Elm Grove Patchwork

Lovely New Books

Oh how I love sitting in a nice comfortable chair, sipping on a hot cup of tea and reading a delightful quilt book. It is one of life's great pleasures. Yesterday with the delivery of three new books, I had the dilemma of choosing which one I would look at first.

First I flipped open Tried and True, a new book by Jo Morton. I love Jo Morton's books. Always lovely, scrappy quilts with lots of little hints and short cuts for piecing. I also love looking at how the quilts have been quilted.

Here are some of the projects inside.

Second was Red and White Quilts. Printed in 2018 this is not a brand new book, but it is one I have not stocked before.

It is a lovely book with 14 quilt patterns by well know designers including Jen Kingwell, Kim Diehl, Sue Daley, Carrie Nelson and Camille Roskelley.

I left Treasure Hunt to last, as I wanted to really savour this one. Having hosted the authors, Linda Collins and Leah Zieber for an antique quilt trunk show, back in May 2018, this book holds special interest.

It has been a lovely read. There is lots of information about finding antique quilts, how to spot a fake, and how to care for and store your quilts. The book has 13 quilt patterns, and shows the antique quilts which inspired the patterns. 

They are all great books, and worthy to have in your library.

Also in the delivery were these other great books which I love to keep in stock. They are all listed for sale in the on-line shop here.

We are in for a cold, wet week here in Victoria. I really can't complain, I think it is the mildest winter we have had in many years. I am looking forward to spending it with needle, thread and lots of fabric.

Happy sewing!

A USA supplier for Maggie Maguire's Garden pattern

I have some lovely news. The ladies who own Homestead Hearth, a beautiful quilt shop in Missouri, USA,  are going to be stocking Maggie Maguire's Garden pattern in their shop, and they have also decided to run it as a block of the month program. If you are living in the USA, please check out their website here, there are details of the program they are offering, and the chance to register your interest.

There has also been a facebook group commence for Maggie Maguire. I am very thankful to Donna who lives in NSW for starting this group. It is called Maggie Maguire's Garden by Lenora Jenkins. It is a closed group, but if you are interested in making the quilt or have begun, please just ask to join. It is fabulous to see people sharing the beautiful hexagon flowers they are making, and so inspiring for those not so familiar with fussy cut hexagons. 

I've had a lot of fun in the shop over the past few weeks. The special event we held on Grand Final eve was a great success. Lots of ladies visited the shop and a lovely group stayed on to sew in the hall. Once again I got so caught up in the occasion I did not think to take any photo's. So sorry. It will certainly be on again next year, so please mark the date, I expect it to be 25th September 2020.

Maggie Maguire's Garden

In November last year I revisited some hexagon flowers that had languished in the back of my cupboard for just over a year. I was working to replicate an antique quilt, that was mostly browns, blues and golds. I think it was the restriction of colour that was causing my dislike of the project, so I decided to abandon the idea and work on something else restrictive. 

With the goal of the Australasian Quilt Convention in sights, I set myself the challenge of having a quilt finished by March 2019. November, December and January were quite productive, but our annual harvest on the farm, Christmas and the summer school holidays did slow my work rate. By February panic set it. There was so much to do; if only I had worked harder earlier. By this stage the fussy cutting was getting challenging, I felt I had used all my best fabrics, but some new arrivals into the shop spurred me on.

With some late nights, and early mornings, sewing in the car, at the hairdressers and the school bus stop, I managed to complete the quilt top on the train, just before my meeting with Helen Hayes who had kindly agreed to machine quilt it for me.

With some more late nights writing the pattern, then printing and packaging them, I was delighted to finally release Maggie Maguire's Garden at AQC yesterday.

There are a total of 168 hexagon flowers,  4232 individual hexagons. Despite the exhaustion of the last month, it really has been a lovely project to work on. Lots of 'Oh Wow' moments when fussy cutting has produced a lovely flower, and lots of family discussion about what flower was the nicest. 

