Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i Australian Homespun

SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Email enewton@universalmagazines.com.au Mail Homespun Readers’ Showcase, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670. THIS MONTH’S WINNER Sandra Alderman, from Mount Gambier, SA, for her Neck and Neck – and More Neck project: “This is my version of Natashia Curtin’s design from the October 2014 (Vol 15 No 10) issue. I did vary it a little by including the head on the quilt, rather than a separate piece. I also added a little more colour by making the grass green, not brown, as there’s green on the African savannah. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it for my eighth grandchild (of 11), as giraffes seemed to be an ongoing theme from his birth in April 2014. Each grandchild has been given their first…

Materials • 20 fat quarters of assorted low-volume print fabrics – see Fiona’s Background Tip (background, sashing and binding) • 16 fat eighths of assorted bright coloured print fabrics including several greens (Pinwheel blocks, appliqué and border) • Template plastic and fine-tip permanentmarking pen • 1.2m (11⁄4yd) lightweight, non-fusible interfacing • Batting at least 165 x 145cm (67 x 60in) • 3.1m (31⁄2yd) backing fabric • Machine-sewing thread to match all the fabrics • Sheet of fine-grit sandpaper • Sharp 4B pencil or erasable fabric marker • Turning tool such as a chopstick • Lightbox (optional) • Rotary cutter, ruler and mat • Sewing machine • General sewing supplies Finished size: 155.5 x 135cm (611⁄4 x 531⁄4in) Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. It is recommended that…

Why this particular craft? I’ve fallen in love with English paper piecing because it allows me to combine my love of fabrics and hand sewing. Have you tried plenty of others? Yes, over the years I’ve tried cross stitch, hand embroidery, tapestry, crazy quilting, machine embroidery, machine sewing, crochet, beading, upcycling, felting and many others. Many friends call me a ‘multi-crafter’ due to my diverse range of skills and craft passions. If you weren’t doing this, what would occupy your time? Travelling around Australia in our lovely caravan would be a priority. My craft will always go with me, no matter where I go or how little room I have to stash Who taught you your crafting skills? Did you learn ‘at your mother’s knee’ or master them as an…

No detail is overlooked in Karen Roark’s crafty corner of the world – from the neatly stacked fabrics in crates to the thread-filled jars and the tin buckets packed with craft goodies. But along with her interior-designer disciplines, there is evidence of an impulsive touch or two. Her “Oh, my God, I love this book/fabric/yarn so much I’m going to stick it on the shelf so I can look at it all day because it makes me happy!” moments bring her individuality to the scheme. Karen dabbles in jewellery-making, woodturning, paper arts, quilting, sewing … “Sometimes, it just all runs together – but in a good way,” she says. And she thanks her mum for her inherited love of all things craft. “One of my first sewing memories was an…

Materials • 20 x 130cm (8 x 50in) of 12-count mono canvas – see Step 1 and Barbara’s Economy Tip • 20cm (1⁄4yd) print cotton or linen fabric (belt back) • Lightweight fusible interfacing • DMC Tapestry Wool: nine skeins of Red (7666) and nine skeins of Ecru (or White) – see Note • Embroidery thread to match the print fabric • Tapestry needle • Belt buckle with centre bar and prong with an opening 4cm (11⁄2in) wide • Masking tape • Small tapestry frame • One packet of 10mm (3⁄8in) metal eyelets with setting tools (optional – see Barbara’s Eyelet tip) • Water spray bottle • Hammer, upholstery tacks, set square and piece of board (blocking the belt) (optional) • Sewing machine • General sewing supplies Stitch used: Continental…

Materials • At least 16 fat quarters in assorted print fabrics – see Step 1 • 1.8m (2yd) solid white fabric (block backgrounds) • 4.2m (45⁄8yd) backing fabric • 60cm (3⁄4yd) black and white stripe fabric (binding) • Batting at least 200cm (80in) square • Rotary cutter, ruler and mat • Sewing machine with 1⁄4in foot • General sewing supplies Finished size: 184cm (721⁄2in) square Finished block size: 18in Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. It is recommended that fabric be 100% cotton, pre-washed and well ironed. Requirements are based on fabrics 107cm (42in) wide. Seam allowances of 1⁄4in are used throughout, unless otherwise stated. Cutting 1 You will need at least 16 fat quarters in a range of light-, medium- and dark-value fabrics. Leanne used 22 fabrics…

