The Last Piece

Win, Win

With all the winning that's going to go on over here in the next week or so, I completely forgot that I had entered my name for a competition at Made By Miffy. Louise had this heavenly apron up for grabs and as they are about to install my very sexy new kitchen I just thought that the two went together! Lucky for me, Louise did too and I WON! Now, I know everyone always says this, but I really never win anything.

So yesterday the apron arrived in the mail all wrapped up in pretty paper....

And it even came with a pattern so I can make another one! Or two. 

CUTE patterns, in lovely packaging. And look, it fits! (ha, ha)

I was so excited I tied it right on and went into the kitchen to cook corn fritters with bacon and roasted tomatoes. Damian has decided I should get an apron in the mail every day and then he might get gourmet meals all the time. Not that he suffers usually I have to tell you!

The apron's arrival topped off a lovely day. I snuck away from the towering pile of SEWN work I have to do and went to Hunters Hill Quilters. (Apologies to Jenny - I forgot I was on morning tea duty and showed up empty handed! Black mark on my name I can tell you...) 

The girls were all having their say about the placement of flowers onto the raffle quilt they are making for our next show in August 2010. The lovely Iris has been a busy little bee as usual and done a beautiful job co-ordinating all this wonderful work. As the head of the show committee (yes, I agree, I am totally insane and should be stopped), I felt I should share their amazing creations with you! Closer to the date I will blog both of the raffle quilts they are making and hit you all up to buy tickets!! 

It's going to be SOOO pretty. Then Beryl came to show me the cot quilt she started in class with me last year. She has just finished it and enjoyed it so much she's making another one for a different baby. If you used my Flying Geese Tutorial you would have this little quilt done in no time.

Loving all those stripes. I should point out to you though that if you plan on using stripes for the small triangles like Beryl, you have to fussy cut each triangle so that the stripes all point in the same direction, the square technique won't work.

Nothing like a day at quilting and a free apron to make your day sparkle. 

Those blog entries are piling up, make sure and thank all our amazing donators of prizes by entering their draws. We have had lots of new things donated for the SEWN giveaway too, including some delicious patterns from Oliver + S, and the prizes for the bloggers who have joined the competition are piling up.... it's all happening. Get excited people :) Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2 Material Obsession

I Left My Heart...

In San Francisco....

Ok, my heart came home with me, but I think maybe I left my brain there. Any of you all over there seen it? 

HOUSEKEEPING first, then the fun stuff. 

1. BLOGGERS!! If you have not yet posted about your SEWN giveaway but have linked to Mr Linky, please blog by June 1 or your name will be removed from the list. Don't forget to remind your readers to enter your draw! It's getting close....Thank you! PS. If you have not already joined your blog you can still join every day up to June 8, this message is for the few of you who have joined up but not blogged about it yet.

2. If you are a blogger and have not yet entered into our SEWN Launch Party Giveaway, hop on down here and sign right up! Not only can you give great prize love to other crafters, you can go into the draw to win HEAPS of great prizes that are just for the entered blogs!! Come on peoples, let's make it to 100 blogs joined up before June 8.

3. If you are a reader or a lurker and haven't entered either my draw, the SEWN draw or any of the wonderful bloggers draws, go on and enter right now! You can win heaps of amazing and beautiful free stuff just for saying howdy to all of us lovely prize givers. Yay!

OK, the last leg of the journey.

When we arrived in San Francisco, we were taken to our hotel and I immediately thought we were in the wrong place:

The Palace Hotel is quite something, if you have never been there and are going to SF and feel like a treat, I highly recommend it! Just beautiful.

While I was in SF I had my final piece of official business, showing my quilts for Sharona at New Pieces in Berekley.

New Pieces is a beautiful shop with a fantastic range. That wall on the left hand side there is ALL Alexander Henry! It was all I could do not to shop immediately on arrival. I had a few things to do first though.

And then to the interesting bit - the quilts!

