Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Australian Homespun

NSW – Sydney March 24 Enmore UsefulBox Slow Stitching Embroidery Workshop; St Lukes Hall, 11 Stanmore Rd. Open 10am-3pm. Entry $165. More information: Visit www.usefulbox.com.au, email usefulboxblog@gmail.com. NSW – Country March 31-April 2 Macksville Verandah Post Patchworkers’ Quilt Show; Senior Citizens hall, Princess St. Quilt display, including Quilt NSW challenge entries. Open Sat and Sun 10am-4pm and Mon 10am-1pm. Entry $5. More information: Phone Diane Banks on (02) 6568 1829. Vic – Melbourne March 3-18 Wandin Embroidery and Craft Exhibition; Warratina Lavender Farm, Quayle Rd. Yarra Valley CWA craft exhibition, celebrating 90 years of the organisation. Open 10am-4pm. Entry $3. More information: Contact Warratina Lavender Farm on (03) 5964 4650 or email enquiries@warratinalavender.com.au. April 5-8 Melbourne Australasian Quilt Convention; Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens. You are invited to Australia’s quilting…

FIONA TULLY TWO BROWN BIRDS Website: twobrownbirds.typepad.com THE PERSONAL TOUCH “If making a quilt for a family member, I love to spend time choosing fabrics in colours and prints that I know they’ll like. As I stitch the quilt, I like to think about that person, either pondering memories that I have of them or wondering what path their life will take.” CRAFTER TO THE CORE “My earliest memories of crafting begin when I was around three years old, and I would paste pictures with fabric and yarn scraps from Mum’s projects. When I was in lower primary school, I LOVED receiving craft kits for birthdays and Christmas. (Does anyone remember Hansa brand craft kits?)” “I feel as though I am genetically wired to craft and that I have craft…

Where do you live and work? I live in the historical country town of Strathalbyn, South Australia, where there are more antique shops than coffee shops! We have two rooms fully renovated inside our shed that hold my long-arm quilting machine and my home studio, although my fabric and various projects trail behind me throughout the house. What was the inspiration for this quilt design of yours? I love remaking traditional designs, and when I wanted to make my own Delectable Mountains blocks, I was disappointed with the method used. I wanted something that was pre-cut friendly and where the finished block was a square. I first made this quilt as a mini for a swap, but always intended to upsize it to a full-sized quilt design down the track.…

How long have you been stitching and creating in fabric? Since I made that terrible skirt in the sewing class at school – it never did fit! Thankfully, the desire to create with fabric didn’t disappear, and under my mother’s expert tutelage, I learned how to sew seams that were straight, make garments that actually fitted, create a wedding dress or two and decorate my home with beautiful curtains and cushions. Come retirement 12 years ago, and I discovered patchwork and quilting, and that’s when the creative juices really began to flow. Do you like to work in a wide variety of styles and designs? I’m one of those people who becomes bored fairly quickly, so I’m a bit of a butterfly and like to flit around the designing arena.…

Where do you live and work? I live on a beautiful part of the coast, Port Macquarie [NSW]. I have a couple of sewing rooms (my husband laughed at this bit!) as well as my lounge chair. I need a room for my longarm machine, a room for my fabric and sewing machine and another room for stuff. I have a nice collection of vintage sewing machines, which takes more space, not to mention the cupboards for quilts. Why this particular craft? I’ve always been a fabric nut and have, for many years, designed and created quilts. I find the process of drawing a needle through fabric very soothing. The house could fall down around my ears and I wouldn’t notice. Have you tried plenty of other crafts? I have…

How long have you been creating in fabric? I’ve been quilting for about 10 years, starting when I became an empty nester, as I had more free time on my hands and more space to designate as a sewing room. Do you like to work in a wide variety of styles and designs? I’m a girly girl, so most of my quilts tend to be feminine and pretty. I love piecing and appliqué. Have tried hexis but not keen on that much hand sewing, but I do enjoy some stitchery in front of the TV at night. How did these wonderful cushions come about – what was the source of your inspiration? I gifted my niece a quilt that I’d made quite a few years back – it was a…

Why this particular craft? I don’t know; it just sort of happened. I’ve always stitched. My first love will always be counted cross-stitch samplers, but I also love quilts because they’re made to be used, as opposed to just being looked at. I particularly enjoy hand appliqué and I do prefer hand quilting. Sometimes, when time is at a premium, I may have a project machine quilted, but while I’m able, hand quilting is the way to go for me. Have you tried plenty of other crafts? Yes. Tapestry, stained glass, pottery, hooked rugs, knitting and crochet, but really, it’s cross stitch and quiltmaking. Who taught you your crafting skills? I was taught from an early age to embroider by my mother, who was also a knitter and dressmaker, and…

