The Last Piece

Pondering

I spent a lot of time today pondering colours. When I'm designing I often cut a shape I'm using several times before the final colour is picked. For example, today I was working with quite a few different colours of hearts and circles. I hadn't picked a background yet and I wanted to see how the colour concentrations would be affected by what I chose.

Circles first.

Hmmm, also not able to lay the circles out in the same order each time!! The first picture shows the circles on a neutral background, it's sort of my control. Then a stripe, a white and a line green. I'm looking for a Spring palette here. Hearts next.

I'm leaning towards the lime green. Springy and zingy. What do you think?

Sarah x

Drumroll Please....

Many little slips of paper in a school hat.... little fingers helping to pull out the lucky piece.......And the winner of the very first Last Piece blogiversary give away is.....

Kelly! Kelly said- 

Wow Sarah, 42 comments already, I see your blog has well and truly been discovered! LOL Thank you for the close up photos of the fabric you designed with your SIL, they are gorgeous, I especially like the one with the green edges and pink splodges in the middle ;-)
Please enter me in your giveaway, I'd love some goodies in the mail, I'm so over bill post - should be a law against it, it's such a downer. It's soooooo much better to find fat fabric post than skinny, window-front bill post!
Enjoy your weekend :-)

Thanks for entering Kelly, send me an email to sfielke@ozemail.com.au and I'll get your Wonderland charm pack in the mail! Congrats, and look out for much more gratifying post than window-front letters (which in my personal opinion should be banned.)

That done, and what's on for today? Thanks to everyone who asked, the mag project is basted and in the process of hand quilting (phew - I even drew a blister getting that done on the weekend). 

This doesn't have a name yet, but it will be in Quilter's Companion a little later in the year and I will be selling patterns for it for those of you who can't get a Quilter's Companion(and other quilts, and both MO books) once I can get my shop up and running. 

This morning after golf - please, no images of me in plus fours, I am a VERY new and raw beginner - I am getting my teeth into another mag project due in May! 

Lots of work to do yet but I'll get there, keep you posted. 

And for those of you who have commented on all the great links I've been putting in, here's a random one I really like.... I bought the pattern for a lovely scarf they had at the AQC (like I need a pattern, as if I don't have enough to do) so I can make it for my winter wardrobe!

If you like working with wool you will LOVE this little shop in Tassie (that's the little island off the bottom of Australia for all you overseas visitors!)

Have a great day...

Sarah x

Leavin' the 'Ouse

I think about leavin' the 'ouse. I always used to love that line in Parklife. Remember that song by Oasis? Or am I really showing my age and dagginess by asking that question? Anyway, this morning I am again thinkin' about leavin' (and you should get out too Amy!). Off with my friend Florence to a huge sale at Cloth (girls if you live in Sydney, GET OVER THERE!!) , quick coffee hit of course and then lunch with the lovely Wol in Crows Nest. Pop in to see the SIL at the hospital (having day surgery today - good luck Ceecie....) and the pick up the kids. Phew! Who knew you could fill a day so fast and still not get anything done that you should be doing, like finishing magazine projects and doing the laundry.

I couldn't leave without saying good morning though! Thanks so much to all the people who said lovely things about my Spoonflower fabrics, and by request here are some closer up, more open pics of them. I can't say better pics because they are still horrid. Roll on new camera, I need you.

And no, those fabrics are not green at the edges nor do they have pink spoldges in the middle. "sigh"... hang in there girls, the images will get better.

My friend the postie visited again this morning. I will admit that perhaps during all the hours I spent setting up my blog I may have indulged in a little internet shopping. Just a little. What's a girls to do. This is what came.

Yummy hand printed goodies from Ink and Spindle. If you don't know about them, these three very talented fabric designers from Melbourne have a beautful webshop and real shop where they sell their own fabrics and wares. Have a look, they are just yum. 

I think this one is my favourite, I'm planning to put a bit of patchy work around the outside and some stitches and frame it for my new bedroom after the renovations are finished.

And last but not least, a very exciting announcement - 

GIVEAWAY!

