Patchwork & Flowers in Tasmania

Holidays are over & Sewing classes have started again

Tasmania in January is a glorious location for a holiday

Think rasberries, cherries, wildflowers, hydrangas, sunny skys and twilight

 

 Launceston Gardens

Inside the walled garden at 

Woolmers Estate - Historic Homestead & Gardens

 

At Deloraine which is a short drive from Launceston 

We discovered 'Fresh Fabric'

This shop houses a feast of modern bright prints, books, patterns and samples. 

Janet the lovely lady who served me made me promise to crop her out of the photo!

Definitely stop & shop here if you get to this part of Tassie.

Next it was on to Bridestone Lavender Farm

Yes that's me and my roomy 'Meadow Bag' by Melly & Me

The lavender was in full flower and harvesting had commenced 3 days earlier

Harvest takes approx 3 weeks each January

This is the Lavender Oil being distilled- mmm that place smelled good

Perfect pears ripening in the garden of

'Hob Nobs' cafe/deli

in Westbury

The food was so delicious and the service so friendly that we made a return visit

The garden courtyard setting is picture perfect

Hungry teenager studying the menu!

Yellow Roses at the National Rose Garden - Woolmers Estate

Pretty climbing rose

Very unusual Hydrangea

 We flew on this sea plane over Strahan 

and the Gordon & Franklin Rivers

Yes we did land in the gorge 20km upstream

AND Yes my knees were wobbly

Dove Lake below Cradle Mountain

Wildflowers at Cradle Mountain

We loved this road sign on the way in to Cradle Mountain

Back to reality now - fire up those sewing machines - Bye

Lovely Linen

There is nothing quite so lovely as natural linen when it is teamed with bright colours.

Linen from 'Sckafs' Fabrics

Indooroopilly Shopping Town, Brisbane.

Pattern from the book 
'I love patchwork'
by Rashida Coleman-Hale


Vintage Suffolk Puffs c. 1960

Raw Edge Applique

King Tut varigated thread

Student aged 12 yrs

Sewing Machine Cover 

pattern from book 'I love patchwork'

 

The scraps made great pincushions

Pattern in the book 'Scandinavian Stitches' Kajsa Wikman 

 

And needlecases

 My youngest nephew is starting kindy this year and he chose this 'Hungry Caterpiller' fabric for his sheets while we were holidaying at Hervey Bay

I am really pleased with how they turned out.

He has top & bottom sheets as well as pillowcase & drawstring carry bag

Fabric from 'Dewdrop Inn' Hervey Bay

For the name just print the desired font on a piece of A4 paper at the size you desire

Trace the outline

from the wrong side

so that it is mirror imaged

Trace this onto your vliesofix

The next Linen project I am going to make is a jacket in coral pink with cerise piping.

 Watch for my next blog at the end of January for pictures.

Flooding East Brisbane

I live in the Brisbane Suburb known as 'East Brisbane'
Close to the river it floods in low lying areas.
Thankfully I live on a hill. We have been spared the heartbreak of packing up and moving out.

We walked to the river late yesterday and again today to witness the river in flood. Here are some of the photos...

Sunrise 5.30am  Wednesday 12th Jan

View from the Kangaroo Point Cliffs

of a swollen river filled with debris

Pontoon with chair
floats past

        

Next a pontoon

with boat on top

This boat has already
travelled intact under
at least 7 bridges






















People line the top of the cliffs - watching in awe
and the media prepare for early broadcasts

By lunchtime flood water is creeping up into the houses at the lower end of my street - Longlands Street

By 4pm crowds of people are gathering at vantage spots along the river to watch the awesome power of a river in full flood

Kangaroo Point Cliffs













Traffic chaos

At Mowbray Park

Looking upstream as
Smith Street Newfarm
City Cat Pontoon 
Breaks up

Water laps the grass as riverside footpaths
disappear


Thanks to the family, friends and students who have called us today to check on our safety. We wish everyone could be as safe as we are tonight.  Linda

Sewing into a New Year

 Check out the updated Class Dates Page for 2011 classes

'Red Shoe Dog'

In the November post 'Making Christmas Lanterns' I brought you photos of the quilt I was making for a new baby and promised you more. I am pleased to say it is finished and here are the photos..........

Pinned and ready to quilt. 

 

For baby quilts I like to prewash and dry the cotton batting in a clothes dryer.

 This makes it pretty shrink proof

I pieced the back in wide strips to use up the left over fabric

Now for the fun part

..... free motion quilting

I started by outlining the stars, the bike, the dog and the bird. Then I stippled the background behind the stars. Next job was the foreground infills and finally baby's name in contrasting colour.

Machine in Use

I love quilting with this machine. It has the power to move smoothly through the quilt with even tension, comes with a large extension table and has plenty of under arm space.

This machine is available to use in the Urban Sewing Lounge

Adding the Binding

  I add the binding before trimming the excess batting & backing fabric because I find it much more stable and easy to sew.

Finished Quilt

Large Purse

 Pattern by Anni Downs in her book "In the life of a Bag"

A few special people in my life received one of these for Christmas

But I must confess to still having 2 cut out and unfinished

With all the festivities over its back to the sewing lounge to bring you some new samples.....

More Christmas Gifts

Six pretty fabric coasters tied with a velvet ribbon
pattern in the book -'Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts' by Joelle Hoverson

 

 Pretty apron with ruffle trim
adapted from a pattern in the book - 'A is for Apron' by Nathalie Mornu

Little basket of goodies with goose embroidery
pattern - 'Christmas Goose' by Hatched & Patched


Keep on Sewing& finishing off those gifts.......................

............................only 2 weeks to go 

Finishing Christmas Gifts

  

Henrietta's Valise

karen was frantically finishing 3 of these for her family - we all wanted to be her family!

Those beautiful birds have been outline quilted

 Pattern for the Bag
 - Hetties Patch

Joan's Fan Quilt 

Someone very special will receive this magnificent quilt just before Christmas

The magic of hand quilting transformed this quilt top.........






 Into this beauty  .......Fay thanks Pam for a stunning effort

Naomi Bag

 Young Sewers
 They are keen, delightful to teach and very talented!

The holiday classes for young sewers have proved very popular and this is just one of the lovely items the girls 
have been making. 

 Here is a 'Retro Rosie' round cushion made by another young sewer

 First time she had made piping & a self cover button and the result was terrific

 Thea's First Quilt

Features fabrics by

'Prints Charming' Sydney 

Thea made this at school and received an A. ( for Awsome)

Congratulations Thea