Hugs from Helen

A day of friendship–and Christmas cheer

Yesterday saw our final event for the year (well maybe we’ll squeeze one more in online)

Our annual Christmas gathering – a time to celebrate, share, inspire, stitch, learn new things and enjoy beautiful friendships and company.

The tables were all set with good cheer and a black and gold theme this year.

Lot’s of lovely gifts and goodies for our stitching friends

Surprises packing in small packages..

and lot’s of beautiful stitching friends who travelled from all over Australia.

          Of course an abundance of beautifully cooked and prepared treats from my lovely girls and helpers – thankyou to Tessie, who baked all week, Adrienne (scone maker), Linda (the best friend and energetic helper you could ask for) Molly, Tilly and Arabella.. I have the best daughters ever!

Much stitching was actually achieved and as I upped the challenge on the two new projects there were even a few new tips and techniques to learn.

Our two projects were the

le fer tote bag – a little zipped bag designed to hold your mini travel iron for workshops and retreats – this bag has a hexied top lid, embroidered sides and the easy stitch on top lace zipper.

You may have made the Taffy Apple, Two fruits or Temora traveller projects before – well this is another in my sewing bag series and will join the team nicely. It and a few leftover patterns are available now while they last on the website.

OH  - and because the lining can be a little tricky on this bag I have done  a step by step photo tutorial for this project on the website – it may also help with the Taffy apple construction also.

Our second project – and our Christmas project this year was

The Cardinal. This is a small but very sweet table runner featuring my applique method. Yes those little dots are only 1/2” – but we did include them diecut in the pattern. You do have to trace and cut the leaves and the bird but the dots are precut for you.  Thanks ladies for another beautiful day – and yes I will think very carefully about your feedback for next year! May you all have a wonderful stitchy Christmas and a wonderful festive season with those that you love.

hugs to you all

Helen

#SewPink

I was honoured to offer to contribute to ByAnnies #sewpink initiative to support Breast Cancer worldwide. As someone who has known and continues to support many close to me fighting this dreadful disease it is something dear to all of our hearts. I sit with you all with a 1 in 8 chance of also fighting this fight one day – but with all the promotion and education, and funding for research it is heartening to know that there is now a 90%+ survival rate.

Early detection is the best tool we can have, and I have designed a fun project to remind us to ‘check the bumps for lumps’.  Yes I know, its not the most pleasant biannual trip we have to do, having our breasts squeezed between a  vice – but its a small few minutes of discomfort to hopefully save a lot more down the track…

In Australia, most women after 40 can get free annual or biannual screens – so there’s no excuse. Of course in between these screenings we should be regularly checking those bumps for lumps.

Here are a couple of links if you’re not sure how to

https://www.bcna.org.au/breast-health-awareness/breast-awareness/

https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam

So here is my little project for you – Check the Bumps for Lumps

it uses my Easy EPP method (or you can use your own preferred method) and

some raw edge applique

I applied mine to a ByAnnies very useful Zip it Up bag. I made up the outer pocket piece – quilted the three layers and then appliqued my EPP’d  boobies by hand, then used my eye as a guide to place the steam a seam prepared letters into place. Then I fused to secure. The pocket then just made up as per the bag instructions from Anni.

It’s a great little bag with zippered pockets on the outside and mesh and clear vinyl pockets on the inside. The whole thing then zips up closed so you can fill it with everything you need and nothing will fall out. Im hoping my new little laptop will  fit in my outside pocket as I made the large version.

For my day in the bloghop Im offering the Check the bumps design as a free download.

Alternatively you can purchase the kit which has the preprinted applique paper, steam a seam, and the fabrics (same or similar to what Ive used) and the printed layout guides and templates.

ByAnnie are donating 30% discounts on all things pink as per the links at the bottom of this post.

The #SewPink Initiative was created by ByAnnie.com LLC to raise awareness for breast cancer during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. They have pledged to raise funds to donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through sales and promote action through giveaways.
For more information please visit their official #SewPINK information page: https://www.byannie.com/2019-SewPINK
To donate directly visit: https://give.bcrf.org/give/31404/#!/donation/checkout
To see the calendar of events visit: https://www.byannie.com/2019-SewPINK#calendar
ByAnnie will be donating 30% of profits on all SewPINK items sold on their web store. You can search for SewPINK items on their website or see the list of items here: https://www.byannie.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=sewpink

Hugs for today

Helen

#Stitch for sisters

You may have seen our recent High Tea Stitch for Sisters event? Jo and I were very honoured to pull this event together in two short weeks and have over 75 ladies attend, stitch, share, laugh, cry and make a difference.

