance, Odyssea and Vine Creek are also available in a Jelly Roll only. Please contact Sharon on 0411 468 924 for details.

Our Mannum retreat is now booked out, but there a still a few places left for Wallaroo. We have a fabulous time planned for you all so give Sharon a call if you would like to be a part of the fun.

2010-01-07T03:52:00.001-08:00

Today is my birthday. I am 35 years old - I'm not really sure how that happened. Here is my day in food (what better method of measurement is there).

Delicious banana pancakes made for me by my equally delicious husband.

And a high tea at Newman's Nursery with my Mum. Bring on the champagne!

And continuing with the theme....champagne and my favourite prawns, rockmelon and proscuitto for dinner.

Now it is off to bed to cuddle up with my sleeping daughter. Non night.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

Hello Blogosphere!

I'm not really sure what happened in December but I think that in the pre-Christmas stress-athon I lost my blogging mojo. However, it is a new month, a new year, a new decade and in the words of George Costanza - I'm back baby!

Despite being M.I.A from blogger during the festive season I was in fact being pretty festive sewing up a storm of gifts and Christmas paraphenalia of which I will post some photos over the coming couple of days.

I used this awesome free pattern by Oliver + S to make these skirts for Scarlett....

I wanted to get some t-shirts to match for her and in a moment of serendipity I came across these in Target (where all good things come from).

Speaking of Target.... I have needed to get a new iron for a couple of months now. My Tefal (God bless it) has had a hard life and the steam button is stuck down and the tab to open the water reservoir perished and broke off. I hit the shops yesterday hoping for a bargain - Myer let me down, no sales. Big W let me down, no top quality irons. Target was looking like coming through for me, they had 10% off. I found the iron that I thought that I wanted but there was no price on it and the model under it was $90. I didn't really want to pay that much (the scrooge in me hadn't magically disappeared on Christmas morning) but I took the desirable pink super steam iron over to the price check point anyway. I couldn't believe my eyes when it scanned at $34.00!!! Bring it on. I practically sprinted to the checkout and whipped out my credit card before someone realised the error of their ways. Here it is in all its glory.

I tell you 2010 is off to a great start! And what would a new year be without the compulsory resolutions? One of mine is to regain control of my fabric stash. I started by sorting my scrap box into fabric lines and styles and popping them into snap lock bags. I love the feeling of inner calm I get from sealing things into plastic bags. Now for the other 5 boxes I have stashed under my bed....

I have also been working madly on one of the quilts for our retreats in February and March. I should be all done and ready to post the finished product by Friday, but here is a wee sneak peak until then.

Lastly, but definitely not leastly, I am excited to announce that I am going to have a project published in the April edition of Homespun! It is a quilt that I made during our Influenza A quarrantine back in July. I can't wait to see it in print and to have it published in my favourite Australian craft magazine is a dream come true.

I have a great feeling about 2010. I can just feel it in my bones that this year is going to be full of opportunities, new beginnings and blessings. Watch this space!

Snowball Challenge Update

2009-11-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Now, don't get too excited I haven't been doing anything radical like sewing. I just wanted to share the crop of lovely fabrics that I have been receiving from my swappers.

These are from Christine,

These are from Carolyn,

These are from Christi, who included a couple of extra strips - thanks Christi!

And today I received this package from Laura of the Sproutz Store. I was so excited to find a little wad of Astor Manor by 3 sisters inside the parcel! Thanks Laura - I love this fabric!

And thank you to all of my swappers! It has been huge fun waiting to see what the postie would bring each day. I will be sad when I've received the parcel from my last swapper...I'll have to start buying fabric again to get my postie fix! Greg won't be happy.

Mannum Retreat

2009-11-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

Sugarplum Quilts and Patchwork on Parade are excited to announce the details of our upcoming Mannum Retreat!

Take some time out to relax and do something that you love! Join us for a wonderful weekend of stitching in picturesque Mannum from Friday 26th - Sunday 28th of March where you will not have to lift a finger except to sew, sew, sew!

Getting There - Mannum is just over an hours drive from the Adelaide GPO and is situated on the Murray River. Don't drive? No problem - let us put you in touch with your fellow retreaters to arrange some car pooling.

Accommodation - We will be stitching in the historic "Pumphouse" situated in the grounds of the Mannum Caravan Park where you can enjoy FREE accommodation in the bunkhouse in a dorm-style share room, sleeping 4 in bunk beds. Alternatively, we can arrange for you to stay in a deluxe cabin with an ensuite - this type of accommodation will incur an additional cost.

Catering - the weekend will be fully catered, including breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon teas on both days, non-alcoholic drinks (BYO welcome) and dinner on the Friday night - we've booked a table at the riverfront Pretoria Hotel for dinner on Saturday night.

Projects - We will be teaching 2 lovely projects (details will be released in the next couple of weeks - they are gorgeous!). The projects we will be teaching will both be made using Moda Jelly Rolls and some extra yardage (a Jelly Roll consists of 40 width of fabric strips) and we would love to put a kit together for you. Speak to Sharon about the range of gorgeous fabrics she has in stock and your specific fabric requirements. You will also receive a gift pack full of goodies plus the pattern for your choice of project.

Don't quilt? No problem, we are open to retreaters of all craft denominations - bring along your projects be they knitting, scrapbooking, card making or whatever and enjoy the time to relax and create.

Shop - What is a quilting retreat without a bit of retail therapy? Patchwork on Parade will have a shop on site with a wide range of tempting fabrics, patterns, nifty notions, giftware and more.

This retreat is a bargain at $200.00 all inclusive.
Contact Sharon on 0411 268 924 for more information and to secure your booking.

We'd love to see you there!

Wallaroo Retreat

2009-11-18T22:28:00.001-08:00

Sugarplum Quilts and Patchwork on Parade are excited to announce the details of our upcoming Wallaroo Retreat!

Treat yourself to a little luxury with a fabulous weekend of sewing on the beautiful Copper Coast in South Australia. Imagine waking up by the beach, having a leisurely breakfast on your private verandah before strolling to the stately Wallaroo Town Hall to spend the day doing something you love. Tempting isn't it? Join us for three nights from Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th of February for a fantastic luxury retreat where you will not have to lift a finger except to sew, sew, sew!

Getting There - Wallaroo is an easy 2 hour drive from Adelaide up Port Wakefield Rd and then onto the Yorke Peninsula Highway. Don't drive? No problem. We are happy to put you in touch with other retreaters to arrange car pooling and there is also a reasonably priced bus service to Wallaroo that runs twice daily.

