Just Patchwork

Look out Melbourne, here we come!!

2010-04-28T07:59:00.009+10:00

Firstly, let me introduce myself: I am Naomi, the newest writer here. I am Gai & Elwin's daughter-in-law called in to help out with some blogging while they are super busy traipsing around the country from one quilt show to another. I will keep you up to date with where they are, what they are doing, and what gorgeous new fabrics, patterns etc they have in stock!

So back to the business of Melbourne! ACQ - The Australasian Quilt Convention & Expo is our next stop. ACQ runs from April 29-May 2 in the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, Melbourne. Gai & Elwin are finishing their drive to Melbourne as I type, and will get ready to set up for another massive show. You can find them at stand 148! Gai is also running a couple of seminars:

1) Seminar Rm 2 @ 1pm: Jelly Rolls and Bali Pops Revealed! Use Jelly Rolls and Bali Pops to the best advantage. Books, Templates and patterns shown.

2) Seminar Rm 2 @ 2:30pm: Raw edge Applique! Learn tricks about raw edge applique. McKenna Ryan and Bigfork Cotton Company Patterns will be shown.

ACQ continues to get bigger and bigger every year. There will be wonderful local and international tutors to source knowledge and inspiration from, there are 'make & take' sessions where you can learn new techniques while you 'make' and then 'take' your creation for just a small fee for materials, you could go to the Sewing Room to make a small project while road testing the latest machine and so much more!

Treat yourself to an amazing outing, and be sure to stop by and say hello to Gai & Elwin!

Naomi x

Basting

2009-07-07T05:20:00.001+10:00

Matthew quilt 1, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

I really despise basting, and know I'm not alone in my hatred of it. But baby quilts, well they're a dream! It's over quickly, and there's no need to move furniture. Heck, I can even use off cuts of cotton batting from other projects - no joins even...

This quilt was so fun to do. I've shown pictures of it finished to friends, in fact pregnant friends, and they all kind of go - meh. They like it, but they don't *love* it. I do. But I look at each of the fabrics and remember where I bought them from, and it's a trip back into time.

There's bits there from almost every quilt show I've ever attended, and I have attended quite a few. I love the spots, and the stripes and the plains, but the real beauty is in getting to use pieces of my treasured Heather Ross and other novelty prints in the smaller squares where I think they look the best.

And the textures. Well, there's regular cotton, the lovely soft cotton poplin, double gauze, linen, linen/cotton mix, and even some of Prints Charming's charming hand screen prints in there. There's Amy and Kaffe, Heather, Dick, Jane and a few bits of generic old gingham thrown in for good measure. Robots, buses, boats and firetrucks... oh I hope little Matthew gets as much enjoyment over the years from it as I did making it, but it's doubtful :-)

And the back? Well, I used the back of one of Prints Charming's Free Spirit prints. I liked the muted-ness of the back of the fabric. Another thing I love - this quilt has both the FS printed version of that fabric in the squares ^and^ the hand screen printed version of same thrown in there. It makes me happy indeed.

Regrets

2009-07-06T03:27:00.003+10:00

I was just scanning through the blog, and gee, it can be quite the walk down memory lane. There's definitely an advantage to actually spending some time writing the blog.

And I think I have some inspiration for the next project. Oh, hey, Federer has just won. Wow, there's some cheering!

OK, back to the quilting. I really regret giving this one away. While I do genuinely, genuinely like the couple I gave this one to, I really wish I'd kept it for myself. Just thinking of the soft cream minkee backing is making me sad. I wonder if it would be rude to ask for it back? After all, they've had it for three and a half years, so surely it's my turn.

As they live in a different country to me I can't even check if they actually use it, or whether (god forbid) it's been repurposed as a dog blanket, or just stored away in a cupboard never to be seen. And that's the real problem with giving quilts away. If you knew the recipient would love it as much as you do, there'd be no problem...... I'll just have to make another one!

Boat Race 2008

2009-07-06T03:15:00.002+10:00

Boat Race 2008, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

While I'm listening to this epic Wimbledon battle, I thought I'd blog about this little quilt. It actually is a rectangle, despite the skew-wiffiness of the photo.

The 2007 Boat Race was the first one I'd seen - although I grew up sitting on riverbanks at other rowing regattas. And when I lived in Boston I went along to the Head of the River contest.

But in 2008 the weather was absolutely shocking in London, and they were seriously talking about the boats sinking. I adore the BBC's coverage of this classic Oxford v Cambridge race and am so sad that 2009 was the last year they'll be televising it.

But... the aerial shots really struck me. And I sat and sketched, and sketched some more. Then I started cutting and many, many fabrics were auditioned. In the end, all of the applique was from one of Amy Butler's striped Forest fabrics, and some Kaffe Shot Cotton (for the heads). The black thread tails were left unclipped (my flatmate tells me that's her favourite part) and the dark navy background left unquilted - the natural ripples are so like water it would be impossible to improve on it.

I am so attached to this quilt - it almost looks like an aboriginal design, so with the combo of rowing, and hints of Aus, it was the work of one day, but I guess I had been thinking about the design for years.....

Venice

2009-07-05T00:26:00.001+10:00

, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

If the colours and reflections of Venice in flood doesn't make you want to paint, sew, draw, or be creative in some other way, then you have no soul...............

Procras-hion-ation

2009-07-04T06:02:00.007+10:00

I bought some amazing duck feather cushion inserts from John Lewis a few weeks ago. And the Kaffe Fassett jelly roll quilt I was making was producing a lot of lovely selvedge off-cuts, all conveniently 2.5" wide. Add in a looming management diploma assignment deadline, and of course all I wanted to do was make cushions.....

With piping, using the piping foot and everything.

But my cushion making did not stop there. Oh no. The second cushion I made, in the name of procrastination, was this one. A bit of Amy Butler home dec print and plain bought from Liberty recently = my favourite cushion ever. Trust me, I love this one. The colours look so incredible in the sun.

I still have a couple of other duck feather pillow forms - including a circular one! My next assignment is due on 9 August, so watch this space around that time...........

Proof positive

2009-06-29T08:18:00.003+10:00

A long, long time ago I was watching a formula 1 grand prix and was inspired by David Coulthard's helmet design to make a simple blue and white wool felt quilt.

After I moved to England it languished. Top and back pieced, quilt basted, and a few very rough rows of large stitch handquilting done.

Years later I tried to fit it into my suitcase on a visit back to Oz. It didn't fit. But Mum and Dad took pity on me (it?) and posted the quilt to me to finish. And guess what - it is!!

I worked on this one on Grand Prix Sundays, ironically while watching DC as one of the new BBC commentators. Many metres of blue sashiko thread, plus a couple of odd rows of white and orange perle cotton, and I have a cuddly woollen quilt just waiting for those winter nights to come back again. Oh, it's satisfying to get one of those WIP's out of the way.

And as I seem to take photos at the oddest times, there are no detailed shots of this one. One day I'll remember, when the light is OK, and will post them up then. But really - the quilting is homey, but nothing to boast about....

Organising my stash

2009-06-29T07:58:00.005+10:00

When I made a wedding quilt for some German friends last year, Mum said she was surprised I had enough different fabrics over here to make those pieced stripes - each with dozens of my favourite bits and pieces included. Well, up until last weekend, my fabric collection was hiding in a series of plastic boxes in the cupboards under the eves, and I really had no idea how much I had built up in the last year and a half.

No more! Friends of mine moved, and this gorgeous cabinet oddly did not suit their new house. I'd often coveted it at their old apartment, so gladly offered to take it off their hands.

And now my fabric is happily waiting, easily seen, to be used in a new project. And Mum, you see - I have no shortage of fabric over here! That doesn't mean I don't like to receive care packages of the latest ranges though....... I also popped into Liberty the other day and added to the collection. Oh, and the Far, Far Away from America. Oh well, you can never have too much, right?

On it's way to Australia

2009-06-29T07:53:00.003+10:00

Someone has a present on their way for a July birthday.

As there's nothing homemade in the actual package I had to get creative with the packaging. I may never buy gift wrap again - cartridge paper and Dr Martin's inks combined to produce some gift-related packaging. A bit of spray mount and some extras mean that this is post-ready!

