Material Obsession

Seeking a point of Difference

All my life I have watched trends. You know, the fashionable items that we all have to have.  From shirts to shoes, watches to cockoo clocks, furniture to cars, cigarettes to quinoa... we all get led by the nose to refresh our acquisitions.  I remember overhearing my mom talking with a friend in the 1970's.  She was saying that bell bottom pants were going out of style, "Thank Goodness," she said.  I silently left the room and cried.  I loved my bellbottoms and couldn't bear the thought that due to an influence out of my control they would no longer be available. I decided then and there that I would keep mine and wear them even if they weren't in fashion!  Of course I eventually moved on to other fashions but that feeling that I would hold onto what I liked stuck.

  Fashion changes our eye and this happens in patchwork as well.  We see the new fabric, we must have it, we must Make!  It is before our eyes, enticing us and then...it is gone. This constant refreshing of newness might mean that some valuable fabrics get left behind because they are slightly different or because some fabrics just don't look good on the shelf.  For example,these Kaffe Folk Art flowers.  On bolts in a bay of fabrics they don't stand out. But when they are pulled out and mixed up with fabrics they really enable other fabrics to work together.  They give just the right amount of pallet stimulation needed to get the stash working brilliantly.

The background colour is available in black, hot pink, french blue, lime green, white and red...all gorgeous.  It is what I think of as a sleeper as the potential is there but slow to wake up.  Then Carolyn did this...

and Judy did this...

and I am working on this one...

It is a fabric that we are really enjoying as a stash stimulator.  It just keeps bringing bits together.  The other hotter than hot fabric that we are loving at the  moment is the Marquee stripe.  Thing is, I have always loved stripes.  There is an urban myth that they are hard to cut but really, what is easier?  Cut along or cut across a stripe and It just works brilliantly in so many ways.

 

We go to great pains to make string quilts. 
Cutting and cutting, sewing and sewing...all to give the effect of string piecing. Then along comes Marquee Stripe and the work is done for us.  The stripe gives us a colour pallet that works and the visual, graphic excitement to make our quilts come to life.  Those stripe blocks are all from the same fabric!  I tell you this but I hate to as it should be kept a secret so that we can use it all up without sharing.  Ugh.  I hate that I can't keep a secret. times up. k

 

Just Face It...

Sometimes there are things we just don't want to do.  Our brain just says, "NOPE!  Not going there!"   On some occassions not going there is probably a good idea.  Memories of dyed black hair, bad dates, and a couple weird outfits come to mind as minor bad decisions.  Contrary to popular belief, I don't actually enjoy telling people what to do.  For example, I wring my hands nearly every morning before waking sleeping boys.  I try not to  impose my sense of  discipline on them for fear that they will resent me as it works for me but not for everyone.  In the case of my Monday design class I gently suggested we try making faces.  There was palpable fear in the room.  Where do we start? was the obvious question in all our minds. I knew it would be a leap of faith having just done a Face Value workshop with Rosalie Dace. However, it was way more fun than I could have anticipated and I learned so much more than how to make a face...as is always the case with the lovely Rosalie.

Jenny didn't waste any time but quickly got her photo out and here is Jenny's grandson. We were all amazed in matter of minutes at how quickly she got the face to resemble his gorgeous face.

Judy did a self portrait channeling a past life...I think anyway...complete with jewelry.

 

Helena started a portrait of one of her sons who has very curly blonde hair.  We searched through a pile of scrap fabrics and found things that took our mind where we wanted it to go.

 

Cath captured her spirit as well using bits and pieces of fabric from her comfort zone.  This may or may not be a self portrait of Cath but the colours say her name to me.

It started out with a few nevous giggles and a bit of selfconsciousness but soon we were all having a riot of a time finding little bits of fabric to use to create these images.

Sometimes we just need a gentle nudge to try something a bit different. 

How about this elephant walk?  There is more to come but we are all in love with this guy at the moment as Cath gets this quilt under way.

In another design class the Sunburst template has come back as a cushion by Alex. It is such a great shape for using up stash fabrics.  I am thinking now I need to get off the computer and make some cushions. 

Robyn has worked in a more sublime palette having made this baby quilt in the softest of soft shades of pink and grey.  My eyes felt caressed looking at it. 

Debbie has also been making a cot quilt

There are tiny bits of colour that keep it from disappearing and add interest to the random pattern.  The combinations worked perfectly to create just the right sweetness for a baby.

This was a sweet fabric we had with tiny little children's clothes on it with a companion print of socks on the line.  Also sublime in soft shades that are perfect for a new baby.