Our event supported both the Love Your Sister campaign and the Ultimate Foundation of Hope. We did it to celebrate our survivors, support our fighters and educate all Stitching Sisters.

We raised over $4000 which will be donated to both organisations – thankyou so much ladies and we know you enjoyed a wonderful day.

I quickly designed two projects especially for the day -

This little stitchery which could be used for anything – but I have attached it to the top of a lovely thread box kit by Rinske Stevens… to keep my Presencia threads in. I used a lovely Cottage Garden hand dyed thread to give it the lovely depth of colour.

 

The second project I had actually designed for a wonderful Project being led by By Annie for Octobers Breast Cancer awareness month #SewPink. Check back here on Friday for all the details.

Thankyou to all the ladies who helped make our day happen, all the sponsors and donors who contributed and to all of our generous guests who came, stitched, bid on auction items, bought raffle tickets and just cared.

hugs for today
Helen

The Bagalicious Plum!

How lucky was I to get advance yardage of the beautiful new Tilda fabric line – Plum Garden?

 

Because Jo could not contain herself when the rep showed us these lines we actually ordered the full line PLUS the accompanying tea towel line and the dots and spots!  So we have it all…

I think my favourites though are the combinations of soft and dirty blues, pinks and the musky browns… don’t they look so dreamy together?

So of course I started playing!  In payment for my advance samples I was to create a project using them to share in a Plum Garden Instagram showcase for the month of July. (mine is showcased today hence I can now show you this)

I had done this stitchery (to test a new stabiliser – more on that soon) and hadn’t used it in a project, and luck had it that the Presencia Fincal Perle #16 thread colours worked quite well with the fabrics… So now I had a use for it!

As I love to combine many of my loves into the one project (yes a downfall of mine is not being able to do anything simple) I also included a little applique using my HNK applique paper and the gluepen…

When it came to designing and making the bag I altered an earlier project I’d designed several years ago. Not having fat quarters on hand I had to modify it to work with skinny’s (that’s what I’d been sent) – which worked well as I could use 8 different fabrics instead of just two – and not being able to choose just two this made it much easier.  I mean, how could you choose just two from this lovely assortment? really?

So there are four on the inside and four on the outer – OH and a 9th fabric along the bottom edge. The bag is very roomy and quite soft, light and drapey. I considered adding stabiliser – a thin one or even a bag foam to make it a sturdy more stand uppy bag, but decided on going just without so its very light and can fold up into a small space for travelling, but be large enough to carry all manner of things.

The straps also tie at the shoulder and are quite long – so you can adjust to fit your height or preference.

There have been some simply beautiful projects already shown in the showcase-  pop over and search #tildaplumgarden to find them…  some are just for inspiration and others are great patterns.

Of course I have created a pattern for the Plum bag – and we have kits in the original fabrics for now you can find over on the website.. and the pattern includes an iron on transfer for your embroidery plus a sheet of applique paper.

And we have the full fabric line in store at Quarter Inch or online also whilst stocks last… I believe our first customer was at the door on opening yesterday to get his fill!

happy stitching

hugs,

Helen

Guest bloggers this month are the team at Aurifil

The wonderful team at Aurifil this month have jotted their thoughts on why stitching is their therapy!

Erin, creative director, Karen, master educator, Kate – Chicago office and Hilary, social media coordinator- have all spoken about their quilting journey and what it brings to their lives…

Pop on over to their blog and read it all here

As I partnered with Aurifil to create and provide a specialised thread collection for our Stitch Therapy 365 program they were an obvious choice to share the blog journey with.

With the beautiful 12 weight threads on offer, the weight of this 12 wt thread being just perfect to cover my printed stitchery lines on the fabric panels.

And be sure to follow them on Instagram and there may just be a giveaway coming up.

Yes a Stitch therapy thread collection

AND

a Stitch therapy 365 panel and program to be won…

If you want to know more about our beautiful mindfulness project click on the picture below.

If you’re already enjoying the journey we have just a few of our daily therapy mouse mats left. A great reminder to take a break from the computer and have 5 minutes of ‘you’ time with a needle and thread..

