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From Little Things is shipping!! It's for sale!! It's in shops!! As far as I know, so far it is here:
Addicted to Fabric (AUS)
Fat Quarter Shop (USA)
Sew Mama Sew (USA)
The Patchwork Orange (AUS)
Pink Chalk Fabric (USA)
Sew to Speak (USA)
Sarah's Fabrics (USA)
Do you know somewhere that has it? Does YOUR shop have it? Tell me quick, so I can tell everyone else! And otherwise, go buy some! And tell me when you have so I can get excited with you! YAY!!! Thanks everybody!!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a peaceful season to all my friends and readers near and far. You are all so amazing, and I appreciate each and every one of your comments, emails and the photos you send me. I hope you and your families are safe, happy and most of all, together today. xx
So many of you have commented how much you loved reading about Australian Christmas (my Christmas in particular!) at Pat Sloan's blog that I thought I would share a few of my favourite Aussie Christmas things with you. The recipe for the Coconut Bread that I make for Christmas morning is on Pat's blog, but here are a few other things.
1. My Favourite Aussie Christmas carol: The North Wind
The north wind is tossing the leaves
the red dust is over the town
The sparrows are under the eaves
And the grass in the paddock is brown
As we lift up our voices and sing
To the Christ child the heavenly king.
The tree ferns in green gullies sway
the cool stream flows silently by
the joy bells are greeting the day
And the chimes are adrift in the sky
As we lift up our voices and sing
To the Christ child the heavenly king.
Here's a link to it being sung, I warn you it's not a great version, it should be much quicker than this but I couldn't find another one.
2. My kids favourite Aussie Christmas Carol: Six White Boomers. I can't stand this but the kids love it. This version is sung by Rolf Harris who is a bit of an Australian legend. It's fun to have a listen to.
3. As we still do a traditional hot Christmas turkey lunch on Christmas Day, we usually have a Prawn and Mango salad on Christmas Eve Night - that's what Im looking forward to later today with a glass of champagne! Here's a good one.
4. Christmas Bush, my favourite plant to have in the house at this time of year.
5. Australian Christmas books. There are some gorgeous ones, like:
And of course if you are going to read Wombat Devine, you have to read Possum Magic too, which is not really about Christmas but could be, and even if it really isn't then read it anyway because it's the best kids book ever. I love Mem Fox.
So there you go, there are a few more things I love about our Aussie Christmas. Coming up tomorrow! And I know my 11 year old is still not too old to have Wombat Devine read to him in bed on Christmas Eve, and that the 13 year old will pretend he isn't listening but will still comment on the pictures.
I'll leave you with another pic from a blog/ book reader - this verion of my Strawberry Fields quilt from Material Obsession One (Erica's favourite) was made by Suz at Patchwork and Play, who sent me a pic to show you all. You can pop over to her blog to see more and read about it, especially that beautiful quilting!
Happy Christmas Eve everybody :)
APOLOGIES.... I know, I've been gone for over a week and that is very rare for me. There's just been so much on - end of school things and carols things and sewing things... Anyway, I'm back now and I have HEAPS of overdue things to tell you.
First up, did you see me guest blogging over at Pat Sloan's blog?
If you didn't you can hop on over and read me gooping on about my family Christmas in Australia and various other things. Thanks so much Pat, as usual it was a blast working with you! For those of you who DON'T know Pat, you need check out her website which is chock full of everything quilty you can think of, including her radio program. Don't forget too you can still hear more of my babbling, not only on Pat's radion show a few month's back, but also on Jackie's recent podcast (see post a few down).
I have some show and tell...
This is a version of my quilt, Summer Sunshine, from Material Obsession One, made by Digna, who lives in Barcelona. This is her first quilt!
She lives a long way from a patchwork shop and didn't have the time or the resources to attend a class, so instead she taught herself to patch, applique a quilt using our book. Thats all hand applique and quilting!! YAYAYAYAYAY!!! I am SO proud of you, you did a fantastic job!
Next we have Heleen, who has been taking my Sarah Fielke Dolly Quilt Program classes in The Netherlands. She has made this version of Dolly Goes Shopping, and she has done such a great job!
Heleen I just love that you have gone on your own track with this quilt, made it bigger and added the hanging parts at the top. That's what it's all about! I'm so glad you had fun with it.
Speaking of having fun, don't forget to sign up for Dollies Online 2011.... we have amazing and wonderful things in store for you, with 12 (or 13 if you sign up for the full year) patterns for little quilts coming your way each month in your inbox. The patterns for all 12 months of 2010 are still available individually, or you can sign up for next year.
Last but no least is my friend Valentina, who lives in Cyprus, in Greece. I have enjoyed very much hearing about quilting in Cyprus from her, you can read a little more about it all at her blog, Valentina's Corner. This week though she has had a very exciting happening in her town, and I wanted to share it with you.
