Thursday, March 29, 2012

Sarah's Revival - New BOM and Applique Project No. 4

I sit here listening to the roofers pounding away on the roof.  Hopefully we will be waterproof again.
 
 
WHAT'S NEW
This week sees the launch of our newest Block of the Month - Sarah's Revival. 

This is the year of fine hand applique, the year of Red and White quilts.  This quilt is a marriage made in heaven.  Sarah's Revival pays homage to Sarah Holcomb's wonderful quilt, hand pieced and appliquéd in 1847Sue Garman has out done herself with this quilt.

I saw this BOM in Houston and knew we just had to have it.  Based on the German Scherenschnitte or Papercut patterns.

I have found a photo of the 1847 original quilt, by Sarah Holcomb.


Photo found on the Starr Antiques web-site www.starrantiques.com.

All the details for this beautiful BOM can be found on our web-site at www.quiltsmith.com.au.

My Applique Project No.4

Project No. 4 in my year of applique, has some hope of being completed.  It is my version of Sue Ross's Strawberry Shortcake.  As I'm allergic to strawberries they do not appear on the quilt top.


All I have to do to finish the top is applique down the circles on the outer border.  I have just tacked them in place.  The top is completely hand pieced and this is all I have to do (I think), so I need to get on and do it.  The only problem is I've started knitting.  Never enough hours in the day....



Do you think I need to add any leaves or anything else around the circles or is it OK the way it is?

Melinda




Friday, March 23, 2012

New Class - Auntie Green's Floral Applique Coverlet

I am thrilled to announce that Sue Ross will be teaching this landmark antique Australian Quilt.



This quilt is included in Annette Gero's book, "The Fabric of Society".  The original quilt is featured in the photographs from Annette's book, as shown above, (with permission from Annette Gero).

Sue Ross has loved this quilt for years and is in the process of creating a near perfect replica of the original quilt.

The photos below are of Sue's quilt to date.  This is a work under construction so there is no finished quilt to show, yet!  The photos say it all.






The class will start on June 8 this year, and be a once a month class on the second Friday of the month.

This class will be all about the Auntie Green Quilt and will run for between 10 to 12 classes.  (Sue needs to finish the quilt to be sure of the number of classes.)

There are limited places available in the class, so if you would like to be in the class you need to act quickly.  Please phone the shop to book your place, and for the full details about the class.

Melinda


Thursday, March 22, 2012

This Week.....

This week we have been dealing with a flood of new fabrics.  This can slow up getting the new fabric up on our web-site as we scan every fabric here, so you can have the two pictures of each piece of fabric.  This is uncommon as most fabric web-sites only have one scan of a fabric, that scan is blown up when you click for a larger picture.  If you click on any of the fabric scans on our web-site you will see you get a second picture that shows more of the fabric's pattern.  I think this is important, but it takes time.  The American Folk fabric I blogged about last week is now up on the web-site.

Now you can have a peek at some of the new fabrics that have arrived this week.

WHAT'S NEW


Civil War Journals by Barbara Brackman.


Farmington by Martha Negley.


Cocheco Mills IV by Judie Rothermel.

These photos are just a small sampling of these Collections, they all have many more fabrics, and all will be on the web-site as soon as we can scan them.  Plus lots, lots more....

CLASS ACTION

We had our second class with Katrina Hadjimichael today.  Here are some photos.




We have this beautiful quilt hanging in the shop at the moment.  Well worth a look if you can drop in.


Katrina is teaching here on the third Thursdays of the month.

Katrina was the guest speaker at the Quilt Study Group's meeting last Saturday at the Powerhouse Museum.  She spoke about how she finds the inspiration for her quilts from antique quilts. I enjoyed the afternoon immensely.  The Quilt Study Group is a sub-committee of The Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc., if you are interested in the history of quilts and/or contemporary quilts this is a great group to blog to.  The Guild's web-site address is www.quiltersguildnsw.com  you can find details about the Quilt Study Group on that site.




TIDBITS & TREASURES


 Some of the wonderful quilters in the Repro Fabric on-line group can to visit this week. 