Accommodation - We will be staying in 4 star self-contained beachside villas in the lovely seaside town of Wallaroo. Choose from either a beach front or pool side position. The villas all have a private verandah, two bedrooms (1QS bed, 2 singles - plus another trundle style single), fully equipped kitchen, dining and lounge area, bathroom, toilet and laundry. The villas are set in lovely grounds and there is a heated pool on site.

Catering - The weekend will be fully catered, including snacks and non-alcoholic drinks - except for Saturday night when we will be dining out at a waterfront restaurant. Let us know if you have any special dietary requirements - we are more than happy to accommodate you.

Sewing - We will be stitching the days away in the grand old Wallaroo Town Hall. There will be cutting and ironing stations set up and plenty of room to lay your quilts out. There is even a stage and a couple of pianos if anyone feels the need for some extra entertainment.

Projects - We will be teaching 2 projects or feel free to use the stress-free sewing time to finish off a few UFOs. The projects we will be teaching will both be made using Moda Jelly Rolls and some extra yardage (a Jelly Roll consists of 40 width of fabric strips) and we would love to put a kit together for you. Speak to Sharon about the range of gorgeous fabrics she has in stock (including, Simple Abundance, Rouenneries, Aster Manor and more) and your specific fabric requirements. The projects will be announced in a couple of weeks - but trust us - they are gorgeous!

Don't Quilt? No problem, we are open to retreaters of all craft denominations - bring along your projects be they knitting, scrapbooking, card making or whatever and enjoy the time to create.

Shop - What is a quilting retreat without a bit of retail therapy? Patchwork on Parade will have a shop on site with a wide range of tempting fabrics, patterns, nifty notions, giftware and more.

Prices start from $398 per person all inclusive for Poolside Accommodation based on 4 share.

Contact Sharon on 0411 268 924 for more information and to secure your booking.

Hope to see you there!

I seem to recognise your face....

2009-11-17T05:25:00.001-08:00

Tickets to see Pearl Jam $160.00....

Souvenir t-shirt $45.00....

Singing in the car with these girls on the way home from the gig....Priceless.

Wait a minute Mr. Postman...

2009-11-09T21:08:00.001-08:00

I love the postie. This week he has brought me the following:

Lovely Rouenneries with which I am going to make a quilt for our upcomig retreats...

This awesome book full of delicious, quilty inspiration. We are making "Leftovers Again?" for our snowball challenge.

And just when you thought the day couldn't get any better, I received the package above from Gael -my first parcel from my Snowball swap group containing these beige beauties.

Oh happy day! It almost makes up for the fact that it is 40 degrees celcius today. Almost. Maybe an ice-block will take the edge off. Going to check the freezer now.

Snowball Challenge

2009-11-05T04:15:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I did something outrageous - I joined Allyson and Nicole's Red and White Snowball Challenge. Outrageous because I am usually a bit of a lurker and here I am joining in and sending fabric all over the world (well to the States anyway - am prone to slight exaggeration). For the challenge we will be making this quilt:

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to do it in red. When Nicole asked the question "Got Reds?" on her blog, my answer would have had to have been no. But after a lovely solo shop at Hettie's Patch last Sunday I can now say "well yes ma'am I do!". In fact I think that I could become a little addicted to red fabric.

As part of the challenge we are doing a fabric swap for the light fabrics and here are the three I chose (after much agonising and hassling my friend Amy for her opinion on endless beige fabric) to send to my swapees.

I have washed and cut them and here they are ready to wing their way to the US.

Bring on the Snowball!

Fabric wasn't the only thing I brought home from Hettie's last week. Lorraine and Amy had found four little kittens abandoned by their mother just before I arrived. I brought them home with me and Greg and I have been looking after them for the week while Lorraine is away. They are about 3 weeks old and are super cute - even if they do require around the clock bottle feeding!

This weekend we are heading up to Moonta Bay with my girlfriends and their husbands and about 100 children (again slight exaggeration). I have the Grandmother's flower garden and the Anne of Green Gables packed - I wonder if they'll see the light of day? Unlikely.

Kangaroo Island Wrap Up

2009-10-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

A couple of weeks ago we went away to Kangaroo Island for our anniversary. I thought I would blog some photos of our trip. I have been being a bit tricky in Photoshop and have made some collages so that you are not overwhelemed with dozens of photos.

Those of you who read my blog will remember that I was going to play out my Anne of Green Gables fantasies and stay in lighthouse keeper's cottages. For the first 3 nights we stayed at Cape du Coeudic, (locals pronounce it Cape du Coodee), which is situated on the south western coastline. The accommodation is owned by the Dept. of Environment and Heritage and has been beautifully restored. It was so relaxing staying here - no phone reception, no computers, no tv.

Cape du Couedic is just a short walk from Admiral's Arch where we watched New Zealand fur seals going about their business and a short drive from Remarkable Rocks, Flinder's Chase National park and Kelly Hill Caves. I would recommend staying there to anyone.

October is a great time to visit KI because the wildflowers are out in force (or as forcefully as delicate Australian flora can be!)

We saw heaps of wildlife - some at our backdoor at night-time. The photos below are all taken of animals that we saw in the wild. We did take Scarlett to a wildlife park one day, but it just isn't the same as spotting them in their natural habitat. If you look carefully at the photo of the wallaby (top row 3rd from the left) you will see that she is nursing her baby - too cute! The animals from left to right are: a fork-tailed swift, Australain sea lion, tamar wallaby, cape baron goose, Kangaroo Island Kangaroo, echidna, crimson rosella, cape baron goslings, KI kangaroo and a Koala.

The last 2 nights we were on the island we stayed on the south eastern coast at Cape Willoughby. Although I loved Cape du Couedic, I have to admit that I preferred Cape Willoughby - there was a lovely porch and a view of the sea from almost every window in the house. Also, you can do tours of the lighthouse and climb to the top - which was fantastic - and the guides that run the tours are so friendly and knowledgeable. While we were staying here a couple got married underneath the lighthouse which was lovely....Scarlett and I were peaking over the wall of our backyard to check out the action.

And what about my Grandmother's Flower garden I hear you ask? With all that time to relax and no distractions I must have made at least one a day right? Wrong. Here is the sad, incomplete flower that I forced myself to work on one afternoon while Scarlett had her nap. Pathetic.

All in all there was a bit to much of this going on -

As it should be when you are on holidays.