 

Maree picked up one of my favorite Alexander Henry fabrics a while back and started a cute quilt with it.

The colours are so clean and bright and those tiny flying geese are perfect.  Then Maree learned this circle block with Wendy and added another layer of interest to the quilt. 

One of the things I love doing the most is working out fabrics.  Maree had these blocks made up to go in a quilt she is making for a friend.  It is often difficult to make quilts for people as we try to find fabrics we think they will like but also do the right job in the quilt.  We experimented with several different fabrics and then found this one from Jane Sassaman.  It has just the right amount of pink, light blue and black to perfectly compliment the pieced blocks.  Not only that but it will fussy cut to fit the block as well.  Bingo.

Most of the day was spent reviewing all this progress and finding just the right fabrics to finish off the job.  These churn dash blocks are a great way to use up stash fabrics purpose purchased or not.

The diversity of everyone makes it a creative environment as we learn from each other and are inspired to try new things in both technique and colour.  From the sublime to the outrageous, it all has a place.

On the weekend I got to work my stash a bit which was most enjoyable.  Man and boys were all otherwise engaged so I spent the entire weekend in my pj's in my sewing room!  Funny enough I had a project to do but on a whim started something completely different.  It was fantastic fun.  I might have to take a few days off this week to face finishing it.  k

 

Significant Moments

Yesterday was a signicant day in our family.  It was the Valete assembly for Noah, our second son, which signified the end of his formal high school education.  Of course the hard bit is still to come with two more months of study and exams but the mornings of grabbing a lunch and heading off to school are over for him as he moves into his future. 

As we sat in the assembly it was hard not to be overwhelmed with the emotion of it all.  Each boy filed in and took a seat in near silence.  I noted with surprise at how they had all grown into young men.  Young in that they still have so much to learn and men as they have learned so much. There was a sense of friendships in the room as they appeared to be glued together in the experience of what was happening.  St Aloysius is a special community that prides itself on appreciating every student.  In honor of that ethos, each boy walks across the stage as some of his special features are read out.  He would stand there in confident awkwardness before his peers.  He might play chess, captain a sporting team, be an actor, academic, artist  or anything in between but each one had contributed.  I blinked back the tears as they refered to our Noah as the gentle giant with so much to offer and attributes in so many areas.  It felt good to hear that they see what I see in him.  He is the one most likely to pitch in and help without any attitude at all.  He is the one to play his quick wit card when someone is out of line.  He is the one that never steals the limelight. 

The speeches made me think too.  Father Middleton talked of memories both historical and personal.. how they shape our being into what it is as a collective and as individuals.  It was clear that the memories so recently implanted in these boys minds would last the distance of lifelong friendships.  My heart went out to them as they step out into the world full of confidence and insecurity...full of the now as well as the past and present.  It was a special moment that lasts a lifetime.  Memories from nappies to driving lessons, milk bottles to beer bottles, play dates to prom dates filled my mind as I watched them arm in arm sing their school song at the end of the long day.    Would someone please get me a tissue!

It was all very sentimental until we were driving away.  At the block at the end of the street in no less than 15 minutes nearly the entire class was already in board shorts with beers in hand and headed in groups to the beach!  Of course they deserve a bit of celebration having worked so hard to get where they are today.

 

It is a significant day for me as well today.  Five years ago Kaffe said to me, "Darling, you MUST read Quilt Mania," and that simple emphatic statement changed my life as a quilter.   I immediately got a subscription and have poured over the pages lovingly ever since.  The magazine appeals to my sense of design...each issue is a collection of heartfelt quilts from around the world. The variety of quilting styles is vast but the common thread is a sense of individuality.  Each quilt represents a quilter, a quilter that is an artist with a voice. Traditional, folk, art, hand or machine pieced the quilts have integrity.

When Carol, the editor asked to publish my next book I was completely overwhelmed.  I am honored to be one of their quilters and proud to have a publisher that speaks directly to dedicated quilters. So today, after three years of stealing precious moments to make quilts and patterns I can finally say I am done with MY book at last. 

As we poured over the images (a process that takes many many hours) I was reminded of when we first met.  Many years ago I watched John taking photos and I fell in love.  I fell in love with his concentration, his focus and his eye.  Perhaps that is what make us as a team.  He has focus and I have...hmmm...not sure what I bring to the picture except maybe passion. So even though I had made all the quilts, John made them look beautiful.  It was exciting to see the results of our teamwork and the collective memory of my life as a quilter.

