Gum Valley Patchwork

Great Australian Craft Show #4

It's back again, and I am geared up for a big weekend at the Great Australian Craft Show #4. The online event runs from Thursday 2nd July though to Sunday 5th July.

While face to face craft events/shows will not return for a few months, this is the next best thing. It's a great way to check out and see what is on offer from a wide variety of exhibitors. I have 10 different products featured, but there are, of course, many others listed on my website. I will be doing a few new videos and uploading them to me Facebook page during the course of the Show, so please remember to check in and 'like' my page to make sure that you don't miss out on anything!

Linda    :)

Raspberry revamp

Although I have a self imposed ban on using the spade at the moment (due to a little back soreness), I did venture out into the garden yesterday afternoon to make the most of the sunshine. I decided to focus my attentions on my very overgrown Raspberry Patch, which has been left to it's own devices for about three (or maybe more) years.........clearly shown by this before photo!

While I have had a ripper of a crop this year, it was time for a prune back. Now I know that you are only meant to cut out the canes that have already fruited, and leave those that haven't, but believe me, if I was to do that I would still be out there working my way through the mess.

The patch started life as a single row of about 10 plants, but over the years has grown out and into the lawn area. Raspberries are very invasive, but those that pop up in the lawn just have their heads mown off. A couple of hours later it was all done. I'm not sure if I will have Raspberries next season, but it won't matter as I will be able to use up the 5kg that I have in the freezer! I even had time to plant out my Broccoli seedlings that I had grown, in one of the raised garden beds.

All in all, a great afternoon in the garden.....and my back today isn't too bad at all......which makes me happy.

Linda    :)

Whatchya Got Wednesday

A plan to spend 2 full days in the garden was scrapped yesterday afternoon when I strained a muscle in my back. Those trees that I had to dig out and transplant were bigger than I thought....ouch.....but I did get them done! So today I am having a slowish morning, catching up on some blogging and paperwork, and hoping that by this afternoon, I might be able to sneak in a couple of hours of easy gardening work.

In today's Whatchya Got Wednesday post I thought that I would share the pretty 'Nurture, Bloom, Grow' panels that I have in stock at the moment. The panel comes in two colourways.....the pink one

and the blue

They measure 90cm wide x 110 deep, and would make an easy little quilt for a new baby......or do some embroidery / embellishment on the panel and hang it on the nursery wall. Either way, just add 25cm of a coordinating fabric from the 'Wanderings' collection for the binding. Both panels were originally $22.50 each, but they are on special for just $18 each. Both are listed on my website HERE.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Linda    :)

Heartstrings

I received some fantastic fabric related news this afternoon.....the new fabric collection from Natalie Bird called 'Heartstrings' is on it's way to the shop! It wasn't due until next month, so it was a lovely surprise when I got the notification that it has been dispatched from the warehouse.

I am expecting it to arrive by the end of the week, but if you can't wait that long to place an order for it, I have uploaded it all on to my website HERE. I also will have Fat Eighth and Fat Quarter Bundles available. The are 16 fabrics in the collection, but 22 prints all up. Confused?......well that's because 6 of the fabrics are split prints, just like the one below.

The same design but 2 different colourways on the same bolt. If you purchase any of the split prints on the website, please be aware of this. The bundles will have all 22 prints in them.

Linda    :)

Furr-ever Friends Quilt

Today is the Winter Solstice in Australia, and what better day to reveal the newly finished 'Furr-ever Friends' Quilt.

It's made from the Flannel fabric collection of the same name.........Furr-Ever Friends.......it's soooo warm and soooo snuggly! Just perfect for these chilly winter nights. I was so pleased that I cut all of the fabric for the kits as I was making the quilt, as some of the prints have now sold out. The kits are ready to go, but as I have limited number available, once they are sold.......that's it.......as I cannot get any more of the fabrics. They are listed on my website HERE.

Linda   :)

Relocation garden

It's my biggest gardening flaw........apart from buying too many plants......planting plants too close together and not allowing for the growth of the plant. It's so easy to do when the plants are small, and the area is big. About three years ago, I decided to buy five Malus Purpureas, flowering crab apples, with dark green leaves tinged with purple. I thought that they would look so pretty with their pinkish-red blossoms and dark red crab apples, planted in between my Manchurian Pears (white blossom) along the front boundary garden bed.  Because the Pears had already been in for a few years, they had a head start and quickly over shadowed the poor struggling Crab Apples. 

