Hugs from Helen

Let we Forget

I had this post ready to go as I drove up the highway (see below) but obviously it did not go!!!  so an update- as I waited at the airport to board I watched the Canberra service on the large screens. We were boarding and I really wanted to wait for the Last Post - I stood to attention in the middle of the crowded airport, had my minutes silence, sang the Anthem and then was last to board - I didnt delay the plane but it was important to me - no-one else even seemed to know what day it was.. I guess flights and people in a hurry to get somewhere cannot stop for a minutes silence in respect for our fallen.... but I was pleased I still managed to..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I post this as I drive up the highway and miss my first Anzac Day parade. I am proud to say my Husband is marching and my three girls are all attending in my place….

This day 23 years ago I stood on a silent eerie beach at dawn and my life changed. I still cannot imagine how they did it, or why, but my respect will remain for our soldiers- both then and now, always.

We will remember them…

hugs for today

Helen

fly fly away

Tomorrow I hit the air once again, and then a little drive to Bright for the lovely Autumn Festival. I’ve been to the Spring festival before so am looking forward to seeing the beautiful gardens in autumn colours instead.

I will be teaching with Rosie and Ang at Stitching in the Maze…

girls, are we going to have fun? a little peek….

just a quick trip, returning on Sunday night…

then its only 10 days until Jo and I depart for New York City.

Then Pittsburgh for Quilt market and then onto Maumee Ohio

to The Quilt Foundry.

I will be presenting a trunk show for Lisa on the Thursday night, then teaching two full day classes Friday and Saturday..

Contact Lisa if you’d like to come (Joan and Susan- a road trip?)

For Aussie girls, my next teaching opportunity is our Stitching Affair – June 6-8th in Victoria… This is our favourite retreat – true 5 star indulgence and I can’t wait for this one… there may be a couple of spots left if you contact Gail.

okay, now I best get back to sewing projects for you all to make at these days…

hugs for today

Helen

AQC

well I am back and breathing just for a minute!

AQC was just wonderful, I caught up with so many friends – real and online friends…. met many inspiring women and shared highlights with many of my quilting idols at the Bernina Celebration Gala dinner. (not to mention the entertainment)

A huge congratulations to Michelle Hill on being awarded the Rajah Award – I was sitting at her table and the look on her face when she realised was just priceless. A well deserved win.

Also congrats to Janet Treen- a lovely lady I had not met before, but I had followed her quilt blog progress – the winner of the Best of Australia quilt.

It was an honour to have Cornelian in such great company with such talented ladies from around the country.

 

If you visited on my booth – and saw just how crazy it was – well thankyou, thankyou, I will try and be more prepared next year.

Thanks so much to Rose who was our angel helper for two days, Fiona for the first day and Ang for helping us packup! Couldn’t have done it without generous wonderful friends..

Not to mention the boss!  Miss Tess….. a true saleswoman…

(thanks to Melissa who took these pics for me before opening one day)

Now its onto International Quilt market preparation… two weeks to go until we fly out! eeeeekkkkkkk

hugs for today

Helen

Stitching at the Maze

Come stitch with me – and Rosalie, near Bright  for

Stitching at the Maze
Saturday 26th April 2014
10am-4.30pm
Spend the day stitching at the Wandiligong Maze with myself, Rosalie Quinlan Designs and Angela Bradbury from Sew Bright Alpine Quilting

Working on a great project for you now – last year the weather was magnificent, the gardens were simply stunning and the friends and stitchers who were gathered were just lovely to share the day with.

you need to book now – call Angela on 03 5755 5118
or download the registration form and booking information
www.sewbright.com.au/stitchingatthemaze.html
or email [email protected]

This event is be held at the Wandiligong Maze, located 6kms from Bright.

Hope to see you there

hugs

Helen

Australian Quilt market done and dusted

Well it was a busy, frenetic and exciting quilt market over the weekend. Along with the ever ‘interesting’ Sexpo next door to us Melbourne was its usual fast paced, vibrant, happening place.. always nice to visit, but great to get home to sleepy old Hobart town.