PART 8: Flamingo and crocodile pools • Adult and younger flamingos • Duck • Crocodile with pocket mouth • Fish softies This Block of the Month project is being published over 10 issues of Homespun, from February to November 2017. The materials required to make the complete quilt appeared in the February issue. Contact our subscriptions department to order a subscription or back issues, or log onto Zinio or the Apple/Google Play newsstands to get the issues digitally. Materials used in this block • Fabric B appliqué panel – cut in Part 1 • One Grass green (Fabric G) café-umbrella shape – cut in Part 1 • One 2in white (Fabric X) Border 1 strip – cut in Part 1 • One set of pre-cut halfsquare triangles (Border 2) –…

MasterCrochet! A deliciously sweet idea from Mei Mui, of Ice Pandora – pumpkin pie, prepared with hook and crochet stitches, rather than pastry and pan. (The design comes in cherry, too – not shown.) And as an extra treat, the ‘slices’ are actually zippered pouches. Contacts: Step-by-step instructions: icepandora.blogspot.com/2014/05/diy-cake-pouches-zippers.html; Instagram: @icepandora.creations; Webshop: icepandora.storenvy.com. QUILTED WITH LOVE Quilts of Hope, together with CraftAlive, invite stitchers to make patchwork blocks or a quilt to be given to children and families living with life-threatening illnesses or auctioned to raise funds for them. As an extra bonus, all quilters who contributed recently went into a draw to win $10,000 towards a long-arm quilting machine, thanks to Know-How Sewing Essentials. Joanne Rowlatt (pictured with Hans Martini, of Know-How Sewing Essentials) won the prize, and has…

How often do you start a new project? Hmmm ... more often than I finish one! It varies, but roughly around every six to eight weeks. Do you have the new design completely formulated in your head before committing it to paper and fabric? Most of the time, I have about 75% of the new design in mind and sketched and around 25% of the design may be altered or added to as I’m designing. There may be a new element, such a pretty button or ricrac, that I decide to include, or I may see something that sparks an new idea of how to make my design better. Have you been stitching since you were a child? I’ve been crafting as long as I can remember. My earliest memories…

Materials • 35cm (1⁄2yd) green toneon- tone fabric (outer bag) • 50cm (1⁄2yd) green stripe fabric (lining) • 20 x 30cm (8 x 12in) rectangle of mottled cream fabric (embroidery background) • Nine squares, 11⁄2in of assorted floral print fabrics (pocket bottom trim) • 17 squares, 2in of assorted floral print fabrics (handle lining and covered button) • Fat sixteenth cream tone-on-tone print fabric (pocket border) • 50cm (5⁄8yd) mediumweight batting • DMC Stranded Embroidery Cotton in Light Pewter (169), Light Shell Pink (223), Black (310), Light Mustard (372), Light Brown (434), Avocado Green (469), Light Pale Yellow (745), Light Grey Green (927), Dark Green Grey (3051), Medium Green Grey (3052), Ultra Very Light Antique Blue (3753), Light Terracotta (3778) and Light Rosewood (3859) • Size 8, 9 and 10…

Materials • A minimum of 20 fat eighths of assorted peach, pink, mauve, grey, brown, green and teal print fabrics (piecing and appliqué). You will need light-medium, medium and dark-value prints • A minimum of 20 fat quarters of assorted white-on-white, cream, beige, pale grey and pale green print fabrics (block backgrounds) – see Therese’s Economy Tip • 1.5m (13⁄4yd) cream homespun or quilter’s muslin (foundation for Border 2 blocks) • 4.9m (53⁄8yd) backing fabric • Batting at least 235 x 175cm (93 x 69in) • Template plastic and fine-point permanentmarking pen • Threads to match the appliqué fabrics • DMC Stranded Embroidery Cotton in Ultra Dark Beige Grey (3790) • Pre-cut 1in hexagon papers or stiff paper to make your own • Fabric glue stick or pen • Pencil…

Materials • 20cm (1⁄4yd) or fat quarter solid pale pink fabric (bunny) • Scrap of floral print fabric (inner ears) • Fat eighth Liberty floral print fabric (skirt) • Stranded embroidery cotton in black (facial features) • Two 3mm (1⁄8in) black beads (eyes) – see Note • 8 ply knitting yarn to coordinate with the skirt fabric (cardigan) – see Note • One pair of 3.75mm (UK 9/US 5) knitting needles • Small decorative button (cardigan closure) • Fibre fill • Thin cardboard • Blusher (optional) • Turning and stuffing tool • Pinking shears (optional) • Sewing machine • General sewing supplies Stitches used: Backstitch, satin stitch, straight stitch Finished size: 33cm (13in) tall Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. Materials and instructions are for one bunny…

