Quiltmania Simply Moderne

 I am just a bit excited and humbled that a Sewmiriam Quilt will be in  Issue 14 of the Simply Moderne Magazine for Quiltmania. Woohoo! Happy Dance!

I love the styling they have done on my Large Dresden Quilt.  Such a great innovative magazine to be a part of. What I am really excited about is giving a copy to my Mum.  She started me on this journey. Mum made a hand pieced hexagon quilt for me when I was about 9. The hexagons were made from fabrics taken from my dresses, my friends' dresses my school uniforms. and  a feast of 70's prints. Such a memory filled quilt.  Who knew that that quilt would lead to this. Thank you Mum!!

I hope you can find  time in this busy world to enjoy some moments of stitching bliss.  

I have had a full workshop timetable of late and  have been fortunate to work with very talented ladies from PatchworkPlus in Miranda and Cottage Quiltworks. Lots of Sewmiriam bags, and the Sewmiriam BOM in the making. Watch this space! 

Happy stitching everyone. 

Thank you for stopping by.  

Whatever life throws your way remember that you are always welcome here. 

Love Miriamx 

Thorpe and Co Workshop

It is with great pleasure that I bring to my blog a few photos taken during a very wonderful workshop at Thorpe and Co in Boolaroo in May. It was a full house - with loads of creativity against the background of  gently purring sewing machines.

Here is just a small sample of the lovely work done throughout the day. I am sorry that I don't have photos of everyone's work. 

Elizabeth made beautiful panels for her Sewmiriam Tote  using a Cath Kidson print.

It is always wonderful to see traditional and modern prints working together like here 

 and here.

Fully lined zipper pockets were added too!

Pam worked some Tula Pink magic. Love those stripes

Lesley used these gentle, classic fabrics to make  beautiful blue panels

These vibrant  reds will make a stunning bag 

Cindy is using self printed and embellished prints to great effect here 

and here to make great front and back bag panels.

I always love to see special fabrics showcased and these batik prints are stunning

as are these tropical prints 

Who doesn't love a puppy or two?

Margaret's panel speaks for itself!

Congratulations to all the ladies who attended this great day. Your Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top bags and Totes are going to be gorgeous! Thank you to Janette, Maarten and Chris for making us all so welcome in your lovely shop. 

Taking the time to stitch and get lost in the process of creating something special is always a joy, and sharing it with others just makes it even better. Friendships form and grow too. Bliss!

Happy sewing, love Miriamx 

Kiama Quilters Retreat

It was my immense pleasure to work with the Kiama Quilters at their Annual Retreat. What a great time we had. These ladies really know how to sew and they made great progress working on their Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top Bags and their Sewmiriam Totes. Thank you to Anne and Phyll for organising such a terrific event.

With our any further ado let's take a look at the sewing action. 

Here is Robyn's bag. Her choice of Tula Pink fabrics worked a treat! This is the front

and here is the back. What a great bag Robyn. Well done!

There was a definite Japanese theme going on in one corner. I love Japanese fabrics, having lived in Tokyo  for 7 years, so I am always thrilled to see special pieces being made into Sewmiriam bags.

Just look at Annette's beautiful work 

and Willi's stunning panel

and Anne's owl and fish panels below. 

On the other side of the room Anne was also using a Japanese focus fabric but with a fantastic, funky twist.

French influences were also at play at the Retreat. How exquisite is this bag by Clare 

Pam 's bag is gorgeous with a beautiful bird focus fabric, surrounded by reproduction prints. 

Modern fabrics were not neglected. Here is Georgie's stunning panel. 

and here is  Phyll's beautiful bag panel, with a sewing theme.

Colleen used a teal and gold colour theme to make this modern, graphic panel.

Kathy used a striking and bold colour  palate to make this vibrant, beautiful panel.

Soft pastels also make great Sewmiriam bags, and the butterfly panel made by Diedre demonstrates this 

and so does Joy's gentle hydrangea panel.

Congratulations ladies on such gorgeous creative work!

OH, and did I mention the beautiful food that we had? Here is the cake.

Jealous?

Happy sewing to you all! Love Miriam

Patchwork Plus Magic

There is something magical about teaching a group of enthusiastic talented ladies at a gorgeous quilt shop. I was fortunate enough to do just that last Friday at Patchwork Plus in Miranda, NSW.
Everyone was working on the Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top Bag. Elizabeth was making her second one, having attended my last workshop at Patchwork Plus earlier this year. She came back for more which is fantastic.

Let's see what was created. First up is Elizabeth's beautiful work. She bought in her Sewmiriam bag from the last workshop to show us.

Here is the front and the back. I love the beautiful colours and fabric choices. This time Elizabeth made an ipad cover using the Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top Pattern. The result was stunning!

Doing this means you can use a larger scale print to great effect.

Katya had a selection of striking fabrics and made this beautiful bag front

Here is a closer look at how gorgeous this is

Katya's friend Margaret wowed us all with her cat panel. You can see just how delightful her bag is going to be.

Liana sewed up a storm and used one of my favourite Tula Pink fabrics to make this royal beauty.

I love the way the floral panels make all the colours sing.

Jennifer made quick progress on her bag using a single fabric to feature on the front and back of her bag. How clever!

And last , but certainly not least I want to show you Vanessa's bag panel. Vanessa rediscovered the power of  machine quilting. Once she started there was no stopping her. Using an absolute stunner of a bunny focus fabric she made this show stopper.

And that is a wrap from the Patchwork Plus at Miranda Workshop. Thank you Lorraine and all the ladies for an inspiring day. I have a few more workshops booked for later in the year. Ring Lorraine for details on (02) 9540 2786. These workshops are for the Sewmiriam Tote and the Sewmiriam Pikelets Quilt as You Go technique. Hope you can join us! 

It is busy workshop season for me, and I know that I have yet to blog about the outstanding Fairholme Quilt Show.  This will happen but in a few weeks time.  Stay tuned!

Happy sewing. Whatever is happening in your world, finding time for quiet stitching always helps. It works for me!

Love Miriamxx 

Fairholme Quilt Show

It is less than a week until the 2018 Fairholme Quilters Show.  Every member works towards making the show a huge success. The buzz in the air at our final meeting before the Show was electric! We are good to go!

The show is open from 1- 5 pm Friday 6th April

10-4pm Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th

Please go to the Fairholme Quilters website by clicking here for further details.

I have been busy  hand quilting and stitching on bindings so my quilts are ready for display. There will be at least 80 member quilts on show! I have seen a few already and they are spectacular. Our members are super talented.

.

Our craft stall is famous for its range of beautiful hand made gifts and fabulous fabric packs. Be sure to get there early. These treasures sell out fast.

We are also famous for our wonderful Member run canteen serving you all through the show. Fairholme Quilters sure can cook! I am trying to limit my Easter egg consumption  ( just for now )  to leave room for some delicious treats. 

There will also be a Sewmiriam Workshop Bag display, a Fairholme Challenge Block Competition, and a display about  our Community Quilts Programme.

And of course we have 2 delightful Raffle Quilts which could be yours if you have bought a ticket or 2  or 3 .......  

Proceeds of the Raffle are going to the artists of Studio Artes. Click here to read all about the Studio.

They will be displaying their work at our Show. 

There will also be a variety of Pop Up Quilt Shops - Kate Quilts, Cottage Quiltworks, Cherry Pie Designs and Linen and Thread.

I look forward to seeing you at the Fairholme Quilt Show. Please come and say hello. I would love to meet you!

Happy sewing, love Miriam x