The Quilted Crow

2009-03-06T17:27:00.001+11:00

EXCITING NEWS . . .

We now have a new blog . . . hope you like the new look !!! click here to enter

Leonie & Deirdre

2009-02-09T20:57:00.004+11:00

Today is an enormously sad day for our Nation. Fires rage out of control across the state of Victoria. Many lives have been lost. Whole townships have been all but wiped out.

We pray for all those affected by these horrific fires. Our thoughts are with you all.

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-12-18T09:16:00.003+11:00

Quote of the Week:

I will honour Christmas in my heart and keep it there all year long . . .

Only days away now until we celebrate Christmas with family and loved ones. It is such a wonderful time of year and a chance to reflect back over the past twelve months and prepare for the coming year.

Thank you so much for your continued support over this past year. YOU are the very reason we enjoy what we do so much . . your constant words of encouragement, your loyalty and offers of support are all so much appreciated. We both wish you all a very happy Christmas, wherever in the world you may be . . .

Finally, congratulations to 'Anonymous' whose comment wins the giveaway of Deirdre's pattern titled "Yuletide WIshes". Please email us your postal address and we will pop it in the post to you.

Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year . . .

Until next time.

Leonie & Deirdre - The Quilted Crow

2008-12-09T09:44:00.003+11:00

Quote of the Week:

You can't have rainbows without rain . . .

Another week has flown by and we are all madly counting down the days to Christmas. Neither Deirdre or myself have done ANY Christmas shopping yet . . . so if you see two "on a mission, mad-eyed" women racing around Hobart, that will be us two on Christmas Eve!

I got a lovely surprise through the week when an old friend called in unexpectantly from interstate to say hi whilst on a conference here in Hobart - I apoligise to Pam (a customer I was serving at the time) for the possible burst ear drum that she left with after I let out one loud scream of excitement when Colin walked through the door!! Deirdre came running out from the back expecting to see a fabric delivery as that is our usual response when the delivery man arrives (sorry Col !!) and even though it wasn't fabric, she was still happy to see him too!

Speaking of fabric, there are lots of yummy things on the way - I don't think they will be here before Christmas (which is mighty sad) but they should start arriving early in the new year. "Ave Rose" is a really pretty range for all of you who like big florals in blue greys, pinks and soft greens - there are also some smaller prints in the range too.

In the reproduction line we have "Quaker Quilts" and "Sturbridge Village IV", both by Judie Rothermel on the way, so will let you know when they get here - although you WILL hear the screams then . . .

Now to our giveaway last post - we asked you to share a funny Christmas story with us and we have chosen three people who will each receive a copy of our pattern "Tiny Treasure Cones", just in time to make up for Christmas. They are Marita, Jan and Carrie P. Please email us your mailing address and we will pop them in the post to you - thanks for sharing with us and congratulations !!!

Now we also have another giveaway - Deirdre's pattern called "Yuletide Wishes" which is pictured at the top of the page - one lucky person will have the chance to win it but you must leave a comment by Monday 15th about what you like most about the quilt and we will announce the winners that same day.

Time to go and watch my darling girl at her end of year concert . . . they grow up far too quickly. . .

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre - The Quilted Crow

2008-12-02T13:27:00.004+11:00

Quote of the Week:

If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room !!

Oh my gosh, is it Tuesday already? Where are the days going lately? Everyone is madly preparing for the festive season which is only weeks away now - the elbows are coming out in the supermarket aisles and the 'push and shove' is getting a little heavier on the footpaths as people go about their Christmas shopping.

I must confess right here and now, that I haven't even thought about where to start - my girls put up our Christmas tree last night, a tradition in our house on the 1st December every year.

It's lots of fun watching them pull out all of their creations that they have made over the years from kindergarten to now - how many nativity sets made out of shoe boxes and empty toilet rolls can one family possibly have? Then there are the reindeer tree decorations made from pegs complete with boggly eyes and pipe cleaners for their antlers - not to mention the angels made from paper doilies . . . how many of you out there can relate to this?? I haven't the heart to throw any of it out - there's nothing better than hearing them say 'remember when I was four . . . . and I made this at Kinder' . .

Deirdre spent all of her Sunday decorating her place for Christmas - she is being very minimilstic this year - down from ten trees to only four. FOUR!!!! But it does always look beautiful. I wonder how many shoe box nativity sets she still has?

Now because Christmas is a time for giving, we would like to have a giveaway, so if you have a funny Christmas story that you would like to share with us, leave a comment and we will announce the winners next Monday. The three lucky recipients will each receive a copy of my pattern "Tiny Treasure Cones", that you can see at the top of the page.

Thank you to everyone who left lovely comments through the week - it is so nice to read them all. I'm off to start on my Christmas list . . . have a great week.

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre - The Quilted Crow

2008-11-25T10:32:00.007+11:00

Quote of the Week:

Ask not what your fabric can do for you, but what you can do for your fabric . . .

My goodness, has it really been two weeks since our last posting? Where has the time gone? Now I do know that I sent one thousand apologies to you all last time I had a little lapse, so I am sending two thousand this time to make up for it . . .

But in all fairness . . . we have just recently returned from the Australasian Quilt Market which is held twice a year here in Australia, Sydney in June and Melbourne in Novmeber, which is the one that we were part of.

It was our very first time there as 'designers' under the banner "Pattern Press" which is our distributors name, who happens to be Helen Stubbings of Hugs n Kisses . She has encouraged and supported us over the last couple of months and we are most grateful to her for this support.

It was lots of fun at Market and a good chance to catch up with other shop owners who share the same love, and even better because they liked what we were doing with the felted wool!! We had a great response, given that we are trying to introduce something new to shop owners with the felted wool - hopefully their customers will like what we are doing & have a dabble in it themselves!

The photo at the top is a close up of part of one of the new designs that we took along called "From My Garden" and below is another of the whole piece.

Here's another design called "Love Apple" which is a penny rug table topper. Both designs would look equally as good in cotton, but we do loooove working with the felted wool . . . .

It was also really nice to meet Jhoanna for the first time from One Red Robin who also goes under the "Pattern Press" banner with her fantastic range of softies which proved to be extremely popular! She is a beautiful person with an enormous amount of talent and it was great to share the booth with her, listening to people oohing and aahing over her designs! Be sure to pop over to her blog and say hi - she was sensible and took a camera (something that we left behind!) so if you want to see some photos of the booth, this is the place to see them!

So here we are again, back at our gorgeous shop (well, we think it is !!) working on our next 'crisis' - making up all of our samples to take the Australasian Quilt Convention which is to be held from the 26th February to 1st March, 2009 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. This is different to Quilt Market (which is a wholesalers market). Here we take our 'shop' and sell to the general public - they get to have a taste of what we do here at The Quilted Crow by seeing all of our goodies on the booth - Stand Number 180 by the way for all of those people wanting to visit us! So I guess you're thinking that we get to do lots of "schmoozing" - well yes - we do - but there is still lots of work to be done before the "schmoozing" starts!!

Having said that, I'd better be off & get to work on the 'said' samples. I've got Deirdre out back on Big Mal, as usual, quilting up a storm. . . .

Until next time.

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-11-04T08:38:00.007+11:00

Quote of the Week:

"Quilters make great comforters . . ."

"Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat"

It was all about Halloween last week and Deirdre being the Halloween Queen, had her house decorated out at Campania.

