Thinking beyond the square

Check this out for a great idea. Alison one of my lovely regular students at Pegs Pieces really gets the thumbs up for ingenuity . She was having a hard time with a thread that she really wanted to use so came up with a unique way to store and feed her thread . Cute hey.
The thread comes out of the spout , through the end of a saftey pin and then feed into the machine ... Hey presto great idea ........LOVE IT.

 Janet is also a regualr student at Kings Park Hobby Sew store and is quilting so beautifully.We chatted about her options and the following month Janet brings back the finished quilt.
 Very Impressive Janet .. Well done ....

Blueberries this week

Ive just had 4 lovely days teaching at Blueberries at Wyong this week.
Great work all round from so many talented students.
The first day was a Bernina 440 class and I had 15,  440 and 550 machines all lined up to learn to get the most out of their machines.  I really enjoy this class as its such a smart machine and I love to see people enjoy their machines more efficiently.
Second day was blanket and decorative stitches class, third day was free motion and blind hem applique and I have some lovely flowers to share with you from the class.

This is Bill( I have asked permission to post this photo Thanks Bill )  he has done several classes with me now and he is always a delight to have in class, asks lots of questions so keen and his work is wonderful.

Detail of Bills flower

The last day was A day of background fillers and I had lots of return students after more inspiration, and here are some of the patterns we free motion quilted on the day. We had some fun with impromptu designing . Thanks Jackie, Linda , Sue , Colleen Bill , Di and all the others who made it a great 4 days .

DVD Out now

 Great news *******Quilters Companion magazine's latest edition which is out now , I'm the DVD. John and I watched it last night and I'm relieved. Its pretty scary to film, to have your face and voice  on the screen in your own living room Ill never be completely comfortable with but it is FUN on the other hand....  I am just a whole lot lighter since filming in January though.....
Look out for it,  Have a laugh ....Im really happy at the way my quilts look on screen.....

Sorry I don't know how to flip to picture !!!

Lately I"ve taught at Wangaratta for the Dookie Quilters Victoria. I would like to thank the committee for the invite I really enjoyed the whole experience, you ran the workshops so well my workshop room was perfect , accommodation was great and the ladies terrific fun. My mate Gina Burgess was one of the teachers and lovely to spend time together again, Chris Jurd and Lesley were the other tutors. My students did so well and were fun to be with, we really had a good time.  Thanks again.

Students work... Great stuff Hey......

Yesterday I was teaching at Kings Park Hobby Sew and Dee who has completed her first machine quilted quilt after the Lets Quilt class, Well done Dee its looking great , so flat and ditched beautifully , all Dee now has to finish is shadow quilt around all the embroidery in colour on colour. Feels great doesn't it Dee to quilt your own quilts .... I LOVE to see peoples quilts after they have had a go, the first is always the hardest so your off and running now Dee .... FANTASTIC....

Have a look at some of the beautiful flowers the ladies did in the free motion applique class yesterday... stunning....

My other big news is Im teaching in FIJI July 2013 more info to come soon.........YIPPEE

Colour

Hi all,

At this time of year the colours that surround us are so strikingly beautiful.

All I want to do is make bright coloured quilts.

 I have bought up from my travels so much bright fun fabrics , spots strips, plains , texture etc the shops are full of them at the moment.
I am making a quilt for quilters companion magazine special edition for Clare at the moment and really have enjoyed this week sitting in my headquarters ( I don't call it a studio as it is my formal lounge room converted ) and so far this is what I have come up with. All squares and strips and it will be quilted all with the walking foot , heavy 8 ply thread in some areas, twin needles and ditching with monopoly clear thread. The borders and 4 different sizes and types. So I will have instructions about the quilting as well.

