Generous Fiskars!

This morning I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Fiskars and in particular one young man by the name of Asher who is the Trade Marketing Co-ordinator here in Australia. I met Asher in person at AQC in April and he again showed how generous this company is at my lecture. I am sure there would have been over 100 people present and every single person walked away with a Fiskars gift from rotary cutters to scissors - so, so generous and all gifts were wrapped individually as well. I have been using Fiskars scissors for as long as I've been making my appliquéd quilts and especially these that used to be called Softgrip. The scissors are now marketed as Floral Garden snips and can be found in the garden section of stores, but just ask your local quilt shop to get them in for you too. I think when I bought mine many years ago they were in a scrapbooking section of a large stationery shop! Just one pair has cut out literally thousands of my raw edge appliqué pieces and all while cutting fusible appliqué paper and fabric. Mine have never needed sharpening and are still sensational! I love the wide handles - so comfortable especially for arthritic joints and the points get right into areas of my intricate work…...

And I have also been using a Fiskars lopper and secateurs in the garden for many years as well.  Anyway enough of my promo…….just have a look at what came in the mail just 15 minutes ago!……

 Yes….Fiskars have been in business for an incredible 365 years and this is the celebratory gift pack I just received! I am excited beyond belief…….a new pair of scissors, some brand new secateurs and a new kitchen knife that I have desperately needed!

 There is also a book of the history of Fiskars in Finland that I know I will thoroughly enjoy too……..

 I have never received such generosity from a business (apart from Tim and Jim at Curzons) and I know some cynics will say it is advertising for the company but I say they deserve my support. I have never approached any company or ever asked for anything so this has truly blown me away. It is easy when it is a product you truly believe in because it hasn't let me down! Thankyou so very much Fiskars Australia! (and Asher). Isn't this just lovely in  our world of greed and profit mongering?….I think William Morris would have been impressed too! I am one very lucky girl!

Book Launch Day!

Today was a very exciting day that I just have to share. But first of all my heartfelt thanks to so many of you who have already been on the website and purchased books…..in just 24 hours we have over 30 orders from all around the world! Many in Australia but also from New Zealand, the US and even Iceland - so exciting! But back to today…..I pondered for many weeks about the concept of a launch and serendipitously while visiting a country quilt show some months back it all fell into place! Instead of a traditional book launch the wonderful girls from Port Elliot quilters decide to host it and turn the event into a fundraiser for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. It just seemed perfect and such a special way to raise funds for the Cancer Council. I am sure each and every one of us at the launch has been touched by cancer and I was so thrilled to be able to combine the two occasions in such a meaningful way. Larry got behind the camera and recorded some of it for me……..setting up first…..

 A much needed cuppa before official proceedings with my lovely friend Anna Scott being briefed by the President Robin……..

 It was lovely to have Emily and Maisie with us but sad that Sophie couldn't come due to work……...

 Another very serendipitous moment with our guest from the cancer council who turned out to be an entertainer! He gave us some wonderful music to launch the proceedings all dressed in the biggest morning tea colours of yellow……...

 I met Anna many years ago when I enrolled in one of her crewel work classes…..silly me thought that I could turn my designs into crewel work but 'silly me' didn't realise how long that was going to take! But I am so proud to say that Anna was my editor of my first two William Morris books and it was so special to have her there to launch it all….thanks Anna x

 Then it was time to thank many people. First of all our dear Kay who you have heard of before through the blog with news of her son Adam's battle with bone cancer…….and at the tender of age of only 23. I am pleased to report his gruelling year of chemo is finally over and he is doing well. Thankyou Kay for helping me with some project preparation for the book xx

 And then thanks to my lovely friends Judy, Delma, Faye and Vicki who provided the recipes in the book….

 And finally a lot of signing and Larry even recorded the line-up!

 So I am now on my way to paying Larry back……...

 I also received the most beautiful (very large!) bunch of flowers from the Port Elliot quilt group that are now settled on the sewing cabinet. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart to the group for arranging such a wonderful day and I am sure with over 120 people present we raised lots for the cancer council. Also a very huge thanks to everyone who came. There are so many others I would loved to have invite but numbers were limited due to space and catering….mind you there was enough food left to feed many more but it may have been standing room only! 

 So it is time for me to take a deep breath and then start signing and packing all those online book orders…….thanks folks! x

The website is live!

The Hill household is very excited tonight and we have already had an on-line customer…thank you! It is an incredible feeling to be doing this all on my own and gives me confidence to move forward to a little bit of this for the next venture…….

But for now it is a little bit of this…….

The link is all up and running here: michelehillquilts.com and be assured my able assistant Larry will send orders through pronto…and of course they will be personally signed by yours truly!

So as I close I will share a little more from William Morris……...

"Never forget the material you are working with, and try always to use it for what it can do best: if you feel your- self hampered with the material in which you are working, instead of being helped by it, you have so far not learned your business. The social limitations of the material should be a pleasure to you, not a hindrance: a designer, therefore, should always thoroughly understand the processes of the special manufacture of the material he is dealing with."

Till next time - take care wherever you are x

Website

Thankyou all for your eagerness and sorry that the website is not quite ready!! We just need to get a few links working properly so just a little bit longer! I will let you know as soon as it is ready to go….(I was a tad eager too!)

Chilly days

Winter seems to have come quite early here and the plants are still very confused thinking it is already autumn. Sweet peas, jonquils and soon to be daffodils are appearing way before they should. But even a chilly 13 degrees outside finds Larry still enjoying his solitude with a good book (beside the cyclamen that have appeared at the correct time)……

 We've been back from our little break for over a week now but I did record a little history including the iconic Big Lobster at Kingston on the way home…..

 Great coffee stop……..

Since being home the pencil has been busy sketching ideas for the Beatrix Potter book but I have also had time to make Maisie some pinafores……... 

 We've also celebrated 37 wonderful years of marriage during the week and one night enjoyed the quiet of playing a board game together……I am sure I didn't know what an "etui" was before I took up sewing!……..

 Larry also celebrated his fourth attempt at retirement with his new card!!…….

One morning as we travelled down our southern expressway towards the city the cloud formation just looked like snow capped peaks……it was cold enough to snow despite the sun shining!…..

And finally….THE BOOK!! I am hoping tonight the new website will go live. 

Stay tuned and thanks so much for popping by x