The finished bookmark and spring flowers

Here is the bookmark that I have finished from Anni Downes' book "The World as it should be".

I have just visited Anni's blog to get her address (to highlight it above) and she has posted a picture that may be the cover of her new boys' book. When we were at the shop Peter showed us all these original quilts! Very exciting. Here is the picture from her blog. I don't have any boys but still want a book.....in case I might have a boy to make things for one day. I think it has projects for big boys too so might be useful for that as well.

I am not much of a garderner but here are some of hubby's pansies and a few daffodils. Spring might eventually come to chilly Canberra. The sun is lovely today but the wind is so cold!

An outfit, a table runner and a decoration

Joan brought in the outfit she has made for her little granddaughter. Isn't it delightful? She appliqued the singlet, made the little frilly skirt and the bag to match.

Margot has been working on this lovely, Bareroots' runner and has put it together and it looks great. Another project I would like to do SOME day. Can't imagine how long ago I bought the pattern.

Sue has finished Advent Santa hanging and it is really good. Lots of work but worth it. It is a pattern from the "12 days of Christmas" book by Nancy Halverson.

Felt needlecase and show and tell

My last purchase in Bathurst was this kit for the felt needlecase, pin cushion and scissor keeper pattern that I had purchased at Hobbysew. Anni had the sample made up at the shop and it was so small and beautiful that we all had to have a kit. The picture below is Fiona's picture of her kit and the pattern.

This is my kit. I can't wait to start! Must do a few other things first.

Angela has been a busy girl and had finished this fun baby quilt for a friend's baby. She has used all sorts of textures to make the sheep and the stars. The sheep are knitted.

Penny has been very busy and has completed this lovely bag for her friend. I did take a close up of the chook when he had his eye added but it was a bit blurry. Sorry Penny.

Penny has also completed this warm and cosy flannel quilt for a chilly young friend. What a lucky girl.

Shopping and work in progress

As you know, I have been raving about our trip to Bathurst. Now to what I bought out there! We all bought lots of lovely things. I am teaching the gorgeous projects out of Anni's book in term 4 so I bought some fabric to make the cushion in the book. Here is a picture of the book and my cushion fabric and the applique I have been working on for the cushion. It was fun to do.

I also HAD to get some felt and some lovely fabrics and couldn't resist some neutral fabrics to stitch on.

I also bought some sand (!) to fill the little pincushion kit below and a kit to make up the needlecase for the classes.

The main reason to go to The Home Patch was to get this kit for the woven wool felt decorations. Audrey has been working on these and they are so lovely. I posted some of Audrey's ones a while ago.

And that's not all of it!

The Home Patch continued

Here is a quilt that I hadn't seen before but loved. I do love having houses on my quilts. This was made in flannels but would look good in other fabrics too. Just had to get the pattern!

Another favourite was this delightful quilt from Anni's garden book. I have owned and admired this book for a long time but haven't made anything out of it yet but after seeing this beautiful quilt in real life, I am inspired to make it. This photo doesn't do it justice. The fabrics used were so lovely.

Here we are in front of the Angels' Story quilt. This is Margaret, Anni, Audrey and Penny and me below with Anni.

We really had a wonderful time.

Wonderful Giveaway by Don't Look Now

Just had to post this giveaway by Kellie of Don't look Now. She is giving away a wonderful quilt. Check her post at Don't Look Now or go to the link to her blog on my side bar. Here is the quilt in the giveaway.

She is such an amazing free motion quilter.

Quilts at The Home Patch

One of the best things about visiting Anni's shop is that we were able to see the original quilts from her books and patterns. The pictures are always good but not as good as the real quilts. This one is the quilt from "The World as it should be". I am planning to make this one as it is so lovely and has simple patchwork and good sized shapes for needleturn applique.

This is the back. Anni often uses some scraps to make the back.

This corner has the BOM that is being sold around the country at the moment by a few shops. It has blocks designed by many designers and is a charity project.

This is one of Anni's other BOMs. I have the pattern for this one too and I plan to do it one day! Oh dear.

The Home Patch Pictures

I attempted to take a few pictures of The Home Patch to share with you. The first one is a bit (lot) fuzzy but shows you some of Anni's quilts and the lovely array of felted wool fabric.

Here is another corner of the shop. Everywhere you looked there were samples, beautiful fabrics and homewares all displayed so beautifully. You can see why we visited for hours. There was something to see in every corner.

Here is another view.

And another.

