No camera

Did I mention earlier I have two classes at Material Obsession in Drummoyne? An intro to New York Beauty blocks and it was a fun day. Lovely shop and really nice girls - staff and students. Unbelievably one of the students was at high school with my daughter - how's that for coincidence?

Anyway I took some pics on the day and left my camera at the shop - grrrrr.  Kathy has some pics from the day here. There's another class on 14th March with a couple of vacancies if you're interested.

So these two same-but-very different Pickled Lillies quilts are from a while back.

Janette has made this for her grandson complete with shields and swords and all things knightly. He'll just love it don't you think.

This one belongs to Lynne from my class in Toowoomba - great fussy cutting and doesn't the design change when you look at both quilts and the lights and darks in the "pickles" are reversed. Beautiful work.

These are what I've been working on lately - handbags? baskets? - whatever they are I've had a great time playing with fabrics and designs. Haven't decided on the strip fabric yet but the yummy black and green 1950's vintage piece came from here and it was even better in the flesh when it arrived in the post.

Patricia has lots of vintage goodies - quilts, blocks, haby and fabric and I notice she still has some of this groovy fabric in stock.

This block is 7" x 10" and will end up a variation on the old nosegay block - japanese/spotty scraps with lots of different backgrounds - and a bit of ric rac. Can't wait to make more so the layout comes together. I'll keep you posted!

Anorina has a post here about our Mariners Compass day at Figtree - check it out.

Lastly, the entry forms for our Springwood Quilt Show are downloadable from the blog NOW.

Click on the top right but don't forget it's 2 pages with lots of info about entering on page two. Entries close 22nd March so if you're a Blue Mountains/Penrith area quilter we'd love to see your work. Print them off and get them in the post soon. You've got til 26th April to actually finish the quilt so get those skates on! This is our 7th year and we want it to be bigger and better than ever.

Out and about

Lots of pics today from recent classes - Kathy's beautiful Birds in Paradise top. Just needs some binding over the scallops and she's done.

Two from Cottage Quiltworks on Saturday - the start of a Dahlia quilt and Rosemary's mariners block with that ever-popular ric rac.

Jenny's done her own version of Deauville and doesn't it look great. She brought along lots of show-and-tell on Sunday to Hobbysew Figtree - boy does she sew a lot!! Also has a longarm machine and quilts for others so she's a very busy girl.

This is from Monica who was new to foundation piecing but took to it straight away. Looks great.

 These NYB blocks are happening in class at The Home Patch in Bathurst. Limited colour palette but how cool are these.

Pat has been busy over the break making her own version of the Faux Wedding ring quilt. The indigo squares were already embroidered and she has done lovely sashiko in the cream squares.

Why didn't I think of that!

Another from Bathurst - great contrast.

 And this belongs to Anorina from the famous Samelia's mum blog. I was so pleased to meet her

in class yesterday at Figtree and she's done a great job on this compass. Can't wait to see it in a project.

Anorina has a quilt ON THE COVER of the latest issue of Australian Homespun! First submission to the mag and she makes the cover - what a woman! Well done.

I met Janelle Noack at a class I did at Wagga quilt shop Simply Stitches last July. She teaches in the area and has had quite a few quilts in Australian magazines and has contributed a block to the Quiltmaker 100 blocks series of magazines. Now she taken the big leap and has a blog too! It's called Country Matters and you can have a look here. Her work is beautiful and you'll get an idea of where she lives from the backgrounds in her photos - she's a girl on the land. Good luck Janelle in the land of blogging but don't forget you need to be sewing some too!

Classes

Two different projects by two different people but don't they look good together.

 Here's a close-up of that groovy elephant.

 Some of the work done at Hobbysew Belconnen last weekend. A bit confusing with my quilt as the background but you get the idea. Lots of fun and interesting fabric choices.

 A beautiful William Morris compass.

 The rogues gallery! Well done everyone.

 These two pics were sent to me by Annemarie who started them in a class with me at Berrima.

Both look fantastic and will be on display at the Southern Highlands quilt show at Mittagong RSL on 18/19 February.

 I have been working on this for approx. 2 years - my Tuesday night handwork. Finally quilted it over the xmas break. It is my version of  the Garfield-Arthur Bandanna quilt @ 1880 and it was a real scrap-buster. Looks a bit wonky in the pic but it's ok in the flesh.

