Snow Day

I thought I would have lots to tell you as I was supposed to go to the trade fair on Sunday, unfortunately one of my children was ill and I couldn't go, never mind I am sure the shops will tell me whats new.
I am looking forward to seeing the John Hewson fabrics, I just hope Australia gets them.

Today is my youngest son Jake's 21 st birthday! where does the time go!
Jake is on the right and the other handsome boy is my son Tom.

He decided we would have a B.B.Q but the weather is not too good.

It might be o.k???

No choice but to read my lovely new book.

Such lovely pictures.

I have two quilts at the quilters my new machine quilt for next semester, the V&A quilt using the lovely liberty fabrics and my French mosaic. what a trauma as I had to use my sewing machine for days and days you know how I love that! the result is lovely and I must say my machine does so well considering the operator.

Thank you to the Highsewciety group for my lovely roses, they had such a beautiful perfume, the house has a lovely scent.

And finally I am going to the Sydney show tomorrow if the snow clears I will be there on Thursday as well and will be on the Blueberries stand from 10-12  on Thursday so come and say hi.

Hope to have lots of news from the show, if the snow stops as they will close the road if it gets too icy.

ITS NOT THAT BAD!

Hope everyone is stitching and enjoying our winter weather, keep warm!

Karen





May News

Hi everyone I know it's been a while but this is the time of year I design quilts for next year and I seem to get totally engrossed in the process.
My names for the quilts are as follows: Miss Austen's Garden (no 60 degree diamonds) French Mosaic using Pom Pom range by French General. Nottingham Coverlet. These designs will be for Summer School.
My major work is called Plain and Fancy and will be the focus of class for next year, lots of scraps for this quilt.
So then to facilitate my new designs some serious shopping had to be done, such a chore!

Here  are some of what I bought, I love the new Winterthur Museum range Cadet and will use this for the Coverlet that's the strange stripe I have 1.5 and a few matching fabrics.
The green stripe is Thimbleberries 1 mtr and the gorgeous pink is Kono Sanae Japan.
Of course any colours will work but as next year is so far away I thought I would show you these as they are a  little different for me, I purchased my fabrics from Quiltsmith and some from Cottage Quilt works but your local shop may have them in so check.
I have started a machine quilt for second semester for those of you in class, yes I finally got around to using my V&A Fabrics so get ready for a lovely quick fix.
wow that sounds like a lot, fantastic we are going to have the best time.

I do a couple of workshop's each year at Janet Edmonds farm  Gressford, one in July and one in August this is such a wonderful three days where the main focus is on sewing with all your meals catered for, we have such fun and really love the country quiet a real break away from everything, where all you have to do is sew eat and relax. Janet has a website so you can take a look at the farm, There are a couple of places left in the August workshop.

Let's look at some quilts!

Carol from Killara shop is powering away on her Folk Art Quilt

This is Janet's  Mrs Marpels quilt.

Helen, Mittagong class with her completed hand quilted sampler, love her colour combinations.

Helen Cottage quilt works class with her finished Yorkshire dales. The quilting is exquisite she is giving this quilt to her friend!

Chris from Quiltsmith has her centre of the sampler done lovely clear colours.

Helen, cottage quilt works class with her Simply Red top.

I have also ordered some Chintz Panels from Reproduction Fabrics these are wonderful. I hope to design some quilts with these I have the two large one's and the small one with butterflies in the corner.

Still thinking about design possibilities.

Well that's all this lovely Sunday at home, I would just like to say to the girls in class this month who have had some sadness in their lives my thoughts are with you look forward to seeing you all next month.

Karen

Quilt show

Hi Everyone, I had so much fun at the Springwood show, thank you to everyone who said hello and wished me a happy birthday.
Apparently there was a cake for me but as it got taken to the kitchen it was chopped up and sold for morning tea, hilarious.
Here are some photo's of my view from the stage.

The lovely Isobel who demonstrated hand quilting such a wonderful lady still beautiful work at 80!

My quilts hanging behind me, Irish Circles and Miss Emma.

I thought you might like to see Elizabeth's Lucy Boston Quilt, again one of the more experienced quilters and truly inspiring to see her work.

Visiting Diana, Lucy's daughter in law in England and seeing the collection of quilts made by Lucy was one of the highlights of the tour.
I hope all the mother's had a lovely Mothers day. I went to the movies with my son who was very disappointed we couldn't see a Bonnet movie (Jane Austen movies) BUT Thor was a very good show and the servo flowers were as always beautiful.
Sorry I am a little behind with answering emails I will get to them soon, keep sending them I love to hear from you all.
Hope it does not snow too much tonight as I really don't want to get snowed in tomorrow, the girls in Wyong would be very disappointed.
Goodnight to all,
Karen

Easter holiday.

Hi everyone, hope you all had a happy Easter I had a hectic Easter. First my day in Melbourne was fantastic my friend Anne and I started to smile as soon as the plane took off and basically laughed all day.

We did all our shopping in about two hours so had plenty of time to see the quilts and look around. The shops were lovely. I had a nice chat to Karen from Somerset it amazed me how enthusiastic she still was it must be an exhausting expedition. I joined her block of the month! I hope my free time at four am is productive...ha ha. Hope to work out a time I can come back to Melbourne and work for Karen.

