Its that time....

So.... progress.... if you want to call it that... (more like why do I keep adding things to the to do list???)

Managed to finish the Christmas bunting and hang it at Threadneedle before the actual day!!! The "Merry" portion will have to wait for next year (loved doing it but... not sure if I am mad enough yet).

Therefore, we wish you a Merry...

In between working out what decorations to make for teachers, what to take for the family Christmas dinner and of course Christmas shopping we of course decided to do a bit of renovating at home....

I am proud today to say my washing machine is back inside and working (goodbye laundromat!!!).

So out of the chaos that is Christmas at our house a few things have been created and have come into Threadneedle.

Jodie's Owl Post has arrived and it is amazing.

One of my sisters has loved owls for a very long time - so I think the white one on the right is going to be hers ... The brown one is a model for our School Holiday program that commences in January.

Jodie's is the beautifully finished one whereas mine still needs a bit of work (tummy feathers etc).

I have also been playing with one of Melly's bag patterns - namely The Sleepover Bag after one of our local quilters decided to make three with great results. 

This picture frame fabric from Kokka is awesome, so I had to make it (for the shop of course I said)!!!

This is a great bag - it is not for the absolute beginner but the end result is amazing - I am really happy with how it came out

So, be good and I hope Santa comes and brings you all you wish for. Stay safe and well over the festive season.

XXX

Still trying to finish....something!!

My fourth quarter resolution (lets face it - three months is about as long as I can resolve to do anything consistently) has been to get stuff finished....

As you can see from the last post there has been some success and some continued works....

Well I am please to report the conclusion of Natalie's Woodland quilt samples...

And Butterfly Dreams Needle case - only the canvas and bag to go in this pattern (sigh).... pattern will soon be available - but I think Natalie has been a bit busy (Congratulations on a gorgeous baby boy Natalie)!!

But of course there had to be some new things as well....

I had shown you the lovely range of Benartex fabrics called Tranquility.  Well I found an free online pattern for this fabric, modified it (as you do), and, well, here is the quilt top (note the word top - as in not finished....).

(Don't ask me why but blogger decided that the only way you could see this was sideways!!!)

The problem is that new fabric has come in and I want to play with that as well......

One day, one day I will only have one or two things not finished, not fify bazillion!!!!

Keep stitching and smiling.....

Making/(nearly) Finishing

Like most I have a mountain of WIPs.... And as usual after our Retreat if I haven't already made the items I promise myself that I will do so.... with mixed results (and confidence).

This year however something has happened and I have been like someone possessed for the last couple of weeks and working on a heap of things at once.

I have already done Jodie's Robots with some kids during the School holidays - they had a ball and the results were amazing... 

We also did a class making Chubby Birds - I suspect that they might become and addiction as they come together so beautifully.

The Stacks on Robots and the Cafe Bag patterns have just arrived - am in the process of making the Cafe Bag in our Strawberry Seed wool.

Then of course I had to complete Natalie's stitcheries for the quilt.

For the Woodland Quilt we decided to use the Woodland range and it really looks great...  We had the multi coloured option

Or the red/grey or aqua/grey

 

(You might notice the pins and the lack of small stitcheries in the multi coloured - Yes still not finished - backing made but not quilted or bound!!! That is next week)

Then I had a go at Natalie's Butterfly Dreams patterns - the needlecase is almost done....

Mind you in that time I have also finished another quilt top (will show you next time) and am in the process of making a whole bunch of rosettes for the Hepburn Swiss Italian Festa.... 

(I now notice that less than half of these are truly finished.... sigh.....)

Back down to earth

We managed a mini-holiday last week just before the School Holidays. It was lovely just to have a few days as a family at Port Fairy after a busy term culminating in our DCE weekend.

Of course before we set off I had to make sure that or School Holiday program was up on the web and bookings are going along nicely.

One thing I needed to do and didn't was provide some more photos of our weekend and thank some of our supporters for the event.

First, our goodies bags....