Osh

2008-08-27T08:57:00.001+10:00

Osh, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

While the colours aren't what you'd call true to life in this photo, you get the idea. I bought 4.5 metres (1.5m of each of three fabrics) in Birmingham - all ikat fabrics from Kaffe Fasset. I loved them, but had no idea what to do with them. So I cut 6.5" strips, and started sewing. 5 blocks down and this was going to be a 60"x60" quilt. 8 blocks in and this was going to be a queen size quilt sashed in white, with a slightly larger, mitred white border. Then I thought about a biscuit coloured linen for sashing.

10 blocks in and I am reconsidering. These are all 18" square, and I kind of like them separate. So now I'm thinking I make a couple more, sandwich them and do some machine quilting, some hand quilting and I'll have a delicious stack of ikat goodness to fill up a wall (as shown), go around a doorway in an inverted U shape, or march down a hallway in single file. It's a twist on the doll quilt wall I guess. But it's all mine.

And by that last statement I don't mean to suggest that I invented the concept - just that I claimed ownership of these blocks over the more traditional options!

Buckingham Palace

2008-08-25T19:46:00.001+10:00

Mum at Buckingham Palace, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

And what else did Gai get up to during her 3 weeks in England? Why, she went to see the Queen of course!

Sadly her maj was away 'summering', but the Buckingham Palace State Rooms, and the huuuuge dining room set up for a state banquet was probably best enjoyed without all of the distractions that curtseying can cause.

Here's Gai enjoying the afternoon in the Royal Backyard....

Festival of Quilts 2008

2008-08-25T19:35:00.001+10:00

Festival of Quilts, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

And another show down. This time we brought the Just Patchwork brand of colour to the NEC, Birmingham for the Festival of Quilts.

We had a lot of fun shopping for the stand fittings for this one. And the colours of the furniture show off the stained glass patterns really well, don't you think?

We also had a blast looking at the quilts in the galleries and buying lots of bits and pieces from the other vendors (well, I did anyway - Mum's luggage was already fit to burst so she was a tad more restrained).

Going for glam

2008-06-03T05:32:00.005+10:00

If you're a girl, especially one in her 30's, you know that the Sex and the City movie has been released. A group of 9 of us (some old friends, some new friends, up above is one of my old uni friends) went to Leicester Square to see the movie on Saturday and joined the throng of glammed up girls.

Before and after we enjoyed the mm mm cocktails of the very glam Refuel Bar at the Soho Hotel. We'd been there a couple of weeks before for Sunday lunch and a movie in their oh too glam screening room - love it! And if you're not sensing a theme yet, then you're not reading carefully enough.

Well worth breaking out some tulle in the skirt (yes, that is a proper prom dress you can see the top of). And courtesy of my lovely neighbour I was accessorised further with some feathers and veil. I need to get me one of those.

Bauhaus

2008-05-23T09:04:00.001+10:00

Bauhaus 281, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

I have a wishlist that stretches for miles, and so many of the items (furniture, lighting, textiles) have something in common - they were designed by Bauhaus Masters.

Last December I visited the Bauhaus building in Dessau, (former East) Germany, lived there in the Atelierhaus for three days, roamed the building staring at radiators, lights, wall treatments, and studied in their library.

The products of the 'Weberei' (weaving) workshop are incredible. These styles seem so fresh and current - but the students were working on this stuff in the 1920's. Everything old is new again.

Wanted: borders

2008-05-19T07:43:00.003+10:00

This (Kaffe Fasset Planets) quilt was started a long time ago. It still needs pieced borders. I brought it back to England with me, and am waiting for inspiration to strike. In the meantime the fabric possibles pile can keep growing, being decorative on the floor. (Sorry about the yellow photo. I get the urge to photograph fabric at the strangest times).

Steps 1 and 2 and some shopping...

2008-05-18T07:59:00.004+10:00

Hi there!

Thought I would pop back in to say hello... now that the gorgeous sunshine has disappeared again I got back to the sewing machine today, to continue piecing with Amy Butler's new Midwest Modern fabrics.

For once I remembered to take a couple of photos during the day, and I wanted to share. Not too sure what these are going to be - I've abandoned the original plan of 16 patch posies, so it's back to the makeshift drawing (design) board.

I find it really difficult to buy the Hobbs 100% cotton batting here in London, so although I have a large frame all ready to go, I have no batting - and you'll agree, I'm sure, that that is the most important part of the design wall structure! So with a cotton scrap I popped into my suitcase when I was back in Oz in April I have improvised as you'll see above. I'm a little bit further along on the quilt now, but that's for another day's post.

And this here is my new shopping bag. i LOVE it - saving the environment, but doing it in style....

Tallinn

2008-01-25T08:22:00.001+11:00

Tallinn, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

Christmas arrived, along with a package of lovely spots and stripes all the way from Australia. I have a bigger quilt in planning to use them, but in the meantime I got sewing one night.

Inspired by my pencil drawing, inspired by a photograph I took in Tallin, inspired by the gorgeous setting and good coffee. Long story, small quilt.

East Dulwich

2008-01-22T09:05:00.001+11:00

Lounge room, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

We have a big, tall, white wall in our lounge room and there was nothing to fill it.

Out came the PFAFF 2124, the amy butler and the kaffe fassett fabric, and suddenly there is some colour in the room.

Not the best photo - not the best light to take a photo in - but it gives you an idea.

My biggest regret? Being lazy and buying the only batting that John Lewis had in stock - awful polyester stuff. Next time I'll bite the bullet and go to the quilt shop in Dorking for some nice cotton stuff. This one's a bit too puffy for me...

Malmaison...

2008-01-21T05:44:00.001+11:00

Malmaison..., originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

I'm feeling inspired by checkerboards.

Excited

2008-01-20T08:08:00.000+11:00

Three posts in one night. Unheard of, I know. But the previous two only count as one, really.

And I just had to share with someone. (My excitement).

I'm watching the british version of Thank God You're Here. Hamish Blake is back again for another week. So, while I'm really, really missing the daily happy pill of the Hamish and Andy podcast, this is some small consolation.

But come back on the radio soon! I need those podcasts for my daily laugh....

And if you've never listened to them before, go straight to iTunes, do not pass go, and do not collect $200 and download them all now. You won't regret it.

More from Edinburgh

2008-01-20T08:04:00.001+11:00

Tartan weaving, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

I had a change of heart, and decided I would share this after all. The colours of the tartans are amazing, but on a coooold and snowy day outside the woollen rugs looked more tempting than the cottons...

Edinburgh

2008-01-20T07:40:00.001+11:00

Edinburgh, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

I could show you a lot of pictures of tartan weaving from Edinburgh - I took plenty of them. But instead, I'll show you a view from just down the road.

2007-09-07T17:52:00.000+10:00

I'm back in Australia, just visiting, but it was back to the sewing machine when I saw the Kombi van fabric from Heather Ross' Lightening Bugs line with Free Spirit. There's something so satisfying when you can finish an entire project, cut, pieced and quilted all in one evening. So it's only a cushion... doesn't take away from the sense of achievement :)

We're off to a family reunion in Newcastle this week, and after a problem with the original accommodation we'd booked we're now staying at the looovely new Crowne Plaza in the Hunter Valley. My third weekend in a row in the Hunter - and no, I don't have a problem with wine consumption...

Revisiting old haunts

2007-07-31T07:34:00.000+10:00

After all of my blogging about the Victoria and Albert Museum last week, I realised that I was long overdue a visit there. The Kylie exhibit had been and gone, and somehow I had not visited in months. Time does fly.

I went straight up to the Textile Study Rooms (with a brief detour for coffee) as it is so easy to be seduced in by the sexier, totally glamorous ground floor exhibitions. Speaking of which - I ended up down at the New York Fashion exhibition later, and check out those pleats above. How fantastic.

But there's nothing like weaving your way through deserted corridors, through several changes in interior design and very bad lighting to make you appreciate the treasure trove of the study rooms even more.

The hundreds of screens that can be pulled out, the samples to be sketched or photographed, and the drawers filled with 8th and 9th century silk remnants. I tackled the Far Eastern section this time, and am headed back soon for the European section.

