Cow Paddocks Patchwork

Yes I have been Sewing - a little!

Since I haven't shown you much lately of what I have been doing - I must admit I am feeling a little guilty about the number of things I have on the go at the moment - but here is one completely finished!

It is just a simple panel quilt that I have made to donate to our pony club for them to raffle to raise some funds! So I was going for quick - yes I know there is nothing "quick" about what we do when we do it quilt size! And something that I didn't have the cost of quilting so here is my quilt as you go version. As I said nothing astonishing - just a good useable quilt that hopefully a little one will be glad to have in their swag!

And with the huge help of the Clover Club Ladies who meet here on the first Wednesday of the month - we have been making a quilt as you go "scrappy" pink and green quilt which when finished will go to the Biggest Morning Tea for 2010 to be raffled at the Miles Garden Day. (Ssshhhhh - I haven't told them yet we are donating it - to be a little surprise)

Here is a little peak - oh and yes me being "particular" has organised an "organised scrappy" quilt!!!!

Will show you more as it progresses!

But a huge thankyou to the ladies for so boldly taking on the challenge when I asked them!

Injune Challenge Sneak Peak

Yes I did promise you all a little peak didn't I - well here it is - but not too much yet. As mentioned it is very low key for me - due to time restrictions - and now the lucky ones who haven't finished have had their timeline extended!!!!!!!!!! But I am pleased I have mine most importantly FINISHED!

So now I can't tell you what it is until November!

Isn't my camera great!!!!!!!- yes I'm as bad as the kids with a new toy! But for you the good - or bad part is that you can see the detail in my work so much better - am thinking this may be a scary thing for me though! Ha! Ha!

The Injune Ck Patchworkers Challenge!

Yes this week inbetween, homework, catering at bull sales, cooking for bull sales, doing orders for you my wonderful customers, ordering more super gorgeous fabric, chasing missing parcels that have been missing now for nearly 3 weeks!, bookwork, housework, rugging horses, tracking down horses, pricing items for the shop, phone enquiries etc etc - yes I loooove my life!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT - I HAVE FINISHED MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry may be a bit of an over statement but I am pleased - I must apologise though it isn't an "arty" inspirational piece but a very practical piece - well that was one of the rules it had to be "useful"

So the ladies again this year have organised a great challenge with a few "must use most of" items including thread, beads, fabric, a saying et etc. And well I had an idea in mind but when I went to start it just didn't seem to be going to work. So I thought of another idea and I finished it today. As I said I wouldn't consider it an amazing work or anything like that but when I do share it with you, it does show that I kept exactly to the rules!!!!!!!!!

This is a great idea for groups to step outside their comfort zone and have some fun with humorous prizes and the like.

And I have a little secret - me being the (some time ago now) perfectionist thought that I would not have any "give" or excess so ensuring that everything was correct and I measured down to 1/8" to make sure everything was spot on - ARGGGGGHHHHHHH - I was too precise not allowing for some tiny little discrepance (this will be all explained later) and I thought it was going to have to be redone - but alas I am a member of the Steam Queen Team and well - I Made it work!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I am far from recommending my new found technique however for the purpose of this excercise we will consider it a necessary skill!

No I can't tell you yet! But I am very proud of the fact that I didn't even bend a rule even a little! Well I don't think I did. Now the ladies last year made some amazing things so I can't wait to see what they have come up with. All will be revealed towards the end of September.

Sweet Treat Bag

 

Here is the gorgeous sweet treat bag that I made in time for the open day. These were in those cute little boxed set of 2 mini sweet rolls. Well if you have a little look the standard sweet rolls sitting behind this cute bag are the 4 ranges we have in stock at the moment and they range in price from $40-$45 each depending upon what we were charged for them with the aussie dollar etc.

Now you can get 4 - yes FOUR of these bags out of just ONE sweet roll!!!!! They make great cosmetic bags, pressies, sewing bags etc etc. The range I used was Oh Cherry Oh and shown from Left to Right is Wildflower Serenade II - very country, Spring Magic - very fresh, Aviary - Shabby Chic & of course Oh Cherry Oh - very bright and cheery/cherry!!!!

The Moda website now has the instructions for this bag as a downloadable project, so when you call to purchase I can email you the project sheet. These are so much fun and great for youngsters to try too!

Gloria Loughman Workshop - Wow!

Yes I know I am spoilt !!!! But I was fortunate enough to attend a Gloria Loughman workshop - Finally!!!!! Yes I admit I have been yearning to be a participant in one of her workshops for years but due to distance, little children, drought etc etc her classes were always too far away and at the wrong time to attend - but I finally made it!