We had a great time in San Fran, it was great to meet everyone who came out to New Pieces for the talk, as well as Sharona and her lovely staff. Thanks for the book tip Carol Anne - I have finished it and you were right ;-)

Ok, off to quilting now. Not enough pretty pics in this post so I will end with a totally unrelated shot of what is on my design wall today. Obviously in design stage! Have fun everyone.

End of the Road

I'm home! Hurrah.... and thank you to all the concerned Twitterers and emailers worried about me being sandwiched into a flying metal tube for 14 hours. I made it! And all in one piece, too.

The boys were happy to see me, and happier to see the shopping I did in San Fran!! Evil little so and so's. I remember that feeling though, when my mum and dad had been away on a trip and came back with stuff. I think the most exciting thing I can remember coming home was a bright yellow Walkman, back in the days when they were the latest in technology. I LOVED that thing. Even when it got old and ate my tapes of Wham I loved that thing. Sigh...

But I digress. Last Market post today, and then we move on to San Francisco - I haven't told you anything about THAT yet!

One of the best things for me about Market is seeing everyone. I was wonderful to see Sue, even though it had only been a few weeks since the last time! We had lovely lunch and chatted, and did a little Podcast for SEWN to accompany the interview we will have with her soon! (It's getting close girls - don't forget to you know what for the you know what, you know where!) 

Her stand was as usual GORGEOUS - how delicious are the little birdies?

Let's have a close up of those, they are too cute to miss.

Digging that spotty bunny too. That's in Sue's Pinkeepers book, one of my faves! Speaking of Sue, that tricksy Mrs Schmenkman is making her elephant bag from the Urban Sacs book, I have to get a wriggle on as she is totally going to beat me to it.

Other delicious things include the new French General fabric from Moda. This stuff was the absolute hit of the show, everyone was talking about it and it is DELICIOUS. All those lovely linen backgrounds.... I can definately feel some applique coming on. When I make a quilt in them I promise to do kits for those of you out there who feel the need to use some! You may also like to check out Kaari's book, Home Sewn, which is also very lovely and tasteful too :)

Here is some FG on the Moda Home booth. Yummo.

There was some serious goodness going on over at Michael Miller too. Patty Young's new collection is cute as a button, as is Paula Prass's Summer Soiree, which has some groovy black and white zebra print for those so inclined! I do love pink and black together.

I think my favourite fabric of the show though has to be Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom. I went past the stand with her display several times, peering at everything and saying how delicious it all was. Then, at my book signing, Heather came to say hello and brought her sister in law, who is guess who? Isn't that amazing. And how unfair that two such talented ladies should get to hang out in the same family!! I don't actually think these pics from the Michael Miller website do the fabrics justice, maybe my pic is better for colour...

She is just lovely, she is another one we will be featuring on SEWN in the coming months! She did promise to send me some fabric, I hope she remembers (Hi Laura!! :) ) If she does and I get something done, that is another one I will do kits for. Yum, yum, yum.

I have ordered some delicious things for my little webshop too, some of which I will keep a secret for a little while yet! One I can show you though is these devine rug hooking kits from the Woolly Lady. I don't know how much they will be yet, but there are only a few of each one (one has circles and the other squares) so if you have ever wanted to rug hook, get in quick! They will be here soon and I will be able to tell you prices, but the best thing as I see it is that everything you need for the cushion is right in the kits, plus the wool strips are CUT FOR YOU. That's right - cut. for. you. Hooray!

Isn't that heaven? I can just see that on my chocolate brown couch.

Anyway, off to the post office with books for those of you who ordered while I was away... have a quilty day everybody :)

Run! Run!

If I run fast enough I may just catch up with myself. After all, I save a day flying around the world. No wait - bugger!! I lose one!! Now I'm totally stuffed.

Anyway, you will all just have to pretend that it is still four days ago and I am at the show in Pittsburg. Close your eyes.... that's it...... can you smell that fabric-y smell, hear the bustle of happy quilters chatting? Good, we're all set. You will never know that I am actually sitting in the Qantas Club at San Francisco Airport waiting for 14 hours of torture.

We found so much great stuff!! This was a great Market for me. Lots of friends to see....

