Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i Australian Homespun

Tas – Launceston November 12-14 Punchbowl 30th Anniversary of Launceston Patchworkers and Quilters Exhibition; Punchbowl Christian Centre, 100 Punchbowl Rd. Open 10am-4.30pm Thurs-Sat. Entry $5. More information: Email Diane Oliver at d.oliver47@bigpond.com. Qld – Gold Coast November 14-15 Southport Stitch! By CraftAlive Southport; Southport Community Centre, 6 Lawson St. A show dedicated to patchwork, needlework, knitting, embroidery and all things stitching, with products to buy, demos, workshops and much more. NSW – Central Coast November 14-15 Woy Woy Ettalong Beach Arts & Craft Centre Annual Christmas Exhibition and sale; Peninsula Community Centre, Cnr Ocean Beach and McMasters Rds. Open Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 10am-3pm More information: Email www.ebacc.com.au or phone (02) 4341 8344. NSW – Country November 28 Braidwood Braidwood Airing of the Quilts Turns 21; various streets and buildings in…

A patch of blue jeans If you’re spurred into stitching action by our cute jeans-bottom bread basket (left), you’ll be wanting to know what to do with the leftover legs of your kid’s jeans, and here’s a beautifully simple idea that will coordinate perfectly with your barbecue entertaining table setting. Use cut-up strips of the jean legs alongside other coordinating blues and greys going to waste in your ever-growing stash to make these elegant bench cushions. They can be run up on a machine in a matter of minutes. Buns on seats If you are the host with the most ideas, here’s a great new thought that should appeal. Ordinary bread basket – so old hat! Old jeans – the bottom line in upcycling! Such an imaginative presentation for a…

Why this particular craft? I love fabric. The new styles and colours and designs each month are so exciting, and I love to see my stash grow. Making something that’s very practical and beautiful at the same time is uplifting. Have you tried plenty of others? Oh! yes. I also write patterns for painting, paper crafts, beading, jewellery and general crafts. I have always liked working with my hands and making things. The designing came from not always having a specific item for a pattern and learning to improvise. When I lived in Australia (in the days before internet shopping), we were pretty rurally isolated (difficult to explain to people here in Europe) and I couldn’t always get the exact thing that I needed. But the show needed to go…

THE NEVER-LOSE NEEDLE KEEPER There’s not a stitcher alive who hasn’t misplaced a needle and spent hours patting the carpet under the sofa, feeling behind cushions and despairing that this fine but fierce tool will only reveal itself embedded in the skin of children or pets. All hail Jennie Pickett, who has solved the problem. She put a sew-in magnet in an English paper-pieced hexagon to make a magnetic needle-landing spot on projects. The hexagon is basted around the magnet and then hand sewn to the case. You can find out more about Jennie’s ingenuity by visiting her Clover & Violet website (www.cloverandviolet.com) or instagram.com/cloverandviolet.…

Michelle Holmes’ romantic stables studio is actually part of a creative co-op of jeweller, ceramist, blacksmith, baker, dressmaker, painter and model-maker. A candlestick-maker would complete the picture beautifully, but alas … Still, the scenery (serene rural England, grand manors, church steeples) and stables setting (all cobbly and charming) is storybook perfect. Or as Michelle says, “It has a very English look about it – a little Jane Austen, to be honest.” A LITTLE Jane Austen??? Good grief, she even has newts and baby wagtails strolling into her studio. And isn’t that Mansfield Park in the background? We should apologise in advance to all those readers, designers and stitchers out there who have to make do with regular rooms (or even just corners of regular rooms) for their sewing. They may…

Materials • Fat quarter of light tan print fabric (centre block background)• 65cm ( 3/4yd) dark cream print fabric (appliqué background)• 70cm ( 3/4yd) red mottled print fabric (Borders 3 and 5)• 1m (1 1/8yd) dark green print fabric (Borders 7 and 9)• 2.3m (2 1/2yd) floral print fabric (Border 10 and binding) – see Note• 20cm-30cm ( 1/4- 3/8yd) of fabrics in a range of green, red, blue, orange and brown print fabrics (piecing and appliqué) – see Katrina’s Fabric Selection Tips• Fusible web• Tear-away stabiliser, such as Vilene Stitch and Tear• Machine threads to match the appliqué fabrics• 2.5m (2 5/8yd) extra-wide backing fabric – see Note• Batting at least 240cm (94in) square• 9mm ( 3/8in) bias tape maker (appliqué stems)• 5mm ( 1/4in) wide fusible tape (optional) – see Katrina’s Fusible Tape Tip• Cardboard (circle templates)• Rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat• Sharp…