I live with my son and cat in an apartment in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. We have a little garden to play around in. Our suburb is busy and pretty, with some amazing houses. It’s really close to the harbour and the beach, and there are creative things all over the place, which appeals to both of us. My son is also creative and has many things on the go – paintings, drawings, Lego constructions, modelling clay, etc. He loves to recreate scenes from movies and is currently experimenting with customising his Lego mini-figures with Posca pens. We have a big, close family, with a lot of the immediate family living in Sydney. And we love spending time together with everyone. A tip from me: Play around with the fabric colours.…

Laura Petrovich-Cheney’s sculptures are just like patchwork quilts, except she swaps fabric for wood, rotary cutters for power tools and stitches for glue. Using salvaged wood pieces as her raw material, she makes art from what would otherwise end up as landfill. It all began with a couple of wooden boats. In 2010, a winter nor’easter damaged and tossed vessels onto the shoreline. Laura saw them and couldn’t resist their vibrant orange and blue paintwork, so off they went in her pick-up truck. About two years later, she came across a picture of a quilt in a magazine, made in the same colours as those wooden boats that sat in her studio. “It was a really exciting ‘aha’ moment for me when I realised that I could make a ‘quilt’…

MATERIALS • One 100g hank of Fyberspates Scrumptious Lace (2 ply) yarn in Dark Teal (80507) – see Note• 3.50mm (UK 9/US 4/E) crochet hook• Wool needle• Two stitch markers• Water spray bottle• Blocking wires (optional) – see Sandra’s Blocking Tip Finished size: 72 x 155cm (18 1/2 x 61in) Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. This is an intermediate+ level crochet project and experience working with lace-weight yarn would be useful. Sandra used Fyberspates Scrumptious Lace yarn, which is a 2 ply merino-silk blend with 1000m/100g hank – gloriously soft to the touch and very lightweight. It can be ordered online or you could substitute an equivalent lace-weight merino-silk yarn. Australian/UK crochet terminology is used; North American readers should consult a crochet manual to…

Where do you live? I live on a quiet street in the middle of the suburbs in Dallas, Texas [USA]. And what they say (that “everything is bigger in Texas”) is true! One of my favourite ‘big’ things about Texas is the sky – we have big skies, big clouds, big thunderstorms and lovely, big sunsets. Where do you like to do your work? In my workroom. Sometimes it’s clean, but mostly it’s messy, unfortunately. I’ve been trying to do better about keeping my desk neat and tidy. Also, a bright work lamp is a necessity. What’s your idea of the perfect stitching day? The perfect stitching day for me is one where I have no other commitments to pull me away, and I’m either designing a new project, choosing…

Just to explain what the heck the heading means – this phenomenally engaging, super-realistic bird was hand knitted by Christine Grant, who creates under the name of Mad Monkey. And no wonder she can whip up a pigeon or two – she’s been knitting since she was six, when she’d make “bikinis for a collection of trolls”. From troll togs, she progressed to children’s clothes, then a meerkat, hens, monkeys, gorillas and orangutans. You can see where we’re heading with this, can’t you? A business and website called Mad Monkey Knits (www.madmonkeyknits.com), and an entire knitted gorilla suit for herself, to boot!…

MATERIALS • 12 ply mohair yarn: 13 50g balls (or 1200m/1312yd) in grey – see Note• One pair of long 12mm (US 17) knitting needles or a 12mm (US 17) circular needle 80cm (32in) long• Wool needle Finished size: 130 x 90cm (51 1/4 x 35 1/2in) after blocking Note: Read all the instructions before you start. This is an easy skill level knitting project. The ball quantity of 13 is based on a 50g ball with 90m (98yd) of yarn. Most mohair yarns will be a blend of fibres such as wool, mohair and nylon and yarns with a high mohair content will have a longer meterage than other blends. Check the meterage of the yarn you’re purchasing and calculate the number of balls accordingly. The throw…

I live in Italy, in a small coastal town, with my husband and 12-year-old daughter. It’s a lovely old town with plenty of history and character. And the food is wonderful, of course! I miss Australia and my family. It’s taken me a long time to settle into life here, as things can be quite challenging. Finding my own path with sewing and being creative has been a great help. I’ve also managed to find friends who are also creative, so we have great fun together, hunting out supplies at craft shows and antique markets. This year, we were lucky enough to visit Nantes for the ‘Pour l’Amour du Fil’ craft fair. We live in an apartment I love. It’s the perfect size for us, and I have a small…

