Goodies for Quilters: Laurel Burch Socks

Have an issue buying that perfect present for a quilter, at Berrima Patchwork we have that unique gift. These are new Laurel Burch Designed socks that we have now in store. There are over 30 different styles to choose from which feature the beautiful designs of Laurel Burch. The response to these socks has been overwhelming and they are selling  fast.

They are made of a mixture of 70% cotton, 20% nylon and 10% spandex and are in Adult size 9-11

Below are just a taste of the range that we stock. 

To view the full collection you can see them on our online store

It's all happening on Facebook!

Quilts galore is happening on Berrima Patchwork's Facebook Page. There are lots of photos of quilts that our facebook friends have been creating. www.facebook.com/berrimapatchwork

Thank-you to everyone who has posted pictures of their quilts we greatly appreciate it and love to see what everyone is working on.  Below are just a taste of some of the quilts that have been posted there are lots more on our facebook page. The quilters skills range from beginner's to advance quilters and are from all over the world. 

 This quilt has been made by Joanne Kelly
"It was my 3rd lonestar quilt ever made! I really wanted to make a lonestar quilt for a very long time, it was my reason to begin sewing. It came quite naturally for me and loved it. Its weird that I can't yet sew squares together evenly lol."

This quilt has been made by Davina Murray

"A quilt for my grandson Jack, one of my first."

Quilt has been made by Susan Lindsay
"Made this Kimono shaped quilt after our visit to Japan last Christmas, from some of the fabrics I bought whilst there, I was particularly impressed with the Peace Park in Hiroshima - hence the name "A Kimono from Hiroshima" "

Quilt made by Susan Lindsay and the Eastwood Patchwork Quilters
"I won these Christmas Tree blocks in our Christmas Block draw last Christmas Eastwood Patchwork Quilters & I won a prize in our exhibition this year"

Quilt made by Connie Bryant Mounsey

"Quilt for my grandaughter"

Berrima Patchwork Facebook Page can be viewed at www.facebook.com/berrimapatchwork Don't forget to Like us on the Page.

You are more than welcome to post photo of your quilts on our wall or you can email them to us and we can post them for you.

Show and Tell

Time for some show and tell from Berrima Patchwork. Dianne has been busy again, this time finishing up her Bernina Club projects. This table runner was for our Cup Cake Applique Class. In this class we used Fusible Thread by Superior Threads and sewed around each of the appliques and then ironed the appliques onto the background fabric. The Fusible thread eliminates the need to use vliesofix and doesn't give the applique that "stiff" feel to it. The appliques then were decorative with an assortment of embellishments and threads.

 Our next show and tell is a bag that Jan brought into the shop over the weekend. When Under The Australian Sun (designed by Leesa Chandler for Robert Kaufman) arrived in the shop, Jan fell in love with the fabric and every so often she turns up with a project made up in it. This is a bag that she made up and is so proud that it doesn't have one hand stitch on it! (Jan only sews on machine) I love the hexagons on the bag and will have to find out just how you sew them all together by machine. We can't wait to see Leesa's new Under The Australian Sun II Fabric Collection, which will be unveiled at the Houston Quilt Market later this month, I have heard that it contains butterflies!

Free 12" Block Pattern: Patience Corners

This week's free pattern from Berrima Patchwork is called Patience Corners. In the single block it looks good, but when you create several of these blocks they can look fantastic. Just sew three of these blocks together, add a small border and it will create a fast table runner. The block is made up of squares and rectangles and is a great way to use up all those scraps. Why not use a selection of fabrics for the squares and 1 fabric for the sashing for an eye spy quilt, the options are limitless.

This is a traditional version of this block.

This is the block in some of the latest Kaffe Fassett and Phillip Jacobs Fabrics that have just arrived in the shop

 

PATIENCE CORNERS PATTERN

having trouble with this link then type the link below to take you to the free pattern

http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/freepattern/patiencecorners/

To view previous free 12" patterns you can go to our website free pattern list

having trouble with this link then type the link below to take you to the free patterns 

http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/freepattern

Bernina Club: Crazy Patchwork Stool

Today at Berrima Patchwork we had another fun filled Bernina Club Day. The students were working creating a crazy patchwork stool. The top of the stool was made using the basic crazy patchwork method of piecing and then was embellished with a variety of threads including a 12wt Sulky, King Tut threads and Supreriors' Metallic Threads. We then used a selection of couching methods to sew on thick braid, ribbons and decorative thick threads.

