Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i Australian Homespun

The Aldershot Meadows 2019 Block of the Month launches in February! This delightful quilt will take you through a journey of flowering blooms as you slow down and enjoy hand stitching while growing your meadow. The instructions are offered over the year in six instalments. Each issue will include a segment of borders, blocks, appliqué and English paper piecing. Your Aldershot Meadow will begin to grow and bloom as you work with the gorgeous Wild Bloom fabric collection by Bari J for Art Gallery Fabrics. Wild Bloom is an expression of Bari J’s endless love for flowers. It brings a medley of meticulously painted bouquets, tiny ditzy flowers, vases and branches, splashed with exuberant colour. This quilt has many elements that can be fussy cut, adding to the fun and…

Where do you live and work? Nestled among the green trees and cottage gardens of Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. My sewing room looks out over my cottage garden in which my daughter and I have shared many happy memories. Together we spend any chance we can tending to garden beds and sipping tea under our big tree. I live with my daughter, Abby, who is 22 years old and two long-haired dachshunds, Poppie and Daisy. Why this craft? Embroidery has always been a passion of mine. I find that when designing my projects, I am taken into another world. My father would often tell everyone that I was “off with the pixies”. I find that creating my designs and bringing them to life is extremely…

MATERIALS • Fat quarter of handkerchief linen in a ‘natural’ shade. Brenda used a 55% linen/45% cotton blend* (outer purse) • Fat quarter floral print fabric (lining) • Fat quarter thin batting such as Parlan • Cottage Garden Threads stranded embroidery cottons in Maison (BR06), Bois D’If (BR09), Pantouffle (BR27), Mike (KD13), Victor (KD22) and November (KD14) • DMC Stranded Embroidery Cotton in Black (310) or Cottage Garden Threads in Felix (AK28) • 18cm (7in) zipper to match the linen • Size 7 or 8 crewel needle • HB pencil or fine permanent-marking pen • Small embroidery hoop • Clover thread twister (optional) • Rotary cutter, ruler and mat • Sewing machine with 1/4in and zipper feet • General sewing supplies Stitches used: Backstitch, blanket stitch, encroaching stem stitch, fly…

Where do you live and what is your workspace like? I live just outside Dubbo, in central-west New South Wales, on a 25-acre block with my husband and kids. We are lucky enough to have beautiful country views outside every window of our home. I just couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I am super-lucky to have my own craft studio that is separate from the house. We converted an existing shed into a space where I can store my yarn collection and work on my crochet designs. It’s literally 20 steps from the house, which is ideal because I can head to work each morning without leaving our property. Tell us something about your family. I’ve been married for 21 years and have three almost-grown children, RJ, Eilish and Daniel.…

“Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving, and of families united.” MATERIALS • 1.65m (1 7/8yd) cream tone-on-tone print fabric (embroidery background) • 1m (1 1/8yd) gold vine print fabric (Pincushion blocks and scalloped edging) • 60cm ( 3/4yd) gold dove print fabric (Pincushion blocks and Border 4) • 40cm ( 1/2yd) gold crosshatch print fabric (Borders 1 and 3) • 1.65m (1 7/8yd) very thin batting • 40cm ( 1/2yd) fusible batting such as Vlieseline H630 • 1.5m (1 3/4yds) print fabric (hanging sleeve and backing) • Batting at least 110cm (43in) square • DMC Perle 8 cotton embroidery thread in Light Old Gold (676); four or five 10g balls • Chenille no 24 or crewel no 5 or 6 needles • Small embroidery…