PS Expect an update from the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair soon. I hear that there were plenty of quilters leaving Jeff's Shed with new inspiration this year (as always). Sadly no photos from there (when will they learn to take their camera with them...), but photos from the shop coming soon too.

Quilt designing on the run

2007-07-29T07:06:00.001+10:00

Greenwich 280707 004, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

Sometimes quilt design ideas jump out at you from the strangest places. I loved the design of this black and white litter bin in Greenwich (South East London).

Take out the words printed on the litter bin, substitute in your own text and you have a lovely geometric outline for a modern quilt.

The tile floors are of course an area where we all look for inspiration, and these (in the chapel) did not disappoint.

But there was also no shortage of colour with the glowing frescoes and golden accents that should be in every great European building.

The sky outside was a brilliant blue - could be aptly described as 'sky blue' in fact, but sitting inside was made bearable by the ornate ceiling design.

But the biggest treat of the day was stepping back outside into the bright sunshine and appreciating the touch of summer that had finally arrived.

Samarkand Silk Carpets

2007-07-26T08:34:00.001+10:00

Samarkad Silk Carpets, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

We visited a silk carpet factory in Samarkand, Uzbekistan to see how the silk was dyed and then woven into the stunning carpets.

A lot of the carpets they sell are special orders from people that have visited the factory and specified the colours, pattern and size they wanted. However the design and colours of the other carpets are decided by the weavers. This makes them all unique, as they're not working to a recipe. Some weavers like to repeat the same pattern each time, with different colours, others prefer to look at a new pattern after months of knotting one design. Others just mix it up everytime. There's a lot of freedom of expression in this line of work.

Another thing that was immediately noticeable - these women loved their jobs. It wasn't a 'lets smile for the tourist moment' as it is not really a commercial tour, more a genuine enjoyment and pride in their work.

The factory has been established by an Afghani doctor, and there are strict rules about who can work there. The girls must have been enrolled in school until at least the age of 16, and most of the workers are over 18. Abdullah's family works there - it was his daughter that took us around, and they have a design that is their family design, and are rightly proud of this.

The natural silk thread is soft and well, silky, and the natural ingredients they use to dye the silk sound so romantic - madder root, pomegranate, walnut shells, etc. Madder root is particularly amazing - so many different red, orange and brown shades can be created from this one plant.

One day I will have a house filled with, among other lovely textiles, an Uzbek silk carpet or two. The quality was incredible - must be felt to be believed to use a cliche - and the chance to customise the design and colours (and the relatively reasonable price) almost justifies an excursion back to Uzbekistan.

And there's a few nice buildings to see in Samarkand while you are there...

PS If you want to read more about the Samarkand Bukhara Silk Carpets Factory they have a pretty extensive website at www.silkcarpets.net

Melbourne Craft and Quilt Show

2007-07-24T05:47:00.001+10:00

Melbourne Craft and Quilt Show 05, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

This week is the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Show once again. Melbourne is always a fun show, the only one with late night shopping in fact.

So, if you're in Victoria, you're probably already headed there. And if you're not, click on the craft and quilt show link on the right sidebar to find out when the show is coming to you.

I hear that Nicole Kidman was wandering the aisles of the Sydney show. Wonder who'll pop up in Melbourne?

Samarkand

2007-07-22T12:08:00.001+10:00

IMG_2222, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

And on a related note, the intricate tiling at the Registan in Samarkand.

aah.

Victoria and Albert Part 3

2007-07-21T07:08:00.001+10:00

Vintage textile at V&A, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

This could become a Victoria and Albert Museum blog (if I let it), but no, this will be the last V&A post for a little while. At least until my next visit.

Several of the textile galleries are closed for refurbishment until April 2008, but there is plenty to see anyway. The patterns in the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art could keep a quilter busy sketching for days. This fragment of a vintage textile was so delicate, encased under glass, but you could imagine the almost papery texture. I wish I'd noted when this was from. I know it was old.

Speaking of sketching, most of the museums here lend free creativity kits to kids and adults with all of the necessary tools - to get sketching, or even to spark some creative writing. So on a rainy day, on the spur of the moment you can pop in and get creative.

The low light of the gallery means that these photos can't really do justice to the rich colours and textures of the textiles. But until we all get to go there, this will have to do. (But really, if you have the chance - go).

Victoria and Albert Museum Part 2

2007-07-20T06:37:00.001+10:00

IMG_4585, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

The V&A cast collection (2 rooms) encompasses plaster casts of all sorts of big and small monuments. The room itself is crowded, colourful and dark. There is such detail in each of the pieces on display, but it's easy to become overwhelmed.

In what is a high vaulted room, it's nice to focus right in on a piece. The artists that get to colour the casts to simulate the original statues, gates, tombs etc. must enjoy their jobs. Very satisfying.

Visiting the V&A Part 1

2007-07-19T06:03:00.001+10:00

IMG_4593, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

If you're in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum should be the number 1 museum on your list.

This place has incredible textiles, a mindblowing cast collection (more on that later) and lots of other unexpected gems. One of them is the wrought iron gallery, not usually the first place I would head to in a museum.

These wrought iron - sculptures (for want of a better word) - are incredible. Incredible.

So delicate, yet sturdy, black yet somehow feminine. I couldn't stop taking photographs, but will spare you the thouands, and just leave you with this one.

Staying in Marrakech

2007-07-18T05:21:00.000+10:00

I decided when I set off from Australia that I would buy textiles along the way. They're compact, light (well, that's the theory anyway - more about my Uzbek suzani on another day) and are exotic reminders of haggling, offers of mint tea and happiness all around when a bargain is finally struck.

I travelled to Marrakech for my 30th birthday, with my brother and his wife, and a friend also from Australia. When the brother (Nath) and his wife (Nam) left Marrakech a day earlier than Laura and I (we were headed back to London, they were off to Paris - jetsetters!), they had some Dhirrum left. I was entrusted with it, to buy a carpet that Nam had seen near our Riad.

Of course Laura and I went back to see the carpet, convinced that it would be far too expensive and not even worth haggling for. He named a first price less than what we had to spend. So automatically.... we thought something was wrong with the carpet... We finally decided that it wasn't well made, was a bit worse for wear from hanging in an alleyway and just not quite up to our standards. So started the great carpet hunt of April 2007. We found plenty we LOVED, at prices that would cause nightmares, but finally found a little gem at just the right price.

Then we were off to find a location for the authentic photo shoot (pretending that it was my carpet and didn't need to be handed over in a few days, lost to America!).

Laura led me down alleyway after alleyway and we finally came to this art centre, where she had taken tea while Nath, Nam and I were riding camels (proof above) a few days earlier.

It was definitely worth it, and even though this carpet didn't join my textile collection I have some good memories of looking for it, haggling, and then assisting stylist Laura with the photoshoot... and I always have my cactus silk bedspread to remind me of Morocco!

More stripey cactus silk from Marrakech

2007-07-17T06:50:00.001+10:00

Marrakech (170), originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

Cactus Silk

2007-07-17T06:48:00.001+10:00

Marrakech (309), originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

Keeping up the international theme of the week on the Just Patchwork blog, the cactus silk bedspreads in the souqs in Marrakech were stunning.

I'm not entirely sure what cactus silk is - all I know is that I bought one, and wish I'd come home with many, many more (especially when I see the prices they ask for them in London).

Next time I travel to Morocco a whole suitcase of these stripey silks are coming home with me.

New Look

2007-07-16T03:34:00.001+10:00

Morning in Topkapi, originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

There's a new look for the Just Patchwork blog!

More out of necessity than anything else - the changes with Blogger moving to google (you know what I mean if you are a blogspot blogger) - have meant that there is some work to be done here.

And it is still a work in progress. So drop in over the next week or two to see if you spot the changes as they are being made...

In the meantime, enjoy the Iznik tiles from Topkapi Palace in Istanbul - a must for quilters to see the most mindblowing tile and textile patterns.

Minnie's Machine

2007-07-15T05:11:00.001+10:00

Disneyworld (9), originally uploaded by alisoninlondon.

Quilting - Disney style.

This is what Minnie Mouse was working on at Disneyworld, Florida, when I visited her house in March 2007. I wonder if it's still a WIP, or if she's finished this project, and is on to the next one!

A taste from my travels....

