Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2016 i Australian Homespun

NSW – Country April 7-17 Nelson Bay Nelson Bay Quilters’ biennial quilt exhibition, “Beyond Basics”; Port Stephens Community Arts Centre, Shoal Bay Rd. Quilts on show featuring “Back to Basics” challenge. Craft items, books, sewing notions and some quilts for sale. Refreshments available. Open 10am-4pm. More information: Phone Denise on 0414 486 709. April 16-17 Tamworth Tamworth Art and Craft “The Colour of Water” Quilt Show; The Craft Shed, cnr of Peel and Marius Sts. Exhibition of quilts made by group members, quilt raffle, demonstrations, sale of hand-crafted items. Refreshments available. Open 9am-4pm. Entry gold coin donation. More information: Phone Christine on (02) 6765 3118 (after hours), or visit www.trcci.com.au. April 22-24 Faulconbridge Springwood Community Quilt Show; Springwood High School, Grose Rd. Chris Jurd is the featured quilter. More than…

Soft yakka We all know that blokes love their sheds – and, for the most part, we females are happy to leave them to it. BUT even the girliest girl needs a basic tool kit for minor mends about the house. And in true Homespun form, we figure we can improve on the butch essentials with a little fabric and trim. Hence our pompom-trimmed jars and tool embellishments. Take jars, any jars, and encircle them in glued-on gingham, pompom and ribbon, then turn your attention to the hand tools, the handles of which get wrapped with leftover fabric – floral, of course! ID labels can be added to the cardboard circles on the ribboned lid tops. All done with a little household glue and a driving urge to pretty things…

Materials • Scraps of assorted plain coloured fabrics to total about 85cm (1yd) (rosette centres)• Wide assortment of novelty print fabrics with small motifs to total about 4.5m (5yd) (rosettes) – see Steps 1-4. You need to be able to cut six hexagons from each print fabric; the amount of each fabric you need will depend on the spacing of the motifs on the fabric. Fabric leftover after cutting the hexagons can be used to make the scrappy binding• 5.3m (5 5/8yd) plain black fabric• 4.5m (5yd) backing fabric• Batting at least 225 x 205cm (88 x 80in)• Milliner’s/straw needle• Neutral-coloured silk thread• Template plastic, fine permanent-marking pen and fine mechanical pencil• Pre-cut 3/4in hexagon papers or stiff paper to make your own• Water-soluble fabric-basting glue (optional)• Small elastic bands• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with1/4in foot• General sewing supplies Finished size:…

Materials • 35cm ( 3/8yd) floral print fabric (outer pegbag) – see Note• 40cm ( 1/2yd) coordinating floral print fabric (lining and frill) – see Note• 15 x 20cm (6 x 8in) cream linen or cotton fabric (embroidery background)• 30cm (12in) square of lightweight fusible batting• Stranded embroidery cottons in white, light green, light turquoise, pink, yellow, delft blue, beige brown, dark brown and leaf green• 70cm ( 3/4yd) of 12mm (1/2in) wide yellow ricrac (pegbag trim)• 10cm ( 1/8yd) of 12mm (1/2in) wide pink ricrac (hook frill)• Two 20mm ( 3/4in) decorative flower buttons• Wooden coat-hanger• Saw• Template plastic• Coloured nailpolish• Sharp pencil or erasable fabric-marking pen• Sewing machine• General sewing supplies Stitches used: Backstitch, cross stitch, detached chain (lazy daisy) stitch, French knot, laced backstitch, running stitch, straight stitch Finished size: 34 x 26cm (13 1/2 x 10 1/4in) excluding hanger Note:…

How did you start your sewing career? I’ve been sewing since I was small. Then there was night school for tailoring and City and Guilds for art and embroidery. The pattern-making came along when I joined a group at my local patchwork shop – All Things Patchwork. Cheryl, the owner, asked me to make a pattern for her shop, and I’ve never looked back since then. What would you do without sewing? Gosh, I’d be pretty bored, because the really fun part is drawing up the patterns and creating. What are the stitching tools you couldn’t live without? I love appliqué pins, Roxanne glue and Sewline mechanical pencils and glue pens. I try new products as they come along, so the list will get bigger. Do you cherish the time…

