The Last Piece

How To Make a Kite

Oscar has been studying kites this term at school, and he has just finished his term project of making a kite at home. Of course, the Fielke's had to have a patchwork kite, and it turned out so cute I thought I would show you all as a great holiday activity with the kids. Please bear in mind that a lot of the pics were taken by Oscar, who is only nine, so they are a little off!

You will need:

-A piece of fabric as big as the kite is going to be for the back of the kite. Our kite is 80cm high by 50 cm wide.

- lots of scrap for the front of the kite

-Some electrical tape

-The rods from an old kite, or rods from a hardware store

-string from an old kite, or a reel of string to fly with

-some plastic ribbon for the tail

Step 1. Cut a template out of fabric for the back of the kite. We used an old diamond kite for a template, but you can use anything. Even trace a shape onto a piece of newspaper and then cut around the newspaper if you like. If you have a very clever Mum or Dad you could even make a Box kite this way. If you are working from an old kite, or an old kite frame, make sure that you cut the fabric big enough to fit the kite poles.

Step 2. Go through Mum's scrap box and find some good size scraps that you like. Press them flat.

Step 3. Using the foundation piecing method, crazy piece the fabric all over the kite surface with the pattern of the backing fabric facing down. In this way you will have a pattern on the side facing the sky, and the patchwork side facing you as you fly the kite.

If you have never foundation pieced before, start in the centre of the kite, and lay two scraps together as though you were going to piece them together normally, but with the backing fabric behind. Sew along the edge of the fabrics using a 1/4" seam, and then open the fabric up and press open. 

Continue in this manner, covering the kite surface as you go.

Step 4. When you get to an edge, trim the fabric back to align with the edge of the kite.

Step 5. Make sure and press everything flat as you go, and press the seams you sew open properly.

Step 6. When you have covered the kite with fabric, you need to roll the edge of the kite over from the back to the front about 1/4" to enclose the seams. Sew along the edge of the fabric, leaving a raw edge behind. If you wanted to, you could bias bind the edges. This bit is tricky, you might want Mum to take over here! Give everything a good press when you're done. You might want to use some starch.

Step 7. Take some electrical tape and fold it in half so that the sticky sides stick together. You now have a strong "fabric" to make into a pocket to hold the end of the kits rods. Fold in half and stitch around three edges of the tape, leaving an open edge at one end. Stitch to the back of the kite. Repeat on all four corners. If you are using rods from an old kite, make sure and test out where the pockets should go, and make sure that the rods are a tight fit to the pockets so that the kite will be slightly stretched when the rods are inserted. This will catch the wind!

Step 8. Insert the rods and tie on the tail. Thread a needle with the end of the kite string and sew through the front of the kite and out the back several times and tie a really good knot to attach the string.

You're done!!

Step 9. Take to school and wait patiently for all your friends to be ready....

Step 10. FLY!! (or run if there is absolutely no wind!)

Thanks Mum, that was fun.... :)

Sarah Fielke Material Obsession Material Obsession Two

Sunday

la la la la.... (skips back to sewing machine...)

A Weekend Away

Sorry if I've been a little quiet, I've been here -

How's the serenity? I would have liked that tractor to move though, he was clutering up my ambience. 

Lots of inspiration from the beautiful birds, shapes and company.

What is it about boys and fires?

The SIL got to work on her first quilt for a friend's baby, which we designed together and I helped her cut out and stitch. I think she's done a great job.

As predicted the 18 million projects I took with me mostly didn't get started even, but I did do rather a lot of very satisfying wool applique that I can't show you yet (!!!!) and worked on this for a while.

That one's getting there. I have to say that the projects have been suffering due to a rather larger baby I've birthed over the last few weeks, but that's the way the cookie crumbles! (Speaking of the rather larger baby, look out for Sue Spargo, exclusive pics from the For the Love of Thread show in France, a new tutorial, and heaps more over the coming week!)

Also in the works are projects for Down Under Quilts, Quilter's Companion, a special US publication at the end of the year, a project for Quilter's Newsletter, and stuff for my NEW BOOK!!! PHEW. Now you see why I needed a weekend away to prop myself up before all of this quilting madness begins. However, I solemnly promise more quilting pics in the near future. 

