Jane Austen Visits Threadbear.

Everyone loves a little bit of Jane Austen, right!......and we don't just mean Mr. Darcy.  We are absorbed in all things Austen today with the arrival of a new Quiltmania book from Benedicte Maurin..."Good Day, Miss Austen.....Quilts, Dolls and More". This is a very pretty book, full of small projects...dolls, and crib quilts....gorgeous cushions, quilts and stitcheries.

If you love the look of old fashioned dollies or pretty pieced quilts with delicate stitcheries well you will love this book and it will be a great book to have in your library for days when you need a bit of Jane Austen inspiration.

Preparations are well under way for our Winter Midday to Midnight sit and sew on July 19th....so call us at the shop if you would like to join the fun....it is $60.00 to book and that includes meals, snacks, 3 free patterns and one starter pack....also included is heaps of fun with old and new friends.

We are busy cutting and packing our starter packs that go with the free patterns you will receive on the day...and we are really looking forward to a fun time...it is always fun when friends get together to sew...and snack of course. Places are filling fast

We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and we hope you all get lots of sewing done...maybe even a bit of weekend snoozing in a warm cosy spot.....as recommended by Sammy.

12 Whole Hours of Stitching.

Can you imagine the fun we are all going to have on July 19th....yes indeed...12 whole hours of stitching fun. We still have a few places left for our winter, Midday to Midnight sit and sew...so come along and join in, get together with some stitching friends and make a weekend of it, or come alone and make a heap of new stitching friends.  You can of course bring your own projects to work on, or start on one of the 3 free patterns you will receive, including one free starter pack of your choice.  There will be nibbles and snacks plus dinner and supper provided....and just a whole heap of fun.  This event costs $60.00 and you can just call us at the shop to book. 

If the thought of all that sewing fun hasn't tempted you just take a sneak peak at one of the 3 free patterns you will receive...this is Megan's gorgeous cushion....sooooo very cute.

New Paula Barnes fabric has arrived this week...."Red and Blue Tavern" is a great collection of rich reds and blues, with some deep beiges as well.....there are some great small prints in this range plus one bold all over print and a border stripe that just shout out fussy cutting fun.

 

They are $23.50 mt and as usual, if you think this range of reds and blues would be a handy addition to your stash we have 1/8 packs of all 18 fabrics for $54.00....and you can call us at the shop if  you are tempted.

Sammy is already looking forward to Midday to Midnight on July 19th and it seems he has taken a special likening to Megan's new pattern....

so when you receive your free pattern on July 19th you will know it comes with Sammy's special seal of approval.

Yuwa Pretties for the Weekend.

How good are these Yuwa fabrics....these Japanese fabrics are always absolutely stunning...they are the best quality cottons and their designs always make us all oooohhh and aaaahhhh. Lots of new Yuwa pretties arrived at the shop this week....

Strawberry and cherry lovers will go wild for this fantastic print and just look at this show stopper....there are extra oooohs and aaaahs for this amazing toile....absolutely gorgeous....we will all want some of this for the stash.

The Yuwa prints will be on our website next week but if you can't wait, just ring or email us at the shop.

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Thank you so much Michelle for sharing your fantastic quilt with us...we are so glad you brought it in for us all see....there are some beautiful fabrics in this quilt , including a sensational Dutch chintz border, and we just love Michelle's beautiful centre appliqué block.

 

Now Sammy is all set for the winter months...he has had a visit to the hairdresser for his winter trim and his brand new coat for wet and cold days was a gift from his friends Margaret and Chris...he looks so handsome...and he is looking forward to a great weekend in his new clothes.....hope everyone has a fantastic weekend...with lots and lots of sewing time.

Extra Special.

Last Saturday, June7th, was our regular meeting of the Castlemaine Appliqué Group (CAG), and as you would know by now, we always look forward to these meetings because we know that we are in for a day of warmth, friendship and fun, fun, fun...but my oh my, this CAG gathering was so much more for all who attended...it was a very special day.

