Hatched and Patched

Christmas is upon us!

Can you believe Chirstmas is happening already? Four days then WHAM! There is still SO much to do. I made gifts for all the girls who work for me, but infortunately couldn't take a pic to show you all, as I was still finishing them all off when the Christmas Party started - whoops - we were a little late, thanks to my believing it wouldn't take as long as it did to make everything - happens to me all the time.

Anyway, all I have been doing is working on the bags for everyone, made from a pattern from Hetties Patch in SA - a gorgeous bag made from hexagons and pentagons. My daughter thought they were fab as they looked like soccer balls for a while ha ha.

I thought I should let you all know the OPENING HOURS over Christmas, just in case you wanted to order anything while on holidays, or were able to visit my shop!

Hatched and Patched mail room will be closed Wednesday 23rd Dec until Sunday 3rd Jan, and will reopen Monday 4th January. If you did want something between those dates, do not fret, as my shop will still be open and we can post things out through there if needs be.

In saying that, the shop will be closed on Christmas Day through until Monday 28th Dec. The shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, closed Friday (New Years Day), then open again on Saturday. If you didn't know, I have a shop (The Home Patch) in Bathurst which keeps me insane most of the time, but I love it - I love being able to source weird and wonderful things and sharing them with everyone. Lots of FUN!

The shop hours are 9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, and 10am-2pm Saturday. Phone 02 6331 5002, or you can still email. The shop website www.homepatch.com.au has more details.

I hope everyone has a fun fun fun Christmas with family and friends. I certainly will!

I'll talk more soon

Take care

Anni

A Fun Shopping Expedition!

On our way home from Melbourne, I pestered Pete until he swerved off the highway (safely may I say) and visited a second hand shop - my fave!!

I had a wonderful time and found this brilliant pram I couldn't leave without. The base is pressed tin, and the guy who sold it to me thinks it's from the 1920's-30's, but couldn't be sure. The rest of the pram looks a little under the weather at the moment, but once I make up a new cover - maybe out of the new 'Whimsy' range to go with my new cot quilt!! - I think it will look SO COOL! I might paint the handles too - that lovely old soft green found on the old tinware around the era I'm sure this pram is.

I'll show you the new improved version just as soon as it's done (hopefully before I'm old and grey ha ha)

Out of Control - ARGH!!

If you think you're always in a mess, I have something to show you to make you feel SO much better. I challenge everyone to see if you can top my messy room picture!

I still haven't unpacked from Melbourne, and I'm still trying to get through everything else I was meant to do before we left (but just ran out of time to do), and I have new things that came along whilst I was away to look into, so everything is piling up - EEEEEK!

I'm sure inside my head looks just like this mess pile. I think I need at least a month just to clean up. Maybe if I just have another room built on the side of this one, then my sewing room can become a walk-in cupboard, and I can just close the door and forget about it!!!! I think that's the BEST idea I've had in ages!

To market, to market... and a few things in between...

I know I should have told everyone before I left, but was flinging around in a mad hurry, so didn't get to it - ARGH - so sorry about that. I have just recently been to the Melbourne Wholesale Quilt Show - the last for the year YAY, and had a fabulous time.

Before we ventured to the quilt show however, we (Pete and I) did a slight detour to Mrs Martins Quilt Shop for a show-and-tell night. Unfortunately I only have one photo to show you, as all the rest were taken by Pete and were blurry - time to get the eyes fixed?? Hmmm..... It was a great night, and some of the girls were kind enough to bring quilts to show ME YAY! Robyn even brought eggs and wine to give me - delish!!  Nothing like fresh eggs!

If you have a chance, you have to head to Monbulk and check out the shop. There are heaps of gorgeous things to make and inspire - lots of samples too. I could have stayed the week. If only there was enough time.... It's always about time isn't it? Show and tell is always brilliant and oh so friendly.

Thanks Karen for inviting me to your group of fabulous people!

The day after show-and-tell was set-up day for the Wholesale Quilt Market in Melbourne. I always look at the blank walls and think I'm not going to have enough to hang, but this year, I couldn't put eveything up I came with!! It must have been all the quilts from my new book that did the trick.

