Christmas Joy Warms the Heart.............

Christmas 2011 has arrived................. Christmas Eve has dawned bright & sunny which is most welcome as we in the Hunter are experiencing an unusually cool & wet start to summer!

Wherever you are are spending Christmas I wish you joy & peace! I'm looking forward to gathering with my family to enjoy love and laughter, the spontaneous joy of little people tearing open presents, good food and of course a drop of good wine!! Our family is also anticipating a new addition to our family sometime over this Christmas period, my niece and her husband's first child is due to make its appearance any day soon.... We all send them our love and positive thoughts...................

Wishing you peace, love & joy. Until the next blog, K.............

November - been & gone!!

Greetings..............I started a "post" some weeks ago, titled "November" - well November has been & gone, so thought I should get on with it before December & with it 2011, escapes me..............

What have I been doing: finishing a quilt and other small projects; spending a wet drizzley day in the country; attending a Baby Shower for my lovely niece Rylie whose first baby (little Billy!) is due to make its appearance any day; started Bridge (card game) lessons; and getting together with my Wednesday sewing group & the Saturday Stitchers, among other things.........

The Baby Shower - baby photos of the guests (ages ranging from 1940's to 1980's!) 



Recently finished quilt, hand pieced and ready for hand quilting
- my interpretation of Sarah Fielke's "Jazz Hands" from Material Obsession Two.



A close up of one block - there are 72 pieces in each block!!



The very cute "Dilbert the Dinsour" which I made as a gift for the Baby Shower



Another project - completed at last................. I embellished this beautiful piece of fabric using Perle cotton & made it up into a cushion

A trip to the upper Hunter Valley on a wet & drizzley day........

Visiting my friend at Roughit in the upper Hunter - even with the rain the country is looking lush & green......

Another day out in the country but this time on a very hot & steamy day - a suspension bridge over the Allyn River near Gresford. Believe it or not this bridge take vehicular travel, albeit one vehicle at a time!!

 During November I also enjoyed a trip to Sydney with my friend Robyn, where we indulged our senses by feasting our eyes on some delicious quilts, fabrics, patterns & other textile paraphenalia............. We visited Material Obsession; Calico & Ivy at Balmain & Quiltsmith at Annandale. Needless to say we purchased some beautiful fabrics and a couple of patterns along the way. On leaving one shop, Robyn was heard to comment that she had spent too much money but it didn't stop her indulging at the next opportunity!!

The other exciting thing I'm doing is planning a trip to Burma (now known as Myanmar). I depart Australia on January 11th, so more about that next time..........

Now I'm off to Sydney to attend a wedding tomorrow. Nicole the daughter of my dear friends Marea & Chris is marrying Angus. May they enjoy many years of happiness.

May you enjoy December and your preparations for Christmas. Until the next post, K..................

Chance Encounters.........

By chance in 1978 in London I met the renowned child psychiatrist, Dr Anna Freud who is the daughter of Sigmund Freud, the famous founder of psychoanalysis.

Again by chance, but this time in 2011 in Maitland (Australia), I had another connection with Anna when browsing through a book I came upon the following quote which resonated with me and is attributed to Anna:

“I was always looking outside myself for strength & confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time!”  Anna Freud

Over the years I have recalled that day in 1978 and always remember Anna sitting peacefully in a chair, lovingly supporting her sister. Anna died in 1982 at the age of 87.

In 1978 I was a young nurse enjoying the Aussie tradition of a “working holiday” in the UK. I was a private nurse (caring for people in their own home) and Anna Freud’s sister was one of my clients.

In 2011 I am a recent retiree enjoying free time............ time to roam, to enjoy coffee with friends, browse through shops and take the long way home!

India, spice markets in Jaipur - another of life's great adventures!

India again!

Isn't it interesting where life's journey can take us? Until the next post, K..............

Traditional Quilting this time...............

Back again........ I want to add to yesterday’s post with a story about traditional quilting & creative textiles..... Each week I join a group of “stitchers” at Southern Cross Needlework in East Maitland. Owned by Rhonda Eddy, the shop is located in a lovely heritage building which in itself provides inspiration. The talented "Wednesday" ladies are stitching a range of traditional quilting and embroidery projects. Ruth has embroidered and hand pieced her interpretation of the Victorian Post Card Quilt. She has made this beautiful quilt for her granddaughter, who I'm sure you will agree is one very lucky little girl!