Welcome to our NEW national listing of craft and fabric shops, haberdashers and patchwork and quilting stores around the country. During December and January, many families have the chance to go on road trips and holidays, near and far. If you have the opportunity, make sure you visit some of Australia’s best craft, sewing and patchwork shops On the Road you travel. NSW SYDNEY Sew Many Stitches 4/147 Queen Street, Campbelltown 2560 Ph: (02) 4628 4437 www.sewmanystitches.com.au Open: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm BLUE MTNS & BEYOND Hobbysew Orange 221 Peisley Street, Orange 2800 Ph: (02) 6361 7420 patriciajcole@gmail.com www.facebook.com/hobbyseworange Open: Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat 10am-2pm Pickle Mouse Corner 1/152 Megalong Street, Leura 2780 Ph: (02) 4784 2854 www.picklemousecorner.com Open: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm Post Office Patchwork 33 Ross Street, Glenbrook 2773…

IT'S OK TO BE FUSSY! From the queen of fussy cutting and English paper piecing comes A Stitch in Time. Containing 18 projects, each with a combination of embroidery, hand quilting, pretty laces and trims, it’s designed to encourage you to pick up a needle and thread. This is a great Christmas gift to yourself – or your bestie sewing friend. It is published by Tuva Publishing and you can find it at your favourite sewing and patchwork shops. (PS from ED: if you would like to have a sneak peek at the glorious quilt that Sharon has designed for our 2019 Homespun Block of the Month, turn to page 22.) WAKEY WAKEY These adorable sleepy kitten and mice amigurumi designs are created by Jennifer Percival of Crochet to Play.…

SUCH A PERFECT DAY … “I love those days when you are unrushed and the deadline for a project is on another page of the calendar. The tea is brewing, I have podcasts waiting to be heard, and I can settle down to some serious stitching. Bliss!” THE NATURE OF CRAFT “Crafts by their nature require practice and commitment, so at some point you have to decide where you are going to put your time and energy.” MY STYLE IS: “Bright, colourful and graphic, with clear colours and a mix of shapes and lines, but just enough detail to keep me interested.” MY STYLE IS: “Overall, I guess my style is complementary stitchery, embellishment and fabrics. I have always loved hexies — I think I can actually describe my ‘style’…

MATERIALS • One layer cake or 24 squares, 10in or an assortment of coordinated print fabrics – see Note • 40cm ( 1/2yd) cream tone-on-tone print fabric (Border 2) • 1.1m (1 1/4yd) light red floral print fabric (Borders 4 and 8) • 4m (4 3/8yd) backing fabric • 1.2m (1 3/8yd) red tone-on-tone print fabric (centre block, Borders 1, 3 and 6, and binding) • 1.1m (1 1/4yd) light sage print fabric (centre block and Borders 6 and 7) • 1.25m (1 3/8yd) sage floral print fabric (Borders 5 and 6) • Batting at least 195cm (78in) square • Rotary cutter, ruler and mat • Sewing machine with 1/4in foot • General sewing supplies Finished size: 178cm (70 1/2in) square Note: Read all the instructions before starting…

MATERIALS • 40cm ( 1/2yd) solid black fabric (front cover and back sleeve) • 49cm ( 1/2yd) solid white fabric (back cover and front sleeve) • 10cm ( 1/8yd) floral print fabric (spine) • An assortment of print fabric scraps in a variety of colours (flowers) • 50cm ( 1/2yd) green ricrac 6mm ( 1/4in) wide • Medium-weight fusible batting • Perle No 12 cotton in black and white (quilting) • Glue pen (optional) • One A4 two-ring folder with spine 5cm (2in) wide • Pre-cut paper shapes: six 3/4in pentagons, one 3/4in hexagon, two 5/8in hexagons, eight1/2in hexagons, eight mini Dresdens, one 1in circle, six1/2in jewels and seven 1in elongated hexagons or template plastic, fine permanent-marking pen and stiff paper to make your own • Appliqué glue such as…

Where do you live? I live in Geelong with my husband, Leon ‘The Engineer’, who has been an enabler for my embroidery passion for many years. Geelong is a busy city on the Corio Bay at the gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula of Victoria. I have one large sewing room and an office, but all of my stitching is done in an old armchair, with a good light and plenty of space to stick needles into the arms (not recommended), but then it also means that no one else sits in my chair, which is a good thing. What do you love about embroidery? Nothing else comes near to embroidery for the translation of my interest in illustration. Can you tell us a little about your interest in illustration? Over…