That word looks odd. I'm having one of those is that really how you spell it moments. Yes that's right, to celebrate my one week blogiversary I am having a giveaway, and will have one every weekend for the next FOUR weekends. Just leave a comment between now and 5am Monday morning Sydney time, and you could win a delicious Moda precut from one of Wonderland, Sweet or Snippets just for you. I have one to give away each week for four weeks. Hooray! Don't forget to leave your email address with the comment or I wont be able to reply to let you know you've won. The emails aren't shown when the comment is posted so don't worry.

Get commenting everyone! The first prize is up for grabs.....

Sarah x

PS - two clarifications - first, Parklife is of course by Blur not Oasis - long time since the nineties I had forgotten. Thanks Kate! Also, of course you can enter if you are overseas, a give away is no fun unless everyone can enter! Have fun and I hope it's your name I pull out of the hat......

Postman!!

Just starting a new blog and the postie has arrived. He's getting out of the van.... he has a parcel.....

........

..............

YAY!! Spoonflower fabric!! If you don't know about Spoonflower, it's a website where you can upload your own designs and have them printed onto fabric. I have been doodling around with some fabric designswith my sister-in-law and thought that I would have a go and see what they look like printed up.

The process is not the cheapest thing I've ever done, especially with the Aussie dollar the way it is, but I'm overall pretty pleased with the result. I have a few things I need to learn about repeats, but otherwise OK! Fun. Now I have to think about what I can make. Any ideas?

I also thought I'd show you the applique I'm working on. For someone not supposed to have a job any more I sure do have a lot of deadlines, this on is due to a mag quilted and finished on April 17 and (hide face in shame...) I'm still doing the applique. And yes, I am planning to hand quilt. Sucker for punishment.

Off to quilt group today, the sun is shining and hubby has gone out to bring me latte..... all is right with the world. Hope your day is also sunny and stitchy with a fresh caffeine aroma. :)

Sarah x

Start Again

Gosh, I feel de-nuded! Lets start over with some pictures I know I can publish without creating upset. Sorry quilters I whose pics I posted, it was done from a feeling of awe and wonderment at your lovely work and for no other reason.

 

The key note speaker at the AQC was Jane Sassaman,who is a fabric and quilt designer, and an amazing artist, from the USA. I have always just LOVED Jane's fabrics and artworks and was so excited to see that she was teaching at AQC - and then SO, SO disappointed to miss out on getting in to her class! (Glad I did though or I would have missed out Rosalie's amazing class, but that is a story for tomorrow.)

Unfortunately Jane's lecture slides were not all able to be seen due to sunlight issues and my pictures from the event are HORRIBLE due to light and my lack of a camera, so I have linked some images from Jane's website of some of the quilts that she had with her.

These quilts are all made using Jane's fabrics. She uses them in such an interesting ways, fussy cutting everything to make use of the repeating patterns and creating a kaleidoscope pattern.

If you click on this one you will be taken to a link for the free pattern for it! This quilt is a simpler version of my favourite ever quilt in the world, Willow, which Jane has won worldwide acclaim for. 

You can also read Jane's great Ideas Book blog, which in which she talks all about how best to use her fabrics and you can buy many of her patterns and books. Also, her book The Quilted Garden which is also one of my faves has just been re-issued as an e-book and here are the details of how to download and buy it.

I've used lots of Jane's fabrics over the last few years, but this is one of the quilts I've made using them. I just love her mad colours and beautiful graphics.

It's called Angel Wings, it's a cot quilt and not hard to make. I'll have the patterns for this and some other of my quilts up on the website later in the week hopefully.

Have a good day.... Sarah x

You Guys Blow Me Away.

Stand up and give yourselves a round of applause. 220 of you came overnight while I was asleep to visit me and leave me house warming messages. You are amazing! Thank you SO much for the support and beautiful messages and emails. You're the best.

However, I know what you really want from me is quilts. I've never been one to deny those I love, so here you go....

***** Hang on a second? Where'd they go? Overnight I have been sent several cranky email messages from people telling me to remove the quilts as the pictures infringe on quilter's copyrights. I'd like to point out to the writers that those of us who publish pictures of quilts from shows on our blogs do so because we think they are beautiful, interesting and creative. We do so because we think that the quilters have made something wonderful and we want to share it with others. 

Perhaps there should be more explanitory signage at quilt shows.

I would also like to point out that I did not realise about any "rules" regarding this, was seeking only to showcase Australian quilters talents and have removed the pictures....