She lives in 'woop woop' and nobody goes trick or treating out there (much to her dismay!) so we have decided that next year she will bring it all to my place where there are loads of people dressed in fun costumes roaming the streets, knocking on doors and having lots of fun!

Here are some photos to share with you all of Deirdre's house . . .

We are still madly preparing for Quilt Market next week - there is still so much to do - and time is quickly passing us by - patterns still to write - a project still to finish - quilts to be quilted - any wonder we are going through the chocolate . . . one can never have enough . .

Until next time

Leonie & Deirdre - The Quilted Crow

2008-10-27T13:20:00.004+11:00

Quote of the Week:

May your sorrows be patched and your joys quilted . . .

Ten thousand apologies to those who have diligently been checking our blog . . . the past two weeks have just sped by so fast . . . but anyway, here we are again.

We have been busily working on some new projects in our gorgeous felted wool which Helen from Pattern Press is going to launch for us at Quilt Market in November. It is a new venture for us both and we are hoping that they will be well received.

Helen has also been doing some new designing herself - be sure to pop over to her blog and have a peek - there are some really nice projects there for everyone to enjoy.

Helen has just returned from Jane's Gathering in the Hills where she spent a lovely day with a group of ladies teaching her trademark Colorque technique on a quilt that she designed especially for the day. We saw some photos that Helen took and Jane certainly went to a lot of trouble to make sure every need was catered to. My gosh, you should have seen the food!! Absolutely, beautifully presented - tea served in vintage china cups and cupcakes so beautifully decorated you wouldn't want to eat them! The luncheon was also pretty fabulous and the venue decorated nicely too. We're sure those who attended had a fantastic day.

Big Mal was unwell for a couple of days which meant that our quilting pile out the back has been slowed down - but thanks to our Irish mechanic named Andrew, he is back to quilting like a dream . . .

It's that time of the month again for us where we are madly preparing our Block of the Month and Woollen Pincushion Club mailouts - it really is a big job but we have lots of fun doing it - half the fun is gift wrapping each one which makes it nice for the person receiving on the other end - a bit like Christmas each month for them . .

Best get back to some 'real work'!!

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-10-08T14:37:00.007+11:00

Quote of the Week:

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could all just follow our heart's desires?"

OK, I know . . . it's Wednesday and I promised I would always do the blog first thing Monday before I opened the chocolate . . . but I didn't have any chocolate . . . so the blog thing just passed me by . . . but here we are with some new things to share with you all.

Some new fabrics arrived here on Friday. Pictured below is one of the latest reproduction lines by Judie Rothermel - Civil War Dressing Gowns II - a small range of only 12 prints and very pretty.

Also just in is 'Recess' by American Jane, a retro range that appeals to the younger sewers and is great for patchwork, bags, clothing - anything really!! Bonnie Blues, Sturbridge Village Calicoes and Vicksburg have also arrived and are just breathtakingly beautiful. Check them out on our website.

Now, if anyone from South Australia is reading our blog today, (or anyone heading over in the next fortnight!) be sure to check out Jane at The Patchwork Apple. She is hosting a "Gathering in the Hills" on Sunday 19th October with Helen Stubbings from Hugs n Kisses as her guest tutor. Here is a photo of the gorgeous quilt that Helen has designed especially for the day using her trademark Colourque technique.

A delicious morning and afternoon tea, scrummy lunch, gift bag and lots of inspiration - who wouldn't want to be part of that . . . go ahead and book and be part of the fun!

Deirdre is out the back quilting her life away on Big Mal - the quilts are piling up which is a good sign that people are happy with our work. I'm off to pick up the kiddlywinks from school - such little treasures . .

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre - The Quilted Crow

2008-09-30T13:01:00.002+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Those who sleep under a quilt, sleep under a blanket of love . . .

Well what a week it was last week - "full on" to say the least. Pictured left are our ladies from New South Wales who spent the week with us here in the shop.

They arrived about 10.30am on Monday morning, all very excited and ready for a week of sewing.

They spent time looking about the shop to work out what they wanted to work on and then they were in to it. There was no stopping them! They all achieved quite alot the first two days so they decided that they had earnt themselves some time off and went to do some sight seeing! Thursday saw them back here ready to get back into it and by Friday afternoon they had each achieved a great deal. They were a great bunch and we look forward to this becoming a regular event every two years.

This week sees us madly getting our Block of the Month, Pincushion Club and Fabric Club organised and into the post. No rest for the wicked!!

For those reproduction fabric lovers, there are three gorgeous ranges due next week. They are Dressing Gowns II, Sturbridge Village Calicoes and Vicksburg. Our web guy is currently loading them onto our website so you should be able to view them later this week. They are all very scrummy.

Also just arrived is a retro range called RECESS by American Jane. This too can be viewed on our website later in the week. Be sure to check it out.

That just about does it for today - lots to do.

Until next time,

Cheers,

Leonie & Deirdre - The Quilted Crow

2008-09-24T09:43:00.012+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Every quilter has a masterpiece within . . .

For all of you who have been eagerly awaiting news of how our Christmas Gathering went on the weekend - I've finally made it to the keyboard!!

What a fantastic day!! Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely and couldn't say enough about Natalie Bird and Anni Downs -

both girls do the most amazing work and their projects that they made especially for the day were a hit with everyone.

Here are some photos to share with you all . .

Remember all of the little pressies we told you we were making for everyone (80 in total!!)but we had to keep it a surprise - well this is what they were - little messenger birds (a gorgeous pattern by Rosalie Quinlan) with an old fashioned charm tied around their neck of a traditional Christmas image. Each person received one of these beautiful little birdies sitting in their own little nest . . . .

The table display . . .

Part of the shop display on the stage area . . .

. . . And for those of you who are wondering what "Nellie's Sewing Box" looked like when it was finished, here it is . . .

Now that we have shared some of the photos of our Gathering with you, we can also share some other exciting news that we mentioned briefly a few posts back.

Helen Stubbings from Hugs n Kisses has taken on both Deirdre and myself as new designers under her pattern distribution name 'Pattern Press'. This hopefully will open up many doors for us and we can't begin to tell you how excited we both are.

All of the projects that we designed for our Christmas Gathering will be available by the end of September in our shop or if you have your own shop and would like to buy wholesale, you can contact Helen on (03) 6278 7507.

We are madly working on typing up our patterns for other projects we have designed also, so it is keeping us rather busy. Now if I was clever enough, I would be able to 'link' you to Helen's new website, but I'm not . . . so here is the website address !! www.patternpress.com.au . You will also find on this website all of Helen's patterns that she has available too.

Well, this isn't getting all the work done that needs doing, so I must be off. Thank you to everyone who came to our Gathering and supported us. Hope to see you at our next one in April/May.

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-09-09T08:43:00.008+10:00

Quote of the Week:

A quilt is a treasure that follows its owner everywhere . . .

Oops, we didn't get time yesterday to post - busy busy busy . . .

The photo to the left here are of some of the projects that will be on offer to make at our Christmas Gathering on Saturday 20th September.

We have made up for our tardiness yesterdayand here are the gorgeous projects that Anni Downs and Natalie Bird have both designed for our Gathering . .

