Two Ducks Swimming

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

2012-01-16T14:43:00.002+11:00

2012 is upon us, and in the spirit of fresh starts, turning leaves, best feet forward and clean slates I've decided that my mantra for this year will be one word. SIMPLICITY. How long will it last? Well, that depends on how cynical you are (and how well you know me). I'm being optimistic and aiming for at least February. And what could be simpler than just three colours? When I first saw the samples of the new Bridgeport range from Andover Fabrics I confess my first thought was "Meh". Red, black and brown? I don't think so. For shame! After playing around with it for a while it's now one of my favourite things. The perfect thing for a gentleman's quilt (and lets be honest, when it comes to quilts, the gents are often sadly neglected). So, grab some Bridgeport, keep your life simple and make a discerning chappie happy.

SOMETHING FOR THE HARDCORE STITCHER

2011-12-19T14:45:00.008+11:00

Like cross stitch? I mean REALLY like cross stitch? Then the new Chinese Immortals publication series from DMC is for you. There are eight designs in the range, each measuring 35cm x 60cm when finished. That's a lot of stitching,but the results are spectacular.

Han Xiang Zi for health and healing.

He Xian Gu brings luck for marriages and family.

Zhang Guo Lao brings luck for descendants.

Tie Guai Li for wisdom and healing.

With Chinese New Year just a couple of months away, now's the time to start stitching. The back of the publications has the influence, element and direction for each Immortal in the series, so you can make sure your feng shui is just right.

DECK YOUR HALLS...

2011-12-05T10:28:00.007+11:00

...with a bit of bunting, courtesy of Pearl and Lydia.

And here is the rather gorgeous finished product, perfect for the adornment of mantelpieces far and wide.

Wish your mantel looked this festive? Of course you do. Download the free pattern here.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING, THE GOOSE IS GETTING...

2011-11-07T13:22:00.005+11:00

...ready to stitch! All kinds of festive bits and pieces have found their way into the warehouse, and I intend to make use of at least some of them before the big day hits (my house was sadly non-celebratory last year). If you pop over to Lisa's blog at The Red Thread you can check out the gorgeous Christmas designs we're well chuffed to be distributing for her. Meanwhile, we have two new designers to fill the sparkly shoes of Gertie, who's busy being mum to a beautiful little pudding of a boy. Lydia and Pearl have been working wonders, and I've decided that to use Lydia's fab folk iron-on embroidery transfers for this years bedecking of the halls.

How good are they? Perfect for Christmas, versatile enough for the rest of the year and you can reuse them up to seven times so you get a lot of embroidered bang for your buck. Perfect. I'm thinking that I'll be going with the Babushkas, before the marvellous Dot left us for shiny new pastures, she started on a project using the Festive Folk Words transfers.

Pearl has taken up the needle, stay tuned to see what she comes up with.

BLOOMIN' LOVELY

2011-09-27T10:36:00.005+10:00

Windham Fabrics have just released two gorgeous, romantic, old-fashioned floral collections that are guaranteed to make even the most stalwartly sensible come over all girly. My personal favourite is Home Sweet Home, those Beidermeier style bouquets on the panel are just divine and the all-over overblown rose print has got to be the blousiest fabric I think I've ever seen come into the warehouse. Meanwhile I think you'd have to beat The Maven off with a stick to get near Wellesley. She's genuinely fearsome when it comes to shabby chic...

WELLESLEY

HOME SWEET HOME

PRIM(ITIVE) AND PROPER

2011-09-19T11:24:00.002+10:00

There are some designers that it seems quilters just cannot get enough of. When it comes to prim, The Buggy Barn is a name that tops the list. They have the knack of producing the look that prim fans adore, and when prim fans adore something, it doesn't stay in our warehouse for long. Just in is the latest collection from The Buggy Barn, Bramble Berries (the old-school blanket style plaids in this range I just love).

FOXES AND BUNNIES AND HEDGEHOGS, OH MY!

2011-09-13T12:50:00.007+10:00

The trend for woodland creatures continues unabated, and I for one am very glad of it. The fabulous Lizzy House has created another gorgeous range of fabrics for Andover and they're in stock now! Yippee! I just love these, the colours are delicious (and that's from someone who wouldn't claim to be a fan of purple or yellow) and the patterns folky with an edge. Which means that they definitely transcend the "for children" category. Yes, someone wants a foxie frock...

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

2011-09-05T12:01:00.003+10:00

Warmer weather, longer days, buds blooming, what's not to love? Usurping the grand European traditions of maypoles and spring Easter bonnets, I vote we claim such things as southern hemisphere celebrations of September. And for bonnets and maypoles you need buttons and ribbons. You might remember the Sew Together buttons I showed you a while back. Well, they're finally here! And they've brought friends...