The completed Victorian Post Card Quilt

One of the cute hand embroidered blocks

Another block......................

Recently I visited the Mosman Markets in Sydney where I purchased a charming fabric wreath which I have hung on my Studio door. Isn’t bright yellow such a cheery & happy colour????

As I mentioned yesterday the diversity of textile arts & crafts is an ongoing inspiration!!

I've just about completed a lovely quilt top - so hope to have that to share next time. Until the next post, K .....

Exploring Creative Textiles......

The variety and diversity of textile arts & crafts continues to inspire me. Last week I took a step away from traditional quilting to explore art quilting when I attended a 2 day workshop with the very creative & talented Lorraine Parker.  Lorraine practices a range of creative textile work and is a very experienced tutor, I recommend a visit to her website Creative Textiles

The workshop was titled “Paint & Free Surface Play”. We began with a blank canvas of white fabric on which we painted our own background colours providing us a wonderful canvas on which to express our ideas with fabric, yarns, threads and any other medium of our choosing. Lorraine shared her skills generously, guided and inspired us as we let the background colours "speak to us". This is Lorraine's beautifully embellished quilt.


Lorraine's completed quilt - our inspiration!



Lorraine encouraged us to approach our design with a free spirit & let the quilt to speak to us as we embellished with a variety of soft fabrics, yarns and delicious threads. She further inspired us by doing a bit of machine work on our individual quilts........... 

Of course in the time available we couldn't finish our projects. While our quilts are still in the early stages of design, what amazing creative possibilities await us as...............

I’ll let the photos tell their own story of emerging art quilts:

Suzanne's quilt




Caroline's quilt




My interpretation




Trish's interpretation

It was a wonderful workshop meeting new people, sharing skills and knowledge as well as pieces from precious fabric & yarn stashes.......... All this colour & creativity is good for the soul!!

May creative energy be with you! Until the next post, K ................

Wonderful Weekend Weather......

Here I am again!! I must report on last weekend's adventures before too much time passes! The weekend treated us to wonderful warm weather - a taste of summer to come! On Saturday a number of friends gathered at my home for our inaugural "Saturday Crafting Circle"! It was a great gathering of friends with an interest in a wide range of crafts. I think it would be fair to say that more talking was achieved than stitching!! I didn't manage many photos but here is a tiny taste of things to come.........

The start of Suzanne's applique quilt - watch as it progresses.....



Glorious bunch of parsley - a gift from Ella's garden

Sunday saw me ambling around the annual Maitland Garden Ramble. This long time initiative of the Maitland Black & White Committee aims to raise funds for Vision Australia. It was a lovely ramble through the lower Hunter country side and the gardens we visited were wonderful - a great credit to the commitment and vision of their owners. Well done to all involved in the preparation of the gardens and organisation of the event! A small glimpse of the beautiful sights on offer....

May there be much enjoyment & sunshine in your life. Until the next post, K....................

Summer at last.........

It's been a while since my last post, so here's a post especially to welcome summer. Summer has arrived in all its beauty with a welcome burst of lovely warm days and clear blue skies. This weekend was especially wonderful - it even gave us a hot 30 degree day yesterday! So I hope you have also enjoyed a relaxing weekend.

Before I get to the events of this weekend I must tell you about my trip to the city last weekend! Last Sunday I travelled to Sydney to visit the Kirribilli Art & Design Markets. A long time favourite of mine the markets are held on the second Sunday of each month - for more information see here

I must confess I had a special reason to visit the markets to catch up with my lovely niece Merran & other family members. Merran was working on a stall selling a wonderful range of products created by the very talented Peta of Smitten. The girls did a roaring trade offering a lovely range of scented candles with a wide range of delicious scents to warm your home. I bought a Lemongrass & Sage scented candle and am enjoying the gentle spicey aroma. I recommend a visit to the Smitten website: Smitten - also check out the link to their blog for some delicious recipes. You can also visit the Smitten stall at the Mosman Markets on the first Saturday in October.



Peta & Merran and the gorgeous Smitten stall

Apart from visiting markets I continue to embrace the freedom of retirement and exploring the world of textiles and crafts. This weekend I enjoyed the company of friends for our inaugural sewing day and yesterday I delighted the senses with a visit to the annual Maitland Garden Ramble – but more about those events in my next post.

I hope you enjoy a creative week. Until the next post, K.... 

