Projects finished and the Sew Along Retreat

It has been a productive few weeks.  The Hello Kitty Liberty Fabric has been all sewn up.  Into a sweet smaller quilt made of 4 inch blocks.  This one I have sent to be quilted so I am looking forward to this one coming home to be bound and to find a new home on the end of my little one's bed.  

So in love with Liberty - it is time to cut into the stash I have been collecting for a quilt for my own bed.  I have collected 49 different prints all with pink as the underlying colour.

As I have been cutting into them I keep changing my mind as to which is my favourite.

Our Sew Along Retreat was held a couple of weeks ago and the weekend was filled to the brim with sewing, laughter, inspiration and fun.  Once again the Avalon Homestead was a wonderful venue with lovely rooms and the best home cooking.  

We started off with our Mystery Project.  With Easter this weekend we decided to make this sweet little bunny.  It has a tummy full with Chocolate Eggs for all to delight.

As the sewing got serious we made sure the ladies had special treats to keep them going.  This Lolly Bar was just the trick.

But to the sewing right - well there were many quilts that were started and finished over the course of the weekend.  So many beautiful colours and fabrics.  We held our Spring Carnival Quilt workshop and while this is a challenging quilt the blocks came together really well.  Here are some of the projects that the ladies made.

There were many other projects besides quilts being sewn with hats, cushions, bags to name just a few.  

It was a great 3 days of teaching and we hope that all who joined us enjoyed the weekend as much as Claire and I did.  Now to look forward to the July Sew Along Retreat.  

A blog post at last!

Yes long overdue I know and I am not going to bore you with any excuses!  Funnily enough my last blog post was about our October Sew Along Retreat - well we are off again this weekend for our first Sew Along Retreat this weekend at the wonderful Avalon Homestead.

I am really looking forward to spending three days up in picturesque Toodyay sewing up a storm with the 24 ladies who will be joining us for jam packed days of inspiration, fun and best of all - no cooking! It is wonderful to be with lots of creative women and see all the projects they will be getting up to.  We are running our Spring Carnival Quilt Workshop and these are such lovely quilts to see evolve in so many different colour combinations.

While I have had a big break over Christmas and into the beginning of this year - I have actually made a large sum of quilts and blankets.  I currently have 5 quilts or crochet blankets that I have finished but can't show you just yet as they have not gone to their owners.  As they head out for birthdays and gifts I will show you.  

Here is one special blanket that I had been working on for quite a while.  My mum celebrated her 60th Birthday in February and I spent most of last year trying to think of the perfect gift for such a special person in my life.  I decided that as mum quilts, I would crochet her a blanket.  Knowing that not any type of wool was going to be needed I settled on the Noro Taiyo yarn.  Well 18 balls of this beautiful silk/cotton/wool later this is the result.

This yarn is a variegated yarn -  the balls were all the same colour and I love how different each square is regardless of the ball being the same.  I settled on the Granny squares to showcase this colouring rather than going with a more complex design.  I then put a simple scallop around the border of the 16 squares.  I hope mum loves it as much as I loved making it.

On the quilting front I have firmly established my love for Liberty Fabrics - I had been collecting for a little white the Liberty Lifestyle range and had a total of 32 fabrics that were my favourite.  Wanting to make a quilt that would show  off this large assortment of fabrics I decided on this block to make the quilt.

This quilt has been named "Under the Umbrellas" and will be the feature workshop at the Sew Along July Retreat.  It has become one of my most favourite quits I have made and so worth the time spent to make it.

Still on Liberty Fabric - these Hello Kitty Liberty Tana Lawns are another fabric I have been collecting for a few months.  My youngest daughter has claimed these and I am cutting into these as we speak. I have decided to cut the fabrics into squares as I did not want to loose any of the print to a complicated design.  So far it is looking like an eye spy of Kitty's all over.

Sew Along Avalon Retreat - 2013

Sew Along Retreat! Such a FAB weekend!

Well what a beautiful weekend we had last weekend at our first Sew Along Retreat!  There were a large number of lovely ladies who joined us at the Avalon Homestead in Toodyay for a weekend of sewing, laughing, inspiration and well who could pass up any chance to have your meals cooked for you for three days!  We started the weekend with a Mystery project - these sweet Strawberries - a great way to get to know one another!

There were many projects that people had brought along as well as the Log Cabin Workshop that we taught on the Saturday morning.  So many beautiful blocks started to come together - some over late nights and early mornings.

There were no two quilts the same with lots of colours and textures and treasured heirlooms being created!

Aside from Log Cabin Quilts there were lots of other projects being made - with Advent Calendars, Raggy Quilts, Disappearing 9 Patch quilts, Cushions, Bags, Aprons and even a Tutu!  We had such a wonderful weekend and it was great to meet so many new people.  You can check out my face book page for all the photos of the weekend.  There were ladies there who had never sewn before as well as lots of experienced sewers so to share and inspire each other.  Claire and I are now busily planning our 2013 Retreat with details out very soon. 