CONGRATULATIONS!

2011-07-11T15:37:00.005+10:00

Well done ducklings, the cupboard is bare! Stashes will be on their way to seven (yes, I know I said five, but it's a big cupboard and I got excited) lucky winners. Congratulations to Christine, Tatyana, Nathalie, Helen, Merrilyn, Jeanette and Ally Bubba! And thank you all for the gift of storage space.

Orville is most impressed.

GIVEAWAY! THAT MEANS FREE!

2011-07-06T15:20:00.003+10:00

Mabel is depressed (and referring to herself in the third person, distinctly worrying). I thought you'd all be beating down my virtual door, crying "pick me, pick me!" at the prospect of a great wad of craft bibs and bobs being your very own. So far my mad stash has decreased by two. Congratulations to Tatkis and Nathalie (you HAVE to check out her gorgeous dolls), you each have a fabulous parcel of potential treasures headed your way. To the mysterious Christine, please, oh please add a contact email to your profile (yes, my last post was just for you)! Your parcel has been watching all the other parcels wending their way to new everlovin homes and frankly, it's getting forlorn...to the rest of you, PLEASE, take this stuff off my hands! I know you can never have too much but if you saw my office space and the state of my house you'd soon change your mind. Other people's cats catch mice. Mine have a taste for fabric swatches and crochet thread. It's unnatural.
And now for a blast from the past. Turning 120 sends many a mind down memory lane and many a staff member rummaging through the archives. Dot has found some Leutenegger gems and below is my personal favourite, as seen in the Australian Women's Weekly, circa 1963.

A QUICK WORD ON GIVEAWAYS...

2011-07-04T14:17:00.003+10:00

It may be stating the obvious, but I'm going to state it anyway. If you would like a fabulous, free "Mabel's Mad Stash" pack, I need to be able to find you. If your profile consists only of your first name, I can't find you. And if I can't find you, your bundle of random happiness will end up at someone else's door...you know who you are, add an email address! Treats are waiting! One down, four to go...

YUM, LEFTOVERS!

2011-07-01T14:47:00.003+10:00

As promised yesterday, here is the cheering part! Here at Leuts we tend to accumulate a great deal of sampling (some more than others. Maven, stop pointing). There are fabrics upon fabrics upon fabrics, buttons in all manner of colours and materials, boxes of thread where the single skein required for a stitch model or magazine project has been taken, rendering the rest of them lost and lonely in my cupboard. Actually, that's not strictly true. It's the cupboard next to my desk, but not MY cupboard. I have decided to make it my cupboard, which means clearing it out. What to do with all those random, oddly shaped but oh so pretty and ever so useful bits and pieces?

You tell me, dear reader! The picture above is but a snippet of what you could find in your mailbox simply by being one of the first five readers to comment and tell me what's the first project you'd make with a bag of miscellaneous craft goodies. That's right, I'm giving away 5 "Mabels Mad Stash" packs. There are fabric snippets from Andover, Red Rooster, Robert Kaufman and more. Reproductions, brights, orientals, even a flannel or two. Plus shell buttons, DMC stranded cotton, DMC perle cotton, and whatever else I can cram into a 3 kilo postpak! BONANZA! So think creatively, get those ideas coming, and keep an eye out for the postman. I'll let you know the lucky winners on Monday the 11th of July. Get to it!

GREY. IT'S THE NEW BLACK

2011-06-30T08:40:00.002+10:00

As a colour, I absolutely love grey. As a weather event, I'm not so keen. Neither are trains it seems, which is why I'm still at the station instead of halfway through my morning commute... Grey is wonderful at the other end of the day, when you're heading for a warm room and a good book. It does nothing for morning motivation. And that goes double for trains. I'm going to need some serious cheering when I get to the office, and I have just the thing in mind. I rather think you're going to like it too.

Bleak, no?

BABIES!

2011-06-24T14:54:00.005+10:00

Yes, I'm the first to put my hand up and admit to being a completely biased mama, but my newest babies are in the warehouse and I'm unashamedly proud. Quintuplets, and let me tell you it was a difficult birth. As you well know by now numbers and I are not the greatest of friends, and while I can make things, writing instructions and patterns so that other people can make them is an entirely different bag of fish. But after much tooth-grinding, hair-pulling and saintly patience from The Potentate, our long-suffering warehouse manager and maker of miracles, the kiddies are in stock and ready to go out into the world. Today I'm going to introduce you to my favourites (don't tell the others).

This is Ollie

And this is Miss Kitty, bright eyed and ready for action...

and having a wee kip.

They're lovely when they're asleep.

CHAOS! UTTER CHAOS!