"Petunia's Garden Bag" by Anni

"Christmas Berry Baubles" by Anni

"Sunflower Wool Bag & Pincushion" by Natalie

"Christmas Trio Wallhanging" by Natalie

I have one other project that I decided to make at the last minute . . . you know how it is!! It is called "Nellie's Sewing Box" and it is a rectangle box covered with felted wool with an applique on the lid and on the sides. Inside is a punchneedle scissor keep, a pincushion and if I have time . . . an appliqued measuring tape cover thingy !

For those of you who aren't attending the Gathering and would like patterns for the projects, all patterns will be available for sale at the end of September!

That just about ties it up for today . . . must go and get some more chores done !!

Have a great week

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

2008-08-31T18:51:00.003+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Friends are like fabric, you can never have enough . . .

I'm a step ahead of you today!! As you know, we ususally post on a Monday, but I am here tonight at the shop working late on a Sunday . . . waiting for my 13 year old, Ellen, who is performing in a Taiko Drumming concert to call mum for pick up. "Why aren't you there watching her?" I hear you say . . . well it was our night last night to see them perform - two and a half hours of solid drumming and singing - absolutely amazing.

Our girls had only been playing for seven weeks and we were all mighty proud of them. The other drummers are very experienced and have been playing for years.

If ever you have a chance to see a Taiko Drumming performance, don't miss it - reminds me of how unfit I am . . . damn that chocolate . . .

Now for those of you who like Halloween, check out Deirdre's Penny Rug and Trick or Treat Bags - aren't they just soooo cute? They are all made from 100% felted wool - one of our favourite textiles to work with - and are really quick and easy to make. If you are interested, we have patterns and kits available in the shop for this project and lots of other Halloween goodies too.

Only three weeks now until our Christmas Gathering - the elves have been madly working out the back getting it all organised (as in Deirdre & I). We've got the kids on the lolly bag making - not a good idea now I come to think of it . . . and husbands pacing, waiting for our next order . . . bless their hearts . .

Anni Downs emailed us some pics of her projects but I am having trouble getting them across to the blog. I'll have another go at it this week - nothing like keeping you all in suspense! We're sure you're going to love them - lots of little Christmas Ornies made from hand dyed felted wool and a gorgeous tote bag with stitchery on it - just what every girl needs . . .

Natalie Bird will be getting pics of her projects to us soon too - they are both very busy ladies and we are thrilled that they are taking time out to come to Tassie!

Oops, there's the phone, time to pick up the Taiko Drumming Girl.

Have a great week everyone,

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-08-25T09:28:00.007+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Quilting is a gift you give yourself . . .

Just look at this magical photo of our very own Mt Wellington here in Hobart. This sight has greeted us for the past few days - not as much snow today, but still beautiful, surrounded by a brilliant blue sky - can't get any better than that . . .

'Madness' here at Crow Central one would have to say this past week. We have been pretending that we were back in our Kindergarten days and spent a fun couple of hours cutting and pasting our folders which will hold the patterns for those attending our Christmas Gathering on the 20th September. It's soooo much fun getting everything ready . .

We are now booked out for the Gathering but are still putting interested people on a waiting list 'just in case' we happen to get a cancellation at the last minute. So keep those fingers crossed those of you who are on the list . . . we know it is a disappointment to be one of those missing out but we can only fit a certain number into the hall and hope that you understand. Be sure to be one of the first for our next Gathering in April next year!!

Australia's next top model look out - here is the gorgeous Deirdre doing her thing on the catwalk with her two designs for the Gathering - two warm and snuggly scarves made from 100% felted wool, one with appliqued snowmen and pockets and the other with flowers, reverse applique and needle felting - how could you resist either of them!! And doesn't she just make the perfect model !!

We're off to buy the 'sweeties' for the goody bags - I think we eat more than we pack but that's ok - we need to keep the sugar levels up - it's very important you know.

Thanks to everyone who leaves a comment on our blog - it much appreciated . . . we enjoy reading them . . keep them coming.

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre
The Quilted Crow

2008-08-18T11:33:00.005+10:00

Quote of the Week:

There is no wrong time for quilting . . .

What a beautiful sight greeted me this morning as I rounded the corner on the highway heading into Hobart and caught my first glance of Mt Wellington. The mountain was coated in snow and the sky was a brilliant blue - unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me so I can't share a photo with you, but believe me, it was breathtaking.

The weekend saw us all snuggled indoors, sheltering from the cold and rain and what better excuse than to sit and do some sewing. I added a few finishing touches to my projects for the Christmas Gathering which is only five weeks away and now I have to do the boring part and write the patterns . . . arrrrgh!! Here's a photo that I took last week - not a very good one - it's a bit dark - but it gives you the idea - three 'Christmas Cones' made from our beautiful felted wool . . what do you think?

We have been busily preparing everything - the fun part is getting all the 'goodies' together for everyone - each Gathering we have, we provide a gift for each person who attends as a 'thank you' for coming along and supporting us. I came up with this 'grand idea' that we would make for each person a ????????? (I can't tell you what it is because it will spoil the surprise!! - hee hee) and now everywhere I look at home, there they are - beside my chair, on the tea trolley, on the bench, on the couch - they have taken over the whole house - "Mum, how many are you making?" my two daughters ask with their eyes rolling back thinking I've finally gone nuts . . . but they are all so cute and Deirdre and I are both sure everyone will like them (they'd better!!).

Very soon we will be able to share our secret with you that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago . . . things are well under way and we can't tell you how excited we are!! It will be a new venture for us both and one that we hope will be rewarding.

We have ordered lots of new fabric just recently - the new civil war ranges from Judie Rothermel should be arriving soon - they are Sturbridge Village Calicos, Dressing Gowns II and Vicksburg - no doubt you will hear the screams when the delivery man arrives.

Even though they are some time away, I'm off to make some room for them - there's nothing like having a change around on a cold wintry day . . it's so much fun!

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-08-11T11:15:00.003+10:00

Quote of the Week:

A quilt is a treasure which follows its owner everywhere . . .

Today sees us freezing our little toes off here in Hobart - a beautiful sunny day but oh, so cold!! And there's more to come - of the cold I mean - and snow !! brrrrr . . .

One of our favourite customers came in on Friday with the quilt pictured above, made from civil war fabrics - it is absolutely gorgeous. Veronica is known for loving the 1930s fabrics but seeing as this one was for her husband she went with the civil war instead.

Her five year old daughter has the biggest fabric stash you have ever seen for someone under the age of ten! Each time Veronica comes into the shop, her little one chooses her own half a dozen or so fabrics and off she goes, quite chuffed with herself! It's great to see that someone so young can get so much pleasure from such beautiful fabrics. We will be sure to post a photo of her first patchwork attempt . . .

Our Christmas Gathering is now only six weeks away and panic is starting to kick in! Have we got everything organised? Catering? Projects? Pressies? I'm sure we've covered it all but you know how it is when you just want it to go off without a hitch . . . everyone is getting really excited and we know that Anni and Natalie are working on their projects at the moment - once all the projects are complete we'll post some photos. Not long now . . .

Until next time.

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-08-06T09:11:00.007+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Quilts are like friends . . a great source of comfort and warmth . . .

It wasn't my fault - really it wasn't . . . and it didn't have anything to do with the fact that I had run out of chocolate . . . There have been some problems with 'Blogger' since Friday which affected everyone worldwide - apparently some software mishap but all is well now and I can keep tapping away at the keyboard, keeping you up to date with all that is happening here at Crow Central.