Lookit those AMAZING quilts. And this apparently is my Kim McLean halo that I had to have.... thank you so much Brandon! Brandon is going to be our very first interviewee for SEWN!! Look out for it on launch day along with a free downloadable pattern of one of Brandon's quilts!! swoon.....

A quilty halo, probably the most appropriate, I think the actual halo may be a little tarnished :)

Little bits of deliciousness from the Kokka stand as per usual. Between my predeliction for spots and the appetite for prints of small animals, it's a wonder I didnt just grab stuff right off the booth and start running down the hallway.

Mmmm, giant strawberries. Mmmm, Echino.

Ok, what else. I have about 93 pics here of Market and I'm sure you dont want to see ALL of them, so.....

Here's me and Heather Ross at her book signing... make sure and check out her just delicious new fabric range, Far Far Away. It is a double gauze and just heaven on a stick. With lots of small animals for nutters like me. You can see a bit of it at Mrs Schmenkman, who is giving some away as a part of the SEWN Party!! You must promise not to look at the pic of me signing books at Moda while you're there though, I look a bit sweetness and light, and you may puke.

You should check out her new book, it is just lovely. I have a few little god-daughters and special little peoples around the place who could do with some things from here!

Speaking of special little people, we had a great chat with the lovely Leisl from Oliver + S and her charming hubby, Todd, who have the special-est patterns for special little people. If you don't know about Leisl's beautiful things, click right on that link and check them out. They are cute, clever and easy to make, which can only be good, right? Right! Watch out when SEWN launches for an interview with Leisl and a sneaky little Podcast from Market!

Alright, that's enough for one day, I don't want any hyperventilation out there. Don't forget to enter my draw for the lush Lizzy House. More tomorrow!! Besides, I have to get on that plane now..... thank heavens for uprgades, we are Premium Economy all the way. Hooray for Qantas! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2

Quilters Corner

After a morning spent running around Market, I went out to Quilter's Corner in Finleyville, PA. It is about a half hour from downtown Pittsburg, set in lovely green countryside.

The owner, Mary Beth, drove us out from Market and into the green countryside, past beautiful stone American style houses and lovely churches.

Quilter's Corner is a truly lovely shop with a great range, if you ever have a chance to be near there you should absolutely stop in! Mary Beth and her staff are so friendly and welcoming and made me feel right at home. I may even have done a spot of shopping :)

Sprung browsing by the husband with the camera. Cheeky man.

There was a great roll up of around 40 ladies, who were also very friendly and laughed in all the right places. Thanks girls!

I did my little colour thingy and showed the girls some quilts, which is after all what everyone really wants to see. 

Hmm, bad chin in that pic. 

Thanks to everyone who came, and to the staff at Quilter's Corner. And thanks to Mary Beth, for the invitation, the drive, the fabric and the lovely dinner.

Off to bed now, tomorrow as usual has more to come. See ya! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2

Hey - enter my prize draw drawn June 8, enter the blog draws,also drawn June 8, and enter SEWN's prize draw drawn - can you believe it - JUNE 8! Yada, yada, yada...

City Quilter and a Day at Market

Our second day in New York started with a meeting with the lovely Melanie Fallick, our US publisher. (Hi Melanie and Leslie!) It was great to meet them after working with them over the internet for nearly a year!

For lunch, an old and special friend, Kitt, took us to lunch at the University Club on 5th Ave. (BTW, if you have plans to go to New York and need a customised visit including special dinners, theatre tickets, hotel rooms and the like, this is the business for you - Kitt knows EVERYTHING about New York and is very devine and helpful!!) I felt a lot like an underdressed teenager in the beautiful and quite amazing formal dining room, elegantly eating poached salmon like I was Eloise's mother. 

Afterwards we grabbed the quilts from the hotel and headed up to the City Quilter for my colour talk and trunk show. 

I LOVE that sign in the window. Learn to Quilt Here. Doesn't that say it all? Damn straight baby, come on in!!

The shop was jumping and packed with people even so late in the day.

It was great fun to chat with all the girls who came (over 50 in two classes - thanks so much to all of you for coming to see me!!) and to share a little of my colour passion and my quilts with quilters who live so far away from me.