Tea from Jodie at She-Tea - they offer an amazing organic range of teas and they have recently introduced a Daylesford range.  Also our friends at Sweet Decadence created those amazing marshmallow/caramel/chocolate yummies. 

Something that wasn't in the bag but is a mainstay of our craft experience is the giant smarties.  The Hepburn General Store orders them in for me and they are simply ... well delicious. 

On to some suppliers. There were an assortment of items from the SSS Sewing company, Birch Haberdashery and Leutenegger that were in each bag. 

You also would have received a knitting pattern from Rare Yarns designed by Zoe Bradshaw. Along with that some vouchers for Simone Perele came with our door prizes from Homespun.  Hope you get a chance to use them.

As for door prizes, we were lucky enough to get some things from some very generous suppliers for you.  Thankyou to Charles Parsons/Craft Project, PK Fabrics, Victorian Textiles, Homespun Magazine, Ristal Threads and Rare Yarns.



Then there are the "toys" that I showed you.....  The iron is a one and only in Australia at this stage and Birch Haberdashery were very kind in letting me have it for the weekend (out in November).  I just thought you might like to see that and a few other things that are coming into the crafty market. Lets face it... I like toys!!!



So I hope you had some fun this year  - I certainly did ...

 

 

What a weekend it was!!

It came and went in a flurry ...

We had a smaller group than usual but it meant I could have our "shop" inside which meant I didn't have to keep disappearing and missing out on the fun.

And then there is our amazing designers!!!
First Natalie with her amazing stitcheries and quilts - and just for us, Butterfly Dreams.....a bag, a canvas and a needlecase option.

Then Jodie with Robots, Christmas and bags all using wool or felt....

Then Kate came along in the afternoon and showed us some of her stunning crochet as well as answering our questions about all things yarn.

 Instead of me showing you about your homework - some of our talented ladies got to demonstrate their button making skills.....

And then there was the large quantities of food .... all day (all YUM!!!)

That was just Saturday!!!!

More photos to follow - along with many more thankyous!!!

Nearly There

Now that all the fabric and threads have arrived - there is a flurry of activity at Threadneedle Craft...

There are kits to cut and pack... Felt ones

Fabric ones...

Also there are goodies to put together for prizes on each day... (Yes there are prizes!!!)

I have picked up the giant smarties already and the chocolates have been ordered.

And there are some new gizmos that I will pick up on Wednesday to show you....

Jodie and Natalie have been creating the most amazing designs....

I cant wait........

Are you coming to the Daylesford Craft Experience??? There's still time....

Wool

It was exciting when it arrived....

 

I quickly raced some into Jodie so she could play with it for the Daylesford Craft Experience... she has some fantastic plans.

Then I kept looking at it...

And remembered this pattern, the Melford Messenger Bag by Charlie's Aunt, that I have been in love with for some time...

So on Tuesday, I started making it... thinking that I could finish it at the shop over the week.
 

But I had to keep going... the wool is so lovely to use and sew with....so... well... I finished it....
 

We have put all the wool and pattern in our online store....

Enjoy.... I know you will

A little bit of Tranquility

We are getting quite busy (ie FRANTIC!!) here at Threadneedle. 

Ordering and planning, sending tickets and homework out (what is it with 38mm???). 

Checking out the designs for the retreat. Jodie and Natalie are amazingly creative and each are doing very different things.  You might see some sneak peaks on their blogs or facebook if you wander over there.

But sometimes we get some fabric in that well is just... lovely....

Introducing Tranquility.... there are a number of pieces in the range that we have in our online store and here are a few of them....

The colours are soft but it is quite simply pretty - and calming.

In addition to a panel there is a lovely border fabric that is begging to become a skirt (although I reckon I am too much of a grub for that really - maybe a panel in a skirt).

So when I am getting a wee bit FRANTIC... I look around and realise how much lovely fabric there is out there....  And yes I will take it to the Daylesford Craft Experience... I promise. 

Ticket time

The mailman has come and take some of these away...

As you can see there might be a little bit of homework...

So... are you coming to find out what mischief Jodie and Natalie can get up to??

