In Stitches of Williamstown

Jessie and Jacob's coat

Come and see Jessie, Kellie Wulfsohn's latest quilt featuring raw edge appliqué techniques at the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair - stand B14. Simply stunning. Pattern only $22.
I also think this would be great, adapted to smaller projects too. Think cushions, or use just the Joseph's coat central design for a cot / lap quilt.
Kellie writes great patterns with a lot of detail relating to free motion quilting and raw edge appliqué. Believe it or not, raw edge appliqué is one of the fastest techniques for appliqué and makes it much more achievable than you would otherwise think!
I love Kellie's original on white, and this also works with a dark background, charcoal or slate, or as pictured. It makes the patterned fabrics pop!
Come and see the quilt in person this week if you are in Melbourne.

Love London

Just returned from this fair city.

Don't you love this paper cut print by famille summerbelle. Available here http://www.famillesummerbelle.com in prints (which I have) of both London and Paris. I also see that they now also have laser cut versions which must look exactly like the originals. Awesome. A very talented artist.

We had a great time in England, visiting family, friends and both old and new places...
Some of the new things (all highly recommended) were
- seeing tower bridge with its Olympic rings on and doing a tour of it with great views of London both up and downstream
- St Paul's cathedral tour with iPods ( which greatly engaged my "not another cathedral" 9 yr old son)
- general wondering around the south bank of the Thames from the wobbly millenium bridge to Tower bridge. So much more accessible and much closer together than you would think looking at a map
- science museum, V&A, and museum of London. The launch pad area in the science museum was loved by the kids!
- Warwick castle which is a fantastic castle to visit. Brilliantly done. http://www.warwick-castle.com
- foxton locks which have an staircase of 10 locks which were really interesting to see barges going up and down and not an everyday sight for us! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxton_Locks
- tree top aerial adventure (kids only) http://www.aerialextreme.co.uk/page/milton-keynes
- doing a "spy mission" in Milton Keynes (not just kids and I do have the bruises to prove it... Not sure I have what it takes to be a spy!! But I zip wired out of the "helicopter" with the rest of them and made my way across a laser filled room... So very nearly like Catherine zeta jones!!) http://spymissions.co.uk/home.html
- fish nibbling feet (kids only)
- Althorp stately home and childhood home of Diana, Princess of Wales http://www.althorp.com

Not quite a typical list of uk must do tourist attractions, but after 25 years living and working in London and the uk and many return trips from Aus there are still so many things we want to do next time....

I love London and England! And the bunting everywhere this time (jubilee/ wimbledon/ olympic fever) made me feel very nostalgic for the country I grew up in. But I do call Australia home and am so very fortunate to feel home here and there...

Do you have a favourite London highlight?

Craft and quilt fair 2012

Coming soon to Melbourne....
I will be at stand B14!
Come and see what's on offer... as I've worked hard to get some new designs ready for the show.

Kits for the bumper to bumper quilt featured in the craft show friend are available now. $135 plus postage... Limited kits available.

Missing...

A really good one of these.... I just don't seem to have found the right spot here and end up in chain upon chain of coffee shops under the lure of free wifi... Believe me I am paying for it!!!

Craft and quilt fair 2012

Coming soon to Melbourne....
I will be at stand B14!
Come and see what's on offer... as I've worked hard to get some new designs ready for the show.

Kits for the bumper to bumper quilt featured in the craft show friend are available now. $135 plus postage... Limited kits available.

Up and down

Wish I could show you the camera stills I have of the Olympic rings which can go up and down to let the tall ships through.. Super cool!
We went up tower bridge and got some great views over London. In the clouds, but great views nonetheless. There was a really good exhibit on great bridges of the world and also another on the Olympics. There were kids activities like quoits and hoopla and the kids both got a tower bridge gold medal when they crossed the finish line... So, everyone was a winner. It was really good and something I'd never done before, even after years of living in London.
Then on to the science museum and the V&A which were something else I haven't done since primary school!!!
So lots new to learn for me...