Fresh New Things!

Beautiful fresh florals, multi stripes and dots just arrived....

 Retro honeycomb spot is a really good blender. Great boy colours too!

French Vintage fabric range: we have added a few new designs.

 The artichoke's in my garden. Can't wait for them to flower... If you love colour it's pretty mental.

 Cornflowers..... one of Mums favourites

Japanese Fabrics - Just arrived!!

I don't think , Lizzet, Hilda or I have ever been this excited about a fabric delivery before.... The new fabrics that have just arrived are seriously yummy.

The Linen Spots..... That you all know and love that just we just can't keep on the shelf have arrived in an amazing selection of colours. A beautiful dark rosy pink, amazing dark purple, Sky Blue, Lime, Red and Multi, just in time for christmas stockings..... Yay!

These beautiful indigo's remind me of fabrics that I bought when I first started the store and they were winners back then too.

 This very cool japanese print in soft grey, blue, red and purple works back perfectly with these two tweedy style fabrics with the exact same colours. We even ordered them on different days and they couldn't be more perfect together. 

This very popular japanese shibori style print was so popular the first time around it would have been rude not to get it again for all those that missed it the first time. It works beautifully for sashings, skirts, you name it, this is a very versatile cloth.

 We often find ochre yellow and brick red are just what is needed to make a quilt sing......

 These beautiful soft florals are amongst our fave picks. The soft grey background on the cloth in the middle makes this one a winner especially when mixed with the colours used in the florals.... I can see a little outfit for my little Liberty girl coming on.....

The simple things in life often make us the happiest. However sometimes finding those simple things can be quite hard. We now have a beautiful Japanese lawn available in plain colours that is the same weight and quality as Liberty tana lawn. For all our customers who have been wanting to mix their Liberty prints with a plain this lawn is perfect for that. We have chosen a selection of colours and will build on this as this cloth gains momentum. You'll be amazed by the price too!

Cushions, Quilts & more

When Lizzet showed me this picture the other day I thought it was straight out of the pages of a magazine. This is one of Lizzet's latest creations from the book Pillow Pop and it's a bit eye catyching. 

Made using a cool selection of blues, Lizzet's fave colour palette she found she had to add a few lighter shades of blue to brighten the dark blues and greys. Combined with a beautiful natural linen, the hand quilting is a joy and makes all the blocks merge beautifully together.

 Julia who is new to Perth and new to sewing came to Materialise and made this pretty little dress for her little girl Penny who is 1 year old. Julia has done a magnificent job both selecting the colours and making this fun little summer frock. 

 We changed the pattern slightly and added this tiny binding around the armholes, neck and hem & we both felt it finished the dress off beautifully. Very simple yet very stylish.....

One of my long standing clients Helen came in to Materialise recently and made this gorgeous Liberty quilt for a new baby about to arrive in her family. This quilt is very similar to one from the book Quilt Love which has been very popular recently; both the quilt and the book

 Helen has selected a lovely selection of purple tones mixed with this beautiful fresh yellow. 

As we all know Liberty doesn't produce a heap of yellow fabric from season to season but when they do they are pretty magic and get snapped up straight away. 

 Helen's piecing is very relaxed and shows the fabrics off to their fullest. Helen chose the beautiful 100% wool wadding that we stock at Materialise. The wool gives a beautiful softness and lightness to the quilt and also the 'puff" factor that so many people love.  Then she used Aurifil thread for the quilting. These beautiful Italian made threads are amazing, they really sink into the fabric and become one with the quilt. We don't use anything else at Materialise now. Any new bubbas and new mumsy would love, Love, LOVE it!

Hot off the Press! - Cute Comfortable Pants Pattern

YAY! We are so very, very excited to announce that the first pattern in our new series of childrenswear patterns currently in work, arrived in store at Materialise this week. These super stylish harem style pants are unisex, very easy & so so quick to make plus I have found them extremely versatile and useful in my little girl's wardrobe. I have made them in a selection of fabrics ranging from brushed cotton to a slightly heavier drill, Liberty twill and Liberty Tana Lawn - (shown above & below). 

 I often go hunting for them in the washing because they are so comforatble & so easy for Liberty to wear and depending on the fabric I have used to make them they can either be a casual muck around pair of pants or something a little more dressy while still enabling Liberty to run around and just be really comfy. They have received a lot of comments whenever she wears them beacuse they just look so good. . The most popular being "Do they come in my size"? (Not yet but they will!) Currently they go up to a size 5 for little people.

