noodle box naming

I know its been awhile but I have not forgotten you.. life and stitching just gets in the way!

I have decided to call my new boxes simply 'Stitcher's takeaways' - there were so many names given on both blogs I just could not decide. If stores want to add more to them like thread and fabric then they could be takeaways with the lot!

So I have randomly selected two numbers then found the comments that correspond....

the numbers are:

so that makes the winners:
kjquilts and de

Please send me your snail mail addresses and I'll put an order in my system for when they are ready but that wont be for a little while as I still have to cut 100m of fabric ,send it to the screen printers, cut apart, fold and assemble all the little takeways! so please be patient... and think of me and my girls folding and packing to send little noodle boxes across the world!

Thankyou to every one of you who put in a suggestion or just commented with positive thoughts..
hugs, Helen

quilting in the cold....

We have been having a cold snap here over the weekend yikes.... we had snow in our yard! For some of you I know that is not unusual but here in Hobart it is the middle of summer and it is very rare for us to get snow (maybe once every 2-3 years) in the middle of winter.....

The girls also lost Television priveledges over the weekend (for reasons we shall not disclose) and its amazing what is achieved without a TV on and the weather too ugly to venture outside much.
Miss M practised her recent scrapbooking class by making a birthday treat for her Grandma's 70th tomorrow. She chose antique colours - not because of the age but because of Grandma's taste and decor... Using just what we have here she did a great job I think and Grandma will love it I am certain. I have spent several hours on the Black and white quilt. Why did I decide to go so big?? It took me about a week to transfer the design. I think I have probably quilted about 1 /20th of it so far... And I am not sure if it will be good enough - I may have to colour the whole quilt to hide my quilting imperfections. From a distance though I am very happy how it looks, the bridal satin gives a real trapunto look to the quilt.

So I am thankful for a few days of chilly temperatures so I can stitch to my hearts delight. I will certainly notice the difference next week however when I go here, here, here and here.... then I am sure I will be posting on the 'warm weather'. Can't wait. Karen has a few spots left so give her a call if you are near. We are doing the Blessed beauty wallhanging.

hows the weather in your home today?

hugs, Helen

practise, practise, practise

Yesterday I had another practise class on my Mini Lace project for HMQS in May and at Penny's in a couple of weeks. I had the most wonderful group of ladies who produced such lovely results. JoinTAS after seeing my post here recently also squeezed in and it was lovely to have her company for the trip down to Geeveston.

I think they did such a good job, dont you and I have a few changes to tweak and check before the 'real' thing in a week or so.... I cant believe people want me to teach them colouring in, but just look at the results - and it really is so therapeautic and very satisfying to the colourer to achieve such great things so easily in lovely company.

this was Di's, she chose to keep her elements separated and it gave quite an antique stencilled look - I love it, cant wait to see it finished..Not sure who this one belongs to but they all looked this good...

Well done girls, I had a most lovely day,

hugs, Helen

suprise in the mail....

I was suprised to receive a package in my mail box from Lynette the other day - a lovely suprise it was but I couldnt think of anything she may be sending me...... to my delight I got one too.
See my NPNT blog for pics and more details...

yes, what goes around comes around.... I love it!
hugs, Helen

Schools back!

Hello to all my blogger friends. I have been a little busy preparing for the return to school finally. Unlike the rest of Australia Tasmania still only has 3 school terms which means we have the long 8 week summer break. So although all of our mainland friends and family have been back at school for a good two weeks, we just started today. So, yesterday was spent taking hems up, letting hems down, replacing buttons, replacing worn out names, stitching up holes in seams, polishing shoes (well actually I noticed as Miss M got out of the car this morning that this little job was forgotten) but we should have polished shoes! and last but not least replacing the placket and collar of a worn out rugby jumper... ugghhh! I cant believe I made hundreds of these years ago with another clothing business I used to have..... actually, I must have 'dumped' the knowledge as it took me 20 mins to work out how to do it again.... anyway #2 Tess was happy with the end result and happily went off to school this morning with a jumper which looked brand new! yes I know its the middle of summer, but it is also Hobart! - for non-Australian friends Hobart has a reputation of being cold at the best of times...

anyway, whilst looking for some tape for the placket I found this little treasure which I was only thinking about a week or so ago when discussing school sewing projects with a friend

This was the very first project we had to make in Sewing in year 7, our first year at high school. It was a little sewing caddy, see the pockets? Thread, needles and my very first pair of 'good' fabric scissors went into the pockets then the caddy was rolled up and tied to secure. There are even a few of the original threads deep in the depths of the pockets. And my name tags. Mum obviously gave me her 'less than best' threads to have for school. I wonder where my scissors have gone?