The red and white baskets were antique blocks!

Melinda









Thursday, March 15, 2012

On the Ides of March

We have been a bit busy this week.  We had a good soaking in last Thursday's spectacular deluge.  This caused a little bit of damage in the classroom.  So thank you to all the class who kept on sewing  despite the buckets.  I was very impressed that anyone swam to the shop.

Just a quick run through what's happened this week.

WHAT'S NEW



These are the only fabrics I bought last year in  Houston.  They are American Folk Fabric, they are 150cm wide and they are beautiful.  I think this will be a once only purchase, so get in quickly.  They will be on the web-site.


The first installment of the 2012 Kaffe, Brandon  and Phillip fabrics are here.


Great reds and whites.


More colourways in the popular Pezzy Prints, you can find this in our 1930's section on the web-site.

CLASSES

Here is what happened in Margaret Sampson-George's 101 Ways with Hexagon's Workshop on the weekend.  It was a hoot.


Lindy (on staff) has a nose for hexagons.


The joy of hexagons!


Don't for one moment think the Workshop wasn't a hive of activity.


You can, someday, end up with a quilt like this.  We will have more hexagon and other Workshop with Margaret throughout the year.

QUILT PARADE

These quilts came to the shop.



Look at these great kid's quilts, made with love by Cheryl.


I love seeing quilts that started in a class here.  This is Gail's version of Fresh Flower's.  This was a Summer School class with Kim Bradley.  Yummy.



Here is Janet's (staff member's) Japanese Crosses Quilt.  What a great way to use up scraps (or buy a whole lot of new fabric).

Janet has also finished her Barbara Brackman Civil War quilt that we showed you blocks of as they were made.  Well my blocks are still under construction as I'm making mine a bit bigger.  But here is Janet's finished quilt!!!



She used the extra blocks on the back.


Melinda












Thursday, March 8, 2012

Class Blast We love Hexagons

Just a quick reminder about our upcoming Saturday One Day Workshops.

Margaret Sampson-George  101 Ways with Hexagons

In this workshop you will cover; drafting hexagons, in what ever size you want, and then explore ways to divide your hexagons to form exciting patterns. You will discuss and customise these shapes to form your own designs.  The aim is for everyone to create their own pattern!  We will also look at ways to use hexagons as a border on a medallion quilt.  The eternal question…how to turn the corner on a hexagon quilt and how to finish the sides.  Then choosing fabrics to complete your chosen project….the most important part…the best part!!




Saturday 10 March 10 - 3.  Cost $70.00.  Three places available.

Suzy Miller  Fussy Cutting Hexagons 

This is the ultimate class if you want to create fabulous hexagon quilts.  Learn the art of fussy cutting to create a beautiful secondary pattern.  This is a skill you will be able to use again and again.  Join Suzy for more hexagon madness!


Saturday 31 March 10 -3.  Cost $70.00.  Four spaces available.

If you would like to have a playday with hexagons please ring the shop on 9550 4947 to book your place.

Look what's new in the shop.

New shelves, we are all very excited.  We have killed off some of our cardboard boxes!!!!

Please come and see what a difference they make.





Melinda




Friday, March 2, 2012

Oriental Fabrics on Sale

ORIENTAL FABRIC SALE
 
Once again the shop is heaving with fabric and it is time to move some stock.
 
The sale will start in-store and on-line on Saturday 3 March and finishes on Saturday 10 March.  All Oriental Traditionals, Taupes and Printed Fabrics will be 30% off with a 30cm minimum cut
(50cm on-line).
 
We look forward to seeing as many of you in the shop as can make it.

 ON-LINE SALE

Our normal sale rules apply:-

 All reductions will be shown on the invoice; the prices shown on the web site are the normal retail price.

 Sale items are subject to availability, and the reduced price only applies to current stock.

 Orders will be dealt with in the order they are received

 Fabric orders for lengths greater than what is left on the bolt will receive the remaining amount, unless the order clearly states “all or nothing”.
 
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