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Please excuse me while I change into something more comfortable over here …Well what are you waiting for … I have a little bit of news I want share click the link …

Button crafts are becoming more and more popular. Threads Magazine has a useful quick gift idea on using your old but interesting buttons to make a Button Bangles. Christmas is not far away and these would make ideal stocking fillers!

Threads Magazine is currently hosting a very useful article on Fashion Sketching for Untrained Artists . Jennifer Sauer covers some key tips on how to make visual notations of what you see and create sketches of garments. As anyone who has done any sewing knows, your figure type will dictate the look of the finished [...]

This morning I thought I would spread the news as congratulations are due to Debra of Debra’s Design Studio as she took out the Hoffman 2007 challenge for Best Hand Workmanship Take a look a this crazy quilt as its wonderful. Also on a crazy quilting note Alison Aller has written a useful [...]

This week the stitch for the Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge is Portuguese Stem Stitch which is also known as Portuguese knotted stem stitch. This linear stitch is a variation of ordinary stem stitch that creates a knotted, rope-like line. This rope like appearance can be accentuated by using a heavy solid [...]

Did you know that denim jeans date back to the 18th century? Or, that in 1923 the U.S. attorney general declared it legal for women to wear pants? Perhaps the history of shoes is fascinating to you and you know that heels originated in the middle east where they were added to shoes to lift [...]

My post yesterday certainly stirred some folks up – do check out the comments and I have received emails from others who have responded in their blog. Check out what Arlee has to say in Germaine Greer needs an education. and Monique has also written a thoughtful piece on her blog Feminists [...]

Germaine Greer has written a piece for the Guardian which will stir a bit of comment among quilters There’s nothing new in this kind of heroic pointlessness; women have frittered their lives away stitching things for which there is no demand ever since vicarious leisure was invented. Greer ends up arguing that [...]

Beaders and crazy quilters will find this tutorial on how to create a free standing beaded flower useful. It makes use of brick stitch to create the form.

I am sure many of my readers here will be aware that Pat Winter has been running a charity project and gathering comfort dolls in order to send them out to womens shelters. The Comfort Doll Project is well underway and Pat is calling for more dolls from the community downunder. So [...]

Develop a Personal Library of Stitches Classes on offer are up at Joggles.com. For anyone who has enjoyed the Sumptuous surfaces class or is enjoying the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge you will possibly enjoy the Develop a Personal Library of Stitches starting on October 31. Encrusted Crazy Quilting Crazy quilters will be pleased to know [...]

This week the stitch for the Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge is a stitch that is often forgotten and not often used. To act as a friendly reminder (for myself as well as others) this week I have chosen Scroll stitch. At first glance it does not [...]

Vintagesewing.info hosts considerable amount of free resources and material for anyone who is interested in vintage sewing. Whole books are online You can browse the site by decade or category. Key categories being Dressmaking & Sewing, School Textbooks, Sewing Courses, Pattern Design, Tailoring and Accessories. There are some real gems to be discovered [...]

Vaishali Design Studio hosts a site that highlights their fabric and soft furnishing textile designs. However it was their Designer theme Gallery that caught my eye as you can see colour swatches married to final products. For anyone new to design sometimes making the jump between colour scheme and finished item is difficult [...]

Every Year I look forward to the Craft and Quilt Fair I usually go out there on the first day with Annie and see the annual Canberra Quilters Exhibition, bump into a pile of people I know (if the truth be known half my day is in the refreshments hall having [...]

Hello! Waving from down under again! I admit a tissue box is not far from me but my fingers are bouncing on the keyboard even if my body is not. Bouncing that is - not necessarily on the keyboard but around the house. Firstly thanks for all the get well comments and emails I appreciate [...]

I am a sick as a dog - a flu of some sort - I am back to bed No Tags

A few weeks back someone asked me to post directions for Crested Chain Stitch. I have finally got around to doing so and I will make it the stitch of the week for the Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge . I used this stitch in this Fabric postcard and you can find a larger [...]

Do you remember those old black and white photos that were touched with colour. Usually wedding photos were done this way. Since many quilters print family photos to fabric and use them in their quilts I think some readers here will find this a useful tutorial as Color Touched Black and White Photos shows [...]