Hope you get your therapy in today..

hugs from Helen

My guest blogger this month is the lovely Bev McCullough who blogs over at Flamingo Toes.

She offered to write a post on what quilting and crafting means to her and how much of a profound change in her life it made after some struggles.  

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Hi Everyone! My name is Beverly McCullough 

I have been sharing projects there for about 9 years! When I say that - I can’t believe how time has flown.

I have always loved sewing and embroidery. I remember making sweet little cross stitch projects and even my own outfits in junior high. I continued that love for sewing and creating all through my early married years and having kids.

Somewhere along the way though I lost my heart for creating. We went through some really rough things as a family and I was really just focusing on getting through all of it. There wasn’t any room left for being creative.

We ended up moving to another state and once we’d settled in, I started to feel like making things again. I started with a few small things and it was amazing how much it helped! It sounds silly but with each thing I made for the house, I got back a piece of myself!

I decided to create a website, just to share the projects I’d been making with friends and family. I had no thought that it would turn into a business that I love! I just shared photos and projects - and eventually tutorials.

When I started the blog I really was just making projects I liked or simple things that I’d seen in shops. Over time though, I developed more of my own voice. I feel like creating and making on a regular basis helped me to find who I was.

I really feel like blogging, creating, sewing and stitching gave me my life back. And what started as a way to share projects with friends has turned into a business! As I mentioned, I’ve had the blog for 9 years. But I’m also an author, pattern designer, and a fabric designer with Riley Blake Designs. All of it a dream come true that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t stepped out and stretched that creative muscle that I had let go of.

I’m far from an expert, but I really encourage you to take time for yourself and be creative. It was a form of therapy for me - and it still is! I love sitting down to sew or embroider new projects - and sharing those projects with people!

I’d love for you to come visit me at Flamingo Toes! I share new projects all the time - plus I have fun new quilt and embroidery patterns coming out this summer, along with my newest fabric collection, Rose Lane that will be out in September. Come on over and say hi!

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Yes again it is so inspiring to hear how stitching has made a difference.... and you just never know, when you are a kind, sharing caring person where it will lead you. Thankyou so much Bev for sharing...

If you would like to join in our Therapy project you can find all details here

And join in our sharing community on Facebook - all over the world, getting their daily therapy.

Stitching hugs for today

Helen

 

Quilting changes Everything for Pat Sloan

My dear friend Pat has written our article this month...  I first met Pat many years ago in Houston demonstrating a sit down longarm machine - I didnt buy the machine but I never forgot who Pat was... Here's a little more about her...

Pat Sloan designer, author, lecturer, and with her weekly radio show... Pat truly is the "Voice of Quilting". She has a deep passion for making quilting fun for herself and everyone around her. Pat loves to hang out with quilters on the internet as well as visit you in person.. be inspired to get more done!

Sewing since she was a child and quilting for over 20 years, Pat eventually looked to her craft as a business. After a few years quilting she started to teach quilt making to others and then turned her skills to pattern designing. She found that she really enjoys designing and seeing how other quilters made her patterns. In 2000 Pat's designs became so popular that she and her husband Gregg formed a design and publishing company called Pat Sloan & Co. In addition to designing and publishing her work, they now travel around the country teaching and showing her quilts to quilt guilds and quilt shops. Also, Pat has had her designs published in all the national magazines, she has written 31 quilt books and has designed many lines of fabric for Moda Fabrics.

When Pat took her passion to the internet she built several quilt communities, the largest is her group on Facebook with over 55,000 quilters from around the world.

Over Five years ago Pat started a weekly All Quilting radio/podcast. I have chatted with Pat twice now on her show.  You can hear her interview quilt celebrities, historians, designers (that would be me) and authors from around the world, all on your computer! All the podcasts are available for download.

Visit her web site www.patsloan.com to see all things Pat Sloan.

 

Below is her take on the Therapy of quilting - note: Pat has included many links with offers to the things she loves. Please click on the links to see her favourite things.

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Our February Stitch therapy guest blogger is Lyn Carson Harris

This month's guest blogger is Lyn Carson Harris who contacted me with an offer to tell her story and why she creates...