Entry forms arrived today for the Sydney Quilt Show in June. Yikes!! Better get myself organised and enter something.
I guess you've noticed I have an on-line shop at etsy.com. Sellers often make a treasury of things they like on the site - a collection with a theme and two sellers have used my patterns recently in their treasury. Have a look here and here - how cool is that. Thanks guys for the exposure.

Back into it

The new teaching year has started with a bang. Two weeks of summer school at Hobbysew and these are some of the amazing mariners compasses as a result. Let's hope they turn into something even more spectacular.

 This was my part of "booth" at the Meet-the-teacher day at Hobbysew on Saturday. I met lots of happy quilters all keen to check out the tutors and sign up for a new class.

 We had two days on two different blocks from the Lots of Dots quilt - how good are these.

 Debi sent me this pic of her NYB quilt in yellows and greys. It was quite a while in the making but well worth the effort don't you think.

 Our raffle quilt for the Springwood Quilt Show is out and about now with tickets on sale in various Blue Mountains quilt shops. Check out the show blog for more pics and news on the show.

Only 92 days till it kicks off!

Have you seen latest issue of Quilters Companion magazine number 53?

In it you'll find the pattern for my quilt The Gift - foundation piecing (how unusual) and featuring a large embroidery in the centre. Great wall-hanging size or add borders for a larger quilt.

I'm off to Hobbysew Belconnen this weekend for another Mariners workshop so there'll be more wonderful pics next time.

Foundation papers...

are now available in my etsy shop. Beautiful thin paper that tears away easily and goes through most printers and copiers. I use it for all my foundation piecing and can highly recommend it.

$7 for 50 sheets but I can only post within Australia on this one.

This lovely pic was sent to me by Marianne from Canberra, She made it using my Peony Circle pattern  featured in a recent issue of Country Craft and Decorating.

I made this quilt for Jason for Xmas - right out of my comfort zone I can tell you!

It has big rigs and "man" stuff all over it. Click on the pic and get a closer look at all the fun fabric I managed to find.

On the back is his favourite footy team - the Parramatta Eels and isn't the quilting great. That's Robyn from Hobbysew Kings Park.

Did I mention that Jason is 30 years old and drives a huge B-double with "dog" and is a mad Parra fan!!

He's also my lovely son-in-law and he just loved his surpise present.

These pics are from Summer School at Hobbysew this week. Part one of a Lots of Dots class in progress with part two next week.

I will be at Hobbysew Kings Park this Saturday for their Meet-the-teachers day 11-3pm.

All the teachers for 1st term will be there with their projects to entice you so come along and say hi.

New year and then some

Happy New Year to everyone who visits my blog. May it be a good one for you all!

I spent the break at the beach - oh so good! and with lots of family - even better.

And I've had time to sew - clothes and quilts and read several good books.

What a shame the idyl will end soon.

Even had time to put some new patterns in my etsy shop.

Check them out.

This is DEAUVILLE - lovely appliqued dresden plates and oak leaf reel blocks.
Makes up to a double bed size with that lovely large print border.

DEVILS CLAW - large blocks that go together quickly to make a big quilt.
A good one for those reproduction prints.

FAUX WEDDING RING - get the look of that old favourite without the curved piecing!
Appliqued curves and foundation pieced sashing - too easy.

And this is NOUGHTS AND CROSSES - what a great scrap buster.

I hope you have a look at the shop - you might even find your new project for 2012.

On another note check out the latest edition of Australian Patchwork and Quilting Vol 21, No 1.

On page 54 there's a lovely article about my Lots of Dots quilt which is being released end of January as a Block-of-the-month through Hobbysew stores in Sydney.

You can buy the program over 12 months with fabric (chosen by me) through the stores or the whole 12 months of patterns through my etsy store.

Keep your eye on this blog for more dsetails soon!

Round up

A selection of pics for my last post of the year.Pretty much examples of what happens in my classes.

Lots of "points" and graphic designs all go together to make stunning quilts.
(My apologies to Lesley's sister - I've forgotten her name).

Well done to all my students and I look forward to seeing some of you again next year.

I'll be at Material Obsession for a couple of dates early next year which is really exciting for me. Ring the shop if you're interested in a class where you'll have a lot of fun attacking a technique you might have been avoiding unnecessarily. It's quite easy when it's broken down into bits and your friends will think you are so clever - even tho it's just about "sewing on the line".

Merry xmas to you all and I hope santa bring lots of surprises!

Lesley

Kathy

Lesley's sister

Lesley's sister again

Rosemary

Judy

Pam

Jo

Sue's quilt - Suzanne as the prop!

Margaret