In Stitches of Williamstown

Kellie from Don't look now - keeping us in stitches

This week I am super excited to introduce to you Kellie from Don't Look Now!  It’s not difficult to fall in love with her designs.  She has a lovely fresh and contemporary style.  On a pure white background her designs really stand out with fabulous bright appliqué fabrics  - an exciting use of colour and technique.

 

I will be running a class with Kellie in June in Williamstown (either a Monday or Wednesday during the day - so if you want to come along get in touch by email as I'm sure the places will fill fast).  Kellie is full of enthusiasm about her approach to sewing and seems to have an endless supply of energy which is infectious!  Whilst the designs look detailed and they like they may take forever, the techniques she uses are fast and will lead to a finished project rather than another UFO!  Definately worth checking out!.

 

To celebrate this lovely designer and her patterns all Don’t Look Now patterns will be discounted 10% when ordered through my website (I will process the discount on despatch) if you type “Don’t look now save 10” into the comment box on the order page.  Offer is up till 28 Feb 2010.  Also if you buy a pattern by 25 Feb and let Kellie know (details on her blog) then you go into a giveaway draw with her too!  Benefits all round!!

 

Don't forget to pop over to Kellie's blog which is really inspirational and say hi - you will be wowed by the quilt along and other projects she has on the go there.  It is a super blog.

 

So here's Kellie.... I’m sure you’ll see why I’m such a fan!

I am a mother of four gorgeous, fun & sometimes very annoying kids LOL !!!! I stumbled upon quilting after finding a couple of beautiful commercial quilts in a department store that I was too stingy to buy! I had this crazy notion that I could make them for half the price ... who was I kidding??? The major interests in my life are of course my family and fabric LOL!!!!! My latest project is Lilly Pilly which was released a few months ago now. This project combines turned edge appliqué with raw edge machine appliqué. It’s a simple design fun design to make and I just love it!
 

What inspires you to be creative?  I must say that I am not quite sure where my initial dream for a quilt design comes from … I am inspired by colour around me in all different forms; nature, fabric, children’s clothing, toys & accessories to name just a few. I will usually have some initial idea or plan for a theme or overall concept for a quilt and everything just flows from there. I tend to be drawn toward pretty girly designs and I really have to work hard to not feature pink in my quilts!!!

What inspired you to go from being creative to designing and selling patterns?   I am not really sure how it progressed ... people started asking for patterns and once the requests became overwhelming I started thinking well wouldn’t it be nice to develop a career / small business where I could do something that I love, something that makes me happy and while generating a little income that might just pay for my fabric addiction ... well some of it anyway!!!!!!! LOL  

 

Pattern first or Fabric first?  Always design first! I have an enormous stash of fabric and once I have a plan for a design drawn up that’s when I hit my shelves .... and the piles of unfolded fabric lying on my cutting table, in boxes on the floor and strewn just about everywhere else in my sewing room LOL!!!

How many samples or designs do you do before you are happy with your finished design? I only ever make things once, but I wouldn’t say that it is a quick process. Because my projects are mostly appliqué the only things that may need changing would be the odd shape because a colour doesn’t work as well as I had initially thought. In these instances I would be replacing the shape during the auditioning process ... so it never involves remaking something.

Colour?  Pink – fun, soft, warm, sweet and happy

Hand or machine?   I prefer to make my projects by machine as a general rule ... but I always have a hand sewn project on the go to drag around with me while I am watching the kids at their sporting events & after school activities.

What’s your favourite project? My absolute favourite quilt that I have designed is Lilly Pilly. I just love this quilt. It looks so lovely on my family room wall LOL! As it happens this quilt was a part of a giveaway I held on my blog to celebrate my 100^th post .... I will miss it dearly but I am pleased that it has gone to a good home.

Joke to keep us all in stitches I made allot of Lilly Pilly while on holidays in Fiji last year. I designed the project before we left home and had planned to take a sewing machine with me to start work on it while we were away. I was talking to a friend before we left and told her of my plan to take my sewing machine with me on our trip and she thought that this was an excellent idea and was keen to share my wonderful idea with her husband. Once her husband found out about my plan his response was ... “surely they have better things to do in the evenings!!!”. After hearing this I was shamed into not taking my machine with me ... so much of the appliqué in Lilly Pilly was put together by hand not using my usual raw edge technique.

 

I have to say I have enjoyed every conversation I have with Kellie which always leave me feeling up beat - and from this blog interview I am sure you can see why.  I know a lot of girls who love what Kellie does but don't think that they can do it - I'd just like to encourage you all to give it a go - you may surprise yourself!

 

Don't forget to leave a comment below - I have a lovely variegated thread by cottage garden threads to give away to a commenter - comments by 7 March 2010.

Designer interview - Leanne from Petals and Patches

This weeks designer interview is with Leanne from Petals and Patches.  leanne is my "closest" designer living not very far away and she has always been involved in my patchwork life!  Many of you who came into the shop will remember Leanne.  Having her in the shop was always a godsend and she is a lovely friend.... but in the context of the blog interview I'd like you to get to know her and her work a little better.  Once you see her work I'm sure you'll be a big fan like me!