In a perfect realisation of how small today's world is, one of the ladies brought along a quilt she has been making from Aboriginal fabrics that she bought during a trip to Australia. Isn't it lovely? It's a great block that one, because you make each one seperately and all the quilting is already done when you get to the end. Tutorial anyone?

Thanks to everyone who came - I hope you enjoyed yourselves and that I made some sense underneath all the jetlag! Thanks also to the wonderful girls at the City Quilter who helped me get set up and were so friendly and welcoming.

Event ended - jump in a cab and race to the airport, then straight out to Pittsburg! After eating a cheeseburger in our hotel room at 1am on arrival, we passed out, slept through the alarm and woke up at 8.40am. OOPS. Run!

Great day at Market! Spent the day handing out business cards and lining up fantastic interviews and previews for all of you when SEWN launches!! SOOOOO many exciting things to tell and share. And so many friends to catch up with and chat to! Hi Brandon, (what a cutie - check out this dear picture of him I pinched from craftywench -)

Hi Amy, Pam, Heather, Sue, Ange, Lissa - hi everybody! Today was good, today was fun - tomorrow is another one. Thanks Dr Seuss, as usual you have said it all. Goodnight!! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2

PS. Hate to bang on about it but don't forget to enter my prize draw drawn June 8, enter the blog draws, also drawn June 8, and enter SEWN's prize draw drawn - can you believe it - JUNE 8! Win stuff people!

Enjoying NYC

Here we are in NYC! I love this city, I really do. Damian and I lived here for 2 years about 15 years ago, and even now when I come back it feels a little like home. We flew in last night, checked right on in to our very groovy hotel in the Meatpacking District, and went out to have midnight mac and cheese at a local diner - trust me when I say that the options available on the flight from LA made the mac VERY worth waiting for! 

This morning we were up bright and early and on up to mid-town for me to do an interview on Martha Stewart Radio. The Morning Living program was great fun, and Kim and Betsy were terriffic in making me feel not QUITE so nervous! I don't know if you can listen to it anywhere post-air, but I will find out - if anyone knows, drop me a comment please. This is me, waiting...

Afterwards we had the whole rest of the day to ourselves - what a luxury. We headed straight to Union Square to one of my favourite shops ever -

Wonder if I can get this into my suitcase?

That would look so great in the library when we renovate. Shame it's about $7,000. That's US dollars. Oh well.... I could maybe have one of these though, and the nice man did say he would ship to Australia! (I love you darling husband xxxx) After all, what do you get the woman who has too many quilts, if not a quilt RUG?

If you have never been to ABC and are going to New York, I highly recommend you take an hour out and stop in. It is six floors of eye popping loveliness, you will want to take everything home with you. Wether or not you can afford to is a whole other topic, let just say you should probably leave your credit card elsewhere to aviod terminal damage.

Lovely lunch, coffee... walk up to Evolution just for my son Oscar, who requested I bring something home from his favourite shop (even though he's never actually been there!)

If you have never been there, Evolution is basically a shop full of dead stuff. Skulls and fossils and bugs and skeletons and skulls and rocks and stuffed furry things.....

Pretty much a nine year old's dream.

I would tell you what I bought him, but I know he's reading (hi chicken!!)

I also went here amongst other places. Oh my heavens I wish I could ship this whole shop home in a box for my new kitchen. ESPECIALLY the polka dottted dinner set :)

Anyway, that's it - even though it's only lunchtime in Australia, it is past midnight here and if I don't do to sleep I will mush for my colour talk tomorrow. Be kind to me NYC quilters! Night... and don't forget to join up for SEWN, enter my comp etc, etc.... WIN stuff people! And check out those other bloggers, you should SEE what they're giving away! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession Material Obsession 2

Happy Mothers Day

Hello, it's Oscar and Charlie. Mum is having a day off today, because it's Mother's Day. Today we decided to make Mummy breakfast in bed. We made her boiled eggs and tea. For her present, we gave her some clothes and some chocolate, with some nice cards that we made. Mum got her nails done, and watched Charlie play rugby.