This week when new fabrics arrived I just couldn't resist making Liberty a new pair these cool pants for her to wear as the weather gets warmer & to celebrate the arrival of the pattern & just because this fabric is so well suited to this pair of pants, that it would have been rude not to.....! Come in & take a look at the samples we have made for your perusal. For those who really love this fabric, we also  have Jelly Rolls in this range.

Sew - New Threads

We recently decided to expand the range of Aurifil threads we stock. So have just introduced the 50 wt which is the orange spool. As you can see the colours below are yummy, almost good enough to eat. They really make us want to SEW!

 The 50 wt thread is beautiful and fine and is great for free motion quilting. It is also ideal for hand piecing hexagons and also hand applique..... Lizzet and I selected a range of colours that we felt we would like to use when quilting.....

This week I had a bit of fun piecing some blocks to jazz up a few of Liberty's little t-shirts. Just simple stuff because that's what looks the best. Here I have used the Aurifil 12 wt - red spool which is a little thicker for a more pronouced thread. It works perfectly for blanket stitch around my hearts....

Fresh & Fun...! Works in progress

This week Susan popped in to show me some of the really cool things she has been working on.

I absolutely fell in LOVE with these amazing pieced babushka dolls.

Each composition has been expertly crafted by looking at the colours within each panel then using them in a variety of exciting co-ordinates which make the colours sing

I especially Love how Susan has joined her blocks together with the soft linen spot. It's exquiste & really gives that ultra retro feel

Susan is also hand piecing these magnificent paper pieced hexagons.... The quilt thus far is really something eye catching

 Joan also finished her massive strippy quilt with boho borders

Joan is also piecing up her back to use up all the left over fabrics which I will show you once it's been quilted.

 Jade also finished piecing this quilt top from the book "Quilt Love" which we now have in stock. This is Jade's first quilt and I just love the colours & fabrics she has combined

 If you come in this week you will see we have a lovely selection of gifts, books, bindings and new quilts to show you. Lizzet has quilted her little baby's quilt and this week we discussed doing a boy version too

If you are currently thinking about or planning a wedding you simply must take a look at this inspiring book "Vintage Wedding Style". There are some really fun and nifty ideas.....

Lucy's Liberty table runner is on display in the shop for all those in love with Lucy's Liberty Christmas.  

This book "Paper Bliss" sends my imagination into overdrive...... Obviously with a emphasis on paper, they also incorporate lots of yummy fabrics into the projects. 

Liberty & I are in love with this amazing children's book so I thought I would share it's beauty with you  too.

 Our elephant pincushion trying desperately to disguise himself as a hedgehog.......

My Mum's Hexagons

My Mum was an amazing sewer. She sewed mostly clothes for herself and us kids when we were growing up. In the early 1980's she got involved and did a bit of patchwork and this is one of her projects.

Still unfinished (complete with basting stitches) her gorgeous hexagons were the epitome of style & quilty goodness to me and have always held a special place in my heart. Her handpeiced hexies hang in my studio as a reminder of what it is I love about quilting. I especially love the fabrics she has chosen. Lavender blue was my Mum's favourite colour. Her room was even painted a pale shade of lavender blue.

Last week I showed you the beginning of my handpieced hexagons. Although my colours are a bit different I was surprised when I realised I was using exactly the same size hexies as Mum. Strange since I was given a packet as a gift from a gorgeous friend. 

I am making a cushion for my little Liberty girl cause she really loves all the cushions I have made for her. She rolls around on the floor rubbing her head & face into them. It's so adorable!!

 I have chosen the traditional yellow for the centres just for fun and because I had a small amount of this amazing yellow that I have been saving for oh about 15 years. Bout time I used it I think!!!

 All the fabrics I have used to make the hexagons have a special meaning for me somehow and I've been saving them for the right project. Chive featured above in these fresh, bright colours was Mum's pick for a binding on one of my quilts. ("The Rose Garden" a strippy quilt we have in the shop). I also made Mum a head scarf out of it when she lost her hair during chemo.

 This week my very talented friend Chilli Soul who is 6 came home from school with these amazing pieces of art!!! I absolutely LOVE them! The colours are fantastic!

 I think if Chilli wanted to forge a career in the visual arts she has definitely got a great eye for colour, shape and composition. Well Done Chilli girl! 

 After my Mum passed, I went to her house and when I walked into her wardrobe I found some of her head scarfs that I had made for her to wear when her hair fell out. They were still tied and I could see the impression of her head in each one. It was probably one of the most profoundly sad moments for me but looking back also a really beautiful moment too. I cried & I cried.......

I brought them home and I now have them hanging in my studio cause they really feel like Mum. They are so beautiful, especially the one in the middle with the stylish 1920's ladies. These ladies are the epitome of style and are my mum all over. 

I just love them!