Petals & Patches is a small family business that started from my “overwhelming passion” for all things crafty.  In the past I have enjoyed a variety of interests including knitting, sewing and folk art painting, so starting Petals & Patches has allowed me to combine my love of pretty fabrics with my desire to stitch.  I love to encourage others to find enjoyment in this way too.

My inspiration comes from a variety of sources, i.e. nature, fabric, etc.  The smallest thing can trigger an idea and I have a myriad of ideas written in books & on papers to draw future designs from.  When I first started designing it was often the fabric that would inspire me (it still does!!!) however I have so many ideas that now I find I’m looking for fabrics to go with them.

I’m often accused of being a perfectionist but I do like to have everything in order (even if it is only in my head) before I start a project.  I usually only make the one sample but lots of drawings have happened before hand so when I finally make the quilt all the refinements have already taken place.

I’m currently working on a new Block of the Month which will hopefully be released in the not too distant future and I think this will become my new favourite quilt (all my quilts are like part of the family to me and it is hard to put one ahead of another) but my favourite quilt designed so far would have to be Seasons of the Heart (pictured below) as it holds so many memories both in terms of the past and of friends who contributed with the stitching. 

 

[Laura adds: this is still available as a complete kit from my website ]

 

My favourite quick quilt to make was In Mum’s Kitchen.

My favourite colour growing up was always blue, however I love pink & green too!  There’s not many colours I don’t like.  If I had to choose just one it would currently be green.  Green to me is -: tranquility, calmness, growth, life & relaxing.

My favourite thing to do is embroidery by hand, I love to machine piece, but there is nothing quite like relaxing and doing a little stitching.  I also love hand quilting but don’t get enough time to do as much as I would like to.  So my most valued tool in my sewing kit is my needle & thread.  The best piece of advice I ever received was to always pull my thread out to the left when making French Knots and they will always sit flat.  No more wobbly knots!

Joke to keep us all in stitches :  You know you’re a quilter when you find yourself drawing the bathroom tile pattern on a piece of toilet paper.

 

Thanks Leanne - now for those who are interested of more of Leanne's beautiful work check out my website(free postage for all petals and patches patterns purchased from me by end February) - also pop on over to Leanne's blogand give some words of encouragement!  She's beginning to blog and I'd love her to blog more so I'm sure you can encourage her too by visiting and leaving a comment.

 

As usual with these regular blog interviews I will be giving away one free pattern by Petals and Patches from those that I have in stock - to enter you need to be an Australian Resident and enter a comment below (by clicking the grey button that says "comment").  Entries need to be received by midnight on valentines day 14 February 2010.  I will use the random number generator to pick a winner.  Good luck!

Sublime season... Cinderberry Stitches keeping us all "in stitches"

Hello everyone, I am Natalie from Cinderberry Stitches - Laura has kindly asked me to be a part of her series of 'blog interviews' so I hope to entertain you for at least a few minutes!

 

Cinderberry Stitches has become my artistic release.  From a young child I always had a pencil in my hand filling many sketch books with whimsical characters each with their own personality & style.

 

The introduction to patchwork happened by chance when walking past a little patchwork store in my hometown of Geelong back in 1995.  Looking back I probably could have walked straight past the store without looking but there was a quilt in there I could see from the street and needed to have a closer look. 

I loved piecing fabrics together to make a quilt and at the time stopped drawing altogether and submerged myself in fabric, threads, pins and a needle for almost 7 years.  I was inspired but missed sketching and the freedom of creating something from a blank canvas – the simplicity of just pencil & paper.  It was then I began to combine my drawings with patchwork and blend the two together to create the unique designs of Cinderberry Stitches. 

I am blessed to be able to work and create from home (mostly in the evenings or during nap time) while raising our Daughter Isabelle.  I am my  happiest when surrounded by Family and laughter, this would be my greatest influence.  

 

Although I do wonder where I would be now if I had not taken the time to stop and take a peek at the quaint patchwork store all those years ago.

 

What inspires you to be creative? There are many things that inspire me to be creative, it could be the sound of chirping birds in the backyard, a walk in the garden or just a simple trip into town.

 

Pattern first or Fabric first? I almost always draw a sketch first and then think about what fabrics would best suit the project I am working on.  Once the fabrics are selected the sketches maybe tweaked a little before the stitching and cutting starts.

 

How many samples or designs do you do before you are happy with your finished design? Once the initial sketches are drawn and I have an idea it is often a fairly quick process.  I like to draft the design onto graph paper firstly before cutting fabrics and then take lots of notes as I am sewing and cutting for reference when pattern writing.  Am I a perfectionist....yes.  If I am not happy with how my stitches are sitting, the stitch length or thread colour chosen, I will unstitch the design and redo until it is ‘just right’.

 

Colour? Red: Vibrant, happy, refreshing, bold & wow factor

 

Hand or machine? I like both hand and machine work - I love hand stitching in the evenings completing the stitchery's.  It is nice to know you have created something just with your hands, needle and thread.  But piecing and quilting,  I don’t often get a chance to hand quilt as I just don’t have the time to dedicate so the machine wins, oh – and I love my Bernina for machine piecing, I would be lost without it!

