Thursday 30 July 2015

Fabrics, magazines, quilts, and pyjamas

Sam has been going the extra yard this week here at the shop filing our back-orders for Petra and Nel's Indian Rhapsody Dutch Heritage Border.  If you missed out earlier in the year, the good news is we still have some on our shelves.  You can order through the website or by phone.

Dutch Heritage border $25.00m
 This week we received the July/August Quiltmania magazine Issue #108. As always there is lots to read and look at so phone us if you would like a copy sent to you.  There are still copies available in the shop.


New fabric this week is Sophie circa 1820 - 1840 by Mary Koval.  There are 19 in all in a mix of bright teal, cream/off white, brown, red and yellow.
Sophie c1820-1840 $23.00m

Sophie c1820-1840 $23.00m

Sophie c1820-1840 $23.00m
We always enjoy meeting customers from interstate and putting a face to a name.  This week, Vicki from Adelaide came to visit and brought us her stunning miniature hexagon quilt (among others) to show us. From memory, these are all half inch hexagons.  The pattern came from an earlier Quiltmania magazine.  Congratulations Vicki - it's a stunner.
Then this morning Lesley brought in her finished Bartlet quilt (pattern available from Threadbear) which she made from the Shenandoah Valley range.  We LOVE the colours and especially the border Lesley!
And this week we have a sneak peek at some of Corliss' how and tell.  She is still powering away on applique blocks for her new quilt. And as always, her fabric choices and attention to detail are just beautiful.  I think this is probably the loveliest applique bird I've seen and the BEST use of what was a bit of a  shocker of a fabric. We can't wait to see this quilt finished!

While spring is only a month away and the first of Kurt's daffodils is flowering here in the courtyard at Threadbear, the winter winds are still blowing.  And we all know that winter nights are perfect for hand sewing by the fire, curling up with a good book, sipping a warm chocolaty drink OR....snuggling up in your NEW JAMMIES!!  Here is Sam sporting a very fetching ensemble of pumpkin and navy blue stripes, ready for bed.  He looks pretty darn happy with himself too! Have a great weekend everyone!.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

It's been a busy week at Threadbear

Grab your cup of tea or coffee and settle in - we have lots to show you today.  New on the shelves is Catherine by Jo Morton for Andover Fabrics.  There are 27 in the range in a tempting mix of matchbox blue, sage green, pumpkin, mustard, chestnut and faded brick-red.  The prints are gorgeous and the 5 background fabrics are walking out the door.   A fat eighth packs of the entire collection is available at $84.00.
Catherine by Jo Morton - $23.50 a metre
Now we know lots and lots of us use the Karisma pencil with a green, pink, white or yellow lead for marking around our templates.  And we also know that many of us have several pencils so we can swap between coloured leads.  So it makes sense that the Karisma people now have the 3 in 1 pencil with three coloured leads in one handy pencil.  It comes standard with grey, white and pink leads. But you can  refill with any three Karisma colours you use most.
From the Threadbear Vault - well, really that means from under the table in the shed - we found a bolt of  brown Victorian Rose feature floral and look how well it sits with the collection of Penelope fabrics.
Victorian Rose by Mary Koval  $24.00 metre ~ far left.
Words and script are always a popular choice for background prints and we have another new Quiltgate fabric for you to consider for a new project - or just to add to your stash.  In soft latte and coffee brown on ivory, this is a useful classic. 
Penny Rose Classics also arrived this week, 6 in all, and $23.00m.  The 3 "ticking" prints in green, red, and blue team beautifully with our shelves of spots and dots.

More Penny Rose Classics
And with so much happening at Threadbear since our last blog post, and so many visitors to the shop to meet and greet, poor Sammy has been run off his feet.  He has been spotted much of the time leaning against the back door trying to keep his eyes open and just waiting for knock off time to get home for well earned sleep. Have a great week everyone.




















Friday 17 July 2015

Winter Warmth = friends and fabric!

There's been frost on top of the frost here in Castlemaine this week with cold blustery days and chilly nights, but Threadbear has stayed warm and cosy with good heating and great company.  Despite the freezing conditions, we've had lots of visits this week from so many lovely girls all braving the cold in search of that perfect piece of fabric and inspiration.  Threadbear's Passionate Piecers group came town to last Saturday for another great day. We were thrilled to welcome Debra Dorwood as our guest speaker. Debra has been a prolific quilter over the years and a long time friend of Threadbear so it was great to catch up and have her share her gorgeous quilts with the group.

Debra's enthusiasm and energy left everyone inspired

Great colours and a mix of applique and piecing

One of Debra's many designs that appeared in Quilter's Companion

It's always a great time to catch up with friends
Then of course there was a terrific selection of show and tell from the Group. Here's just a taste of the wonderful quilts in the room .
 Marie's hexagons - wow!
Michelle's amazing quilt is all her own design
New in the shop is to tempt us all is "Penelope" ~ soft romantic roses and wallpaper stripes inspired by 19th century french fabrics.  These are so, so pretty in musky soft pink, pale blue, gentle brown and buttery cream. 
Penelope by Erin Turner for Penny Rose fabrics $23.50 metre
Also newly arrived are the Mourning Grays and Purples - although we selected just the purples.  And they are all stash worthy!
Mourning Purples $25.50 metre
So with plenty happening in the shop, we had lots to put in our latest newsletter which is available on our website here.  Sammy was, as always, supervising production and keeping us all in order in between greeting customers in his own special way!  Have a great and cosy weekend everyone!



Friday 10 July 2015

Welcome Penny Rose!

How exciting to welcome a fabric manufacturer new to us!  This week we've received gorgeous fabrics from Penny Rose Fabrics ~ have a look at these . . .  Really good mini checks are SO hard to find!  Yummy red and warm beige ~ Americana by Carrie Quinn
Americana ~ $26.00
Forget Me Not by Sue Daley ~  The softest of blues in flowers and stripes with a few dark ones to spice it up.
Forget-Me-Not ~ $26.00 per metre
Civil War Times by Erin Turner ~ we've chosen our favourites!
Civil War Times ~ $26.00 per metre
Last but not least, this stunning toile from Aesop's Fable, again by Erin Turner.  
Aesop's Fable ~ $26.00 per metre
Thanks, Dawn!
 We love Show & Tell ~ Dawn visited us with her "Miss Porter's Quilt" ~ pattern by Di Ford Hall.  Picking a binding was very easy with such a stunning quilt.
Val, Sonia, Olga & Heather ~ does Sam look likes he's enjoying it??

Sam gets cuddles from the girls from Melbourne ~ visiting despite the cold weather.

Thursday 2 July 2015

Are you coming . . .

With a late cancellation for Di Ford Hall's Pendle Hill class this Saturday, July 4th, we have ONE seat left!  The goodie bags are packed, the biscuits are baked, all is prepared.  Phone us if you'd like to join us.
Look what's in the bags for Saturday!
Bags packed & ready to go.
We love the mini checks and finally some are coming back into stock.  Here we have a nice rich blue/teal, a deep and medium coral plus lemon and beige.  These are always a very useful texture to add to any project.
Mini checks at $24.50 per metre

Don't we all just love Show & Tell!  This week we had a visit from an old friend, Deborah Dorward, with her gorgeous Trip Around the World.  Thanks for sharing, Deborah.
 
Kurt recognises fabric in Deborah's quilt top.

Back in stock are these terrific battery LED lights.  Perfect to carry to your next day out to stitch with friends.  Choose from red, black or white.
LED lights $34.95

Sam say, 'I don't mind helping, but I maybe you could pack my bed next time!'  Have a great weekend everyone.
 
Just a pillow would be nice . . .