2011-06-24T12:36:00.003+10:00

Flat out, no rest for the wicked, standing room only, juggling hats with all the balls in the air at once...the last few months (yes, I know, dreadful really) have been absolutely nonstop. And it doesn't look like slowing down any time soon. Which means lots and LOTS of fabulous newness, but honestly, where's a girl meant to find the time to play with it all? It's been a looooong time between projects, but the list of things to make and do is growing ever longer, but top of this list of things I MUST get my hands on is the new range by Lori Holt for Riley Blake Designs, Sew Cherry. Perfect for sweetening a horrible gale-forced winter's day.

MARCH? WHADDYA MEAN IT'S MARCH?

2011-03-07T11:38:00.007+11:00

Yes, I have been neglectful. Yes, my head is hung in contrite shame. Yes, I am going to attempt to buy forgiveness with buttons...

LOVE these, they're an instant button collection on a single card. I like the single colour and themed mixed palette options too. Great for those like myself who have trouble making up their minds.
Next up are my current favourite "I'll take half a dozen of each and extra in the red, are you sure they're not edible?" numbers. They're from the new range of embellishments from Riley Blake, "Sew Together". There's plenty more to come from Sew Together (the range is HUGE and I promise I'll share) but for now, feast your eyes on these...

Gigantic, translucent, lolly-coloured buttons. Riley Blake, I love you. Sigh.

MILESTONES

2011-01-21T14:53:00.009+11:00

Last post I mentioned something about this year being big. VERY big. Why is it so? Because this year marks Leutenegger's 120th anniversary. Now 120 years worth of anything is not to be sneezed at, and 120 years of providing top drawer craft products to Australia is something we here at Leuts are all VERY proud of. And yours truly is extra happy because I get to indulge my love of all things ye olde world. Yes, it's true, I'm a proud history nerd. Birthdays of course mean celebrations, and we'll be celebrating all year. I have quite a few treats in mind for Two Ducks Swimming over the course of the year, so stay tuned. First up though is a commemorative project of sorts, a touch of historical sampler with some vintage bits thrown in for good measure. That will make more sense as things progress. Trust me.

As my attention span is an easily frustrated creature with a propensity towards huffs and sarkiness, I often find it safest to have more than one project on the table. So the commemorative project of sorts will be done in monthly stages. Each months bit can be a stand alone piece or, should your patience last, can be part of a glorious whole come December. Let's hope my patience lasts...I'm starting with my thread colour palette.

As Gertie will all too readily attest, that particular thread colour palette pops up with some regularity. What can I say, I know what I like. That said, I'm hoping that this year's fabric ranges will have a few bits and pieces that will work with it. As this a project with historical leanings I think some reproductions will be in order. Just arrived in the warehouse is the latest from one of the doyennes of reproduction fabrics, Jo Morton. The range is called Jo's Complements, a collection of small scale blender prints that could prove quite useful...provided I can rummage up some samples.

CIGARS ALL ROUND!

2011-01-13T15:02:00.011+11:00

Happy New Year! Yes, I'm well aware that smoking is the epitome of social cretinism, however indulge me as I celebrate in customary fifties father in the waiting room fashion some new arrivals. The first of course is 2011 (now you're here, feel free to slow down a touch), BIG news on this auspicious year soon, the second is my very first, I don't believe it, the edges match up and the right angles are actually right, QUILT. Admittedly the neat matchiness took something of a battering once the actual quilting bit got started, but all in all, I'm rather chuffed.

For those of you who fancy a simple project to make for a wee teenie friend, you can download the pattern here.

AHOY AHOY

2010-12-15T12:30:00.006+11:00

As promised, here's a taste of some new fabrics from Windham, due to hit the shops next year. I've already got my eye on the postcard print from Hemingway, the perfect fabric for a holiday frock. Preferably a sailing holiday halter neck frock. And the American coverlet lion is just the best thing since sliced bread. And the Farmer's Fancy range may be (may be? ok, will be) the closest I ever get to owning an American woven coverlet.

HEMINGWAY

FARMER'S FANCY

POST RAVE COMEDOWN & SNEAK PEEKS

2010-12-14T10:04:00.012+11:00

It's December. DECEMBER! How did this happen? Quilt Market and the accompanying chaos has come and gone (nearly, still battling with American customs demands for returning quilts. Width, height, weight, mother's maiden name, has it ever been a member of the communist party or knowingly associated with said) and the holidays are but days away. Christmas looms like the tinsel strewn monolith it is and hot on it's heels comes the new year. So to celebrate the impending calm, what better than a sneak preview of some the new fabrics ranges that will be with us in 2011. Best viewed with the festive tipple of your choice. Let's start with Riley Blake.

FARM FRESH

SWEET NOTHINGS

Tune in tomorrow for Windham.

BUY ME AN IPHONE!

