Bon Voyage

I'm rushing around like a maniac 

 finishing final bits of work and working out how to get them to the editors, sorting the Shed after teaching two classes this week & organising the numerous children's school functions/ activities that have been on this week. Oh! that reminds me I have emails to reply too.......

Next on my list is getting the house ready for my In-laws and Fathers day this coming Sunday - Then I'll think about what I'm packing for my Trip to 

New York!

I jet out on Monday morning......

I'm only in New York for 6 days but I plan on making the most of it and already have meetings organise - Very exciting :-)

Really I shouldn't be on the computer writing this post - but I couldn't help myself!

My father has been working incredibly hard on the Shed make over - I'm so lucky to have an extremely handy dad.

The Shed is pretty much done, a few bits n bobs but looking beautiful. Next will be the gardening.

I have started teaching a small group in the Shed - 3hr fortnightly Beginners Patchwork/ Quilting class. I had a bit of a list of people that had been asking and have started with them.

Term 4 of school I will run more and open it up to others. Look out for a post or email me if your interested in attending with a day/ time that suits you.

For those who don't know - I'm in Sydney Australia & situated on the Inner west/ North side.

I have added a few pics of a quilt that needs finishing, I'll have more info and the finished quilt when I get back - to show you.

and slowly but surely I'm sorting and organising my fabric into shelves and storage - Its all starting to come together

I'm sure I will blog/ twitter/ Instagram a million times during the week I'm in NYC

Take care

Xx Siobhan 

Spring time colours & Liberty Advice

I can feel spring in the air!

I'm a big fan of the in-between seasons.

I usually find that when the weather starts to change so does my fabric buying habit - take for example the linen that was delivered today (pictured below)

Yellow - Pink - Sand

all Linen/Cotton blends

all happy spring time colours

On the subject of Fabric buying

I had an email asking about Liberty of London Fabrics. Liberty of London Tana Lawn is a lovely soft fabric that can be on the $$$ side. I have made a few quilts in the last year or so with Liberty of London fabric - one being a queen bed sized that was in Down Under Quilts Magazine #151.

I had been collecting my fabrics for a really long time - buying 1/2 yards at a time. Some from shops in Paris, London, online from Purl soho and in person from Sydney Shop Calico & Ivy. It is beautiful and does make a lovely quilt. If your using the Tana Lawn Fabrics it can be a little slippery to sew with, I recommend using a spray starch to help make it stable and easy to handle. 

If anyone has a "Go To" shop to buy Liberty of London I'm sure everyone would love to see, leave a link and everyone can have a look.

I hope the weather keeps up in Sydney over the coming week - and the weather in New York City is lovely for my trip next week!

Xx Siobhan

little packages tied up with string

One thing on my list to do today is drop this little package off to a local family - baby number 4 arrived a few weeks ago and this little liberty quilt will be lovely for the upcoming spring weather.

This picture has almost all my favourite things in it

Owls, Butterflys, Liberty, String, Stamps & handmade tags!

Its the little things that keep me happy.

This week is a busy one, I suppose they all are aren't they?!

I have to finish a stack of work - Get the kids/ house ready for me going away/ me getting ready for going away & think of a good fathers day present.....

Thats a tricky one?! 

Hope everyone has a great Week!

& if your looking for any of my stuff - I have added links on the left hand side of the blog under Find me - to my fabrics, instagram & pinterest!

Xx Siobhan 

Lost treasure

Amazing what you find when you clean up.

I've spent the last few days sorting cupboards and moving my things into the new shed - or my new house if you are talking to Miss 6yrs.

Anyway I came across two sample panels I had made over a year ago for Better Homes & Gardens magazine that never ended up being used - long story - but to do with change of colour theme etc, that sort of stuff happens a lot with lifestyle publications......

So I decided to turn them into little baby rugs and get some use out of them!

I did these a little bit like a cushion - sewing the two right sides together and then turning them through the right way. 

Doing it this way means no binding and a baggy kind of quilt. 

To keep it together I have sewn all around the edge in a 1/4 inch seam & also a bit of stitch in the ditch (which I very rarely if ever do)around the squares.