It occurred to me many times during the process of making this book that although I had made all the quilts they are but a representation of the learned techniques and influences of quilters I know and love.  Quilters that are long gone in history or sitting beside me today.  All these elements come together to make a new entity that is but a combination of so many. I can't help but say how grateful I am (thank you more please...) for the opportunity, the lucky opportunity I have to be able to put forward in images who I am as a quilter...because it really says who I am as a woman, the combination of memories both recent and old, collective and personal.  The truth of that is that when this book comes out it is an invitation to anyone to examine my style and select the bits and pieces that appeal to you...that add to your collective memory.

 

Anyway, as I looked at the Quilt Mania Autumn book catalogue I realised my book will be in the April 2012 issue!  OH how EXCITE ME!!!!

Phew...so many significant moments in such a short space of time.  I feel like I can finally exhale and start thinking about all the budding projects in my sewing studio at the moment.  We have the final graduation event tonight and then...and THEN...a Saturday and a Sunday with no sport or work!!!!! Oh be still my heart!

 

gotta dash.  k

Stolen Moments

On a regular basis we get excited about the delivery of this magazine. The pages are always full of images from far and this time near that are guaranteed to click on the brain. 

On Friday Kim opened to this page which started a ripple effect of delighted squeals...

Quilt Mania was here in June for the NSW Quilters Guild show and this is one of the quilts that they photographed.  It is hard not to share the moment with Kim as we had watched her make it in Marg George's class all year.  It was a quilt full of choices made lovingly for Kim's daughter.  This is the kind of quilt that makes the mind wander as we see things we recognise as well as the original interpretation of an traditional quilt.  The madness of the applique and the border capture and hold our attention as the details slowly become visible. 

That wasn't it for the squeals either... A version of Fly Away with Me by Marg George,one of our popular block of the month programs appeared in the magazine as well having been completed in her class.

This quilt, Mad Birds and Hexagons, was made by Kate who has a great eye for traditional quilts.  You can see more of her work at her blog, Empty Fields.   Kate did a beautiful job and quilted her fingers to the bone to get it finished for the Sydney show.  It is a fun quilt full of whimsy and delight and I am sure Kate is mighty happy to see it here in this magazine!  We sure were. 

 
It shrinks the world to see all these familiar quilts in our favorite patchwork magazine.  Maureen Teager, Marilyn Bell and of course Chris Jurd's  Lots of Dots were a few we had picked at the show as favourites as well.

Traditional influences are all the rage living alive and well with lots of new fabrics being used effectively.  Excited squeals are usually the sound of Friday morning regardless of magazines.  Particularly when Margaret pulled out her recently finished top.

Its only been a few weeks since we last saw this in bits and pieces.  The final border brings it all home adding a nice soft frame for all the pieced sections of the quilt. 
Check out these diamonds and triangles full of variety and a reminder that patience is a virtue.  It is a lesson to note that time put in equals reward.

Even the corners have something special going on.  But wait...there's more and I don't mean a pack of steak knives!!! She also finished this one!

These quilts are seemingly in progress forever and then voila! there they are finished.  There are things brewing in every corner.  Take this unassuming box...

Look inside Pandora's box and find a treat in side just waiting to become something exciting.   

It all starts here...

These papers are the base for all this fabulous work.  Hexagons are somewhat hypnotising as they suddenly grow from an idea to a quilt.

 Maree has also achieved a point of near completion with this beauty.

 Hidden in the cut out shapes are fabrics new and old telling a story of dedicated fingers and a finely tuned eye for detail.  Each piece is lovingly selected to create the overall vision of balance.  It is funny to think back to a day when Maree brought in the fabric in the circles that inspired the entire quilt.  It is a bit of a mind warp to watch these quilts come to life blending the past and the present together.

 

So on an early Sunday morning I found myself sitting here with a head full of other people's quilts staring at my design wall for 45 minutes.  Just staring at it in a complete quilt trance.  Saturday night I got home from work...a most enjoyable day spent  meeting lovely quilters and rearranging the fabric walls.  I don't normally work Saturdays and although I had a stack of laundry and a few places to clean up around the house I headed off to open the shop feeling like it was a bit of a treat.  It felt different to the weekdays that are so full of ordering, cutting, teaching etc.  Anyway, I got home, made the dinner and entered my sewing room feeling rather lack lustre and tired.  HOWEVER, I had had an idea in my head so I picked up my rotary and once I took the first cut it was all over but the shouting and  I cut out nearly the entire quilt!  I went to bed happy.  It is now Monday and a few of the small pieces have fallen to the floor...a sign of neglect.  The weekend had loomed ahead as a big open space to create and now it is a memory of time spent doing other things.  The best intentions madly vanished.  I am sure you know how it feels.  Too much to do...too little time.  I hate even thinking let alone saying that but...BUT there is always hope that one day I'll wake up and think...hmmm...I think I'll just sew all day today with no regard to other responsibilities.  For now those carefully cut bits are just a teaser of stolen moments to come but COME THEY WILL!  k

Learning through quilts

  Recession.  It is a word on everyone's lips these days.  However, there are really creative ways to get around it.  Take Wendy Wilson's Liberated Quilts Class.  These gals are working their stashes! 