I have taken a photo of some new fabric that arrived just recently from 'A Day in the Country' - fresh and funky we call it. There are a lot of designers using this range at the moment so you'll be sure to see it around. If you take a peek at Helen Stubbings blog (I dont' know how to link you to it yet !!) www.hugsnkisses.typepad.com/ you will see a project she is working on in these fabrics. There are also some spots and stripes that co-ordinate well with these and we have those in stock as well.

We are currently getting ready to start Helen's Block of the Month "Neenies Garden" (photo above) in store soon so if you are interested in participating and want some more information, drop us an email and we'll be sure to pop your name down. 'Sweet Escape' is the range of fabric that Helen used for this quilt and we too will be using it. The quilt is just gorgeous and Helen using a combination of stitching along with her Colorque technique and as you can see, the end result is stunning.

We are also running Kerrie Gillespie's 'Life's Pleasures & Treasures' and this is the fabric that we will be using - what do you think - pretty isn't it?

And here is the quilt . . . well maybe not . . . I will have to post the photo next week as the one I have is a little too dark . . . this BOM runs for six months and again, if you would like some more info, drop us an email.

The other Block of the Month is Anni Downs 'Pockets of Posies' and we have ordered in a range especially for this one. This BOM will run over ten months and will commence some time in October.

So yes, we have a few things happening that will keep us busy. Deirdre is out back on the quilting machine 'Big Mal' quilting up a storm . . . we both enjoy the longarm machine and often have to fight over who is going to do the next one!! But there are plenty to do so neither of us will miss out!

That's going to have to do for today - lots of secret stuff to get done!!

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre
The Quilted Crow

2008-07-28T09:10:00.008+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Friends are threads of gold in the quilt of life . . .

Well here we are again, Monday morning already, and as promised, I haven't opened the chocolate - it is sitting there waiting for me to finish this post before I break it open. Chocolate is a wonderful thing isn't it?

What a busy week we have had here at Crow Central. There has been lots of show and tell from our lovely customers recently. Remember the hexagon quilt that Sally made? Well here it is, all quilted with the binding on. Isn't it a masterpiece? We quilted it for her here at the shop - she wanted a Baptist Fan design and this proved to be a good choice. What do you think?

Sue E came in with her beautiful woollen wall hanging from an American designer. The pattern title is 'Home and Harvest'. She has been coming into our shop for some time now, purchasing our lovely 100% felted wool over the last few months and this is the end result.

We just love working with the wool and it is good to see other people enjoying it as well. It is so easy to work with, it doesn't fray, you don't need to fuse it on to the background before stitching, you just staple it on and stitch away!! Deirdre's thumbs are always 'discoloured' from all of the hand dyeing and if anyone didn't know her properly, they would think she never washed!! But it is certainly worth it, just take a look at these gorgeous colours . . .

Sorry that the photo's are a little dark, but it gives you an idea of the 'gorgeousness'!!

We have both completed our projects for our upcoming 'Christmas Gathering' which is to be held on September 20th and we are pretty happy with them. The day is approaching fast so we need to be organised in advance. The week after the Gathering will see us playing host to a group of ladies from New South Wales who are coming down for a week of sewing and fun with us here in the shop. We are really excited and by the sound of it, from the last email we received, they too, can't wait! There are lots of quilts here that they can choose to make, so we're sure they will have a ball.

This week sees us getting ready to send out our monthly Woollen Pincushion Club and Deirdre's 'Autumn Pathways Block of the Month, so it is going to be very busy.

The chocolate is still sitting here in its wrapper so I think it is time that I gave it some air - after all, it is after 10am . . . . . . have a great week.

Until next time,

Leonie and Deirdre - The Quilted Crow

2008-07-21T09:39:00.004+10:00

Quote of the Week:

A day patched with quilting seldom unravels . . .

I know we haven't had many posts of late, but I have made myself a promise. Each Monday, BEFORE I open my block of Cadbury's chocolate, I will update the blog . . . I promise . . .

We find ourselves constantly busy here at Crow Central, long arming quilts, filling phone orders, running Block of the Months and so on . . we aren't complaining though!! We are so lucky to be doing what we are doing - we meet so many nice people from all over Australia and even overseas - all sharing a love a quilting.

Check out Deirdre's Block of the Month - it's all finished now and looks fantastic. Using a combination of felted wool which is appliqued onto a cotton background the end result is stunning. What do you think?

Did you hear our screams of excitement last week - another delivery of gorgeous fabric - Rocky Mountain III by Judie Rothermel - absolutely stunning - so all you reproduction people out there, you had better be quick!! Deirdre and I are planning a secret sewing night (not so secret now is it!) one Friday night in the hope that we may be able to whip up a quilt - it seems so long ago that I sat down with Nellie (my sewing machine) and had a little one on one time with her . . . I did give her a drink of oil over the weekend though in anticipation. . .

Exciting things are happening here . . . but we can't tell you yet . . . you will have to wait a little longer. Another couple of weeks or so and we will be able to share . . . initially it will mean lots of work but once everything is in place it will be great for us (we hope!!).

We just received in the mail on Friday, the American Quilter's Society book catalogue and who should be in it but our very own Helen Stubbings from Hugs n Kisses (be sure to visit her blog) . Our very own, because she comes from Tassie!! The book is titled 'Faux Applique' and features elegant designs in the tradition of Baltimore album quilts done simply by using coloured pencils to recreate the look of intricate applique. We will be stocking this book, along with many others that we have ordered recently, so be sure to place your order to be among the first to receive it. The title is due out in October. Congratulations Helen!

Uh oh . . I hear the bookwork calling me . . . a job I really hate doing but one that needs to be done . . . and the chocolate is still waiting to be opened . .

Until next time.

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-07-07T09:24:00.011+10:00

BEVERLY MARY MILLER

29.01.1946 -

29.06.2008

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend Bev, who lost her battle with cancer on Sunday morning, the 29th June 2008.

Bev (pictured left) was the person behind our wonderful website - she worked tirelessly to bring it all together and make it what it is today.

She was the most warmest, loving, creative and talented person who always looked on the bright side of life.

We will miss her dearly.

Until next time.

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-05-12T11:38:00.013+10:00

Quote of the Week: My soul if fed with needle and thread. My body is filled with chocolate . . .

Yes, it has been some time since our last posting; just over two weeks. I think I promised some more photos of our Autumn Gathering "tomorrow" - that seems like so long ago . . . . . . time really does get away doesn't it.

My youngest daughter Jess was our "Paparazzi Queen" on the day, so here are a couple more photo's to share with you . . .

Deirdre is currently away on holidays, swanning around Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales for the next fortnight with her husband Phil - having a wonderful and well earned break. My turn comes in the June school holidays - YIPEE!!

We are so blessed to have such good friends . . . whilst Deirdre is away, our "Roadies" insist on coming in and helping me out so I can keep up with all that needs to be done, including the long-arming of the quilts out the back on 'Big Mal'. A huge thankyou to Ange, Michelle, Kali and Sally for their tremendous help and friendship.

I'm madly getting ready for our next mail out of the "Woollen Pincushion Club" which goes in the post at the end of the month. There are six in the series and we are up to Number Four. I asked everyone last week who is in the Club to send in some photos of their completed pincushions so as soon as they start arriving, I'll be sure to pop them on for you all to see.

In the meantime, here is a photo of the samples that I made - the one missing in action is the Strawberry Pincushion - it may make a grand appearance next time!!