If your coming along to AQC, pop by my stall #73 and take a look, I'd love to see you. 

Windermere plus an outing this Saturday

Its nice to be back with you. Its been mostly work and no play for me. July is the crazy busy month on our farm, always a struggle to get through it, but the worst is now behind, so happy sewing days are ahead.

The beautiful Windermere range arrived in July. Di Ford-Hall's fabric just keeps getting better.

I have now sold out of the lovely teal stripe. I have placed another order, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will arrive.

I have succumbed to temptation, and started stitching blocks of the Sarah Wistar Quilt, designed by Megan Carroll. 

They are lovely blocks. Very portable and very achievable. The hardest part has been deciding which fabrics I am going to use. 

 

This Saturday 18th August, I have been invited to trade at a gathering of The Applique Guild of Australia being held in Warrnambool. Here are the details.

 

Appliqué-In

hosted by The Applique Guild Australia Inc.

Saturday 18th August 2018

10.00am - 3.00pm

Gateway Church Hall

186 Raglan Parade

(Enter via Simpson St)

Warrnambool, Vic 3280

Guest speaker: Heather Shepherd

BYO Lunch and Mug and a small plate to share for morning tea

Bring your appliqué, sit and sew and enjoy time with friends

 

It promises to be a wonderful, inspiring day. I will be trading along with Linda from Gum Valley Patchwork. 

Everyone is welcome to attend, you do not need to be a member of the guild. 

The shop at Nullawarre will be closed for this day.

Happy stitching, Lenora.

A New Quilt, Sharna Grace

I've been working on a new quilt, made with the lovely fresh Ambleside fabric. It is an easy pattern and very quick to sew together. My daughter, Sharna who helps out in the shop loves this fabric, so I have made the quilt for her and named it in her honour. 

Sharna Grace.

And today just happens to be Sharna's birthday, so happy 15th birthday my darling, hope you love the quilt. 

I am making up kits and will have them at AQC.....which is next week!  Yikes, better keep moving.

Natures Journey Block of The Month

I have just completed my version of Natures Journey, the latest Block of The Month quilt designed by Anni Downs which I am running as a BOM program.

It still has to be quilted and bound, but I am calling it a finish!

The quilt measures 57.5 inches x 60.5 inches and the techniques used include machine piecing, needle turn appliqué (although button hole stitch appliqué would be perfectly fine), English Paper Piecing and embroidery.

The block of the month program runs over eight months, and costs $28.00/month. The program includes all the fabric to complete the quilt top, the Cosmo embroidery threads and the binding fabric. You can find more information and sign up here.

The quilt will be fully finished and on display at AQC in Melbourne, April 16 -19 at my stand #45.

************

My family and I are recently back from holidaying on the Queensland Gold Coast. It has been a few years since we last took a holiday, and with our eldest daughter turning 17 we know that our family unit will soon be dispersing. We really had a wonderful time, visiting three theme parks in three days, shopping, movies and relaxing pool and beachside. I was rather annoyed about the timing, three weeks out from a major show is no time to be taking a holiday but it really has done me and all the family the world of good.

One of the highlights for me, was a visit down to Northern NSW to Murwillumbah, to visit the Tweed Regional Gallery. I have a great love of Margaret Olley, a famous Australian painter who passed away in 2011. She lived a life surrounded by art, and her house became her working studio. At the Gallery they have recreated rooms from Margaret's house.  

To some the 'house' is just utter chaos in need of a jolly good clean up. To others it is a work of art, and a treasure trove full of artistic inspiration. I am in the later group. The precisely recreated rooms include over 20,000 items, including the original doors, windows, and sink from Margaret's Paddington house. All items where carefully photographed, catalogued and then prepared for transportation from Sydney to Murwillumbah. Upon arrival the items were unpacked and replaced in exactly the same position from which they were taken, precisely recreating Margaret's rooms as they were upon her death. The whole process of recreating the rooms is mind boggling. I could of stayed all day.