This week they have had their very first patchwork exhibition in Nicosia. Those of us who pop of to quilt shows a few times a year take this so much for granted - even here in Australia where quilting is relatively large we do not have the wealth of quilt related hoo-ha that residents of the USA enjoy.
Valentina and her friends organized this show in two weeks (TWO WEEKS!! The hall only became available at the last second and so they decided to go for it), and I think they have done a fantastic, fantastic job.
Yay Valentina, I am so very happy for you - well done!
Ok that's it, I am officially away on holidays at my Dad's beach house at the moment so if I am a little absent, please forgive me....
...'coz this is where I am. Watching those two little brown bodies throw themselves under waves. Happy season everybody, whatever season it may be.
PS. Oh stop complaining. I know it's snowing where some of you are, and secretly I am jealous of your White Christmases. Put on some Bing Crosby and enjoy it :)
Before I begin, a big HI to everyone who is popping in from my podcast at Canton Village Quiltworks! Thanks so much to Jackie for the fun interview, and make sure and go over to her blog and enter the giveaway to win some of my fabric.
While we're talking about fabric, the winner of the birdie giveaway is Kim at All Consuming - congrats Kim! Which is really funny because not only was it her birthday yesterday but I found out that she knows all these girls I went to school with.. but you don't want to know all of that, you want a tutorial!
Ok peeps, 'tis the season and I have to admit that this year I am not feeling very festive for various reasons. So I thought it was time to get in the spirit, and I hunted around in my sewing room for Unfinished Objects That Could Become Ornaments. (Every sewing room has some of these wether you want to admit it or not!) I have started this tutorial from scratch so that you can make these yourself but you could apply a similar principle to all sorts of bits from your sewing room. This is what we're making:
It's a paper pieced star ornament. I particularly like the Bob the Christmas Fish. Ho, ho ho....
The first thing you need to do is decide on your shape. I have used pentagons with 1" sides, because I happen to be working with those on something else. You could use any size pentagons, or even hexagons if you wanted:
Imagine how cute those would be stuffed and hanging on your Christmas tree! If you don't have a pentagon shape, the best thing to do to get your template is to draw a hexagon, and then draw two lines upwards from two of the edges like this:
Otherwise use hexagons, or whatever other shape takes your fancy.
For my star, I have used a hexagon in the centre, surrounded by six pentagons. You will need to make 12 paper templates of the pentagon, and two hexagons, so you have enough for both sides of the star. I used a stiff cartridge paper for mine, but you can use a thin cardboard or even copy paper if you are desperate.
Now I know there are a million ways to paper piece, this is just the way I made this star!
When you have cut all your paper pieces out, cut a piece of fabric for each paper shape and baste the fabric over the paper. I was not organised and didn't take pictures of this bit, but you can get the idea from the pictures to come.
Place the first two pieces to be sewn right sides together and take small stitches through the top of each piece of fabric.
Sew all the pentagons around the centre hexagon until you have a completed star.
When both your stars are done, unpick the basting stitches and remove the papers.
Put the two stars right sides together and take small stitches through the edges of the seams again.
When you have done two sides, open the seams up a little and put a doubled over piece of ribbon inside at one point.
Close the seam up and hold the point together while you stitch around the point and sew the ribbon in. If you like you can use a pin.
When you have sewn around the point, cut the ends off the ribbon to make turning easier.
Sew until you have only two seams left to stitch.
Turn the star right side out and make certain to push all the points out using a knitting needle or similar.
Stuff the star with polyfill or leftover wadding through the opening.
Slipstitch the opening closed and you are done!
Get festive!
Yes ladies and gents, it's true, the rumours are true. Mrs Schmenkman and I will be continuing Dollies Online for another year! (wild applause, general rejoicing)
No seriously peeps, we have had SUCH a fantastic year of fun with Dollies 2010 that we thought we would give it another round. So if you are interested in Dollies Online 2011, here's how it works.
Each month for 12 months, you will receive in your inbox a PDF of a Dolly Quilt pattern, designed by either Amy or myself, containing full instructions, diagrams and photos. The quilts are of all different sizes, techniques and colours to challenge you and give you something different to work with.
As with this year, you will be able to buy each pattern seperately for $15 from our Sew N'Sell shop. All this year's patterns are still available for purchase and the November and December ones will be coming soon. HOWEVER - if you want to
a) get the pattern first before everyone else and
b) only pay $10 AUS for it, that's a saving of $5 AUS per pattern and
c) get and extra free pattern JUST for Dollies Online subscribers, you can:
hit this link and go on over to sign up for 12 months worth of dollies, plus one extra pattern for just $120 AUS. Now there's an offer you can't beat with a stick.
We have had so much fun this year, why not give yourself a holiday gift that lasts all year and come and play too? You can see what some of the girls have been up to this year on the Flickr page. I can't wait!