I hope that you all have a wonderful week wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

Shontelle.

Sew and Tell - Friday Finish

2009-10-23T03:36:00.000-07:00

At first glance the title of this post and the photos it contains will make me look like some kind of super quilter...but be not alarmed - I didn't actually finish these quilts this week. Just the binding. And one of them isn't even my quilt. Really, you could say I was clutching at 'friday finish' straws to post photos of binding but these quilts constitute almost 20 metres of binding, a bleeding and bruised middle finger, 1 episode of 'Being Erica, 1 of Lost in Austen and 17 of Frasier. So I am clutching with impunity.

This first quilt is not mine. I wish it was, but I can only lay claim to the binding. It is the most beautiful quilt I have ever seen in the flesh. The needle-turn applique on it is perfect - you cannot see a single stitch and I love the colours in it. It belongs to one of Mum's customers and Mum is entering in the Festival of Quilts show in a couple of weeks. The quilting she has done on it is absolutely gorgeous. Mum (Sharon) now has a blog of her own up and running - check it out if you like)

McTavishing in the blocks and 'CC's' and cross-hatching in the pieced sections.

More close-ups of the McTavishing.

The next quilt is mine. I made it from the pattern '4ot' by Carrie of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co fame, using Moda's Heritage for a Cause by Howard Marcus. This quilt is enormous (as my poor finger will attest). I fell in love with the blue bird fabric in this range and decided that I wanted that as a border fabric (nothing wrong there) but I failed to lay the quilt-top on my bed prior to attaching the border. So when all was done and dusted, and the borders painstakingly mitred, I placed the quilt on the bed and stepped back to admire the result - it nearly touched the floor! So, in the photos the poor Hills hoist (clothesline) is pushed to his limit and wound as high as he can possibly go, and the quilt still drapes on the lawn.

Mum quilted the quilt for me using a pantograph by 3 sisters (of Moda fabric fame - is there no end to their talents) called 'Abundant Feathers'. This quilt is full of my favourite things - stars, feathers, silky wool wadding and reproduction fabric - needless to say, I love it. Here are some close ups of the quilting.

And last, but definitely not least - the binding. A few weeks ago I posted about buying some Invisifil thread. I decided to give it a go on the binding and it was fantastic. It didn't fray or tangle once and the stitches are invisible. What an awesome thread!

So there you have it. Two quilts down and one to go. My poor finger.

Until next time,

Shontelle.

PS. Check out the other Sew and Tells hosted by amylouwho.

Sunday Stash

2009-10-18T03:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

This is just a quick post to show you all what fabric has tempted me this week. I will post some photos of our Kangaroo Island trip next Sunday (hopefully!).

I popped up to Patchwork Apple on Thursday to buy some fabric for binding. No problem there...I chose this loveliness from a selection of new repro prints that Jane has in.

That should have been the end of the transaction but as so often happens, like a bird I was distracted by these and now they live with me.

While I was there and letting the moths out of my purse I picked up these little 30s prints for a quilt I am planning to make for my best friend's little girl.

And that is literally all she wrote for tonight, and possibly for the next week. Sunday is the deadline to drop quilts off for the Festival of Quilts show in Adelaide and I have 1030" (that is 26.162m) of binding to attach before then. I can feel the calouses forming and the vision failing already.

Until next time,

Shontelle.

PS. I wonder how many seasons of Frasier the binding will take?

Shontelle of Green Gables

2009-10-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This week it is my wedding anniversary and we are going to Kangaroo Island (KI) to have a holiday and celebrate (much cheese and wine has been purchased in preparation).

When I was younger, I was obsessed with Anne of Green Gables (who am I kidding I still am) and I read the books and watched the mini-series endlessly. Anne of Green Gables has been a very strong influence in my life and I think that in many ways I still aspire to be her (although I have moved past the dying my hair red and wearing plaits phase). So when it came to booking our accommodation on KI I decided to completely indulge my fantasies and we are staying in a lighthouse keeper's cottage. I cannot wait! A lighthouse keeper's cottage I hear you say? But didn't she live on a farm at Green Gables? When Anne and Gilbert were first married they lived in a cottage by the sea and befriended an old sea captain who lived in a lighthouse. I have packed the book to read on our trip - Anne's House of Dreams...bring it on! (although Gilbert does look a bit gooby on the cover).

In honour of being Anne Shirley for a week I have decided to leave the Janome at home and take my English Paper pieced Grandmother's Flower Garden to work on. I was intending to have it completed for Scarlett's 2nd birthday but I'm flexible (read: prone to bird-like distraction by newer and shinier projects) and have pushed the deadline out to her 3rd birthday.

I have been collecting the fabric for it from various shops on my travels and love remembering the different places I have bought them while I am stitching the flowers. I decided to keep it traditional and have gone for 30s reproduction prints and hope to stop in at a quilt shop on KI and pick up a couple more.

While we are away I was also hoping to complete one of Anne Sutton's Bunny Hill free BOMs but I wanted to try this method of starchy needle turn applique and I've had a bit of trouble getting the Clover mini iron from the local shops. I have one on order through Ebay now and I'll just have to save that project for another time. However, I did manage to get some of the Invisifil thread that Wendy from Snippets of a Quilter recommends and I thought I might try it in my English Paper piecing and see how it goes.

I hope to post lots of photos of KI, which is renowned for its abundance of wildlife, when I get home. So for all of you international bloggers there should be a couple of cute Koalas and Kangaroos for you to check out next week.

Have a great week!

Shontelle.

Sew and Tell.

2009-10-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to show you the finished Kaleidoscope quilt. I stayed up until 4am last night working on it (was robbed of an hour due to the switch over to Daylight Savings Time) and then got up this morning at about 8am to finish it off. Needless to say I am now in a zombie like state.

The kaleidoscope block presents so many different style options but rather than having strong, definite circles I wanted a scrappy look so the circular effect is subtle and elusive. I am really pleased with how it looks - but it took a lot of unpicking to get there! First I had that light blue colour that read white to unpick, then I decided to make it bigger (not that that involved any unpicking, just the opposite really) and then I fussy cut a border print that just looked wishy-washy (sorry - there are no photos of that blandness). After unpicking that border I made an emergency trip to Hettie's to buy a navy blue fabric for the new border - I like the way that the dark fabric now frames the quilt.