They are working the ideas and concepts of Freddy and Qwen and have been having a great time doing it.  Now, after a "few" sessions the efforts of their labor is starting to show.  A few of the quilts are nearly finished and I got lucky enough to walk in on Tuesday and see this!  These quilts are vibrant and fun and just say happy times!

They seem to have a lot of fun trying different blocks and getting inspired by each other.  It might be you see someone do something and decide that it is a good option...or not...learning from others is what it is all about. 

This string quilt looks terrific with the stripe border. 

I love seeing people make do with their fabric in tougher times. I can relate because even if I do work in a patchwork shop I don't have a big budget for personal spending.  Times are tough all over so we are always looking for ways to help our quilting customers.  I can understand the need for people to save money and if that includes shopping on line that is certainly an option to consider.  Fair enough.  However, recently we noticed a customer jottting down fabric codes to go and buy them on line.  It was embarrassing for us.  I would have thought that she understood that a local patchwork shop provides staff to service her needs, classes to teach and entertain, design examples, tools and how to use them...that the shop was a generous place to gather and share ideas.  We are a service business which incurrs many expenses and even the coffee comes at a price. If choosing to shop on line that is obviously a choice but the risks taken should not be at the expense of already heavily burdened shops.  Having said that, we have only experienced this once but it did upset my staff and I did take it a bit personally.  Every story has two sides and I choose to tell my side so please don't be offended if I am not talking about you.

 

Anyway, on a lighter note, has anyone been looking for something to do with the laminated fabrics?  How about a gorgeous, styling shower cap?  Lynn made this and came in full of giggles.  Even just hanging in the shower it looks fabulous!

 

A while back Wendy designed a quilt for our beginners.  It is a traditional sampler with lots of easy blocks and made up entirely of Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  Wendy has an extensive background in traditional quilts and is a hand quilter of distinction.  She has taught me many tricks about hand quilting and has actually opened my eyes to new directions for my hand work.  It has slowed me down but I am enjoying it more. 

So, now we offer the Kaffe Sampler as a block of the month.  When we do these programs we make up the blocks in the new fabrics available at the time.  Beginner sampler I say, I'll make those it will only take me a minute.  However, each month so far I have been reminded of things that trip up beginners.  For example, on the first month it was seam allowance.  I was using a different machine to my own and didn't bother to check the seam allowance.  They all laughed as I couldn't figure out why my rail fence wasn't working.  Then of course we went back to the basics and measured up the seams, noted they were too big and then remarked the machine to be accurate.   Result:

The point of this block as a teaching tool is obviously value.  Working from dark to light in colourful fabrics is not always easy as different aspects of the fabric distract our eye so we experimented a lot before we got it right.  The next month we had another block that is based on value so we played around with a variety of ideas and then realised that the best learning tool is showing the wrong block.

The block on the left shows how not considering value can make the lines of a block disappear.  The block on the right clearly shows how the Churn Dash block should work.  It has made me think a lot about how much there is to learn when making quilts.  There are so many variations on each technique, so many blocks and so many options with fabric that it just seems like one life is not enough.  There are many times in the past when I have been excited by an idea and anxious to bring it to life. There were things in quilts or blocks that I thought might be too hard to achieve.  However, I am still learning and even better, teaching others from my experiences.  Working out these "beginner" sampler blocks has been really interesting as I review techniques.

One of the other things that has come from this experience is the value of a half square triangle ruler.  There are of course many methods to make half square and quarter squares so we made up a sheet of options for this program to include with the block.  My preferred method is a half square ruler and particularly the ones that have the blunt tips.  Using the ruler means you get a dependable cutting shape and accurate seam allowance for perfect points every time.  We used to say it wasn't all about the perfect points in quilting but if you can get them with no sweat...WHY NOT?   Unless of course you are going for that liberated look!

In another block for this month (each month has two blocks) we examine an alternate way to work contrast, the one I am always harping on about which is using the colour to create the shapes.  Here we have the hot red and the cool green bringing this block to life. 

The other bom blocks this month have been equally fascinating on different levels.  My Fly Away With Me is coming along beautifully... 

