Material Needs

Jacaranda City Quilters Exhibition

Friday 26th June

10am - 8pm

Saturday 27th June

10am - 8pm

Sunday 28th June

10am - 4pm

Grafton District Service Club, Mary Street, GRAFTON

Come and see our stand, Do a Bernina SEW & GO............

U3A Felting with Christine.........

    

Helen, Marion & Carmel have had a wonderful time felting over the past 6 weeks. These hats are just one of there creations, Now they are just waiting for the July racing carnival...........

BABUSHKA Crazy!

I went a little Babushka mad, this is just three of them....They landed on quite a few little girls T's too....

Barbie xx

The Owl & The Pussy Cat #2

We have been away but we have been very busy, Over the next few days I will post some photo's to show you what we have been up to.

Remember my "The owl & the pussy cat quilt" from our op-shop shirt challenge, well here it is using funky patchwork fabrics.

Barbie xx

 

Spring Bling!

Grafton is such a pretty town when spring hits. Lorrikeets play in the bright red bottlebrush, jasmine blooms, little duck families run about, evening walks along the river (it isn't hot enough for the bugs just yet). Keeping with the spring theme, Material Needs is currently stocking extra fabulous fabrics - I'm thinking quirky picnic quilts, revamping old cushion covers & little clutches to take to evening drinkies.

 

I'm also starting to think about Christmas gifts - I know it's a little early but I usually stuff up my first two attempts on each project so I need to start early.

R.

** images

material needs springtime banner use retro yellow flowers card from www.messengerbirdpress.com

1. Garden Party Collection by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit

2. Polka Dot collection by Max New

3. Bailey Patterns by Anna Griffin for Windham Fabrics

4. Fairytale pattern by cosmo textiles

5. Garden Party Collection by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit

6. Peas & carrots by Kay Toby

7. Garden Party Collection by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit

8. SevenBerry by Kenard & Kenard.

 

Hooked on a ceiling...

On entering Material Needs - the store - we firstly notice the huge variety of lovely fabrics Babs has in stock. Then customers usually disperse to various areas - I myself always visit the buttons. Material Needs has such an impressive array of buttons - even more than Spotlight - and much more tasteful. But on closer inspection of the store, one notices that Material Needs is housed in a beautiful old building - in particular I would like to draw your attention to the roof. Plaster and pure white, these patterns generally go unnoticed by many - except ole eagle eye here!

I would just love either of these patterns screen printed onto a long cotton skirt for summer.

R.

me know, me do!!

Believe it or not, I did not become an excellent sewer/patchworker/crocheter/crafting profesh overnight and suprisingly I am still not fantastic. But I do my darndest to 'look' like I know what I'm doing. Sometimes when Master Chris is explaining something to me I nod like I understand but in my head I can only hear 'Drop the Pilot' by Joan Armatrading.

When first starting out, there are many tricks and terms that the newby does not understand or thinks they do but later realises they most certainly do not. Here is my initial interpretation of a few crafting terms:

Skein: winter sport.

Worsted: the worst yarn you can buy.

Basting: job for the sunday roast.

Bias binding: surely a media term where one is bound by inaccuracy.

Broderie perse: huh?? I still don't know.

Rotary cutter: I learned this one good after not replacing the saftey cover.

Crazy patch: the area where the local hooligans hang out on a Saturday night.

In the ditch: Where the local hooligans end up at 3am after a bottle of cheap bourbon.

Darning foot: where did I put that bloody foot?

Fat quarter: that's all I ate - promise!!!

Fat sixteenth: ok, I ate the whole thing.

I am proud to say that I have come a little ways since I first started my lessons but don't ask me to pronounce skein!

R.

what a find!

Now I mostly purchase my craft supplies from Babs but today whilst browsing a local charity shop (Grafton has bloody good ones but that's for another day) I came across a lovely tin full of threads for fine crochet. Some biddy has kept all of these balls of thread in a delightful tin for years of which I am now the proud owner for a mere 6 bucks:

 

Between this and finding $5 in my winter coat pocket - today has been a very good day!

R.

The Owl & the Pussycat - pattern release

A while back Babs & the crew completed the op. shop shirt  challenge and from these creations came 'The Owl & the Pussycat' quilt. This was Barbie's creation and there were lots of enquiries about the design - a nostalgic image that would look so beautiful in any nursery or the bed of a child.

Due to popular demand, Barbie has created the pattern for this quilt so now it can be purchased and created for any child - what a special birthday or baby gift!
R.

Creations of Material Needers - Danielle

Howdy all,

I let Dan sit next to me in Thursday night class and whilst I tackle my quilt at a snail's pace, week after week Dan has been whipping up fabulous bags and vintage inspired kids clothes such as frilly bloomers and ra ra skirts. Dan uses fabrics that reflect the vibrant nature of her kids such as red polka dots, the brightest purples and sunny yellows. I just have to show you these:

I can't take credit for the clarity of these photos - Dan & her husband own a photography business - Photography Unlimited.

Sometimes when I lose motivation with my many WIPs or don't feel confident in my skills as a crafting newbie, I love attending my sewing class to be inspired by people like Dan. There is always some new fabric choices, new ways of crafting and new skills aquired - and we have quite a few laughs along the way!

R.