Why this particular craft? Good question! It’s the first time someone’s asked me that. I love to draw and to imagine fantastic worlds, and this was my only passion for a lot of time. One day (several years ago), a friend invited me to a patchwork class. In this class, I discovered appliqué; I made an apron with sheep for my husband and I fell in love with the whole appliqué process because it’s like drawing but with fabrics. That day, I decided I wanted to be a patchwork designer. Have you tried plenty of others? Of course – I’ve always loved handcrafts. I think the only thing I haven’t tried (with threads and needles) is the punch needle. I grew up in a neighbourhood of painters and antiquarians, spending…

Materials • Mad Plaid in Mauve (PWBM037) fabric(sashing and binding)• Backing fabric• Batting• Wonder Clips (optional)• General sewing supplies as before Note: Read all the instructions before starting the assembly. As there are many sashing strips in this quilt, it’s recommended that you pin them together in labelled groups as you cut them to make the process simpler. Press all the seams towards the sashing strips. This quilt is assembled in vertical columns/units. Cutting 1 From the Mad Plaid in Mauve fabric, cut: • 26 strips, 1 1/2in across the width of the fabric (sashing) and crosscut them as listed in Step 2. • 10 strips, 2 1/2in across the width of the fabric (binding). 2 From the 1 1/2in sashing strips, crosscut: • Five strips, 1 1/2 x 10 1/2in, pin them…

TOUR GUIDE 1 GERALDINE 2 RANGIORA 3 MAPUA 4 DEVONPORT 5 KAIWAKA 6 WHANGAREI 1. Geraldine THE PIN TIN Where’s Geraldine: We’re approximately a one and three quarter hour drive south of Christchur ch on the scenic inland route to the lakes and mountains, including Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook . Where in Geraldine: 9 Talbot Street. You’ll find us in the main street, right beside the pedestrian crossing. We are on the left as you head south through town. Who plays host: Owned and operated by Lisa and Reon (although Reon is more a “behind the scenes” kinda guy ). You’ll find Lisa in store most days, along with Rhona, who is our super -helpful and friendly part -timer. Worth visiting because: We have something for ev eryone –…

KNIT THAT UP, JOT THAT DOWN! It’s not far off the new year, so now’s the time to think about 2016 diaries. And while you’re thinking hot dates (at least in the printed form), Cleckheaton would like to encourage a little creativity. Its wonderful knitted diary covers come in three design alternatives – Contrast Stripe, Arrow Embroidery and Bobbles. You’ll find the pattern for these in Cleckheaton’s Hand Made Gifts book, along with other wonderful accessory ideas to stitch. Pick up a copy from your favourite craft or haby store, call 1800 337 032 or visit cleckheaton.com.au. PATCH AS PATCH CAN There may not be a plethora of porch swings in Australia, but this charming idea can be adapted to any seating. And before you go saying it’s craft sacrilege…

This is an easy, colourful idea courtesy of Meta Coleman, from One More Mushroom (onemoremushroom.com). Any child would love to have something like this in their nursery or playroom, so here’s how Meta went about making it: First, get yourself a cheap (under $40) set of Lätt table and chairs from Ikea and some yarn. Then … 1 Tie a tight knot with the first piece of yarn around the leg of the chair. 2 Wrap the yarn around the leg, fairly tight. It’s okay to wrap it with lots of spaces because you can push it down before wrapping the next colour. 3 Make a tight knot with the previous colour and the new colour. Wrap all four legs in a patchwork of yarn. 4 With a single colour…

CHLOE GIORDANO Reading and sewing have a lot in common. Both represent escapism, they’re solo pursuits and they spell relaxation and contemplation. On the practical side of things, they both require good lighting, comfortable seating and a focused frame of mind. No wonder so many of us love to indulge in these activities – it’s just a shame they can’t be done simultaneously. Or can they? Chloe Giordano, an artist living in Oxford, England, has found a way of uniting the two, so she can combine her love of sewing and reading. She creates book covers from textiles and thread. Using a fertile imagination and immaculate stitching skills, Chloe embroiders book covers, making artworks of their titles. Her first designs were done as an assignment for her illustration degree at…

