Quilting
|
| Australian Machine Quilt Festival
View Website
| The inaugural Australian Machine Quilting Festival is dedicated to providing inspiration, education and encouragement to all machine quilters that own a longarm, midarm and/or a domestic sewing machine. In 2010, the festival, from October 1–4, will feature five international teachers, plenty of wonderful Australian teachers, longarm quilting classes, domestic machine quilting classes, and digitising classes for quilters and embroiderers. There will also be a quilt show, vendor mall and a banquet dinner with guest speaker Kim Brunner from Minnesota, USA. The festival will be open to the public every day, so why not join the venture to grow and learn about machine quilting? (For more information please visit www.amqfestival.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Bernina
View Website
| Turn your creative ideas into an embroidered reality and piece together wonderful new quilts with the help of the amazing embroidery software Bernina Designer Plus or Bernina Editor Plus. For those who already own an older version of this software, you can rediscover the pleasure of exploring your embroidery dreams with the V6 Software Update. Included in the Bernina Embroidery Software V6 package is the new and exclusive CorelDRAW® Essentials 4 program — the best creative drawing and embroidery software available — which allows you to apply special effects to artwork, as well as add text, shapes or freehand drawn elements to your designs! With more than 500 embroidery designs included with the package and special effects galore, the V6 Software offers unlimited creative opportunities and fun for all crafters, so why not drop by your local Bernina dealer for a demonstration? (For more information please visit www.bernina.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Country Patchwork Cottage
| Are you on a Patchwork mission? If so, Country Patchwork Cottage is the store to visit. Whether you need patchwork fabric or pre-cuts, books and patterns to inspire, or kits that are ready to go, you’ll find it all here! Country Patchwork Cottage now also stocks the full range of hand embroidery variegated threads by Threadworx, perfect for complementing the many new stitchery designs also now on offer in store. So what are you waiting for? Visit Country Patchwork Cottage today! (For more information please phone [08] 9345 3550 or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Craft & Quilt Fair
View Website
| Fancy learning about the latest craft gizmos? If so, you mustn’t miss the Craft & Quilt Fair, where a new feature will showcase cutting-edge gadgets, machines, tools and technology all designed for the craft user! Craftech will display a variety of innovations such as the latest sewing computers, die-cutting machines for papercraft and interesting new inventions. In 2010, the Craft & Quilt Fair, from Expertise Events, will be on in Canberra, August 5-8; Hamilton New Zealand, September 9-12; and, for the first time, Christchurch New Zealand, September 17-19. (For more information please visit www.craftfair.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Craftpaks
View Website
| Craftpaks is situated in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, an easy 30-minute drive from the city. The team at Craftpaks prides itself on having the perfect finishing touch for your projects. At Craftpaks, you’ll find hundreds of charms and findings, as well as buttons, braids, ribbons, beads and beautiful enamelled charms. You’ll also find silk prints including teddies, houses, Edwardian ladies and birds. You could even embellish your next pretty project with some beautiful butterflies! These sweet dimensional butterflies are available in pink, purple and white and are easy to stitch onto quilts and cushions for a lovely effect. The butterflies come in packs if five (two large and three small) and a pack costs $19.95. (For more information please visit www.craftpaks.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Dyed and Gone To Heaven
View Website
| Capture the beauty of the ocean in your home with Beneath the Surface, a stunning new design by Lisa Walton of Dyed and Gone to Heaven. Using a simple curved piecing technique and embellishing with Angelina fibres and beads, you too can create your own version of this exciting original design. Kits, including all instructions and hand-dyed fabric, Angelina fibres, beads and beading thread, are available from Dyed and Gone to Heaven. Co-ordinating backing fabric is also available. (For more information please visit www.dyedheaven.com, call [02] 9560 7625 or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| J Leutenegger
View Website
| Add a touch of nostalgia to your décor with this gorgeous new range of Make It Vintage Alphabet cross-stitch kits distributed by J. Leutenegger. The blend of tradition and contemporary style makes these designs perfect for a host of interior applications, from wall art for a playroom to cushions for a modern lounge or even as part of a special quilt. Each kit comes with everything you need to complete the design. To locate your nearest stockists of the Make It range of products, contact J. Leutenegger. (For more information please phone [02] 9526 9200, visit www.leutenegger.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Janome
View Website