There was a day when a shape like this would have scared me off trying to make the block.  So many in and out curves seemed too hard.  However, applique, if not anything else is simply down to practice.  I have taken a few tips from the experts.  Last year I did a class with Becky Goldsmith, half of the Piece O'Cake team.  She gave us a few tips that stuck.  For one thing, that yellow line outside that template shape.  I use a chalk pencil which means I get a thick line that is easy to see and rubs off in case somewhere along the line I get lost.  They come in lots of colours so they are easy to see on any background fabric.  

In the Twist Again block we are looking at fussy cutting.
This is a DYNAMIC fabric that fussy cuts beautifully to create really interesting patterns.  Using the templates we provide helps to capture just the right spot in the fabric.  We had Liesel make this one up and I'll show you the finished block later but take my word, she did a beautiful job of putting this block together.

It is always satisfying when we get the bom's out the door and in the post.  I love thinking about all the women all over the world that open their mailbox to one of our seven block programs.  They are like little seeds of creativity floating in the air....oh come on...I do get carried away.

On a completely different note.  I love to read but with my hectic lifestyle my days are very busy.  My opportunity to read is often the last 15 mintutes of the day when I can hardly keep my eyes open.  But then Marie gave me this book to read...a much loved version of The Help.  I sank my mind into this glorious story of women...black and white women in Mississippi.  I know many if not most of you have already read this book.  Why it took me so long to find it I'll never know but it was the kind of book that made me stop and read just for the enjoyment of the story, a human story that was believable and unbelievable at the same time. 

My gym budy Michele and I went to see the movie last week. (again something I rarely make time to do.)     We went on a Friday night and were two of only about six people in the theatre!  When I saw the ads for movie I thought they might have taken away the biting edge with flip humour but I was pleasantly surprised.  I would have loved it just for the styling...the hair, the houses, the clothes but I loved it more for telling the story exactly the way I imagined it.   I finished reading it last night.  One of the boys asked me why I was finishing it if I had seen the movie.  They just don't get it do they?  I was reading it because it made me feel good.  I loved the words in my brain and the pictures that came from the words.  Particularly when Skeeter realizes why she wrote the book..."There is so much you don't know about a person.  I wonder if I could've made her days a little bit easier, if I'd tried.  If I'd treated her a little nicer.  Wasn't that the point of the book?  for women to realize, We are just two people.  Not that much separates us.  Not nearly as much as I'd thought." 

When I finished reading it (and in the theater as the credits rolled) I had to just stop and think.  We do get so caught up in the pace of life and the influence of others.  How do we stay focused on what we really believe?  Where do we get the courage to stand up and say...or more importantly to LISTEN...and understand the truth?  It made me appreciate that I have an interest that brings me closer to women. k

Ecological Rain Garden

 

"We had an option to do nothing and let the water run into the bay or we could add something that was attractive and helped the environment..."  said Russ Gowland regarding a rain garden project he spear headed for his church in Naples, Florida.  The purpose of the 4,000ft garden is to capture rain run off, filter out chemicals and look beautiful full of native plants that attract butterflies and birds.  Not only does the garden replace large high water maintenance grass areas but it also manages run off from the large church parking lot.  In the process they engaged local kids to help with the establishment of the garden offering up ownership and pride.

“We wanted to reduce the amount of water
needed for the lawn and planting so we
did away with sodded areas and replaced
them with native Florida plantings said Gowland as they surveyd the results in preparation for a specail memorial service.  The service is dedicated to opening our hearts and homes to God this weekend.

Recently I have referred to being frustrated with the news.  The doom and gloom...lack of connection with political leaders...economic woes....environmental disasters... it makes me feel just a tad confused, frustrated and angry.  And then, right in my own family, someone does something I really admire.  My dad, Russ Gowland, chose not to do nothing and headed up the above mentioned project.  On a day when most of us will stop to remember modern horrors it is good to note with hope that we can make a difference...it can start with deciding not to do nothing but rather to do something.  Hmm...what will it be? k

 

Australia...a big country

 

This was the view...hours and hours and hours of seemingly endless road past paddocks, farms, bush and through blips of country towns. The recent memory of the  lush, green fields of New England came to mind as we drove along.  I tried to remember the long names of towns and wondered as we drove how many mailboxes we passed that are monthly filled with our block of the month packages!  The vast nature of the land brought home to me just how important those packages of colour might be.  They land on the doorstep in the same manner as those colourful birds out there...set against the neutral backdrop colour is like an explosion.

