Material Obsession

scarecrow

When Material Obsession first opened I was a self taught quilter with little to no experience in so many areas of quilting.  I would eagerly stand in the shop waiting for customers to show them the wonderful collection of fabric knowing that most of them knew more than I did.  Over the years I have learned so much from the quilters that walk through the door both customers, teachers and friends.  It was with an open mind and heart that I let them show me the wonders of technique in support of all the ideas that I had.  Being limited by the how was frustrating when there was so much what to do.  Without even realizing it I have gained confidence in acquired piecing, applique, foundation piecing, curves, and quilting skills without loosing the sense of what it feels like not to know anything.

Yesterday I packed up the butterflies in my belly, my traveling Modern Wedge show and with as serious a face as possible I presented my dog and pony show to four experienced, respectable quilters on the guild Teacher Accreditation sub committee.  When the email arrived last night to say that  I received the official Teacher Accreditation from the NSW Quilters Guild for workshop teaching methods I was ecstatic!  I have long felt like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz...I know what I know but I wanted proof that I knew it.  Funny how important the recognition of others is for making us feel real...as if we have a brain.  I was surprised to learn that there are only 20 accredited teachers.  I encourage all patchwork teachers to consider accreditation...not for anyone but yourself...it feels good.

So, I thank the members of the sub committee for listening to me and accepting that I have something to say. I thank all of the guilds, shops and groups that have invited me to teach over the years...and I say bring it on to those that haven't!!!  Oh, dear...I can hear the music rushing me off stage...as John would say, I must be running out of tickets on myself soon!  snort.

So, here is my upcoming teaching schedule:

11/12 April at Bay City Quilters, Melbourne area - Lecture/Modern Wedge

18/19 April at AQC, Melbourne - Diamond Dollies

2/3 May at The Home Patch, Bathurst - Modern Wedge

16/17 May  for Geelong Patchwork Quilters Quilt In - lecture/Modern Wedge

30/31 May for Wollongong Modern Quilt Show - Twisting Tradition Workshops throughout the event

27/28 June for Running with Scissors, Seattle, WA Area

1-5 July for Calico Creations, Seattle, WA Area

Then the posse and I break and go to Sisters just for FUN and classes!!!

16/17 July for The Broadway, Napa Valley

18/19 July for The Cotton Patch, San Fran

8/9 August Victorian Quilters

22/23 Hettie's Patch, Adelaide - Into the Woods (new!)

12/13 Stitched and Framed

19/20 September, All Things Patchwork Auckland, New Zealand

There is more but this is enough to make me jump out of my seat and get busy planning.  If you see a local shop or group on the list contact them and come along!  Hoping to see you soon! k

 

monday reflections

Monday mornings are always exciting to me.  The weekend is over and the tank is full.  I found myself savoring every moment this past weekend, checking in my head to be sure it was still Saturday, then Sunday as I found time for a bit of yoga, exercise and hand piecing.  In between the relaxation there was a flurry of pattern writing and carry on but suffice to say, the weekend did the trick and although the week ahead promises to be full...I am READY to go...or is that just my over sized morning coffee talking????

Here is one of the things I managed to accomplish while catching up on Game of Thrones past series episodes in preparation for the next season!!!  These are new English Paper Pieces designed by Susanne Cody and they are fun to play with!  The come with the papers and an acrylic template.  I am using my next fabric range strike offs to make a large cushion.  I can't decide what is more fun, the paper shape or finding the delights of fussy cutting from my own fabric!  Equal pleasure I think.  Now I have to stop myself from turning this into a huge quilt...or do I???

At a crossroads like this I just have to walk away and see what happens to the energy.  I have a few trips coming up so the lure of a travel project is strong.  The hexagons are working too sooo...hmmm I feel an idea brewing.

So...what is happening this week?  We are in full throttle pack it up mode for AQC in Melbourne.  I'll be doing the Diamond Dolly workshop on Saturday/Sunday so next up is making up some more samples for that.  It is such a fun thing to do using beloved scraps for dresses and hats. 

We have lots of new and exciting things planned for the next few months of shows.  First in Melbourne then in Kiama for the Modern Quilt Exhibition.  We are working with Bernina to have a classroom there for short burst workshops on all things modern.  Then...we have our NSW Quilters Show!  Looking forward to that with a particular interest in the red and white exhibition.  THEN...on to Seattle where I have workshops planned in two locations doing all kinds of things!  Gotta be in it to win it so we say yes to everything and hope for the best! 