If anyone is interested in joining the Woollen Pincushion Club, the next Group will be starting in Mid June. The cost is $28.60 each month for six months. It includes all the 'ingredients', pattern and postage.

Deirdre's first mailout of her Block of the Month went out last week. It is called "Autumn Pathways" . . . . absolutely gorgeous . . . a combination of warm rich colours of the felted wool on a cotton background. Here is a photo of the centre blocks just to tempt you . . . . what do you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Phone us at the shop (03) 6234 8338 or email us thequiltedcrow@dodo.com.au if you are interested in either of them and we will send out the relevant details to you.

Must be off - lots to do . . .

Until next time.

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-04-23T10:22:00.007+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Blessed are the Piecemakers . . .

What a beautiful day was had by all at our Autumn Gathering on Saturday.

The women who attended had the pleasure of meeting the talented Kerry Gillespie and Lynette Anderson who were our tutors for the day. Both Kerry and Lynette commented how lovely everyone was and it only confirms what we have been saying for some time. We are truly blessed by the friendships we have made and it is the people who attend that make the day what it is.

Thanks so much to each and every one of you who made this day so special for Deirdre and myself. We have so much fun and by all the chatter and laughter in the room, I think everyone else does too!!

Some photos to share with you . . . .

Lynette talking about her projects . . .

Deirdre and I showing two of my projects . . .

and when I get my camera working properly, I'll post some more . . .

For those of you who are wondering about our "Plumbing Disaster" at the shop the day before our Gathering - all is now well and the shop is back to looking its beautiful self - unfortunately we still couldn't open on the Monday; it took us all day to clean up but it was a good chance to rearrange things!!

What is it about us women and moving furniture !!??

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-04-14T10:45:00.004+10:00

Quote of the Week:

You can always tell a quilter from the threads she wears . . .

We just had to share with you all this amazing quilt that one of our good friends, Sally made. She completed it in only four months - all hand pieced - King Size - 2,508 hexagons in total !!!

Her mother-in-law, Kali, gave Sally the fabric last year for her birthday in October - a gorgeous bundle of reproduction called "Charleston III and here is the end result. We'd love to hear your comments.

We are both busy here preparing for our Autumn Gathering which is only six days away now. Everyone is looking forward to it and so are we!! We do have a couple of spots left if anyone is thinking whether or not to come - but be quick!!

As well as getting ready for Saturday, Deirdre has managed to whip up yet another quilt in some new fabric that came into the shop last week called "Happy Trails". The fabric is vintage 1950's in bright, yet muted tones with cowboys, pistols, bucking bronco's, stars & wagons. It's a fantastic quilt for a boy - what do you think??

We have kits ready to go which include pattern, all fabrics for the top as well as binding for only $145.00. You can view the fabric on our website.

Well, there is much to do, so I must be off to tackle some more chores.

Be sure to check back next Monday on our blog for photos of our Autumn Gathering.

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

We think it is absolutely fantastic and she is totally obsessed

2008-04-08T11:26:00.011+10:00

Quote of the Week:

To be able to look back upon your past life with satisfaction, is to live twice . . .

Our Autumn Gathering is now less than two weeks away and we have all of the projects here in the shop on display.

They are all fabulous and we're sure that there will be something for everyone. We are just about fully booked so if you are thinking of coming along, you'd better not leave it too long - next Wednesday 16th April is our cut-off date for taking bookings.

I've popped some photo's down here for you all to see - you will receive a pattern for each of the projects that are photographed in your 'goody bag' along with some other treats from us.

The above photograph are Lynette Anderson's projects - "Hilltop Cottage Cushion" in two different colourways, and "Hilltop Cottage Punchneedle Purse" also in two different colourways. You will receive an iron-on transfer in your goody bag, compliments of The Quilted Crow for the cushion stitchery design.

This photo is of Kerrie Gillespie's projects, "Freshcut Flowers" two cushions with a gorgeous stitchery design on them, "Tilly, Milly & Molly", three little dollies linking arms and a fantastic bag made from black felted wool and adorned with some great stitchery and ric rac - it may be a bit hard to see the detail in this photo, so I apologise, but trust me, they are truly fantastic!

Who could go past Deirdre's project "Dolly Doorstop" a delightful angel with felted wool applique flowers, holding her own little birdy in her arms. As well as this, Deirdre has also made an apron called "Cherry Pie" with gorgeous stitchery on the pockets.

These three projects are mine and are called "Favourite Things from The Quilted Crow". A large hand pieced hexagon shaped cushion, small sawtooth star quilt and a drawstring bag with churn dash blocks on point - the three items come as one kit . . "Brown paper packages tied up with string . . these are a few of my favourite things . . . ".

My other project is a wallhanging but could be made into a large quilt if you would like.

Hope you all like the projects - for those of you who aren't able to attend, the patterns will be available by the end of April to purchase in the shop.

Must be off to do some more chores . . . never a dull moment here at Crow Central!

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-03-14T13:51:00.010+11:00

Well, she's done it!

Deirdre registered for this years "World's Greatest Shave" and today here in the shop off went the hair!!

We are all very proud of what she has done and in doing so, has raised over $2500.00 for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored her - it was much appreciated.

Here are some before and after shots of the big event!!

I'm so proud of her . . .

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2008-03-03T09:01:00.004+11:00

Quote of the Week:

"Quilting is a gift you give yourself . . ."

Well we know it has been ages since we last updated this but Deirdre is completely technologically challenged and I have trouble finding the time because I also have to do all the other smart stuff!

Anyway we both had a lovely Christmas break with our families and hope you all did too.

I had a wonderful family holiday in Queensland during January - totally relaxing (but far too hot!!) - I even managed to read two books while I was away which hasn't happened in quite a while. Both Dan and the girls spent most of the time in the pool and even I had the odd dip to keep cool.

Deirdre and Sue kept the home fires burning and the preparation going for the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne which we went to last week.

Our stock had to be ready to freight over the week before so that was a mad dash for the finish line in getting bindings on quilts, photographing them and writing and printing the patterns - BUT WE DID IT!

We had a week at the shop to chill out till we flew over on the Wednesday. Setting up was a bit stressful with everyone unpacking at the same time, boxes, trolleys and forklifts everywhere - very scary for us little country girls! As we had never been before it took us a while to work out how we wanted to hang the quilts but we managed to finish by 9.30pm - we were pretty tired by that stage. We really tried to make our stand reflect the look of our shop which is hard to do with only 1m x 2m of space, but with our old apple crates and vintage suit cases I think we managed to pull it off.

We stayed with Deirdre's brother and sister-in-law, Phil and Jen who were fabulous. They picked us up and got us there on time, fed us, spoiled us rotten and gave us a warm family place to relax after each day. If it wasn't for Phil and Jen on the last day, we would have missed our plane, but they were waiting out the front with the engine running ready to wiz us off to the airport.

We really enjoyed the AQC. It was great to meet some customers who we have spoken to on the phone as well as meet lots of new ones. Nearly all of our reproduction fabric is by Judie Rothermel and let me tell you, there was a lot of love out there for Jude!! The other great part of the AQC was meeting other shop owners and chatting about business and sharing ideas.

Then of course there were the QUILTS!! We did not have time to see the exhibition until the Sunday. Everybody that came out kept on commenting about Judy Day's quilts - well they were truly magnificant and inspiring. Very traditional with beautiful hand quilting.

