Gum Valley Patchwork

One Crazy Sister Club II

Last November I had the honour of hosting Janet Nesbitt in a one day workshop at Simpson. Janet is from the US, and is a fabric designer for Henry Glass Fabrics. She has also written many books incorporating her addictive Piece like Crazy technique, and in 2018 ran her first One Crazy Sister Club. The quilt that everyone made for our workshop was one of the patterns from this club.......'Laugh, Bloom, Grow' 

During the Trunk Show of Janet's quilts at our workshop, she gave us all a sneak peek at the quilts from her One Crazy Sister Club II, and oh my were they beautiful! It was just a week after the workshop that I decided to run this program in 2020/21. The quilts use her new fabric collection called 'Best of Days', along with some of her 'Linen Closet' fabrics, which I ordered last December. After months of waiting for the fabric to arrive (and hold ups due to Covid-19), it was delivered right in the middle of the shop being closed. I have also been waiting for some of our restrictions to be eased, so now is the perfect time to kick start the One Crazy Sister Club II at Gum Valley Patchwork.

So here are the details:

There are a total of six small quilts in the Club which range in size from 24" up to 32". 

There are 2 bonus patterns included at the end of the Club.

A set of General Instructions on sorting, stacking, reading the patterns, cutting and sewing is included in the first package. Janet has also put together some great video tutorials on the processes.

Every second month you will receive a fabric pack and pattern to make the blocks for a quilt. Borders & bindings are not included.

By becoming a Crazy Sister, you will receive a special 20% discount card to use on any of Janet's fabric collections in the shop for the duration of the program......including Itty Bitty; Home is Best; Best of Days; Linen Closet; and even Folk Art Flannel II.

You will also have exclusive access to our Crazy Sister Sewing days. These will be held once a month (on the first Tuesday), so that you can work on your One Crazy Sister Club projects.

Club commences mid June 2020.

The Club will run for 12 months with 6 packages, total cost of $300 (plus postage if required). 

Limited places are available, so please sign up asap to avoid missing out. The details are also online HERE.

 

Here are four of the quilts that are part of the Club.

The first will be 'Opened Hearted'

Another is 'In Full Bloom'

and also 'Spooling Around'

and the quirky 'Cats are Angels too'

As I mentioned before there are 2 bonus patterns, one of those being 'How does your garden grow'

So please contact me asap if you would like to sign up and become One Crazy Sister.......after all of this isewlation business, I think that I am already fully qualified to be part of the group....lol!

Linda   :)

Happy Friday

Just one more new project to finish the week on........made from the pretty new 'Country Roads' fabric from Poppie Cotton, and just a little bit from 'Gingham Farmhouse', which blends so beautifully! It's my 'Take me home' (Country Roads) Zippered Pouch.

The kits are available now for just $20 each. Check out all of the details HERE.

I'm off to prep another border of my Good Boy Quilt so that I have some stitching for a night in front of the telly. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Linda    :)

Stitch in Spring 2020....update

There is really no easy way to make this announcement........I have decided to cancel this year's Stitch in Spring event on the 19th and 20th September.

This decision has been a difficult one for me to make as I know how many of you have been looking forward to attending and I hate letting people down. However, I do believe that it is in everyone's best interest to cancel the event as we really don't know what is ahead of us with the Covid-19 virus.

So while the 10th Stitch in Spring will not be happening in 2020, it will (fingers and toes crossed) be held next year..........the new dates will be Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th September 2021. For everyone who has booked in for this year, your bookings will be valid for 2021. No need to ring and book in, it will automatically be transferred to the new dates. There will be an opt out option if you can not attend next year.

I will be messaging everyone over the next few days with the cancellation news, but if you could let others in your your group know that would be appreciated.

Take care everyone.

Linda   :)

A few new kits

It's been over a month since I posted any of my new project finishes, so I thought that I had better catch everyone up.

The first one is a new small felted purse that I stitched up using some Minick & Simpson fabrics that I have in the shop. I love these pre-made felt purses and have ordered more so that I can make up a few different projects using them.

These kits are available for just $12, and you can find all of the details on my website HERE.

The next is not a new project.....just a very popular one......my Stitch in Spring Bag. I have made several colourways of this handy little bag, as well as 130 of them for the ladies a few years ago at the Stitch in Spring.....hence the name. This time I decided to use some of the Painted Meadow fabric.....before it all sold out!

This kit is just $16.........and the fabric is pre-cut for you! Check out the details HERE.

The final 'new' project is another remake, this time of my Floral Strips Large Pencil Case.........I have used some of the brand new 'Country Roads' fabric from Poppie Cotton.

It's hot off the sewing machine, as I only finished it an hour ago! The kits are packed and ready to go, and are available for $14 each........and guess what?.....it's also a pre-cut kit! Details are HERE.

Before I sign off, I would like to thank all those who have visited the shop in the last couple of weeks since I have opened up again. It is so nice to see happy faces, and friends out and about. I'm sure that we will get through these difficult times if we just all take care and stay safe.

Linda   :)

Country Roads by Poppie Cotton

As soon as you mention 'Country Roads' most people jump right in and start singing the John Denver classic “Country Roads take me home to the place I belong"......it might not be out loud but those words are humming along in our heads. The newest fabric collection by Poppie Cotton is called 'Country Roads' and is a tribute to John Denver and his beautiful song.  It  includes a soft color palette of pale pinks......

whites.......

and deep blues.

