Stitches & Craft Show, Sydney

Had a great day on Sunday at the Stitches & Craft Show at Darling Harbour. I have only been once before a few years ago. The show has many more stalls and the quilt display was totally awe-inspiring. Some extremely talented people.

Many different styles of patchwork and quilting. Incredible designs and colours, here's just a sample of the work on display. I love the design here...

..and the colours chosen for the quilt below.


I am still a great lover of the scrap quilts though, and the whole idea of 'making something out of nothing' as was the original concept to use up old scraps for bed covers. I'm sure many of us started a quilt like this one with cardboard templates, only to run out of patience and decide that patchwork wasn't for us!

How far they have evolved now though, to become works of art that you wouldn't dream of using as a simple bed cover.

Some very inspiring Australiana designs....

Some beautiful Japanese designs and fabrics.

This owl quilt was incredible.

A beautiful three-panel quilt which looks like a tribute to mothers everywhere..

I did spend alot of time looking at the 'fantasy' themed quilts.. can't imagine how many hours of intensive work they took to complete not to mention the creativity involved. Alot of them used different techniques and mediums which combined to produce a stunning work of art that was hard to tear your eyes away from.

There's no doubt at all, from the level of talent featured by HSC and TAFE students, that the boundaries will continue to be pushed in all area's of textile mediums to produce even more incredible designs.

Finally, I couldn't end the post without making mention of my absolute favourite quilt of the show - if I really had to decide. Wendy Bailye was the Guest Artist of the Quilt Show (presented by the Quilters' Guild of NSW).

The quilting detail as you can see below was awesome. Being a potter myself, I love the theme and the research that obviously went into the design of the pots.

Here's Wendy chatting about the quilts and her designs. Incredible to think that she's only been making quilts for 6 years. Prior to that, she was an artist in other mediums. The one featured above was created by bleaching out area's on black fabric, then heavy quilting over the entire piece.

It was well worth attending the show just to gaze in awe at Wendy's quilts which featured many different theme's, from Australiana to a beautiful African inspired quilt, and to hear her talk about her work. Very inspirational.

But of course, we ran out of time. So we headed back out of Darling Harbour with a head full of fresh idea's and newly inspired to dig out the sewing machine....

..past the ferris wheel...

..past Chinatown...

..and trying to remember where we parked the car!

Easy Bag Tutorial

This little bag is quick and easy to put together, and you can have alot of fun with fabric and trims. First of all, you need to draw up the pattern. Ruler, pencil and paper is all that's required. It's worth spending a bit of time to get it accurate as this will then be your template for every bag you make - you can then transfer the template to cardboard or template plastic. (Click on link below; right click and select 'save image as'. Save to desktop and/or print it out).

PATTERN.

You need;- 20 cm fabric for straps and bottom front of bag. 25cm fabric for back of bag (I use same as bottom front/straps). 10cm fabric for top front of bag. 25cm (cheaper) fabric for lining. 30cm Lightweight iron on interfacing. 10cm Ribbon for loop. 30cm Trim for front of bag. 1 Button.
1cm seam allowance has been included in pattern pieces. Use matching thread for a much better finish. Remember golden rule - RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER before sewing anything.

Using pattern, cut out interfacing, lining and fabrics. Iron the interfacing to the fabric pieces. With right sides facing, sew the top & bottom fronts together. Sew the trim over seam on front.

With right sides facing, sew bottom & side seams together.

To form the base of the bag - match the side and bottom seams - sew straight down this line. It will look like the photo below. Trim the seam.

Repeat with the other corner - your bag should now stand up by itself. Do exactly the same with the lining - sew side and bottom seams. Then match side & bottom seams and form base - only this time leave a 15cm opening in the bottom seam so that you can turn the bag through later.

Fold the straps lengthways, right sides facing and sew together across one end and along the side. Turn right side out and press.

The quickest & easiest way to do this is to use a tube, which you push into your strap (or arm/leg if making a doll) and push a stick into the fabric from the closed end. The stick pushes into the tube and turns the fabric tube right side out in one easy step. You can buy these online very cheaply if you can't find them around the home - it's money well spent.

Topstitch your straps to add a nice decorative touch. It's all these little steps that give a more professional finish (OK, my stitching's a bit wobbly; guess I like the homespun look more)!

Measure 7cm along front and back of bag from side seams and place pin. Use this as a guide and pin handles in place.

At back of bag at the top find the centre and pin the ends of the ribbon in place to form a loop for the button. Sew the loop and straps in place. Your bag should now look like this.



With right sides together and matching the side seams, place the bag inside the lining and sew around the top of the lining/bag sandwiching the loops and straps inside.
Trim the seam allowance around the top of the bag.

Turn the bag through to right side and hand stitch the opening in lining closed.

Your bag is almost finished. Give it a good iron now before topstitching around the top edge, and sewing the button in place.

And of course, the best part - wrapping it up and giving it to someone special...

