Thursday, March 31, 2011

SIT: Blog Reading ...

ohhh so timely that I have my internet back!
Whew ... to have missed out on this reading would have been sad ...
... seems to I keep seeing myself pop up in the backgrounds of other people's pics ...
here
&
here
&
here
&
here
&
here
too!Above: Pile of gorgeous-ness from MO

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

SIT: Material Obsession .... Part 4/4

I've admired from afar Kathy Doughty's style & sense of pattern, print & colour ... in meeting her this weekend, I have really shifted some of my ideas about how to approach the concept of patchwork. I really want to create art pieces that happen to be in the form of patchwork & quilting ... I have struggled for a long time to have what I make fit into the style & interiors of home .... now we have a new home & I have a studio & I have lots & lots of ideas & fresh inspiration!Thankyou Kathy - as I said to you the other day ... if I lived in Sydney, you'd know me well already ... !!
Take a look at the Material Obsession blog .... see me there!!
I have a new perspective on using more traditional patchwork shapes with a modern sensibility ... well I will work on it!
For example: using a wedge ruler ....... using a design wall they way it should be ...... or a 60 degree triangle ....
... other combos...Happy times shopping!
(I'll be back!)
This happy photo with evidence that I was there ....
Shopping with Bron & Kelly & Lara & Gilly
was taken by Michelle

SIT: Saturday .... Part 3/4

On Saturday everyone involved in SIT was together for a day of workshops, show bags, prizes, sharing ideas, working alongside each other!
Kathy from Material Obsession was very generous with her time:She ran workshops all day on a few different piecing techniques!I went to her chat about using the 60 degree ruler & how to use this to make triangles & diamonds & then how to use these in various interesting patterns ... & she is very strong on encouraging everyone to find their own inner style & then push those boundaries .... Cath (who I think works with Kathy at MO or is a Patchwork Quilting Instructor maybe?) was working on this piece below: .... she had seen the bed runner
(Pic below was actually taken by Michelle)that I actually completed all the quilting stitches on during the session .... anyway she made a point to show me what she was doing ... its design inspiration comes from her interpretation of an art work by the artist 'Hundertwasser' ... I really respond to this way of working with fabric & creating texture with thread & am very excited to find some other people working in this way!
Below: Bron from 'Whippet Good'
(my friend who was involved with me in the Red & Aqua Block Swap 2010)
Bron worked some on her cathedral windows ...Below: Bron & I working away ... Pic courtesy of Sandy
Below: Leah from 'Puggle Logic"
was carefully hand piecing this fussy cut BOM ... love the extrodinary fabric choices!
looking forward to seeing it complete one day Leah! Thanks for sharing!
(Leah was also in my sample gift swap ... have a look on her blog!)


Below: Marina from 'Wink Designs'
was sitting next to me most of the day ... she was hand piecing these v cute little hexagons!
When complete they will become a lovely rainbow!

Below: One of the Owl-y Mini Quilts
that I made for our Sample Gift Swap organised by Cass
Below: the items I was given in return in the swap!
V cool thing to do!
Made by:
Jen (Cute Patchwork Coasters),
Leah (Funky Patchwork Basket),
Susan (Beaded Lavender Bag),
Christy (Gorgeous Girls Baby Bonnet),
Sandy (Adorable Felt Flower Pincushion)


SIT: Prints Charming Stitching Lesson Part 2/4

It was a delight to just have the opportunity to visit
"Prints Charming"
Missed the chance to buy up big on scrap packs & other interesting hand screen printed panels as the big shopping bus got there before we did but still it was a delight ... especially to meet Cath & Kirsten!
and what a feast of colours their studio is .... oh how I would love to do what they are doing & I know how to .... hmmmm: Road block on that one... maybe one day?
We were there to learn some tricks about embroidery stitching but when I say that I mean v MODERN embroidery with no rules ... I love the way some of their examples have a painterly quality about the stitching!
We each worked on our own 'Birdie' screen printed image
... I will take a pic one day when I have mine completed!!!

I went to Sydney for the weekend ... SIT Part 1/4

I left my boys at home & had a long weekend away ...
... went to "Sew It Together" SIT
... which was held in Melbourne last year but for other reasons I didn't get there!
What is SIT?
A group of creative like-minded bloggers ...
... Sheridan of "Chaletgirl" put the whole thing together ...
Amazing task & incredible result
.... workshops, shopping, sharing, gifts, sponsors, Sample Swaps
& meeting people!
Fabulous fu
n!
Thankyou to Bron who 'told' me I should go!!
Great fun weekend together & I enjoyed getting to know you better!
Thanks Sheridan .... and a huge Thankyou to the sponsors ... we were given an awesome show bag full of amazing goodies!
Thankyou:
Hawthorne Threads
Material Obsession
Craft Schmaft
Saffron Craig
Prints Charming
etc etc ....
I also managed to catch up with some Sydney extended family ...
including the infamous Great Aunt Lillian ... who was in fine form!
(can hardly believe how much all the little people have grown!)

Getting back "into" a creative mindset ....

Before the little family holiday ... I made 2 cot sized quilt tops ... for 2 friends expecting babies ... this one was intended for the friend who had a girl but I had gambled on a boy! So back to the cutting mat I go .... Anyway I love these boyish fabrics ... it will keep ... someone in our lives will have a baby boy!
Simple & crisp ... I love seeing new born babies all dressed in white! .... but white is a little bit of a basic solution when it comes to considering printed fabric combinations! It is a new goal of mine to be even more brave & bold with colour & pattern! My creative mindset has been influenced after spending time chatting with Cath & Kathy from "Material Obsession" over the weekend, oh & all the other ladies at SIT that I got talking to about patchwork & how it is interpreted into our lives & homes ... Kathy donated her time & talent to inspire us all at SIT ....
(Yes I went! Report post will come soon!)

967

... having been "off-line" since moving into our new-to-us home .... I haven't checked my emails..... 967! When am I going to wade through that lot???

Little Family Holiday....

... what a wonderful time we had ... just us ...
no technology to soak up our lives .... great food, warm days, simple play with nothing much more than a ball,swimming & more swimming until our fingers & toes were all wrinkly!Met a fun, friendly family from Sweden! Our little boys only 2 weeks apart in age, no common language but watching them interact was
a delight!
... Hello Mia .... we had a great time with you!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

moved in ...

... and at last I can tell you all about it!
The 'move' went well, exhausting, a great wall of boxes, things everywhere etc etc ...
the usual ... still no internet set up which is starting to drive me batty!!
But I am still here ... & now have my sewing machine set up in my new studio ... even sewed a couple of quilt tops this week ... couple of babies due to people in my life!
So asap I will get back to you with some pics ...
.... pics of our new home set up!
.... pics of new projects
.... pics of ideas
.... and more regular news ....

.... sitting in an airport right now .... yeah my life seems up-side-down sometimes!!!
Heading off to some sunshine & doing nothing for 10 days ... see you on the flip side!