2010-11-15T09:10:00.005+11:00

Nothing like a freebie to make Monday morning less traumatic. Opened my email this morning to find that The Admiral had forwarded me this fabulous bit of kit from the good folk at Robert Kaufman.

Is that genius or is that genius? Especially for the mathematically challenged, such as myself. Now all I need is an iPhone to download it to...oh captain, my captain? Meanwhile, what are you still doing here? Click here! Now!

TAKING THE PLUNGE. SLOWLY.

2010-11-03T13:03:00.008+11:00

I've spent the past few days pondering the question "I've finished stitching my mini kit, now what?" and at the moment I am in the midst of three projects. One is on the brink of completion and will be making it's debut next week, one is an idea rattling about in my head trying desperately to find it's way from mere fancy to reality, and the third is progressing in tentative stages. The bullet is being nibbled, toes are being oh so gently dipped, yes, after five years and then some working in the craft industry I'M MAKING MY FIRST QUILT!

Now since this quilt will be appearing on a website near you, accompanied by a functional, legible, now that makes sense type of pattern, and I have a habit of going "Hmmm, never done this before, shall I do the beginner's project or do I go with the full scale Elizabethan tapestry reproduction complete with stumpwork? Look, there's Francis Drake!", I set myself some rules.

RULE 1 : Keep it small. And it is. Or will be. Just the right size for kiddies to drag about and have earnest chats with (you'll see why they'll be talking to it later).
RULE 2 : All angles must be right angles. There will be nary a hint of a triangle and under no circumstances are you to even contemplate a curve.
RULE 3 : Six fabrics maximum. Full stop, that's it, you're on a desert island and fat quarters don't grow on palm trees.
RULE 4 : Always always ALWAYS triple check your measurements before you cut. Always.

I've already broken rule 4. Half the pieces missing seam allowance down one side. Cue wailing, moaning and gnashing of teeth. But I've remeasured, recut, and am on my way to making my patchwork debut. Since this is a quilt for kiddies, and involves colourful cross stitch critters, I've chosen the fabrics below to work with. The polka dots are all from the Pimatex Basics range from Robert Kaufman. The other three bits of bright shininess are sneak previews of an upcoming range from Henry Glass. More to be revealed soon.

CHRISTMAS...IT LOOMS EVER CLOSER

2010-10-28T15:32:00.005+11:00

And I've just finished Festive Project: Round Two.

Rather than battling through shops full of half-crazed people on the verge of hysteria to buy distinctly unattractive gift tags (the ones I love are ALWAYS sold out), I've decided to make my own. The beauty of these little numbers is their usefulness doesn't start and end with Christmas morning. Once they're off the pressie they can be bookmarks, or all-in-one napkin ring slash place cards, or decorations for next year's tree. You could even string a whole lot together to make bunting.

French Knots

Backstitch

Satin Stitch

You can find the project instructions here. Consider them a template, you could work these in SO many different styles. And with that,there goes my weekend.

WEE TEENIES!

2010-10-25T16:29:00.005+11:00

New arrivals! Make It Mini kits are in the warehouse, fab little things and small enough for those who profess not to stitch to take on and finish. FINISH! The magic word! Here are a few of my favourites.

Now with little bits of stitching, no matter how scrumptious, comes the inevitable question "yes, but what do I do with it?". Ask no more. I am presently up to my eyeballs in works in progress using a selection of Make It minis. And they'll be free to download from our website. Stay tuned...

HO HO HOCTOBER!

2010-10-11T13:00:00.007+11:00

Yes, the festive season approaches at lightning speed yet again. In wholesale land it comes REALLY early. As in it's here. Now. Those who make a full size quilt with matching table linen and a homemade tree to commemorate the season, I salute you. Me, I'm a huge fan of the quick and simple. And that means BUTTONS!

We have a shiny new range of Christmas buttons just arrived, and I admit, I'm having serious trouble keeping my mitts off them. You can see the whole range here , for me Christmas just has to be red and white. So, a few cards of buttons, some super glue (one day super glue and I will learn to get along, for now it's a relationship fraught with danger) and a skein or two of DMC Perle 5 cotton, et voila, instant tree decorations. Except I'm without a tree at present, so please excuse the improvisation...

More festive buttoniness to come, I'm thinking I might snaffle some of the taupe and burgundy ones for something a touch different...

THE PERFECT FIT

2010-09-30T10:06:00.005+10:00

One of my favourite developments in fabric land is the conversion of scrapbook paper ranges into divine fabric prints. Do I scrapbook? No. As a devoted hoarder of pretty much anything with a pattern on it, do I buy the paper? Oh yes. We're lucky enough to get fabric ranges by My Mind's Eye from Riley Blake, SEI from Robert Kaufman and Cosmo Cricket from Andover Fabrics, and this weeks warehouse arrival that has me skipping down the aisles is the gorgeously retro Tailor Made, by Cosmo Cricket.

