Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2025 i Australian Homespun

In this issue’s special designer feature, we talk with Salley Mavor about her much-adored embroidered scenes featuring miniature dolls. The detail is incredible. Find out about Salley’s latest children’s book illustrated with her embroidery narratives. Also, read about a fascinating exhibition at the International Quilt Museum in the US. We have some great yarn projects with a dynamic zig-zag-patterned Tunisian crochet cushion by Wendy Thompson, and a very stylish crochet bag designed by Lynda Tomkins with instructions for making it the size that suits you. And get ready for some armchair travel as you read about Jake Henzler’s knitting inspired by the facades of old buildings. It’s getting close to Christmas, so now is the perfect time to plan — and create — homemade decorations to bring your special handmade…

BEANIE FESTIVAL TO CAST OFF IN 2026 This year’s Alice Springs Beanie Festival was bursting with colour, creativity and community spirit, showcasing almost 7000 beanies. Among the standouts was an intricate hot-air balloon beanie (far right) and a surprisingly soft hat made almost entirely from dog fur — just two examples of the festival’s quirky charm. What began in 1997 as a humble initiative to sell beanies crocheted by women in the remote Indigenous community of Yuendumu has grown enormously and blossomed into one of Central Australia’s most beloved cultural events. More than 6000 people visited the festival in 2025, helping to generate more than $250,000 from beanie sales. But there’s a bittersweet twist: the 2026 festival is likely to be the last in its current format, due to a…

MATERIALS ◌ 40 squares, 5in (Charm pack bright fabrics) ◌ 40 squares, 5in (Charm pack white fabrics) ◌ 1.4m (1½yd) print fabric (backing) ◌ Batting, at least 110 × 140cm (40 × 53in) ◌ 40cm (½yd) blue and cream print fabric (binding) ◌ Sewing machine threads 50wt: coordinating with fabrics ◌ Quilting thread 12wt: white (top thread) ◌ Sewing machine with ¼in foot and walking foot ◌ Rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat ◌ Masking tape and quilting pins ◌ General sewing supplies Finished size: 83 × 116cm (32½ × 45½in) Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. A seam allowance of ¼in is used throughout. It is recommended that fabrics be 100% cotton and well ironed. Requirements are based on fabrics that are 107cm (42in) wide. For all the…

MATERIALS ◌ Cotton yarn 10 ply: approx 140m (153yd) ◌ Crochet hook: 4.5mm (UK7/US7) ◌ Tunisian hook: 6mm (UK4/USJ-10) Finished size: 20cm (8in) height and width (plus handle) Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. This is an intermediate skill-level crochet project. Australian/ UK terminology is used; North American readers should consult a crochet manual to ensure they interpret the instructions correctly. Tunisian crochet hooks, also known as Afghan hooks, have an elongated shaft with a stopper at one end to prevent stitches from falling off. They are used for Tunisian crochet, a technique that combines elements of crochet and knitting. ABBREVIATIONS ch = chain, dc = double crochet, sl st = slip stitch, YOH = yarn over hook TENSION It is not overly important, but you do want your…

MATERIALS ◌ 30 × 50cm (12 × 20in) Aida fabric 18ct: ecru — see note ◌ DMC stranded threads: Coral (351), Light Seaweed Green (502) ◌ Tapestry needle: size 26 ◌ Thin batting — the same size as the frame’s backing board ◌ Scissors ◌ Pins ◌ Thread ◌ Hoop (optional) ◌ Frame: 26 × 43cm (10 × 17in), 19.5 × 30cm (7½1in × 12in) matt opening — see note Finished size: Frame — 26 × 43cm (10 × 17in) Embroidery — 12 × 33.5cm (4¾ × 13¼in) Stitches used: Backstitch, fan stitch, fly stitch, straight stitch, whipped running stitch Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. Ensure that the piece of Aida cloth you are working on is large enough to fill the frame with 5-8cm (2–3in) extra…

It was while taking some time out from his job as a high school English teacher to travel around Europe that Jake Henzler became enchanted with the idea of capturing the architecture of old buildings in knitted designs. Jake had already been making small stuffed animal knits and story characters, and in 2007 released a book of patterns with Australian Country Spinners called Little and Friends, including a whale, a tadpole, and a character based on a piece of toast called Poppy. He got into the craft after a childhood watching his mother knit. She taught him the knit stitch when he was 19 years old and a passion took hold as he developed his skills through online tutorials. While he was overseas, Jake picked up casual teaching work at…