We love you Mummy, we hope you have a good trip to America and we hope you got all the presents and love you deserved on Mothers Day.

Love Charlie and Oscar. xx Sarah Fielke Material Obsession

Flying Geese Tutorial

I have had quite a few requests for tutorials since I posted the last one about curvy piecing. I will get to some of the others I promise - especially the colour one, for which I am planning something special! In the mean time though, I have had a few people ask about my method for making Flying Geese blocks, which are featured in my Wonderland quilt in this months Women's Weekly, (UPDATE - believe it or not, I've got two more, extra fabric is coming out of the woodwork from everywhere!)

and also in Jungle Boogie in Material Obsession book 2.

 

Jungle Boogie from Material Obsession: Shared Inspiration, photography by John Doughty

So here goes! This is a fabulous method of making Flying Geese which is quick, accurate and eliminates dealing with too much bias. 

Step 1

Cut a large square 6 1/2" and four small squares 3 1/2". These ratios stay the same depending on what size you want your Flying Geese. This size squares produces Geese 3 1/8 x 5 3/4. 

Step 2

Using a sharp pencil and a patchwork ruler, rule a line from point to point in one direction on each square. Then rule a line 1/4 to either side of that line.

Step 3

Place a small square at each diagonal corner of the large square, right sides together. The small squares will overlap in the centre by 1/4". 

Step 4

Sew up both of the 1/4" lines that you ruled, but NOT up the centre line.

Step 5

Cut along the centre line, giving you two triangles.

Step 6

Press the two small triangles you have created open.

Step 7

Place another small square in the corner of the large triangle with the lines you ruled running towards the corner.

Step 8

Sew up the 1/4 inch lines as before.

Step 9

Cut the triangles apart along the centre line.

Step 10

Repeat with the other half triangle you have left, and you have created four Flying Geese!

Step 11

I know this is very patchwork teacher-y of me, but PLEASE make sure you trin the "ears" off your geese (and any other triangles you are piecing) before you piece them together! You will have a much nicer and flatter result if you do.

While we're on the subject of triangles, here's a little beauty that Sue in my Wednesday night class whipped up. Flying Geese again, just made a little differently!!

Sarah Fielke Material Obsession

Holy Huge Week, Batman!

Phew!!! I'm exhausted from just being so excited every second of the day. And to top it all off, Our American publisher has posted a Q & A with me that they did a few weeks ago on their website. You can read about it here.

While all of this has been going on, all of you have been madly commenting to win the Red Letter Day - don't forget you can comment to the post below to win and the entries are open until JUNE 8 so there is heaps of time! Make sure and click on the links that are added to the Mr Linky, and go and visit the other blogs who are giving away stuff, leave a comment on their blogs and you could win that as well!! AND you can enter to win prizes at SEWN too, we are adding new sponsors with new prizes every day. With all that you just GOT to win something!!

I don't know about you, but I'm puffed after all that. Let's have a breather and look at a pic of what one of my wonderful class girls has been up to while you have all been trying to win stuff. Margaret has been making a memory quilt of soccer and athlectic shirts for her nephew's 18th brthday. Isn't it great?

She has done a fantastic job, lucky boy. I wish I had a pic of the back for you too, we used the most delicious Anna Griffin stripe and it looks amazing. This is the one it is if you are wanting to track some down!!

Mmmm, zingy. Just think, in a few short weeks, Find Fabric will be able to find that for you!! Can I say exciting again in this post or will an alarm go off somewhere?

This week I have also sent out all the kits for the Wonderland quilt  in Women's Weekly.... here they all are awaiting their post packs.

Don't they look purty? I have ONE left in the original border and I can do ONE in the option one border and then that is it girls - jump in quick and snap them up!

OK, going now. I really am. I'd like to say exciting one more time, but you may all scream. Not everyone is excited though - some of us can still sleep....

PS. One more exciting. Check out my teaching schedule in the USA in the blog menu to the right, and if you're somewhere nearby, come and say HI!! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession