home again to stay

Well I am finally home to stay awhile much to the delight of the girls. Its tag team here however as my DH left this morning for the first of two trips with his work.

Market was wonderful in Sydney over the weekend albeit a little slow and quiet. Wonderful to catch up with not only friends and my store customers but also other like minded passionate and very fun designers.

It was great to meet (for just a minute or two) the lovely Natalie at her first show - I hope to get to know her better, you would all probably know her as she has been around for some time, I have just never been close enough to meet her. I also met Lisa from Megelly bears- and I have to admit not being a bear maker did not know her bears but look at her blog, they are gorgeous, to die for bears.

I had the chance to really talk to many as 'everyone' wanted to sit at my table to colour a free boobie button - yes, they were a hit! and I ran out by Sunday lunch time but I am sure you will see them in your local stores soon.... its so refreshing taking grown women back to their childhood and watching them really get absorbed in colouring in the lines.... silly me however, did not get my camera out so I have no pics to show you of either the booth or boobie button colouring this time.

On the Saturday night this year the organisers arranged a dinner to present the inaugural Quilt Industry awards. I did have my camera there to take a quick snap of Australia's best quilt fabric rep (well it was actually QLD title but we all know she's Australia's best) and she really does deserve this title with all the extra effort she puts into her job. Congratulations Di.

and do you think we could stop Lilian talking after she won a most unexpected award for Tasmania's best merchandised store. Well done Esmes...

I can show you what I finished Wednesday morning before leaving after a marathon quilting effort on little Bernie. 6 hours Monday, 14 hours straight on Tuesday and she was ready for binding. Now I have to write up the patterns and shop kit so if I am absent for a little while again I have my fingers glued to the keyboard and my head pointing towards the monitor....

Presenting - Neenie's Garden

It will be on the website with local store listings very soon

hugs, Helen

links and things

yes, Missing in Action part 2 is still to come. Will try to do tonight. Problem is I was wrapping a new book for a birthday present and just thought I'd peek at the introduction - say no more, I have about 20 pages to go and have done nothing else!!!

in the meantime I just had to share this wonderful bit of info I just surfed in on - quite old news but I must have missed it...

Karen Dirix won the Down Under Quilts best us of colour award at the Canberra Quilters Exhibition last year with her version of my Daisy Dance quilt. You can see it here - I am so pleased for her, this quilt is a mammoth effort of applique and dont you agree her colour choices are stunning... Its always so nice to see your own efforts being done so well by others and then to see them achieve such results is very gratifiying to me - to think that I had a little part in her enjoyment and helped with her passion of stitching is what its all about. I don't know Karen, so if you happen to read this and know her please pass on my congrats.

I found it whilst looking at this new online site - Its own very own Kerri Anne Kennerly's (you know - from the morning show on Channel 9 I think) new venture. For those of you who dont know Kerri-Anne has been on our Television screens for many years as a general talk show, variety show host and is very well known in Australia. And we dont think of those 'types' of personalities having any personal spare time to pick up a needle and thread. I'd like to see some of the projects Kerri-Anne has actually made.

Have a good surf, there is lots on there to inspire and heaps of ideas and suggestions. Lots of softies, see the great knitted cupcakes. It's rather hip and modern in a lot of ways but she is also into quilts, knitting and much much more....

And if I link here I might get to be a part of it :)

Thirdly, check out the sneak peek of Sharon Schambers new quilt entered into Paducah - they are not sure if is the one of two accepted or not yet (She entered two and one is accepted), but from this peek I am sure it is as amazing as her last two winners... This is one amazingly talented lady - and she is also very nice and generous! It and many more of her exquisite peices can be seen on her website at http://sharonschambernetwork.com/

I emailed to ask permission to put this picture on my blog and they have given me some links for discounts for you all! Just for asking permission.... how nice is that? so if you are blown away by Sharons quilting then maybe subsribe using these codes to get a nice discount. She has heaps of videos, some free and some if you subscribe on her great techniques - they are really worth looking at.

So if you go to

http://sharonschambernetwork.com/login

in the code box you can use the following codes

SSN03 = $10 off a six month membership
SSN04 = $15 off a yearly membership

hugs til tonight

Helen