Jo and I arrived into town and began the task of setting up our booth – along with Melissa and Paula… It is always difficult to put some many things (and designer styles) into the one booth and have it looking nice… But I was happy with the result – not so happy with the only photos I thought to snap… Its always so great to  catch up with fellow designers…. fellow store owners and long time friends I have gotten to know over the years…  Cheers to another year over for Hugs ‘n Kisses…   next stop… Christmas

hugs for today, I’ll be back soon to show you all the new goodies we released at market..

Helen

Tarraleah Stitched….

as promised I am back today! with something else to show you…

Last weekend I had the lovely pleasure (actually it was two weekends ago, how time flies) of travelling to country Victoria to the town of Warracknabeal to stitch with 110 lovely ladies, hosted by Del and Shirley of Quilters Harvest…

I had so much to show them I hardly had time to draw breath but gee we had fun… I was picked up by Gail at the airport and we also didn't draw breath on the 4 hour drive – we had LOTS to catch up on and lots to plan..

Ladies had come from far and wide – as far away as Perth to enjoy three tutors, myself, Gail and Jennifer Knol, share, learn, stitch, chat and of course eat the most yummy country food…it was great to catch up with old friends and meet many new ones..

My projects for the weekend were also the ones I designed specially for our A Stitching Affair retreat in June at the amazing Tarraleah resort – hence the name..

  

Two of the projects are now available as a pattern named

Tarraleah Stitched… on the website now and in your local stores very soon.

There is this delightful needle book with the simple stitchery on the front

and on the inside a little pocket, and some wool felt for inserting your needles and pins… and see the little magnet – she holds it all together..

the back is pieced 1/2” hexagons.. Then there is this gorgeous pincushion featuring six stitched designs on the petals around the edge and another 42 or so 1/2” hexies to make the top.

The nifty thing about this pattern is that it uses 6 old or unwanted cd/dvd’s – just don’t think about taking Jennifer's Bruce Springsteen CD though!!!of course there was lots of show and tell, lots of shopping and quite a bit of laughter to be had… all in all a great weekend…     

so for those who missed it – here’s your chance to share the projects… available now here…

and that brings me to the end of my teaching days and workshops for 2013… watch this space for some very important news in the next few days about next year however… places will be limited and you will need to be quick!!!

cheers girls..

Helen

class projects now for everyone..

You may have been watching me this year travelling and teaching at many many places… My classes for the year are now finished – just one show to go but that’s for stores, so I am no going to share with you some of the projects that ladies have been stitching across the world…. you can now make them yourself – without me guiding you of course but there are good instructions in the patterns.

Two French Kisses – now ladies, don’t read anything into that name….. it was named because last year I could not remember how many kisses each country used for a greeting and I was constantly bumping noses!!!!  Teaching in Basel there are ladies from Germany, Switzerland, France and even Austria – and they all have different greetings – and of course languages…. I was so confused… so I named this to remind me… it was designed specifically for my Basel class. Last year the lovely Florence took Gail and I into France for the day and to a linen  factory. I purchased the linen and the ribbon and Florence gave us both a little button – we were to all make something with it and share…

This year I taught this class in Tynset, Norway,

 And in Basel, Switzerland….

  There were many and varied colourways and thread choices but they all looked wonderful and when finished were made into this:

a gorgeous toiletry or project bag. There are 1” hexies (using the wonderful iron ons) along the bottom

and 1/2” hexies on the other side featuring Florence’s button in the centre.

as you can see my embroidery design was inspired by the button and other styles I witnessed in Europe last year…

I used the linen bought from the factory and the little tabs at either end also use the ribbon I purchased on my little trip.

The pattern is now available at your local store or from here.

It includes enough 1/2” and 1” iron on hexies to make the project once… if you haven't tried them yet you will love them and want them in the 100’s…

Tomorrow I will show you the release of another new pattern you are just going to looooove….

hugs for today

 

Helen

only 8 days to go…

until I leave for Europe….