My son's comment ..."Dad you can't die, the house will end up just like Margaret Olley's and there will be no room for us!"

Have a great Easter!

Lenora x.

 

 

Max and Louise Pattern Co

Knowing I will soon have a much larger shop is enabling me to introduce some new stock lines. I have been greatly impressed with the patterns produced by local Aussie girls, Lisa and Lou, who design under the name Max and Louise Pattern Co. I am delighted to now have in stock some of their patterns. 

These patterns are very well written, with lots of 'how-to' pages for people who are new to quilt making. What I really like, is that these girls go to the trouble of making the design in two different colour ways, highlighting the great variety you can achieve just by using a different selection of fabrics.

18th Century Stars ($21.80)

 

The Unknown Quilt ($26.50)

 

Tessellate (26.50)

 

Gracedale Doves ($40.00 template included)

 

Colours of Spring ($19.80)

 

Airlie ($19.80)

I am endeavouring to make up samples, but I am having trouble deciding which one to start first.

And on the shop front; the wheels of progress are slowly turning. A builder and plumber have advised on the work they will need to do, a draftsman is drawing plans and the various permits we need are being sought. Luckily .......and as a farmer I should never say this........ there has been no great rain for a week or two, so the future car park is drying out nicely. Patience has never been my virtue, so this is really testing me.

Lenora.

A Quick Update

While the blog may have been a little bit quiet over the past few weeks, there has been a lot going on behind the scenes at Elm Grove Patchwork. 

I have been negotiating with my landlords to expand the shop into the main show room, starting next year. This will allow me to run classes and also monthly clubs. It is a very exciting step forward, with my 2014 diary now filling with pencilled in events. 

Some new fabrics have arrived in store, odds and ends including creams, browns and greens, (sorry no photo to share) and a small collection of the new 'Love' range by Moda.

Another exciting arrival is a collection of Irene Blanck's patterns.

Irene specialises in hand applique, and her patterns are a stash busters delight. And.......... Irene's name might be appearing in my 2014 calender!

On the home front it is harvest time again. Lots of busy days, and time spent lapping around paddocks, great thinking time though.

Have a great weekend!

Lenora x.

 

Show and Tell: Vintage Crosses

A few weeks back, Marie called into the store and purchased the pattern Vintage Crosses by Sharon Keightley. She returned yesterday to show me her completed quilt top. 

It is beautiful Marie, thanks for agreeing to share it!

Homespun Project

If you are looking to make an early start on your Christmas stitching, you might want to grab a copy of the latest Homespun magazine.

It's the Christmas in July issue. When you open the pages, you might happen to see this.

A pattern which I designed earlier in the year. The article includes not only the pattern, but also some handy hints and a profile. And I hope my family never disclose how agonizing it was to come up with a half decent photograph!

Have a great weekend!

Lenora X.

Over and Out.......AQC 2013

It’s really hard to believe where the past week has gone, especially when I think back to this time last week, setting up my stall for AQC 2013.  Being my first retail show I was not sure what to expect, but I had a fabulous time and met such lovely people. I was lucky to have Linda one side of me, and an experienced exhibitor, the lovely Kerry Glen from Tulis Textiles on the other.

I am now working through the logistics of AQC 2014.

 For my stall I was lucky to have a loan of two quilts from a New Zealand based designer Sharon Keightley. Vintage Crosses took centre stage at the back of my stall and the Daisy Patch Quilt was displayed on the side. Sharon does beautiful appliqué, both by hand and machine and her choice of colour is stunning.

Today was my first day back at the shop since stripping it bare for AQC. It took about 20 minutes to pack all that I needed; yet approximately 4 hours to put it all back together! I have now added a 36-thread stand of Aurifil threads to the shop. It is such beautiful thread for hand appliqué, and I will soon be announcing a thread club.

Some lovely new fabrics have arrived in store, but I have not taken any photos as yet.  I will return to share them with you in my next post. 

Lenora X.