Peggy and Bev's Place

Where to Now

Just letting you know that although we've now closed the shop, we still love hearing from you and seeing the wonderful things you create. To contact either of us, Bev & Peggy both now have their own blogs. To find them, you can follow this link, or send an email to the address on their new blogs. Please note that emailing [email protected] will no longer work.

Peggy's Blog - http://peggycreates.blogspot.com/

Bev's Blog - http://bevbsews.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your support in the past - Bev & Peggy

Changes are coming...but let's have some show 'n tell first

 

Been a wonderful week here with many ladies coming in to share their creations.

Here's Sylvia admiring the Yo-Yo quilt that Sally is putting together.  Sally loves green in all it's shades and is planning to make this large enough to cover her queen size bed.  If anyone has some spare yo-yo's she'll happily use them!

 

 

 

 

Next - this wonderful quilt has been one of Sylvia's passions over the past 12 months.  It is just beautiful and we really look forwad to seeing it quilted and complete.  Well done Sylvia, you always amaze and inspire us with your talented and beautiful works!

Next Dianne came in to show us the quilt she made for her new Grandson.  Using the pattern Playful Rings by Nelly Vileikis (in the shop) and with a little help from Peggy putting fabrics together - What a wonderful way to welcome a new member to the family.

 This past week we've been especially busy cutting up fabrics to make up a few new kits.

Double Delight and Simply Sweet - pretty patterns and even more lovely fabrics, cut into kits for them!  Peggy put together a lovely selection of fabrics for these patterns, cut them into 2"strips as well as 10"squares so all the hard work is done for anyone that would like to take on a new project.

 

 

 

I even got into the swing of selecting and cutting fabrics, but went one step further. deciding to make up the sample - the pattern is Bye Bye Birdie from Kookaburra Cottage. I've put quite a few of my favourite fabrics into this one.  The branch and birds etc are stitched down using blanket stitch in the pattern, but I'm planning to do them with raw edge applique when I get to it later this weekend.  I particularly like the border fabric (and will admit to having tucked a little away with the intention of making myself a top in the not too distant future). 

Peggy's been developing a couple of new classes of late - here's a little sneak at what she's working with

diamonds, triangles and doilies - not together!  Hopefully we'll have the completed projects and details of the classes available soon.

 

 

 

 

Finally, there's quite a few rumours cirqulating about what we may or may not be doing here.  So we'll keep this short and sweet and sad, because we have some sad news. The best patchwork store ever to exist in Emerald will be closing down at the end of this month.  Despite all the attention and love we've poured in over the past 4 and a bit years, the economic times dictate that we can't go on.  We're both still working out all the exact details of what we'll be doing in the future but you can be assured that it will in some major way involve patchwork.  So, stay tuned we're planning a massive sale to clear all the fabrics and shop fittings we have here and we'd really appreciate your help in doing this.

Cheers,

Bev & Peggy

A Quick Update

I thought I'd share some photos from last weekends Foundation Piecing class.

This is Peggy's class sample:

And these are some of the ladies who made a block in class

Linda, 

Sue and Daphne

Sorry - I'm posting from home so this has got to be a quick post. 

Finally, because there's been such a great response to the doiley quilts I showed in the last post (they've been at the shop all week too), Peggy is going to run two classes for anyone who'd like some help making  their own.  You can choose either Friday 18 or Saturday 19 March if you'd like to attend, please give us a call.  In the meantime, here's one that Bron was working on over the weekend - I look forward to seeing it finished.

 Isn't it just beautiful?

I'm off to work - till later, Bev
 

A fun week here

Hello,  it's been a really fun few days in the shop over this past week with a couple of classes underway and both Peggy & I finding time to sew!

Saturday saw a very enthusiastic group of ladies in the beginners class ready for some serious work.  The morning progressed with an introduction to rotary cutting - remember always to close the blade as the cutter leaves the fabric, before we progressed to sewing with a 1/4" seam to assemble our small quilt.  As always when you're having fun, time flew and before they knew it it was time to go. 

   Remember when you first started patchworking how daunting and serious it was until you got going?  It really was heads down when they got to their machines.