Who taught you your crafting skills? Did you learn ‘at your mother’s knee’? Yes, I can definitely thank my mum for teaching me to sew a straight line and to follow a dress pattern. Is it hard to find time to do this or is it a profession? I’ve been designing for 13 years and was first published in the Christmas in July issue of Homespun 10 years ago. From where do you draw inspiration? The inspiration for this project came about when I made a purse for my daughter’s mobile-phone recharger. Do you teach your skills to others? Yes, I teach at the local patchwork shop and do workshops. What are your favourite materials to work with? I love to mix fabric, felt, ribbons and buttons with stitching, patchwork…

A BIT OF A PANE She blogs under the name of Flea Market Trixie (fleamarkettrixie.com), and she’s a master of her moniker. Tracy Wills can walk up to a market stall table and picture the possibilities, where others can only see junk. Her doily window panes are proof. Rustic timbers framing delicate lace is an unexpected but pleasing combination for an artwork – or even for an internal window. The doilies are stretched across the back of the frame, either stapled or glued to secure and then trimmed of surplus material. link directly through to this project at fleamarkettrixie.com/2011/11/repurposed-vintage-doilies-and-frames.html.…

Stockists AUSTRALIAN CAPIT AL TERRITORY Hobbysew Belconnen Belconnen Ph: (02) 6253 0011 belconnen@hobbysew .com.au www.hobbysew.com.au Motif By Hand Crace Ph: 0402 622 919 motifbyhand@gmail.com www.motifbyhand.com NEW SOUTH WALES Fabric Pixie Goonellabah Ph: 0415 826 994 deanne@fabricpixie.com.au www.fabricpixie.com.au Hobbysew Kings Park Kings Park Ph: (02) 9621 4000 kingspark@hobbysew .com www.hobbysew.com.au Hobbysew Top Ryde Top Ryde Ph: (02) 9877 5067 topryde@hobbysew.com www.hobbysew.com.au Lyn’s Fine Needlework Baulkham Hills Ph: (02) 9686 2325 sales@lynsfineneedlework.com.au www.lynsfineneedlework.com.au My Sewing Supplies Kirawee Ph: (02) 9542 3513 info@mysewingsupplies.com.au www.mysewingsupplies.com.au Nesting Needles Coffs Harbour Ph: 0400 055 989 lisa@nestingneedles.com.au www.nestingneedles.com.au Patchwork on Park er Cootamundra Ph: (02) 6942 1104 jock-commins@bigpond.com Picton Patchwork & Quilting Picton Ph: (02) 4677 2802 troy@pictonpatchwork.com.au Post Offi ce Patchwork Glenbrook Ph: (02) 4739 9555 popatchwork@eftel.net.au www.postoffi cepatchwork.net.au Rainbow Patchwork Lismore Ph: (02) 6622 3003…

Arm Knitting by Amanda Bassetti, $29.99 Here’s something fun: teach yourself how to arm knit. Yes – it’s exactly what it sounds like. Instead of using knitting needles, you use your arms and super-chunky yarn, perhaps even two or three strands at a time. Most of the 30 projects in Bassetti’s book are finished in less than an hour. It’s terrific for beginners who want easy knits and the satisfaction of a finished project. Following a chapter that explains how to cast on, knit, cast off and sew or weave in the ends (all with your hands and arms) and another that demonstrates a variety of stitches (knit, purl, moss, rib, cable etc), there are instructions for beanies, cowls, scarves, blankets, mats, cushions and several shoulder bags. Published by…

Best embroidery Let your imagination take you up, up and away. Designer: Asa Yoshie of Small Specimens Contact: www.etsy.com/shop/smallspecimens, smallspeimens@gmail.com Best appliqué All the ingredients for a tasty piece of stitching. Designer: Josie Contact: www.sewforsoul.blogspot.co.uk Best felt A truly heart-felt cuppa – drink it in! Designer: Katie Smith Contact: www.punkprojects.com, www.etsy.com/shop/punkprojects, punkprojects@gmail.com…