2006-12-11T02:25:00.000+11:00

...through Central Asia.

Here I am, sitting in Starbucks on Charing Cross Road in London. And thanks to an early Christmas present (my lovely new Dell Laptop) I am now able to post the first of my travel postcards. I'll try to keep these all textile related, but all of the other nitty gritty will be found over at 'Alison in Europe'.

Before booking my Asia Overland trip I had no idea of the importance of textiles in Central Asia. Everywhere in Kygyzstan and Uzbekistan you can find beautifully worked, but practical, items made from wool, wool felt, silk and cotton. Above is a 'summary' picture showing toasty warm felt slippers given to me in Kyrgyzstan (the warmest, most hospitable people!) and some hand embroidered silk and cotton items from Uzbekistan.

I don't know if my antennae have been raised because of my recent travels, or if there genuinely is an emerging trend for the Central Asian fibre work, but in the last two days I have been to IKEA and seen embroidered lamp shades and cushions in a Central Asian style, and then yesterday at the British Museum shop I came across the most gorgeous Kyrgyz wool felt christmas ornaments. I had to sit on my hands not to buy those - they were soooo gorgeous (sadly they're not on their online shop).

More details and photos to come...

New Stain Glass Project

2006-11-28T13:48:00.000+11:00

I am at present working on my latest Stain Glass project, using the latest gorgeous range of Balis that have arrived in store. There is alot of difficult work getting the bias binding right, with lots of mitres in the project, but once i got used to it, they turned out great.

I am now waiting on the assistant to do the quilting on the background to complete the project and see what it looks like.

Alison is at present in London working, and so will not be able to do any Patchwork for a while, so Gai and i will have to look at updating the site regularly.

Handing over the reins

2006-08-07T16:28:00.000+10:00

I started the Just Patchwork blog back in March of this year, and I'm sad to be handing the reins over to Gai as of tomorrow. But the UK and my itchy feet are telling me to jump on a plane, and I know that I leave you in safe hands.

Tomorrow I fly to Beijing to start a journey that will take me along the silk road through China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and then up to see more of the former USSR in Russia and the Baltic States. Throw in a bit of western europe to catch up with friends scattered all over the place and then I'll finally make it to the UK to settle down for a year or two.

I'll be making guest appearances on this blog to talk about the fabulous textiles I (hope I) will see in my travels, and enjoy Gai's other updates on what's new here at Just Patchwork...

--Alison

P.S. Gai and Elwin will be in Canberra for the Quilt Show from this Thursday-Sunday. If you're in the area make sure you don't miss it. I hope that it doesn't snow like it did on setup day last year. From the relative warmth of Forster/Tuncurry that was a shock to the system!

Creative Zone for 10-18's

2006-08-05T12:49:00.000+10:00

Expertise Events who run the fantastic Craft and Quilt Fairs around Australia and New Zealand have started a new program to encourage 10-18 year olds to start sewing and crafting. We thought that it was a great idea and joined the program.

I did a test run at the Sydney show in June with our Wonky Squares project, and thanks to that successful outing Gai will now be running Wonky Squares classes at other shows. In some locations the lucky class participants will be constructing their cushion by machine, using PFAFF and Husqvana machines. At other locations, students will be introduced to the joys and portability of hand piecing. Over in the download section on the sidebar I've included an info sheet from Expertise with more details about the Creative Zone classes.

If you'll be attending one of the shows with a young friend or relative let them experience your hobby first hand by joining one of the great Creative Zone classes.

Swept off our feet by Prints Charming

2006-07-31T15:42:00.000+10:00

We met with the lovely Prints Charming girls - Cath and Kirsten - at the Sydney Show in June. And we're thrilled to announce that our first shipment of their stunning hand screenprinted fabrics have just arrived.

If you're looking to send some unique Aussie made and designed quilting fabric overseas that doesn't have a koala or kangaroo in sight, here is the solution.

Printed on 150m wide cotton fabric, the fabrics on the bolt are perfect for large scale piecing or even whole cloth quilts. And the fat quarters (45cm x 45cm) come in a wide range of colours and prints.

Gai and I have been working on some quilts using the beautiful fabrics and even though my 'spinning' quilt is not quite ready for public consumption (it needs a good iron and also to be heavily machine quilted), here is a picture of it. I wanted a quilt that incorporated a lot of white for a modern girls bedroom. But the red, white and blue combination and graphic prints won't alienate the guys either...

Check out the Aussie icon in the photo - the Hills Hoist!

We'll have the Prints Charming range at the Canberra Quilt Show next week, instore in Tuncurry and soon on the web. Fat quarters start at $11 and the fabric on the bolt starts at $38/m (150cm wide) for one colour prints.

Warm and Cosy in Cowra

2006-07-26T21:09:00.000+10:00

Still in Cowra, this is my last night here. This is actually the bed that my grandparents - both - slept on when they were first married. It's a little wider than a single, but not by much. I'm fairly certain it's had a new mattress since then because it is very comfortable...for one person!

All my life though it has been in the 'kids' room at my grandparents. The pillowcase is a flanelette one I've used every winter for over 20 years when visiting Grandma and Pop and the blanket is one that's been with us for at least as long. The quilt however is new - the Tag Sale quilt made with Flea Market Fancy, with some Kaffe and Amy thrown in for fun.

The night I took this photo I'd been up until 1.30am watching the Tour de France on television (we suffer for our sport in Australia), I'd stoked up the fire and could hear the rain beating on the roof. With the reading light on, the bed looked so cosy and the quilt worked perfectly with the mismatched throw rug and 'my' pillowcase. The photo's a little dark, but doesn't it make you just want to crawl under the quilt...

Australian Patchwork and Quilting

2006-07-20T22:05:00.000+10:00

The latest issue of Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine (Vol 14 No 9) has hit the stands and I'm so excited that my article about Blogs is in there. I've already had some great feedback from quilters that either already have their own blog or have actually started one after reading the article. Yay for that!

Show and tell is one of the many satisfying aspects of quilting and crafting in general, so why limit ourselves to just the people around us - post it on the web and we can all enjoy the creativity. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am away from the shop at the moment in Cowra (beautiful place if you have never visited before...) so unfortunately no photo of said magazine. But I promise - next post will have photos!

And I'll also be updating my links list next week so you can connect to other Aussie quilters who all love APQ magazine too. Hopefully there'll be even more new bloggers out there then.

Podcasts and travelling fun...

2006-07-20T21:42:00.000+10:00

I'm in Cowra this week visiting my grandfather and hoping to get a few quilt tops quilted. It's an eight hour drive from Tuncurry to Cowra, and I used to hate driving that far, constantly fiddling with the radio to find another station or changing CD's. But... enter the fantastic iPod, my birthday present in April of the year. Not only have I become a true music lover (as this is a quilting blog I'll largely ignore that side of the iPod here) but listening to podcasts makes the trip go by in a flash.

The Alex Anderson podcasts are up to about episode twenty-something, and they are rightly popular. Different in style to Simply Quilts, the podcasts are more 'behind the scenes with Alex'. At first you think - how could a quilting podcast, a subject that is such a visual craft medium work? And in some ways that is true. Most of the podcasts presume that you are familiar with the artists being interviewed or profiled. If you're not, there are usually weblinks on the podcast host's site to look at first. Once you've got that mental picture - go listen!

If you're not familiar with podcasting - the easiest way to imagine it is as a radio program that is taped and available for you to listen to at any time. There are no ads, usually no music in quilting and crafting podcasts, so it's like a radio interview show. With me so far?

Despite the name, you do not have to own an iPod to listen to podcasts. Any computer or mp3 player will do it. If listening through your computer make sure that the speakers are up to the job. You download individual podcasts from websites, just like you would download a pdf file or a picture, or you can subscribe through iTunes so you don't have to always remember to go to individual websites.

Depending on how much time you have, and what you are interested in, different podcasts will work for you. My current favourites are (of course) Alex Anderson, Craft Sanity and Crafty Pod. Craft Sanity is great for long car trips because her podcasts/programs are over an hour long and that hour flies. The other two are approx. 20-30mins each. I usually save several episodes so that I have a lot to listen to on long trips. My favourites from yesterday's trip? The Craft Sanity interview with Heidi from My Paper Crane and Alex's podcast with thread maestro's from Superior Threads.