I enjoyed making this quilt and in particular the challenge of the 45 degree triangle pieced border but I couldn't have done it without my side-kick Frasier. I have a 7" DVD player next to my sewing machine and when I sew I play Frasier to keep me company and now I measure a quilt's complexity by how many seasons I get through while sewing it. This quilt has a rating of 3 and a half Frasier's as it took me through seasons 3, 4, 5 and the first disk of 6.

Until next time,

Shontelle.

The Big Reveal

2009-09-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

Well, September has all but drawn to a close and it's time to show you what I came up with for the apron challenge.

Until next time - happy stitching.

Shontelle

Sunday Stash on a Monday

2009-09-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Even though it's Monday I thought I'd post some photos of some delicious fabric I received this week along with some of some Yuletide gorgeousness that I've been hoarding for a few weeks. I did take the photos last night, so technically it is still a Sunday Stash.

This is the backing fabric that I bought for my kaleidoscope quilt. Hopefully I will be finished that by the end of the week and can upload the photos of the finished quilt top - I am currently in phase two of the unpicking stage! I love birds as a motif on fabric and when the Fat Quarter Shop put this on sale I just had to have it.

This is a couple of fat quarter packs of Faye Burgos Christmas fabrics. I plan to make Christmas sacks for my family out of them. If you check back in a couple of weeks I should have the tutorial posted.

These are my favourite fabrics out of the packs:

And last, but definitely not least is this delicious fabric from the Sturbridge VillageIV range by Judie Rothermel. In real life the red is more of a rich ruby colour (the flash has destroyed the true hue) and I can't wait to use it in a quilt I have floating around in my head.

I have finished my apron for the September Apron Challenge, so watch this space - I am hoping that tomorrow is a nice day and I can take some photos of the apron in action for you.

Bye for now,

Shontelle.

Sunday Stash

2009-09-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Again,

Well the day at Hettie's was lovely. I didn't make much of a headway into the Weekender Bag (so called because it takes a weekend to cut out :)), but I did manage to cut out all of the outer and most of the lining. We are going to Kangaroo Island for a family getaway in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping to finish it by then so I can appear organized and sophisticated on the ferry journey.

I thought I'd give you an update on the apron challenge. Not many takers so far - surely there must be some apron lovers out there? I bought the fabric for mine today and thought I'd share it with you.

I love the floral fabric and have been admiring it for months wondering what to do with it. I think that the apron is the perfect project and the colours are just perfect for spring. I was planning to get eloborate and applique a bird on the pocket and make it reversible with another bird embroidered on the other side....but I had a stern word with myself and decided to pull my head in. I don't know how to applique and there are only 10 more days left in the month. So it will be plain but pretty.

This week I have also aquired these fabrics-

They are for a quilt that I have floating around in my head. The pink and green are from Hettie's and the lavender and blue are from The Patchwork Apple. I still need a couple more pinks, greens and some yellow which I will hopefully pick up at the Quilt and Craft Fair in November.

I also managed (finally! after looking everywhere - should have just gone to Hettie's first) to find some plain homespuns to go with the Sherri Berri Christmas charm pack I bought a few weeks ago.

I bought it to make this advent calendar designed by Elizabeth of Oh, Fransson.

The pattern is free to download from her blog or from Sew, Mama, Sew. I am itching to make it, but I have about 20 projects ahead of it on my list. At least I have got the fabric I need and I know that it is sitting there waiting for me.

Lastly, I was thrilled to see this hanging up at Hettie's today -

It is a quilt called 'Starburst' that I designed for our June retreat. Lorraine is stocking my patterns and it made me feel a bit giddy to see it displayed in her beautiful shop.

Bye for now,

Shontelle.

A different kind of Church

2009-09-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I am so excited! Today I am having the day off!! My friend Amy's mum owns this fabulous shop:

and today we are going to have it all to ourselves. Bliss! I can't wait to have the opportunity to look at the fabric without any distractions (although this could be dangerous to the credit balance) and then spend the day sewing with my friends in the big workroom.

To complete the projects I have planned for today I think that I'd need a 48hour working week - but we'll see how we go.

I have a few things to tidy up (binding, labels etc) and some fabric selections to make. But my main aim is to make a headway into transforming this lovely fabric:

into this lovely bag:

I think I am dreaming, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

Happy stitching,

Shontelle.

Hi ho hi ho it's off to unpick I go!

2009-09-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

Hola!

I have been making a kaleidoscope quilt for a workshop I have been asked to take in October. I decided to make the quilt in my favourite fabrics (reproductions) and in my favourite colour (blue). We are screaming towards the deadline but I wasn't stressing, it was all going well and I thought that I'd have it bowled over by Sunday (fool that I am). I got home from Tuesday night sewing with all of the blocks ironed and ready to go. I placed the blocks on the floor and stood back to inspect the quilt. To my horror the lovely light blue that looked great in my stash read white when placed in the quilt and in my opinion broke up the circular effect of the kaleidoscope blocks.

I thought about it for a few minutes but in my heart I knew that if I was to be happy with the finished quilt there was really only one option. So I took a deep breath and reached for my Clover quick unpick and settled in for the long haul. I did some last night while watching 'Being Erica' on ABC iview (how good is that, by the way!) and the rest this morning sitting on my swing, listening to the rain.

Happy stiching all (or in my case - unpicking!)

Shontelle.

PS. I am hoping to post my fabric choices and some design options tomorrow for the apron challenge. It has taken me a while, but I think that I have finally come up with a design.

September Apron Challenge

2009-09-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

Ah, aprons, I love them. I am by nature a disorganised mess machine (sadly my daughter is following in my footsteps) but when I am wearing an apron I feel as though I have a tighter reign on life; there is the illusion of order and organisation in my chaotic existence, and I am all for illusions! My cousin Ellie and I have decided to have an apron challenge in September and we were wondering if anyone else out there in the blogosphere would like to join us?

The rules are simple. Design and make and apron in September and blog about it. If you email me a link to your blog then I can make a blogroll of fellow apron lovers and we can all check out each other's creations. What do you say? Let's grab some ric-rac and go!

August MIA

2009-09-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I have been a terrible blogger lately but with good reason. Do you remember this smiling budding craft enthusiast?

Well thanks to a motorist who failed to look to her right while he was cycling past, he now looks like this....

They say that it never rains but pours and that is the case in our household. The pictures are a bit too gruesome to display to the unsuspecting public but I had an operation a couple of weeks ago to remove a gremlin that was growing inside of me. I am on the mend though and have been busily creating things for our daughter's second birthday.