Another reason I have been busy are these people.

That's my teacher face. Year 4/5 are blanket stitching around stars with trailing comets for their class quilt (above), and year 6 are piecing (below). They are all doing such a great job. I have been teaching most of the Yr 6's sewing since kindergarten and a lot of them can thread their own needle, tie at knot at the end of the thread, pin and sew along a ruled line without any assistance. They are just great. Man I'm tired afterwards.

We are heading in for round 2 this afternoon after lunch. I'd better go get something done before I have to be there! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession

PS. did anyone see New Zealand Quilter's mention on Good News Week last night? Methinks we were being mocked! :)

Hooray for Holidays!

I am off on a mini-holiday for four days, leaving tomorrow morning. Hopefully while I'm gone I will not look at a computer, and will regain my blogging mojo! Every year my brother and my sister-in-law and I go away to Berry, in the south of NSW, for a few days. The house is peaceful and quiet, out in the middle of the bush surrounded by trees and birds and a creek, and we have a wood fire and drink wine and cook great food and generally vege. Leaving in 11 hours!! YAY!!!!!

Before I go though, you may want to check out another SEWN giveaway..... if you haven't already entered the draw to win Sue Daley's hand piecing papers, you should go right on over and do so! However today we got a set of fantastic perspex templates to give away with Erica's hand piecing article, You can make a Lover's Knot block just like Amy did, go over and see what I'm on about. To enter the competition you need to give my new rabbit a name. Scroll down to the bottom of the SEWN page to see him, he is so beautiful! Here's his little nose.....

Mean time, Deb at Down Under Quilts has seen fit to put my quilt on the front cover of the July issue, due out July 1!! Make sure you go and have a look at her blog to see a sneaky of the cover. 

I've been doing lovely things with my kids in between all the SEWN madness.....on Friday night we went into the city for the Sydney Light Walk. We started at Observatory Hill and walked to the Opera House with some friends, and Charlie and his mate Matt. It was lovely, a little surprise around every corner. Unfortunately lights are hard to photograph, but I got a few - 

The Opera House peeking through the buildings in the Rocks with a light display on it -

And up close -

Complete with ghost people. The boys liked this one, it was dozens of plastic bottles with green lights in them, very recycle and reuse -

The boys decided this one looked like a milkshake with squiggly straws.

I've also been up at the school sewing with grades 4, 5 and 6, but I'll have to tell you about that later.... right now it's 11pm and I'm going to sleep so I can pack early and get on the road! I promise to blog some pics of quilts when I get back, there hasn't been enough of those lately. How many projects do you think I can realistically take??? Sarah Fielke Material Obsession Material Obsession 2

Sewing, sewing...

Not feeling particularly bloggy today girls, working on a project that's due somewhere and it's VERY cold, so I'm just going to let the pictures tell the story of why I haven't blogged for a few days:

Hello to the girls at the Quilted Crow....

Beautiful knitting at ak.....

Fun stuff from the girls at Hot Possum.....

A delicious array as usual from Annie at Hatched and Patched...

And baby sausage dogs at Amitie!!! Baby!! Sausage dogs!! Combining my loved of small stuffed things with sausages and Denyse Schmidt. Oh my heaven...

Tomorrow I promise to tell more about what I shopped for. Naughty, naughty... Sarah Fielke Material Obsession Material Obsession 2

SEWN Winners

Hey everybody,

we know there is a prob somewhere with the winner page on the SEWN website, so here is the link to find out if you won something. There are still a lot of winners I haven't heard from, so go and take a look and email me to [email protected] if you've won!

We also know that some people are having a problem with the link to the digital version of Down Under Quilts, the problem is at the magazine's end and we are waiting on a fix.

The postie brought me lovely things again... I'm going to have to stop showing you or you will think I'm spolit :)

mmm, thanks Kirsten. For more about Kirsten, go here, and stay tuned to SEWN over the next couple of weeks!