SPRING IS SPRUNG!

2010-09-22T15:40:00.004+10:00

And this is the springiest thing to arrive in the warehouse this month, the Lizzie Collection by Anna Griffin. If only I knew how to make a parasol. And a deck chair, those stripes are begging to be a deck chair...

POPPETS AT TEN PACES

2010-08-30T10:25:00.003+10:00

Just when you thought you couldn’t possibly justify owning, making or looking sideways at another softie, even with a small child in tow as cover, along come Sweetie Petites and the whole plan falls to bits.

Molly
Freddie
Ginger
Mimi
Daisy

Created by The Red Thread, these little gems are so easy to make it’s almost scary. And they come with accessories …must not buy, must not buy, not even for the mushroom or Freddie in a fox suit…

JUST ADD WALNUTS

2010-08-19T14:28:00.003+10:00

As promised, here is the brownie recipe, just in time for the weekend. As I am not in possession of an appropriately sized slice tin, I used a roasting pan, hence the largish quantities. But they're brownies, so I'm of the opinion that largish quantities are mandatory. Also, I'm not the world's most accurate cook, so if you consider precise quantities and times essential, look away now...

250g butter
3 cups castor sugar
1 and about 1/8 cup of the best cocoa you can get your hands on
6 eggs, free range please
150 grams plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Good pinch of salt
Slosh of vanilla extract
200 grams or thereabouts of walnuts. I'm a huge fan of the walnut, so I threw in more. They're very good for you, don't you know.

OK. Melt the butter and mix it with the cocoa. Add the sugar, lightly beaten eggs and vanilla and mix. Sift (? I couldn't find the sifter...alright, I didn't even look. They're brownies, I'm not waiting.) in the flour, baking powder and salt, stir till just combined then stir in the walnuts, roughly chopped if you are so inclined. I gave mine a bit of a squash by hand on their way in. Pour into buttered and lined (do you think I lined my pan? Please.) pan, a biggish one about 30cm x 38cm and bake at 160C for about 30 minutes till top is crusty and crackly in that brownie kind of way, but the inside is still squishy. Cool completely before cutting (?!). Swoon.

For the curious, the beautifully domestic fabrics in the background of Tuesday's chocolate extravaganza are from the new additions to the Metro Cafe range from Robert Kuufman. Desperately want kitchen curtains and a matching frock (natch) in the limey orange chocolate colourway. Alas, it’s selling like hot crumpets and payday is a long way off…

HOW TO BANISH MONDAYITIS

2010-08-17T15:54:00.005+10:00

Chocolate. And plenty of it.

Gertie's Chocolate Puff Biscuits and my Chocolate Brownies

No, we don't arrive every Monday to find plates piled with comfort food waiting for us (personally I think it should be written into our contracts), yesterday there was an office birthday. And office birthdays mean it's time to get out the oven mitts and the Margaret Fulton and bake. Brownie recipe to come!

COMMUTER’S CHOICE

2010-08-10T11:00:00.006+10:00

As promised, here's a little something inspired by Dot. One of Gertie and Basil’s tasks is to keep our sales team up to date with product. In the course of photographing seemingly endless miles of hat elastic, press studs and bra extenders, they occasionally stumble across a wee bit of treasure which sometimes gets deposited on my desk, oh happy day! This time Gertie has provided me with these curious beasties found lurking in the haberdashery department: button skeletons.

Officially they’re called “Creative Buttons” from Prym, and with six in a pack you could certainly go a little bit nuts. They are also the perfect size for public transport. Just as the obnoxiously loud ipod is the bane of my morning commute, I’m sure my knitting chicken wings wouldn’t be appreciated by the hapless soul sitting next to me. So, since I am trying to work through the pile of random odds and ends that seem to be breeding in my desk drawer (yes, leftovers ARE delicious, but when they move of their own accord it’s time to clear the decks), these little numbers are just the thing. So, add some ribbons, some sewing thread and a shell button and you get...

Tres bon ducklings! They do have a handy shank at the back for permanent attachment, but given my changeable moods I think I'll whop a safety pin on the back for versatile frilliness.

JUST IN

2010-08-06T12:01:00.003+10:00

A quickie to end the working week, just arrived in the warehouse is the Life's A Hoot range by Adornit. Friday and owls, a winning combination if ever there was one. Digital quilting's not bad either...

THE ARRIVAL OF DOT

2010-08-05T13:41:00.005+10:00

New to the team at Leuts is Dot. At the moment, she’s a bit like Rob the dentist. Except if she was Rob the dentist we wouldn’t be able to mention the dentistry. Yet. And she’d probably go by the name Edwyn. Suffice to say, all will be revealed at some future point, for now all you need to know is she likes a bit of craft, bless her. Here are a couple of snazzy little numbers she brought in for show and tell.