Saturday's meeting gave us the chance to hand over a cheque for $10,000 to the Oncology Nurses from North East Health, Wangarratta, who joined us on Saturday....this was the money raised from CAG's first Quilt Exhibition in March this year.  Our contribution will purchase a new Day Treatment Chair as well as a new equipment trolley for the team and patients at North East Health's Oncology Unit. There were tears and hugs throughout the room as the cheque was presented to the four girls from Wangaratta ....and we all reflected on the difference this will make in the lives of so many.

Thanks once again to all those CAG members that worked so hard and volunteered their time to make the exhibition such a success...congratulations to you all..it was a mighty effort..and all we can say now is...can't wait for the next exhibition.

Thanks also go to Louiseann and Di for bringing along their absolutely gorgeous antique quilts to share with us all...after all the emotion of the cheque handover it was a fantastic way to end our meeting......who doesn't love to look at every tiny detail of stunning antique quilts and absorb themselves in the beautiful fabrics, and the tiny little stitches from the past.....they were beautiful quilts and we we're thrilled to be able to enjoy them.

 

Now....just have a look at this pretty, pretty appliqué....what a tempting little sneak peak it is to be sure......It is the centre block of small quilt ~ the start of just one of the three patterns you'll receive if you join the Threadbear girls for their Midday to Midnight on July 19th.  Email Threadbear on: info@threadbear for details.  

And how can we finish any chat about a meeting of CAG with out a photo of Sammy, sitting in his chair in the classroom just waiting for all the pats and cuddles he gets as he catches up with all his friends on CAG days....yes, we saw some beautiful antique quilts and handed over the money raised from CAG's first Quilt Exhibition...but for Sammy it's all about the pats.

Yummy Border Prints.

Last week were all pretty excited when new Dutch Chintz from Petra Prins and Nel Kooiman arrived....all those great new colours and prints sent us wild with delight, but now....feast your eyes on these sensational border prints from Petra and Nel, designed to compliment their new ranges.

 Who does not love a really fantastic border print....and these border prints are just gorgeous...we have the same print in 4 colourways, a dusty red, a great mid blue, a stunning aubergine and a beautiful deep ecru....and as always, the difficult part is making the decision on which colour to buy.  Each is cut at 6" wide x 10 mts long, so there is plenty in each pack for a large quilt.  At  $40.00 a pack they're great value too.

Even more excitement in the shop this week with another fabric delivery, and another really fantastic range of small prints and blenders and backgrounds....

"Softly Spoken" by Harriet Hargrave for Marcus Fabrics is 21 fabrics in the best range of soft pinks, browns and blues..This range ticks all the boxes..it has a fantastic check, great stripes, ideal backgrounds and some pretty florals, great for fussy cutting

"Softly Spoken" is $20.00 mt and these oh so tempting 1/8 packs are $63.00....as always a great way to get a little bit of the entire range.

Our new fabrics will be on the web site next week but if you can't wait you can ring us at the shop any time.

As you can see Sammy has been in the classroom helping us cut and fold all our new fabrics...all our jobs go smoothly with Sammy's help and good company...but it is Friday now.....he has worked hard all week and we just caught him having a great big yawn....time for us all to wind down and think of our sewing projects...hope everyone has a great weekend and hope we all get lots and lots of sewing time.

Dutch Chintz Rules

Well.....let's all send huge congratulations to Petra Prins and Nel Kooiman on the arrival of more of their beautiful fabric, more gorgeous Dutch chintz in a range of absolutely stunning new colours and prints....it is just mouth wateringly gorgeous and we are already thinking of all the fabulous things we can do with these new designs and colours.

They are $22.00 mt. and these tempting little fat 1/4s are $6.00 each.

Winter is now three days old so it is time to think about all the snuggley thing we love about cold days....flannel pjs, yummy soup and warm cosy sewing days.....if you fancy a bit of mid winter pampering we still have spaces left for our winter retreat on July 19th....we have planned lots of  Midday to Midnight fun...it promises to be lots of fun for all..there will be time to sit and sew with friends and just relax for a while ..the retreat is $60.00 and includes snacks and meals...free patterns and lots more.

We have yummy hazelnut shortbreads for morning tea today...Sammy is just checking to see that they are still on the table...he is just thinking of us, we are sure he dosnt have any personal interest in our hazelnut shortbreads.