More than a hint of Spring.................

August has arrived & bought with it welcome hints of spring & summer! I found this winter really bleak with its many cold, wet & windy days, so the recent burst of glorious sunny days have been very welcome. Plants springing into flower have added to the feeling of summer just around the corner. Pansies are such happy little plants.............

 Today was another glorious sun drenched day, so I continued to explore the local area with a visit to Maitland Park, one of the oldest parks in Australia having been in use from the 1840's. Prior to its formation as a public park in the 1880's it was the site of a privately funded racecourse. A very interesting historical feature of the park is its 4 picnic copper boilers which were constructed in the early 1900's to cater for hundreds of picnickers who visited the park . On weekends and special occasions, the park caretaker fuelled the fires in the early morning ensuring there was a continuous supply of boiling water for making tea throughout the day.




Every park needs a rotunda!!





The Picnic Copper Boilers 




The Richard Alexander Young Memorial Drinking Fountain, circa early 1900's

The park is also home to number of memorials to soldiers and others, from the Maitland area, who contributed to wars, other conflicts and peace keeping activities from the Boer War to recent times. A great uncle of mine is remembered for his contributed to the Boer War. Family folk-lore has it that while Great Uncle Charlie contributed to the Boer War & World War 1 he was somewhat of a scoundrel and research indicates that he was discharged from both war services for a range of misdemeanors!! Every family needs a member with a "history" - if nothing else, its adds mystery & intrigue to family story telling......

The Boer War Memorial

Today the park has beautiful trees and gardens, thanks to the work of the local council and remains well used by local people & visitors. Its facilities include picnic areas, a well utilised children's play area and playing fields for sports such as netball, hockey and tennis.

Lets hope the early spring weather continues! Until the next patch, K.........

The Week in Review........

It has been another very cold week in the Hunter which also bought some icey winds - not much of a week for out door activities. So I've enjoyed completing a few decorative things around my new house. I've hung this quilt on the living room wall & I just love it! I called the quilt "Happy New Year 2007" as I made it during the January holiday period of that year. The fabrics are from Denyse Schmidt's "Flea Market Fancy" range & are among my all time favourites. The pattern was adapted from "Sarah's Pastel Quilt" featured in Kaffe Fassett's book, Museum Quilts.

"Happy New Year 2007" - circa 2007

Now I'm  out & about looking for a suitable fabric with which to reupholster the lounge chairs. At this stage I'm leaning towards a green linen. More to come on that front...........

I've also found some time at the sewing machine working on my latest quilt which is called "Berkeley Square". In 2009 on the last day of a trip to the UK I whiled away the time sitting in one of London's well know parks - Berkeley Square. It was early autumn & the strong fabric colours of these fabrics remind me of that warm sunny day and the emerging changes in the season from the greenery of summer to golden yellows and reds of autumn through to the browns of winter. The quilt is getting close to the finish line......

"Berkeley Square" - a sneak preview

For a bit of extra colour I've included a photo of the bespoke patchwork chair I recently purchased from Freedom. Not only is it beautiful it is also very comfortable!

Thats about it for now. Until the next patch........... K

Celebrating family & friends................

This has been a week celebrating the achievements of family & friends. I was delighted to receive a phone call from my friend Marea who with her husband Chris is enjoying a “grey gap year” adventure travelling around Australia. Marea was calling from the warmth & sunshine of Broome in WA where she was watching the sunset over the beach!! You can read more of their adventures on their blog.

On Saturday I attended my friend Robyn’s 60^th birthday party. The invitation invited guests to wear fur & riding boots! Now I don’t own riding boots but I did delve deep into my wardrobe to rediscover a fur jacket from my youth. A few hours in the sun and some minor repairs and it was ready to go partying..................

While fur may not politically correct these days, I’d forgotten how luxuriously warm a fur jacket can be on a cold evening. There were a range of fur coats, jackets & collars on show at the party. However the birthday girl left fur and riding boots to the guests - she looked fabulously glamorous in a Grace Kelly style black taffeta & lace dress. It was a great party - a wonderful celebration of family & friendships.

My rabbit fur jacket - circa 1970!

On Sunday it was off to visit my Sydney based sister, Bernadette, and hear more about the upcoming outback flying adventure she and her partner, Vasant, are planning. Recently Bernadette told their story on Radio National’s Life Matters program. It’s an inspiring story - you can hear it here.