Does anybody remember this book? When I was little it was the birthday cake bible and weeks before my birthday I would pore over it deciding on which cake I wanted.

If you can get your hands on one it is a winner!!! Here are the cakes I made for my Pixie out of it.
The original had a mouse made out of a prune (who wants a prune on a kid's birthday cake? Madness!), but Greg came up with the idea of turing a jube into a mouse. His arm may be broken but there's nothing wrong upstairs! Stupid me made the mistake of showing the cake to Scarlett when she woke up....I had to make an extra mouse for her immediately or the world would have ended. Ah, the humble jube - breakfast of champions!

The second cake is a butterfly. It is just a round cake cut into three pieces and then cemented together with vienna cream, licorice and smarties. I have to say, I had loads of fun making them and it is worth trying to dig up a copy of the birthday cake book. The Women's Weekly have brought out more recent birthday cake books, but they are not a patch on the original.

So, my baby is now two. Today she was sleeping on me in the car while Greg was jogging Chi-style around the park and I was reminded of how she felt on my body in this photo....

How she got from that to this....

Will never cease to amaze me.

It is show week this week here in Adelaide. We are going and I can't wait. I hope that everyone's week is as full of fairy floss, ferris wheels and farmyard animals as mine will be.

Until next time,

Shontelle.

iPhone cover tutorial

2009-08-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

During our quarantine period I designed and made this:

It is the snug little home that protects The Precious (my iPhone). I promised a tutorial and finally - here it is.

Cut a 12.5" x 3.5" piece of fabric for the outer (this is the fabric with the coquettish kittens) and a piece of wadding (I used cotton) and a piece of lining fabric slightly larger than the outer.

Make a sandwich with the wrong side of the lining fabric facing towards you, then place the wadding on top of it and finally the fabric for the outer on top of that right side towards you. Now pin it all together ready to quilt it.

Using your walking foot, quilt the sandwich using whatever design you prefer. I just did straight vertical lines lining my walking foot up with the edge of the fabric for the first row and then with the stitching for each subsequent row.

Photo of quilting.

When the quilting is finished it will look like this. You now need to trim the excess lining fabric and wadding off with your rotary cutter until it looks like this:

Neatly trimmed unit (how cute are those cats?)

Turn your piece of quilted fabric over so the liner is towards you and using a circle template (I used a ramekin - but anything circular will do) draw a semi-circle around the top inside edge of your fabric. Take care when determining which end is the top - this is especially important if you are using a directional print like I did (I found this out the hard way - to my shame there was some swearing). Then, with your scissors trim around this line.

Now it's time to add the velcro. I used sticky velcro dots. Place one on the lining fabric - the centre of the dot should be 3/4" from the top edge. The centre of the other dot should in the middle of the outer fabric 1 1/4" from the top edge.

Sew the dots in place - they will not adhere to the fabric (take it from one who found out the hard way)

Now for the binding,

Cut one 3 3/4" x 1 1/4" strip of fabric. Iron both ends in a 1/4" as shown in the photo above. Then iron the strip in half and then iron the raw edges in towards the centre press mark. It should now look like the photo below.

Note the snazzy new ironing board cover! I couldn't live with the shame of the old over-loved one anymore and had to make an emergency trip to BigW to replace it.

Place the binding as indicated in the photo above and using a co-ordinating thread stitch in place. I like to put my stitches as close to the edge of the binding as possible . (It's not clear from the photos, but of course you need to stretch your quilted fabric out into a long strip for this step or your opening to the iPhone cover would be stitched shut - hopefully the photo below showing the first cover I made will clarify this)

Next, with the right side of the lining facing you fold the straight bottom edge up 5" towards the top as illustrated in the photo above.

Using a 1/4" seam stitch both sides of the cover down as illustrated above.

Next construct a binding in exactly the same way as you did earlier, but this time it should measure 17" x 1 1/4". Keep one half of the binding folded over and pin this half in place as shown in the photo and carefully sew it in place using a matching thread. Take care with the pinning - you may need to ease in some of the fullness of the binding around the curved edges. I hope that the following photos make this process all clear.

Sewing the binding down.Your binding should now look like this on the back of the iPhone cover.

The front will look like this.

Secure the front of the binding with binding clips or pins.

Hand-stitch your binding in place.

Now all that is left to do is sew on a cute decorative button if you feel so inclined, insert your iPhone and enjoy. This pattern could easily be adapted for other devices like blackberries or even for a pencil case or sunglasses case.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial - don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Also, if you do make one I'd love to see a photo of your finished product and finally if you do make one feel free to sell it - go forth and craft with impunity!

Until next time,

Shontelle

Tutorial Time

2009-07-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

This week all of my dreams came true when my husband asked me...... to teach him how to sew. Yes ladies, I have finally lured him over to the dark side. He wanted to make a bag for his D&D dice (that's Dungeons and Dragons for the uninitiated - now all of his secrets are coming out) and so together we nutted out a design and I showed him the ropes.

Here he is in action:

Doesn't it just make you weak at the knees? We had a little excursion to Spotlight where he chose some fabric and thread then he got stuck into it. Between us, I think he is addicted - he has already made 4 bags and as I type I can hear the Janome humming away in the kitchen.

Here are the bags he has made so far:

I think that besides being an excellent recepticle for D&D dice they would be an ideal bag for make-up, sewing notions, jewellry - anything really. So I thought I would put together a tutorial for you on how to make one.

Here is the finished product:

And here is how you get there:

Cut two pieces of fabric 8.5" x 14.5" (we used cotton drill in ours to give the bag body)

Then fold both pieces of fabric in half lengthways right sides together and sew up the sides with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Leave a gap of about 1.5" roughly 2.5" from the bottom of one of the sides of the lining reinforcing the stitches either side of the gap.

Now, line up the 2" marks of your ruler with the side seam and the base of the bag as shown above and draw a line around it. Do this on both bottom corners, on both sides of the fabric. Repeat these steps on your liner.

The photo above shows the drawn lines on the base.

Make a fold in the bag at the corners of the lines you have drawn in (this is a bit tricky to explain, but I hope that the photos below will make it clearer)

The corner of your bag should now look like this.

Next you need to sew along the chalk line on both corners of the liner and the outer.

Line up the 1/4" mark of your ruler with the seam you have sewn and trim off the corner. Repeat this step for both sides of the outer and liner.