We're looking forward to seeing everyone's work when they return in a couple of weeks ready to quilt and bind their creations. 

Kylie from this group was so excited that she went home and kept sewing, telling her husband he could please himself what he had for dinner because she wasn't going to stop for cooking!  (She really has the right idea - I'm sure you all agree).

She brought her quilt in this afternoon to show us (and buy more fabric).  She's made a wonderful small quilt.

 

 

 

 

Peggy's also running free motion quilting classes on Wednesdays, and I've been fortunate to join in a couple of times.  The classes are terrific, inspiring and motivating us to extend our range of quilting designs.  I knew I needed to practice and I also needed to get a few gifts made for special friends.  So I've been making Table runners which fill the bill nicely, giving me a good area to practice my quilting as well as a lovely gift to give away.  I'm using a different quilting design on each and I have two more ready for quilting.  

I've been collecting the doilies over the past couple of years after Peggy ran a class making doiley quilts a while back.  She's happy to do another class if anyone would like to join in, be sure to let her know.

That's all for now - hang on, I said that we'd both found time to sew over the past week Peggy has added many more rows to the string quilt I showed in the last post.  She's now taken it home to work on a border.  So no new photo - we'll all have to wait until it's finished.

Cheers, Bev 

Starting Over...

Ok, I've no excuses I just haven't gotten around to posting lately.  Peggy & I have been busy planning the next few months activities for the shop - and we've got some really exciting projects ahead.  Then we were busy (still are) making up the lovely samples to share with you.  So let's start with the pictures:

I had a few days in Brisbane recently and happened to mention that Í'd always liked the look of a pattern in one of the Marti Michell books.  Needless to say, before I got home Peggy had had a go.  Then we were talking about string quilts and before I could find a ruler, cutter or even seriously think about it, she started to play and this is where she's at:

Hasn't yet decided how big it will be, but it is fun to work on!

Peggy's just asked me to find if there's anyone out there interested in participating in a black and white nine patch swap (another project she's been working on)? I'll get more details to include in the next post.

I finally got to play with my quilting machine a week or so ago and this is how it went...I'm quite happy with it for my second attempt so now I'm planning another  - might stay away from quilting circles for the next one.

The quilt top was made for us several months ago by Fiona Greentree using the pattern from "The Sweet Life" by Heather Mulder Peterson.  (We still have a couple of copies of the book left at the shop if you'd like one).  

Then over the past weekend (Kevin was away, and I could please myself), this is what I made:

  can't show you the full size but it's close to 2m long - it will look great on the barbecue table at home when it goes home.

 

So would you like to see what we've made for the shop?

 This is a one-day class we have planned for next weekend.  Don't you think it looks like fun?

Then this is a slightly more involved class that Peggy has planned -

 

 

 

Foundation Piecing.   Saturday 26 February. It's a great project to use up lots and lots of little pieces.  Actually Peggy just told me that she used the scraps from this kit, to make both the foundation pieced quilt and the string quilt at the top of this post that she's still working on. We're also planning an afternoon sewing here at the shop on Saturday 26.  We thought that maybe the participants from the class will enjoy it so much that they might like to stay to keep working!  You're welcome to join us too!

Anyway, I've got to race off this afternoon and I still have lots more to share, so till tomorrow when I'll post more pictures, have fun.

Cheers, Bev  

Flood Relief Auctions

Just a quick post as I'm in Brisbane helping my daughter for a few days.  Having helped in the clean up in Emerald after the flood and thinking I knew what to expect, I have to tell you that it is still shocking to see (a small part of) the extent of damage to properties here.  The street Melanie lives in in Toowong (not affected by the flood) is a thoroughfare and I must say it is terribly sad to see the many many trucks full of flood rubbish going past. My sister lives at Karana Downs and it's usually a beautiful picturesque drive to visit her, but I can't find words to tell you what it's like now. Damage and destruction everywhere!

Life goes on and I must also tell you that it is wonderful to see everyone rallying to help in any way they can and the army of volunteers is amazing.  