| Take quilting, embroidery and crafting to a whole new level with the Janome Memory Craft 11000 Special Edition. This upgradable computerised sewing and embroidery machine has SFS (Superior Feeding System) for 687 built-in stitches, plus an impressive Robotics Linear Motion Guide for accurate embroidery stitching with 170 built-in embroidery designs including 48 AcuFil patterns and stippling patterns/designs. The new AQ Hoop means you can stipple in the hoop to create seamless embroidered all-over quilting. The AcuFil Calculator calculates the size of your chosen design to optimise the number of hoopings required for your quilt size. Plus you can save the design and its layout to a USB memory stick and print from your computer with the AcuFil Print Tool. Furthermore, there is on-board editing, jump thread trimming, large i-Height moveable touch screen, maximum 200mm x 280mm embroidery field with up to 800spm embroidery speed with variable speed control, bed working space over 230mm, two USB ports, ATA PC card slot and an optional external CD-ROM drive. You couldn’t ask for more for all your sewing and embroidery needs with this amazing Memory Craft 11000 Special Edition. (For more information please visit www.janome.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| John Watts Quilting
View Website
| Quilting life has just been made easier for hand-quilting enthusiasts, thanks to the EZ3 No-Baste Hand Quilting Frame. Made by the Grace Company and distributed in Australia by John Watts Quilting, this wonderful frame can be set up at 32in, 64in and 96in and can be collapsed flat — even when holding a quilt! Once collapsed, the frame measures just a few inches high, allowing it to be stored under a bed and making it perfect for those who don’t have enough space to have a frame set up all the time. The EZ3 No-Baste Hand Quilting Frame’s compact packaging also makes it easy for you to take it on holidays or to your favourite quilting retreat. Best of all, this frame means no more basting and no more crawling around the floor! The EZ3 No-Baste Hand Quilting Frame is priced at just $599 plus p&h and is available from John Watts Quilting. (For more information please visit www.johnwattssewing.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| KoolKat Quilting
View Website
| Are you a “topper”? Topper is the name given to an avid quiltmaker who prefers to do the piecing or appliqué on her quilt top and then hands it over to a professional quilter for the finishing touches. If you’re a topper, Kathy Adams of KoolKat Quilting can help you get more quilts finished. Kathy offers a longarm quilting service, and with three computerised machines now working full time, KoolKat guarantees your edge-to-edge quilted masterpiece will be back to you just one week after receipt! With seven years and 2000 quilts of experience behind her, you can rest assured that your quilt is in good hands. KoolKat’s customers have won first place in the “Commercially Quilted” category at the QLD Quilters Show in 2009, 2008 and 2007. (For more information please visit www.koolkatquilting.com.au, phone (07) 4696 8746 or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Macs Crafts Wholesalers and Distributors
| Cicely Mary Barker first created the Flower Fairy Alphabet, all the way back in the 1930s. Beautifully re-created and licensed to Michael Miller Fabrics, the Flower Fairies Alphabet is celebrated in a new fabric collection, following the popular ranges of Flower Fairies fabrics already available. The Flower Fairy Alphabet range includes two delightful panels, one featuring 24 Alphabet Fairies, as originally designed by Cicely, with each fairy holding a letter relating to a flower. The other panel features an enlarged image of the beautiful Strawberry Fairy. Perfect for co-ordinating with the other Flower Fairy fabrics, this new collection, distributed by Macs Crafts, is a must for all fans of the enchanting Flower Fairies range. (For more information please call [02] 8824 1111, email mailorders@macscrafts.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Onpoint Patchwork and Needlecraft
View Website
| Today, embroidery features strongly in many popular patchwork designs, helping this beautiful art to stay strong. Most modern embroidery patterns incorporate just a few basic stitches, enabling even beginners to easily complete these lovely projects. If you love embroidery, be sure to check out the great range of quilts featuring stitcheries now available at Onpoint Patchwork and Needlecraft. Another popular theme in craft at the moment is cupcakes. These sweet treats feature in both patterns and fabrics and at Onpoint Patchwork and Needlecraft, several fabrics featuring cupcakes, cakes and chocolates are on offer. You’re sure to be tempted by scrumptious cupcake designs from Brenda Ryan’s Thimblestitch, Ella and Skysie Designs and Sally Giblin. To accompany your cupcakes, why not add a coffee print? Many gorgeous coffee prints are also available from Onpoint Patchwork and Needlecraft now. (For more information please visit www.onpointpatchworkandneedlecraft.com or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Pattern Press
View website
| If you are a lover of antique and reproduction sampler quilts, you can’t afford to miss the new online sampler quilt Pieces of the Past, designed by Michelle Yeo and published by Pattern Press. Well-known Australian quilt designer Michelle has created nine wonderful blocks that are each being sold by nine different Australian stores. Each store has also designed a magnificent finished quilt using the blocks, so you get to choose which design to create! Using wonderful reproduction prints from The Civil War Tribute Collection, the Pieces of the Past patterns include hand- and machine-piecing instructions. All patterns are also sold with full fabric kits. Kits will be limited, so join in the fun now. (For more information please visit www.piecesofthepast.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Pfaff
View Website
| With this fabulous kit from Pfaff, you can create a beautiful linen pillow while learning new techniques on your Pfaff sewing machine! Inside the Elegant Linen Pillow kit you will find a beautiful full-colour spiral-bound workbook with clear and concise instructions plus all the fabrics, stabilisers and cording needed to complete this stunning pillow. While creating this project, you will learn several techniques using a variety of specialty accessory feet for your Pfaff computerised or embroidery machine.