It was wonderful - as you would expect but Gloria is a truly giving and lovely person and it was an absolute delight to be apart of her class. She is very encouraging and very humble in her achievements. She set us challenges but we felt with her encouragement that they were within our reach. I have posted a little photo of what I am working on at the moment from her class. I am trying to get out of my browns "drought" phase and encompass the green rainforest!

I could have stayed all week! the unforunate part was that it went far too quickly and yes I now I have another unfinished project - but oh well. I must admit quite a few of the techniques I had either worked out at home or had played with in my own style with machine embroidery, applique etc - but I am definately not a painter - so this was very very interesting!

Oh yes and I just had to take a quick sticky beak at the campdraft that was on in town at the same time - what can I say - I am torn with my interests! I love both just need more time time time!!!!

 

So yes it is a work in progress!

What I've been squeezing in

I'm still plugging along at one of my online workshops and here is a little of my "playing" with my embellisher. Yes it is a little past the more traditional style but I must admit I am enjoying my textile art side of my brain more and more!

 

I have done more work on this sample since but it involves wool rovings, felted strips, felt, fancy yarns and more. I will have a landscape I am working on to show you soon. These are pretty much just all samples from experimenting at this point rather than actually "making" something.

What 's been Happening in the Shop

Well we've had lots of visitors over the hols from all over including hello again to our Braidwood NSW connection. Plus of course our lovely regulars! I seem to be getting nowhere at the moment with things with farm and family life being very very hectic. The dry weather is definately NOT helping.

Here the oriental fabric I put together to try out a little experiment I came up with using applique and brodier perse in the convergence style. There is also a little secret about this quilt but I'm not going to tell you about it until after the Chinchilla group have completed their workshop with it!!!!!!! So stay tuned!

 

I'm quite happy with how it has turned out - seeing it was very very experimental!

Here is a snap of some samples I have been doing with the embellisher. I hope to put them into a sampler type book to refer back to. I am part of an online class but am a bit behind at the moment with everything else happening - but I hope to catch up at the end of the week. They are embellished fancy yarns, scrim, wool rovings, needlefelted strips.

 

Hopefully more playing to come!

Another Project Cut Out

Ok yes I was... one of those people super organised only working on one project at a time BUT - that has long gone. Especially when I found I was getting sick of working on the one thing and so then tried to hurry it up at the end just so I could start on something else - which of course meant that the first work didn't necessarily end up as detailed as it could have been! So Now things are different!!

I have um........ lets just say quite a few things started and all very very different. And here is another. These are the fabrics I have chosen - I just loooove the red fabric with the orchids. 

So stayed tuned for what it ends up in!

Also my lovely friend Cathy as the other part of my xmas pressie gave me this adorable shirt - which I needed to colour. So here it is! I used the derwent range of pencils which we stock in the shop and have sealed it but I may do a little more detailing yet!

  Isn't she cool - I'm sure there is a little quilt diva in all of us!

Sneak Peak - only

Hello just a quick sneak peak for you on my "arty" stuff. Hopefully if I ever get them finished they will go in for selection to the next Dogwood Gallery Exhibition - so here's hoping 1. I get them finished and 2. they are accepted.

I shouldn't be so skeptical I know, but there is not alot of textile art in Rural areas so it does always concern me a little after a previous experience at an agricultural show a few years back that people are "up with" what's happening. But at least I know with the local gallery they are usually excellent in keeping up with trends etc so it should all be fine! And the response to Mr Mundell last year was just so wonderful and overwhelming that rural areas are becoming more open to all things "art".

Anyway, I have a few totally different ideas and techniques I am working with - so it will be varied - the theme is "water equals life" the Murray Darling Catchment and "displacement" associated with it. Something along those lines - I have to keep referring back to the guidelines and the pampleset to confirm.

 

 

So alot more to go yet but at least the idea has started for real!

Merry Christmas to everyone and we hope you all have a lovely happy, safe & wet Christmas

Keep stitchin

Criss Cross Class for 09

Here is a snippet of a project I am working on and will be offering as a class in 09. It is based around strip piecing and uses a special little gadget - but more on all that later - I can't divulge everything at once now can I? I am just doing a little wall quilt for a shop sample and to match my cream/green/timer decor but you could make this into a quilt top and the design would also suit something for those "hard to make for" men/boys. I will show you more soon but it gets a twisted/woven look which makes a lovely effect!

 

 

Visitors to the shop and mail orders going out for Christmas - off to Injune who have kindly invited me to their Christmas break-up and a Wet Felting Workshop - this will be fun! Felting, good company, beverages, home cooked lunch and we will even be sewing at the local pub!  Now you don't get hospitality like that in the City!