Tasty, no? Next week I’ll be showing how to knock a train trip on the head with some strange button skeletons (really), assorted offcuts and negligible sewing skills. And some inspiration, courtesy of Dot.

SQUEEEE!

2010-08-03T10:32:00.001+10:00

Playday by SEI for Robert Kaufman. Enough said.

COVER YOUR NAKEDNESS!

2010-07-20T15:38:00.002+10:00

With stylish knitwear, of course. The Maven has finally provided a photo which meets her exacting standards of Milo wearing his Bariloche rib coat. Turned out rather well I think. Mind you, knitting for a puppy is possibly not the brightest idea I’ve ever had. According to the measurements taken at the time of commencement, it should have fit him like a dream, with room for growing. It’s all the Maven can do to get it to half cover his barrel chest. See that plunging neckline? It’s actually a turtleneck. Seriously.

BUILT LIKE A BRICK HOUSE

2010-07-16T10:23:00.005+10:00

To my mind, the absolute BEST reproduction range that's graced the warehouse for quite some time. And one of the few without wall to wall engravings of Abraham Lincoln et al. Not that I have any particular objection to the Great Emancipator and his ilk, in fact I'm quite partial to a bit of antique engraving, I just wonder how many fabrics featuring the visages of long gone American presidents does a person, specifically a not American person, have, want or need? I digress, possibly wandering into dangerous territory. Before I'm blasted by diehard Civil War re-enactors, let's have a peek at The Brick House Collection from Windham Fabrics. You’ve seen the cheater cloth, here’s a sample of my favourite prints from the rest of this GORGEOUS range.

HOW DOES IT WORK? PART 1: THE CHEATER CLOTH

2010-07-15T11:42:00.012+10:00

As a quilt lover who has never made a quilt (horrors! Dreadful I know, but all that geometry and precision just scares the daylights out of me. Plus all those little bits of fabric combined with my utter lack of organisational skills and two kittens with a destructive bent doesn't bear thinking about), the cheater cloth is a creature I find most intrigueing. What does a person do with it? Is it strictly for backing? How could something this beautiful be relegated to the back of a quilt?

Pennock Album Cheater Cloth by Windham Fabrics

Do you make a whole quilt from it and ignore the rest of the range? Do you use the borders and ignore the middle? How could you ignore the middle of this? Or even more criminal, the rest of the range (more on that later)?

Brick House Collection Cheater Cloth by Windham Fabrics

Do you make blocks from it and work them into the rest of the quilt? Do you remain faithful to the original quilt top? Do you do both? How does it work? Going to do some investigating. Inquiring minds want to know.

Eagle Medallion Cheater Cloth by Windham Fabrics.

QUILT MARKET COMETH!

2010-06-09T10:35:00.007+10:00

Part chaos, part joy, part sheer terror. More new fabric ranges than you can climb over, boxes and boxes and boxes of quilts, a quicksand of product codes, delivery dates that stretch into next year (surely we can work out something between the hemispheres so that the excitement of a shiny new fabric shopping list isn't smacked on the head by the stick of having to WAIT), palettes and pallets and checklists and range lists. Then two days of selling and meeting some of our favourite customers then it's all over for another six months.

The Maven, Beatrice and I, along with a stalwart team of our stunning sales reps (including Sven, Rep of the Year), are off to AQM in a matter of days. Which means right now, to use one of mother's favourites, the office is like a Berlei bra sale. At this very moment, EIGHT boxes of samples have just arrived from Robert Kaufman. Here's a sneaky peek at my two favourite ranges. Due who knows when. Patience my beauties, patience...

Metro Cafe

Free To Grow

And before I descend back in a seemingly bottomless pit of barcodes and stray threads (word to the wise: don't wear black to Quilt Market), here a few sweet bits of fluff made from the Aunt Lindy's Paper Dolls range from Blue Hill Fabrics. Of course, I have to send them back...

PS Speaking of sweet bits of fluff, Milo's coat is finished and has gone home for a test run. It seems young Milo has gotten somewhat bulkier since I started knitting. The Maven assures me the coat fits (even though the neckline ends up halfway down his barrel chest), she's just trying to capture him from his best angle...stay tuned.

IT'S KNITTING SEASON!

2010-05-31T16:56:00.001+10:00

Joy of joys, it's finally here! Time to rummage through the stash for something that looks gorgeous but needs someone fluent in Esperanto to interpret the pattern, invest in yet MORE yarn because the hoard that threatens to take over an entire room does not contain a single appropriate fibre (isn't it always the way?) and START KNITTING! Delish! I'm starting this season with a commission. Our resident fabric maven has a new baby. Meet Milo...