Of course all wonderful weekends come to an end and now it is head down and tail up as Perth Upmarket is only 3 weeks away.  With my Smiling Santa's on the Postcards I have to get serious and get cutting and stitching some felt decorations - always fun!

Back in the "sewing" of things!

A long time ago I started and finished this Robert Stitchery from Kristen Doran.  I love her designs and how her stitcheries come to life in many different forms. I always knew who it was going to go to but I was not sure about what I was going to make with it.

Then inspiration struck me - with an overflowing scrap bucket I set about pulling out all the scrap red, black and blue fabrics I had.  Cutting them up into 3inch squares and then sewing them all up I came up with this quilt top to incorporate the Robot Stitchery.

I had been holding on to the backing fabric for a while and knew that there would one day be just the right project for it to be used in.  It made perfect backing for this little quilt.  With some stripy binding I am very happy with how this all came together. 

Finishing one project marks the beginning of another.  As I don't have boys myself I have always found it harder to choose for boys than for girls but when I cam across this "Dont be afraid" range of fabric I knew I had to get some and before long I had put together this quilt top.  Now to decide how to quilt it!

Here is the Ripple Blanket I have finished for my daughter.  The pattern from Attic 24 - Ripple Blanket is just delightful to work.  Once you have this pattern nutted out it just is so pretty.  I find the repetitive design as one of the reasons I most like it - you work up a rhythm and then it just grows and grows.  I have learnt from this project that planning out your projects before you start them is always a good idea.  I started this blanket with one idea in mind but as I didn't have enough white from the same dye lot to continue the way I had started/planned a few modifications and and them I was away again.

Claire and I have been busy putting together new ideas for our Term 4 Sew Along Classes.  This is one of our new Christmas designs which we are currently working up.  I love the days where we just get to create and bounce ideas off each other.  We always have so many ideas and designs but cutting it down to a few always prove tricky.  

Keeping me very busy at the sewing machine has also been my Felt Character Christmas Sacks.  Even though it is only September I have been making orders for quite a few families.  I hope that Santa is going to be excited to fill up these sacks while on his round this year.  These sacks have gone off to a family for a special Christmas treat this season.

Around the world and back again!

Well you would certainly be forgiven for thinking that I had forgotten that I had a blog!  Truth is that I have been on an overseas trip in the meantime and then getting back to everyday life has been keeping me from getting around to blogging.  

So what have I been up to lately - well  I was lucky enough to head to the United States to spend some time with a special friend and her dear family.  Among so many highlights was a trip to New York.  On the top of my list of things to do in New York (besides heading to the top of the Empire States building to see if Chuck Bas was waiting for me) was a trip to one of my favourite shops - Purl Soho .  I have loved this store from afar for a while and so enjoy reading there blog that to actually walk through the doors and see it for myself and do a spot of shopping was very exciting.

Here I am outside the doors to heaven - Purl Soho

So back to home and I admit it has taken a little longer to get some serious sewing done.  Here is the first big project I have been working on.  These fabrics are currently on the sewing table being made into a new quilt inspired by one of my favourite quite block - Drunkard's Path.  Of course with a modern twist!  I love how all things re-invent themselves and the Drunkard's Path block is one of the first quilts I ever made so it has a special place in my heart.

I have been replenishing my stock of Hairclip Hangers with lots of new Rainbows, Owls, Babushkas, Cupcakes and Butterflies.  With Perth Upmarket now a month away it is time to get my Sew on and create.

I have finished my ocean inspired Ripple Blanket - I am loving this crochet design from Attic 24.  While some may think that the repetition of such a design is its downside - this is what I love most about it.  It is very calming and relaxing to work through the stitches and see this blanket continue to grow.

In fact I love it so much here is one I have started for my daughter.  She choose the colours and I am constantly being asked about its completion date.  Good thing there are still a few cold winters nights here this season. 

And no - I must have just missed Chuck!!!

Time for a Retreat!

Sew-Along are proud to announce that we are holding our first weekend retreat!

. . . and what a treat it should be! Two full days of uninterrupted sewing in a peaceful & beautiful environment.

So what’s it all about? . . .

Claire Turpin Deisgns together with Tied with a Ribbon will be running a mystery workshop on the Friday evening which you are welcome to join. It will be a great way for everyone to get to know each other & to ease us all into the weekend!

There will be a quilt workshop on the Saturday morning but if patchwork is not your thing, then we will be opening up the entire library of Sew-Along patterns so take your pick . . . it could be a great weekend to get a start on some Christmas projects!

It will be a great weekend filled with fun, laughter and inspiration and you won't even have to cook a thing all weekend.

Bookings open Friday 8th June at 10am & will be done on a first some first served basis & numbers are limited so don’t think about it for too long!

If you want to get your head around all the info, facts & costs click on the Retreat Link.

For a booking form and the Pattern catologue you can email - tiedwitharibbon@gmail.com