These are just a few of them … LYNDA TOMKINS I’ve been designing patterns for the classes and events I run since 2020 and now sell them in my store, Crochet Australia, as Crochet with Lynda. I love the designing process and the maths and logic that mix with creativity. I like exploring new techniques and stitches. I find that to sit down at the end of a busy day and pick up a crochet hook grounds me and is a part of my relaxation routine. I was taught to crochet by my mother at about the age of five. But it wasn’t until I became the proud owner of Crochet Australia that I really put all my crochet abilities to the test. I became a ‘Crochet Master’ in 2017,…

A talent for painting, a love of textiles and a yearning to experiment and be playful all come together in Beverley Saville’s lush textile collages, created with hand-dyed and repurposed fabrics overlaid with intricate stitched drawings. A keen explorer, Beverley is inspired by pristine landscapes she comes across during her travels around the UK. Whether she’s paddling her kayak, walking in the mountains or on a road trip in her campervan, Beverley spends time observing, sketching and recording her surroundings. “I find the juxtaposition of huge vistas and intimate details a great source of inspiration,” she shares. “The space to wander and think in these places is also important to me.” On her adventures, Beverley is especially drawn to wild and remote places in the Lake District and the Scottish…

MATERIALS ◌ One square, 40cm (16in) linen fabric – or other light-coloured fabric (background) ◌ One square, 40cm (16in) Christmas print fabric (back of hoop) ◌ 25cm (10in) wooden embroidery hoop ◌ 20 pieces of green fabric scraps: minimum size 5cm (2in) square, maximum size 10cm (4in) square – approximately 30 × 40cm (12 × 15in) in total ◌ One square, 10cm (4in) brown fabric (backing) ◌ 10 red buttons (Anne-Maree used four 5mm (¼in), two 7mm (⅜in), three 8mm (⅓in) and one 10mm (⅜in) ◌ One star-shaped button: 20mm (¾in) ◌ Coordinating hand sewing threads: green, brown, red ◌ Hand sewing needles ◌ 85cm × 13mm (34 × ½in) wide ricrac or trim (Anne-Maree used chenille ricrac) ◌ 1m × 10mm (1⅛yd × ½in) wide ribbon (for hanging) ◌…

MATERIALS ◌ 20 × cm (8 × 6in) red felt ◌ DMC Diamant Grande metallic thread: ◌ Dark Silver (G415) ◌ DMC stranded cotton: Carmine Red (321) ◌ Milliners needle: size 10 ◌ 37 silver sequins, 3mm (1/16in) ◌ Beading thread in neutral colour ◌ Lead pencil ◌ Tracing paper ◌ Scissors ◌ Glue ◌ Lightweight card ◌ Dressmakers awl (or large needle) ◌ Heat soluble marker – fine tipped ◌ Crewel needle: size nine ◌ 90cm (1yd) reversible e red grosgrain ribbon with white stitching (or similar) ◌ Approx 30g (1oz) Fibrefill ◌ Chopstick (optional) Finished size: 9 × 7cm (3½ × 2¾in) plus hanging ribbon Note: Read all the instructions before commencing the project. Instructions are given for using the printed Pattern Sheet, but but you can also download…

MATERIALS ◌ Rowan’s Norwegian Wool (50g/1¾oz/125m/137yd) or Rowan’s Alpaca Soft DK (50g/1¾oz/125m/137yd): White, Red ◌ Knitting needles: 3.5mm (UK10/9/US4) circular ◌ Crochet hook: 3mm (UK11/US2/3) ◌ Tapestry needle ◌ 20g (¾oz) 100 per cent wool batting (stuffing) Note: Read the charts printed on the Pattern Sheet from the bottom up. The chart is for one quarter of the ball; it is repeated four times, as per the instructions. Do not knit the bottom stitches of the chart; these show the cast on stitches. Do not knit the top stitches either. Instead, cut the yarn and thread the end through the remaining 12 stitches before pulling tight and tying off on the wrong side. The balls will be approximately 7cm (2¾in) height/width, depending on your needles, yarn choice and tension. Arne and Carlos also…