JACQUELINE FINK “While I was asleep, a big, loud, booming voice said to me, ‘You have to knit, and it needs to be big’. The command was as terrifying as it was profound and it woke me from my sleep. But I had asked for guidance from the Universe for so long that I didn’t dare question my vision. There was no way I wasn’t going to listen to it.” The day following her vision, Jacqueline set about discovering what ‘knitting big’ meant to her, relying solely on her intuition. “I took the instruction to knit big literally,” she says. While searching “off the grid” for a suitable material, she came across a bag of unspun merino wool from a farm in South Australia. Using industrial-size needles her dad made…

Do you make lots of quilts? I really enjoy making quilts, both for my family and as gifts. In particular, I enjoy making scrappy quilts. There is something very appealing and satisfying about transforming a box of scraps into a beautiful quilt. The hardest thing for me is to decide when it’s okay to discard tiny pieces of fabric. My rule of thumb is that, if I can’t get a 1½in square from it, then it can go. How did you come up with the idea for this lovely design? I originally started making a Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt, using novelty fabrics. Then I saw a quilt made by a woman named Janice, on Bonnie Hunter’s blog (quiltville.blogspot.com), which used black fabric to border the novelty ‘flowers’ and I was…

Do you make lots of quilts – what’s your yearly average? Five or six a year, on average. Some by hand and some by machine. How did you come up with the idea for this lovely design? It’s an old block – 1930s maybe? – and it’s a circle block, which is my favourite. I wanted to try out the basket border, too, so this seemed a good pairing. Did the design take long to perfect? I use Electric Quilt design software, and it was easy to draw the block. Not so easy, though, to make the border block the right size. You always work wonders with circle motifs. Are they a favourite design element for you? Yes, they are. Not many quilters like sewing them, but I’ve done so…

Why this particular craft? I love everything about stitchery. It’s easily portable and can add so much charm to an item with just a few simple stitches and not a great deal of cost. I like to think I follow a long line of women who have done the same, creating beauty where there wasn’t any and a bit of fun to brighten up the daily work around the home. Have you tried plenty of others? From my earliest memories of making the compulsory stitched huckaback placemat at school, there’s been a lot of years to try many things, from paper folding to knitting and crochet, patchwork to leadlighting, woodwork to folk art, beading, cross stitch, dressmaking etc. The results of some brighten up my home and have been presented…

What memorable responses have you had to your art? The best quilts are those that are loved. When I give a quilt that is a gift, those are the responses that are the best. I had to miss a friend’s wedding, and she called me to tell me that the quilt I made her was the best wedding gift she could have ever received. It means the most to know that what I put so much effort and work into is loved. Then there are those people you want to slap when they say, “Oh, I love this blanket.” Seriously. How does the word ‘sparkle’ relate to your life? I consider glitter and sparkling a metaphor for my life. I want to be the best version of myself possible, and…

Why this particular craft? Sewing and quilting is probably my greatest passion, but I love knitting and crochet, as well. Recently, I’ve discovered how much I love appliqué, too. Have you tried plenty of others? I’ve been avidly interested in all crafts since I was a small child and I’ve also dabbled in needle felting, embroidery, cross stitch, long stitch, scrapbooking … there’s probably a lot of others, too. I’ve always examined everything to see how it’s made, and love the challenge of doing it better and cheaper myself. Any funny stories along the way? When I was a teenager, I made a patchwork cushion that I was very proud of. A few years after I was married, I sat on it on the sofa and discovered a pin that…

“Every fare that ever there was is gathered here for certain ...” Materials • Assorted cream and grey print fabrics to total about 3.7m (4yd) (block backgrounds)• Fat quarters, fat eighths and fat sixteenths of assorted print fabrics (appliqué) – see Claire’s Fabric Tips• 55cm ( 5/8yd) raspberry print fabric (binding)• 3.4m (3 3/4yd) backing fabric• Fusible web• Batting at least 172cm (68in) square• Stranded embroidery floss in mid-brown• Machine threads to match appliqué fabrics and in dark brown• Pigment pen, black pen, disappearing fabric marker and pencil• Baking paper (such as Glad Bake) or a Teflon appliqué mat (optional) – see Claire’s Appliqué Assembly Tip• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with universal and jeans needles – see Claire’s Machine Stitching Tip• General sewing supplies Stitches used: Backstitch, French knot Finished size: 152.5cm (60in) square Note: Read all the…