Don't even try telling me you've ever seen a lovlier bit of snub-nosed squish, because we both know you'd be fibbing.

Milo's still a little chap and with winter just about here mum has decided he needs something appropriately woolly to wear. So, the needles are out, I've got myself a sample skein of the GORGEOUS Bariloche by AslanTrends (it's a special order, so patience is required, but trust me, it is well worth the wait). The colour we had stashed in the cupboard of mystery is called Garden Shades, a serendipitous discovery as The Maven is a die-hard (dye-hard? sorry) fan of purple but Garden Shades has just enough earth tones in the mix to keep Milo looking appropriately butch. Also pleasing to discover was that even though the label recommends 4.5-5mm needles, it knits up really well on 4mm so makes a fab substitute for 8 ply. Happy days! So, presenting the Milo Winter Coat: work in progress.

Should be finished after the weekend. Make sure you stop by to see Milo reveal his new look.

WEDNESDAY IS PINCUSHION DAY

2010-05-12T15:47:00.003+10:00

Once in while, after fabric samples have been sent to those who do more than ogle them, there are a few meagre leftovers which the office packrats leap on like seagulls on a hot chip. I extracted myself from the bottom of the scrum clutching a few precious scraps of Groove by Caleb Gray. Perfect pincushion fodder. This one's a no brainer, yet thoroughly practical and dresses up an office cubicle no end.

You need assorted fabric scraps for the top, a sqaure of fabric for the back, a skein of DMC Perle 5 embroidery thread and some suitable stuff for stuffing. Sew scraps together to make a roughly square shape. Straight lines and right angles are optional. Trim to make a less rough square and cut backing fabric to the same shape and size. Ish. Decorate bits of the top with the DMC Perle, using any stitch that takes your fancy. I used blanket stitch pinwheels, backstitch, arrow stitch and of course, lots of French knots. You can work the stitches to incorporate the fabric print, or just whack'em wherever.

Place right sides of fabric squares together and sew round edges, leaving a decent sized gap for turning right side out and stuffing. Turn right side out and stuff. Turn edges of gap in and slip stitch closed. Stick pins in it. Job done!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO APRIL?

2010-05-03T13:21:00.013+10:00

It flew by in a chaotic cloud of work, that's what. Flat out, hell for leather and by the seat of it's pants no less. There's been all sorts going on, so here, in a very small nutshell, are a few of my favourite things from the past month...

Groove by Caleb Gray for Robert Kaufman fabrics. Love love love, managed to snaffle some for a very small creative endeavor. Stay tuned (rest assured I'll reveal all before June...)

New babies in the warehouse! These are some of our new Stitch Simple cross stitch designs. Cute as homemade shoes. And easy, which puts them firmly in the Mabel friendly camp.

Cake! Enough said.

My needlebook. Not just a needlebook, but a needlebook with cherries. If ever there was a fruit that was made to be slathered on fabric, it must be the cherry. And they get on swimmingly with French knots, which pleases me greatly. Yes, I'm on an embroidery stitch jag, at the moment it's the French knot. Slap 'em on everything I say.

PS you can find the free pattern at Sewn

New Riley Blake! HURRAH! This one is Rainy Days and Mondays

And this bit of scrumptious is Summer Song. Did I mention HURRAH!

So, that was April. Now I'll get back to proper real time like it says on the calendar. Promise!

COLOUR COORDINATION: KEY TO A HAPPY WORKPLACE

2010-03-17T08:47:00.002+11:00

Sometimes it just all comes together...at the behest of Beatrice, business manager and clothing queen, we present our little team at our colour coordinated best. Beatrice has a eye for these things, and one doesn't say no to Beatrice. So here we are, minus Basil the new boy, who did not coordinate at all. We'll sort him out, give us time.

From the left it's Gertie, Beatrice and me.

WORK IN PROGRESS...MINUS THE PROGRESS

2010-03-15T08:20:00.000+11:00

I live in a house overrun with good intentions, big ideas and unfinished projects. One such good intention, big idea and unfinished project is my birdie pin cushion. On a bit of a pincushion jag at the moment, I think it's because every time I put my hand on a flat surface it comes back with a needle stuck in it. Yes, yes, needles live in needle cases, not pincushions, but a pointy thing is a pointy thing and they need a lodging place that isn't my palm. And I MUST finish something before I get distracted by a new obsession with needle cases. I stitched the birdie using one of our Make It iron-on embroidery transfers, designed by Gertie. These things are fab, I am planning a few more projects using others in the range, but I digress. Back to birdie.