Here is a little more about Lyn's background

Lynn lives in Michigan where she creates art, raises chickens, and grows vegetables. Both of Lynn’s parents grew up on farms and, like the little red hen in the children’s story, she was taught to do things from scratch and to never let anything go to waste. Her thrifty upbringing led her to her current style of working with scraps and the desire to use “every last piece.” Her quilts have been juried into international shows and gallery exhibits and her work is in private collections around the world. She is the author of Every Last Piece and has also been published in numerous books and magazines.

She writes:

I create textile art using the techniques employed by past generations of my family to create utilitarian objects such as clothes and quilts. I connect the past to the present and honor the beauty and artistry of the handmade. My most recent work is a series of small scale abstract designs inspired by the experiences of someone I love and care about who is in an abusive relationship. My wish is that these pieces of art can help to prevent domestic abuse by increasing understanding and awareness of this pervasive problem. While all of my pieces are original designs, I turn to the geometric patterns of antique quilts for inspiration. My art often evolves dramatically from the start to finish of a piece, and I find as much pleasure in the process as in the completed pieces.

Here is Lyn's story surrounding her therapeutic quilt:

 

Years ago, when four of my family members entering nursing homes, I decided I needed a travel sewing project for time spent in the car traveling and visiting with them. I prepared an intricate appliqué piece and had it basted and ready for any stitching time.  I stitched on that piece for months and as I neared the end of the appliqué three of those four family members died- in the same week.

 

I went on to finish the piece. I hand quilted it and entered it in a national quilt show. When I got the quilt back from the show, I folded it and put it in the closet in my sewing room. About ten years later, while cleaning that closet I pulled out the quilt. I unfolded it completely unprepared for my reaction when I saw the quilt again. I was instantly in tears. That quilt held a lot of memories and grief. Unknowingly, I had parked my feelings and emotions in the stitches of the quilt for a time when I would be better equipped to process them. It was quite a moving moment. 

I am currently working on a series of quilts that is serving a similar purpose.  A member of my family is in an abusive relationship. After many years trying to help my family member and trying to come up plan after plan that would never help, I finally came to the realization that people are allowed to make decisions that are not in their own best interest. I am now working on a Domestic Abuse Quilt Series to raise awareness of aspects of domestic abuse as well as a form of therapy for myself.

You can see more of Lyn's work on her blog and read about her Abuse quilt series and the therapy they bring.

 

If you'd like some stitching therapy of your own, with everything provided for you then join in our Stitch Therapy 365 project - all the info can be found here.

If you have a story to share about how Stitching (and sewing, crafting, quilting etc) has affected your life, we'd love you to share it with us..

hugs for today
Helen

 

A gathering of Stitchers

Last Sunday was our memorable annual Autumn Gathering -  a little earlier than usual because of a very busy couple of months ahead - but the sun shone and we thought of everything but the impending change of season.

The lovely Marg Low was our guest tutor this year. I have always loved her work - small and oh so cute little projects using combinations of painted wooden buttons, felt applique and cotton applique and I knew that our group of ladies would also love her.

 

Jo as normal with the help of Judy and myself came up with a beautiful setting with lots of goodies and treats to make the day extra special for all.

This year however she kept them in supsense until we said they could open them - with an official opening recorded live on Instagram... did you see us?

 

Tess came through yet again with sugary treats

 

and so much yummy food for all

 

Lot's of lovely stitching of course - and a few finishes even...


Visitors from all across Australia from Perth to Melbourne to many new and old local friends..

We were in two minds as to whether to continue our gathering events... everything has its time and we were wondering if maybe we were ready for a change.. however of course everyone pleaded for another - so our Christmas gathering dates have been locked in for Sunday 24th November - lock it in ladies

or to be sure, you can book and pay your deposit now to hold your spot..

 

I look forward to seeing lots of finished projects on Instagram ladies....  

hugs from Helen

Stitching is my Therapy - Guest blogger - Sarah of 1000 hearts

Sarah De Jonge is the creator of the 1000 hearts project.

She believes that kindness can change our hearts and our world.

She has a psychology degree, counselling qualifications and about 15 years’ experience helping people through the tough stuff of life.

In her work for non-profits like Lifeline, CanTeen and Cancer Council Tas, she has witnessed despair, fury, heartbreak and brokenness.

Through it all, she has been astounded and touched by the goodness and resilience of the human heart. She's seen the power of connection and knows that a small act of kindness can make a massive difference to someone who’s hurting.

