Show and Tell from our Castlemaine Applique Group

This week we took delivery of an assortment of great fabrics from Moda including these handy stash builders from Blue Barn Prints and Grand Traverse Bay ~ all $26.50 a metre.

PLUS, we restocked the VERY popular "Longfellow "script print from Windham Fabrics seen here in light mottled  cream and a light tan (centre 2 fabrics). 

Brilliant backgrounds and a cute novelty vintage sewing print 

As promised, here is some of the beautiful work we saw at Show &Tell at our last meeting of the Castlemaine Applique Group. There's always so much talent and enthusiasm in the room, and even some not in the room! Our Show & Tell kicked off with this beauty Helen Hayes sent along with friends even though she couldn't get to the meeting herself!  Wow, thanks Helen for showing us this gorgeous quilt - started in a class with Di Ford-Hall at Primarily Patchwork years ago and just recently finished.  We love Helen's use of colour!

Helen Hayes' finished quilt 

Sue made this scaled down version of Di Ford-Hall's Maggie Grace's Garden for a baby on the way - pity the baby arrived and is a boy - so now she's making another identical quilt in navy red, and cream!

Rose is a"Finisher" - and did a beautiful job on what was a UFO.

When Robyn celebrated a special birthday (yep, 21) her lovely sewing group
made her this stunning quilt!

Jenni brought along this gorgeous applique quilt to share - isn't it fantastic!

Jocelyn is powering ahead with her Celebrating Mary Brown at an astonishing pace! 

Jan brought along a very sweet little 1930s baby quilt

Here's Barb's Blessing Quilt made in class with Robyn Falloon - beautiful colours Barb!

Our best buddy Sam has been disgracing himself this week~  you've heard of skip diving...well Sammy's been Bin-Diving.  The medicine he is on at the moment makes him extra hungry and he's been face-planting every rubbish bin in sight here at the shop in the hope of finding a little extra morsel of food.  Lunch time at Threadbear has become a precarious balancing act as we guard our sandwich from the marauding hound!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Butter would not melt in his mouth!  He'd already have swallowed it!

Gratitude ~ new fabrics from Jo Morton

And grateful we were indeed to see these beautiful fabrics arrive at Threadbear this week.  We picked some of our favourites from, "Gratitude",  Jo Morton's new range for Moda.  The border  prints are sublime and the colours are warm and have a slightly faded look that we love. We are still trying to pick our favourite from the red, the teal, the brown, and the parchment colourway.

#1 Gratitude $26.50m

#2 Gratitude $26.50m

#3 Gratitude $26.50m

#4 Gratitude $26.50m

#5 Gratitude $26.50m

#6 Gratitude $26.50m

#7 Gratitude $26.50m

Our Applique Group met again last Saturday and we were all treated to the fabulous quilts of Ann Ransom (of Secret Sewing Sisterhood renown).  Ann's quilts often have a quirky twist or a bold and innovative choice of colour and print and we always enjoy her show and tell.  Here are some of her beautiful quilts that she shared with the Group.

Ann's amazing colours make this simple piecing sing - just like the Toucan in the middle

Ann's own colour choice for her Mountmellick works beautifully

How gorgeous is this Yoko Sato design

Lots and lots of clamshells

Antique Wedding Sampler made for a special daughter

We have lots more show and tell to show you from Saturday ~ too much for today's blog.  So be sure to drop by again next week. Sam will be waiting to see you!  Have a great weekend everyone.

Catching up with quilting friends .....

Well that last three weeks certainly went by in a flash and here we are part way into August gearing up for some spring weather.  Sorry we've not blogged for a bit - however we have been updating our Instagram. So what's been happening at Threadbear?  Late last month we enjoyed another great class with Di Ford-Hall where lots of enthusiastic girls made a start on their Giggleswick quilt.

cutting out Giggleswick Mill flowers for broderie perse applique

The following week we welcomed a gorgeous group of friends from Western Australia and Queensland who meet up for retreat once a year.  This year they stayed in Castlemaine for the week and booked our classroom for a day to sit and sew, chat and shop.  It was so nice to have them here, share a coffee and a chat, and see their work and even a finished quilt or two.  Faye brought along her English Basket Quilt to show Corliss -we really love the colors Faye!

Faye's English Basket Quilt (pattern available at Threadbear)

Then it was time to cut and send out our Fabric Club ~ this time ladies received either a beautiful floral border stripe from Southern Exposure by Laundry Basket Quilts, teamed with a selection of fabrics in gold, red, teal, and pink, or a stunning Hyde Park Floral teamed with coordinating fabrics in olive green, gold, pink, mulberry, and berry red.

Southern Expoure border print and a selection of fabrics to match

Hyde Park floraland our choice of coordinating prints and colours.

This week we began preparations for our roadtrip to take Threadbear to the South Australian Quilters' Guild Festival of Quilts Show & Expo!!! Threadbear will be trading at the Show throughout the three days and we are definitely looking forward to catching up with our many SA customers.  Why not grab a girlfriend and plan a trip to see the display of stunning quilts and lots of shops at Morphettville  Racecourse,  Friday 30 September ~ Sunday 2 October 10am - 4pm. Free parking, $10 entry, lots of Shops & Demonstrations throughout the three days. For more details, click this link. New to our shelves yesterday were these two prints from Moda - both with words and script, although in entirely different styles.  They make fabulous backgrounds for all sorts of projects.

Volume II by Moda $26.50m

Bee Creative by Moda $26.50m

We also managed to get some more of these must-have stripes from Southern Exposure by Laundry Basket Quilts in teal, brown, red, and pink. 

Southern Exposure prints ~ $26.50m

To top our week off, Kathy and Rowena sent Corliss these beautiful flowers as a special thankyou following their visit to Threadbear that morning.  We are still enjoying the pretty arrangement and really appreciate the sentiment ~ thanks again Kathy and Rowena.

Sam has spent quite a few days here at the shop in the last couple of weeks, greeting all customers enthusiastically, even those who didn't want to be greeted!  Although he is missing one very special friend so he's sending a special splutter/sneeze & lick to Wiebke this week. While Spring is on it's way, we've had plenty of wintery days and icey cold nights, so Sam has been crawling under any and every blanket, quilt, jumper or current applique project he can find!  Watch out for the needle Sam! Have a great weekend everyone!