There seemed to be more shops than ever before this year, so it was lovely to see all the shop owners, rather than just dealing with emails and phone calls. They came from all over including WA, TAS, and New Zealand. It is wonderful so many shop-owners support the industry, but I don't blame them. Where else do you get to see so much under the one roof?! There were so many designers here, and SO MUCH to see! Fun fun fun.

I know the photo below is a bit blurry - maybe Pete took that one ha ha, but thought I'd throw it out there so you could sort of see my new quilt 'Tiny Treasures Cot Quilt'.

This was the official release of A Boys Story book so hopefully your local quilt store will have copies available. If not, you'll have to pester them ha ha. 

We are now home for a while so we can get re-aquainted with our children and get ready for the silly season which is threatening to come along way too soon - I'M NOT READY!!

Back on track with a new quilt...

Hi everyone

Since my trip away to Houston I have been feeling very snoozy (it took me SO LONG to get over jet lag this time - was it jet lag? hmmm.....). I have spent much time just dribbling over the new fabric I bought whilst in Houston, thinking and pondering, then WHAM, my head came alive and I felt together again. THANK GOODNESS!!!! Back into the swing again!!

One of the ranges I grabbed over there was Whimsy by Fig Tree Quilts. I just loved the fun feel it had, so just HAD to make something from it. I only had 10 inch squares, so decided to make a baby's cot quilt. Because of the simplicity of the fabric, I thought I'd make my images a little simpler too - light and breezy!

Anyway, I finished the quilt top today, and this time I thought I'd send it away to get quilted, rather than trying to quilt it myself. I have some other new designs up my sleeve and just HAVE to create those instead, although I do LOVE hand quilting. I can't wait to see what Belinda does! 

The Lovely Designers at Houston

I have my favourite storeholders I love to visit whilst at Houston. I love to visit Teri at Whimsicals, Renee at Liberty Star, Alma and Barb at Blackbird Designs, Kathy Shmitz and Sue Spargo to name just a few. They all had gorgeous new designs on show, so I was in heaven....

This is Kathy Shmitz, and her stall was stunning! She had cut out birds from paper and had them hanging from wire all through her stall, and had little tea lights everywhere which were surrounded by paper 'crowns'. Her new patterns were gorgeous. I was particularly taken with her door hangers of the bee skep and birdcage and her bird needlecase (on the front of her table). Her stitching is devine!

 

In my eyes, Barb (left) and Alma (right) are two of the friendliest and most talented people on this planet. If you didn't know, they are the designers behind Blackbird Designs. They had a new Pomegranite quilt (on the bed behind us), and a gorgeous new cross-stitch book with acorns and heart and other wonderous things. They also have a new fabric range coming which uses all my favourite colours, so I can't wait for that!! I was lucky enough to pick up a layer cake bundle, so here's a sneak peak - LOVE IT!

Here are Renee's two new patterns which I will have to find time to make???!!!  Her stand is always so well thought out and free of clutter. I didn't take a photo, so sorry 'bout that.

...and last but not least, here is a sneak peak at Whimsicals new fabric range - it's all to do with angels and is very soft, with a slightly primitive feel - I just love her work. Again, I didn't have my camera with me whenever I ran into Terri, so no pic of her beautiful stand either - very sad!

HOUSTON QUILT MARKET

If you've been wondering where I've been lately through lack of postings, it is because I have been travelling half way around the world again with Pete to the Houston Quilt Market. Jet lag aside, we had a funfilled time catching up with friends we have made over there, and spying new bits and pieces to play with. I also had a stall there where I released my new book and caught up with some of our overseas customers.

This year I noticed a slight swing towards the French fabrics - could it be due to the Moda range of French General's Rounerries?? I found some stunning antique French fabrics but quickly put them back on the stand, as each small piece was over $200!!!!  Maybe next time.....