Meanwhile my bedrooms at home were being painted so that when I arrived home new carpet could be laid, well I have never seen so much stuff come out of bedrooms my house looked like a junk yard, but now I have two rooms to work in and lovely fresh bedrooms.

My children all arrived my cooking this year has improved my fish looked like fish this year and not like mashed potato and my pork was cooked through and no one fell ill....Outstanding.

So in my free time I have been planning my new quilts getting ready to be the featured artist at the Springwood show this weekend and sorting fabrics for the scrap bags I will be selling at the show, so much fabric!

Thought you would like to see my work space where I do my planning, I love nice things around me.

Lots of nice fabric, no that's not all of it.

Everyone needs great books for inspiration, oh and that's chocolate mousse I bought in Canada.

I have to make a quilt and use this red border from The French General, the bird fabric is a bag.

My chair, I love to sit and think and sew in this chair.

I bought this suitcase when I was looking for a lamp??

It is packed with the scrap bags for the show.

That is all for today hope to have some pictures from the quilt show and of course more quilts today has been all about me.

Take care

Karen.

Snap Decision

Hi Everyone, I have decided to go to the Melbourne show! on Sunday for the day. I am working Saturday at Mittagong and Monday at Killara so I can only spare one day. My friend Anne is coming with me she is one of my friends who just goes with the flow thank god a lot of people think I am mad but the plane only takes one hour and thirty five minutes to get from Sydney to Melbourne. I have plenty of time for shopping arrive 8.30 am and leaving 9.00 pm in my opinion perfectly normal behaviour.

News just in more Dutch chintz has arrived so get to it and get yours before it sells out again.

Well lets look at the show and tell from Blueberries.
Jackie is the owner and spent all three days getting ready for the Melbourne show. I know she is smiling but slightly stressed five classes going over three days and the show coming up, what a legend.

 Here is Rachael our class Hexpert she just loves the English piecing.

Three girls have started English Autumn this year and here are the centre's completed.

Above Gloria's below Val and Cathee, just lovely.



Here are my friends Helen, Neryl and Annette hard at work, when I first met the Maitland girls 12 years ago I knew instantly they were kindred spirits love fabric make lovely quilts and always happy!

I was asked to take along a couple of older designs this month so here are The Little Garden and Summer Storm, which the girls renamed The silly tree quilt.

I stay in a very nice resort called The Mantra when I teach in Wyong and here is the view from my window this month.

Hard to take.

The Hobbysew girls, Sue, Sally, Bronwyn and Madeline

Bev and Bronwyns daughter Nicole so nice to have a mother and daughter come together.

O.k that is all this time hope to have more photos and news from my expedition this weekend.

Hope everyone is happily stitching on this cold Thursday until next time,

Karen.

  

Home at last

I have been away for a week so it is so nice to be home. I totally forgot to register my car so I have been running around today to get pink slips etc so I have a road worthy car for the weekend.

You all must know by now when I go away I have loads of show and tell so if you need a cup of coffee or tea get it before the photo's start, I might just get one too. so we all have our drinks here we go.

First shop is Cottage Quilt Works I thought it would be nice this month to introduce the shop owners these girls are my friends as I stay over with most of them. I admire how hard they work and how enthusiastic they are with projects, fabrics and classes without these ladies we would have no where to go to show and share our quilts learn from each other and when life gets a little tricky our quilting groups give us a soft place to fall, so remember to support our shops.

Jann and Chris are such a great partnership and the shop reflects both personalities, reproduction and modern.

Sue Brooke has completed her first Antique Applique block.

Jan has a little RSI from stitching her cream tea, totally worth it.

Bev started simply red in a July workshop a couple of years ago, the quilt is finished and hand quilted.

Elizabeth got her Irish Circles back from the quilters it is beautiful.

Then I drove across Sydney to spend a couple of days at Patchwork Plus Miranda.
Lorraine is the owner, I think I have worked for Lorraine about 10 years, my daughter Anna lived with Lorraine for a year whilst going to university so I think we are almost family now.
Here is Lorraine with her Cream Tea Mainly pink and brown such a lovely version.

Elaine with her Lucy Boston. I have some lovely photo's of more Lucy quilts will post later.

Jan with New England Fall

Robyn with another cream tea, never get tired of seeing these. We had a very long discussion as to how she should finish it off-- not sure what the outcome was!



The cute centre of Jan's cream tea. Lovely french generals.

Just to show all aspects of class here are the excuses for no homework, make of it what you will.

Brenda: I did sew a bit but really don't want to over do it, it's the journey that's important.

Michelle went away for the weekend with lots of quilters and was too tired.

Suzette cut out her background square so really she did do something.

Gosh my son is home for tea and I have cooked nothing, just two more pictures from Glenbrook you just can not finish and not see these.

Eye Candy by Terry a very old pattern.

And oh my a wonderful Jester quilt by Barb from Bathurst.

That's it wish you could all talk to me and suggest a quick tea!

Happy stitching to you all

Karen