Sore feet and a bag full of goodies...

can only mean one thing.... Day two of the craft show!

It was nice to go a second day, it was more relaxing and there wasn't as much to look at because I'd seen most of it the day before.  I knew where the stands that interested me were and I knew what I was looking for.  Some things I'd seen the day before and wasn't sure about I'd had the chance to think on, and check my supplies at home before buying.

So here is my stash from the day, although I don't remember most of the shops they came from because they no longer seem to hand out a flier with every purchase.  Used to be they all gave you something about their shop, but now they only do it if you ask.

A doll pattern from Kid's Quilts to make for my little girl one day

Melly and Me's "Clucky" pattern, and some wool felt needed for it.  I love how the little chicks fit into the wings on the side.  Going to make this for my girl too, for her first birthday, and will also make one for someone else's first birthday later this year.

And some other random goodies: a 6"x12" ruler, a 12" square ruler, 1/2" hexagon papers, Clover water soluble pencils, a few miniature thread spools for a cute project I saw in a magazine a while ago and some pink crystal chunks so my husband can have a play at making more gem trees.  He made a beautiful one to top our wedding cake and had fun doing it so I've been picking bits up here and there for him to play with more.  I'd really love him to make me a cherry blossom tree.

So that's my bit from the craft show, was going to buy some fabric but couldn't find what I wanted so think I might order that online later today.

Don't forget to check back this afternoon for my Challenge post.

Craft Fair - Day 1

So today I headed into town for the Craft and Quilt Fair with some friends.  I am going again tomorrow with another friend who couldn't make it today.  I feel like a bit of a craft addict now, this is the first time I will have been to a craft show two days in a row!

My first order of business was at The Patchwork Apple to get my copy of Cotton Floss signed by Natalie of Cinderberry Stitches.  Natalie is a lovely lady and I'm so glad I got to chat to her and was rather chuffed when she recognised my name from commenting on her blog and Facebook!

But..... on the way to visit Natalie, I went past the Cutting Art stand and picked myself up this little baby:

I've been thinking about it for the last few weeks and checking out prices online.  With their show special, they beat all the other prices I'd seen, and I got to take it home straight away!  Circles and hexagons here I come!!

I can't remember what order I did the rest of the day, but here is what I brought home.

You Sew Girl by Nicole Mallalieu Designs, and a bag pattern.  I'd decided I'd buy the book if it had a bag pattern I wanted.  Looking through the book, and the bags on display, I chose a different pattern but decided I'd still get the book, mainly because of the petal hat! (it's the third photo on this page).  I was also lucky enough to get this booked signed.

Some fat quarters from Serenity Glen Patchworx (just because)

and some spray starch so I can have a go at hand sewn applique (namely the most recent block in the Desperate Housewife's Quilt-as-you-wish-along), plus some Aurifil thread to have a play with it.

Oh, and I keep forgetting (so much that I forgot to take a photo) that I also got some indigo cloth and sashiko needles from Indigo Niche so I can make a start on the sashiko panel I bought this time last year.

That doesn't feel like a lot for a craft show, but of course I am going back tomorrow!  Although I don't think tomorrow's purchases will be quite so exciting.

Australasian Quilt Convention 2011

Last Friday I went off to the Australasian Quilt Convention.  A day out on my own, without the bub, free to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  Oh the luxury!!

It was a mixed day.  Morning feed and sleep times meant that I rushed to get ready and catch an earlier train so the little one wasn't kept awake too long.  Not such a bad thing.  Then the train was held up in between two stations because of signal faults for AN HOUR!!  I spent the time clearing out old SMSs on my phone.  There were some that were more than two years old that weren't meaningful at all (My oldest SMS is 9 1/2 years old, but that was my brother announcing the birth of his first child so it's meaningful).  I was glad I'd caught the earlier train because the later train would have been held up behind us!

Eventually I arrived in the city and, in a rush to get to the Royal Exhibition Building, I walked up the escalators rather than just standing.  I used to do this all the time on work days.  I'm not as fit as I used to be.  The escalator out of the train station is two lots of these:

By the time I got to the top my legs resembled set jelly, and then to leave the actual station I had to walk up more stairs, and there was no escalator option!  At least I'd got in my exercise for the day.