I'll write a separate post on how to subscribe to these through iTunes, plus any other podcast bits and pieces that occur to me, but in the meantime why not load some podcasts onto your computer or mp3 player to listen to while you're quilting? You'll be hooked in no time.

Spiderman to the rescue

2006-07-18T11:28:00.000+10:00

The other side of the scrap packs... the lovely Glenice B posted pictures to the Southern Cross Quilters Commercial list a little while back showing the gorgeous quilt she has made from the Spiderman scrap packs offered up a couple of weeks ago. The quilt's new owner is an 8-year old who has had some rough times, medically speaking, but we all know the difference a cosy quilt can make!

The quilt looks amazing, so I had to share some of Glenice's pictures with you (with her permission)...

From this...

Voila!

Modern Quilting

2006-07-14T15:25:00.000+10:00

Some detailed versions of my quilt because I always hate how quilts photograph flat...

I've long been an avid reader of Kim's Modern Quilt-Along posts. As soon as I stumbled across the first mentions of the FunQuilts Modern Quilt Workshop book I had to have it. Since then I've drooled over pictures of the quilts being made in the Modern Quilt-Along group and also over the pictures in the book itself without actually getting my 'hands dirty!'

A question we hear often as people (most often new quilters) come into the shop and look at the Kaffe Fassett wall is 'what goes with this' (accompanied by hand in the air holding a bolt of Kaffe Fassett fabric)? They've shown great taste zooming in on his stuff :) and we want to encourage them to let loose with print and colour inhibitions.

When we received a shipment of 30 Kaffe Fassett/Rowan fabrics a little while back, I grabbed 10 fat quarters pretty much at random and threw them together into a Modern Quilt Workshop 'Plain Spoken' quilt. It definitely looks different from the versions made with the delicious Kona Cottons out there in blogland. And mine is just a little baby compared to most of the double, queen or king versions that other quilters have slaved over. But I still love mine. And I think I proved the point that any of Kaffe's fabrics can happily co-habit in a quilt if you keep the pattern simple. The detailed pictures do more justice to the quilt than the version below, but just because I hate flat quilt pictures doesn't mean that you should miss out....

And finally, so you know that I love the quilt made up in plains, I have started my collection of plains to make a lovely version in Kona Cottons and Kaffe's shot cottons. Six more of our backorder of the shot cottons came in yesterday - very exciting! They'll join their brothers and sisters on the shelves and in my plain spoken pile this afternoon.

Wash Day Quilt

2006-07-12T17:28:00.000+10:00

Gai's just completed the very cute Wash Day quilt, using a panel and coodinating spots and dots. These are many of the spots and dots from the RJR Circus range, but they look great frolicking around in the borders on this quilt. The kit will soon be available on our website.

Sensational Scraps updates

2006-07-06T15:58:00.000+10:00

Hello to my fellow scrap pack lovers... I had anticipated perhaps having more to post tonight, but sadly it is not to be. If you are already waiting for some packs from me, the good news is that I have made all of the 'extra' packs we discussed to ensure that you all have some lovely goodies in the mail soon. But, that's meant that I don't have enough leftover packs to make a bumper post so it will have to wait until early next week. Thank you also for the lovely emails from those of you who have your packs in hand.
PS: even though our storewide 20% off sale ends on Saturday, I'll keep the discount on the next group of packs meaning they will still be $4.00 each.
And if you're a local shopper reading this, I will have some new packs in store tomorrow at 10am, but come early!

Digital Quilts

2006-07-06T13:08:00.000+10:00

I have recently been playing around with Adobe Illustrator, specifically the drawing functions. We do use Electric Quilt 5 to design some of our quilts, and certainly refer to it in many of our classes to show variations on the theme we're working on, without having to have samples for every little variation.

But I've found that there is such freedom in drawing the quilt freehand and not having to worry about precise measurements or scale until I know that this one will be made in cloth as well.

At the moment, we're very big on circles - whether printed on fabric, pieced into or appliqued onto quilts. And I've always loved fairy lights. So last night I whipped up my fairy light quilt (on the computer of course). And the beauty of the system? I could recolour it with a click of the paint dropper... here are some of my favourites.

New class list hot off the presses

2006-07-03T17:04:00.000+10:00

We've just finished formatting the latest class list for July-December 2006. You can call into the shop from tomorrow to pick up a copy, or you can download it from this link. There are many highlights of this new list - and I'll be featuring some of the projects that can be made in the next couple of weeks.

To download, print or save a class list in pdf go to this link.

To open this document you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If not already installed on your computer, it is available for free download at www.adobe.com.

Crafting Internet Style

2006-06-30T15:57:00.000+10:00

It absolutely astounds me how many talented crafters/quilters there are out there in blogland. I can spend hours of the day chasing links and feel like only minutes have passed.

I have read craft blogs for a lot longer than I have had this blog, and I used to read enviously of all of the swaps going on around the world. How lovely to receive a package from a 'stranger' who may become a friend...the idea is so wonderful.

Thanks to the Open Yours Too project run by the supremely talented Dawbis I too have been able to participate in some swaps. The second swap I've participated in was a postcard swap. You send one card to one person, and address another two and leave them in public places in the hopes that the kindness of strangers will prevail and they'll post them for you. Of course we had already stamped them, so this act of kindness wouldn't cost the post-er anything :)

I had such fun experimenting with designs for the postcard. I hope that the recipients like their own Aussie Autumn leaf.

But the most exciting part was of course receiving my very own postcard from the lovely Ms Bird (pictured at the top of the post). I have it framed and absolutely love it!!

So why not travel around the net to find a swap you can join? I can definitely recommend the Open Yours Too swaps, but others pop up all the time - check out fabulous Whip Up or other crafty blogs and jump in. I'm glad that I did.

Sensational Scraps packs back by popular demand

2006-06-29T18:05:00.000+10:00

AND AGAIN - ALL SOLD.....

You've all been so quick to email us. Doesn't technology make life fun!! And it was great that most of you that missed out last time managed to grab some of the packs. So we're all back on a level playing field again. Watch for the last, bumper, round of scrap packs. I'm not holding out on you for the date that it will go up - I just want to make sure that I have HEAPS of packs to post. As soon as that happens, they will go up. And the good news is that the 20% off has been extended for next week because it is the start of the school holidays and well, because we can.
Now they're sold, I've removed the pack photos so that the blog doesn't take an age for you to download.

Hello on this cold night from Tuncurry.

The packs literally ran out of the store last time - well, not literally but you know what I mean :) So for the unlucky who missed out completely I had whispered in your ear that more would be available tonight. Half an hour later than expected, but you know what they say!

I actually had a lot more packs than this, but as I've been making them up here customers have been walking in off the street and buying them. So there's just 21 tonight, and most I made up after we closed, so that I'd have something to offer you all!!

It will be the same deal as last time. If you see a pack that you like, email me (justpatchwork@tpg.com.au) with your daytime contact number and the numbers for the packs you would like. I'll call you tomorrow to confirm which packs you have, and collect your postal address and credit card details from you. Sorry, only credit cards can be accepted for these packs.

And like before, each pack is $4.00 (down from $5.00 in our 20% off sale). Postage on one pack is $4.90 and postage for 2-6 packs is $8.90.

And tonight you have the no frills version of posting - no names on the packs, just numbers. Those of you with eagle eyes will probably be able to spot who has designed the fabrics anyway. If the packs aren't taken tomorrow I'll post the link to the SCQ-Comm list, but for tonight it's just for you :)

SOLD No. 30

SOLD No. 31

SOLD No. 32

SOLD No. 33

SOLD No. 34

SOLD No. 35

SOLD No. 36

SOLD No. 37

SOLD No. 38

SOLD No. 39

SOLD No. 40

SOLD No. 41

SOLD No. 42

SOLD No. 43

SOLD No. 44

SOLD No. 45

SOLD No. 46

SOLD No. 47

SOLD No. 48

SOLD No. 49

SOLD No. 50

P.S. There will be one more roll out of scrap packs on the blog - a final hooroo for the moment for them :( It'll be sometime next week so keep checking back. We'll also be featuring some other great specials that have up until now been reserved for in-store shoppers. If you need a fix before then, check out our products over at www.justpatchwork.com all 20% off this week (except PFAFF sewing machines and SewEzi tables).

