Embroidery meets quilts

I am still here.......I am back in Adelaide for a few days with loads of preparation required before we hit the road for 5 weeks of workshops in NSW and Victoria in 10 days! But first I am returning to Brisbane for a 2nd time in 2 weeks!
Thanks to all the girls who came to the classes at the Koala Convention in Brisbane. Not all workshops went ahead so I have flown home for a few days and then I head back to Brisbane again on Tuesday for workshops with Queensland Quilters. In the meantime I've managed to come down with a sore throat, swollen glands and a runny nose "woe is me".....

As some of you know I have been exploring Morris embroideries closely and my next project is to be a quilt covered in Morris style thread work - I think! My inspiration started with these amazing tablecloths that I was lucky enough to purchase a couple of years ago from Peppergreen Antiques in Berrima which has sadly closed due to both owners passing away. I have been searching for nearly two years now for the right kind of threads. I now have a collection of rayons and silks so when time permits I will be experimenting. Here you can see close-ups of the thread work on the antique cloths I purchased and also a piece of the embroidery thread that is braided - I so wish I could still get it....

My wish is to reproduce some of the embroidered screens that can be seen at Carrick Hill here in my home town. The stitches look very simple - maybe short and long stitch, chain stitch and stem stitch. This a little detail from the Carrick hill website of one of the screens......

(Must mention I was thrilled to see that  there is now a Carrick Hill blog!)

So I am sending this info to all the girls from the Brisbane class and to you who read the blog and may be interested - I promised to share in some stitches from Phyl's wonderful applique which I have shown before on the blog....have fun deciding on what stitches she used and then the last images are from some of my own work "in progress"

and a wee bit of my work.........I am loving two rows of chain stitch - one inside the applique and one outside....then whip the two centre circles of chain

 Great on some felted wool projects.....

Take care wherever you are X

(he is such a serious soul!)

Short interlude

We have just had a few days at our favourite place - Robe which is about 4 hours drive, south of where we live. It is my annual sanctuary where I can sleep in and catch up on stitching. This year we had Emily and Brett join us for a few days so the stitching got put on hold for a bit of this..............

Emily took this photo today after his second lot of immunisations...such a good little fellow.

While we had Beau on our own for a few hours I decided that 4 months is definitely not too young to start sewing! He was absolutely mesmerised.....probably by the lights, sound and action and not the stitching - but who cares??!!

 He was spellbound and looked up with a "......look at this Poppa" face!

 And then he was just plum tuckered out after all that stitching.......

We have come home a day early today as it was so cold and windy.....mind you Adelaide is not much better (max of 10 degrees....goodness we might have snow next!) But I did manage to get an "Eye Spy" quilt finished for Beau. I used some of Jason Yenter's Legendary Basics for the strips surrounding the blocks. This range is sensational - and not just for applique. There are so many delicious colours that can be used with other fabrics. I hope Jason keeps the collection going for many years.

 Loved this fabric for the backing.....

I am home for a week before heading up to Queensland for the Koala Embroidery convention on Friday. I have more preparation and stitching to do for new classes in July and August and of course many emails and phone messages to answer. My emails have included several of you who watched Country House Rescue on ABC1 on Wednesday evening......so glad I was watching too and thanks for thinking of me!!

(Photo from ABC)

Tapeley House and Gardens website is well worth a visit and the story is fascinating. Hector Christie inherited the house by the toss of a coin with his brother! Hector is an activist particularly in the area of genetically modified foods which he opposes vehemently. I have just read online that he may go to gaol because of a recent protest which you can read about Here. Tapeley has one of the biggest collections of William Morris furnishings in the UK and Hector's grandmother dined with Morris regularly in the house. I might have to visit one day as it has one of these........

I took photos of this Burne Jones piano at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery two years ago and I think we will be visiting again on tour in a few months - lots to do before then!

Proud to be a South Australian!

Well the results are in and South Australian quilters have done us proud at the Sydney Quilt show!! Congratulations to Rachelle who got .....1st in the Masters category!.....well done Rachelle! Rachelle also got 3rd in Small/Wall quilt for another quilt

and to Ming Hsu also from South Australia with BEST OF SHOW!......well done Ming and can't wait to see it in the flesh........