We really enjoyed the whole show and have already booked for next year. We met lots of other enthusiastic and friendly people so it was well worth the work and expense of getting there.

Now it is back to business. The quilt tops have been piling up so we have to get 'Big Mal' (our A1 Quilting Machine) purring and slowly make our way through them. It is a priviledge to quilt something that another person has spent tiime and energy making.

Deirdre will be writing up a new class list some time this week, in between flying to Melbourne to see her beloved "Brooks and Dunn" while I keep the home fires burning here at Crow Central.

So now it is time to set about and get ready for our Autumn Gathering which is not too far away. Lynette Anderson's projects are on the way ready for display in the shop and whilst in Melbourne we caught up with Kerry Gillespie who gave us a sneak preview of her projects - all of them gorgeous, so those of you who are attending can look forward to some gorgeous things.

I can hear Deirdre and Big Mal purring out the back (just as well you know he is a quilting machine!) and I must get a move on and start sorting out my projects for the Gathering.

Until next time.

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2007-12-12T13:09:00.000+11:00

Quote of the Week:

"A quilt must make your heart sing and your eyes dance . . . If it doesn't, then it's not meant for you" . . .

I cannot believe how long it has been since our last post - apologies to all who diligently check in once a week to catch up with what's happening here at The Quilted Crow!

There is a lot of catching up to do!

Firstly, Deirdre and I would like to welcome Sue to The Quilted Crow. Sue will be working here on Fridays and Saturdays which will allow us to take the odd day off here and there. She has been my 'lifesaver' over the past three weeks with Deirdre being on holidays. It has allowed me the time to continue quilting on Big Mal as well as all the other jobs that need doing when running a business. Be sure to introduce yourselves to her next time you're in the shop.

Yes, so Deirdre has spent the last three weeks catching up on all of those chores that mount up throughout the year at home; gardening, painting and general tidying. She has managed to fit in an odd day trip here and there. Actually, her and I spent the weekend together in Launceston. We both went to see Elton John which was absolutely fantastic - just him and his piano under the stars - truly magnificent. We also found a bit of time to scour some antique shops along the way of course.

We have lots of new things in the shop. Firstly from Hugs 'n' Kisses, Helen Stubbings has designed a double sided quilt titled "Nice People, Nice Things".

The gorgeous gift box contains 54 cards with 54 stitchery designs and 54 feelgood sayings. Also included in the gift box are quilt-as-you-go instructions. Iron-on transfer packs are available as well.

Also from Hugs 'n' Kisses are Helen's new Boy Tempters of which there are ten iron-on transfer designs to choose from.

From "Melly and Me" come a range of quirky creatures such as Lottie & Little Lady, Busby and Baby Bee and Mrs Perkins that look great made up in our fabric range titled "Katie Jump Rope" which is a retro range or "A Day in the Country", a bright and crisp range that is proving popular.

We also have Natalie Bird's new book titled "From the Heart" which is brimming with lots of nice projects to get started on.

Valentine's Vintage Quilts . . .

We have had a lot of positive feedback about our vintage quilts here in the shop. They are all just beautiful and and some of the work in them is just amazing. A lot of them have already gone off to good homes locally and interstate, the last couple to a lovely lady from New South Wales.

Here are some new quilts just arrived to tempt you!!

Gorgeous aren't they?

I really must be going; I still have a load of Christmas shopping to do with not many hours left to do it!!

We hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas, catching up with family and friends. Thank you all for your support over the past months.

Stay well,

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2007-10-22T13:22:00.000+11:00

Quote of the Week:

"A day patched with quilting seldom unravels . . ."

If ever you have dreamt of owning a vintage quilt, here is your chance to do so . . . just feast your eyes on these beautiful vintage quilts that have arrived in the shop. They are all just so gorgeous - we want to take each and every one of them home but we know we can't!!

Four of them have already sold; a Double Wedding Ring which went to live in a good home in New South Wales; a Postage Stamp which was signed and dated, a Butterfly Quilt and a Dresden Plate, both to local ladies.

We are very excited as some of the fabrics that are in the quilts, in particular, a Grandmothers Fan that just arrived, the same reproductions are here in the shop - shows you how spot on the fabric designers are . . .

The lady from NSW who bought the Double Wedding Ring (who apparently has a house full of quilts) said, "I never wanted to own one until I actually saw one; I can't believe how beautiful they are".

. . . .Now ladies, have a little word in your husband's ear and tell him what you'd like for Christmas . . . we'll even throw in the postage to keep him happy (registered too!) . . .

Next February will see us both heading off to Melbourne with the shop in tow, to the Australian Quilting Expo which is held annually. We have been on a long waiting list for a very long time and finally got word that we 'were in'. Very excitied we are . . . it will be nice to have the opportunity to show people what we have and what we are about. This expo is dedicated entirely to quilting and will be held on February 21st - 24th 2008. We hope to see you there!

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre
The Quilted Crow

2007-10-13T10:57:00.000+11:00

Quote of the Week:

"I love quilting and have plenty of material witnesses . . ."

It has already been one week since our "Christmas Gathering" which was held in Campania, five minutes out of historical Richmond. It was a huge success with everyone enjoying themselves immensely. This was our second Gathering that we have held in the Campania hall, the first one being our "Autumn Gathering" that was in April. Above is a photo of the hall the morning of the "Gathering" before anyone arrived; goody bags laden with patterns and each bag also containing a beautiful stitchery book by Cathy Penton.

Each person also received a gift box, complete with a delightful charm pendant featuring a traditional Christmas image with the words on the back reading "Joyeux Noel", a large rusty bell with a fabric tie and of course, a bag of sweets!!

People started rolling in at about 9.15am ready for a day of stitching and friendship - not much stitching done, but lots of friendships made!!

Below are some more photos for you to enjoy . . .

1. - Everyone has arrived . . 2. - Part of our shop display . ..3. - More of our shop display

4. . . shop display . . . . . . . . . . . .5. . . shop display . . . . . . . . . . 6. . . samples of some projects

7. . . Phil overseeing the catering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. Aye Aye Captain, whatever you say dear.

9. . . All's OK mum, says Ellen. . . . .. . . . . . .10. Ten year old Jess asleep at the end of a big day. .

"Valentine's Vintage Quilts" - exclusive to The Quilted Crow

As a shop, the focus of which are fabrics from the 1800's and 1930's we have always wanted to have some of the genuine article in here for people to enjoy. We are very excitied to have met up with a lady from "Valentine's Vintage Quilts" who is now buying vintage and antique quilts on our behalf for us to sell in the shop. They have started arriving are just truly beautiful . . . they will range in price from $375 upwards, depending on the quality, the amount of quilting, fabrics used and the era they are from. At the moment we have three made from genuine feed sack fabrics of the 1930's, a Double Wedding Ring with scalloped border, Lady of the Lake and a Star of Texas Quilt. Also, two quilts from the 1800's, one a Double Irish Chain from 1870 and the other, King Davids Crown from 1880; all of them are in excellent condition.

Below are some photos to enjoy . . .

Lone Star - made from vintage feed sacks $375

Lady of the Lake - mint condition - made from feed sacks from the 1930's - $990

When you purchase one of these beautiful quilts, they will come gift wrapped, complete with a vintage valentine card attached and full care instructions.

People will be able to take advantage of our three month layby term if they wish.

