Happy New Year

I have had a lot of great things happen for me this year!

A huge thank you to all of my friends, students, shop owners and blog readers for being a part of my year.

It is always great to reflect on the past at this time of year.

                         

The highlight of my year was of course my trip to the United Kingdom in September to take part in the Whitecroft "The Life and Times of Jane Austen" Tour.  This was an experience I will never forget.

I have made several new quilts this year which have received prizes and lots of enrolments in class. I received my official accreditation for Teaching Special Workshop Techniques from the Quilters' Guild of NSW.  I have travelled to various locations to teach this year including New Zealand, Victor Harbor, Broken Hill, Wodonga, Stanwell Tops and Castlemaine.

Lots more travelling is on my agenda for the future including a quilting cruise in April, a retreat in Wangaratta in late April and a shop retreat in New Zealand in August. I am also looking forward to returning to Broken Hill, Victor Harbor, Wodonga and Castlemaine next year.

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope 2016 brings you much love and a little time for stitching.

K xx

Thinking of Summer School?

I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday period with friends.  I have been enjoying the cooler weather in Sydney and getting lots of sewing done on new projects.

                      

If you are thinking of joining me for class in Summer School during January, I will be teaching my new design called "Pemberlini" (all hand appliqué) and a quick machine pieced quilt called "Now and Zen", made from a layer cake.  You can also work on any of my other quilts started during the year.

Here are some photos of "Pemberlini":

                       

       

                              

       

This is "Now and Zen" made from a Zen Chic layer cake: (I only seem to have a photo of it before it was quilted!)

                           

        

Dates are as follows:

Hobbysew Kings Park: 7, 8, 16, 19 and 21 January, 2016;

Jukejema Quilting Barn, Nowra: 9 and 14 January, 2016; and

The Stitchers Cupboard, Camden: 11, 13, 15, 18, 20 and 22 January, 2016.

The Stitchers Cupboard Monday Christmas Party

Today was my final class for 2015.  Nothing better than to spend it with my wonderful Monday class at The Stitchers Cupboard.

Some of us got some sewing done (not mentioning any names, Jan) and then we had a delightful lunch together.

Jan excelled herself with her spectacular cooking of individual plum puddings with custard and gifts of fudge and chocolate puddings for all!  We also polished off a whole plate of slice from Sharon's Mum, Margaret.

Thank you beautiful people.  See you in the new year.

I am looking forward to a few days off.

Special Times

I spent a wonderful day with my Mum and big sister in the city centre of Sydney on Sunday.

We took high tea at the Queen Victoria Building.  This beautifully restored shopping precinct was buzzing with Christmas shoppers.  It was built in the 1890s in the Victorian Romanesque style.  Wow!

The setting and gorgeous afternoon tea reminded me so much of my fabulous time in England on the Jane Austen tour.  The Tea Room of the QVB is a beautiful room.

Love the ceiling and the chandeliers.

High tea was yummy!

Here we are.  Not many cakes left....

After tea we went to see "The Sound of Music" at the Capitol Theatre.  It was fabulous.

Beautiful Christmas lights on the way home.

What a wonderful day.

Two More Busy Days at The Stitchers Cupboard in Camden

Classes are starting to wrap up for the year now.  It is great to see lots of work coming together (and new quilts being started as well).

Here is Christine's very pretty pink , green and purple version of "Meryton".  All the appliqué is finished, now it is just a matter of sewing it all together.

Julie has made a delightful Christmas Lucy Boston block into a wall hanging.

Jan started a new quilt, one of my jelly roll patterns called "Jelly Mosaic".  It comes together quickly as it is all just squares and rectangles cut from jelly roll strips. It is a great one for men as it has a masculine look.

This is Robyn's very beautiful "Pemberley".  She has done an awesome job of choosing colours.

Sharon has finished her bright "Lazy Daisy" placemats, an excercise in machine appliqué.  They look great.

L

This is a block by Dot for her "Meryton".  Beautiful!

Kylie has been busy finishing the appliqué flower borders for her "Netherfield".  Lovely fussy cutting from William Morris fabrics.

P

Here is Michelle's gorgeous "Netherfield" in autumnal colours.  Wow!

I hope you have enjoyed the show and tell.  Only one more class for me and then a break from teaching for a couple of weeks.  I hope to get lots of sewing done.

Last Jane Austen Class for the Year

I hold a number of classes each year where my students can do any of my older Jane Austen Quilt designs.  It is always very hectic for me, but at the end it is fabulous to see some amazing quilts coming together.

Today was the final Jane Austen class at The Stitchers Cupboard in Camden.  Here are some of the quilts on show in an amazing display of beautiful colours, fabrics and fussy cutting.

Firstly, Kerrie completed her stunning version of "Hunsford", which she thinks is very busy but I love that about it.  Wow, wow, wow!

Then a selection of beautiful "Netherfields".  The first one by Jennie:

The next one by Narelle:

This one is by Christine:

Here is a lovely "Meryton" centre, appliquéd beautifully by Dot.

My next series of Jane Austen classes commence mid-2016 at The Stitchers Cupboard.  The earlier part of the year will be busy with teaching "Lambton".

Another Huge Weekend!

I have had yet another very busy weekend.

On Saturday it was the final Saturday monthly class at Hobbysew Kings Park for this year.

Christine finished the dinosaur quilt for her grandson.  This quilt used my "Autumn Lily" quilt pattern which I taught in Summer School this year.  We did some crazy piecing around the dinosaurs to isolate each creature in a square and used lots of gorgeous batiks in a jelly roll and orange sashings to set it off.  It looks great.

Vicki has put together a set of four beautiful courthouse steps blocks for her "Bloomin Logs" quilt.  We got the stems on and we experimented and practiced the machine appliqué.

We always have a great day but I was so busy I did not get around to take more photos.  Class will resume the first Saturday in Februrary.

On Sunday The Richmond Stitchers held their annual Christmas Party at the Edmund Rice Conference Centre in Mulgoa.

We had a lovely present exchange

with some assistance from Santa's helper.

Jan brought in her two gorgeous versions of my "Marrakesh" whack and stack fan design.  She used very different fabrics in each and oriented the blocks in a different way.  They are both sensational!

See you next year ladies.