So, this is my messy cutting mat full of energy.  I just keep cutting, folding, stacking then cutting folding stacking...repeat...repeat...repeat.   best get a move on...k

Irene Blanck - Auntie Green's Garden: Exclusive Sydney workshop

Can’t get to Houston this year to take an applique class with Irene Blanck?

Don’t despair as we are delighted to offer you a two day workshop with Irene Blanck of Focus on Quilts.

Irene is a Melbourne based quilter who has published a large range of patterns under her business name, Focus on Quilts - Auntie Green’s Garden, Message in a Bottle to name but two.

 

 

 

Irene’s passion is needle-turn applique however she loves designing quirky quilts using various other methods of applique as well. You may have seen her recent profile in Quiltmania but her most recent claim to fame has been that she has been accepted to teach needle-turn applique at the Houston Quilt Festival this year.

 

Irene describes her classes in the following way:

“I mostly teach needle-turn appliqué, reverse appliqué, the use of glue – NO pins, and preparing and making hexagons.  I encourage quilters to prepare a complete block so that it is portable and can be completed anywhere, any time.          

One of the main things I found when teaching is that people can be very hesitant about choosing fabric.  I enjoy this aspect of my designing and try and instil confidence in my students about choosing colour – and particularly NOT stressing out with this process.

I like to think of my classes as “sit and sew” sessions – or “mini quilt-ins” – where we have a fun and relaxing day, chatting to friends as well as learning a new technique or perfecting on techniques.”

Over the two days, Irene will help you get started on her gorgeous Auntie Green’s Garden quilt. Irene will guide you through various needle-turn applique methods, how to glue all pieces onto the background and make the block portable and how to use light boxes to eliminate the use of templates for prepping the applique shapes.

The workshop is on Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April and will be held at our shop in Drummoyne. The workshop is limited to 8 participants.   We fully intend to have Irene back so if you get started in this workshop you'll see her again further down the track.

 

Suited for:   Beginner, intermediate and experienced quilters

Cost:  $150 per person (two days) plus the cost of Irene’s pattern

 

More details on our website. Don't delay as this will fill quickly. Looking forward to this fun event!!!

different spaces

It has been a couple of jam packed weeks!  What seems like an eternity ago but was only two weeks and thousands of clicks on the odometer we headed south from Sydney to Bermagui for a weekend of workshops. I am now suffering from electronic device memory loss!  As if it isn't hard enough to have a camera and a phone I have now added an ipad to the mix.  The ipad is great during workshops for taking photos and then having a record of what has been accomplished but I have yet to figure out how to move the photos to my computer where I write and store images...patience and a bit of down time would help!  My camera is great because for 10 years I have used it to record what goes on in my classes and my phone has become the link to instagram.  Sadly, my brain is just too small too coordinate all these varied activities so can you just come over to my house and go through all the photos with me?

No offense to the lovely ladies I have met in my travels but this is my fav photo!

Unable to resist the call of the wild I headed out after a workshop for a bit of a romp through the paddocks.  Swinging my arms and having a bit of a sing I suddenly noticed I had an audience.  Note the wonder in their eyes!  What the heck are they thinking??? In a few seconds their reaction says it all...they turned on their heels and departed!

Back in the work spaces things were on fire as we worked through the concepts of Soul Searching. 

Much more success was had holding attention in the workshops where we worked. I like this workshop for so many reasons but mostly because it is a moment to stop for self examination.  What do I like?  What do I see?  What works and what doesn't???   I often teach these workshops and find that regardless of the skill level of the participants, no matter what the stash looks like or where we are in the world, as quilters we are all subject to our own habits and a little push out of the "comfort zone" is exciting.

It was interesting to note that once out of Sydney things became so much more relaxed.  For example, upon arriving at our destination in Bermagui after a few scenic stops on the road...

we were told by the hotel manager that she would need to call the pizza place and ask them to stay open so we could get dinner at 8:45pm on a Friday night!  It isn't a bad thing at all but rather an eye opener to how often we get consumed by the routines of our lives.  Our expectations of what is "normal" and "right" define us.  In truth, there is peace in not having too many options.  It was relaxing to think that dropping into bed early was the best idea.  I am my own worst enemy in not saying "no" to options but always enjoying the oncoming challenges but I have to admit, a bit of space between the ears on the open road, along the coast, in the mountains and in rolly polly paddocks has made some of the pressure feel just a bit...silly.

It helps when traveling with someone that has no limits.   I am a lucky to have a guy that opens my eyes to the world and pushes me farther than I would go myself.  I am not saying that there aren't times when this makes me a bit (extremely) uncomfortable but in the end, when I look back, the extra mileage, the extra effort the extra everything he throws in the mix makes me a better person.