I like to keep my strips in order and not a big mess on the table and see the white wire  clothes driers I find them fantastic to drape the fabric over. Those of you that know me well know I don't piece well and I'm really concentrating and cutting by them by my  rule of  warp cut first and sew warp first , you know what .... It works....... all the pieces have joined beautifully, seams butt up and I'm stoked.....
So more piecing to come hopefully................
Look at the colour in these trees while walking in the mornings from my Wagga Wagga trip with Anne At Know How Sewing . We have booked next year 30 may to 2nd June.  Lovely to see some of the girls back again and they all did a great job in class . Thanks Ann, Dino and Lee for your hospitality.
While walking I wandered through the dead end of town ( sorry Husband's long standing joke) the cemetery and found a tomb stone of  Elizabeth Quilter broken on the ground ( no photo sorry it did not  work on the phone for some reason or maybe she is shy ) I wonder if she was a quilter?. And the locals tell me there is a Quilters Street near by, how cool would it be having a shop called Quilters Street Quilt Shop .......

 Ann has a collection of antique sewing machines isan't it tiny compared to the Bernina 440. And it still sews........

Off to Victoria tomorrow ... till next time
Happy sewing

Oh and watch out for my DVD coming out very soon in the next Quilters Companion magazine in newsagents soon......

AQC

Its been quite a few months since the last post,It has been a very busy teaching few months. Been all parts of the country.
Just back from Australian Quilt Convention. Wow it was great !!!!!!!
Stunning quilts, great shopping and fantastic teaching time.
I had 4 , one day classes that's 80 students in 4 days !!!! PHEW...
Very exhausting but so thrilling at the same time.
I met lovely people from all over Australia and New Zealand.I'm teaching at Taupo NZ in JULY 2013. So it was lovely to meet some locals.
I had 4 classes and had some  ladies who did all days with me . They started out very hesitant and by end of 4 days free motion quilting and applique  they ARE  FREE MOTION QUILTERS NOW, ready to go off and start quilting with stacks of confidence. Thank you it was a pleasure to have you all in class.
Some photos of students work

My very good Friend Katrina Hadjimichael was my roomy and she enjoyed teaching there as well for the first time. It was my third time at AQC. The gala dinner on the Saturday evening was so much fun., Loved the Michael Jackson Impersonator he was so good . Those that know me well know I'm a huge fan all of my life starting in the early 70's with the Jackson 5.Its really fun dancing the night away with all kinds of quilters just wanting to have fun.

 A huge well earned CONGRATULATIONS to Isobel Lancashire for winning the LA - Da Award and great to see her enjoying the moment , very fancy dancing feet she has indeed!!!!!  

Well done to Judy Newman for the great event.

Off to wagga Wagga now

BYE....

DVD filming

Just wanted to share with you my big day yesterday 22nd Feb 2012.

I flimed my latest (3rd) DVD for Quilters Companion magazine at Shoot studios at Artarmon Sydney.

These are ALWAYS scary to do , but I managed ( I hope it turns out okay)
First photo is of the set with the cameras , lights etc ...

Camera man Tim was alot of fun.......

Me  and Claire on set

Me very relieved its just about over ...........
Magazine due out in May...
I quilted some of the colums of advise that I have given over the last couple of years .. like threads / needles, letting the fabric do the talking, twin needle quilting with walking foot, free motion trouble shooting, free motion fillers.

organisation

Threads threads threads I love them .......
All types of fibres, weights and colours.
But I do like to stay organised when ever I can. I find it saves me time in the long run.

I keep all threads divided firstly into type then colour for example cotton 50 weight all together in draws in colour themes.

These draw systems I bought from one of those variety discount shops mine is in Miranda fair Sydney, but they are everywhere. Keeping the dust and light  out of the thread is a good thing. Keeps them new and clean ready for use at any time.

In my sewing area I keep a draw full of common threads I like to use again and again right behind me , turn around and they are there. I keep stationary in one draw, marking tools in another ,machine tools in another, sewing machine needles in a draw and cutting tools in the last. Everything has a place and there when I need it.

New projects also have a washing basket with all the design notes, drawings, sketches, fabric, threads , everything I need for that project so I don't have to hunt down for the correct tools. All in one place .

This is a new quilt project some of my teaching quilts are looking sad and old and I would like to up date them .

 

Some of this fabric I bought last year from Amitie in Melbourne . Jenny has THE best taste when buying fabric for her shop. 

Just a quick look at my set up for you. Scroll down to my room and table / machine set up as well.