This particular one is going to a school family that have just had a baby boy & the second one will be kept in the pile ready for the next friends baby.

More treasures coming up over the week!

Xx Siobhan

Awesome Fabrics galore

In my last post I said I had some new fabrics to share 

At the Trade show in Sydney recently I meet up with the F.D Textiles mob.

Kathryn nicely sent me out this lovely array of Australian designer fabrics.

Fabrics are by Verity Hindwood & Moyra Jones

I'm hoping after my trip to New York - I will be full to the brim with ideas for all of these lovely fabrics

I was also luckily given some of Saffron Craig's new range of fabrics 

"Wombat Wonderland" last week when I meet up with her at the ABC meetup

very cute looking & I'm anticipating the two fabrics down the bottom will be great for binding - watch this space for a quilt - soon.

and below my Shed revamp is coming together nicely!

The cladding is going on, storage has been bought(IKEA),kids making them selves comfy and projects are resuming.

and

This weekend I'm off to CLOTH Fabrics to help in a community Craft Project - should be lots of fun!

If your in Sydney check out the CLOTH Fabric Facebook page for more details & get involved.

Xx Siobhan

Enough room to swing a cat

For a long long time I have dreamed of having my own creative space & now its become a reality! 

Its still a work in progress - a few final finishes and external painting to do....

but Its about time for me to start filling it up with all my stuff & start doing some work.

I've spent the last few weeks procrastinating watching it all be built instead of knuckling down and getting things finished.

I anticipate another week of mucking around with my fabrics and rearranging things before any real work starts happening.....

Although thats not a luxury I have, I have a few deadlines to finish before I head away for a week in New York City early September.

Yep - thats right - I'm heading to NYC!

I have a few work meetings & hoping to see lots of fabric/ quilty stuff too.

I'd love any advice you might have :)

A quick bit of info about the studio fit out 

The walls are painted in- Taubmans Crisp White

The Wallpaper- Abigail Edwards Owls of the british isles 

Light fittings- From Freedom Furniture

The bench was made by my Dad and painted the same colour as the walls, the bench top is Corian bought on ebay.

The black wall was painted with Murobond Pirate chalk paint & the lounge is from Freedom Furniture

of course this is about the cleanest its ever going to look!

I'm sure there will be lots of photos taken once I fill it up and start using it.

I also have lots of "stuff" to fill you in on over the week.

Like a few new ranges of fabric I have gotten my hands on & some exciting happenings at CLOTH Fabric

Hope you all had a great weekend 

Xx Siobhan

The happy Juggle

I'm revelling in making "stuff" at the moment.

I'm happily going between projects and being extra productive. My list for today includes

1- Vintage quilt, showing off up-cycling at      its best, a coming soon blog post.

2- A patchwork project for publication

3- writing up class instruction/ schedules for classes Im teaching in my home & confirming spots

4- ordering fabrics

5- emailing final measurements/ instructions for quilts being published X 3

and finally

6- making this quilt! pictured below

Its for a friends Master just turned 2yrs who is going into a big bed!

The brief was fun & bright

I'm sort of going by a quilt pattern I did along time ago - It was actually my first published quilt.

Although it looks like lots of piecing - it actually comes together really quickly, Its a nice project to have going in between serious work. 

Every time I get a bit over what ever I'm doing - I'll sew a block of this together. 

I forgot how much I like the random little squares

Fingers crossed my productive mode continues!

Xx Siobhan

Strength in numbers - A community quilt

Earlier in the year a friend was diagnosed with Cancer.....

Cancer is one of those things I have experience in - not me personally - but Friends and family - Yes.

I think most of us have been touched by Cancer in some way.

Everyones experience is different but I think one thing is common - Nothing is ever the same.

With this in mind I asked a few friends if they would like to contribute to a quilt.

I wanted people to make a 12 inch block in a star pattern.

  

Word soon spread and I had 25 women able to participate.

I sent out a million emails with links, ideas, resources and patterns.

I had 3 sewing days at my house to help out the beginners - this entailed lots of laughing and mayhem. All good fun.

anyway a few months down the track and all is good with our friend - prognosis is great and she is all clear. 