This little treasure was my first attempt at silk ribbon embroidery. After leaving school I joined the Army and was later posted back to Adelaide in my first position. I took my first class at Country Bumpkin in silk ribbon embroidery..... and look where that lead me to.... It is still the most beautiful store with the most beautiful books and magazines and I can say that it started me on the path to where I am at today - I dont think I can attribute that to the sewing caddy experience above but I guess that had some influence also:)

So enough of my reminiscing for one day. If you are doing the Nice People Nice Things Block of the week project I have just put up an extensive tutorial over on the blog to help you out with my back to front quilt as you go method. If you are not doing it you may be interested to see how it works anyway..

hugs for today - my first almost child free day in 8 weeks - poor little Tilly is really missing her big sisters....

Helen

Check out my Slide Show!

Hello today... I have just wasted a little bit of time making this for you..... done very quickly so some more touching up to come. I have put it right down the bottom of the page permanently so you can always scroll to the bottom to have a peak.....hugs, Helen

new things....

I have been running a giveaway over on my NPNT blog for a new product I am working on. Lots of things being planned and worked on at once here for 2008, I think I actually need to write a plan and a to do list each day as I seem to be dabbling in too many at once... Anyway, as I said at the top I have been running a little giveaway....

mmm. what is this you ask? well its a new box, actually about 50 of them, they are the cutest little noodle boxes and I have them in four delicious colours so far... They are going to contain a selection of designs from the Nice People Nice Things kits - just one in each with the preprint, pattern and a needle, all you need when you go away on holidays without a project and are having stitchers withdrawal.... my problem is, I dont know what to call them. Now I have had Huggettes, Tempters, Little Love Notes etcetc..... So the competition is, to name them - you can see some suggestions on the NPNT blog but I am not completely sold on one yet....(but blog friends who gave suggestions, you are still in the running to win so dont panic!)

Want to see some more peeks on new projects? Look at these gorgeous threads which arrived today to go with these to die for fabrics I have been drooling over for a few weeks now waiting for thread..... the designs are done, I now need to get to stitching...

I also have a very exciting blog project in planning stages with some wonderful talented designers from across the globe, it will be a little while before we get going as you can see I have my brain going in many directions just now, but it will be worth waiting for...

now what else, I think thats enough for me and you to handle for today.... please keep me in your thoughts as I take on far too much and stretch myself far too far because I love it and just cannot resist!

oh, the giveaway - I will send out two noodle box kits - yet to be named to two lucky commenters - not necessarily the final namer but you do need to give me a suggestion...

hugs for today

Helen

mini lace bright as promised

Well I have finished colouring the third version of the Mini Lace panel this time using the Inktense pencils. It is not my favourite but gives yet another totally different look dont you think? I also played with a Quizzle and matched colours to my photos from a couple of posts ago... it is so nifty to try different colours and see how they change the total look of the quilt. And matching the colours to photos of nature is really a cheats way of getting something to 'work'.....
this was my sunset/storm pic.... You know there is a free trial Quizzle on the website that you could go and play with colours and a favourite photo and see what you come up with..


and this was my little treasure from the back of the cupboard....

thanks for all the comments and emails on the extra quilt for the book. Actually it is no further ahead than when I posted the pic... so once I do a post on NPNT I am onto it, I really am this time... I have to do the Block of the week post first though or they are onto me!

hugs

Helen

book update

For those who have been wondering and asking here is an update on 'the book'. Unfortunately its release has now been pushed back to Fall (meaning Fall or October in the US being a US Publisher). The Editor has just looked at the manuscript which was there as you may know by end of July last year and would like some 'extra' projects to coordinate... So below is what I have been working on very quickly (they have to be quick or it gets bumped to 2009 and I just cant wait that long -and dont want you to have to wait any longer:) ) for the book... pinned but not quilted yet....

So It will still get there eventually but self publishing is much more 'instant' and satisfying than this waiting waiting.... by the time I have to proof it I am sure I would have forgotten it all, ahhhh the perils of 'proper' book publishing I guess.... Sorry for those of you who are waiting, be patient, I still hope and trust it will be a wonderful technique book for you on ColourqueR when it comes..
best get back to quilting it....
hugs
Helen

colour inspiration

Just clearing off my camera card and here are a few pics I had snapped because of the wonderful colours and textures. When we give colour theory classes with Quizzles I use pictures of nature to find colours that work well together. Look at the lovely shades of lilac to greys and pinks in this eerie looking sunset (it was actually a threatening storm at dusk whilst we were camping in the bush last weekend), I am going to play in my Quizzles patterns to see how it will look....I think it may be a very peaceful quilt....

You may be wondering what the following pics are.....??? well, I think whilst I was stitching the NPNT quilt my Spring Cleaning of 2007 was forgotten, this little beauty I was saving at the back of the bottom shelf of the cupboard and I think that in a former life it was a 'sweet potato'! Yes, sorry girls, stitching comes before house cleaning in this part of the world - are you any different? - give me your secrets if you can manage a stitching passion and a neat house!

anyway, look again at the range of colours to be seen - would make for a lovely 'natural, earthy' quilt maybe.. I couldnt resist getting the camera out.

hugs and inspiration for today

Helen