Autumn in Blackheath.

Hi everyone,
Hope you are all well sorry for the delay but I have been changing my technology and it has not been easy.
I lost a few emails so please forgive me if you had no answer and send me another.
The poor girls in class have had to listen to all the winging so I know they are glad its over, the apple shop has also had its work cut out but now I should be able to blog from class everything seems so fast now.
Its Autumn in Blackheath the colours are lovely.

 

 

I have had a birthday my grandson was one in march and my son turned thirty so lots of family celebrations.
The lovely girls in the Concord group bought me beautiful flowers which just happened to go with fabrics I bought: Mill Book Series by Moda quilting friends always know your colours.

 

Congratulations to Karen Ross her Sampler won viewers choice at The Springwood show.

 

 

These photos were taken a while ago but show and tell from Blueberries.

 

Bluebell

 

Miss Austen's Garden.

 

Plain and Fancy.

 

 

Choosing fabrics at Glenbrook of course you need a tin to put your sewing in.

 

 

The concord ladies.

Julie used one of the centres from Reproduction Fabrics for her Miss Austen.

 

 

May used her collection of dutch chintz for her plain and fancy.

 

Cottage Quilt Works.

 

 

We really have had lovely panels to work with this year.

 

Elizabeth's lovely French Mosaic.

 

I have two girls who have finished the Marriage Quilt so far all stunning.

 

Plain and Fancy has been a very popular pattern.

 

 

Hope you had a nice time catching up with the show and tell. The shops are bursting with new fabrics so many lovely choices and now I can blog on the spot you will get to see more of them.

On Tuesday I visited the Sydney Aquarium and loved the colours of the coral so here's a peek.

 

Summer School projects are going well The Redleaf has a special rate for accommodation just mention your coming to Summer School.

Hi to Diana and Luci from the U.S who will be making their first Karen quilt, thanks girls.

Take care everyone,

Karen x





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year

Hi everyone,
I know its been a while but at the end of last year I was in need of a holiday so I closed the door of my office and spent all my time with my family and friends.
I also needed time to create as I  had a design for a new quilt in my head all year I had my ideas book full of photos, drawings lots of notes but no time to get it all together so I spent days drawing cutting out and searching for just the right fabric I am really happy that my quilt is finally on the way I can relax and sew now.

Summer School 2013 was a great success it is so good to catch up with all the girls even though I only see the interstate girls once a year its like I saw them last week we had a fantastic five days.
The shop's were outstanding supplying everything we needed and some things we just had to have!
Thank you Quiltsmith, Cottage Quilt Works, Post Office Patchwork and Patchwork Plus.
Tutors Susan Smith and Rhonda Pearce did a great job we all learned a great deal.

All the little birds found a good home our lunch time show and tell was again very inspiring.
Our catering was by Kara this year which was so delicious I am very disappointed now I have to make my own lunch and no morning tea in sight.

O.K it all sounds so easy so here's some home truths, I did wear my dress inside out on the last day,
I woke poor Lorraine (patchwork Plus) at 2.30 in the morning to check someone turned off the irons as I was about to go to the hall in my PJ's and my son's were supposed to help pack up the hall but went to a bucks party the night before and couldn't be found...thank god for friends a big thank you to Susie, Anne and Anna the four of us packed up in one and a half hours!
Thank you to all the girls who just helped when they noticed I needed it and Colleen what an angel wish you lived in Blackheath.
The helpers Yvonne and Lesley once again SS can't do without you.

So here are some photos I will post the dinner later as my friend had to do the photography she will put it on a stick thingy so I can share them with you.
Melinda from Quiltsmith was a fantastic speaker her antique quilts were gorgeous.

Summer School is booked again for next year first day will be 15th of January 2014.

Helpers Yvonne and Lesley.

 

Rhonda's Technical Applique class.

Everyone is really concentrating

 

The girls in the corner sewing with me Sat- Sun.

 

Well it was 38 on our quilting day but everyone loved hand quilting.

 

Susan's class making their dear little baskets.

 

Wed- Thurs with me.

 

We had some interesting vases on the tables.

 

Sisters Cherree and Leanne all smiles.

But when Cherree went early to have lunch with her family poor Leanne was left to be a Nigel.

 

We really did have a lot of fun!

Happy Australia day to everyone I will be back at work this week so I will see you all soon.

Take care everyone,

Karen x 

 

A little bird.

Hi Girls,
I wanted to show you what arrived a beautiful flock of little birds.

 

The very talented Alexandra Callow made these she sells her hand made goods at markets and some quilt shows. Her work is so sort after I ordered my birds a year ago so I would have some for gifts and lucky door prizes for Summer School.
The markets in Blackheath are the first Sunday of the month at Blackheath Public School, she is also at The Springwood quilt show.
Look how they arrived.

 

 

 

It really is a shame to stick pins in them.

 

 

All is underway for Summer School the hall is booked I have our lunch menu really yummy.

Cottage Quilt Works is coming Quiltsmith , Patchwork Plus and of course Post Office Patchwork wow best stat my shopping list.