Do you have a new design completely formulated in your head before committing it to paper and fabric? It rarely happens like that for me. Ideas come from a variety of sources, but turning ideas into new designs means developing them into drawings. There is quite a gap between these initial ideas and a good design for needlepoint. There is often a lot of trial and error in between. When I design my needlepoint kits, I think about the experience of stitching, so I make sure every stitch is defined and that there is a good balance of big shapes and detail to keep you interested. I stitch at least one prototype to make sure the design works. If necessary, I make the last adjustments to the design and this…

How did you feel when you first started sewing? I started out by sewing my own clothes, which I absolutely loved doing. Wearing something that I’d made was such an achievement. I loved the whole process. I mainly made dresses and shirts, as they seemed the easiest. Then I made my children’s clothes for a few years. It wasn’t until later on that I discovered quilting, and I’ve never looked back. Has your response to your craft changed much since then? It sure has. I love to sew every day: I take a few minutes to sew some hexagons together or sit at my machine and piece a block for a special project. People ask me where I find the time and I say, “When you love something enough, you…

Modern Quilt Magic by Victoria Findlay Wolfe, US$27.95 We’re not sure that the skill builders in this book quite count as ‘magic’, but nevertheless, this is a good primer if you wish to tackle patchwork techniques that many quiltmakers find challenging: partial seams, curved piecing, Y seams and making miniature quilts (using Victoria’s ‘made fabric’ technique from her book 15 Minutes of Play). In addition to high-quality, detailed coaching for each of these skills, illustrated with diagrams, Victoria has also provided step-by-step instructions for 17 projects, ranging from cushions up to full-size bed quilts, such as the one shown above left. Unfortunately, Y seams remain Y seams, requiring accuracy and attention to detail, but at least this book is likely to give you the confidence to tackle each of these quiltmaking…

NSW – Country September 15-17 Singleton Singleton Quilters’ Biannual Show; Mechanics Institute, 74 George St. The theme is ‘Traditionally Modern’. Quilt raffle and handmade items for sale. A donation to the Singleton Rural Fire Service and Hunter Medical Research Institute will be made with the profits of the show. Entry $5. Open Fri & Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 10am-3pm. More information: Phone Marea Baker (President) on 0408 731 529, Kim Horn (Secretary) on 0415 804 856 or Jane Frankham (Treasurer) on 0448 773 203. Vic – Melbourne September 23-24 Blackburn South Patchworkers and Quilters’ Guild of Victoria Exhibition; Eley Community Centre, 87 Eley Rd. Display of textile works, raffle, trading table, demonstrations, traders and refreshments. Open 10am-4pm. Entry $5. More information: Email info@patchworkersandquilters.com.au. Vic – Country October 6-8 Warrnambool CraftAlive Warrnambool;…

ANN BENOOT Before Ann Benoot ventured on a five-monthlong sabbatical, caravanning through the Alps of Austria, Italy and France, a friend gave her a book for the journey – Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small, by Ted Andrews. Ann worries that she didn’t thank her friend enough for this precious gift, because with the book as a reference, she became more aware of the animals she encountered along the way and their symbolic meaning. Ted Andrews writes, “Every time we see the uniqueness of one animal or plant, we also discover something new and unique about ourselves.” This is, indeed, true for Ann, as she later found a new creative side of herself, with freeform crocheted ‘power’ animals. Ann combines her subsequent interest in…

Materials • Fat quarter of mediumheavyweight fabric such as denim (outer cover) – see Note • Fat quarter of print fabric (lining and divided pocket) • 80cm (7⁄8yd) solid beige medium-weight fabric such as duck (pockets and pincushion) • 10 x 30cm (4 x 12in) rectangle of orange wool felt (needlebook) • Assorted print fabric scraps (hexagons) • DMC Stranded Embroidery Cotton in Ecru, Variegated Burnt Orange (51), Variegated Terracotta (69), Medium Brown (433), Very Light Brown (435), Light Tan (437), Light Green (701), Kelly Green (702), Chartreuse (703), Dark Beige Brown (839), Light Beige Brown (841), Dark Burnt Orange (900), Tawny (945), Light Tawny (951) and Black Brown (3371) • DMC Colour Variations Stranded Cotton in Chilean Sunset (4130), Driftwood (4140), Desert Sand (4150) and Wild Fire (4200) •…