I then had to walk through Carlton Gardens, and oh what a sight!  I'd forgotten what it was like to be in the city in Autumn.

Sadly my little camera phone doesn't take the best pictures, but you get the idea.  I've always loved crunchy Autumn leaves, maybe because there weren't any around where I grew up.  I think I ended up taking just as many photos outside as I did inside!

An hour later than intended, I arrived at the expo, and still in time to go to the seminars I wanted (just).  After my first session gave me a chance for a rest, I wandered around the quilt displays.  So many wonderful quilts.  I try not to look too hard or I just get overwhelmed with a longing to make such beautiful pieces.  I did snap a few inspirations though

This quilt had leaves appliqued (I believe blanket stitched) and then the quilting was done in the small gaps between.  It gave the effect of pebbles or stones because it really made the applique shapes stand out.  I might have to try this some day.

I did try to photograph the cards next to the quilts detailing the name, who made it etc, but my camera just didn't do the job well enough.

This one was an entry into the Seven Deadly Sins quilt contest, which was run specifically for the Convention, and I thought this entry was rather fun!

There were some brilliant ideas for the theme, and some rather unusual ones too.  Some people focused on all seven sins (like this one), others just concentrated on one sin.

This quilt really caught my eye.  I've always wanted to make an Escher quilt, it's one of those things that turns over in my mind every now and then.  The Tumbling Blocks pattern has always struck me as a good starting point, but this quilt makes me think of so many other options.



This quilt was part of the 'Going Green' display.  I really wish I could read the photo of the description because it was rather nice.  She has animals circling around the words 'Recycle your rubbish, take care that your waste wont hurt any creatures or spoil this great place', and of course the twisting blocks.  The colours are also so lovely, like the sun turning into a rainbow.

For some reason this quilt grabbed me a bit.  I'm not one for mixing pinks, reds and oranges together, but this quilt just seemed so fun and quirky.

Maybe it was just my British blood (my dad was born in England) being drawn in by the Union Jack.

I loved the simplicity of this red and white.  Well, the simplicity of the colours, certainly not of the work.  After seeing so many photos of the red and white quilts recently on display in America, I want to make a red and white quilt.  Seeing this one at the expo changed my direction a little ;)  I'd been thinking of something pieced, but then was reminded how beautiful but simple applique can be!

The next two are colour quilts which I always love.  I'm sure one day I'll get around to doing a black and rainbow quilt!

After all that quilt gazing, I did get around to doing some shopping.  Here is my loot

I picked up a new cutting mat since I've managed to warp two of them (I've now found a flat place to store my mats so it wont happen again).  I got a book on Japanese meshwork... considering I bought all the gear for doing it at a craft show years ago and have never done any.  There is also a Don't Look Now pattern for a cushion cover.  I'd been contemplating getting the new 'In Spring' design, but realised I don't need another quilt pattern just yet, and my budget was stretched a little thin.  There is some embroidery stabiliser and embroidery thread, quilt hangers for some projects I have in mind and of course fabric.  Most of the fabric is just stash building but one or two of them are destined for a specific project in the near future.

After I left the expo, I saw more beautiful Autumn leaves so I'll leave you with these images.

I'm inspired to make an Autumn quilt now......

Baby's Day Out

Yesterday I bundled up little Abigail into Grandma's car, and with Ergobaby on board the three of us headed to CraftExpo.

I met up with Margaret and Jayne out the front, but quickly we separated to follow our own time schedule.

It wasn't a big haul this year.  I think I've bought up big recently on 'treats' and wasn't drawn in by the "it's pretty, I MUST buy it" motivation.  I guess also a lot of it is things I've seen before.  Maybe you can go to craft shows a little too often ;)

I did pick up lots of fabric for the Homespun Harmony wall hanging (pattern came from the previous craft show) I am going to do for a friend's baby.  Most of the fabric came from Patchwork with Gail B but some also came from Logan's Patchwork.  Obviously you can see that I haven't gone with the traditional colours on the pattern cover.