What’s your favourite project?  My favourite project always seems to be the last one I have worked on so at the moment it is Sublime Season

 

Thanks Natalie - you bring a lot of joy with your designs, which I personally just love as many do.  Sublime season is such a great idea as it's versatile enough to be used all through the year! 

Thanks also for taking part in this series of blog interviews. Much appreciated by all.

You should pop over to Natalies blog which is both beautiful and inspirational.

As a special promotion all orders of Natalies patterns from my online shop www.institches.com.au which I have in stock at the time of the order will be discounted 15%.  This offer is valid from Thursday 7th January to Thursday 21st January (midnight).  This includes block of the months pattern sets!  Note that the discount is applied by me and will not be calculated by the online site system.  Please type "blog interview 15" into the comment field to remind me!

Also if you comment in the comment field on this blog post below (where it says "comment") you will go in the draw to win.  I have one Cinderberry Stitches Pattern to give away to a lucky commenter!  Draw will be on Wednesday 20th January at 5pm.  This is only available to Australian residents.

** update - there was a winner - congratulations sue anne who commented on 8 Jan 2010.  I'll be in touch.

 

Natalie Ross ... keeping us all in stitches!

So the first designer to take part in my "keeping us all in stitches" series of interviews is Natalie Ross who loves music, dancing, being entertained by Barry her Rainbow Lorikeet and designing/stitching of course!! Her latest project is a bag complete with stitchery called "Summer Surprise".  She has a lovely blog which I regularly visit - so do pop over and pay her a visit!  Natalie's designs are bright and fun and always use techniques which are well written and easy to follow in her patterns.  She also designed the Quilt Aid Block that I sell as part of the Quilt Aid Project.

What inspires you to be creative? I love creating and I love change and have always been that way since I was a child. I love colour in everything so these things inspire me often. I am at my happiest when creating. It's just in the blood.

What inspired you to go from being creative to designing and selling patterns? After my son was born I needed to make some extra money without going back to work so I started making craft items such as cloth dolls and pillow and selling them at a local craft market. They were my own designs as I didn't want to copy other designers from the magazines and make money through them. I have always loved a challenge with creating so this was perfect. My dolls were a hit and after 18 months of selling ready mades someone asked me if I was selling the patterns. And a new path was laid out for me. So i began selling my designs just in pattern form. The rest as they say is history!

Pattern first or Fabric first?   It is a little of both. It may be the fabric that I just have to have and then I will think up a design or sometimes a pattern name comes to me and I will design around that and then llok for the suitable fabric. Sometimes it's just something someone may have said in a conversation and an idea pops into my head and away I go. I am a vary visual person with a vivid amagination so that helps. Perhaps that makes me a little nuts!! LOL

How many samples or designs do you do before you are happy with your finished design? I only ever do one sample. I am not a perfectionist but I do take pride in the finish of my designs. The design process for me is a fairly quick and simple one. I do my sketches and refine the shape or size. I usually add a few things and sometimes take away what was the original idea as something else evolves. I do take my time with my fabric layout and leave it laid out over night sometimes and decide the next morning and that's it. Off I go. I have to say though that I may have an idea and it doesn't get to the drawing board for months due to other ideas pushing in.

Colour?  Well I have a few but to pick one it would be Aqua/Turquoise blue (like my pattern cover) this colour to me means - calm, refreshing, tranquility, creative, relax!

Hand or machine? I do prefer the machine, I very much enjoy hand stitching but I love the speed of the machine and the varied designs you can do on a machine i.e pieced quilts, bags, quilting & machine blanket stitch.

What’s your favourite project? My favourite project would be, now this is tough as I have a few. I would have to say my "Blossom Creek" block of the month quilt. I had so much fun designing and making it. The colours, the designs. And it all came together with not one little hiccup! Makes me feel good when I look at it. Who wouldn't want to live at Blossom Creek!!

 
(Block is Ladybird lane (mmm Natalie Loves Ladybirds), which is one of the four blocks in her Blossom Creek quilt)

Keep us all in stitches I unfortunately don't have a stitches joke but I do have a quick funny little joke that always gets people "In stitches" boom boom!!

Why do dogs have cold wet noses????????

So they don't burn other dogs bums!!!! LOL..............................

 

Thanks for the insight Natalie - and don't forget that Natalies patterns are available to purchase with a blog special 10% discount until 15 December 2009 (type Blog special 10 in the comment field of the order and I will apply the discount on posting) from www.institches.com.au.  I have one of Natalie's patterns to give away for all those who comment on this blog post (see the new Little School House backpack and lunch bag pattern pictured below).  Winner to be picked at random on 15 December at 9am.

Our next Aussie designer will be interviewed in a fortnight, so drop back in again soon and read all about her!

Feel free to comment by clicking on the comment button immediately below this post and follow the instructions, it's quick and easy and I'd love your feedback and you never know - you may be the lucky winner!