Below are a selection of the finished stool tops.

Dianne's and Gaye's Finished Stool Tops

Iain's and Jan's Finished Stool Tops

 

Kerry's Finished Stool Top and a sample stool that we made for the a frog loving friend.

A Sample Stool Top we made for the class

Attach the legs and you have a finished stool

New Kaffe Fassett Fabric

Just had a new delivery of Kaffe Fassett fabrics into the store today, the shelves are overflowing! There are some fantastic new fabrics in these collections. We have fabrics from all the three designers Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably and Phillip Jacobs who design under these collections. Below is just a taste of what is new, all the fabrics can be seen in our online store. In Store we have over 150 different Kaffe Fassett Fabrics to choose from.
Below is just 5 of the new fabrics that are now in store.

Lily and Peony by Phillip Jacobs

Beaded Tents by Brandon Mably

Babaganoush by Kaffe Fassett

Shirt Stripe by Kaffe Fassett

Rustic Floral by Kaffe Fassett

New Moda Pre-Cut Fabrics

We have some new pre-cut fabrics from Moda that have just arrived. Moda pre-releases some of the pre-cut fabrics prior to the release of the fabric on the bolt in a limited supply. Four of these new collections include Good Fortune by Kate Spain, Reunion by Sweetwater, Rouenneries Deux by French General and 1862 Battle Hymn by Barbara Brackman.We will have some of the Reunion Collection and the Rouenneries Deux Collection on the bolt in January.

 

Good Fortune by Kate Spain

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom as you take a leisurely stroll through this springtime water garden. Waterfalls of color energize your creative spirit as you meander along through raked sand gardens in the calming shade of bamboo trees. Discover the collection’s tranquil blossoms, dragonflies, lotus ponds, and geometric expressions of the harmony of nature. Good fortune and happiness await you! 

Reunion by Sweetwater

There is a developing community advertised on a billboard along the interstate named Reunion. I have always noticed that sign, because if I were to live in a new community, I think I would like it to be called Reunion. And if we were going to design a new collection, we all agreed we loved the name Reunion. One of the main colors in the collection is navy, which is something totally new for us. We love it paired with the grey and the happy shades of green, yellow and red make it come to life. Our favorite part of designing this collection wasn’t even creating the designs themselves. We had so much fun naming the prints. Each design reminded us of a family member at a reunion. Our favorites are Ava’s Aprons, Timmy’s Ties and Nora’s News. We don’t actually have an Ava, Timmy or Nora in our family, but it was fun to pretend! 

Rouenneries Deux by French General

After spending many summers in France looking for the perfect French red, I finally found a collection of old prints that represented what rural life looked like in the 18th and 19th centuries. Based on our first collection, Rouenneries, this group of lovely prints is inspired by the red florals that were printed in Rouen, France in the 18th century. Old French red, faded cranberry and natural linen colors all make up a collection that is a perfect combination to create a French-inspired quilt.

1862 Battle Hymn by Barbara Brackman

In 1862 Julia Ward Howe published the Battle Hymn of the Republic, a moving anthem still sung 150 years later. This reproduction fabric line remembers the first full year of Civil War, its battles and losses. Muted colors recall the mood of mourning. The original prints date from mid to late 19th-century, many drawn from an 1860s mill sample book. Print styles fashionable in the 1860s include small figures in formal repeats, floral trails and a floral spray that might be a cotton boll. The flag print may date to the 1870s, a postwar celebratory fabric to commemorate the Union’s Centennial.

What About the Tension? - Superior Threads

Don't understand what tension is all about on your sewing machine? Superior Threads has a great post about machine tension, there is an fantastic diagram explaining top and bobbin tension. Check it out by clicking the link below.
What About the Tension? - Superior Threads

Free Pattern 12" Block: Maple Leaf

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada so this week's free pattern from Berrima Patchwork has a Canadian Theme. This pattern is instantly recognizable and though we have made it up in the red and white colours it can also look great in a selection of colours or even as a scrappy block.