How did you start your sewing career? I sewed clothes for my children when they were young but didn’t really enjoy it. In the early 1990s, I was reading an American craft magazine in which I saw an Ocean Wave quilt and I thought, “I can do this”. (Yes … an Ocean Wave quilt was my first quilt!) Of course, I knew nothing about accuracy ( 1/4in seam – what’s that?), cutting with a rotary cutter – I don’t think they were invented then, and best of all – cotton? Who needs just cotton when there were so many other fabulous textured fabrics? I used really thick batting and actually hand quilted it. It must have been fun, because I was hooked after that. What would you do without sewing?…

Materials • 16 fat quarters in a variety of floral prints. Jemima used a mix of red, pink and yellow Liberty of London Tana Lawn prints• 3m (3 1/4yd) grey spot print fabric (background)• 3.6m (4yd) backing fabric• 55cm ( 5/8yd) red floral print (binding)• Batting at least 180cm (70in) square• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with 1/4in foot• General sewing supplies Finished size: 163cm (64in) square Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. It is recommended that fabrics be 100% cotton, pre-washed and well ironed. Requirements are based on fabric 107cm (42in) wide. Preparation and cutting 1 From each of the assorted floral print fabrics, cut: • Two squares, 4 1/2in (G) • Eight squares, 3in (H) • Six squares, 2 1/2in (I) • Eight squares, 2in (J) • Four squares,…

THE HABERDASHERY CABINET – I got it from Boons, a Leicestershire haberdashery shop that was closing after many years. It’s made from oak, glass and brass and has gold leaf on its feet – love the worn quality of the gold leaf. Part of its charm is that the lady who owned the shop polished the brass trim every week until it shone. MY PERUSING DESK – I bought it at The Bothy, which is a little antique/reclamation/gardening shop. It’s 19th century and would have been a clerk’s desk. I like the solidness of it and the patina of the wood. It is a lovely burnt-umber colour and perfect for laying work on to check composition. THE TAILOR’S TABLE – Originally from a Leicester tailoring business that had run for…

Do you teach your skills to others? I have been teaching my own original quilt designs for the past 14 years at various shops around Sydney. My two sons are now old enough to look after themselves (for short periods!), so I’m now able to travel a bit further to teach. I have enjoyed teaching at AQC, in Melbourne, and the SA Quilt Encounter, in Adelaide, as well as visiting Victor Harbor, Wodonga and Broken Hill. Does your teaching help build crafting communities? In January this year, I travelled to Palmerston North, in New Zealand, to teach at the 2015 NZ Quilt Symposium. This was a fabulous experience, being part of a large contingent of tutors who taught a huge number of enthusiastic quilters. I am finding wherever I go,…

Materials • Patons Big Baby 4 ply 100g balls: seven balls each of Sky (2554) and Cream (2656)• 3.00mm (UK 11) crochet hook – see Note• Wool needle for finishing Finished size: 180 x 130cm (71 x 51in) approx. Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. This is an intermediate skill level crochet project. Use only the yarn specified. Other yarns are likely to produce different results. Quantities are approximate as they can vary between crochet workers. Check the ball bands to ensure that all yarn of each colour is from the same dye lot. Australian/UK crochet terminology is used; North American readers should consult a crochet manual to ensure they interpret the instructions correctly. There is no direct US equivalent for a 3.00mm crochet hook. Tension This rug…

How did you come up with this unique idea? To celebrate our wedding anniversary each year, my husband and I like to go to a symphony orchestra concert. There are so many instruments in the orchestra, and each section is so different, but together they create the most beautiful sound. It made me think about life being like a symphony, full of separate experiences, incidents and emotions, but together they combine to make our life a work of art. The best way I know of expressing that is to make a quilt. Is this typical of your style? Totally! I have two loves in my craft, embroidery and appliqué, and each block in this quilt features these two passions. I’m also very fond of flower designs, so there’ll always be…