Turn your liner inside out so that when you look into the bag you can see the seams and place it inside the outer. The right sides of the fabric should face each other. Find the centre of one side of the bag and place a pin about 1/4" either side of the centre point. This is where your drawstring will eventually be thread through. You will see from the picture above that I used yellow pins to mark these points and blue everywhere else so that I didn't get confused.

Now starting at a yellow pin, sew a 1/4" seam around the top of the bag remembering to reinforce the start and finish points with a reverse stitch.

Your bag should now look like this.

Turn your bag right side out through the little opening you left earlier in the lining. Mark your drawstring opening with a couple of pins and stitch a seam about 1/8th of an inch from the top.

Again, start your seam at one of the yellow pins and reverse at the beginning and end points for strength.

Repeat this step by sewing another seam about 3/8ths of an inch below the top seam. Take care to maintain the opening for the drawstring and remember to reverse stitch at the start and end of the row of stitching. (I'm sorry I forgot to take a photo of this step but you can see the seam in the photo below).

Now for your final row of stitching. This time start the stitching in one of the side seams and simply sew a continuous line until you reach your starting point and neatly reverse to secure the stitches. This row is about 1/2" from the one above it and completes the channel that the drawstring will run through.

Handstitch the opening in the lining closed.

Cut a 25" piece of nylon cord and thread it through the top opening of the bag and then through the drawstring channel.

Now, just thread the drawstring through a cord puller and you are done. A cute little dilly bag for your D&D dice or whatever else takes your fancy.

I hope that you have enjoyed this tutorial. I would love it if you sent me a picture if you make one and feel free to contact me for clarification of the instuctions.

Until next time,

Shontelle

Wouldn't you love to win this?

2009-07-18T07:27:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I thought I'd post some photos of what Mum has been furiously working on for the past couple of weeks. For those of you that don't know, Mum is a professional machine quilter and this year she was asked to quilt the raffle quilt for the South Australian Quilters' Guild. She has pulled out all the stops and done a marvellous job.

The whole quilt

Centre detail

Close up of centre

Border detail

How perfect is that stitching around the applique and the cross hatching?

Can this woman work a ruler or what?

Rays

Detail of the setting block - what a cute motif

And finally piano keys in the borders.

The quilt will be on display at various venues including The Festival of Quilts in November and all money raised will go to Autism SA.

Well done, Mum - you should be very proud of yourself.

Until next time,

Shontelle.

Free at Last!!

2009-07-14T02:12:00.000-07:00

Yay! Quarantine is O-V-A-H baby! I am off to sewing tonight at Mum's and can't wait to see everyone.

I did however get heaps (how South Australian is that!) done while we were in lock-down. I finished a quilt with this chocolatey goodness (but that is a bit secret squirrel at the moment).

I fininshed this quilt with the Fig and Plum fabric that Mum bought me for Christmas. The photo doesn't really do the fabrics justice, they are so lovely and feminine - I will upload a free pattern for it later in the week:

Despite the quarrantine there was a jail break on Thursday night when I snuck out with Mum to buy this:

I am in love with it already and I haven't even uploaded any music or video yet. I know you shouldn't get attached to inanimate objects but I really do love it. I felt the same way when I got my ipod - I would put it on shuffle and go for a walk around my neighbourhood shamelessly singing out loud to the hits and memories that it would churn out. It always makes my heart feel light when I am listening to it and I guess that's where the feelings of love generate from. Such a delicious object deserves to be cossetted rather than shunted around in the hostile environment that is my handbag - so I made it this:

Now it will always be safe and sound in its special quilted case (tutorial to follow for my fellow obsessives).

And last but not least I made some more journals out of my eclectic stash using a simplified version of Bloom's tutorial. I could have gone crazy and made more but I ran out of journals! I will have to stage another attack on the Big W stationary department.

The Snippets one is mine and I have already started filling it with random ideas for quilting projects - I don't think even Methuselah would have had enough time to make all of the quilts I have in my head.

Ok, off to sewing to bind a mountain of quilts.

Until next time,

Shontelle.

Why I love Fridays

2009-07-10T03:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

This is going to be a mammoth post - so settle in. Greg and Scarlett have the flu and we have been quarrantined so by now I am a little stir crazy (even though I did sneak out yesterday to buy and iPhone - but that is for another post). We have to stay in lock-down until next Wednesday. Lucky for me I am imprisoned with this:

I treated myself last week to this gorgeous ecclectic mix of fabrics and can't wait to do something with them but as usual I have about 100 projects on the go so will just have to pace myself.

One project that I can tick of the list however is this:

It is a quilt that I pieced for my Nana - she is a big fan of the crinoline ladies and she did all of these stitcheries over the Summer while she was nursing my Mum after an operation. She isn't that confident with piecing so I put it together for her. I fussy cut the border fabric for the sashings and the border from Maywood's gorgeous 'Willowberry Winter' line. So now it just needs to be quilted. I think that Nana did a lovely job and once mum has worked her magic on it it will be stunning. So the finished product will be the work of 3 generations of women - now that Scarlett has mastered a fork perhaps we could get her to do the binding on it and it will be the work of 4. Here's a close up of one of the ladies.

So it is Friday night, and in another life I used to go dancing with my best friend or to the pub with her and my cousins - but as Dylan says, times they are a changin' and although I used to have a great time in that former life I have to say that I wouldn't trade them for my current Friday night routine. After I put Scarlett to bed I set up this little oasis on my kitchen table (who am I kidding I never put it away!)

At about 4pm I begin to get excited at the prospect of sitting down in this blissful little corner. It's not very clear, but on the other side of my machine is one of my favourite little devices - it is a portable DVD player - Mum bought it for me for Christmas and I wouldn't be without it. I play my favourite TV shows, movies and mini-series and it is fantastic company as I chain piece hundreds of flying geese (which I am obsessed with). My other essential, as seen in the photo, is the large mug of tea - I think I have a problem...there are scuff marks on the floorboards that mark my passage from the sewing machine to the kettle.

Ok, season 8 of Seinfeld and a Patisserie honey bun are calling me - time to go. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Shontelle.

Retreat Wrap Up

2009-06-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for the delay in this post. I have been incommunicado while studying for my French exam...but all of those nasty verbs are behind me now and I can concentrate on the important things - fabric and blogging!

Well, our Mannum getaway was fab! We all had a great time and everyone was super productive as you will see from the photos below. Mannum is such a gorgeous spot - not that much of it was seen by us as everyone was up early with their pedals to the metal and hard at it until about 11pm! It wasn't all hard labour though - there was plenty of wine consumed, a few dirty ditties sung and an innovative display of how to put on flanelette pj's in front of an audience without revealing anything....Barb!