We had a morning tea today to hand over the Community made quilt.

Made with much love and thought.

Friendship & Stars

Xx Siobhan

*A little note on construction

To tie in all the colourful blocks I framed each square in the light green cotton - this also helped with sizing up everyones blocks to the same 12 inches (everyones 1/4 inch seam is different!which then leads to 11.5 inch to 12.5 inch blocks).I also used the light green for binding.

I then sashed the blocks in a little floral Liberty of london print, to add to the vintage feel I used two different colours of the same liberty print. 

The quilt was long arm quilted in a Baptist fan by Kim Bradley.

Guestimating Fabric

The amount of fabrics that are hitting the Shops in the next month or so is mind blowing....

Its usually best to have a plan - not necessarily on what projects you will use the fabric in (because I always buy way ahead) - more of a $$$ plan. How much are you willing to spend! also making sure when it comes time to design and make a project I'm not going to be left short.

My fabric buying Guestimating works like this

- I find that a single bed quilt tends to use 6/8 yards of fabric for a front and then about the same for the back give or take.

Binding is usually around 6/8 X 2.5inch strips = 15 inches/20 inches

I add on an extra 3 yards for a double/ king sized quilt front & back

Binding is usually around 12 X 2.5 inch strips = 30 inches

all of these are VERY rough estimates but it gives you an idea of how I shop.

I'm happy to have leftovers - they make great pillows and scrap quilts.

If I see a fabric that is great for a backing I will buy it in 3 yard lengths - easy for storage & piecing

If a fabric looks good for borders and sashing I will buy 2- 3 yards

I still love buying fat 1/4's which are great for mixing fabrics up or adding interest but I tend to stick to larger pieces. 

Anyway I have started my shopping and this is what I have so far

From top to bottom
My own numbers fabric
Vintage Modern Bonnie & Camille
Denyse Schmidt for Australian Spotlight (from my Fabric stash)
Vintage Modern Bonnie & Camille
Lizzy House castle peeps(from my Fabric stash)
Valori Wells Butterflys

All of these were bought at an Australian online retailer
Kelani Fabrics 

These gems were bought at Calico & Ivy a few days ago.
The top 6 fabrics are Anna Maria Horner's new fabric range called Field Study
A liberty of London print
& some linen

From Ballarat Patchworks online store this week I purchased the new Denyse Schmidt range Chicopee - Looking forward to using this lot.

 I also have a stack of solids coming from pink chalk fabrics

and bought not that long ago A vintage sheet & Lots of Lotta Jansdotters Echo range for backing of two king sized quilts 

Thats not including the stuff I don't have pictures of......

Although in my defence I have made 5 king sized quilts in the last few weeks and a few other things!! All to be revealed once they are published in their assorted magazines.

All the pictures are from my Instagram feed

my handle is @beaspokequilts 

Whats your most recent fabric purchase or what are you coveting in the fabric world?

Xx Siobhan

One of my Fav's

If only I had more hours in a day I could make all the things that are swimming around in my head, using up all the great fabric that is out there.

My taste in fabric is eclectic - Depending on my mood and even the weather. One minute I'll have a 1930's mini dogs reproduction print in my hand and the next I'll have the large scale graphic screen printed fabrics of CLOTH Fabric. 

I know I have talked about it several times before but it really is remarkable the choices we have when it comes to fabric choices and availability. We have so much talent world wide and its all at our finger tips.

One of the clever Australian fabric designers/ Artists I love to work with is Julie Paterson from CLOTH Fabric. I was in the new shop today and having a look around - its full to the brim of exciting possibilities.

I made this quilt a while back for the CLOTH gang. I love how the large scale prints look in this zig zag quilt.

Some of the prints in this quilt are not being reprinted and only a limited amount is left... 

Hop to it if your interested because they wont be seen again

In other news 

I was interviewed by Pat Sloan - have a look if you didn't get a chance before. 

&

This Quilt has had its 15 minutes of fame on the Inside out Magazines Facebook page.  Coincidentally the large scale pink circle fabric is also from CLOTH Fabric

Thats a wrap for today

Im in the middle of a few projects that need finishing.......

Xx Siobhan