Please describe where you live and your workspace. My studio is a gorgeous big room in our home. It has high ceilings and original stained-glass windows, which filter through the most beautiful light in the mornings. I have filled the studio with my favourite bits and bobs – none of them expensive or ‘designer’ – like the old wooden workbench that used to be in our flower shop that is the perfect height for my cutting table, and the row of IKEA trestle tables that I use as my designing area, and a comfy armchair that I sit in to stitch. Tell us something about your family life. I share my life with my partner Linda, who is always to be found in the background propping me up, and enthusiastically…

1. By pinning and stitching with the ‘concave’ (the curve that caves inwards) piece on top of the ‘convex’ (outer curve) piece, you are less likely to sew little pleats into the seam. 2. I prefer to work with a hands-free or 5in hoop when doing this style of embroidery. The 5in hoop is easier for me to work with because of the size of my hand. 3. When making templates with ‘dots’ that need to be transferred to the fabric, I use an 1/8in hole punch to create a hole in the template. These punches are often available in the papercraft section of your local craft shop. 4. I used a blue water-erasable marker and washed each block before quilt construction. 5. For the topstitching on the curved edging…

NSW – Sydney February 14-16 Darling Harbour Stitches & Craft Show ICC Sydney, Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour, Hall 5. Open Thu to Sat 9.30am-4pm. More information: Visit www.craftevents.com.au or follow Intocraft on Facebook and Instagram Vic – Country March 2 Terang Terang Quilt Show Presbyterian Hall, High St, Terang. A display by local quilters of quilts, cushions, wallhangings and other quilt-related items made in the past two years, including their challenge quilts. Refreshments available. Open 10am-6pm. Entry $5, under 14 free. More information: Contact Margaret McIntosh, email marmac51@hotmail.com or phone (03) 5592 1354 (AH) Vic – Melbourne April 11-14 Carlton Gardens Australasian Quilt Convention & Expo Gorgeous quilts galore and lots of creative inspiration – the perfect experience for quilters and textile lovers. More information: Visit www.aqc.com.au/quilt-show…

MATERIALS • Fat quarter cream and white spot print fabric (embroidery background) • 90cm (1yd) floral print fabric (border, back and binding) • Batting at least 55 x 70cm (22 x 28in) • DMC Stranded Embroidery Cotton in Dark Driftwood (08), Black (310), Light Old Gold (676), Dark Old Gold (680), Dark Plum (915), Medium Plum (917), Medium Khaki Green (3012), Light Khaki Green (3013), Medium Antique Violet (3041), Light Plum (3607), Very Light Antique Violet (3743), Very Dark Turquoise (3809), and Dark Turquoise (3810) • DMC Colour Variations in Sand Dune (4145) and Radiant Ruby (4210) • No 9 crewel embroidery needle • Small embroidery hoop • Three large buttons (cushion closure) • Cream Perle 12 thread (hand quilting) • Cushion insert 45 x 61cm (18 x 24in) –…

Where do you live and work? I live in a tiny house on the outskirts of Sydney near Camden, with my two sons. I do not have a dedicated studio or sewing room, so my quilts and my fabrics and equipment have encroached on just about every room in the house. Since launching my own website in February 2018, the house has often resembled a warehouse, with boxes of patterns, kits, booklets, printing, photos and envelopes on every surface. What have been your most popular designs? My most popular designs have been my Jane Austen Quilt Collection, which now comprises 10 major appliqué bed-sized quilts. These quilts contain lots of English paper piecing and hand appliqué. Which is your preferred technique? Although I have taught many machine-pieced and appliqué quilts…