We have more arriving next week, so as soon as they come in, we'll post some more pics!!

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre
The Quilted Crow

2007-09-21T15:49:00.000+10:00

Pleated Friendship Bags
by Leonie Bateman

Freshly Cut Flowers Cushion
by Helen Stubbings

Colours of Christmas Quilt
by Michelle Vince

Storytime Quilt
by Deirdre Bond-Abel

Perpetual Calendar Quilt
by Deirdre Bond-Abel

Sprit of the Season Tree Skirt
by Helen Stubbings

Deirdre, Leonie, Lynette, Helen and Matilda

Here is a photo to share with you of Lynette Anderson's visit to The Quilted Crow, kindly taken by her lovely husband Vince on Wednesday. Helen Stubbings from Hugs n Kisses is holding Tilly, Helen's youngest daughter, who loves coming into the shop 'for a play'. Off go the shoes as soon as Helen puts her down and up onto the bed she hops for her regular bounce!

Everyone has been coming into the shop to look at all of the projects that are on display, eagerly awaiting the 6th October for our Christmas Gathering. Pictured above are photo's of some of the projects for those of you who can't make it to the shop for a sneak preview. The Seasonal Table Runner and Traditional in Wool Wallhanging are on our last post . . . now because I'm not too good at the 'blog thing' the photos are a little over the place - sorry !!! I'm still learning . . . a couple of them are even sideways - clever aren't I !!??

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2007-09-19T15:55:00.000+10:00

Quote of the Week:

May all of your ups and downs in life be with a needle and thread . . .

Well today we had the pleasure of a visit by Lynette Anderson-O'Rourke and her husband Vince who were on holiday here in beautiful Tasmania. As you know, Lynette is going to be part of our 'Autumn Gathering' next year in April, so it was nice for her to see what we at The Quilted Crow are all about.

We were thrilled to have her here and look forward to catching up again with her, as no doubt, all of you will be. At the same time as Lynette was here, Helen Stubbings from Hugs n Kisses also popped in for a visit so it was a good chance for everyone to catch up and say hi.

For those of you who are attending our 'Christmas Gathering' in Campania on the 6th October, you'll be happy to know that all of the projects are now in the shop for you to view. I've taken some photos of them, two of which are at the top of the page above and I will post the rest on Friday. You will receive patterns for each of the projects (11 in total) in your goody bag on the day along with some other little treasures!! If anyone is interested in ordering a kit, give us a call at the shop or complete the form that we have mailed today and return back to us.

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2007-09-10T09:32:00.001+10:00

Quote of the Week:

"Asking a quilter to mend is like asking Picasso to paint your garage"

Goodness, it has nearly been two weeks since we last wrote - where does the time go?

We have been working madly here, preparing for our 'Christmas Gathering' which is now only four weeks away!! All of the projects are now complete and we will have them in the shop next Monday (17th Sept) for everyone to have a sneek peek. There is an enormous assortment to choose from and we are sure that there will be something for everyone. Bookings are just about full with only a few spaces left remaining so if you are thinking about coming along, you'd better be quick!! We would hate for you to be disappointed . . .

The couple who commissioned us to make them a King Size quilt came in on Friday to collect it - they absolutely loved it (phew!!). It was made from Judie Rothermel's 'Regency' collection and it looked stunning - really beautiful - (. . .it would have looked nice on my bed . . . oh well . . . .) The only day I forgot to bring my camera but they have promised to send us a photo to post on our blog so you can also enjoy it.

At the moment Deirdre is out on the longarm, 'Big Mal', quilting another beauty for a customer - it is just so satisfying when you finish quilting a quilt and see the end result. The quilt really does seem to come alive and then when you see the look of excitement on the customers face, it gives you goosebumps!! We feel very privileged to be given the task of taking someones quilt to the final stage . . .

The weekend saw me here at the shop on Saturday then off to the airport to collect my in-laws who are here for the school holidays. I truly am blessed to have such lovely people as my in-laws. The weather for their arrival was just awesome and yesterday even better. We spent the day outside enjoying the sun and catching up on months gone by since we last saw one another.

Deirdre had a class here on Saturday then headed home to help shear the sheep on their property on Sunday - she even got some time afterwards to do a bit of sewing!! She finished her last project for our Gathering - it's a 'Storytime' Quilt for that special little someone to snuggle under whilst reading their favourtie book - I saw it this morning and it is just so cute!!

There should be some new fabric arriving here shortly - it's like Christmas opening up all of those boxes - you don't know which one to open first . . and then the squeals of delight as you pull each one out . . . we have so much fun here !!

Well time has come for me to start getting ready for our Prairie Children Quilt class on Saturday - I have 14 kits to pre-cut so that it going to keep me busy for the next day . . . or two.

Until next time.

Leonie and Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2007-08-27T13:20:00.000+10:00

Quote of the Week:

Blankets wrap you in warmth, quilts wrap you in love . . .

How nice it was this morning to see the reaction of a husband whose wife had commissioned us to make them a quilt in reproduction fabrics . . . "It's so beautiful, it makes me want to cry" . . . It made the hours and hours of work worthwhile to hear such a statement. Once it is quilted on our dear 'Big Mal', we'll post a photo.

We have a gorgeous new range of fabric just arrived into the shop titled "Emperor's Garden" by A Day in the Country. It is a great crossover for those of you who enjoy working with 30's thru to 70's. This is an Australian company and we are glad to be supporting them.

We are madly getting ready for our Christmas Gathering which is only five weeks away now (Sat 6th October). The projects should all be ready within three to four weeks and you'll be able to come into the shop to have a peek. There is a lot of variety to choose from with each one able to be started by hand on the day

We are starting to fill all of the goody bags for the occasion - it's exciting making them all up and seeing what's going into them - we hope all the ladies will love them as much as we do!

We have a few quilts here ready to go on 'Big Mal', our longarm quilting machine. Customers have been very happy with our work thus far which is very satisfying and we are enjoying it immensely.

Don't forget to look out for Deirdre's project in Homespun - a gorgeous Halloween quilt done using machine piecing and invisible machine applique - a must to make!!

That just about ties it up for today . . . a quilt is beckoning on the machine.

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2007-08-13T11:26:00.000+10:00

Quote of the Week

I only think about quilts on days that end in "Y".

We thought today that we would post a couple of photos of Belinda Merrit's work, one of our tutors who will be present at our "Christmas Gathering". The items that are photographed are some of her 'older projects' she says, but all the same, we think they are gorgeous. Belinda will be designing two projects for our Gathering, one a Christmas project and the other a general 'gift' item for those of you who aren't into the Christmas decorating thing.

We have taken quite a few bookings (lots last week) and are two thirds full so if you are thinking about coming along, you'd better be quick! It sure is a good day and everybody enjoys themselves immensely. Give us a call at the shop if you wish to know more (03) 62 348 338.

Well I finally got around to tidying up my sewing cupboard yesterday and I'm nearly embarassed at the amount of fabric that I have stashed away - if only I had more time to put it to use - mind you, it does look pretty all stacked up in their little bundles (or should that be big bundles??). That kept me busy for a few hours then I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my project for our Christmas Gathering which is coming along nicely.

Deirdre had the whole weekend off and spent time sewing and cooking and I was the lucky recipient of one of her "pear cake" specialities for morning tea this morning, topped off with a dob or two of cream ... yum.