Coastal Mood By Motte Blog: mottesblog.blogspot.com Instagram: @mottesblog Beautiful Foliage By H and Sammy Blog: Live it. Love it. Make it, www.liveitloveitmakeit.com Instagram: @liveit.loveit.makeit Black Power By Mia Etsy store: VickeVira, vickevira.etsy.com Instagram: @vickevira Delicate Florals By Cara Bearden Etsy store: A Pocket Full of Posey, apocketfullofposey.com Instagram: @apocketfullofposey…

How long have you been crocheting? I’m not so good with dates but, thanks to Ravelry, I have this milestone noted down, and it turns out it’s been nine years now. Do you like to work in a wide variety of styles and designs? Yes, definitely. I’m a bit of a magpie in that way. My head is always being turned by something else, and I like to mix things up a bit to keep it interesting. How did this lovely, delicate design come about – what was the source of your inspiration? I really love working with lace yarn for crocheted shawls, as it is beautifully light and a pleasure to wear in most seasons. I looked to nature for this one, as I wanted something quite open, so…

MATERIALS • 70cm ( 3/4yd) mottled dark aqua fabric (sashings, binding, border corners, Suffolk puffs and appliqué)• 50cm ( 5/8yd) mottled light aqua fabric (Dresden Fan background and appliqué)• 50cm ( 5/8yd) aqua floral print fabric (border)• 30cm ( 3/8yd) green print fabric (Row 2 background)• 50cm ( 5/8yd) dark pink print fabric (Sawtooth Stars, Drunkard’s Path and appliqué)• 30cm ( 3/8yd) mottled green fabric (Row 5 background)• 30cm ( 3/8yd) pale pink print fabric (Row 4 background)• Assortment of fat quarters and fat eighths of print fabrics in pink, cream, aqua, brown and green (appliqué and patchwork blocks) – the instructions will refer to the fabric colours that Val used• 2.5m (3yd) backing fabric• Batting at least 155 x 135cm (70 x 50in)• DMC Perle No 5 in Very…

MATERIALS To make one cushion • 60cm ( 5/8yd) white tone-on-tone print fabric (cushion front) – see Note• Two fat quarters of coordinating print fabrics (cushion back)• Fat eighth of aqua floral print fabric (letter and other appliqué)• Assorted small-scale print fabric scraps in cherry reds, pinks and aquas (appliqué)• 8cm (3in) square of red spot print fabric (ladybird wings)• 5cm (2in) square of black fabric (ladybird head and body)• Sufficient quilt batting to enable you to cut one square, 49cm (19in) and one square, 43cm (17in); do not use fusible batting for this project• Machine-sewing threads to match all the fabrics• 15cm (6in) of 15mm ( 5/8in) wide hook and loop tape such as Velcro (back closure)• Fusible web• 45cm (18in) square cushion insert• Erasable fabric marker• Computer and…

MATERIALS • 60cm ( 3/4yd) yellow tone-on-tone print fabric (block background)• 70cm ( 3/4yd) medium red print fabric (piecing and Border 2)• 45cm ( 1/2yd) dark red print fabric (piecing and Border 2)• 65cm ( 3/4yd) light floral print fabric (appliqué, piecing and Border 2)• 65cm ( 3/4yd) green print fabric (sashing and Border 1)• 2.1m (2 1/4yd) backing fabric• 40cm ( 1/2yd) green print fabric – see Note (binding)• Batting at least 137 x 132cm (54 x 52in)• Freezer paper• 2B pencil• Tweezers• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• 6 1/2in square ruler (optional)• Sewing machine with 1/4in foot• General sewing supplies Finished size: 117 x 112cm (46 x 44in) Finished block size: 16in square Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. It is recommended that…

PART 2 CLAMSHELLS & HEARTS SAMPLER MATERIALS • Fabrics A-T and AA• Eight pre-cut 2in Dresden Plate papers and 44 precut 2in clamshell papers or stiff paper/light cardboard to make your own• Freezer paper• Template plastic and fine-point permanent-marking pen• Appliqué pins or glue• Erasable fabric-marking pen• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with 1/4in foot• General sewing supplies CLAMSHELLS – BLOCK 2A 1 If you’re not using purchased precut clamshell papers, trace the clamshell shape from the Pattern Sheet onto template plastic using a fine-point permanent-marking pen. 2 Cut the shape out on the traced line. Trace around the template on stiff paper/light cardboard 44 times and cut the shapes out on the lines. 3 Lay a clamshell shape on Fabric AA and cut the fabric out 1/4in…

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