Memories of Stitches and Craft Melbourne 2017

The Stitches and Craft show is over for another year. I enjoyed my days there minding the SAQA - My Corner of the World exhibition. The quilts were such a high standard and we were lucky to have such a prestigious international exhibition here.

I took photos of all the quilts and some I didn't like at first butI got to like after a while especially after reading the artist statement.

The quilt that received many comments was Main and 3rd by Jill Kerttula. 
The photos don't do the quilts justice, as usual with quilts

Main and 3rd by Jill Kerttula

Another favourite was Birding on a Quiet Hill by Sara Sharp.

Birding on a Quiet Hill by Sara Sharp

Cradle 3 by Erika Carter was made with hand painted organza and it really looked like branches blowing in the breeze.

Cradle 3 by Erika Carter

A quilt that was made of wool fibres represented shadows on the ground; it was very cleverly done by Mita Giacomini.

August by Mita Giacomini

The Stitches and Craft show was more of a craft show than a quilting show with many different shops to what we are used to but I still managed to buy a few things; some fat quarters that will be perfect for rocks in my coral reef quilts, some sparkly felt that I use for a base when embroidering coral and a book on felting.

I am not a felt maker and never will be but I can use some of the techniques for my coral reef quilts and the book has wonderful step by step photos.

Bye for now,
Linda

Prizes

I have been lucky enough to win a 2nd prize in the Sydney quilt show this year with my bush fire quilt.

Firelight©2015 Linda Steele

I received a gift voucher from BeBe Bold, a wonderful shop that specialises in Japanese fabric and embroidery. Here is what I bought with my voucher, needles and fabric. Thank you Jane McDonald of BeBe Bold.

I was also lucky enough to receive a voucher from the NSW shop Fortune and Fairies. I decided to buy some backing fabric for a couple of quilts that I am intending to make.

I also received some lovely prizes for my quilt A Time for all Seasons at the Victorian Quilters Showcase.

A Time for all Seasons

I received 4 boxes of Madeira thread; I now have the complete set of poly, rayon, cotton and metallic thread. I am very grateful for their generous prize. I have already started to use the thread, my machine loves it and it is so handy to have the range of colours and tones.

Madeira Thread Boxes

I also receive some gorgeous Valdani threads from Maytime Distributors. I love Valdani thread. Those beautiful threads are supposed to be colourfast as well.

Valdani Threads

I also received a gorgeous Yazzii Bag with plenty of pockets and space to keep a project when you are travelling.

Yazzii Bag

I have written thank you letters to these generous sponsors but I thought I should also mention them in my blog because all quilt show organisers really appreciate the generosity of sponsors especially in these tough economic times.

It's wonderful to finally finish a quilt and enter it into shows and so exciting to receive a ribbon, to receive a prize as well is icing on the cake.

Bye for now,
Linda

Heather's Quilting Emporium Retreat

I have recently been away for a luxurious two night stay in Moama, NSW at Heather's Quilting Emporium. A friend of mine won a prize at last year's Victorian Quilters Showcase for a two night stay and she was allowed to bring 3 friends. I was lucky enough to be chosen!

We had the most wonderful time and Heather could not have been more kind and thoughtful. She had thought of everything to make our stay a memorable one.

First we were shown to our rooms, here is my room.

After we had all unpacked we all met in the giant sewing room for a coffee.

The sewing room had two seating areas, a large table, cutting board station and ironing boards.

There was even a cosy fireplace.

Heather said that some people go out and look around the town or go to the neighbouring town of Echuca, not us, we stayed in that sewing room for three days, chatting, sewing, checking out our phones and Ipads and eating.

We didn't go hungry because we were served the most delicious food.

Heather also has a shop on site where we could buy fabric and threads etc, just in case we ran out or just wanted to buy. We did of course, she had some lovely batik fabrics that I just had to have.

We did actually leave the sewing room for a short time to inspect the garden.

This was the view out the back, it was beautifully isolated and felt so relaxing.