Another South Aussie - Mary Williams won 4th Pictorial Open.....

You can see all the winners here

Country quilting with the new PA!

The time for blogging seems to have evaded me again - but I have not been idle! I am hoping life will be eased a little as I have a new PA - whoopee! Check him out......

Yes  - Larry has finally retired - well almost. Officially it is next week after 2 weeks leave but he has been home with me for over a week already. But that is not really true either as he has been working as PA already as we have been on the road for 11 days! The day after Larry stopped work we headed to Cohuna to the Country Quilting Weekend. A wonderful time was had with 105 quilters in attendance. The tutors included the amazing Linda Steele, Gloria Loughman, Mariya Waters, Margaret McDonald and Judie Bellingham. All these tutors  had the most amazing "show and tell" on the first night but sadly the camera was not with me. Check their websites as you will know their work. Nearly all of them have won international awards and their quilts are truly inspiring. Here are a few images post workshops.....

 Above: is Linda and so much embroidery was achieved by the girls on the crazy patchwork blocks

Above: Judie's girls pretended to have completed needle turn applique and Celtic quilts - but I think they belonged to the teacher!

 Over achievers in Margaret's class and I think one participant didn't sleep overnight!!

 Above: Mariya's group learnt to do bobbin work with luscious threads

And we all scrambled to get photos (above and below ) of the colourful landscapes in Gloria's class - they were stunning

And above is our class - thanks for coming girls and I hope the quilts are finished for show and tell next year!!

We stayed in a wonderful cabin in the caravan park where we were greeted by this fellow (or maybe it was a lady??).......

 Up early for a memorable sunrise and this was the view from our cabin!

 This intrigued me....I've never really thought about the trees that make cricket bats. The sheep certainly keep the undergrowth down



Then we headed north to Mildura where I was the guest of the lovely Mandy Gowers in her beautiful shop Lesley May's (named after her late Mother). The shop is a stunning old house which has been renovated tastefully, complete with a massive classroom....and home baked food. (must get that Oreo slice recipe!!). And sorry but the camera was missing again!

This Thursday I am off to the Sydney Quilt Show just for the day. I managed to get a cheap return airfare as I just have to go and see the quilt below in the flesh!! I am also looking forward to seeing the new Master Quilters Category. This is a category to celebrate the NSW Quilters Guild's 30th anniversary. Quilters from around Australia were invited to enter and I was honoured to be one of those asked. Sadly I could not particpate as I have not had the time to do something new.

But back to this quilt! It belongs to our talented Rachelle Denneny and it is all done on her domestic machine! Our fingers are crossed for a well deserved award ........but I also want to see it win in Houston when I am there in November! Good luck lovely Rachelle XX

"Dear William" - new fabric release!

This is just a quick post as I have just finished a long journey back from NSW which stated at 4am this morning! But I just had to share an exciting event which has just happened this past weekend at International Quilt Market 2012  Kansas City. Jason Yenter of 'In the Beginning Fabrics' and I have been working for the past couple of months designing our latest range of fabrics to be called "Dear William". The name was Jason's idea because he wanted me to write a poem to William Morris! Sadly I couldn't be there so I am hoping someone may have taken photos of Jason's booth - do let me know.

For now here is a peek at some of the range and also the Block of the Month quilt to go with it (in 3 colourways). You can see the whole range by clicking here: "Dear William"

 Must have a border print!

 This time it was not only William Morris that inspired me - it was also Charles Voysey

 and also Augustus Pugin

 Tonals in my favourite blue and green

And finally here is the "Dear William" poem...enjoy

Dear William,

I had a dream that you returned for a day

You stood proud before me, what words could I say?

I feared that you’d tremble and shake with recourse

When I told you that society is still full of remorse

For this world that we live in, I’m ashamed to declare

Would fill you with anguish and a heart of despair

So how could it be that a whole century on

Your Earthly Paradise is still a mere song?

But we can dance in your colour, your designs that delight

The wonder and beauty as your angels take flight

To know you a moment and tell you its fate

As we continue your journey of love without hate

You’ve brought joy and pleasure as we share in your art

May it live on forever as we are apart

Thank you dear William for a glimpse of your soul

A memory forever for the world to be told

With fondness,

Michele