Anyway, I took all of my latest things over in my suitcase and set up my stand which had absolutely no props whatsoever unfortunately. Some store holders go to SO much detail in setting their stalls up that it almost looks like a piece of home. I just felt like I could sit down and start stitching in their booth (hold back there Anni - might cause an upset!)

Pete will tell you he spent the WHOLE show manning my stall while I flitted about gathering and looking, which is probably true, but HERE"S PROOF I was on my stand for at least five minutes ha ha.

And here's yet more proof I was on my stand for longer than five minutes, as Barri Sue Gaudet (from Bareroots) came over for a chat. She has been working on a stunning new book which should be out soon - can't wait for that!

I'll post more pics of Houston soon

Happy stitching

Anni

A few things made....

Just recently I had two people email me with things they had made and thought I should share.

Firstly Rebecca Beattie (who used to live in Bathurst and sadly had to move away), sent me this great picture of her daughter Zoe, getting ready for Christmas.... I wonder who she is giving herself away too... I thought this pic was just too cute so had to share it around - I guess you CAN fit a fair bit into the Here Comes Santa sack (and I am speaking from my own experience there too!)

Amanda Hickson then sent me a gorgeous card she had made from the A Gardeners Journal book for her husband. I thought this was so creative and love the colours used. I love seeing everything you all do, and love seeing how you change things to make them uniquely your own.

I have been wanting a gallery of all of your work for some time now, but just have to stop Pete (husband and computer guru) long enough to set one up for me.....some day..... I do have a few things stored away for this momentous occassion....
Talk soon
Anni

MY BOY BOOK IS HERE!

Woo hoo - I'm SO excited!! My printer down the road has excelled this time and printed the book in record time! So it's ready already!! There is something to be said about printing locally. Our printer had his workers work double-shifts and had it out within the week so we could send a few boxes to USA in time for Houston Quilt Market! We picked up some boxes yesterday afternoon and Pete and Deb are now busily packaging all of the pre-orders to send out to shops. Hopefully you'll see it in your local shop soon.

The Boy Book Complete

YAY!!!!! It is FINALLY done!! I had a few dramas with computers over the last two weeks and didn't think my book would ever be complete. Actually, I was wishing for the good old days where everything was type-set and and applied by hand (how old am I sounding?!?!?) My computer simply died, then I destroyed Pete's (my husband's) hard drive - oops, then went back to my computer when it was fixed, destroyed that again, then went to Samantha's (daughter). Luckily, Pete is a techno-head, so he held my hand and made everything better - aaaaah...
The book is now in the printer's capable hands, and he assures me it will be ready to take to Houston for Market. Fingers crossed!!!
Anyway, here are a few pics of what is in the book. There are quilts for babies, boys, teenagers, fathers and grandfathers, as well as a toy, pj bag, hot water bottles, sheets, towel, cushion, framed pic, and a door hanger with some funny remarks about who may/may not enter the young masters hovel.
I hope you like the quilts below. I haven't shown you pics of everything, but I think you'll get the idea...

Above: The cover with everything added.
Below: A not-so-good photo of the Boy Story quilt. I'm computer illiterate enough to not know how to crop the picture I actually used in my book for the blog, so unfortunately, you will have to put up with this one. Tim's toy cow 'Melvin Do' (was Melvin Moo, but Tim had other ideas) is his very favourite toy, so had to go on his bed for the photo. He's looking a bit bedraggled, but I guess well-loved....
One of the hot-water bottle covers is also shown here. They are super-easy to make. Samantha wants me to make her one in bright retro colours, so I'll show you that when it's done.

My toy robot, made with felt, so there are no fiddly raw edges to worry about. I made him all by hand using a whip stitch, but I guess you could also sew him on the sewing machine??! The cot quilt from the book is hiding in the background of this pic. I made it a bit brighter than the other quilts in the book, and was really fun to sew - I guess a change is as good as a holiday as they say!

This is called The Old Worn Quilt. I did this one using flannel, and it is SOOO cosy (and easy to make hee ho). It was meant to be for the older man, but one of my friends wants to make it for her son. I like the fact it is versatile!
I hope you like everything so far - I'll show you more soon!
Until then,
Anni