How did you feel when you first started sewing? As a young child, I was always fascinated by the wonderful items that my grandmother made. When she first introduced me to sewing, crochet and hand embroidery, I felt at home. It all seemed very natural to me, and I picked things up quickly, excited by what I could begin creating myself. Has your response to your craft changed much since then? Since those early days, much has changed. I guess the biggest change for me with my crafting came when I decided to begin a business based on my designs. Suddenly, designing and making projects was coupled with an element of stress, with publishing deadlines and designing projects with other people in mind and what I knew would sell well.…

Why this particular craft? I love patchwork and quilting because it just ticks all my creative boxes. The process of stitching soothes my soul. Have you tried plenty of others? I’ve tried folk art, hobby ceramics, knitting, crochet and macramé, just to name a few. If you weren’t doing this, what else would occupy your time? I can’t imagine doing anything else because every time I think, “I don’t have any creative ideas”, within a few days I will see something that makes me think, “What if I use those fabrics and made this block, maybe I could add that bit of embroidery and use some appliqué and then … ” and I’m off on a new design. Who taught you your craft? I had sewing classes in high school…

Why this particular craft? I just love crafting and making things, and the bunnies in this project are one of my favourite projects to do. Have you tried plenty of others? I trained as a textile designer at art college (many moons ago) and there I learnt a lot of techniques, including drawing, painting, designing for textiles and surface pattern, and stitching embroidery and patchwork. I’ve tried other ones, like paper crafts and scrapbooking, too. Who taught you your crafting skills? Did you learn ‘at your mother’s knee’ or master them as an adult ... formal training or personal learning? I learnt to sew from my mum, who was very creative. Seeing the colours of fabrics together is one of my earliest memories, and my mum had a good eye…

Materials • Cleckheaton Country 8 ply 50g balls: six balls of Soft Blue (1935); one ball each of Maroon (0018), Deep Red (1872), Soft Green (1962), Eco Green (2194), Pink (2267), Barberry (2345) and Green (2346) • One pair of 4.00mm (UK No 8/US 6) knitting needles or size needed to give correct tension • 45cm (18in) square cushion insert • Wool needle Stitch used: Knitting (duplicate/Swiss darning) stitch Finished size: 45cm (18in) square Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. This is an easy skill-level knitting project. Use only the yarn specified as other yarns are likely to produce different results. Quantities are approximate as they can vary between knitters. Check the ball bands to ensure that all Soft Blue yarn is from the same dye lot.…

ENCORE! past favourites revisited Materials • 1m (11⁄8yd) white rose print fabric (skirt and sleeve trim) • 60cm (5⁄8yd) pink spot print fabric (bodice, sleeves and skirt ruffle) • 35cm (3⁄8yd) red floral print fabric (collar, waist band and skirt trim) • 35cm (3⁄8yd) pink homespun (bodice neckline, nappy stacker binding and clothes hanger covering) • 1.2m (13⁄8yd) white homespun (nappy stacker and base) • 5 x 7in lightweight fusible batting such as Parlan (bodice neckline) • 71⁄2 x 13in rectangle of heavy-duty cardboard or mount board (base) • One 34cm-long (131⁄2in) x 20cm-high (8in) pink plastic junior clothes hanger • Embroidery needle • Thin cardboard, paper and 2B pencil • Permanent marking pen • Chopstick or knitting needle • Rotary cutter, ruler and mat • Sewing machine with 1⁄4in…

Apple Patch Quilting & Craft Ph: (03) 6428 7588, website: www.applepatch.com.au. Ashford Wheels & Looms Ph: 1800 653 397, website: www.ashford.co.nz. Asia Discovery Tours Ph: (02) 9267 7699, website: asiadiscoverytours.com.au. Australian Country Spinners Ph: 1800 337 032, website: www.auspinners.com.au. Berry Quilt & Co. Ph: (02) 4464 3387, website: www.berryquiltandco.com.au. Birch Haberdashery & Craft Ph: (03) 9450 8900, website: www.birchhaby.com.au. Brother Australia Ph: 1300 880 297, website: www.brother.com.au. Carol’s of Midland Ph: (08) 9250 2722, website: www.carolsofmidland.com.au. Catharina’s Vintage Stitches Ph: (03) 5852 3356, website: www.catharinasvintagestitches.com.au. Clover Mfg Co., Ltd Email: info@clover-mfg.com, website: www.clover-mfg.com. Country Hart Designs Ph: (08) 8632 3172, website: www.countryhart.com.au. CraftAlive Ph: (03) 9682 5133, website: www.craftalive.com.au. Craft Project – Charles Parsons & Co Ph: 1300 364 422, website: www.craftproject.com.au. Cynthia’s Ark Email: sales@cynthiasark.com.au, website: www.cynthiasark.com.au. Designer Stitches…