The Last Piece

Gasp

My publisher in New York, STC, set me something very precious on Friday. So precious I selfishly kept it all to myself for more than 24 hours before showing you. Now how mean is that. Now though, I have wiped off the drool and am willing to share.

 

Now, before you all go completely bonkers, this is only the blad (the promotional leaflet) for the book, NOT the actual book. For that you have to wait until next year. 

 

 

Can you believe I have a Boston Common quilt cut out on my design wall for MY book right now?? Back to the drawing board....

 

I actually saw some of the pages for this book when I was in the US earlier this year. The book is harking back to his really beautiful early classics, Patchwork and Passionate Patchwork. The photography as usual is stunning.

 

As are the quilts. All I can say really is I WANT ONE. Coming soon to a bookshop near you.

In the mean time, I am going back to this pile of little quilts, patterns and diagrams.....

 

Busy, busy, busy. Sarah Fielke, Material Obsession, Material Obsession Two

PS. Before any of you ask, the fabric I photographed the blad on is from Prints Charming. It's the backing for the oft mentioned quilt of teeny tiny diamonds. :)

Dishing on the Fabric

Wow, we all like the fabrics I got in the mail huh? I am embarassed to say that this is my SECOND delivery of the teapot fabric, the first was loved so much it was cut and pieced before the postpack had time to flutter to the ground. Here are the designers:

Little starbursts and the teapots are from Hoodie's Collection for Blank Quilting

Two florals are from Flower Power by Jennifer Panagelli for Free Spirit

You will all probably be slightly peeved to know that the postie was kind to me agan yesterday, delivering these.....

Delicious Art Gallery fabrics by Patricia Bravo, from her Girly Girl collection, and also -

 

Robert Kaufman corduroy ( I have a very little friend who is getting a very little pinafore made out of this!) and the birds are Nature-ology by Studio E. Please bear in mind that I do make a living by cutting these up and so I need a good variety.... that's what I tell myself and my husband lol

Also in the mail yesterday was a package from Amy! She does spoil me. 

 

Two beautiful pieces of fabric (LOVE those greens), and a block of the Sea Salt chocolate that she has been talking about on her blog!! I would show you the chocolate but it seems someone opened the package right away and ate some, so I can't :) Doesn't that pretty orange card look fantastic with the green fabrics?

And lucky last... I don't think I remembered to show you this?

 

Isn't that beautiful? Margaret from my Friday class has been working away on this lovely version of my Potting Shed quilt for her niece, who loves Frangipani colours. The quilt is quilted and bound now and I took this pic a few weeks ago, but forgot to share it with you. Didn't she do a lovely job?

Redeeming Features

ooo I was so cranky this morning. SOOO cranky. First it was really hot last night and I couldn't sleep. Then I got to sleep, was all set to play golf this morning and was really looking forward to it. BUT, I woke up and found that my trick shoulder was playing up again, the result of a whole lot of old injuries we won't go into here. That meant no large arm movements, which meant no golf. C.R.A.N.K.Y. There was quite a bit of banging in the kitchen and muttering under breath going on around here.

Once I got everyone off to school (which nearly involved some arguments when certain small people were dragging their feet!) someone knocked on the door. At 9am around here, that can only mean one thing.

 

My friend the postman. The first package made me,smile, but the second package made me crack a grin.

 

New friends for my pincushion collection. Now I ask you, who can look at that and be cross? I challenge any one to be cracky after seeing that stack.

Feeling considerably happier, I settled down to piece some teeny diamonds. Realising after about an hour that the shoulder wasn't going to stand up to the sewing machine, I nearly broke out in crankiness again, but instead settled to this, which ALWAYS cheers me up -

 

As I was sketching, the husband (perhaps tipped off by the stream of muttered profanity eariler), came into the studio bearing a toasted bagel with cream cheese for my lunch, perhaps my favourite thing on the planet. 

Happiness levels almost restored, the universe sent me another treat. Another knock on the door revealed this:

My friend Sam with a bunch of flowers to thank me for the weekend at the beach (completely unnessecery, but very much appreciated!).

And so, redeeming features triumph once again. The shoulder is on ice and will hopefully mend in time for golf next week, but if it doesn't I'll settle for another day like today :) Here's hoping all of your days are as nice as mine. Sarah Fielke, Material Obsession, Material Obsession Two

PS. Yes, Charlie was Edward Cullen from Twilight. Congratulations to all of you who guessed and who are obviously as Twilight obsessed as me, and comiserations to those of you who either have not discovered Twilight, or who are on Team Jacob. lol!!!

Holy Big Week, Batman

Hello everybody! I have crawled out from under my huge week to share my Halloween horrors with you... First my scary, scary zombie...

 

Apparently the undead have crossed eyes.

 

And here is the 12 year old.... ten points for the first mother of teenage girls (or compulsive reader like me!!) who knows who Charlie went as...

 

Swoon....

 

Be still my beating heart. 

I won't bore you with the details of my ridiculously manic week - I will only say that right about now, the slow roast of lamb is in the oven, the glass of wine is in hand and I am back to happliy piecing teeny tiny diamonds. 

Happy Halloween and happy week everyone :) Sarah Fielke, Material Obsession, Material Obsession Two

Paper Cranes

My youngest son is 10. He is a smoocher, and loves to make things for me and leave me little notes and drawings everywhere. When I came home from my weekend away I found my sewing machine table covered with little paper cranes. They have been hanging around watching while I've been sewing today.

 

There was one looking at a whole lot of 1" diamonds on the cutting table. There are so many diamonds actually that it's a bit scary and I am preferring not to count them.

