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.



Precious Quilt.

Hi Everyone,

My friend Kate brought her lovely antique quilt to show me this week, we discussed the fabrics and design and how best to take care of it. It was then left on my couch to admire for the rest of the day while we stitched. Meanwhile hidden on the couch, my cats had decided there was nothing special or precious about this quilt of beautiful silk, lucky for me Kate is also a cat lover so no drama.

 

Here is the fabric I mentioned would work for County Kilkenny, it has just arrived at Quiltsmith you would need 2.5 mtrs and 1 mtr of a coordinating fabric.

 

Here is Lindi's Plain and Fancy centre.

Love the colours.

 

Jan our blue fabric girl is finishing her Lucy Boston quilt.

 

 

I loved Elaine's box of circles for her Plain and Fancy quilt.

 

 

Well that's all the photos, I have to pack for my next three days at Blueberries and I believe there is to be a big sale!

 

I will be emailing the invoices out on Monday for Summer school as well as Correspondence school.

 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend I am looking forward to seeing Jackie and all the girls in Wyong tomorrow.

 

Karen x

 

 

 



 



Summer School Bookings.

Hi Everyone,
Such a lovely long weekend and nice to have some time at home.
I hope to get the last two blocks sorted out for The Marriage quilt but I really should be doing my tax....so boring.
Yes you are getting a new post rather quickly but I am avoiding my paper work plus I am not looking forward to discovering how much I have spent on fabric.
Two of the classes for Summer School are fully booked but there are still places in other classes.
I have had questions about what type of fabric to buy for the broderie purse on County Kilkenny so here are a couple of photos to help.
I do have some birds and baskets left so always happy to share.

 

My Lovely border.

Also for the girls doing Miss Porter and John if you want little sayings in your blocks you might look some up.

We had a great time at Cottage Quilt Works last week and the new fabrics just kept being delivered a great time to shop.

Here is some of the girls work.

 

Plain and Fancy.

You don't always need a stripe to fussy cut.

The miss Austen's.

Three great panels to use for this quilt and the pattern allows for any size.

 

Bev finished Anna and Miss Austen's garden.

A very inspiring three days!

 

Finally from my Concord group Julie has finished her version of The folk Art Quilt.

 



In my last blog I mentioned I bought The Auntie Green pattern at the Sydney show, I bought my pattern from Irene Blanck and it is a really great pattern, cant wait to start.

 

Well there is no getting around it I will have to do my tax now I have run out of excuses.

Have a lovely long weekend girls,

Karen





 







Summer School

I have spent most of today sending emails for Summer School.
If you have not received the information please email me so I can send one out, apologies if I missed you, the list is so big!
I love the beautiful basket quilt Susan is teaching another pattern for my retirement, I bought Auntie Green at the Sydney show and that is calling my name perhaps I should buy the fabric for it just in case.
We are having dinner at The Paragon again it was so lovely last year, should we ware vintage clothes? I think yes.
Our technical class is just about booked out it is interesting in these days of glue and supposedly new fast techniques for everything our most popular class is taking the time to improve hand stitching.
I have tried lots of new ways to sew quilts but I always go back to stitching the way my grandma did its the only way I really relax. I can almost see the young quilters out there rolling their eyes at me, we are all different and there are no rules saying how you should make your quilt.

Let us look at some quilts.
This is my Folk Art Quilt hanging up at Quilt Smith, Melinda is one of the few shops who have a wall big enough.

One of my students had her Folk Art Quilt in the Sydney show, the picture of her quilt ended up in Quilt Mania.

Vicky from Miranda designed this quilt herself.

Here are the girls at work in the Blueberries shop Wyong.

Marion's quilt. My design Antique Applique.

All the Plain and Fancy quilts on the go.

Anna just put a bag of skittles on my desk and I cant stop eating them.

 

Sharon has nearly finished Miss Austen's Garden.

 

Carol finished French Mosaic.

Helen's Folk Art.

Annette Nottingham quilt.

 

I love watching my designs turn into these beautiful quilts it is so satisfying to see all the different versions.

Well my son is coming for tea and it is now 5.30 so I best get on, my other son Jake or horizontal as he is affectionately know has only been up a short time and thinks its lunch time.

I will be at Cottage Quilt Works next week so hope to have plenty of show and tell.

Take care everyone,

Karen.