The Canola fields were magnificent and everywhere brightening up the hazy dry tones of the grasses.  More than a few times I thought a lot about colour and how it works here.  I often hear people talk about the way we use colour.  I found on the road that the light made me see colour, shadow and neutrals in much the same way as I see colour for quilts.  Go to the extreme and then pull back .  Set against the almost colourless grasses the subtle and the outrageous were equally beautiful.  Expecting the unexpected became a bit of a theme.  There was great beauty in the old as we set in the newness of the quilts.  Fully spectacular colourful quilts jumped off the background of the earth. 

Ah yes, the glamour of photo shoots!  Back in the old days we worked with a photographer in NYC.  He once described a photo shoot like this, "Models, fashion, rocks, sun...SNAP.  Done."  I often remember him and the ridiculous simplicity of his pitch.  Photo shoots are hard work. We were on what became known as our second honeymoon...surrounded by nothing but land and wild animals most of the time.  I will admit that it was fun.  Really fun. 

John has a no fear adverturous side that meant I was forced out of my safety net.  I didn't count how many barb wire fences I had climbed over, how many I went under or how many creeks I jumped. I tried not to worry about running back and forth while loosing "THE LIGHT" with bags filled with quilts which I have to say are HEAVY!  There is a sense of hurry up and then wait...then rush like a maniac...then relax.  It got to the point that when he said don't walk through that tall grass over there..."WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME?" I thought but of course I knew he was warning me of snakes.  By that point I was numb to it and just stomped through to the destination.  It was fun not knowing where we would end up then parking the car and pulling out the quilts. Ah, the glamour of it all.  Freezing mornings, hot afternoons, red dirt in my shoes and toes...Fresh air breezes, wild open spaces and the feeling that we were on the earth.  All good.

I have to say I was moved by this experience.  Moved by the countryside that offered up little treats amid the harshness of it all.  Moved by an increased understanding of what life is actually like in the majority of this country.  Life is hard for many out there.  It takes a lot of character to work this land and not give up.

Yet there were little joyful spots everywhere.  The space was relaxing and thought provoking.  I have never been one for long car rides.  Too much sitting.  Compound that with no radio, internet or phone service and things could have been bleak.  Instead, as Noah put it as we drove out the drive, "You'll have your thoughts to entertain you."  Said like a true Jesuit student.  Of course we did have our thoughts and they were there in force. 

I realised a lot about Australia on the road this time.  There is a lot of land out there.  At one point we talked of cities and billions of people...hard to imagine after hours of seeing no evidence of human life except for the road and the fences.  Even the towns spoke of only a few people and those that are there nod, say good'ay or wave from their trucks.  Nice.  Each town had a pub, a hotel, a hairdresser, a petrol station, hardware and generally a craft shop.  They appear out of nowhere in the same manner as the animals and in a few short blocks they are gone.  Those blocks are filled with buildings of character.  The painted walls peeling in the harshness of the light.  Pub balconies of coloured fretwork and tables as evidence that people do gather, in the cool of the evening to chat.

The wildlife is spectacular.  We got investigated by a troup of wild goats at one sight out in the middle of nowhere.  It was like a movie.  We could hear them bleating and then they all ran past making a wild racket...out there in the middle of NOWHERE surrounded only by red dirt and scrubby flowering brush. A family of Emus took off as we rounded one bend.  The thing is that the birds, the kangaroos and the rest are so brilliantly disguised in this wonderland.  They appear as if a mirage having blended in perfectly with where they stood in their amazingly clever shapes and colours.  The thrill of seeing kangaroos bouncing along the highway at top speed will never wear off.  I simply delight in spotting them.

That is of course in the afternoon when you can see them.  At night it is a different story as they appear shockingly right in front of the car which can be deadly.  At one point I thought it was raining but it was just swarms of bugs splatting on the windshield.  Hmm.  Nice.  Big, FAT, juicy bug splatter so covered the window that wecould hardly see out!

It was surprising to find water around as well.  In past trips things have been dry...worse than dry really.  So it was a pleasant surprise to find billabongs and rivers, full lakes and creeks babbling.

 

We were only gone a few days but we travelled a lot of land and saw some wonderful things.  Peaceful things,  the kind of things that make you feel your breath and hear your thoughts. 

 

As we headed back to Sydney...kinda sad that it was coming to an end we passed  The Home Patch

so we popped in to say hi to Anni.  It is a lovely shop full of integrity and the delights of needlework.  I really admire Annie for her focused approach to bringing her designs to life. Her shop like the landscape, reflected the land through which we ha just traveled.  It is obvious to everyone that enters the shop that her heart is there on display.  It felt good to share a few minutes with a like mindedly obsessed shop owner and to discuss the joys and hardships of keeping it all together.  It felt warm and inviting but I know it takes a ton of work to make it look like that.