Big Mal (our longarm quilting machine) has been chuffing along nicely. We're pretty happy with what we have been able to manage thus far and will be accepting quilts within the fortnight which is really exciting!!

Speaking of which, I need to go and load one of my own quilts on now and get to quilting it - this is a top that I pieced over 10 years ago and it has finally made it to the quilting stage !! Woo hoo!!

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

2007-07-31T10:37:00.000+10:00

Quote of the week: Quilters know all the angles..........

Here we are again, another week has flown by . . . so much to do and so little time. We must start off by thanking Bev Miller from The Chocolate Crow Trader who looks after our website for us. She has been working tirelessly for days on end to get it all up to date and it looks fantastic!

All of the fabrics that we have in the shop are now able to be viewed and ordered online or by giving us a call here on (03) 6234 8338.

I was fortunate enough to have Saturday off from the shop to spend extra time with the family. I was able to watch my youngest play one of her best games of soccer this season then spend the rest of the afternoon doing what girls like to do best . . . shop . . . although shoppng with two girls aged 10 and 12 sometimes isn't a good thing.

Sunday saw me tending to my poor garden which was crying out for attention and Monday saw me recovering from it!!

Deirdre also spent a nice day with family on Sunday - lunch at her place, walking down along the creek on their property and relaxing in the afternoon in the Tasmanian sunshine.

Thanks to Lisa and Jane, two very good customers of ours, we now have some new samples in the shop. They were thrilled when asked if they'd mind, as we find it difficult to find time to keep up with new samples that are required. They both did a beautiful job - thanks girls!!

Another customer of ours, Jenny came into the shop yesterday to show off her latest project. She had recently purchased a selection of "Apron Strings", a fabric range by Chloe's Closet for Moda (can view on our website) and had completed the quilt top in the same design that we have in the shop and it looked beautiful. We love seeing all the 'show and tell' that our customers bring in - it doesn't matter what they're working on, we still like to them to share it with us!!

Time has come for me to head off and start cutting some more kits for our next 'Prairie Children' class - we meet once a month and boy, does time come around quickly!

Until next time, keep well.
Leonie & Deirdre

2007-07-24T09:31:00.000+10:00

Quote of the Week:

A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars . . .

We have had a very busy week here at The Quilted Crow. Our new A1 Longarm Quilting Machine (who by the way we have named "Mal") is settling in nicely. We haven't had as much time with him as we would like, but we are getting along well. We are currently in the process of purchasing patterns, books, threads and all the other bits needed in order to run a longarm quilting business. It is all very exciting!

We have had a big movearound again in the shop - something we like to do often. One must have a good poke and look around to find all of our treasures that we have here. It makes for an interesting visit when you come in.

Bev has been working very hard on our website adding all of our new fabric ranges that have arrived, so make sure you take a look - I just need to get some new photos to her and it should all be done!

Our Christmas Gathering that we are holding on the 6th October is filling fast. For those of you who aren't familiar with our "Gatherings", we hold them twice a year - one in April which is called "An Autumn Gathering" and the other in October - "A Christmas Gathering".

This year at our "Christmas Gathering", our tutors will be Helen Stubbings from Hugs'n'Kisses (Tasmania), Belinda Merritt from Phoebe Rose (Victoria) and Michelle Vince (Tasmania). Each of the tutors will be designing two projects each, one with a Christmas theme, the other a general theme. Deirdre and myself will also be designing a couple of projects as well, so you will get all of these patterns in your 'goody' bag on the day, as well as a few other surprises too . . the cost for the day is $90 which includes your goody bag (with at least 10 patterns), morning & afternoon tea and lunch. There will be lots of giveaways on the day. We will have The Quilted Crow shop set up for anyone who is tempted to make some purchases! Give us a call at the shop if you are interested in joining us for a day of stitching and friendships, laughter and creativity.

Woops, there's the doorbell - we're off for now.

Until next time,

Leonie & Deirdre

The Quilted Crow

2007-07-12T09:43:00.000+10:00

Quote of the week:

What I make with my hands, I give with my heart . . .

What a busy couple of days we have had here at The Quilted Crow since our last posting. Lots of new fabric has arrived including Rocky Mountain II, Spirit of the Season II and Sturbridge Village Blues II, all by our much loved Judie Rothermel for Marcus Brothers. She outdoes herself each and every time. We've popped in a couple of photo's of her new ranges just to give you an idea of what they look like. At the moment our website is being updated and once completed you will be able to view them all and place orders if you wish.

Also new in is the range by Denyse Schmidt "Katie Jump Rope", a fantastic retro 50's range that is all the go now. Lots of geometrics and florals in blues, greens, browns, oranges and yellows - very groovy!! Look for our project made up in these fabrics on http://www.iquilt.com/. an online quilting magazine which is a new adventure for Karen Fail and business partner, Nora Buckley.

Classes are now back in full swing after having a bit of a break - if you are interested in receiving a class list email us at thequiltedcrow@dodo.com.au and we'll get one to you.

Our big news is that we have just purchased an A1 Quilting Machine direct from the States - Tracy Browning from Constantine Quilts is here installing it as we speak, along with her ever patient husband Paul and son Nicholas! We plan to spend a late night here getting it up and running and Tracy will run us through all the troubleshooting stuff that we have to know on Saturday, then off we go!!

We'll be spending a lot of time getting everything down pat until we can start taking quilts on consignment but will advise you when this happens.

WELCOME TO THE QUILTED CROW

2007-06-26T09:52:00.000+10:00

Quote of the week:

Good friends are like Quilts. They age with you, yet never lose their warmth.

The Quilted Crow warmly welcomes you to our very first blog!! This is a new venture for both of us and we hope that it will enable you to keep up to date with what is going on in the shop on a regular basis

For those of you who aren't familiar with The Quilted Crow (233-235 Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia), we have been in this current building for twelve months now. We just love our shop and the way we have decorated it - we are lucky enough to have three different rooms, which gives us the opportunity to go with a theme in each. Our first love is reproduction and upon entering the shop we hope that you will be overwhelmed by the vast array of the latest fabrics on offer. We have lots of samples made up to showcase them and each one is available in kit form as well as being available to make in a class.

Our next room houses our 1930's and vintage style fabrics (Freshcut & Katie Jump Rope) as well as our soft and pretties - again, lots of samples to see.

Our third room has warm country coloured cotton fabrics, as well as our next great love, 100% felted wool in the most luscious of colours and also in the Aunt Grace range which is a mix of 70% wool/30% poly. We love to work with the wool - applique can be done with a raw edge and the results are great. Also in this room is our range of punchneedle patterns and supplies - a must see!! Throughout all three rooms we have books, patterns and other notions to compliment the theme of each room.

For this week only, ending on Saturday 30th June we are offering a 10% discount on everything in the shop, with some fabrics marked down to $5, $10 or $15 ! If you spend over $100, you'll not only receive one of our personalised Quilted Crow calico bags to take home your goodies, but you will go into the draw to win a bundle of fabric to the value of $100 - not bad hey! And . . . if you like a bit of party food, make sure you drop in on the Saturday for cake and chocoate crackles!!

We like people to feel welcome when they come into the shop - treat it a bit like home and help themselves to a cuppa, catch up on some news as well as mingle with others . . . we hope that you will check back often to see what we are up to, or if you're in town, drop by and see us!!

So until next time, keep well,

Leonie & Deirdre