Our fabulous group of ladies

Hard at it

The ditty instigator

Faye and her first block.

Jenni's finished hexagon top (minus borders)

The lovely Joanne and Jean

More lovely ladies with their creations.

Vicki! Start the car!!

Barb modelling her quilt.

The industrious Lorraine with her hexagons

So, a great time was had by all. Now we are busily planning the next one. If any of the retreaters are reading this I'd just like to thank you all for being marvellous guests and we hope to see you again next time.

Bye for now,

Shontelle.

Mannum here we come!

2009-06-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

The day we leave for Mannum for our retreat is finally here. Mum and I have been frantic all week, but everything is done and calm has descended.

I thought I'd post a picture of a sight rarely seen by me - the sunrise!

They say that you can't be an owl and a fowl and I am definitely an owl. This morning however, I had to unleash my inner fowl and get up early to finish the last of these:

Here they are lined up like Emperor Qin's terracotta army.

I hope you all have a great weekend - I know I will.

Happy stitching,

Shontelle

2009-06-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

I love coming home and seeing one of these on the doorstep

Especially when I know it will contain this

Watch this space, I have great plans for these delicious fabrics....I just hope that it turns out as beautiful as it is in my head. I just love the red polka dot fabric - my fingers are itching to play with it!

Finally I just had to post this picture of my gorgeous girl having a wee (her word for swing)

I am trying not to get too distracted from frantically writing patterns, cooking and making gifts ahead of our retreat next weekend. I am looking forward to posting some photos of everyone's lovely creations.

Until next time,

Fabric Basket

2009-05-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Today was a lovely day! It was sunny with a light breeze which made me feel happy and energetic. I organised my scraps and stash this afternoon while Scarlett slept for 3 hours (I tell you it was a great day!) and decided to make a fabric basket for my friend Amy's birthday. The fantastic tutorial for it can be found here. The scraps I used come from a quilt that Amy and I made for another friend's wedding - I just love the red, white and beige together - it looks so Scandinavian!

I hope that you have all had a great, creative day too.

Until next time,

The Easy Way to Mitre Borders

2009-05-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I love the way mitred borders look but I used to find them fiddley to do - that is until I discovered this method of doing them. I hope that you find this tutorial helpful you can download it in PDF form here.

Step 1: Cut 2 strips the width of the quilt plus twice the border width plus an extra 2" and 2 strips the length of the quilt plus twice the border width and 2" extra.

Example: width of quilt before border = 65”, width of border(s) to be added = 6”

65” + 6” + 6” +2" = strip 79” long. Cut 2 strips 79” long (width measurement)

Repeat steps for length of quilt.

NB. For multiple borders, sew strips together first and attach to quilt as one unit.

Step 2: Centre and pin border strips in place.

Step 3: Start and end seams ¼” from raw edges of the quilt top. Backstitch to secure. Press seams toward quilt top.

Mark the 1/4 inch point with a pin or a marker

Step 4: Lay quilt top right side up on ironing board and fold each border end flat back onto itself, right sides together, forming a 45 degree angle at the quilt’s corner. Press to form sharp creases.

The arrows show where you should have 45 degree angles.

Step 5: Fold quilt on diagonal, right sides together. Align border strip raw edges, border seams at the ¼” backstitched point and creases. Pin in place. Stitch along crease, backstitching at ¼” border seam.

Step 6: Press seam open. With quilt right side up, align 45 degree angle line of a square ruler on the seam line to check accuracy. If corner is flat and square, trim excess fabric to ¼” seam allowance. If you don't have a 45 degree angle just unpick and start again.

Voilà! Perfect mitred corners. Gorgeous!

It's nice having a tall husband - he comes in very handy!

Mother's Day

2009-05-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

It's a bit late, but I thought I would share a photo of what I made Mum for Mother's Day and also share a story.....

When I was a little girl, my brother and I used to watch a movie starring Michael Keaton and Henry Winkler called Nightshift. It was about two guys who worked the nightshift at the city morgue. One of them (Winkler) was a straitlaced, nervous guy and his counterpart (Keaton) was a bit of a buffoon. Michael Keaton's character (for those of you who haven't seen this triumph of modern cinema) used to come up with all kinds of crazy schemes which he would then record into a dictaphone as inspiration struck. The ideas were usually completely stupid (for example "microwave underwear")

Anyway, in her day Mum has come up with a few crazy ideas of her own, so much so that I call her Mike (after Michael Keaton) and it has become a running joke between the two of us. So for Mother's Day I decided to follow the fantastic tutorial from Bloom and make her her very own ideas book and here is the result.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you fabulous Mummy's out there....as the saying goes "God couldn't be everywhere so he invented mothers" and what a good job that He did! I don't know what I would do without mine...crazy ideas and all.

Thread Catcher

2009-05-07T03:33:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to the lovely Lea from 'The Stitching Room' for helping me to make this lovely little thread catcher. Her online tutorial is available here for anyone else who would like to make one.

They would make a great little gift for your stitchingly-minded friends! I will be busy with the Janome in overdrive over the next couple of weeks whipping them up for our retreat attendees.

Until next time,

Free Antique Nine Patch Pattern

2009-05-06T03:47:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I have uploaded the PDF of the pattern for the Antique Nine Patch quilt for you to download. Unfortunately Blogger doesn't support PDF files so if you right click on the link above and open a new window you can download the pattern from Media Fire. If you do make the quilt I would love it if you would email me photos. Also, if you have any queries don't hesitate to contact me and I will do my best to help you.

Over the coming weeks I will be adding more patterns and tutorials, so come back and check for updates.

Happy Sewing!

Projects for the Mannum Quilt Retreat

2009-05-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ok ladies! I have been busy with my pedal to the metal on the Janome and have finished two of the quilts for quilt retreat and I just have the borders to go on the final one. My poor machine will need a cuppa and a lie down after this week!

The first quilt on offer is 'Heritage Hexagons' and with the borders will measure 57"x68".

This quilt takes 1 jelly roll and approximately 1m of border fabric - exact fabric requirements will be sent out with your retreat pack.

The next quilt is 'Wedgewood' and will be available in two sizes. The quilt as pictured is 83"x 83", but will also be available in a smaller size 68"x53".

The final quilt is 'Starburst' and is also available in 2 sizes. The size pictured is 61"x61". I made this quilt in fresh vintage florals and spots and the quilt has a lovely soft feel. I think it would be striking in different red, blues and whites or in Civil war era repros.