And then we were home.  The three boys managed well on their own.  There were no anticipated stacks of dishes or mess anywhere was exciting.  And now...back to shop life...editing a few patterns and planning a few new things full of the big brown country and wondering how that imagery will be reflected in new work. k

MO ON THE GO

On Friday Sharon returned from a long trip overseas.  She brought with her lots of stories of travel but then revealed an oldy but goodie story about some fabric she was given as a child.  Her grandmother gave her lots of bits of velvets and Sharon cut them with pinking shears and sewed them together.  Years later their home was flooded.  As Sharon surveyed the watery pond in the cellar a bag floated past her.  She picked it up, looked inside and found the squares.  It is now decades later and Sharon has resurected the squares and here they are...

The pieced blocks are 50 years old and then she found the velvent block fabric on a vintage fabric website and now these pieces will come together at last.  Funny how old is new and these blocks look right at home on the wall.   That is what I call a quilter's story!  

That wasn't all she brought to class.  This was in her bag as well and is just as pretty as a picture.

That green background says old and new at the same time and the basket fabric combinations are just sweet. 

When you look close up at a quilt the personal detail of choices become evident.  The miracle of fussy cutting little hexagons engages us as we find tiny delights everywhere we look.  These quilts take time so current favourite fabrics get used and then rediscoverd with love even before the quilt is finished.  That centre square has special meaning and sits amongst the hexagons just waiting to be discovered. 

Then yesterday Cath and I headed out to the Wentworthville Quilters monthly meeting with a carload of goodies.  They meet at Lynnwood, a home built in 1890's and full of glory, faded in some places
but still whispering of the original family owners as well as the orphanage that it then became.  Heads up because this group is having a show the weekend of September 18 & 19 at 25 Byron St Gilford.  Put that on your calendar and we'll see you there! 
There were special features everywhere we looked.
They don't make houses like this anymore. 
It is always a pleasure to go on the road and visit quilt groups.  Here they are listening while busy fingers everywhere worked on an enormous variety of projects.  There were quilts in progress with everything from hexagons to foundation piecing, knitters, crochet, needpoint...it was all happening.  When the meeting started and they were reviewing the plans for the upcoming show I felt like a spy from my own quilt group.  I could hear the ideas of delicious family recipe treats for the kitchen that filled the airspace...then discussions about the craft stall, books and magazines...ah yes.  Quilt shows!  Then at the end of the meeting Annie passed out birthday cards for the month of September which was really touching.
It is always hard to decide what to take to these events.  We decided to feature our templates and took a variety of them plus the patterns that match and they were a big hit.  We also took our new wool and that was also a big hit.  Then we took kits which were popular...

And end of bolt specials as well as our popular Whacky Backs.  It is one thing having groups come to the shop but it was fun to be able to do demonstrations of products and to meet the quilters in their own space and see what they are doing. 

We are happy to go on the road to groups with a trunk load of goodies so if you have a group and would like us to come just pop off an email.  It is also possible to get a Colour Workshop with theory and application, template workshops at your groups or at the shop. 

We had show and tell as well...

 

 

So to all the Wentworthville Quilters, thanks for having us and we look forward to seeing you all again soon at your show!

As for me, as I type I am packing up some things to do in the car.  We are going "OUT BACK" or at least outside...  I am going for a run first because, well sitting still is not in my nature and also because I have to get rid of any excess energy because I have to BEHAVE on the road.  My Marching Orders will be coming a mile a minute.  I am scared and excited at the same time.  So, throwing caution to the wind here we go....see you in a few days. k

 

getting busy...my favourite theme

This week we celebrated the first official Material Obsession staff sew-in and it was a raging success.  We shut the door to the shop and headed to the kitchen to watch Cath make a tasty Thai curry, ate it up and then hit a variety of projects from hexagons, to applique to clam shells, quilting bindina and  more.  I am not sure that there was a lot of sewing done at the end of the night but we all left the shop satisfied at having had a chance to engage in discussions about life and quilty stuff.  Is there anything better than chatting with those that share your interests?  It was also a chance for us to discuss a very exciting project that we are planning.  Oh, oh dear, I hate secrets and am fearful that I may not be able to keep it under wraps.  When I know something exciting it circles around in my head bursting at the back of my lips to be told!  Ugh.  I hate teasing but this is me taming the secret beast!

The first day of SPRING!!!! (changing the topic) We pulled out the Polly Pratt dresses for a viewing in the mild air.  As fate and kismet style would have it, they were next to the voiles and I couldn't help but think how nice they would be made up in these fabrics...We offer that as a service and this is the perfect time to start planning the spring wardrobe!