Margaret and Anni and her husband Peter were so lovely and helpful. We wanted to get some kits and some felt for a few patterns and it was no trouble to prepare the kits for us. Peter even showed us the quilts that will be in the Anni's new book for boys coming out later in the year. It was so exciting to see them. We managed to finally leave after closing time and then went to a lovely Thai restaurant for dinner.

I do hope you can see the pictures this time. I gather some have had trouble and today they had vanished from my post as well!

Heading to Bathurst

We are back home again after our adventure to Bathurst. We headed off on Friday morning and had lunch in sleepy Carcoar. Many years ago (when I was really young) I lived in this area and taught school in Blayney and used to visit Carcoar and it hasn't changed at all. We thought the town was deserted but ended up finding a lovely restaurant that served delicious pumpkin soup for lunch. This is the lovely Catholic church.

We were of course heading to The Home Patch which is Anni Downes' shop in Bathurst. Here is Audrey and then Penny outside the shop.

And another view of the shop courtyard.

We went to the motel across the road, checked in, and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the shop. Margaret was working and she was so lovely and helpful and we kept her busy cutting and making kits and finding us lots of good things. The shop is inspiring, especially as all of Anni's samples are there to see in real life. We had no trouble filling in about 3 hours looking, shopping and trying to take it all in.

Wednesday Show and Tell

It is always lovely to see what the girls have been making at stitching on Wednesdays. Penny has completed this lovely Australian Christmas hanging. It will remind her (or the person she is giving it to) about Christmas in Australia when she is back in England.

I do apologise for the blurriness of these next pictures. Audrey has had these stitcheries framed recently and it was tough taking the photos with the reflection of the lights on the glass. The first one is an Anni Downes stitchery.

This one is a beautiful Christmas stitchery.

And some lovely little girls quilting. Well done Audrey.

Great excitement here, as Penny, Audrey and I are heading off to Bathurst tomorrow to visit The Home Patch, which is Anni Downes' shop. I have heard it is so lovely so can't wait. We do need to do 4 hours driving to get there though. I don't think we will have any trouble filling the time with chat!

Works in progress and finished stockings

I have been stitching a little. Here are two bookmarks stitched from Anni Downes' lovely book "The World as it should be". I am stitching her projects ready for my classes in term 4. The book has such lovely projects in it and it gives me the excuse to make them.

Here are my 'almost' finished Bareroots stockings. They are really fun to stitch and easy to make up. Only one left to finish.

National Art Gallery

We went to the National Art Gallery after church to see the new Frederick McCubbin exhibition and to have lunch. The paintings were amazing. He painted in the 1800's and until 1917 and his style changed amazingly after a trip to Europe in 1907. It is a very worthwhile exhibition to see. Later in the year they are having an exhibition from the Musee D'Orsey in Paris. It was closed on Monday when we tried to visit last year so we are looking forward to seeing those paintings.

McCubbin painted lots of paintings in and around Melbourne and many of his own backyard. See his "chooks" in the one above and his children in the one below.

Lunch was very good too!

A prize and kits

This lovely pattern came this week from Amanda Brooke's giveaway on her blog. It has colouring in and stitching and should be fun to do.

I have been busy last week making some of the kits for our Stitching on the Lake day in Canberra on 12 September. So exciting to see the kits coming together. Still a few to go but nice to be organised.

Craft fair purchases and a delivery

I walked past this lovely book in Sydney but finally decided to get it in Canberra. I am not sure if I will ever make any of the projects but the quilts are beautiful and the book is very well presented. Gorgeous pictures, history info (must go back to the Victoria and Albert in London and check out William Morris!) and excellent instructions.

As always, I couldn't resist a bargain on our own stall! They have discounted these ceramic buttons so I thought I had better get some!

Yesterday I received this lovely package from Marg Low . I ordered her pattern for these lovely handpainted buttons and 6 of the buttons. They will make lovely Christmas gifts or look great on my tree.

Craft Show Purchases

Here are some of the things I bought at the Canberra Craft Show. I had bought the curvemaster foot in Sydney so needed some drunkeds path templates and a small rotary cutter to try it out. Note that they are still in their wrappings so they haven't been used yet.

I bought a little (not needed) fabric.

This is the pattern and tool to make rag rugs. I have always wanted to have a go and years ago had admired the rag rugs at the Quilters Barn in Victoria and this is the pattern for their rugs.

The lovely stall with felt and wool tempted me very much and in the end I bought this gorgeous pattern. It is so cute and I might have a little girl to make it for one day!