And then there is Zoe and Kate creating "yarnage" in the afternoon

Me.... I'll be a model of decorum, snorting in the corner....

Woodland at Daylesford Craft Experience

Did I happen to mention Cinderberry Stitches is coming to the Daylesford Craft Experience??

On the Sunday, Natalie is going teach us how to make fantastic quilts and show us all her trips and traps using her current fabulous range of fabrics namely Woodland. This is the quilt pattern we will follow....

Here is just a snippet of some of the colourways.... if you come to Sunday you will have in your goodies bag the fabric to do the quilt top as well as the required threads.

I am in the process of choosing threads to go with these and having a ball doing it!!!

But wait there is more.  Some of you might have seen that Natalie is anxiously awaiting her new range.  Well because she is such an amazing lady she is going to talk about how she goes about developing a new range.

Not going to tell you about her other designs for Saturday yet - but I am sure there will be some sneak peaks soon..

More to follow as Jodie and I are working on wool fabrics.

Daylesford Craft Experience

So the end of the School Holidays - our last class has finished with amazing results. 


One of the new and improved versions of the Satchel Bag.  This time with Bag Batting so it stands on its own.

Now back to the school routine.  Our routine will continue to be a bit more involved for a while longer but we are getting there....


Now on to Daylesford Craft Experience!!

What can I say....

We have two great designers that are already creating amazing designs just for you!!!  One of our designers will be bringing something pretty precious with her as well (don't worry Natalie I will make sure there are chairs for you to relax into everywhere!!) as well as her amazing Woodland Fabric to play with (and maybe a viewing of her new range with any luck??).  You might have seen a little hint at Jodie's as well.. (we are working on the wool at the moment so stay tuned)

And then...

Kate from Foxs Lane will bring in her amazing crochet and knitting for you to see and ask questions about.

Zoe, who designs for the fabulous wool company in New Zealand, Rare Yarns, can also talk to you about yarn, design and felting. (check out the free pattern pictured below at their website)

Finally...

You know that RicRac girly is going to tell us how she came from being someone who likes making stuff to a bona fide designer (mind you I reckon she is the only one surprised - you only have to look at her work.....)

And just because I like gadgets, I will show you some of the things that I have tracked down in the craft world that you can play with. 

Am in the process of hoarding some things just for you right now.  Hope to see you there.....

School Holidays & DCE

Its School Holidays!!! We are already enjoying sitting around and drinking hot chocolates at home rather than early morning trips and tired kids in the evenings.

We have a great School Holiday program at Threadneedle that can be found here.  So if you are at a loose end with the kids give me a call and they can come and have some fun (and you can have some rest)!!!

With all that has been going on we haven't told you about what is happening in the afternoon of first day of the Daylesford Craft Experience......

Well rather than add it on to this blog it will be in my next .... but here is a hint - this amazingly talented lady is one of the crafty folk coming in the afternoon.... rather foxy dont you think???  (This is an old post but I love the colours!!)

And while we are at ideas you might have seen that Jodie is already showing stunning designs over on Ric Rac. 

While all this is happening I have also been stockpiling some gorgeous fabric for Natalie of Cinderberry Stitches - I wish my work area was as organised!!!

I am getting excited now and bookings are coming in so if you want to come and play you need to let me know soon!!!

Make It

I am really loving the Make It range of stuff from DMC.
They have come out with some great ideas for kids and adults to have some fun with stitching and applique.  We have had a number of their Stitch Me cushions but the new range are amazing

The fox is well... foxy

And check out the rocket....



These are just two of the latest six which you can see on our Threadneedle website .  But there is a whole lot more such as Murphy Frog, Cecil Elephant and Miss Kitty.... Everything is in the kit except the toy fill.  So you can start straight away.

  

Lately they have also brought out another cross stitch kit that is really just a bit of fun.  The pictures below are from DMC's blog Two Ducks Swimming.

It comes with a number of designs and variety of threads so your can make your phone truly individual...



                                 

So which colour base ??? Black or White