It was only a two night get-away but I felt so relaxed and had such a wonderful time that I really felt as if I had a holiday.

Here we are happy and relaxed on our retreat.

As well as talking non-stop; I did my homework for the Art Quilters group. It was a little underwater scene.

 On the way home we dropped into two patchwork shops, South Fabrics in Echuca and Canterbury Quilts in Bendigo. We just had to have afternoon tea at Beechworth Bakery in Bendigo as well!

Here are my purchases, I am looking forward to using them soon, I have an idea in the back of my mind for them.

I would highly recommend Heather's Quilting Emporium for a get away with your quilting friends. There is room for 4 but Heather has plans to change the double beds for singles so that 6 friends can stay.
Heather regularly has teachers up there for workshops so keep a lookout for a class that might interest you as well.

Thank you Heather for a quilting retreat to remember. In fact it was so good we are thinking of making it a yearly event.

Bye for now,
Linda

Redecorating

At the beginning of this year I looked around my house and decided that it needed a bit of updating. We built this house 21 years ago and that was before I started or had even heard of quilting.

Once quilting took over my life I hadn't given the house or decorating a second thought. It was time for a change.

I started with the family room which had been a salmon pink colour. We painted the walls a creamy white and gave away our lounge suite. When I ordered new furniture and curtains I had the bright idea of keeping everything a neutral palette and using colour for the accessories, that way I could change the colour when I wanted.

The funny thing is that after I had changed everything I realised that I had lived with the room the same way for 21 years and had never taken a photo of it. It was too late for a photo and I could only see snippets of the way the room had been by looking in the background of some family photos. The photo below looks a bit bare because I had already taken away the old accessories.

The old style room

When I first suggested the idea to my family they liked it but said that I would never be bothered changing it! That made me more determined.

For winter I went with a red theme and I picked up red things here and there that were mostly on special so it really didn't cost very much.

I especially loved how I could use my red quilts to decorate the walls for the first time. I really enjoyed the having a change.

Summer is here now in Australia and so it was time for a colour change and I packed away the red accessories and chose a cooler teal theme.

My quilt, Star Crazy that is behind where I sit and sew every night is not teal but I think I get away with the blue quilt.

We also repainted and got new blinds and bed covers for our bedroom and next year we plan to do the bathrooms and the kids bedrooms.

It didn't take much effort to make the change and it feels so much better.

Do you use your quilts for decorating?

Bye for now,
Linda

New Threads

I have received lots of new embroidery threads in the mail. Do I need new embroidery threads? Of course not, but who can resist?
Actually I didn't seek them out myself but Viv, one of the Southern Cross Crazies had been to a shop in Western Australia where she lives and found that that they were selling out of all their stock of embroidery threads at a really cheap price. I can't remember what type of shop it was but it was nothing to do with patchwork or embroidery and they had been tucked away at the back of the shop.

Viv sent us the colour charts for all the threads and ribbon and we made our choices. They are all the House of Embroidery brand which are hand dyed variegated threads and ribbons from South Africa. It was very exciting when they arrived.

Pearl 8 Thread

Silk Thread

Silk Ribbon

The postage wasn't quite as much as Viv had quoted and so she gave us some extra supplies to make up for it. Fabric of every colour and type that is perfect for crazy quilting.

Fabric

Beads

Braids

Viv must have an amazing amount of supplies because she said that they didn't make a dent in hers. She was far too generous and I felt very lucky to have received so much.

They have come at a good time for me because I have just started a new crazy quilt and these new threads will be very inspiring.
 The Pearl 8 threads can be hard to find but I know of an online source. Lorraine hand dyes them herself and I haven't used them myself yet but one of the Southern Cross Crazies said that they were beautiful threads. The shop is called Colour Complements, I recommend that you have a look; they look so luscious to me.

I had better get onto my embroidery or my new quilt will never get finished.