The cranes have also been guarding the Lecien tower of beauty, which has almost reached the top of the chop up line.

 

The cranes have decided that all projects are bubbling along nicely, including the scribby drawings I've been doing as mock-ups for painting the splash back in my new kitchen. I was looking at this one (this is only partial) and thought - wouldn't it make a great little woollen dolly quilt? 

 

Better make sure and sign up for the Dolly program, or you could miss out on this and other creative musings.... have a stitchy day girls! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession

Just the Best

The absolute BEST weekend!! So much fun. Let me set the scene for you - a few months ago, ten parents had a table at the school trivia night, had a few too many chardonnays, and paid a fair bit of money in an auction for one of the other school dads to come and cook dinner for us at one of our houses. Hey, the money all went to the school, we were being good parents, right?

The next day, realising quite how much we had paid, we decided that the dinner needed to be a special event, so we decided to go to my Dad's house at the beach. NO kids, NO cars, everyone sleeps over, and we make a real weekend of it. Little did we realise that "the dad" cooking was an absolute genuis and that the food would have been special enough on it's own! And so, on Saturday afternoon, we all set off here - 

 

and spent the afternoon lazing about and sipping Moet, while the amazing chef, Sy, and his lovely wife and assistant, Anita, worked amazingly hard in the kitchen. I did offer to help - HEAPS of times, but they wouldn't let me!

 

We had the most AMAZING meal, a mixture of Malaysian and Burmese food, some dishes of which were Sy's own personal receipes. And don't worry - we did let Sy and Anita out of the kitchen when they were done cooking for something to eat and a glass or two! The last of the party headed off to bed around two after dancing on the balcony to the Beach Boys.

We all stayed the night, had a swim (and some very needed bacon and eggs, cooked by my hubby), and all packed up and headed home for reality.... and kids......

Nothing better in the world than great friends, great food, great wine and a great setting. What a fantastic weekend. Just the best.

 

Sarah Fielke, Material Obsession, Material Obsession Two

P.S.

Oh come on girls, all that French General isn't MINE - it's kits I'm madly posting out for my Rouge et Gris quilt. I still have a few left if anyone's interested......

Get Busy

 

Winners are Grinners

Drumroll please.....and the winners of these tasty little piles of loveliness are:

Blogless Annie, who said:

I love the "deer" little pillow. I've never been a big pillow lover but I'm starting to become a bit addicted to them, and as I love all things Christmas this one from Linda Lum Lebono is my favourite. It was tough to choose just one though. Thanks for the opportunity to win this great prize.

Katie B from Katie's Korner, who said:

Tough choice! My favorite of your favorites would have to be the deer pillow. So cute.

Artfulife, who said:

The fabric is so amazing! Glad I found your blog through Cart Before the Horse's blog. I will blog and link also. Hope you have a wonderful & creative week.

Donna at Kindred Crafters, who said:

i am favouriting the little deer pillow you selected this week, too. Super cute Thanks for the chance to win a great prize.

Marg! Hooray...see you on Wednesday night! :) who said:

the star quilt or something similar may be my next plan but we will see.... 

and last but not least, Jen at Stitching at Stone Cottage, who said:

this is definately my favourite of your favourites...wonderful fabrics..

Hooray for everyone, please send me your postal addys so I can send your Honey Buns and Calendars off to you. 

NEXT - OK, I have decided in a fit of madness to play along with the Pay It Forward program that I have seen around the place. I have signed up with Kylie at A Little Red Dress, and now I have to get some of you to play along with me! Here's how it works. 

1. I will make a little something for the first three people who comment on this post. It will be a surprise and it will arrive on your doorstep when you least expect it!

2. I will have 365 days to do it in.

What's the catch? To get a handmade prezzie from me, you have to play too. 

1. You must have a blog.

2. BEFORE you comment here, you must post about your Pay It Forward on your blog to keep the fun going, and display the Pay It Forward button.

 

Yay! How much fun. Can't wait to hear who is getting the three prezzies I'm going to make... enjoy your day!

Sarah Fielke, Material Obsession, Material Obsession Two

So Many Projects....

........and so many things to show you! I know that I haven't announced the winners of the competition yet and I PROMISE I will do that tomorrow, but first I have to show you another project that I have been working on. You might have seen the little Sweet Cuts badge on the side of my blog, sporting my mug. Well, here's what it's all about. 

Sweet Cuts have asked me to pick fabrics for a bit of a road test. They are going to cut kits for my quilts - I will pick the colours and fabrics, and they will cut the pieces TO SIZE EXACTLY. That's right - you don't cut ANYTHING. You just open the package fresh from the mailbox and sew! How cool is that. 

They are starting off with a nice easy one for everyone to throw together in a weekend - different colourways of my quilt, Bless You.

Here's the original quilt -

And here are the colourways you can buy the kit in. There's Blue for Boys (King single bed size) -

Pink for Girls (king single bed size) -

Fun and Funky (Queen bed size)-

 

and Sophisticated - ooh er.

 

Aren't they great? You get the kit cut in the exact fabrics shown and they are cut and delivered to your door ready for you to start stitching. As this is a test case there are only 13 kits for each - and some have already sold to Sewn customers, so you need to get in FAST. Which is why I'm blogging about this now and not telling you who won French General fabrics! Tomorrow I promise.....

PS. Welcome to Sew n'Sell my friend Erica with her line of patterns, Erica Spinks Designs. Check them out for lovely quilts, including the beautiful Sunshine on Roses that you all went crazy for when I blogged it not long ago!