International Quilt Market Video

While at Quilt Market I have been taking alot of photos of the booths, the new quilts, some of our regular suppliers and more. This is a slide show/video that I have created with all of these photos.

Enjoy

Melbourne Cup - Berrima Patchwork Style!

Head over to our Facebook Page and PLACE YOUR BETS!

Tuesday 1st November is Melbourne Cup Day in Australia, it is a horse race that stops the nation. Being quilters we thought we would do it a bit different and let you place your bets a couple of different "races".

Pick you favourite out of the "horses" in each of the "races" (questions) that we have posted and you could be a winner. Just because a horse has the most votes doesn't mind that it will win. Tuesday night (1st November 2011) - 10pm Houston Texas Time I will draw the winner's of each of the races. If you placed a "Bet" on the winning horse you could be a winner!

Our races at the moment include: Fabric Companies, Sewing Machine Brands, Thread Brands and Quilting Book Publishers.

Go to www.facebook.com/berrimapatchwork  "Like Us" and then place your Bets

The up side of this is you can place your bet, have a chance to win and it won't cost you a cent.

ENJOY!

By the way, yes I know it is Monday, but there won't be a free pattern today, I'm in Houston and did get one done, sorry. The free pattern will resume when I get back.

International Quilt Market Houston: Schoolhouse Series

The day before the Quilt Market starts is an event called Schoolhouse series. The Schoolhouse series was created by Marti and Richard Michell and occurs before every Quilt Market. There are was a total of 288 different classes offered which cover a wide range of topics. The emphasis is on introducing new product or techniques to shop owners with the aim of providing educational communication between suppliers and retailers. There are a total of 15 sessions - which last for 15 - 30 minutes, each session you have the option of about 20 different classes. It is an extremely informative event and you need to have a pen and paper at the ready. At the end of each session everyone runs out into the hallway rushing to get to their next selected session.

Below are pictures and information from just some of the schoolhouse sessions I attended.

Cheryl Phillips from Phillips Fiber Art
Cheryl creates a great selection of patterns and books that use wedge rulers she has created. She has several new rulers which she was showing us. These are some of the quilts that she has created, patterns are available for them. The second photo is of a new curve template which is available, looks like lots of fun to use it and super easy!

Amy Barickman from Indygo Junction.
Inydgo Junction creates some fantastic patterns. Here are just a few of the patterns which are avvailble.

This bag can be a great way to try out all those stitches which are on your sewing machine.

These would make great gifts for Christmas and once again, use up all those different stitches that come on your sewing machine. We have a 12wt Gutternmann Sulky Thread that would look fantastic stitched out on these purses.

Thomas Knauer fabric designer from Andover Fabrics.
Thomas is a new designer from Andover and was showing his new collections which is inspired by growing up in the 1970's. These pictures are samples made using the new range Pear Tree.

Kim Schaefer fabric designer from Andover Fabrics and owner of the Little Quilt Company.
This quilt is a sample made from her new range for Andover Fabrics.

Below are samples from Kim's new pattern she has created from her pattern company: The Little Quilt Company. They are super cuter (the place mats that is!)

Debra Lunn and Michael Mrowka fabric designers from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.
Batik designers for Lunn Studios were showing their new Artisan Batiks which features strips in the batik fabrics.

Carol Doak Author from CT Publishing (and a Quilting in the Highlands Teachers!)

Carol was showing us her brand new book: 50 Little Paper-Pieced Blocks. To Quote CT Publishing "Make every occasion even more special. Create perfectly-pieced 3" blocks in a variety of themes - from hearts and flowers to airplanes and birthday cakes. Secure them inside your Carol Doak's Keepsake Frame Cards for gift giving and article display. These blocks are also perfect to mix and match for making table linens, wall quilts and other small projects" The samples that were shown during the class look great and are perfect to be sewn together to make a "little" quilt.

Free Pattern 12" Double Z

This week's free pattern from Berrima Patchwork is called Double Z. The sample below has been made with just 2 different fabrics, however it would look good in a selection of fabrics. If you used 5 different fabrics you could us one as the background and the other 4 are part of the Z's.

DOUBLE Z PATTERN

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

www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/freepattern/doublez/

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

Keep an eye out for next's week free 12" Block as it will have a Halloween feel to it

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.