Also delivered today by my little postal friend was a great big box with these in:

           

The rug hooking kits I told you about that I ordered in Pittsburg! The kits contain all the ready cut strips, instructions, hook, wool backing and canvas to make one of these delicious 15" hooked cushions. I have only ordered TWO of each design, so be quick or they will be gone for good. They will be up in the Last Piece shop a little later today (when hubby has time to link for me!) so I will put a link in to this post when they are available. If you are desperate for one and worried you will miss out, just email me and I will put one aside for you and invoice you via PayPal. The kits are selling for $240 AUS each, but remember that they are 100% wool and have everything you need to make them. They are just stunning! Can I be as corny as to say you'll be hooked...? (gag....) Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2 Material Obsession

Lovely Things

A day of lovely things. A visit to the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair at Darling Harbour. The Show is on all this week and ends Sunday, so if you are in Sydney get on down and see what's happening. If you do go, make sure you take a couple of clean pairs of knickers with you - no, I'm not being creepy, they are collecting brand new knickers to send to a fistula charity in Africa, so hop into Kmart or somewhere, pick up a pack of undies and drop them in to the booth!

The undies aren't the lovely things though, thank goodness. First a little fat quarter shopping at BeBeBold - 

The owls! Look at the owls! And some much needed apples to finish off my apple orchard log cabin. See a few familiar faces, more of which I will show you as the week goes on! Here are Lisa Walton and Nic Bridges in the Dyed and Gone to Heaven stall.....

These two clever girls both had prize winning quilts in the show, and as well Nic had done the most beautiful machine quilting on some of the other entries. To see the winning quilts from this year's show, go to the Quilter's Guild website. Make sure you look at this quilt, it was made by my friend Kathy de Palo, the president of the Hunters Hill Quilters, and she won a prize!!! Yay Kath!!

Then I swung by the Quilter's Companion booth and said hello to my quilt which is hanging there - this is called Stars in Your Eyes, and will be in the next issue of QC. 

A quick coffee with a friend, and then home to find this waiting for me in the mailbox!

A box full of Laura Gunn fat quarters!!! Direct from Laura herself! How exciting.... Thank you Laura, thank you! 

I had to control myself not to chop them up right then and there, but I have two other projects to finish on a deadline first so I had to behave myself. That didn't stop me taking them out and rearranging them for a while though :)

Pat, pat, pat.

Knowing that I had a class tonight, I put the dinner on, got a glass of wine, and then found out the lovliest thing of all - Marvellous Damian has worked out how to get the podcasts up for SEWN (minor technichal difficulty!) so if you run over there right now and click on this lovely fella:

or this link, you will be able to hear the charming Mr Mably telling you all about his latest fabric line. Yay! It's like having him over for coffee :)

Lovely, lovely. Yay, woot and off to bed. More from the quilt show tomorrow. Night! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2 Material Obsession

SEWN IS UP

Yes, I know I'm yelling, but you have to hear me a long way away. I feel like the town crier...  

SEWN IS UP, AND ALL IS WELL.... 

OK, we HOPE all is well. You can't imagine the volume of what we have loaded in the past few days, and Damian is freaking out on the other side of the desk here, so if you are surfing around and find something that isn't working, PLEASE let us know and we will get right to fixing it. There are a few parts of the site that aren't live yet, so please be patient and they will come asap.

On the flip side, if you find something you LOVE and want to let us know, please do, because we are dying to know what you think! This site has been two years in the planning after all! Have fun everyone, and remember that there is more being loaded even as we speak. Yippee! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2 Material Obsession blog

PS. If you are a participating blogger and you have not received a thank you email from me tonight, please shoot me an email so I can send you one. There were quite a few of you who did not send me your email addresses when you signed up, and as the addresses are for emails and not blogs I'm not sure who is who. There is a little surprise attached to the email so let me know and I will send you one. Thanks!

PPS. We know that the SEWN buttons on some of your blogs have died - something the web guy said about codes and site movement.... here is the new code:

<a target='_blank' href="http://www.sewn.net.au" target="_blank"><img src="https://thelastpiece.typepad.com/sewnbutton.png" alt="SEWN" border="0" /></a>

We would really appreciate if you still link to SEWN and continue your great suppport!