Also a great Speaker for Saturday night dinner with a focus on Antique quilts.

 

This is for The Springwood show committee a couple of years ago my design Blue Bell was used as the raffle quilt. The girls made it in beautiful soft English colours it looked lovely.

As a thank you they gave me a lovely Rose to plant in my garden, here are some roses I picked it is doing really well, thank you girls.

 

Is it normal for cat's to eat petals? Ruskin seems to really like them.

 

Some homework from Cottage Quilt Works.

 

Anne has finished her little Austen quilt.

 



 

Elizabeth has nearly completed last years BOM Plain and Fancy.

 

We have new quilts to make next year and our marriage quilt to finish but there is also two older patterns on offer as well.

Eye Candy and Petunia the girls who have already made or started these quilts are feeling like they are ahead.....a very good feeling.

 

Petunia

 

 

I also brought along to class my very little Calico Garden to show the girls my quilting as we are going to do some hand quilting classes next year well I should have known now we all want to make Florence Petos lovely crib quilt, why not!

I bought my pattern at The Shelburne Museum in 2005 so contacted Frances Quinn to let her know we would be making the quilt in class and that we would be buying our patterns from her, perhaps some of you online would like to join us.

If you are in class the shop's will bring in the patterns for you.

Not a great photo but the site is www.hooplapatterns.com

If you have the book Enduring Grace by Celia Y. Oliver the pattern is in the book.

 

 

Looking forward to doing the crib size.

 

Florence Peto made her quilt using all scrap pieces so I thought I would use my small precious pieces I keep in my Trunk, very messy sewing room!

 

That is all for today I have the day off and then I will be in Sydney for a few days doing last classes for the year at Quiltsmith and Patchwork Plus. Perhaps I might get some Christmas shopping done in Miranda Fair.

Have a great week everyone

Karen.



 







 



 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Follow up

Well I have had so many emails regarding my Trundle quilt thank you girls for your support and opinions.
There has been a lot of emails sent to me with questions which I have answered personally but  thought I would also share with everyone as it has been an interesting topic.
Even though a quilt is made in class or a pattern bought the artistic works remain copyright to the designer. If you then publish an image of a copyright design omitting acknowledgement of the designer it is assumed the work is yours (passing off)
 The magazine was brought to class to show me my quilt design"The Trundle"which makes it a recognisable design not a version of it.
I know many of you have had similar experiences and like me feel disappointed but hopefully our conversation will result in someone having the courtesy of asking permission to use our designs.

The other questions are about the quilt it started off as a quilt to cover my sons trundle bed (I also needed a second sample to teach)
When I finished the centre I liked it so much I just kept making more borders eventually it ended up being big enough to cover my queen size bed.
The quilt is designed to sit perfectly on a bed each border covering a different section.
The quilt belongs to my son Tom as it was started for him so when I have finished teaching the design it will live with him.

It Is late at night I had such a wonderful day with my Monday Glenbrook girls.
Robyn made us High Tea for our end of year party and it was delicious I think I am still full, I will post some photo's next time. Thanks girls for a lovely day!
Bye for now,
Karen

Catch Up

Hi Everyone,

I think it's official, I am the slowest blogger on Earth.
My holidays are coming and then you will all be sick of me blogging on all the time!

COPYRIGHT Karen Cunningham 1998.

 

First off the latest Quilt Mania issue 92 has my Trundle quilt featured on Sharon Duffys bed (page 42). This is the second quilt I designed to teach 14 years ago and is still a favourite of mine, it would have been nice to see my name as the designer of the quilt and a phone call from Sharon asking permission to use it. I really love this magazine it would have been a  lovely experience to have a quilt in it but so disappointed my design has ended up being passed off as Sharon's work.

I have been to Temora for a weekend workshop, such a beautiful country town and the girls were so welcoming and soaked up every bit of information I could think of.

Here are some photo's

Sonia with her finished Irish Circles.

Happy students playing with fabric.

Shop owner Helen at the back.

 

Sorry it is taking so long to get the patterns you all ordered ready but I promise they will be posted before Christmas, thank you to everyone who made me so welcome in Temora I hope we will do it again.

 

Back to my regular classes Sandra has finished two quilts.

 

Miss Austen's Garden using lovely Dutch Chintz fabrics.

And Hidcote Garden.

Anne has finished The Nottingham Quilt.

Jan has finished her Turkey Tracks I love this quilt mine is on my bed.

Robyn decided to get her Trundle out and finish it.

Vanessa is really loving stitching her French Mosaic on the Train going to work,

there will be a flower in the middle.

The end of year classes have been very productive, lot's of eating quilters are very good cooks, Lisa made the most wonderful macarons and Bev's shortbread is legendary.

 

Thank you all for your gifts and cards it is such a nice time of year.

 

I saw this angel in the window at the back of the Mittagong shop and thought it was lovely.

 

I have more photo's to show you so will blog again very soon but it is tea time and all that talk of food has made me hungry.

 

Goodnight everyone,

Karen.