Bye for now,
Linda

New Fabric storage

I have found some new plastic containers for holding some fabric. I happened to be in the Reject shop when they caught my eye. I keep all my fabric in plastic drawers labelled by colour but sometimes I keep some fabric in range order as well. I have some silk containers and hand dyed containers, batik containers, floral fabric containers and Christmas fabric containers.

These new containers seemed just the right size for fat quarters or half yard pieces. They are quite deep as well so they fit right into the back of the cupboard.

Front View

They stack on top of each other and they are quite light weight and easy to manage. They have plastic dividers in them and this is what they look light from the top.

Top View

They are a good size too, 14.5" (37cm) wide, 22" (56cm) long and 5" (13cm) deep. Here is a side view.

Side view

These containers are holding my latest favourite fabric, Stonehenge by Northcott. They are perfect for landscape style quilts and that is what I am planning on trying next year.

Stonehenge Fabrics

They have a bit more detail and life than the normal tone on tone style fabrics and are perfect for trees, hill, rocks and flowers.

How do you store your fabric?

Bye for now,
Linda

New Charm Block

I received another charm block in the post and also enclosed was another little charm for the bracelet.

I get the pattern, fabric and charm sent from the Quilted Crow Girls every two months. I signed up on a whim last year and it has been a bit of fun. The fabrics are very traditional, maybe a civil war style and I don't have fabrics like that in my stash. The blocks are traditional patterns and I haven't done traditional piecing for years and it is nice to revisit the techniques.

They send a foundation pattern in the kit and this makes it so easy to open it up and start sewing! This time it was the pineapple block and it took a lot longer than all the other blocks so far. I hope that they aren't getting more difficult each time!

Even when foundation piecing you have to be very accurate when sewing the block because just a slight deviation from the line and your points are off.

Charmed-Pineapple Block

The pineapple block has always been one of my favourites and years ago I had been planning on making an entire quilt with the block. I really like the striped fabric on the outside, it gives a lot of interest to the block.
The block is 6" finished.

I must show you the little charm that came with it. It's hard to believe that the little charm block is made of fabric as well. I am glad that I didn't have to make that block!

Pineapple Charm

Bye for now,
Linda

Out and about in Ballarat

While I had a lovely time teaching at Quilt at the Winter School last week, the organisers thought it would a good idea to give everyone an afternoon off. Most of us went shopping and one of the most popular destinations was Gail's Patchwork Emporium in Sebastopol. Doesn't it have a lovely old fashioned name?
Gail's shop is attached to her house and a couple of years ago tragedy struck when the entire place burned down. Gail and her husband have rebuilt the premises exactly as it was and it is beautiful.

Gail has so much beautiful fabric and threads and gifts for sale that it is hard to choose what to buy because you really want everything. Everyone was leaving with these beautiful pink and white bags filled with goodies.

You can see that I find it hard to resist batik fabrics.

One of the big tourist attractions in Ballarat is Sovereign Hill. It is done up as an authentic Gold Rush town in the 1870's and at the moment they are having a Christmas in July promotion. All the shops have Christmas decorations and it is really beautiful. Every so often it snows and it is very realistic looking and quite magical.

On the way home from Ballarat I went to look at Lake Wendouree, which is a large man-made lake that is famous for its black swans. I wanted to see it again because when I last saw it about four years ago we were in the middle of a drought and it was completely empty.

We have had plenty of rain since and it is at its beautiful best.

Lake Wendouree

I also dropped into Mill Rose Cottage on the way home. It is a lovely patchwork shop in Ballan not far out from Ballarat. Of course I found something to buy there as well. Can you guess which colour fabrics I am thinking of working with next? I won't be able to show any progress shots though because it is for a birthday present and you never know she might see it and it will spoil the surprise.

 

 

Well, my time at Ballarat has come and gone and I have at last packed everything away. I don't have any teaching commitments for a while and I am really looking forward to being home and starting a couple more quilts. It has been such a busy first half of the year for me and I seemed to be always rushing from one deadline to another. It will be good to slow down a bit.

Happy sewing,
Linda