Haven't we been here before?

Hello, long time no post!

I have been moaning about the lack of projects that I would like to make in the magazines, so I decided to do something about it.  I put the thought out there that we would love to do a project and what happens?  Two different magazines want projects! 

Jenine and I said that we could assist one magazine that needed a specific project in a hurry.  So off we went, cutting, sewing, more cutting, more sewing.  We loved the project.  So much so, that we didn't want to give it away!  So, back to the drawing board.

Jenine and I are still working on the original quilt, but another design needed to be done and quickly - we only had a week to go before it was to be finished.  Could we do it?  Yes, we could. 

Over a weekend, Therese and I sat and sewed our little hearts out - my fingers were sore from all the blanket stitching we did.  Therese put the top together and quilted it over a couple of days, I did the binding and it was done.  Did we like it?  At the start, no!  But by the end we were very happywith it.  The magazine love it and will be using it as a project later this year.  Keep an eye out for more details (I promise to keep up with the blog!).

Sneak preview of applique blocks!

What do you think?  Cute, hey?

Till next time,

Tasha

Lucky Country

I know that we live in the "lucky" country but sometimes it can be a harsh country too.  We all watched in horror as the water swept away houses, cars and people in Queensland then the hurricane winds further north and then the creeping spreading floods in Victoria.  I sat in my comfortable home or in my well stocked sewing room and tried to imagine what it would feel like if it was all just gone in the blink of an eye.

I started sewing.  I made needlebooks every night and then with a dedicated team of helpers at work we have spent the last four Saturdays making up sewing kits for the ladies in those devastated areas who have lost all their supplies.  They will be posted in the next couple of days to a collection point in Queensland to be distributed in the coming weeks.  I want to give a big THANK YOU to Jill, Judy, Sue, Simone and Maxine.  We made caddy's to go on the arm of a couch, needlebooks and pin cushions to go in drawstring bags with some scissors, pins, embroidery threads and needles.  It isn't much but if the sewing kits give some comfort it is worth every minute we spent sewing.  We just wanted to let them know we care.

Till Next Time,

Therese and Tasha

It's Not Fair

I was polishing my halo after I had finished a UFO.  But my smugness was short lived.

DD11 was cleaning up her part of the craft room and found a cushion that she had started.  She didn't want to finish it though and said to me 'You'll finish it for me, won't you mum?'  Not that I had a choice!


So, here is the front part - just needs to be quilted and then made into a cushion.  It took about an hour to complete the front and the cushion part will only take about 30 minutes as well.  Why is it that we think our UFO's are going to take so long to complete, when if we took just 15 minutes a day, we would have them finished in no time!

Till next time

Tasha and Therese

Guilty Secrets!

What do you get when you mix some fairy fabric, some stitchery, some applique and some bejewelling?

You get a Princess cushion of course!

Yes, the mother who didn't want her daughter to be 'girly' at all has been making princess cushions for years!  Such a guilty secret - but not anymore!  They have been requested as birthday presents - even for a teenager!

It all started with a grandmother who bought lots of pink clothing, dolls and stories about Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty.  Add in some sparkly nail polishes, twirly skirts and t-shirts with butterflies and fairies and there you go!  Hello girly-girl, good bye tom boy!  Oh well, if you cannot beat them, then join them!  (Says she who agreed to have dragonflies put on her fingernails by the "girly girl" last time they did their nails together.)

Till next time,

Tasha

Binding - Love it or Loathe it?

Whew - it has been so hot here and what have I been doing?  Relaxing with a good book, cool drink and the air-con going?  No, I have been working on a binding on a queen size quilt!  Why would I do that in the middle of summer?  Well, I provide a binding service for those who loathe the job.  One of our favourite customers had finished her first quilt and needed the binding done.  She was so excited to have completed her quilt that I couldn't let her down.  I had to finish it in as little time as possible.  So here are my essentials for binding:

A rubbish bin, my OTT Lite, sharp scissors and my IPOD.  Yes, my ipod - I love that I can 'plug myself in', tune the world out and just sew.  Bliss.  Except when it is 40 odd degrees C.

So, do you love the binding stage?  Do you feel enthused that the quilt is almost finished?  Or do you dread the monotony of hand sewing the binding down?




Till next time,

Tasha

Inspiration

It is amazing where you can find inspiration for your patchwork.  My daughter and I have returned from our holiday in Tasmania - such a beautiful place to visit, so many wonderful people, sights, etc.  

I loved the patterns created in the rocks and thought it would be a lovely patchwork - all of those different size pieces that join together like a jigsaw.

We visited The Quilted Crow and bought a little bit of fabric - they have so many beautiful Reproduction fabrics and 1930's.  The 'chicken' bought a couple of fat quarters and some ribbon.  She has more UFO's than I do.  I like to keep mine to about 3 - but at the moment she has 7!!!  Definitely following in our footsteps!

So, it is back to the grindstone at work - so hard to get back into the swing of things.  I love my work, but I loved my holiday too.

Till next time,

Tasha

Happy New Year!

Two more sleeps and the cherub and I will be heading to Tassie for a holiday.  I have been preparing some sewing to take away with me.  You cannot expect me to go for a week without sewing, can you?  I do have some books to take as well - but everyone that I have spoken to says that I will be too busy sight-seeing to read.


We had a very quiet Christmas dinner this year.  Mum, dad, cherub and myself - lovely!  Roast lamb dinner, chocolate ripple cake dessert - mmm, what more could you ask for?  Don't answer that! (Visions of unlimited fabric springs to mind.)

We have had lots of interest in our Friendship Medallion Quilt and three over-achievers have finished theirs already.  One even wants the instructions for the second Medallion that Therese is designing!  Don't these people have anything else to do?

It is amazing to see the different colour schemes that people have been using.  One lovely customer came in today and has done a 'Trip Around The World' style centre.

The start of a new year is always exciting and full of unlimited potential.  We have several new designs in the pipeline, including some magazine projects, and will give you some sneak peeks as soon as we can. 

Till next time,

Therese and Tasha