It combines the beautiful elegance of a variety of flowers, words from John Denver's song, stripes and small hexies......I love the small hexies!

The full collection of 21 prints is now in stock and loaded on to the website. Precuts are available in 2.5" wide strips, 5" squares, 10" squares, and four different bundles of fat eighths. You can check them all out on my website by clicking  HERE.

I have a couple of projects in mind and will start on those tomorrow.

Linda    :)

A little gardening

One would think that having been in self imposed isolation for the last 8 weeks, I would have had plenty of time to spend out in the garden. Well it's been the exact opposite. I have been so busy in the shop, that the garden has been a little neglected of late. Apart from the lawn mowing and the odd bit of weeding, I really haven't done anything. With yesterday's weather looking perfect, I headed out to the hot house for some r&r. I have been wanting to take some cuttings off several plants in the garden for a few weeks, so I mixed up the propagation mix......I love my bench.....no more using the wheelbarrow and bending over it, and went for wander around the garden with basket and cutters in hand.

and in no time at all I had 15 pots full of cuttings. I also sowed some poppy, cornflower, broccoli and spring onion seeds.

I then decided to clean up some old pots and trays that had been lying around the vegetable garden, emptying out the soil and weeds into the barrow for the chooks. They certainly had a lazy afternoon after feasting on this pile of snails that I found on the bottom side of a tray of pots. No wonder I couldn't pull the pots out! I now know who was eating my Brussell Sprout plants, and where they were living!

I also thought that it was time to harvest the pumpkins that we had grown down around our dam. This was the first of 5 loads that I  dragged up the hill........a total of 26 pumpkins are now on racks in the garage. 

There are still about another 15 to harvest, and hopefully they will keep better that the ones from the previous season.

Although I would love to be back outside today, I am spending the day inside......catching up on some computer work, tidying up the classroom, and prepping an area for a delivery of new fabric.......'Country Roads' by Poppie Cotton.

Linda   :)

Opening up again!

After 7 weeks of having the physical doors of my shop shut, and doing my part in the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 in our community, I am reopening this Thursday 13th May. I am really excited to be welcoming customers back in to the shop after being closed for so long. However before I put the flag out and throw open the doors, there are a few things that I need to do. The first is to get a hair cut! I haven't had a haircut since the 25th February, and my last appointment was scheduled for the 31st March.....and we all know why I couldn't keep that one don't we. That means that I am 6 weeks overdue.........and as my Mammar would say, I look like the 'wreck of the Hesperus'. I love that saying and haven't used it for years, and the Google meaning of it for all those out there too young to know what it means :  you look disheveled, ragged, dirty, hungover or otherwise less than your best". If you take out the dirty and hungover bits.....(I have been drinking more but not that much.....lol!).......that's been me to a tee for about the past 6 weeks! So my hair appointment is booked with Caz tomorrow afternoon........she will be working hard for her money......but it's a much more appealing alternative to Russell with the clippers! I will also put away the trackie pants and slippers which have been my staple wardrobe items, and replace them with 'good' clothes and shoes.

There will be a few changes in the shop, and I hope that everyone understands and is respectful during this time. 

All customers will be asked to use the hand sanitiser provided on entering the shop, and prior to leaving.

Social distancing will be adhered to, and if the maximum amount of people are in the shop, you may be asked to wait outside or in your vehicle until someone leaves.

The toilet will be closed, and only available in emergency situations. There is a public toilet in Simpson.

If you are unwell, please stay at home and do not come in to the shop.

Talk of conspiracy theories about 5G, Bill Gates and microchips in vaccines will not be permitted in the shop.

If you are not wanting to come in to the shop just yet, I am still offering mailbox collection and of course can post anything out.

Please be patient during these unusual times, I'm sure that we will be able to make this work out just fine!

Linda    :)

Mothers Day

Everyone celebrates Mothers Day differently, and due to the current Covid-19 restrictions here in Victoria, it certainly has been a difficult time to be with the ones that we love.

It is our fourth Mothers Day without Mum

and due to the restrictions, I haven't been able to go to the cemetery for several weeks. But I'm sure that it won't be too much longer before I can take some flowers along for her.

It is also our first Mothers Day without Russell's mum. We said our goodbyes to Pearl on Wednesday afternoon in a very small service at the Cobden cemetery. In her 97th year, we all gathered to celebrate her long and happy life. The service was live streamed so that those away from home could be part of the farewell. I feel very fortunate to have had Pearl in my life for almost 40 years, and the last 35 as my mother-in-law.

She was a loving and caring lady who will be missed by many, but is now at peace.

Linda   :)

This post has been written as a memory for me to hold dear for many years to come, and not for the gathering of sympathy comments.

And the doors are open

The 'doors' are now open for day one of The Great Australian Craft Show. I am all set up and ready for a great four days and have a few specials on offer during the Show.

Please click on the link below, which will take you to the Craft Alive website. From there you can browse the shops, but don't forget to stop buy at Gum Valley Patchwork and check out my video and enjoy a short tour of my shop. For those who haven't been to my shop before, it will give you a chance to see just a little of what I have on offer.....mind you I have had a new fabric delivery a couple of days ago so there is more goodness that's not in the video!

Link to TGACS

And as a special bonus, any purchase over the 4 days......Friday 1st May through to Tuesday 4th May......will receive a free mystery pattern.

Happy shopping!

Linda   :)