And the Unbelievably Long List of Winners Is -

(Backstage, Sarah is heard to mutter, 

"Someone kill me, it's taken me two and three quarter hours to draw fifty-three prizes and get this post up. I need a drink." 

A hush falls over the crowd.) 

Ladies, ladies, a little quiet in the gallery. I know you're all excited. The winners will be announced momentarily.

Drumroll please....

The Winners of The Last Piece draw of 6 fabric packs of Red Letter Day are:

Galosh:

Emma, who said, "Absolutely love the fabric :) Seeing such fantastic fabric really gets the creative juices flowing."    and.....

Jane, who said "Congrats on your new site! and thanks for the chance to win some yummy fabric!"

Pond:

Lisa, who said, "Sign me up! I love these fabrics and the sweet girl who designed them! " and.....

Denise, who said, "Oh. My. Goodness. Me, me, me! Pick Me! I love Lizzy's fabrics so hard!"

Feather:

Andi, who said, "Feathers please!" (no problemo Andi!) and......

Caroline, who said, "With such an opportunity, of course I have to comment! Looking forward to SEWN in all it's glory!"

Yay!! Hooray for everyone. The winners of the competition for the amazing participating bloggers are:

Bronwyn at Whippet Good, who wins a pair of Posh Pyjamas

Pam at Library Gal Quilts, who wins a $25USD gift voucher from Sheree's Alchemy

Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm, who wins at $25USD gift voucher from Sheree's Alchemy

Kate at One Flew Over, who wins a $25USD gift voucher from Sheree's Alchemy

Anna at Crafty Girls Workshop, who wins a Moda Jelly Roll

Laurie at A Yankee Quilter, who wins a copy of Material Obsession 1

Amanda at Busy Little Quilter, who wins a copy of Material Obsession 2

Kelly at Mummy Makes, who wins a copy of Textiles

Ginger at Weiner Dog Tricks, who wins an Oliver + S pattern

Yay! Happiness is! And the giving keeps on giving, the winners of the SEWN draw can be found HERE, all THIRTY EIGHT of you!! Make sure and check your name against your comment, and I will email you later tonight. Woo hoo, this was so fun. Please make sure all of you EMAIL ME at [email protected] so that we can get your prizes shipped off to you asap! 

If you haven't drawn your SEWN giveaway yet, make sure and draw before the end of Monday, June 8. There are still draws open out there readers, so have a tour around, it's not too late!

All right you lot, I am exhausted and going to have wine before I finish the last bit of loading for the Launch tomorrow. Don't forget that SEWN will come online to where you are sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon, depending on server load times.

Goodnight everyone, and thanks *SO* much to our sponsors, the bloggers and the readers!! Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2 Material Obsession

I'm waiting for you.... :)

Lock and Load

OK. Done nothin', been nowhere......Just loading and loading and loading, and just reminding all of you that there is only ONE SLEEP until the prize draw goes off! Can you BELIEVE that we are nearly at 150 blogs? I am stunned, thank you so much to all of you who have entered your blogs and to all of you who have commented in anticipation of winning cool stuff!

The SEWN and the Last Piece draws will close at 4pm Eastern Standard Time June 8, that's Sydney time. If you are a blogger in another country I leave it up to you to set a time for your draw to end, so long as it is on Monday, June 8. 

I know you are all anxiously awaiting SEWN to be live, however the site itself will not be live until Tuesday, June 9. Depending on where you live, the site will come online at a different time due to loading zones etc so keep checking back and it will be there eventually I promise :) In the mean time though, the SEWN winners will be announced on my blog along with the Last Piece winners. 

OK, I lied, I did go SOMEWHERE..... my nine year old played football last night, at Sydney Football Stadium as the pre-match to the Wallabies. For those of you Stateside, that's like playing a preview before the New York Giants. Above is the staduim, and here is my little guy waiting to go on - 

Oss is the one with his hands under his chin, next to the coach. It was an amazing experience, especially as the boys got to stay on the field to watch the Wallabies warm up, while Lachie Turner kicked balls towards them to catch! Very exciting for one little rubgy fan.

Back to work........ Sarah Fielke Material Obsession 2 Material Obsession blog