So now you'll all just have to imagine the following quilts, and if you have pictures up on your blog from AQC (and I know you're out there! I've seen you.....) I suggest you take them down in a big hurry or the cranky emailers will find you too!!

Isn't that a beaut? Makes me want to tip my stash out on the floor and look for black and white stripes. It was hanging in the show at the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne last week, as were all these others. You will also be pleased to know I am purchasing a new camera as a matter of urgency so my posts will look a little slicker soon.......

I love this quilt. It looks like fireworks or sea creatures. I wanted badly to know how she did those circles so I went closer....

Fused and then embroidered over. Doesn't it have beautiful texture? Sometimes I have to put my hands behind my back at quilt shows so I don't touch :) 

I love fish. I always have to take a picture of the fishy quilt. All of you make sure and go feed my fish when you visit by the way, the get lonely when I'm gone (bottom of the right hand column.) This is a Japanese quilt and the detail on the applique is just amazing.

Holey moley, how'd she do THAT? Quite an effort ladies and gentlemen (those few of you!). It reminds me of sunshine on a windy day.

Ths piecing in this quilt was one of my favourite things at the show. Not the chairs so much, although they are charming, but the wavy pieced blocks. I love the fabric choices she's made and the way she has staggered the setting. 

Hmmm, yum. Anyone who want to know how to do that wavy piecing let me know and I will put up a tutorial.

While I was standing in front of this quilt, a little girl came along with her mother, she must have been about five. She ran up to the quilt and held out her hands in front of her and yelled, "Mummy, look, it's a big warm fire!" If I was that quilter I would have been so thrilled to have seen that. This quilt has the most amazing textural quality up close, it's mesmorizing. Again, making me want to troll the stash for all the reds and start cutting teeny tiny strips.

And while I am not a huge fan of the painted and quilted quilt (sorry, but I just think there should be more than one layer of fabric.... otherwise it's textile art to me, not a quilt, but that is only my subjective opinion!!) I did think that this was just beautiful. Our tutor Rosalie Dace, who I will tell you all about tomorrow, asked us which quilt in the exhibition we would want to take home and live with. I picked two (SO greedy!), this one because I would love to walk through my living rooom and hear the silence of that forest every day, and this one....

Mostly because it is the most stunning and beautifully made in either exhibition I have seen it hang in, but partly because it is made by my friend Kathie de Palo. Talk about giving your mates an inferiority complex.

That's all for today chickens....... so, so great to see you all and don't forget, I want to know you were here! Leave me a message or if you link to me make sure and let me know. See you all tomorrow!

Sarah x

Well Hi!!

Hi there!! WOW, have I missed you guys. You can't imagine how quiet it's been without the prospect of writing a blog buzzing around in my brain. 

So, I'm sure some of you have heard the story by now.... I have left Material Obsession and gone out on my own to design and write and play with fabric. All a bit scary and new, but the best part is that I know I will still have you guys! I hope you manage to stick around and listen to my babbling and look at my works in progress now and then.

So what have I been doing with all this time?

There has been a bit of that. A bit of sleeping and watching MadMen Season 2 on DVD.

There's also been alot of hanging around on the beach, watching my kids fish and swim and get browner by the second. How is it that children can be slathered in SPF 30, a hat and a swim shirt and still go a lovely golden brown? 

Of course, while sitting on the beach, one has to take this.....

Bit of sewing, bit of reading.... 

Now the kids have gone back to school though, I have been very busy. I've been to Melbourne for AQC, I've been designing and writing patterns and working on my new blog! I've also been working on a very exciting project which I can't reveal to you yet, but stay tuned.....

And of course I've been SEWING..... some of which has involved these devine new aquisitions - late Christmas present to self ;-)

Still, though, I have to say, a LOT more of things like this having left MO. Yesterday Damian and Oscar and I went to Homebush Bay and rode our bikes and had a picnic. We all played footy in the sun and had ice creams, and then the boys went off riding again and I lay in the shade and read a book. Heaven....

So that, folks, is my update! I'm so glad to see you all. Please comment and let me know you've been, and if you link to my blog please let me know so I can reciprocate. Stay tuned for quilt pictures from AQC tomorrow, some projects in progress and other exciting things in the coming weeks!

See ya.... 

Sarah x