NEW SOUTH WALES Amelia Kates Beverley Park Ph: (02) 9553 7457 www.ameliakates.com.au Annie’s Designs Dural Ph: (02) 9651 2256 www.anniesdesigns.com.au Busy Thimbles St Ives Ph: (02) 9943 5995 www.busythimbles.com.au Glendoon Patchwork Cottage East Maitland Ph: (02) 4933 8433 www.glendoonpatchwork cottage.com Hidden Talent Orange Ph: (02) 6362 0011 carolyn_andra@optusnet.com.au Lyn’s Fine Needlework Baulkham Hills Ph: (02) 9686 2325 www.lynsfineneedlework.com.au Rainbow Patchwork Lismore Ph: (02) 6622 3003 www.rainbowpatchwork.com.au Sew Fab Narrandera Ph: (02) 6959 9819 www.sewfab.com.au Sew Many Stitches Campbelltown Ph: (02) 4628 4437 www.sewmanystitches.allthingsquilting.com.au The Stitcher’s Cupboard Camden Ph: 0449 822 257 www.thestitcherscupboard.com.au QUEENSLAND Fifi’s Fabricology Tallebudgera Ph: (07) 5522 4007 www.fifisfabricology.com.au Janome Townsville Olive Branch Quilt Townsville Ph: (07) 4755 2336 E: shop@janometsv .com.au Patchwork Paradise Rockhampton Ph: (07) 4927 6628 www.patchworkparadise.com.au Patches Indooroopilly Indooroopilly Ph: (07) 3878 1228 www.patches.com.au…

PROJECT 1: MISS NANCIE Irene Blanck Focus on Quilts Phone: 0425 717878 Website: www.focusonquilts.com.au Email: blanckirene@gmail.com PROJECT 2: GULL COTTAGE Debbie von Grabler-Crozier The Folk Art Factory Blog: sallyandcraftyvamp.blogspot.co.uk PROJECT 3: FLOATING ON AIR Melissa Grant One Day in May, Creations by Melissa Grant Website: onedayinmay.com.au  & Libby Richardson Artsmart Craft Cottage Website: www.artsmartcraft cottage.com.au PROJECT 4: KISS CHASEY Jemima Flendt Tied with a Ribbon Email: tiedwitharibbon@gmail.com Website: www.tiedwitharibbon.com Instagram: @tiedwitharibbon PROJECT 5: TULLIVER’S TRAVELS Jennifer Goldsmith Frazzy Dazzles Email: jenny@frazzydazzles.com Website: www.frazzydazzles.com Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/  frazzydazzles PROJECT 6: FLEUR Katrina Hadjimichael Email: kat.had@bigpond.com Blog: katrinahadjimichael.blogspot.com Facebook and Instagram: Katrina Hadjimichael PROJECT 7: MEOW AT THE MOON…

Sarah Neuburger, from The Small Object, www.thesmallobject.com , saw a similar idea to this on the La Belle site and decided to put her own special spin on the Japanese floss-bobbin concept. She made them as little gifts for sewing colleagues and friends, but now she’s happy to share her how-to with Homespun readers. Here’s how you can head East without leaving your sewing room. Step 1: Cut out the shape you want in paper and use it as a template. Trace the paper template onto a thin board. I raided my friend’s recycling bin for some cereal boxes. Step 2: After transferring the design onto thin board, cut it out outside the traced line and staple the centre to another piece of…

It’s a time for celebration here at Homespun, with the publishing of our 150th issue, so we thought we’d share a little stroll down memory lane this month. We fi gure there couldn’t be a better time to refl ect a little and tread the stepping stones that led from past glories to present successes. On these pages, we give you a snapshot of bygone issues and the transformation of Homespun from its starting date of September 2000 to this current issue. Today, Homespun is Australia’s favourite craft magazine. It’s an international publishing success, a multi-award winner, a great read and an ongoing source of stitching inspiration. And it’s all been crafted with love! s a publis great re ir insp “Way to go!! No surprises › Homespun has class…

Materials Bag • 30cm ( 3/8yd) natural linen (outer bag panels)• 40cm ( 1/2yd) blue and white check fabric (outer bag panels, handles and appliqué)• 25cm ( 1/4yd) red gingham (outer bag panels, frills and appliqué)• Fat eighth each of white tone-on-tone print and navy print fabric (outer bag panels and appliqué)• 75cm ( 7/8yd) red and white spot print fabric (lining and outer bag panels)• 40cm ( 1/2yd) lightweight batting• Ranger Archival Ink: jet black• Beach-themed stamps – Debbie used Eline’s beach house by Marianne Design• 30mm (1 1/8in) red button• Magnetic bag closure• Scrap of heavy fusible interfacing• 4 x 39cm (1 1/2 x 15 1/2in) stiffening (bag bottom)• 18cm (7in) navy zipper (outside back pocket)• 10cm (4in) of 8mm ( 5/16in) red patterned grosgrain ribbon (zipper pull)• Hot-glue gun and glue stick Fish softie • Fat eighth each of red gingham, red and…