More Sensational Scraps packs coming

2006-06-29T18:04:00.000+10:00

I've got another 21 packs to post now, and am just fighting with Blogger to get them all posted. Stay tuned in the next couple of minutes!

Playing on the Surface

2006-06-27T17:34:00.000+10:00

Gloria's samples for the Playing on the Surface technique

Janette working hard on her gorgeous quilt

Back to the Gloria Loughman Workshops, and the pictures from the brand new class Playing on the Surface. The South Africans had experienced this wonderful exercise a couple of weeks before us, but ours was the first outing for this class in Australia.

Gloria did comment that the South Africans were using the strong African colours and fabrics whereas many of our group had the watery balis and hand dyes that are so evocative of Australian coastal living. We even had one quilt that was a dead ringer for a Coral Reef! I guess that geography will out...

Most of us got too excited making the pieces for the quilts and decided to save the embellishment/stitching for hometime, but some disciplined souls did stitch as much as cut and fuse over the two days. But it shows we all approach projects differently, and I'm just sorry I can't post pictures of all of the wonderful class projects!

Sensational...

2006-06-27T15:34:00.000+10:00

Golly Gosh! We certainly have a lot of scrap pack fans out there in cyberspace! Most of the packs are gone, but there are a few remaining, the list below has been updated. I will be making more, plus posting other great bargains as part of our 20% off week, so keep checking back...

And just a reminder - any mail order purchases of kits or fabrics are also 20% off at the moment.

Sensational Scraps packs

2006-06-26T17:49:00.000+10:00

ALL SOLD

You SCQuilters sure are addicted to fabric, but that's why we love you - we're addicted too! All of the packs below have now been sold, and I've removed the pictures so that the blog loads more quickly.

A popular 'in-house' find are our Sensational Scraps Packs. These are all $5 a pop, no matter what type of fabric is included, or how much. Some are monsters because I just kept adding big pieces, others are a little smaller with teeny tiny scale precious pieces of gorgeous fabrics, and lots of them. One thing they all have in common - they are all great value at five bucks. The even better news is that they are also a part of our huge 20% off items in stock starting tomorrow (Tuesday) and running until Saturday afternoon.

Here at Just Patchwork we don't throw sales on a regular basis because we like to make sure that they are real fair dinkum savings and not just a gimmicky way to draw people in. So this time we've decided to take 20% off the total of our customer's bills...even on thread, needles, wadding, books, kits etc. Normally sales specify this or that is on sale and everything else is normal price. But the only things we're not reducing are the PFAFF sewing machines and the SewEzi table (because they're already at rock bottom bargain price). EVERYTHING ELSE including oh-so-soft, chenille, samples and ready made quilts and importantly the scrap packs are all 20% off.

So how can you choose between the scrap packs? I've made up 28 today and taken photos of all of them. If you want one or more, email us at justpatchwork@tpg.com.au to 'reserve' it. Just give us your business hours phone number and we'll call to get your credit card details and address to send it to. First one in on the email gets the pack...

And I hear you asking about postage. Well, one scrap pack will go into a 500g satchel for $4.90. But if you buy more than one...the postage for 2-6 packs is a flat $8.90 for the 3kg satchel. So why not pick a few? Maybe have some backups in case your first choices are already gone.

Just to recap - each scrap pack is now a tiny A$4 each ($5 minus this week's 20% off), plus postage.

SOLD No.1 Superman!!!

SOLD No. 2 Pastel Flannels

SOLD No. 3 Dark Floral Beauties

SOLD No. 4 Balis

SOLD No. 5 Golden spots and retro florals

SOLD No. 6 1930's orange and purple

SOLD No. 7 More balis and mottleds

SOLD No. 8 Kaffe, Heather, Denyse and more

SOLD No. 9 Heather's fishy friends

SOLD No. 10 Shot Cotton and floral fusion

SOLD No. 11 Perky Pinks and Hot Chocolate

SOLD No. 12 Raspberry Reds (incl. Chenille)

SOLD No. 13 Butterfly heaven

SOLD No. 14 Spiderman again

SOLD No. 15 Not quite Christmas

SOLD No. 16 Guest starring the Red Hat Ladies

SOLD No. 17 Blue and White monster pack

SOLD No. 18 Noahs Ark and other cuties

SOLD No. 19 Again not quite Christmas

SOLD No. 20 Glorious Greens

SOLD No. 21 Raucous Reds

SOLD No. 22 Lovely Lilacs (incl. Balis)

SOLD No. 23 Black and White magic

SOLD No. 24 Pink and Brown, Brown, Brown

SOLD No. 25 All natural

SOLD No. 26 I found some more Balis!

SOLD No. 27 Fall florals

SOLD No. 28 Silver sparkles and gold accents

Quilt Workshops Part 2

2006-06-26T12:03:00.000+10:00

Detail of Gloria's Kimberley Mystique quilt

As promised, I'm posting some pictures from the fabulous Landscape Mosaic class by Gloria Loughman. Unfortunately the lighting in the workshop room wasn't ideal for photography, so some unlucky partipants won't be posted :( but here are some of the backgrounds completed in the class ready to be embellished in Gloria's inventive style. We've asked everyone to send us a picture of their finished quilts, so we all look forward to seeing them done.

Landscape Mosaic examples - in the two days you design the quilt,

construct the background and begin adding detail with applique and stitching.

Luscious Landscapes

2006-06-24T10:14:00.000+10:00

Gloria demonstrating to the lucky Landscape Mosaic class participants

We were so excited this week to be hosting Gloria Loughman, world-reknowned quilter and teacher for two workshops in Forster/Tuncurry. The popular 'Landscape Mosaic' and the brand new class 'Playing on the Surface' were both two-day workshops and we've all left inspired, ready to sit down and create our own masterpieces.

If you're not familiar with Gloria's work - where have you been? Gloria and her quilts have been in all of the Aussie and international magazines and we love going to a quilt show and seeing her magnificent quilts. These are quilts that you can't even imagine creating yourself...the detail in the piecing, applique and stitching is magnificent. Then you start noticing the paint effects that she's achieved and you really do feel like you can step right into the picture. It makes you want to start that large project you've been dreaming about....

But back to the workshops. The Landscape Mosaic class breaks down the tehniques to create your own design in Gloria's fantastic landscape quilt style. I'm proud to have finished my Landscape Mosaic quilt - Brynly (the reef starfish) - and I've added the pictures here in case you haven't seen it hanging in the shop before.

'Brynly (the reef starfish) - and his day at the beach'

Detail of the stitched Starfish on the 'Brynly' quilt

It will be so exciting to see the 14 new quilts to come out of Tuesday and Wednesday's class. Look for some photos on the blog next week of the works in progress. The beauty of Gloria's teaching is that we all start out thinking - 'there's no way I can do this' and within a few minutes you're thinking - 'wow, I'm going to do this, then this, then....'. You can definitely tell that she was a teacher in her former life.

To keep this short I'll post more about the classes, and a ton of pictures over the coming days.

Quilter's heaven...

2006-06-21T13:32:00.000+10:00

must look something like the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair held each June at the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centres. Fabric, fabric and more fabric everywhere you look plus everything else you could ever imagine needing for quilting. The other shows around Australasia are great too, but this one makes your head spin. The photo below shows less than a third of the stands, and doesn't show any of the huge quilt show.

Of course we always intend to take pictures of our stand (B20 - come and see us next year if you missed the show this time!) when we've just set it up and everything is perfectly placed and displayed. And inevitably we run around at 4.30 on the last day trying to get a few shots to record the week of craziness, with the last few customers who've rushed back to get that item they can't get out of their head.

The result? Signs are skewed, sold out items have been removed and new samples tacked up hurriedly, but the photos give you some idea of the colour and inspiration to be found at the Show. It's the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and I certainly found everything I was hunting for.

Here's Gai chatting away next to the fabulous SewEzi portable sewing table. It was a hit at the show!

And I couldn't leave Elwin out...