Birdie is from the Rockabilly set of transfers, and now that his promotional duties are done I thought I'd make him into something useful. The pencil scrawls in the top corners are my own invention said the White Knight, and that's as far as the grand pincushion plan got...well, that and selecting fabrics for the back and sides. I'm hoping that by putting him out there in a sadly unfinished state I will be encouraged to rectify the situation immediately. Or at least soonish. Gertie, put that stick down.

WORK IN PROGRESS

2010-03-11T08:44:00.001+11:00

At various times around the office we like to take a stab at the products we've come up with. Not only do you get a wee thrill from seeing something you've designed become an actual finished thing, but a bit of craft can be MOST therapeutic when you've spend hours staring at a spreadsheet full of numbers that don't add up, or laying out endless pages of carded buttons that all look exactly the same but, in ways you cannot fathom, are different. Really they are. Designer Gertie is currently alleviating her mental RSI by stitching one of our new Make It tapestry panels.

Looking rather tasty, don't you think? Especially that red. Actually, I don't know if this thought was rattling around in the back of my mind waving it's arms about when I designed these, but the colours would go particularly well with my couch. What a shame that the finished product will be sent to our retailers for in-store promotion and not my house. Stitch on, Gertie...

BY NAME, BY NATURE

2010-03-08T18:43:00.000+11:00

One of the most depressing things you can imagine is wandering past shelves stacked with bolts and bolts of gorgeous fabric that you can't scarper off with. I have particular problems with the Riley Blake shelves. Possibly more depressing is when a lovely great wodge of the stuff lands on your desk and you have to send it to someone else. This slab of yum is "Sublime".

And how. It's my favourite warehouse ogle for March. For now (early days). I am taking some consolation (quite alot actually) in the fact that while I can't take it home and gaze apon it lovingly while imagining all the things I could do if I could just bring myself to pick up the scissors, it is going to an expert. Sarah Fielke to be precise, who is going to "play with it" and no doubt come up with something delish on Sewn. Does my excitement outweigh my jealousy? Oh yes. Will keep you posted on the results.

SUMMER'S OVER...

2010-02-22T16:54:00.000+11:00

...so it's time to get ready for autumn. Autumn is one of my favourite times of year, time to get those new knitting projects underway (and maybe even finish one), being able to claim roast potatoes and treacle pudding as dietary necessities, proof positive that a vintage glove collection DOES have a practical purpose, what's not to love? There is one autumnal thing though that I'm not so keen on and that is the impending darkness. March days may still be warm and sunny, but if, like me, you walk to the train station at a frankly cruel hour of the morning then you'll know that the sun is taking it's time about coming up and daylight savings is on the way out.

So, to make the mornings seem a bit more bearable and make up for all the stumbling into furniture at five a.m I need something shiny. Not just a bit shiny, but the kind of shiny that induces drooling. And what should I find in the warehouse but these gems...

Now those are what I call buttons. They're one of our newest ranges called Iced Coconut, made with real coconut shell and a luscious thick translucent glaze. Two sizes, five colours and as close to edible as a button gets. Can you tell I quite like them? So then, onto my commuter's treat. Must be cheering and simple enough to whip up on the train. I think a choker will do nicely.

Measure your neck. All important step. I'm making my choker about 15 inches long for a close fit, so I need 9 large buttons (they're about 1.5 inches in diameter), red of course and 5 smaller ones in a contrasting colour. Blue? Lovely.

Grab a skein of DMC Perle no.5 cotton in whatever colour pleases you best (I've used 3371 Black Brown) and a tapestry needle, size 24-20 would be ideal. Any kind of large eyed needle will do, I personally prefer a tapestry needle as it has a blunt tip and I'm quite prone to self-inflicted stick injuries. You'll also need a small button for fastening your choker, it'll be hidden under a glamour button so looks are unimportant. Cut yourself a generous length of Perle cotton, at least 3 times as long as your finished choker. Double the thread and thread the needle with the two cut ends, so the loop is at the end of the length. This loop will be used to fasten the choker.

With a bit of blu-tack, or tacking if you're truly dedicated, stick the sensible button to the back of a second large glamour button.Slip the loop extending from the first button over the sensible button and slide the two glamour buttons together. This will determine the length of your fastening loop.

Remove loop from around sensible button and, holding it firmly in place, sew the large and small glamour buttons together. Now, with shiny sides down, place a large button alongside the buttons you have just sewn together, and working from the back, sew through the holes two or three times. I like my buttons close together, you may like yours with some space between, it's up to you how much space you leave.

Continue on, alternating small on top of large with plain large buttons till you reach your last button. Attach this as you did the previous buttons, but after you have passed the thread throught the glamour button once, place the sensible button on the back and stitch together securely. Pass thread between sensible and glamour button to finish, trim excess and voila! Shininess is yours, in record time.