She believes that being kind to ourselves and others helps us, and our world, to heal. 1000 Hearts brings together a few of her greatest passions. Ever since she was a small child, She's collected small items to carry as talismans against fear and sadness…

She started sewing when she was very young and comes from a long line of makers…

A kindness project...

1000 Hearts is a kindness project that started in 2016 because Sarah wanted to spread some love and compassion.

Inspired and driven by her work in the non-profit sector, she felt a need to do some thing that offered love in an all-inclusive way with no cost, no conditions and no limits. The project is based around small pocket hearts which are handmade from wool felt and stitched with love and good intentions. These hearts are then offered to people as a symbol of compassion, care and kindness.

Not only do they bring therapy, love and kindness to the recipients, but Sarah and many other heartists around the world get to experience their own therapy and satisfaction of giving whilst making them.

Thankyou Sarah, for sharing your beautiful words below:

Years ago, I volunteered as a telephone counsellor for Lifeline. One night, a young man phoned who was what we called “a suicide in progress”, meaning he had already taken action to end his life. I was struck by how alone he was, unable to identify anyone who cared about him. In that lonely night, I felt my heart go out to him and I said “I don’t want you to die. I care about you – please let me help you stay alive tonight.”  He was quiet after I said this – the kind of quiet that grabs you by the throat and makes you fear that you’re too late. Into this echoing silence, I dropped a single wavering question; “how does it feel, to know that someone cares?” and in a wretched, broken voice he replied; “feels good.” He allowed me to help that night, and as he drifted further towards unconsciousness, the ambos arrived, someone picked up the phone and said “we’ve got him” and I was left with an empty line.

I’ll never know what happened to that young man, but I can tell you what happened to me after the experience. I learned a memorable lesson about the power of connection, and how the care of just one person can be the difference between life and death. I wanted to be that difference and in 2016, I set myself a goal – to make a thousand pocket hearts and give them away to anyone who needed a little love. I didn’t know it at the time, but this project would change my life and bring together a community of people determined to make the world a kinder place.

It took me three months to sew a thousand hearts and as so often happens, what I thought was the end turned out to be just the beginning. As my little hand-made hearts made their way out into the world, people who received them felt like they were a part of something and soon there was a steady stream of people requesting hearts and asking how to make them.

In March 2018, I set up an Etsy store to make the project more sustainable, and our community of heartists continued to grow. It is my great privilege to hold the stories people share with me and it is through the sharing of these stories that we can start to understand the power of the hearts. Not long ago, a grieving community pinned pocket hearts to their clothes at a memorial service for two young girls who died tragically in a house fire. In Australia and around the world, sewing groups make hearts for children affected by domestic violence, people impacted by cancer, patients in palliative care, foster children and young people diagnosed with eating disorders. A little boy, struggling with difficulties in his family, sewed a heart to give his counsellor during their first appointment. Hearts with rainbows stitched on them sit amongst offerings of love at the memorial for victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting, and hospital staff gave them to young people injured in the bombing at a concert in Manchester. A woman slipped a heart into her mother’s coffin. An elderly gentleman held a heart in his hand during a confusing first night in an aged care facility. Many anxious children carry one in their pocket on the first day of school, and adults dealing with anxiety and depression have written to tell me that making hearts has changed their lives.

A pocket heart can be a talisman of hope. It can be offered when the right words are hard to find, and squeezed when life feels overwhelming. Making hearts is a mindful activity that brings a sense of calm purpose, knowing your creation will help someone get through a hard day.

In amongst all the stories and requests, I hear a theme of love. Love that holds us up when darkness threatens. Love that offers hope in times of despair. Love that makes life worth living, even when the odds are against us. By focusing on small acts of kindness, we can start creating a better version of ourselves, and when we are able to offer that same kindness to ourselves as well as others, that’s when the real transformation begins. For me the most powerful thing of all has been to read the messages that say (in varying ways) “thank you – your heart made a difference to me.” It’s beautiful to learn that a simple act of kindness can become a legacy and that a single heart, stitched with love, can be the difference between despair and hope.

 

 

You can visit with Sarah, become a heartist, support her in her Etsy shop or request hearts at 

https://www.1000hearts.com.au/

Or follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/1000_hearts/

As you stitch along in your daily therapy, think about what it's doing for you, love yourself and open your heart.  Then perhaps the kindness to yourself will make a difference and spread to others in all walks of your life... 

hugs from Helen