Meeting a quilters in their spaces has also added an interesting perspective.  I have enjoyed conversations of a different nature during my workshops...not so much about city issues. My ears have perked to women who have struggled on the land, in the home, the workplace, the family and yet, there they sit with their busy fingers working away...smiling.  I am reminded constantly of how lucky we all are to share this gift of making and to use it to boost our souls and carry on.

In Glouster...or on a nearby hillside property, I met a group of women that make quilts with the determined and sole purpose of giving them away to those in need.  These quilts are made with donated fabrics, time, wadding and quilting.  They have a fantastic workspace where they meet weekly to sew, chat and give of themselves.  Songs, stories and joyful recounts filled the last two days.  I felt a bit silenced by their collective spirit of generosity.

Their quilts are scrappy.  Morsels of fabric are sewn together and each result is something different.  They called to me for a bit of "inspiration" so I packed up some stuff and headed there full of purpose.  It is a challenge to stand before experienced sewers and accept the responsibility to show them something different.  What did I have they didn't I wondered before I dove in and discovered that we had lots to share.  That is the beauty of what we do...it is an endless stream of opportunities to be different and rejoice.

They were a happy lot, not because their lives were perfect and in fact, perhaps far from it.  But rather their lives were happy because them made them that way.  Holding each other up, supporting each other with familiarity and understanding.  It was a safe place to be human.  I really enjoyed that and have come home feeling full of an experience I didn't really see coming.  This group produces about 400 quilts a year.  My first order of business today is to find backings and fabrics for them to carry on.  If you need to pass on quality items or are interested in making a donation for quilters that make only for others I can put you in touch with them.  Watch this space also as I think they have a plan to open their great space for retreats in the future!

 

Now that I am back (and not sick in bed with the flu!!!) I am raring to go and get my hands on some of the new stuff in the shop.  Tula Pink's new range has arrived as well as some very tasty selections from Art Gallery, Alexander Henry and a few new designers as well.  We have lots to do to prepare to take this show on the road to Melbourne in a few short weeks!!!  Can't wait to see what happens...enjoy! k

Trail Blazing

Some of us walk gently through life listening and watching and others make a lot of noise and create a stir as we go along.  I am, afraid that although I started out quiet and shy I have not remained such and in fact am rather loud.  It is a truism in life that we always want what we can't have...curly hair people want straight and the star belly Sneetches are the envy of those without stars.  Why the rambling?  Well I have just received the sample yardage from my next line which is called Trail Blazing and have been pondering how it came to life. When I was young I loved nothing more than heading out into the woods around my house on my own to see what I could find.  Amongst the trees was my favorite place to be me.  I would head off the trail and into the unknown spaces imagining what it would have been like to live in a time where that was a way of life.  Ponds, creeks and streams were part of the landscape.   I often found myself amongst the reeds where water birds hide sitting quietly and watching their family life.  This is where Trail Blazing was born, all those years ago and here is where the stars of my memories are living today...

It's hard not to reveal all.  These are the strike off fabrics which I have just received and already started cutting up.   Designing a range is long process full of the thrill of creativity at every turn.  Planned effects and some new surprises come to light in a pile of sampling in the colours of dawn, mid day and evening amoungst the cattails and moving lines of light...
That means fabric in about 6 weeks, hopefully for AQC!  That would be perfect!!!!  You are coming to AQC and doing my class right?!

Awe, heck, here's another bit spied while walking...leaves and berries hanging amongst spider webs...

And speaking of blazing a trail, John and I are packing the car to head down the coast to what should be a fun gathering of the Southcoast & Country Quilters Guild to do a couple workshops.  This is the first of many workshops I'll be doing regionally and around Australia as well as the USA. 

This is the next phase of what has already been an exciting year.  I have just finished all the projects for my next book and am about to hand over the package.  It is like walking out of a cave and into the light having been in total focus stage for so long.

One of the things I have learned in the process is how to use the Blind Zipper Foot on the Bernina.  I know these things are standard for some people and a foreign language for others but I have to say learning how to do the things that were once a mystery to me is one of the things I love about quilting.

I would have thought it was much more difficult than it was in fact which opens the door to learn more skills.

Another fun tool I have been using and LOVING is helped me join my binding strips together at the perfect size. I am challenged in spacial relationships but putting binding on 9 quilts in a row helped me to get the hang of it!

Anyway!  Always so much going on but it is time to hit the road...change the pace and scene, find new things to consider...looking forward to the trail...k