Inspiring embroidery

During my week in Berrima I had a visit from Phyl who attended a class with me last year. I have had an ambition to incorporate more embroidery to my applique for several years and recently I have dabbled a little with chain stitch and my very favourite - the pekinese stitch (which I love to bead as well). Blanket stitch can get a little monotonous so I have tried using simple embroidery stitches to the edge of my raw edge applique.

Well Phyl has done it just as I have dreamed of doing it - and all on her William Morris Garden quilt. Have a look at her stunning work (and thankyou Phyl for allowing me to share it)
On the applique you will see chain stitch, pekinese stitch, feather stitch, coral stitch and others. Some of the stitches have also have been whipped...just stunning and so appropriate for the period of Morris....

Talented Phyl is on the left with the gorgeous Sue

So much more exciting than just blanket stitch don't you think?

(and Erica....I am so sorry I missed you on Tuesday too!)

Beautiful Berrima

It is hard to believe I have been in Berrima for almost a week. Thanks to the girls who joined me in classes..........I hope you have taken away all that you came for (beside the calories!). Check out the morning tea one day..........yum!

Tam is a fully trained chef in her previous life (before quilting!), and the lunches are always a treat.
Check out Tam's blog at Berrima Patchwork to see images from the first class. Here is one example of embroidered applique - and it is not blanket stitch!!

On my day off I had the privilege of visiting Harper' Mansion - click here;
Harper's Mansion for more info complete with an image of the garden maze. A few of my photos.......

 Mmmmm........maybe a quilt design??

A cheeky kookaburra above the pond (and not one goldfish in sight!).

Take care......missing you all at home XX

William Morris Tour itinerary is now on the web

The detailed itinerary of the William Morris tour is now on the web! Check it out at this link; http://www.whitecrofttours.co.uk/2011-tours/william-morris/
It will be sensational!

I am writing this from the Southern Highlands of New South Wales in a very chilly Berrima - they had snow last week and snow is expected again next week!http://www.berrimavillage.com.au/
I am a guest of Berrima Patchwork http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/ and have a week of workshops ahead of me .......and of course  tonight I am doing last minute preparations! Stay tuned for pictures later in the week......

Thought I would share these images of two beautiful cyclamen that we received in the past week or so for our new home - just stunning and thankyou Raelene and Kitty XX

Music and flowers

Thankyou so much for your emails, messages and cards..........

We still have holes in the ceiling and wall but the unpacking is almost done!
Last week I received some beautiful flowers (thanks Faye, Vicki & Marg). The tulips have been wonderful to watch for nearly a week but sadly they are now tired. The pink tulips stood up straight but the other type decided to weep their heads from day 2 and never opened - nevertheless they have still been stunning.............

Our moving date was changed three times and resulted in some disruption to classes and events. One of those was as a guest of the Modbury Community & Craft group to assist in their fundraiser for the Biggest Morning Tea. Sadly I could not attend but instead I lent a suitcase full of my quilts to share. Yesterday the quilts came back home and as a thankyou I was given this amazing hand painted tray - it is one of the blocks from the Adelaide Collection quilt! Just stunning and now has pride of place - thanks so much girls (and Tony the artist)

I will leave you with my favourite image of Jane Morris painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. They had an intriguing relationship and I do wonder if the Morris daughters were Dante's or William's!

If you click on this link you will see more of his art work with the music as a bonus!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_41ogbDfV6Y&feature=related

Have a good week

Show and tell

Goodness me - two posts in two days!! Over the past few weeks I have not only been slow to blog but also to share some amazing show and tell that has been emailed to me during that time. So here are a few images:
Below are images of the Macktown raffle quilt - from the Scrapbag Quilters of Northern Illinois. You can see it better at this link; http://www.scrapbagquilters.org/commserv.html
It was such a thrill to hear from this group who adapted the design from my Morris Magic quilt...

 And Judy from Queensland has become a great internet friend who has done another splendid job on Portiere....

And I also had an email from Lesley of Grandmothers Garden in New Zealand: http://www.grandmothersgarden.co.nz/page/38-about-us
She sent me a photo of their version - machine appliqued by Betty McLean, hand-embellished by  Heather Clark and professionally quilted by Linda Young.

....and Penny from Canada has done another stunning quilt using William Morris blocks in embroidery.......

 Trudy from the US has been emailing me for several years and I was amazed at how jungle/animal prints could be used on the Artichoke cushion - even handmade fringing....

Jackie from Washington State has also been a long time internet friend who does incredible needle-turn. The first block is from a design by Katie Friesen - another William Morris fan who designed the stunning Ode to Morris and Expressions of Morris quilts. The other two blocks are from Floral Fantasy - so you really can needle-turn those intricate points (but not me!!)......

Judith from the Australian Rugmakers Guild used the centre design of the William Morris & Friends quilt to create this hooked rug - amazing!

 And I finally got to meet Maree (another internet friend; http://www.mareew.blogspot.com/), at the quilt show in Sydney - was that last week???!!!
And Margaret in Washington State - oops I mean Texas! (Jackie is in Washington State)......we will meet one day soon!!

Now for my final show and tell.......remember that plumbing problem from my last post??? Look at the fancy architectural features we now have in our very new house.....(!!)

And there is my Portiere on the wall!

:-(

Home Sweet Home

Well this blog is for all you friends who wondered where I have been! Home Sweet Home has been bittersweet and we have a few issues to still get sorted.......but the photos probably tell a different story. Don't get me wrong - it is wonderful to be finally in 'our own home' but the plumbing leaks, there is no phone line, no Internet apart from the very slow wireless, the roof sounds like it is going to blow off when it is windy (which is often!), and there is builders dust, dust and more dust- and I am suffering from a second cold for the season! But how lucky are we to have a warm bed and a roof over our heads?
So these images are for those of you who have been asking - including friends who came and said hello in Sydney at the Quilt Show....'here 'tis!

Welcome to our townhouse as you walk up to the front door....(that wall on the left is the townhouse adjoining us)

.... entrance looking though to back

...turn left at the entrance hall and the den/lounge just for Larry

....walk further down the passage to the kitchen/dining/family and sewing area. I don't want to have a "studio"..... I do have office space but I like to sew where the 'action is'!

...so behind the 'action' is my sewing corner......(you can see back to the front door)

i will try to keep the sewing corner tidy!

upstairs to his bedroom......

...her bedroom

and the spare room/office/storage area upstairs.............

and you do not want to see the stash behind those doors!!!

And this is what I have been working on. It is an unfinished drawing from William Morris......I have finished it for him! This is the photo of the drawing that I took at Kelmscott House last year.....

I was demonstrating for Pfaff in Sydney and quilters asked me if this was a new project for a third book - I think not!  Instead I have decided it will be a bonus pattern that anyone doing a workshop with me over the next year or so will get as a bonus gift.......enjoy