Milly Molly Mandy

2006-06-19T12:17:00.000+10:00

The blog has been quite neglected of late, but we just got back from the fabulous Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair last night, and there's lots to tell. Until I download those photos though, I decided to write about the other exciting news.

We've just received a copy of the latest Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine (Vol. 14 No. 8) and my 'Milly Molly Mandy' quilt is one of the included projects. The bright colours in the quilt photographed so well - I was thrilled to see my cuddly quilt in print!

Do you remember Milly Molly Mandy? I loved reading, and still do actually, and I devoured all of the popular children's classics. I also loved birthday parties, tea parties, and just general entertaining. I still enjoy throwing a dinner party...setting the table, and thinking of just the right foods to serve. So I guess I haven't grown up as much as I might think :)

But back to Milly Molly Mandy - the stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley - she was always adorable in her pink and white stripe short frocks (only in summer of course) and saving her pocket money to buy penny sweets like aniseed rings for her friends. So I decided to join the party with my own tea party tablecloth in pretty pink, green and blue with white borders to make their lovely white cottage. If you wanted to host your own tea party all of the instructions to make your own are in this month's APQ mag!

Non-Quilting related post!

2006-06-05T13:49:00.000+10:00

In May, Gai and Elwin attended a trade show in South West Rocks designed to showcase the wealth of business knowledge and expertise in our region. The range of businesses was astounding - from Steber International (who make beautiful boats!) to Cassegrain Winery in Port Macquarie, Just Patchwork :) from Tuncurry and even a free range egg company from the Manning Valley (plus many more....).

The 40 businesses selected were profiled in a book 'World Class Business on the NSW Mid North Coast', and we were honoured to be included in the lineup. The pages were to 'visually represent' the business with minimal words...and I think our page does that!

Gai and Elwin also enjoyed the chance to meet other business owners and discuss the international and domestic markets that our region services. It's amazing to hear where some of our local products end up. The Austrade reps there gave some more insight on the ways to cut through export red-tape, and the Deputy Prime-Minister Mark Vaile was in attendance to support his own local area.

The Mid North Coast Regional Development Board and the NSW Department of State and Regional Development organised the booklet and the event. We were very pleased to be part of it!

More Book News...

2006-06-01T10:45:00.000+10:00

Life has been very hectic around here at Just Patchwork lately. With Gai and Elwin in Perth for the Craft and Quilt Show last week and a busy, busy time in the shop my head is spinning to try and work out what I need to be doing now.

The good news is that part of last week's business was a whole truckload of new fabrics and books arriving. Denyse Schmidt's Flea Market Fancy range is looking resplendant on the shelves, and we've got copies of her book in stock again too.

The Quilt-It kit also arrived in, and the project cards are the cutest way I've ever seen patterns packaged. Actually the whole kit was a joy to open up and fossick through. I might even have to dive in and make the cushion using the fabric procided in the kit!

I'm also working on a pattern for my 'Tag Sale' Quilt using Denyse's fabrics along with some Amy Butler and Kaffe Fassett favourites. That'll follow this week (once I recharge the digital camera's batteries!).

Colour Matching for Quilting

2006-05-11T17:19:00.000+10:00

Many of our customers arrive in the shop and become overwhelmed when they have to start putting colours together, whether to match or contrast, mix prints or blend plains.

We've just received hot off the presses copies of the new book from Fun Quilts, Quiltmaker's Color Workshop. In fact it's so new that they haven't even got it listed on the Fun Quilts website yet. This book is actually an updated and expanded version of Color Harmony for Quilts. This book is a wonderful resource for people scared of colour...leading you step by step through colour decisions, but is also inspiring for quilters comfortable with colour - with a gobsmacking number of colour photographs included.

And the quilt patterns in the back are fantastic too, in a similar style to the graphic, clean lines of the quilts in their earlier book The Modern Quilt Workshop (we'll have copies available soon - they're so popular they're on backorder).

Finally, as I was playing around with the blog design this afternoon, I discovered (thanks Blogger Help!) this colourmatching website. I love that you can easily see 6 complementary colours at once, and thought that this would be an invaluable tool for quilters to create their 'big idea' from (a concept dealt with in the Quiltmaker's Color Workshop).

Banner testing 2

2006-05-11T16:57:00.000+10:00

Tag Sale Quilt in progress....

2006-05-09T15:19:00.000+10:00

Denyse Schmidt's Flea Market Fancy fabric line is due in store soon, but as I've blogged about before, we have been sent some samples to play around with in advance (don't you love that!). So instead of waiting to photograph the quilt when it's done, I've actually remembered to take some in progress shots.

These were before and during the basting process last week. And I've started the quilting, so hopefully the quilt will be ready for it's grand unveiling before the week is up.

Plain or print?

2006-04-18T17:37:00.000+10:00

Whenever I am working on a quilt with lots and lots of prints and colours, I always seem to be planning a quilt using plains or solid fabrics in my head. I'm not sure why - maybe it's like when you eat something really sweet, and you need something salty to counteract it...

I made a very improvisationally pieced strip quilt last Christmas to give to friends. And I intended that it would be the first in a series of these, but I haven't gotten back to it yet. This series would be the "Baustelle" series - a play on words with Bauhaus and the geometric shapes and solid colours of that style, but also representing that these are a bit of a building work in progress. Baustelle is a construction site in German, and I liked the idea that some of the bright coloured strips may run into the white/cream strips when the quilt was washed. So effectively the quilt design was still growing as it was used.

I'm not sure if the recipients would be as keen if the colours all start to run, and I don't think they will, but really there is no down side if they do or they don't in my mind.

Baustelle #1 is a combination of cotton solids, flannel solids and subtle prints and a big selection of different off-white/cream fabrics. They included a couple of different cotton weights/grades, 'oh-so-soft' fabric, linen and others that I can't recall at the moment (there's been many quilts since then).

I saw on weewonderfuls that Hilary has used the Freezer Paper stencil method, and I also used this to stencil a Dr Seuss quote on the back, that's the second and third photos. It's silver fabric paint on grey fabric so that's almost impossible to see (so look carefully!). But the 'oh-so'soft' backing on the back was definitely a hit!

So, now I think I can go home and work on my Flea Market Fancy quilt which is print crazy, toned down by white sashing strips. And photos of that quilt will follow shortly!!!

Happy Easter!

2006-04-14T16:52:00.000+10:00

I shouldn't be here at the shop today as it is Good Friday, but you know what it is like when you want to get a project finished....

I'm working on a quilt with the fabulous Denyse Schmidt fabrics and I finished all of the blocks - yay! So it is on to the sashing strips, and of course that fabric was here at the shop. But it let me pick up a new packet of sewing machine needles that I badly needed, so it was worth the 15-minute drive. Sometimes it seems like that old saying 'no bread at the bakers house' etc. when it comes to replacing needles, rotary cutter blades and other patchworking necessities.

Because we don't have to physically go into a shop and hand over the money we forget that we need these items at home to complete our projects and samples for the shop. When we run out of something, downtime is forced upon us, so it's not always a bad thing.

Last week seemed to be a never-ending 'to-do' list with Gai and Elwin preparing for the Brisbane Stitches and Craft show next week, and many miscellaneous items like magazine ads to prepare. It is fun playing around with photo editing software, and I am in love with the magnetic lasso tool. Such a small thing, but very satisfying when you can remove the background from a photo so easily. And the image above was the latest victim of my magnetic lasso. The brilliant colours of the new oh-so-soft range needed to stand alone without background distraction.

And on that bright note, I will wish you all a happy easter!

More from Amy Butler - WOW! And a Denyse Schmidt update too....

2006-04-08T12:45:00.000+10:00

I've just spotted the latest quilt weight range from Amy Butler, named 'Belle' it is truly beautiful. The image of just one of the three colourways above is from Amy's website. This is Amy's first range for Rowan/Westminster fabrics, who you will all be familiar with - they bring us the fabulous Kaffe Fassett, Martha Negley and more fabrics saturated with both colour and detail.

We've already fallen in love with all of these fabrics, so you will be sure to find them on our shelves as soon as they become available.

We're also looking forward to seeing the new sewing patterns and book she'll be releasing in coming months.

