Road trip 2

I have had quiet a few emails regarding Summer School  so before we get on the road I have done the costing and double checked all the bookings, my local School did not get back to me so I have sourced a much bigger hall on the highway and directly across from the railway line and the local Rotary club will be doing the catering for morning and afternoon teas and lovely lunch. The cost will be $80.00 per day There are two two day workshops and a one day workshop.
Wednesday 18th-Thursday 19th
Friday 20th
Saturday 21st- Sunday 22nd
Susan and I will both have workshops on these days.
At this stage quilts are not ready so I can not send emails with pictures yet but if you would like an email later send me your details, if you want to book in without seeing the quilts let me know.
Where to stay?? I have spoken to The Redleaf Motel at the top of my street and if you say you are part of Karen Cunningham's Summer School the room will be $110.00 very reasonable.
Otherwise get on line and google accommodation in Blackheath.
That did take a lot of my day today but the best part was my friend Yvonne came for a cup of tea and I even made a cake!
(packed cakes best thing since sliced bread.)

I think I best show you my latest purchase, you know the retirement fund, I received my Chintz Panel from Reproduction Fabrics I love the Bouquet of Flowers with Scrollwork so even though I don't know what I am making yet I went straight to my nearest shop Post Office Patchwork Glenbrook and Rhonda and I put some fabrics together that go with it.

Just delicious, thank god for Margo Krager!

I am just thinking it is tea time again, is cake a nutritious meal, obviously yes.

Let us look at more show and tell from Port Maquarie.

This is a great idea use an old Dollie for you quilt label.

Yes we do sometimes use brights in my class Ros with her Jester block.

I have to say that block just makes me smile...
Leigh Latimore had some lovely show and tell, her purchase of the lovely 1800's sampler just beautiful.
And I never get tired of looking at a Trundle quilt.

I forgot to show you Pat has finished her Folk Art Quilt what a legend.

I ended my road trip with a visit to my mum and dad's very nice to catch up and they live on the beach here are some photo's to warm us up.

Fish and chip shop, yum

Mr pelican looking on.

There is a boy surfing in the background.

The thing with the beach is I realised because I live in the mountains I am actually not just white I am pastie

must get a tan in summer probably a spray one even orange would be better than alabaster.

O.k finally gosh I have a lot to say,( so unusual) Correspondence school is for girls who live too far away to do regular classes it is like being in class you get to pick a major work most are doing Irish Circles or The Sampler or Hidcote garden and you also get the quick quilts we do in class as well.

This runs for 10 months each year and cost's 15.00 per month payments are 150.00 up front or three Lot's of 50.00 over the ten month's. I just don't have time to print the big patterns correlate them into a folder and send them overseas as this is so time consuming and expensive the only way I can cope is to print patterns once a month all at the same time for classes and correspondence school if you belong to the school you can order other small patterns and I can mail them in line with the monthly posting. I have tried to keep up with individual orders but found I was running around like a chook with it's head cut off.

So I hope that answers your questions to sign up just email me.

Apparently cake is not sufficient so it looks like I will have to cook...boring

Hope you are all smiling wherever you are,

hugs Karen

Road Trip

Well I am finally home and glad to be back. Blackheath had such dreadful wind storms and my poor family were freezing with no electricity meanwhile I was cosy on Janet's farm.
I have had a look around town and there is so much mess to clean up plus all the trees missing make it seem so bare. my neighbour over the road has a tree down which ripped up her driveway lucky everyone we know is o.k

Just to answer a couple of questions first Summer School is from Wednesday the 18th of January and runs for five days. Two day workshop wed-Thurs one day workshop Friday and two day workshop Sat-Sun.
Hope this helps booking holidays from work.

LET US START THE ROAD TRIP.
First stop Janet Edmonds farm Gresford, three days of stitching, great company and so much lovely food!

What a lovely setting for our dinner.

Great view's

And here are all the girls hard at work, love the little nook the hand sewers generally gather there.

We had a great time with plans in place for same time same place next year.

I drove across country through  Dungog, Stroud and then joined the Pacific hwy at Bulahdelah, I was listening to a talking book so the time flew by and the next thing I knew I was in Port Maquarie!
My two day workshop went so quickly so much chatting to the girls from previous years and meeting new quilters is always lovely. I of course had to buy some new bits of fabric as I explained that my stash is my superannuation it is the law that you invest a percentage of all earnings into your fund.
Here are some photos of the girls and their show and tell.

Hard at work making Anna.

Always beautiful The Trundle.

I love the adaptation of Yorkshire Dales.

Trish agrees with me our Lucy Boston quilt is a favourite.

Well that is the first instalment lots more to come but it is dinner time and once again snowing so my boys are cold and hungry so will continue the road trip on Thursday.

I will also be packing patterns for all the girls who joined correspondence school, thank you everyone.

happy quilting to all,

Karen

July news

My road trip starts tomorrow! I think I am ready but still have a little packing to do, looking forward to catching up with all the country girls.
The quilt show was lovely so many fantastic quilts to see, so glad I didn't have to choose the winners.
I did catch up with Susan Smith so we had a good talk about summer school we have decided on the quilts we will teach , just need to get them ready!

I have been working on my Hidcote garden quilt, here is the latest block.

Leonie has decided to do her small blocks in embroidery. The thread is available from

Cottage quilt works.

Elizabeth from the Quiltsmith class had two quilts for show and tell, below "All about the brown"

Lemon and lime.

Julie has one of her basket borders complete, love the blue background.

Georgia and Julie hard at work.

As you know this semester we will be making our machine quilt, to help with fabric selection here is a sneak peek of the centre. You need twenty centimeters of 12 fabrics.

Ruth has picked these lovely fabrics for her machine quilt.

Here are the Cottage Quilt works girls Antique Applique blocks, they have worked so hard!

Wendy.

 Sue

 Helen

Terry has finished her beautiful English Autumn.

Wow what a fantastic month! perhaps the cold weather makes us want to stay home warm and sew.

I will be sure to have lots of news for you when I get back.

Take care everyone,

Karen











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