Some techniques used are:
The Candlewicking Foot with IDT — The Candlewicking foot has a deep tunnel on the underside of the foot to feed over a built-up stitch.
The !/4in Right Guide Foot — The !/4in Right Guide Foot is designed to help you achieve perfect !/4in seams when piecing. Simply keep the fabric edge next to the guide. The distance between the needle and the right guide is !/4in. The !/4in Right Guide Foot also gives a perfect !/4in topstitch distance from the edge of a block when stitching the blocks, batting and backing together.
The Adjustable Guide Foot with IDT — The Adjustable Guide Foot with IDT guides your topstitching and decorative stitching perfectly. The presser foot has a ruler with an adjustable guide designed so you can place the guide anywhere you want. Place the guide along an already stitched seam or against any edge to give you beautiful topstitching. Use both straight and decorative stitches. It is perfect for channel quilting, too.
The Couching/Braiding Foot — Beautiful decorative effects are the result when you use the Couching/Braiding Foot and your machine’s decorative stitches to sew over loosely spun yarn or a narrow satin ribbon.
The Stitch-in-Ditch Foot with IDT — The Stitch-in-Ditch Foot is designed to help you achieve perfect quilting on the top of your quilt. The guide rides smoothly over the seam for perfect stitching “in the ditch”.
Accessory Feet are not included in the Elegant Linen Pillow Kit. (For more information please visit www.pfaff.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| Quilt Fabric Delights
View Website
| Have you met the Quilt Fabric Delights creative team yet? If not, it’s time to stop by their blog to get acquainted! Each month, the members of the creative team, Lisa Cox, Cheryl Goss of Willowberry Designs, Rachael Measham-Pywell, Amanda Bergamin and Rachael Merrick, make a project using fabrics supplied by Quilt Fabric Delights. The girls then also produce a tutorial for the project, which is available on the blog for free. The creative team offers plenty to inspire you, with great ideas for how to use the beautiful fabrics stocked at Quilt Fabric Delights. Quilt Fabric Delights also offers kits to go with each tutorial, so creating the projects you see on the blog couldn’t be any simpler! (For more information please visit http://qfdcreative.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
| The Patchwork Heart
View Website
| Precut fabrics make quilting a breeze by reducing the amount of time and work required for cutting and preparation. With many books and patterns on precut fabrics already available, The Patchwork Heart is now joining the craze and by creating its own range of beautiful strip packs in quality Japanese fabrics. The Tokyo Twist pack contains true Japanese indigo prints, perfect for Jelly Roll patterns. This collection features 20 different designs, with two 2!/2in strips of each fabric, for a total of 2.5m of traditional Japanese fabric. This pack costs $75 including p&h and is also available in Japanese reds or a mixed colourway with indigo, red and cream. If you need more variety and a bigger cut, the Indigo Two Round Metres pack may be the answer. This pack includes 10 different traditional indigo prints, with 20cm of each design for a total of 2m of fabric. The Two Round Metres pack is $60 including p&h and is also available in red. Another option is the Indigo One Round Metre pack, which contains 10cm of 10 different traditional indigo fabrics for a total of 1m of fabric. This pack is $30 including p&h and is also available in red. (For more information please visit www.thepatchworkheart.com.au or see the Stockists & Contacts list at the end of this issue for business details.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