Then the linens caught my eye as they just scream elegance...yes screaming and elegant behaviour go together don't you know! 

I finally managed to connect the dots and take the photo of Dan Bennett's latest arrivals.  These fabrics are very tempting in the fussy cutter department.  Great lines, dots and colours all add up to just what we need for applique and particularly hexagons!!!

The designs are original and spring from his paintings... a theme that grows on me daily.  I love the connection of being motivated to create by images from other disciplines like painting...scultpure or any other art.  I can't stop thinking about Margaret Olley and how she said the best subjects for art are right in front on our eyes...oh dear...another exciting project is brewing there too!
Although Dan lives in England, his designs look to be inspired in the same heavenly spaces as the Aboriginals of Australia.  The dots add dimension and the lines offer endless combinations of graphic integrity that make our eye wonder from one spot to another.  They fascinate my eye with layers of design integrity and I can't wait to get at them which reminds me of something I can share here...

We have come up with a little promo for spring.  Buy any template from our exciting range and we'll throw in a pattern ($20 value)for free.  Templates in a single shape or a block set are a great stimulation to the stash.  We have a stimulating variety and have used many of them in patterns.  Many of them are up in the template section of the website and many of them are in our hands at the moment!

I can sense that there are a lot of us listening to the world economic news and thinking about not buying new fabrics, as tempting as they are.  Aren't we all a bit wary.   So, if you are planning on spending a lot of time working your stash this is a great opportunity to invest in something new that will give you a lift. We have lots of exciting shapes to play with and the patterns mean it is a bit of a no brainer.  Accurately cut and then sew perfectly!  Not sure about them...ask us!  I love showing people how to use them so don't be shy.
Here we have a sweet spring moment...sleeping twins visiting our gal Sally at the shop.  It was  delicious to see them, so quiet, so well behaved all the while knowing that there must be times when these two cause absolute bedlam! However, they must have sensed the need to be calm while moms chated about the benefits of four kids!!!

It was Brigitte's one day hexagon workshop and although I pushed to see one finished at the end of the day that wasn't the case...however, there were lots of great starts...

Sally came up from Canberra and although I ran around her like a headless chook for much of the day we did have a few minutes to chat quietly about the changes in our lives which is a rare opportunity now that she lives away.  All day I had a warm sense of comfort knowing she was within our walls bringing that special thing that she brings...herself.  I was happy in my heart that she could escape the routine (as rewarding as that is!) of four boys and spend a day doing girly things with us!  It felt normal and good.

The combinations of scrap fabrics were like tiny memories on the tables.   Many we have seen before and are but small gatherings of bits and pieces.

From Liberty to reproductions, it was all there mixed in with a variety of background options. 

It was all happening and driving me crazy as I really want to make this quilt now...particularly the morning after surrounded by fabric scraps everywhere in my sewing room!
At the end of the day it was time for sweet goodbye's and a WACKY BACK to finish off the project!

(HOT selling specially priced backs with a variety of looks at 5m for $55!!!)

Sally packed up and headed home but I don't think this is the last time we will see her escape to MO land.  I am reminded in saying this that if you are visiting in Sydney from anywhere in the world and would like to attend a class just let us know.  We have had lots of visitors lately attending classes on a one off basis.  We love to meet you and can usually make space for one more!

 

 

 
Anyway, it was a fun day as spring sprung and things were hopping around the shop.  (view from one very professional shop keeper while lying on the floor...)I will admit that I was a bit dreary upon returning from wonderland.  However, there was a moment last week when I heard some lively chatter over a stack of fabric and I realised just how lovely it is in the shop.  We have a more realistic routine with less running around for the next month or so and the ease of the days is offering up a new reward...time to think.   Here's me with my thinking face on...caught in the moment by a watchful friend realising that this doesn't happen often...that is thinking with mouth shut!

I even had time to make up an apron with some linen and voile for myself.  It has been lovely to hang around and make up kits with customers...to chat with the MO team and to generally enjoy the home away from home that the shop is for us.Evidence of creativity is everywhere but like the greedy sorts we are, we just can't help but plan for more!  

now it is late and I am on the hot foot out of here because even though I am not packing a bag to travel at the minute...oh. correction...I am packing to head out back to shoot quilts.  How does one forget that?  I have been told that I must just go with the flow on this trip and not to interfer too much with the photographer.  hmm, not sure we've met even though we've been married 22 years.  Yikes. Now I really am in a hurry.  see you soon! k