Material Obsession

Exhale to release the pressure

I thought my brain was full of enough information to live my life. In yoga we learn to act as though our mind has space enough to learn new things so here goes! I am learning to use blogsy to write my blog posts...look out ! Not only do I have to learn how to type all over again but it is a whole new language for things I have done automatically for 8 years. It is a cruel world but I am not afraid..."for I was walking walking in the woods and I saw nothing scary" Wrote Dr Suess... And the message... Different can be our friend if we allow ourselves to see.

So here goes. It has been a full couple of weeks starting out at the Geelong Quilters Quilt in two weeks ago. After a rocky start at the airport when I missed the long term parking turn off in the dark of early morning and as a result missed luggage check in and the sat at the wrong gate and nearly missed the next flight... I finally arrived in the hall full of busy fingers!

Thank you to all the organisers of the day for having me and for all the nice comments after my show and tell talk. We had a chance to visit the local shops. First off was Jiddy's. It was fun to see a quilt designed with my Wandering Mind collection. Nice!

After the talk we headed to A Little Different.

I had a bit of trouble not interfering with Kim as she helped a customer!

Sunday was the Modern Wedge workshop to a full house and lots of activity and great results.

 

Pattern on pattern is always a fav for me.

 

Anna did a version of Culture Blend Which amazingly came together in one day.

 

This one was done with clever cutting of a single fabric. There were lots of great results and mind spinning revelations on the day.

Megan

It is 10 days later and we turn our eyes to this weekend for the second Modern Quilt Show. This year we gather at the Kiama Pavillion which is a quick two block walk from the train station. Set up Friday and then the opening night prize giving which is always a thrill. We will have a stall there for the weekend as well as some others and of course Bernina will be there with the NEW sit down long arm quilting machine will be there for inspecting.

 

Also for your experience pleasure we are doing some short workshops featuring our rising stars:

Megan Manwaring (@meganmanwarring)will be working through the basics of wonky stars. She has lots of great tips and pointers as well as examples. Join Megan on Sunday morning at 10:30am.

 

Wendy Williams (@flyingfish)will also be on hand at 2:30 pm on Saturday making this fashion forward iPad case with sturdy wool and colourful wool felt decor to keep your iPad warm this winter.

At 12:30 we have the extra ordinary talents of our Cath Babbidge revealing the secrets of raw edge appliqué... Where is the photo??? Find it at @cbabbo on instagram!

And then there is my Modern Wedge class with a new layout in Studio KM ... Our latest favourite range!

We are all looking forward to seeing you at the show and sharing some fun on the Berninas in the classroom which by the way will be available for sale at a great price. Deb Louie will be demonstrating on the new machine which in itself is a reason to go!

Out of time now but so far so good. next post I'll learn more about sharing links etc. feeling pretty chuffed now just to have been able to do something new...so now I can exhale and release the pressure!!!!

K

Ps where would I be without an !!!!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Sewn Away

This past weekend I had a bit of time at home in my studio on my new Bernina.  The more I use this fabulous toy the more I love it.  For many, many years I have listened to Bernina owners talk about how much they love their machines and now I am understanding why!  This isn't a glamor photo but rather a practical representation of my bobbin winding on 1500m!!!!

Who wouldn't love an enormous bobbin! This bobbin is so big that I sewed all day and didn't change it once!  Winding it on is a treat and when it finally does run out, the machine tells me to stop!  Never again will I sew and sew and sew as the pieces fall into never land behind my machine unsewn!  How many times has that happened in the past????

Another feature that I am loving is the intuitive nature of the touch screen.  I am on the go all the time and finding space to learn now things is hard.  If I don't get it in one go...I move on generally.  Not a fact I am proud of but rather the truth.  I need to be able to achieve instantly.  The touch screen is easy to understand and I have played with it enough to feel completely at ease trying buttons.  I know nothing bad will happen!
In preparation for my Diamond Dollies class at AQC I had a play with some of the decorative stitches on the machine and found them to be lots more fun than expected.  Even first attempts worked.  This is a handy little reminder of what stitches do what.  Preparing in advance for a project and having a play with the stitches on practice blocks made it easy to remember what stitches to use where.  Eyes, trims and texture were added to the dolls to bring them to life!

AND....there are so many feature feet that I am finding instead of avoiding new things I try them!!! WHAT!  Yes, I have avoided zippers for cushions until the Invisible Zipper foot!!! This handy foot makes sewing in a zip a short, non frustrating experience.  Now you may think that sewing in a zip is easy but for me, it was a challenge. 

So when I made this poof pillow with my Trail Blazing range I put a zip in it and now can easily give it a wash if needed...not that anything in my immaculate, super clean, wonderfully organized house with everything is in its perfect place can get dirty...ahem!

But most importantly, I am now joining the ranks and learning how to machine quilt my own quilts!  It may not seem like a lot but the 10" x 5" on the Bernina 720 is just enough for me to manage the bulk of my quilts on my domestic machine.  I love taking control of this aspect of my quilting experience.  I am not great at it but I am learning and gaining experience and enjoying it!!! 

The BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) means that my stitches are more regular from the start than they ever would be otherwise.  That gave me confidence at the start.  Of course I still need to baste the quilt properly, decide how to quilt it and actually relax into the process but that is all stuff I can do. 