How did you start your sewing career? When I was about 16, I piled up a heap of my mum’s scraps and started making quilts. I had always loved sewing at school and, as I got older, I started taking classes at the local quilt store. I was quickly hooked. As I started to have my own family and my friends had children of their own, I found that I loved making quilts for all these newborns and kids. What would you do without sewing? Bake – I love baking and all things sweet. I love making cakes and desserts, and I guess if I weren’t sewing, I’d have loved to pursue a career as a pastry chef. What are the stitching tools you couldn’t live without? Good-quality thread. Bloc-Loc…

How much time to do you spend creating your wonderful toys? I wish I could say that I have my nose to the felty grindstone every working day. Unfortunately, I do tend to get a bit distracted at times. It’s easy to work away at creating when the ideas are flowing and all the other life bits and bobs are bubbling away nicely. It’s all about finding a happy balance that works for me and my family. I do try to work at least four days a week, while the kids are at school. How can you bear to part with them? When I first started to make my own designs, it was the easiest thing in the world to send my softies and such out into the world. That…

Materials: • 2 fat quarters of fabrics • Scraps of black felt • Handsome scraps of fabric and ribbon • 30cm (12in) zip • 40cm (16in) insert Here’s how: 1 Cut a 43cm (17in) square from both fat quarters for the cushion sections. 2 Using a crayon, transfer the dog and cat (see templates on our Pattern Sheet) onto black felt and cut out. Transfer the neckerchief template onto the fabric scrap, cut out and secure to the felt dog using straight stitch. Tie a ribbon bow around the cat and trim the ends. 3 Find the centre of the cushion by folding diagonally, then diagonally again. Pin the cat to the centre and sew around, 3mm ( 1/8in) from the edge. Repeat for the dog on the other fat…

You’ll need: • Felt• Embroidery floss• Needle• Pins• Stuffing• 2B pencil or white Glasochrom pencil• Wiggly eyes (optional)• Hot glue gun (optional) Here’s how: 1 Take two 12in squares of different coloured felt. 2 Draw a 7 x 9in rectangle onto one of the squares. This will be your sewing line. 3 Cut out eyes, a nose and mouth from scraps of coloured felt. Pin and sew them into place. If you want you can use wiggly eyes. 4 Place this 12in square of felt face up on top of the second 12in square of felt. Pin them together. Sew around the sewing line, leaving a 3in gap for stuffing. 5 Push in small amounts of stuffing until your Zenkidu feels nice and squishy. 6 Pin and sew the opening closed. 7 Your Zenkidu is still framed by…

All Points Patchwork by Diane Gilleland, $29.99 If you’ve become interested in English paper piecing (EPP), you must add this book to your craft library: it’s a sensational guide to everything you needed to know about this technique. Diane covers all the basics in detail before providing an overview of how to design and work with different shapes: hexagons, diamonds, jewels, tumblers, octagons, pentagons and curves. Be very clear: this is NOT a book of instructions for particular EPP projects. (Although there are photographs of a number of quilts, softies, tablemats and cushions made with EPP, they are for inspiration only.) This is a technique book that will enable you to master the art and progress to designing your own projects, if you wish. For example, there are seven pages…

Amelia Kates Ph: (02) 9553 7457, email: sales@ameliakates.com.au, website: www.ameliakates.com. Annie’s Cottage Crafts Ph: (03) 6376 2727, email: info@anniescottagecrafts.com.au, website: www.anniescottagecrafts.com.au. Appleyard, Veronica – Appleyard Cottage Quilting Ph: 0407 416 053. Ashford Wheels & Looms Ph: 1800 653 397, website: www.ashford.co.nz/yarn. Asia Discovery Tours Ph: (02) 9267 7699, website: asiadiscoverytours.com.au. Australian Country Spinners Toll Free: 1800 337 032, ph: (03) 9380 3888, website: www.auspinners.com.au. Bellarine Sewing Centre Ph: (03) 5221 3034, email: bellarinesewingcentre@outlook.com, website: www.bellarinesewing centre.com.au. Bernina Australia Ph: 1800 237 646 or (02) 9899 1188, email: bernina@bernina.com.au, website: www.bernina.com.au. Bernina Northland Sewing Centre NZ. Ph: +64 9 438 7654, email: sandy@northlandsewingcentre.co.nz, website: northlandsewingcentre.co.nz. Birch Haberdashery & Craft Ph: (03) 9450 8900, website: www.birchhaby.com.au. Blanck, Irene – see box at left. Blasco, Raquel – see box at left. Blessington Ph:…