We presume that Amy's products will be as lovely as the Denyse Schmidt range - we're expecting another shipment of Denyse's book in store before the end of the month, and we have a lot of her stationary items here too... And, with some samples here ready to be cut into we should have a quilt available to show as soon as the bolts of Denyse's fabrics arrive too.

Diamond Days of May

2006-04-07T13:05:00.000+10:00

We received our copies of the new Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine today (Vol 14 No 5). I have a project in this issue, and there are also a bunch of other fantastic quilts featured as projects. And they have covered the Australian Quilt Convention and the Best of Australia quilts.... so it certainly is jam packed with quilting goodness.

Of course I have to say that though because it also includes my profile, and pictures of some of the quilts/projects I have finished lately. Very exciting stuff.

One of the pictures shows my Diamond Days of May quilt. It is nice and bright, and (to my eye anyway) it jumps off the page. Coincidentally I've just finished writing the pattern for this quilt and have also cut some kits for the shop. So I decided to post about this quilt today.

The top photo is the whole quilt, and the bottom is a collage of some close-ups I have taken. I think that it is always interesting to see a more detailed view of quilts. You get a completely different impression of most quilts from flat photos to how they actually look in person, but a details photo bridges that gap.

Diamond Days of May was started last May, when we first received the Charm fabrics from the US but that's actually not the May that the quilt name refers to. My grandmother, May Taylor, was diagnosed with cancer in April 2005 and I spent a few weeks with grandma and pop in Cowra before she passed away in July 2005.

I cut all of the fabrics for the blocks at their kitchen table and sewed all of the half square triangle units on grandma's old Bernina machine. The diamond shapes were quilted sitting at a SewEzi portable sewing table set up temporarily in their lounge room.

Grandma was a keen sewer and soft toy maker and she was very brave in her fabric and colour choices. This was the last of my quilts that she saw me working on and she liked the bright colours and large patterns used in this quilt.

So Diamond Days of May seemed a fitting name for this quilt, a name that came to me during the many, many hours of machine quilting worked onto the large borders.

Once I finished the quilt I had to pack it away for a little while because I had become so accustomed to seeing these colours and patterns. But now, several months on, whenever I see or use the quilt the bright colours jump out at me and it seems a very happy quilt to have around.

Wow time flies....

2006-04-06T16:57:00.000+10:00

I can't believe that it has been over a week since my last post. Time certainly is flying, but we are getting plenty achieved so I guess that is the main thing!

I ran around the shop last week taking photos of shelves, quilts hanging over the stair rails and other assorted scenes. I thought that I would post some photos here for our customers that maybe have never visited our shop in person.

The Rowing Quilt (and the story behind it)

2006-03-30T11:24:00.000+11:00

I've been wanting post this quilt for a while now, but hanging off while I looked for a photograph to accompany it. It's our latest 'oh-so-soft' quilt, designed by Gai and it is a large throw size - 60" x 60".

We've called it the Rowing Quilt, largely thanks to the bright yellow oh-so-soft fabric, the exact shade of the rowing singlets worn by Taree High School. Throughout the 70's and 80's, Elwin was the Rowing Coach for the Taree High School crews.

So my childhood memories include many days spent at Rowing regattas, and I have the photos (somewhere!) to prove that I grew up on the riverbanks of Australia.

But not only does this quilt include that distinctive yellow/gold shade, but the Manning River Rowing Club shades of cerise (red) and navy (blue, obviously). Elwin is a Life Member of the Manning River Rowing Club having been secretary of the club for almost four decades. Now though with all of his travelling to Quilt Shows around Australasia he's has to take on a silent supportive role within the club.

And we've had several customers tell us that their rowing club/sporting club colours are here on the quilt in the colourful dot and stripe fabrics. So it's the perfect sports supporters quilt. Take it to a rugby league game this winter and chances are you'll be able to sit on the fence with the team colours.

So that's the story behind the name... but it's a fun, bright quilt whatever you want to call it :)

Vintage Variety

2006-03-23T13:01:00.000+11:00

Although things have been quite quiet on the just patchwork blog, we've been working hard behind the scenes to finish off some projects to show you. I'm moving on from the roses theme of the past couple of posts and the next couple will have a decidedly dotty outlook.

I fell in love with the Amy Butler Ginger Bliss fabric range, and am very sad that it has almost disappeared from our shelves. Of course we've got all of Amy's Charm fabrics and the new Sis Boom Girlfriends line that goes some ways to fill the gap, but I had to make one more project with the Ginger Bliss line before I could properly move on.

I'm also very taken with Vintage look quilts. If you can't have the real vintage, why not fake it? So I grabbed some stars and pinwheels rejected from another project and whipped up this wallhanging over the weekend. And with the soft dots surrounding my star & pinwheel centre, I am pleased with the faux vintage effect.

Continuing the theme I bravely decided to hand-quilt it, though I was going for the 'utilitarian vintage' not the 'showpiece vintage' standard of quilting. It just reinforced that I am much more comfortable with machine quilting, though it was good to be able to watch the Commonwealth Games on television while I quilted away. And the texture of finished quilt is so soft with the hand quilting.

The final result? My very own Vintage Pinwheel Puzzle ... so named because some of the pinwheels are spinning against the wind.

Bohemian Rose

2006-03-16T17:01:00.000+11:00

There definitely seems to be a rose theme going on here... but this will be the last rose related post for a while I promise!

With the shop camera back after a trip to the Melbourne Stitches and Craft show last week (more on that later...) I am now able to show you a picture of my completed 'Bohemian Rose' wallhanging. I posted the original Stained Glass version last week.

I used most of the fabrics from Amy Butler's new Charm Fall palettes, all available at Just Patchwork! It was hard to part with this wallhanging as it looked wonderful hanging on my wall at home. But it looks equally great in its new home in our classroom.

I used both white and pink bias tape, and I think that the colourful border fabric looks like a gorgeous wallpaper print. Very bohemian, hence the name.

The entire project took just a couple of nights to put together, and would be a great project for a rainy weekend. But here in Tuncurry with daily temperatures still around 30 degrees celcius, it might take a while for one of those stay inside weekends to come around again!

Photo Fabric Fun

2006-03-14T15:59:00.000+11:00

We have had a rush on the printed treasures fabric sheets today ($59.95 for 10 sheets). Everyone is discovering the fun of printing photos and digital files onto fabric to use in their quilting projects. Most people have seen Elwin's talk at one of the Quilt Shows around Australia and New Zealand, and it is fantastic that you're all going home to experiment!

We've done a lot of experimentation too, and Elwin is very excited about the new high thread count muslin ($10/m)that we received in the recent shipment from America. It works so well with the Bubble Jet Set and Rinse solutions for making your own fabric sheets.

The picture above includes a close up, cropped photograph of a rose that I've added to with fusible applique shapes. Look closely and you'll see where the photo ends and the patchwork begins.

Out of the Garden....

2006-03-11T14:23:00.000+11:00

Heather Ross' Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries fabrics are all in the shop, looking great nestled against some 1930's prints.

I have already taken some to make a quilt, but to satisfy me until that is complete, I also made a cushion with just the blue garden gnome print, and the coordinating spots and stripe fabrics. It made me want to make a cushion for each of the prints in the range - they're so cute!!! See the whole 21 fabrics (including the fabulous beach border print) at Free Spirit Fabrics.

Charmed I'm Sure

2006-03-07T17:16:00.000+11:00

The two new Amy Butler 'Charm' colourways have just arrived in store, and as usual, I want to make a new quilt from them - immediately! The new colourways are called 'Chocolate Mint' and 'Midnight Glow'.

You can see both colourways on Amy's website. Click through to see all of the fabrics in the Charm range. These are all available for A$24/m, and we do colourway fat quarter packs too...

To use these beautiful fabrics, I've decided to use Amy's great idea of reworking an existing design. I'll be making Elwin's Rose Garden Stained Glass wallhanging, this time with white bias tape and of course the new Charm fabrics! Stay tuned for photos.....

Welcome to Just Patchwork!

2006-03-06T12:28:00.000+11:00

Hello and welcome to our brand new blog.

After many months of reading other people's blogs...we've decided to jump in and have a go ourselves. Not only will this be a great way to update anyone who wants to spend some time finding out what is new at Just Patchwork, it will also give us motivation to finish projects that we talk about.

See you again soon!