MATERIALS • Assorted fabric scraps to total about 45cm ( 1/2yd) • 45cm ( 1/2yd) blue and white stripe print fabric (lining) – see Note • 30cm ( 3/8yd) medium-weight fusible interfacing • Pair of circular bag handles – resin or bamboo – diameter of about 13cm (5in) • One circular magnetic snap – diameter of about 12mm ( 1/2in) • Glue pen (optional) • 64 pre-cut 1in elongated hexagon paper shapes and 2in elongated hexagon OR acrylic template OR template plastic, fine permanent-marking pen and stiff paper to make your own • Cardboard • Needle and fine thread in a blending colour • Spray starch • Rotary cutter, ruler and mat • Sewing machine • General sewing supplies Finished size: 16 x 25 x 7cm (6 1/4 x 9…

Amina K. | aminakdesigns@hotmail.com stitchfloral.blogspot.com MATERIALS AND TOOLS • Picture frame • Cardboard –1.5mm ( 1/16in) thick • Craft knife • Cutting mat • Needle and sewing thread Step 1 Disassemble the frame. There will be either a glass or acrylic protection. Some embroidery, such as ribbon embroidery, is too dimensional to be framed under glass. However, no protection means dusting problems, so use a glass protection if your embroidery is flat enough. Step 2 Trace around the backing on the cardboard. Using a craft knife and ruler and, working on a cutting mat, cut the rectangle. Step 3 When the fabric is mounted on the cardboard it will add to the width. Don't worry, it will still be able to fit in the frame – just make sure the…

“Tall ears, twinkly nose, tiny tail, and – hop – he goes …” Mandy O’Sullivan, RedAgape – Website: www.redagape.com.auInstagram: @crochetbyredagape MATERIALS • Patons Cotton Blends yarn 50g: 11 balls of White (col 01), one ball of Pink (col 15), one ball of Black (col 02), two balls of Lunar Rock (col 37 – Grey) • 4mm hook (UK 8/US G6) • Yarn needle Finished size: 75 x 110cm (17 1/2 x 43 1/4in) Note: This project is made using the corner-to-corner crochet method, which consists of groups of trebles to create blocks. The blocks are made up of 4 tr, with the first of those tr formed by making 3 chains. It’s these blocks, combined with colour changes, that help create the pattern in the blanket. As the…

How long have you been creating softies and toys? I have always made puppets from material. I made my very first puppet when I was eight years old. I remember it was a cross between a vulture and a pelican – I really loved it! Do you like to work in a wide variety of styles? I always like to make different things. Every new project represents a challenge for me. There is always the possibility of learning new techniques and achieving impossible goals. The important thing is putting yourself to the test and overcoming the difficulties with enthusiasm. If you weren’t sewing these sweet little creatures, what would occupy your time? One of my first passions was embroidery and then knitting. If I hadn’t fallen in love with creative…

How would you describe your craft style? I fall into the style of ‘traditional’ quilting and over the last few years have found myself doing a lot more stitching by hand and less on the machine – although I often incorporate both in a project. I enjoy combining embroidery with quiltmaking and have evolved my textured, more rustic style from candlewick embroidery, which uses lots of knot stitches, to adding more conventional stitches. When starting a new project I am involved more with the journey and the process and am often disappointed when I get to the destination. I felt like this when creating Joyous Christmas, where I began with the embroidery, then the curved Pincushion blocks and later brought it all together with the embroidered border. Did your distinctive…

Why this particular craft? I think crochet has to be my absolute favourite craft, because it’s so quick compared to knitting, and just a very few basic patterns and stitches will give you an endless variety of things to make. Have you tried plenty of others? Oh yes! I love to knit, and sewing is a new passion of mine; I’ve even managed to make a few quilts. I suppose I can be a little prone to fads, as I’ve tried my hand at weaving and even have my own loom. I’ve dabbled in embroidery and some cross stitch, and I quite like making things with paper too. If you weren’t doing this, what would occupy your time? I think I’d probably be drawing. I had quite a thing for…