a little cutie! MAKE MINE GEOMETRIC It may be small, but it’s perfectly formed! Patons’ crochet child’s cardigan is a network of triangles. It’s not only clever, it’s irresistibly sweet and quite simple to make in 4 ply Big Baby yarn. If you’d like to try your hand at this design, you’ll find the ‘Triangle Motif Cardi’ pattern in the Crochet Cuties book, available from your favourite craft outlet. Or contact Patons for your nearest stockist – call 1800 337 032 or visit www.patonsyarns.com.au. TWO ALL-BEEF PATTIES ... ... special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a stitched felt bun! But there are zero calories in this yum burger. So, all up, a delicious craft temptation. This cute pouch (complete with a slice-of-tomato zip close) is the work of H…

01 OddBall takes an iconic landmark to new heights with its unique Harbour Bridge hanger. 02 The word’s out – and up on your laundry wall in the form of this YBcreative print, which is available in A4 and A5 sizes. 03 With the Redefine Vapocare iron, less energy, water and time are needed to press your clothes. For more information, contact Morphy Richards. 04 Durance Australia’s wonderful orange-blossom-scented textile softener works fragrant wonders with your weekly wash. 05 The Laundress travel pack comes with all the essentials for fresh clothes while away from home. From The Butler Trading Company. 06 The MintageAU tote bag is made from cotton canvas and makes for top storage in the laundry. 07 Sky-high in style with Down To The Woods’ cloud coathangers. Contact…

Diamonds may still be a girl’s best friend, but her second bestie will be an Allison Dey Malacaria bust brooch. The 3D pins are hand stitched by Allison (using upcycled old sweaters as her base material) before being dressed in buttons, bows and scarves and coiffed within an inch of their lives – from curls to braids. Vive la différence – romantic evenings of ballgowns and glittering baubles, followed by days in the sun with jeans and funky brooches. Allison’s Sweater Doll site offers up more wild ideas. Go to sweaterdoll.blogspot.com or email her at sweaterdoll@gmail.com.…

Materials • 1m (1 1/8yd) yellow and white print fabric (appliqué background)• 40cm ( 1/2yd) patterned stripe fabric (Borders 1 and 3)• 75cm ( 7/8yd) floral print fabric (Border 4)• 20 strips, 2 1/2 x 42in of assorted print fabrics or half a jelly roll (Border 2)• Fat quarter of turquoise print fabric (birds)• Fat quarter of green print fabric (stems and leaves)• Fat eighth of another green print fabric (leaves)• Four rectangles, 11 x 17cm (4 1/2 x 6 1/2in) of assorted print fabrics (centre panel flowers)• Five squares, 25cm (10in); five squares, 22cm (8 1/2in); five squares, 18cm (7in); five squares, 14cm (5 1/2in); and five squares, 12cm (4 1/2in) in assorted print fabrics (large corner and centre flower appliqués)• Nine squares, 14cm (5 1/2in) of assorted print fabrics (corner and large centre panel yoyos)• 12 squares, 9cm (3…

Why this particular craft? I have a strong affinity with fabric, having grown up with a mum who sewed so much of our clothing. I was lucky enough to be given one of her old sewing machines when I left home. Calling it old doesn’t do it justice; my machine would have originally been top of the line, and is as solid as they come. Having such a lovely piece of equipment to experiment on, and having sewing advice on call, gave me lots of confidence to try new things. I didn’t start quilting until I had my own children, but from the time I left home I knew that I could give anything a go on the sewing machine. Discovering patchwork and quilting shops opened up the world of…

If I were stuck on a desert island and granted three crafting wishes, they would have to be: some fabric, a needle and some thread. My first love is hand stitching. If I had a needle and thread and a bit of fabric, that would keep me happy, no matter where I was. A lot of fabric, would be even better! I could fashion an embroidery hoop out of branches, and I’m sure there would be plenty of interesting wildlife, fl ora and scenery to inspire my castaway stitching. Hopefully, I would be stranded with a few other creative souls, and we could have a ‘Stitch ‘n’ Chat’ group every other Tuesday. It’s cheaper than therapy, right? THE FANTASY TALE OF FOXLEY VILLAGE – PART 3 By Zachary Twigg (aka…