Not exactly sure where I'm going to put what fabric but I think I'll just do it block by block and see how it all ends up.  Probably have to buy a bit more fabric later, but it will develop and grow as it gets sewn, rather than being all planned out from the onset.

I have also decided to make a cot quilt for my cousin's new baby.  He was born back in March but it always takes me ages to get around to these things ;)  Now that she has sent me a gift for the birth of Abigail I figured I should get around to sending her something.  I bought some fabric rolls from Spotlight a few months ago so have broken open one of them for the baby quilt.  At the craft show yesterday I bought the brown dotty fabric to go with them.

I'm designed a quilt which incorporates the pictures off the fabric.  I'm going to copy them up larger and make applique designs out of them for some of the blocks.  Also went along to Spotlight today to get some plain green to coordinate with it.  I hope it works out, I haven't really designed a quilt from scratch before.

Also at the show yesterday I picked up this interesting looking contraption.

It's a Flower Stitcher foot from Punch With Judy.  You can do funky things like this with it:

 That picture is from the book I bought to go with it, but I've just discovered people have posted YouTube videos of how to use it and what to do with it, so I might have to go exploring once I've learnt the basics!

Not sure what I'm going to do yet, it just looked cool so I bought it.  I want to have a play with it but Dad is camped out in my sewing room for the next two days so it will have to wait a while.  Not like I've really had the time to play with anything anyway now that Madam Abigail is in the world and refuses to go to sleep!

So a big milestone was achieved this weekend.  Abigail went to her first craft show AND she had her first trip to Spotlight.  Two things that I'm sure she will do lots of over the next few years.

Oh, and I'm beginning to feel like I'm Wonder Woman or something. The number of people commenting on me being out and about with a three week old baby.  Apparently I'm supposed to be in my pyjamas, slobbing around the house, not going anywhere, just 'cause I have a new baby.  Pooey to them I say!!

Craft Show Round Up

I thought when I finished work I'd have more time to update here more regularly.  Doesn't seem to be the case.  Although I have had things on nearly every day since finishing.

The first of which was last Thursday going to the Craft and Quilt Fair.   I managed to stay within my budget, sort of ;)  I had a shopping list of supplies I needed for current projects but still hoped to pick up something a bit new and/or exciting.

I picked up a few essentials such as applique fusible web, embroidery stabiliser, bag wadding, needles for embroidery, applique and quilting, then I got some fun things.  I've been wanting to do another latch hook for ages (did one once as a kid), but could never justify the price of the kits when I didn't really have a purpose in mind.  Thanks to baby-on-the-way, I decided I could make a colourful rug for the nursery.  Don't need a rug as there is plush carpet, but anything to add colour to the room is great.  And the plus was that this came out of 'baby budget' and not out of 'craft show budget' ;)

The other fun thing I got was my obligatory quilting pattern (I seem to end up buying a quilt pattern at every show I go to).  I had decided that for my pregnant music teacher friend I wanted to make a quilted wall hanging for the nursery as a gift for when the baby was born.  I saw a pattern from Joan's Own Creations and just couldn't resist.  It's not particularly a baby pattern but I'm going to make it out of more child friendly colours and then it will also last long beyond them being a baby.

Instead of using gold for the brass instruments I'm going to do things like metallic purple.  I might even make the piano keys multi-coloured!  Who knows, I haven't thought that hard about it yet.  Got too many other things to finish first.  The baby is due in November, but I've got until Christmas to make it really because I'll be going up to Sydney then, so don't see the point in paying for postage just to get it there 6 weeks earlier.

I also bought some books on quilting to help me with my current projects.  Good basic details in the books, concentrating on techniques rather than just giving you quilting patterns etc.

I've started doing some hand quilting on my elephant quilt, but discovered that I need a lot more practice!  I also might need to attend a class to get someone to help me with the rocking stitch method as I can't seem to do that.  I gave up in the end and am just doing stab stitch.

And just because I took a photo of it, here is the bag wadding in action!  It's great because it keeps the bag standing up-right on it's own.  That's my fern bag making some progress (until I rearranged the sewing room and haven't got everything set up again yet).