Rear view

My favourite block in the quilt

Have fun choosing your project and fabrics. I am looking forward to seeing you all in June!!

Quilt Retreat 2009

2009-04-23T03:52:00.000-07:00

The Pumphouse

Quilt retreat is coming! We will be holding our inaugural quilt retreat at Mannum from June 12th - 14th. We will be staying at the Pumphouse in the grounds of the Mannum caravan park on the banks of the Murray. There is dorm-style bunkhouse accommodation available or we can book you an ensuite cabin if you prefer. We have three lovely quilting projects in a variety of sizes planned for you to suit everyone from the beginner to the more advanced patchworker. Photos will follow soon but there will be a double irish chain quilt and a rising star quilt both with flying geese borders and available in two sizes and a hexagon quilt strip pieced and made from a jelly roll in a large lap size. The retreat is $170.oo and includes:

FREE bunkhouse accommodation
Pattern for your choice of project
All meals (except for Sat evening dinner - we will be going out for a lovely meal)
Tuition
A gift bag filled with goodies

There are only 20 spaces available and places are filling fast - please call Sharon on 0411 268 924 to secure your place and join us for a lovely fun filled weekend doing something that you love!

View of the Murray from the caravan park

Mum and Scarlett on the verandah of the Pumphouse

The lovely airy work room

The FREE dormstyle rooms

Antique Nine Patch Workshop

2009-03-08T03:57:00.001-07:00

Our next workshop is going to be the lovely Antique Nine Patch quilt. It is a one day workshop and we are running two of them on the last weekend in March (28th & 29th). There are still a couple of spots available on Sunday so be quick and call Sharon on 0411 268 984 to secure your place. The cost of the workshop is $50 and includes your pattern, lunch, tea and coffee and yummy cakes!

The quilt itself is rotary cut and machine pieced and is suitable for all skill levels. The finished quilt will be 56" x 56" but can easily be made larger to suit your requirements. It is comprised of a nine-patch and a diagonal cross block and can be made from scraps in your stash or purpose bought fabric. For a scrappy look, use up odds and ends from your stash or, as is my personal preference, go for the more stuctured formal look that is created when using only 4 fabrics - but each to their own! What I will say though is that the cross blocks definitely look better when there is a strong contrast between the cross fabric and the background fabric - you really need this contrast to tie the quilt together. The photos below should make all of this clearer.

This is Mum's antique nine patch. She has made it bigger by adding extra blocks - easily done and now it fits her king-size bed. Also, she has only used 4 different fabrics and has acheived a lovely structured look.

This quilt is the size that we will be doing in the workshop. I have also only used 4 fabrics.

This is the original antique nine patch that I made at a workshop with Faye Packham. You can see that I have completely lost the effect of the cross blocks in the light blue squares and the quilt looks a bit wishy-washy as a result. I learned alot about fabric selection while making this quilt!

No-waste Flying Geese

2009-02-26T01:49:00.000-08:00

This is my favourite method for making flying geese. It is quick, you can power sew and there is no wastage!

You start with one square the width you want your finished (see note at end of post) flying geese unit to be plus 1 1/4" and four squares that are the height of the finished unit plus 7/8".
On these smaller squares you need to draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric - you can use anything you like here, pencil, pen etc.

I love using the quick quarter ruler to mark my diagonal lines.

Next, with the right sides of the fabric together you place two of your ruled smaller squares on the larger square as in the picture below. They will overlap slightly.

I like to pin them as illustrated to keep them steady.

Next, you sew a scant 1/4" seam either side of the line you have drawn.

Then use your ruler and rotary cutter to cut along the line.

Press the seams towards the small triangles. You will have two units that look like this.

The next step is to line up another small square on the large triangle and again sew a scant 1/4" seam on either side of your line.

Cut along the line again to create two units.

Last step! Press the seam towards the smaller triangle. Congratulations, you have a completed flying geese unit!

Now all you have to do is trim the little triangles off. In the photo above I have trimmed 3 and left the one in the top right hand corner so you could see what they look like untrimmed.

A note on the measurements: The "finished" measurement is what you want the unit to measure after it is sewn into your quilt or project. For example, I wanted the flying geese pictured above to measure 3 3/4" wide by 2" high when sewn into the quilt, so raw they are 4 1/4 across and 5.5" high. I hope this makes sense.

Carpenter's Star Workshop Oct 2008

2009-02-21T02:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I have finally ventured in to blog land! I have found reading other craft blogs to be so valuable that I thought I'd like to have a place to share all of the tips and great ideas that I have picked up over the years. I'm hoping that over the next couple of weeks I can add lots of pictures and links to fabulous things I have discovered in the world of patchwork and sewing - I just have to figure out how to use blogspot properly!

First, a bit about me....My name is Shontelle and I have loved making things since I was a little girl...longstitch, hobbytex, cross stitch, tassels, embroidery, ceramics, decopage - this list goes on. It wasn't until my mum, Sharon, bought me a sewing machine and signed us up for a Sampler Quilt class at our local quilt shop that I discovered patchwork and I have been an addict ever since. So much so that in 2007 Mum bought an A1 longarm machine and now runs a machine quilting business called Patchwork on Parade from home. As part of the business we hold workshops and retreats a few times a year. So apart from using the blog to share tips it will also feature details of past and future workshops.

Last October we held our first workshop and we had a blast. It was a busy, tiring day - but loads of fun. The quilt that we chose to teach was Debbie Maddy's 'Carpenter's Star'. It is a fantastic pattern that uses half square triangles to make the star - no templates or hand-piecing. It was such a thrill to watch all of the quilts take shape and to admire all of the different fabrics that the ladies had selected.

Some of the wonderful ladies at our workshop

To prepare for the workshop Mum, the fabulous Barbarella (a member of our quilting group), and I went to Wallaroo for a weekend of power sewing. Barb and I completed our 'Carpenter's Stars' (minus borders) and Mum completed her 'Antique Nine Patch' quilt, which we will be teaching at our next workshop in March.

Mum with her 'Antique Nine Patch' and Barb and I with our 'Carpenter's Stars'

Mum quilted Barb's 'Carpenter's Star' and it went on to win first prize for edge to edge quilting at the 2008 SA Quilter's Guild Exhibition

.
Mum with the award winning quilt. Go Sharry!

I will be posting details for our next workshop to be held the last weekend in March soon. Talk to you then!