Once you've got the hang of this easy bag, it's time to start making up a few more in different styles; you can't have too many bags!

MORE PATTERNS

Sunburnt Country Embroidery Project

If you love the poem by Dorothea McKellar, it's worth getting hold of the current issue of 'Australian Homespun' Magazine. There's a fabulous design of the poem to embroider and frame, by Fiona Tully.

I couldn't resist it - especially with the lovely native plant borders. It'll be the first sewing project I've tackled in quite a while. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy sitting down and doing a bit of sewing... just needed some new inspiration!

I've transferred the design to calico; picked out some threads and found a little tin to keep all my bits & pieces in, and I'm ready to go. It may take a while - but I'll post the finished pic one day soon.

It's fascinating to read the story about Dorothea Mackellar. Not unlike Beatrice Potter in alot of ways - quite a privileged life but a great deal of heartbreak and sadness too.

For a brief history lesson in Australian literature when you have the time; here it is. Isobel Marion Dorothea Mackellar was born on 1 July 1885, at her family's home that stands on Point Piper, overlooking Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour. The third of four children, Dorothea was the only daughter born to renowned physician and Parliamentarian, Sir Charles Kinnaird Mackellar and his wife, Marion (nee Buckland). The young Dorothea received private tutoring in painting, fencing and languages and later attended lectures at the Sydney University though she never formally enrolled as a student. She spoke French, German, Italian and Spanish fluently. When the family travelled overseas, Dorothea acted as an interpreter for her father.

Dorothea had a lively personality with a keen sense of humour, which is reflected in her diary entries of the early 1900's. Hers was a privileged life that was divided between the busy sophistication of the city and the simplicity of the country.

The Mackellar family owned several properties in the Gunnedah area, including "Kurrumbede" and "The Rampadells" on the Blue Vale Road near Gunnedah. The late Mrs Maude Broun lived on the adjoining property, "Coulston", with her husband, the son of Sir Charles Broun. In a taped interview after Dorothea's death, Mrs Broun recalled the Mackellar's regular visits with Dorothea, Eric and Malcolm (her two remaining brothers, Keith having been killed in the Boer War at age 19), to their Gunnedah country residences.

Sir Charles handed these properties over to his sons whom many still remember as well respected and generous members of our local community. Over the years Dorothea often visited the area, staying with her brothers and maintaining her skills as an ardent horsewoman. Dorothea was very proud of the fact that she could ride side-saddle so well, even in the bush.

The first draft of what was to become Australia's most quoted and best loved poem, "My Country", was written in England at a time when Dorothea was feeling homesick. Never quite content with the verses, she wrote and re-wrote the poem several times after returning to Australia and living in the apartments above her father's consulting rooms in Buckland Chambers, Liverpool Street, Sydney, opposite the ANZAC Memorial. It is fitting that Dorothea's Memorial should now grace ANZAC Park in Gunnedah, depicting her as the young woman who wrote "My Country", and gazing in the direction of her beloved "Kurrumbede".

Dorothea never married though, at 28 years of age, whilst living in London, she fell in love with an English poet named Patrick Chalmers. When she returned to Australia just before the start of World War I, she wrote to Patrick to let him know her parents approved of their decision to wed. Unfortunately, the letter was lost and Patrick married someone else. Dorothea was heartbroken, her poetry after this experience becoming more serious with sometimes tragic undertones. ("Sorrow")

Dorothea continued to write and travel during the Twenties and early Thirties, her work appearing in journals of high repute such as the London "Spectator", American "Harper's Magazine" and the Sydney "Bulletin" among others. During these years, four volumes of verse were published, "The Closed Door", "The Witchmaid", "Dreamharbour" and "Fancy Dress".

The Australian countryside continued to be a source of inspiration to Dorothea. Two poems that particularly reflect her special relationship with our district are; "Dawn" (At the dawning of the day; On the road to Gunnedah...), and "Burning Off" (They're burning off at the Rampadells; The tawny flames uprise...).

Later in life Dorothea suffered increasing ill health and ceased to write. In the 1968 New Year Honours list her contribution to Australian literature was formally recognised and she was made an Officer of the British Empire. Sadly, only two weeks later on the 14 January, Dorothea Mackellar died in her sleep in the Scottish Hospital, Paddington. The funeral service was held in St Mark's Church at Darling Point where reportedly Dorothea's favourite poem, "Colour" was read. She was once recorded saying about the poem, "You know, I think that was as close as I ever came to writing poetry." She was laid to rest in the family vault at Waverley Cemetery in Sydney.

Dorothea's brothers predeceased her, leaving no heirs, therefore Dorothea was the last of that branch of the Mackellars. (Information from http://www.infogunnedah.com.au/tourism/dorothea.php)

Cat Quilt

I love this 'cat' scrap quilt cause I made it for Dan's 10th Birthday; and blue & yellow go so well together. This is my favourite chair; a great garage-sale find and a recliner too!

Flowerpot Mini Quilt

A quick little wall quilt I put together a while back.