I have been getting lots of enquiries for dates so a little reminder of the final schedule..

Thursday 22nd August – Kathrine's Quilt Store – evening Trunk show/talk

Friday 23^rd: Alta Quilt Guild – evening trunk show/talk

Saturday 24th: Alta full day class

Sunday 25th: Alta full day class

Tuesday 27th: Trunk show/talk Trondheim Quilt guild

Wednesday 28th: Lappemor Tynset 3 hr night class

Thursday 29^th: Lappemor 3 hr night class

Friday 30^th August: Trunk show/talk Bergen guild

Saturday 31^st August: Bergen – one day class

Sunday 1^st September: Bergen Quilt Guild - one day class

Monday 2^nd September:  trunk show/talk Lapedilla - Bodo

Tuesday September 3^rd: Bodo one day class

Wednesday 4th September: Trådsnella Lørenskog

One day class and evening Mini Masterclasses

Friday 6^th Sept: Basel Switzerland
Night trunk show/talk Cotton & Color

Saturday 7^th Sept: full day class Cotton & Color

Sunday 8^th Sept: full day class Cotton & Color

I hope to see all of my old stitching friends plus meet many more…..

 

hugs for today

Helen

We came, we stitched, we laughed

Memories of A Stitching Affair…….

Beautiful accommodation – total indulgence

View Full Album

 

beautiful surroundings – totally refreshed

View Full Album

Beautiful food – totally over indulged

View Full Album

beautiful touches – totally spoilt

View Full Album

beautiful stitching – totally inspired

View Full Album

beautiful people – totally touched..

View Full Album

beautiful friends and family - totally blessed

a huge public thanks to Jo for all the prettyness, Gail for her partnership and friendship, Belinda for your getting it doneness and to my Tessie, for your wonderful sweet treats, hard work, and just doing it…. very proud of you…

and a thankyou to our new friends, each and every one of you who took the punt and came to our first Stitching Affair…

bring on next year…

hugs for today

Helen

Europe here we come…

I can finally let all of my stitching friends in Europe know of my final itinerary… I am thinking I am going to be quite over airports and I do hope we get to see just a little of each of your home towns and regions as we pass through… but boy…. are we going to be having lots of fun stitching…. I’m excited to be able to catch up with my daughter Molly who is spending a gap year in the UK. We will have just a few of days in England, hoping to see London – a whirlwind tour – then out to Somerset region where she is living for the year to meet her school and friends, with hopefully a tour of the Downton Abbey Castle squeezed in – any other suggestions as to must see things in the UK?  Lots of hotels, trains, buses and planes to organise still…..

Then we will both travel to Norway to start the teaching tour as follows:

Thursday 22nd August – Kathrines Quilt Store – evening Trunk show/talk

Friday 23^rd: Alta Quilt Guild – evening trunk show/talk

Saturday 24th: Alta full day class Project Birds in the Bay

Sunday 25th: Alta full day class

Tuesday 27th: Trunk show/talk Trondheim Quilt guild

Wednesday 28th: Lappemor Tynset 3 hr night class Project – Two French Kisses

Thursday 29^th: Lappemor 3 hr night class

Friday 30^th August: Trunk show/talk Bergen guild

Saturday 31^st August: Bergen – one day class Project Birds in the Bay

Sunday 1^st September: Bergen one day class

Monday 2^nd September: trunk show/talk Lapedilla - Bodo

Tuesday September 3^rd: Bodo one day class – Project Two French Kisses

Wednesday 4th September: Trådsnella Lørenskog Project- Birds in the Bay

One day class and evening trunk show/talk

Friday 6^th Sept: Basel Switzerland
Night trunk show/talk Cotton & Color

Saturday 7^th Sept: full day class Cotton & Color– Project - Two French Kisses

Sunday 8^th Sept: full day class Cotton & Color – Project – Gran’s Sewing Box

I hope to see all of my old stitching friends plus meet many more….. I am sure Miss Molly will be quite overwhelmed!

off to search for flights…..

hugs for today

Helen