My Bernina is changing my life!!! It is making me more willing to try new things with confidence.  We have recently loaded the machines onto our website.  Take a look at the special prices...yeah, Mother's Day specials just a bit late because some mothers work full time and the rest so they fall behind...take a look here:

Bernina Specials

And if you are interested in having a look pop into the shop and we'll talk you through it.  Hard sell?  Maybe but I never sell anything I don't believe in so this one is easy!  Sew and sew and sew on! k

home...away

What a difference a  road makes!  Last week I drove up the Blue Mountains and down the other side.  It was a misty day with rain on and off for the duration of the drive.  Then the sky cleared revealing the warm afternoon sun adding a glow to the  the land I love so much.  I never tire of the softness of the landscape here.  It changes as we look from mountains to valleys, sea to paddock.  I get lost in my head as the hours pass by the changing scenery. Everywhere you look the color is faded to almost no color and yet, it is divine to gaze upon.  And when I landed at my destination I found a beautiful reflection encapsulated in a shop of treasures.

Old meets new in a carefully curated shop of treasures that are quiltily inviting...I wanted everything in the shop!

Visiting Bathurst I found myself breathing deeply, seeing vastly and generally relaxing as my mind was able to expand to the size of the space around me.  It occurred to me that the old wide streets of this town, the oldest inland town in Australia most famous for gold mining in the day and a race track.  I was doing workshops with Anni Downes at her shop Hatched and Patched.  Anni's shop is in a word, comfy...but that isn't the only word that describes the inviting environment that invites the mind to wander imagining combinations.  I picked up everything...looked at every corner and generally investigated the nature of all of her designs.  Reflections are stitched on everything from pin cushions to aprons inviting us to look at the lighter side of life and surrounded by the beautiful things it is easy to do.   It was a reminder that our creative life is a reflection of the environment in which we live.

The workshop was over two days which proved to be a big advantage.  I was happy to find people starting one  project on Saturday and another one on Sunday.  It was also a bonus as they were able to go home after our fabric talk and have a second go at their personal stashes seeing things ever so slightly different.  On Sunday we started the day with renewed energy that seemed to last the distance.  Every space in the room filled with wedges and that took on a variety of shapes and colors.  Very productive. 

Teaching in another shop is always a treat for me as I get to wander around and explore another world.  Anni and I shared a laugh at we are total opposites...she is inclined to work with small designs that speak of clarity and careful consideration where I am...well, the opposite of that.  Despite our differences we have many things in common...shop owners, authors, designers and fabric designers working with our husbands running a demanding shop business.  There were many moments of understanding as we reinforced each other in our drive to do it all.  I smiled all the way home!

Upon returning home I found my son's girlfriend Izzy waiting for me with a jean jacket in tatters.  Not sure if I was set up but the next thing I knew we were in the attic finding denim scraps and then this unbelievable scene...   Yep, with lots of energy and a bit of direction she mended her own jacket!  Not sure but if I tread carefully I might get her quilting one day!   Like a lioness crouching in the grasses I will wait with patience for just the right moment! 

So much more to share but duty calls!  Enjoy...k

change

I admit that I am a bit of a fan of inspirational quotes on instagram as sometimes they just hit the nail on the head of what is important.  Recently I read one that said, "I decided I didn't like something so today I woke up and changed it" or something like those words.  I clicked into the sentiment immediately and started considering which repetitive thoughts I have grown weary of and can banish.  The first one to go is:  "I am soo busy!"  Life is full of opportunities and when we take them one breath at a time they are manageable.    If you hear me say that give me a little punch!  The second big change was physical.  When I got breast cancer I lost my desire to be fit...weird I know but I was tired of the constant pull of discipline and just stopped pushing myself.  Two years later it occurred to me that I missed the rush of a work out so I left my tired old gym and joined a new one with lots of classes and great yoga times.  As soon as I signed the contract a huge smile grew on my face and I felt strong again....thanks for listening! It feels good to take control and make the necessary adjustments every once in a while!

 

We are nearing the road of our 2014-2015 block of them on the month programs.  This one was an adaptation of Anni Downes Tilly's Lane from Hatched and Patched.  It has been a real treat to select the fabrics, in this case Kaffe Fassett shot cotton stripes and Modern Solids by Jason Yenter.  The pattern is adaptable to many variations of fabrics styles and we think this one made by Cath Babidge is a real winner.  We finished it off with a few strips of a country style plaid to complement the subtle colors...aint she sweet?

This country background with vibrant color is becoming a theme at Material Obsession as we work the more subtle, earthy tones into our projects.   This one is that practice block from China Shop, the quilt we designed with Kaffe.  I am in love with how beautiful the saturated reds look on the check background.

Changing scale is always good too. I love a big pattern but was happy to see how my new range Trail Blazing cuts up for paper piecing.  I keep finding sweet little bits of fussy cutting and am loving it for the go slow projects.

Having said that, I like how it works cut up big!  This is the free pattern that comes with the kit just in case you were wondering...

And next up, a new pattern coming along for Jen Kingwell's Gardenvale range...couldn't resist a bit of folk art direction and just last night added a new border...

Should be ready by the NSW Quilt show this June...but first...time to hit the road.  On my way to Bathurst to Hatched and Patched for a Modern Wedge workshop.  Really looking forward to this! 

Keep on changing...k