I also enjoyed dinner with my lovely Sydney based nieces & their partners and heard all their latest news – fun, work, conferences, and of course babies.................

I’m back home in the Hunter enjoying the good crisp country air and getting on with my creative endeavours and home decorating projects. Until the next patch, K ......................

Sunshine at Long Last..............

We have enjoyed a weekend of glorious winter sunshine after weeks of heavy rain, severe winds & flooding. The Hunter & Paterson Rivers which run through the lower Hunter Valley are swollen with dirty brown water, causing some low level flooding. After attending the local Farmers Market on Saturday I did a spot of flood water sightseeing!

While out and about on Saturday we came upon Closebourne House in Morpeth. Having grown up in the area I know Closebourne House well but was unaware of its history. In 1821 Lieutenant Edward Close, founder of Morpeth, built this beautiful Georgian home & chapel out of locally quarried sandstone. He named his grand home - Closebourne House. From 1848 to 1912 the residence was home to the various Anglican Bishops of Newcastle. Still standing today the house is one of the oldest in mainland Australia.

Closebourne House, circa 1821

The Morpeth area and its surrounding town & villages are rich in history. A long time home to our indigenous people, the first Europeans in the area were a party lead by Lt Col. Paterson who undertook an exploration of the Hunter River in 1801. Paterson named the area Green Hills. In 1821 the land was granted to Lt Edward Close, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, as a reward for service as Engineer of Public Works at Newcastle. He commenced building Closebourne House and set about establishing a private town which around 1834 took the name Morpeth, originally the name of a town near Newcastle in England. I have a long association with the area as my fathers family has lived in the area since around the mid 1850's.

Thats enough of the history lesson! I'm off to the 2011 Sydney Quilt Show on Wednesday - am looking forward to the delights this annual exhibition always offers. More of the arts & crafts in the next blog! Until then - enjoy the sunshine where ever you are, K..................

Update from the Hunter.....

Hello again – I know it’s been a while between posts but there have been a few “hick-ups” getting connected to broadband in my new location (as ever the wheels at the telecommunication companies move slowly!).

Since my last post I’ve relocated from Sydney to the NSW Hunter Valley. It has been an exciting & exhausting time – packing up (the truly exhausting part....); the big move day on May 2; unpacking and settling into my lovely new home. All boxes are now unpacked, furniture & accessories are still being moved around but are quietly finding their “place” in their new home.

The last of the boxes waiting to be unpacked!

Lemoyne Star quilt - machine pieced & hand quilted in 2005

While I spent my early life in this area I haven’t lived here for many years, so I’m enjoying exploring and getting to know the local area again. The area has a rich history dating back to the early days of white settlement which began in Australia in 1788. Last weekend I visited the Dungog Film Festival. Dungog is a small town nestled in a pretty valley in the lower Hunter and has been home to the Film Festival since its establishment 5 years ago. The Festival was established to celebrate Australian films and increase the appreciation of Australian screen culture and heritage. It is growing in popularity every year.....



Dungog's main street

Its winter here & one thing I had forgotten was how cold this area can be in winter - looks like a good excuse to go shopping for some more winter whollies!!
Until the next post, K .................

The Arts & Crafts Movement

I was interested to learn that The Arts & Crafts movement is celebrating 150 years since its beginnings when William Morris founded Morris & Co in 1861. The March issue of Country Life (British Edition) includes an inspiring article titled "The Art of Craft" which pays tribute to William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement. According to the article William Morris "set out to champion craftsmanship and quality in design, something that was waning in the wake of industrialisation".
William Morris famously said "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful". I like that sentiment.............
In our times it is wonderful to see an increasing number of artistians and craftsmen incorporating old & ancient skills with modern technology to produce a wonderful range of hand made items.

I've included some images that depict the Arts & Crafts movement................



In 2009 I visited the William Morris Gallery in the outer London suburb Walthamstowe. William Morris lived in this house in his younger day. In recent times it has been established as a gallery devoted to William Morris displaying a collection illustrating his life, achievements & influence. If you are interested in the Arts & Crafts movement and are ever in London it is worth a visit.

Of special interest is William Morris's Australian connection - the Art Gallery of South Australia has one of the biggest collections of William Morris's work outside of the UK.

Enough of my ramblings about the Arts & Crafts movement........................today is Good Friday, so I hope you all enjoy a happy, safe & renewing Easter time. K