MAPLE LEAF FREE PATTERN

having trouble with this link then type the link below to take you to the free pattern

http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/freepattern/mapleleaf/

To view previous free 12" patterns you can go to our website free pattern list

having trouble with this link then type the link below to take you to the free patterns 

http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/freepattern

Sewing Machine Troubleshooting Checklist

When your sewing machine just doesn’t seem to be sewing right what do you do? Below is a basic checklist that we recommend you run through.

1. Check you have your sewing machine plugged in, switched on and the foot control is in correctly (basic step I know but sometimes this is all that needs to be done)
2. Re-thread your machine. I re-thread my top and test the machine, if it is still not working, I re-thread my bobbin and check it. Are you using a decent type of thread – you pay for what you get, use a cheap thread often you will experience some problems. Have you wound the bobbin thread onto the bobbin correctly? Have you correctly threaded your machine?
3. If it still is not working properly the next thing I do is check your needle. Often people do not change their needles regularly. PLEASE CHANGE YOUR NEEDLE! You have spent a lot of money on your sewing machine, replacing a needle will cost you $1 or less, and your machine will be so very grateful for it. Check you are using the right type of needle for the job.
4. Check your machine tension. You can change your machine tension. If you are using a thicker thread then you will need to loosen your top tension, if it is a thinner thread then you might need to tighten your tension. If you can change you bobbin tension it is always best to change your top tension first before changing the bobbin tension.
5. Still not working? Give your machine a good clean – when was the last time you cleaned it? Does your machine need to be oiled – some machines do not however so do, if you are not sure check out your owner’s manual. That fluff around the feet dogs doesn’t belong there, if it looks like felt then it has been too long since you last cleaned your machine.
6. The above steps haven’t worked, then it is time to take it to your local machine repair shop and get it checked out.

If your machine makes a strange noise, gives off a puff of smoke, goes bang please don’t even attempt any of the above steps, just take it to your local machine repair shop and get them to check it out. Never take the outer shell off your machine, this could cause you warranty to be voided, take it to a machine repairer who knows what they are doing.

Free Pattern 12" Block: School Girl's Puzzle

School Girl's Puzzle is this week's free quilt block from Berrima Patchwork. This block has been sewn with 4 different fabrics however you can also make it more scrappy with a selection of fabrics, or it can also look great with just 2 different fabrics.

SCHOOL GIRL'S PUZZLE FREE PATTERN

having trouble with this link then type the link below to take you to the free pattern

http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/freepattern/schoolpuzzle/

To view previous free 12" patterns you can go to our website free pattern list

having trouble with this link then type the link below to take you to the free patterns

http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/freepattern

Carol Doak - Quilting in the Highlands Teacher

Over the next few weeks we will be introducing you to our teachers for Quilting in the Highlands, Berrima Patchwork's  4 day retreat with 5 award winning teachers takes place on the 28th July till 31st July 2012. 

Carol Doak is one of our International Teachers that will be joining us for Quilting in the Highlands. Carol is very well known in the quilting industry, author of a sizable collection of popular quilting books with over One Million in print! In December she is releasing her latest book 50 Little Paper-Piece Blocks.

Carol has raised the popularity of paper piecing, her trademark technique, to heights never before seen in the world of quiltmaking. One of Carol's books that I am a absolute fan of is her Your First Quilt Book (or it should be!).  

Carol lives in Salem, New Hampshire, where she claims the cold winters give her plenty of reason to stockpile a fabric stash for insulation purposes!

If you have every wanted to learn paper piecing Carol Doak is the master in this field.

Carol will be teaching two classes for us. On the Saturday and Sunday she will be teaching Diamond Delight (pictured below right). This is the Diamond Delight quilt from Carol's book, Mariner's Compass Stars. The Australia block is featured in this quilt and set in full, halves and quarters to produce a dramatic diamond. On Monday and Tuesday Carol will be teaching Bright Star (pictured below left). Using a wall-quilt design from Carol's book, Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars, begin to paper-piece this 36" wall quilt using simple foundations to create dramatic 9-patch star blocks that produce this striking medallion style quilt. This is a perfect workshop quilt and very different from the Diamond Delight as it is based upon square units.

In either of these classes you will learn paper piecing skills that produce speed, accuracy and most of all enjoy the process! 

More information about Quilting in the Highlands can be found at www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/quilting/

To learn more about Carol check out her website http:// www.caroldoak.com 

Carol has a yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarolDoakQuiltingGroup/ and is also on Facebook