Some of Jake’s knitted artworks are held in the collection of Maitland Regional Art Gallery (NSW). The knitting bear (pictured) was created when Jake was among artists invited to respond to the gallery’s acquisition of a sculptural work by leading Melbourne artist Troy Emery. Emery’s work was a large pink and green dog made of tassels. Jake’s work shows a group of bears farming miniature versions of Emery’s ‘tassel dog’, then shearing the dogs’ fleece, spinning it into yarn and knitting garments to be worn by a rabbit. He called the story-based work You can get everything you want. Part of Jake’s inspiration reflected on a viral internet meme featuring a photograph of US Senator Bernie Sanders wearing hand-knitted mittens at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden. “Sanders wore a…

Let us know about your events – email details to jcooper@umco.com.au or send them to Homespun Diary Dates, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde, NSW 1670. Please notify us at least four months before the event. New South Wales October 17–18 Bulli Bulli Corner Quilters: Quilt and Flower Show Northern Illawarra Uniting Church Corner Princes Highway and Point Street, Bulli More information: Lmk1703@yahoo.com.au November 22–23 Braidwood Braidwood Quilters and Textiles: Airing of the Quilts Wallace Street, Braidwood More information: www.braidwoodquilters.com.au Victoria October 25–26 Geelong West Geelong Patchwork and Quilters’ Guild: Ruby Celebration Exhibition Geelong West Town Hall Packington Street, Geelong West More information: www.geelongpatch.org.au New Zealand October 31–November 2 Auckland Auckland Festival of Quilts Auckland Netball Centre 7 Allison Ferguson Drive, St Johns More information: www.aqg.org.nz “There is no doubt that…

MATERIALS ◌ Patons Sierra 8 ply (80% acrylic 20% wool) 150gm/375m: Two balls (or 170g) Arizona (4797) Colour A, One ball (or 150g) Niagara (1383) Colour B ◌ 4mm (UK 8/US F6) crochet hook ◌ Yarn needle ◌ 50 × 50cm (19½ × 19½in) cushion insert Finished size: 50cm (19½in) square Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. Australian/UK terminology is used: North American readers should consult a crochet manual to ensure they interpret the instructions correctly. This is an intermediate pattern. The cushion cover is worked in the round. At the end of each round, connect with a slip stitch and carry the yarn straight up the inside ready for the next round. The tighter the ss and the first ch of the next round, the more seamless the…

MATERIALS ◌ 40cm (½yd) light pink print fabric (cushion front) ◌ 40cm (½yd) brown print fabric (cushion back and facings) ◌ Two strips, 4 × 40cm (1½ × 15in) green with pink print fabric ◌ Assortment of pink, green and cream print fabrics (appliqué – refer to cushion image) ◌ DMC stranded embroidery threads: Ecru, Dark Shell Pink (221), Mustard (371), Dark Desert Sand (407), Dark Hazelnut Brown (420), Dark Brown (801), Light Brown (842), Dark Green Grey (3051), Hunter Green (3346), Medium Salmon (3712) ◌ DMC Perle #8 thread: Variegated Green (94), Moss Green (580) ◌ Buttons: five 12mm (⅝in) yellow flower-shaped, three 1cm (⅜in) white, three 1cm (⅜in) pink ◌ 40 × 60cm (15 × 24in) fusible woven interfacing ◌ 25cm (⅜yd) fusible web ◌ Small fabric scissors…

MATERIALS ◌ Large scraps of assorted light, medium and dark blue fabrics – Joanne recycled 25 men’s cotton shirts (blocks) ◌ 1.6m (1¾yd) solid white fabric or white cotton recycled bed sheet/s (background) ◌ 1.9m (2⅛yd) backing fabric – Joanne used 20 squares, 12in of blue shirting ◌ Batting at least 150 × 125cm (59 × 49in) – see Note ◌ 40cm (½yd) light blue print fabric (binding) – see Step 2 ◌ Rotary cutter, ruler and mat ◌ Sewing machine with ¼in and walking feet ◌ General sewing supplies Finished size: 128 × 105.5cm (50½ × 41½in) Finished block size: 6in Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. Joanne’s quilt is made from recycled fabrics, but we have also supplied yardage requirements if you prefer to use regular quilting…