They really do need to be moved.....as do ten Red Bassinio landscaping roses. Over the last ten years they have gradually been squeezed out by the blue agapanthus on one side and the Coprosmas on the other side.

It's the right time to move them all to a new garden bed.........an area was sprayed.......

On Wednesday, I mowed the area off........really really short.....and started moving some rocks for the new edging.

With the days getting shorter, I don't get a lot of daylight after I close the shop at 4pm to get out in the garden. Yesterday afternoon I mowed the lawns, and then this afternoon I moved a few more rocks and started arranging them.

I'm hoping to get the rest of the edging done over the next few days, so that next week I might be able to start relocating the plants. I have a few other plants in pots that I have grown from my garden, but I am sure that I will need some new ones to fill in the gaps........which means another trip to the nursery!

Linda    :)

Whatchya Got Wednesday

My so called weekly 'Whatchya Got Wednesday' blog posts fell by the wayside, but I have decided to resurrect them as I try my hardest to remember which day of the week it is!

Today I want to tell you about a product that I was asked to stock......Diagonal Seam Tape by Cluck Cluck Sew.

Diagonal Seam Tape is simply washi tape that is placed on the front plate of your sewing machine to act as a guide while you are sewing diagonal seams. The tape is strong, thin, sticks well to almost any surface, and comes off easily. Each roll has 10 yards of tape so it should last a really long time.

The red line in the center is aligned with the needle of your machine, and the black lines on either side are 1/4″ to each side from the center of the lines, to represent a 1/4″ seam allowance. The black lines won’t replace a piecing foot with a perfect 1/4″, but act as an extra guide.

Allison from Cluck Cluck Sew has a great printable instruction sheet on her website, and her friend Sherri has done a video on using the tape to make Flying Geese and Half Square triangle blocks.

 

So if you hate drawing diagonal lines on fabric, then the Diagonal Seam Tape is for you! The tape is available for $12.50 per roll, and is listed on my website HERE.

Linda    :)

Best of Days

This new fabric collection by Janet Nesbitt arrived while the shop was closed due the isolation period. It has been on display in the shop for the past 4 weeks, but now that I have cut all of the kits up for the One Crazy Sister Club, I have loaded it all up on to the website.

You can check out the collection HERE.

There are only 2 places left in the One Crazy Sister Club II, so if you are wanting to sign up, please let me know asap (or sign up on line). The first package for the Open Hearted quilt project was posted out yesterday.

I have also included some of the fabrics from Janet's previous collections in the Club projects........'Itty Bitty' and 'Home is Best'.

This is the pile of fabrics for the last project......Hole in the Barn Door.

I've also joined the Club and I can't wait to make a start on my quilt!

Linda    :)

PS. I am the only shop in Australia offering the One Crazy Sister Club II as a 6 project program.

The Santa, The Tree, The Turkey and Me.

I am excited to be able to let you all know that this gorgeous new Christmas Block of the Month designed by Anni Downs of Hatched & Patched will be available through Gum Valley Patchwork.

This one will be fun to stitch, with simple woven wool applique and stitchery. The wall hanging has all things to do with Christmas with a little whimsy thrown in.

There are many images throughout the wall hanging that you could use again and again ......... you could make bags, cushions, a naughty & nice list, pincushions, needle cases, the possibilities are endless!
The program runs for 7 months and will commence in mid - late July.
The cost is $ 34 per month which includes the pattern, all of the hand dyed woven wool and the linen (no threads are included).

More details are included on my website HERE.

Please contact me if you would like to sign up, or place your order online.

Linda   :)

 

 

A little bit of gardening

I have really been missing my garden lately. It has been so hectic in the shop, that I really haven't had a chance to get out and get anything done. Yesterday, as I sat inside catching up on paperwork, I promised myself some 'fresh air and dirty hands' time today in my happy place. While it was very cool in the shade, the sun was lovely and warm, and there was even enough to cast a shadow.

I wanted to start tidying up 'Mum's Garden', cutting back a few plants, pruning some roses, weeding, and making room for a new addition......a new Dogwood! I have one beautiful Dogwood in my garden, but it isn't one of the colourful ones that I fell in love with on my trips to the US. I have been on the lookout for one, and a visit to Pearson's Nursery in Allansford last Wednesday ended my search. I was just browsing through the bare rooted trees and there it was! 

So home it came, and it has been biding it's time in the vegetable garden until today. It has now found a new home, and I have my fingers crossed that it will survive and maybe one day 'flower'.

Oh and I think that it might also be time to order another truck load of mulch!

Linda    :)