Weekend Road Trip.

There is lots of activity and busyness at Threadbear this morning as we get the shop ready for a weekend visit to the Waverley Patchworkers Quilt Show.  We are having a great time selecting lots of beautiful fabrics, patterns and books to take along.

The quilt show is open from 9.00 to 5.00 on Saturday May 31st and from 9.00 to 4.00 on Sunday June 1st.....Corliss will be there with all the fabulous Threadbear goodies we are packing today.

If you are looking for a fun outing this weekend come along and say hi to Corliss at the Mt Waverley Community Centre, Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley.
Of course Threadbear will still be open all weekend and Kurt and Sammy will be there to greet you.

We have gorgeous new little fabric rolls in the shop, and we also have some packed for the trip to Waverley....12 fabrics in each roll, 4" x 21".....in lots of great colour combinations, perfect colour selections for appliqué, hand piecing or any other purpose that takes your fancy when you want more fabulous little pops of colour...they are $15.00, and it sure is hard to stop at one.

It is great fun when we take the shop out for a visit but as you can imagine, there is a bit of work involved, so all hands on deck makes for a quick and easy job....however, this morning Sammy has decided the bustle is just too much for him....he has turned his back on it all and is having a very pleasant morning looking out the window....with an occasional glance to make sure we are all working hard.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone....we hope that you all get plenty of time with your favourite project(projects), and maybe some wine and chocolate as well.

Last Chance to Win.

Oh good grief, just look at this quilt. Many of you have probably seen this amazing,gorgeous quilt before but it is certainly worth another look, it is an absolute stunner.....and can you believe that it is a raffle quilt.....and it is not too late to buy a ticket for a chance to win...so...Don't miss out.

Attend the Celebration Dinner where the winner of this glorious quilt will be announced. This Sue Garman design was lovingly made by a group of twenty one women organised by Rose Piper & Robyn Falloon.  Their aim was to raise thousands of dollars for the Caroline Chisholm Society and that's exactly what they've done.   There is still time to purchase a ticket to win the quilt and to attend the celebration dinner.  Enjoy the night with the quilters, a special guest speaker, terrific door prizes, great food & drinks. Hope to see you there!

Here are the links:

DINNER:  http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=79389

RAFFLE TICKET:  http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=57103

Now as we always say...who dosnt love a toile, and.....who dosnt love a good script...and we have a fantastic script in the shop right now....it is a light pretty script on a background of soft taupey grey...it is soft and subtle and would make a cracker of a background fabric.

And also in the shop, two new toiles....now the rule with toiles is get them when you see them because sometimes there is a positive toile drought and that is always the very time that you need one...they are very handy fabrics to have in the stash, and also.....they are just plain gorgeous.

These two toiles are "Williamsburg, Hennessy"  by Windham  Fabrics....as you can see, the colours are rich and very very pretty.

As you all know, Sammy is a loyal Kanga supporter...and you can tell by the look on his face that the Kangas had a loss last week.....but Sammy still flys the Blue and White colours....a win next week for sure.

Rainy Friday.

Can you imagine living on an island...sounds so exotic dosn't  it...until you need to buy fabric that is...we had a call yesterday from a customer who really does live on an island....she would like to make the stunning "Gracedale Doves" from the Max & Louise pattern company, and just look at this beautiful collection of fabrics Megan has put together as a kit for this pretty quilt...isn't that going to be a beautiful parcel to get in the mail. 

We have copies in the shop of another great Quiltmania book...."Country Quilts for your Soul" by Jan Patek.

Most of you will already know Jan Patek for her wonderful quilts, full of whimsy and naive
charm....if you have a little spot in your heart for a bit of country fun well you will love this book...the patterns are full of joy and one look at these quilts makes you dream of cosy days at home, on the sofa or curled up in front of a fire.

 

It is a beautiful rainy day here in Castlemaine today...so nice to be cosy and warm inside and enjoy the sound of rain on the roof.....perfect conditions for sewing.  No matter where you are we hope you all have a wonderful weekend and no matter what the weather we hope you all have a great weekend of stitching....Sammy says have a great weekend everyone.