Toni Coward from Make It Perfect has organised an on-line auction to help raise funds for the Queensland Flood Appeal.  There are now hundreds of wonderful items available, so please spend a few minutes looking at what is available and support in any way you can   Not only are there items being auctioned, but there's also some wonderful raffles from our favourite designers and quilt makers. http://tonicoward.blogspot.com/2011/01/qld-flood-auctions-master-list.html

One last way to help -this lovely group are arranging sewing kits for those who've lost their own, be sure to contact them if you can help out. http://www.gumtree-designers.com/2011/01/we-need-your-help.html

That's all for now, back in Emerald next week, Bev. 

 

 

2011

Happy New Year!

We’ve decided to forget about January and start 2011 in February!  We survived the Emerald Flood, both the shop and our homes remained dry (fortunately for me, my house is on stumps, so although I was surrounded by water, my home remained dry.  If I have the slightest inkling this may happen again, I’ll be taking truckloads of gear over to Peggy’s home).  My home is the blue roof at the tip of the plane's wing in the photo here.

There is nothing we can say to add to what you already know of the continuing flood situation in Queensland.  There are many, many stories of devastation and sadness - our thoughts and best wishes are with everyone across the State.  I must say however that for every sad story beyond the sadness is the heroism, courage and compassion as individuals step up in so many ways.  I can’t help but feel immensely proud of my family, friends, community and country as we work together to overcome and rebuild.

 So, bring on February and let’s celebrate.  Peggy’s machine has been going flat out this week making samples for the new classes she has planned.  Still a few more to complete, so we thought we might have a WICKED WEDNESDAY SALE on Wednesday 2 February from 9am – 7pm to introduce our new class list and share all the wonderful projects Peggy's come up with!

 We’ll have lots of specials on fabrics, rulers and patterns on the day, so be sure to mark it on your calendar.

We have new fabric in store and expect to get new products shortly – when the trucks start running freely.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Best wishes and Take Care

Peggy & Bev

It's Finished

 Does looking at my chair make you feel like you should take a seat, find a book, add perhaps a glass of wine or two and relax?

I love it and what's more it's extremely comfortable to sit in.  Both the covering and the piping are from the home decorator range - Trefle from Kokka.

My thanks to Nancy & Peggy for helping me do this I'd never have gotten the cover so neatly on my own.  I'm trying to convince Nancy that we'd love to have her back here to teach us all how to do it - sometime in 2011.  Want to join us?

Finally, I've liked the pattern All Jazzed Up since it came in a month or so ago but knew I didn't have time to make a full quilt, so I decided to make a cushion instead. It went together easily and I used one of our quilting stencils to mark the design with a chalk pounce pad and yellow thread so you could see the quilting.  It worked well.  I've made up some wonderful kits of super bright spotty fabrics for this project which look great with the black & white noughts & crosses fabrics for the sashing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great weekend, hope you get some time for sewing.

Bev

Still No Time for Sitting

Sometimes.  After seeing how well my chair was going, Peggy brought in one of her own from home to cover as well - Here are the works in progress (that's Peggy's Mum Nancy in the background - She's actually been doing most of the work)! 

Here's Peggy's completed chair - covered in a Kokka linen-like fabric from the shop it's just too cute!

I've been away for the past couple of days attending a course but I'm hoping to get my chair finished in the morning.

On top of all this, we've run a couple of workshops here over the past few days (despite all the rain).  Last Saturday was covering diaries (just wonderful for Christmas presents) and then this week Peggy's been doing some afternoon sessions introducing new sewers to our No Rules, No Rulers Quilt.  It's been fun.

I'll be back with an update tomorrow

Cheers,
Bev

We Don't Sit Still Here

Well not for long anyway.  I thought I'd share what we've been working on -

This most beautiful hanging has been made by Peggy, following the pattern 'O Christmas Tree' from Don't Look Now.  Raw Edge Applique and wonderful free motion quilting by Peggy.  We still have patterns available for sale - if you'd like one give us a call, we'd be happy to post one out to you.

By comparison, the child's dress I made seems quite mundane, but it was fun to do and I think it's very cute.  I've got plans to make a few more to give as gifts to some special little girls.  There's only 5 pieces in the pattern, so it's very simple to make up.  The patterns Polkadots & Summer from Fig Tree & Co (available in the shop).  It's a shame the photo is so dark, but the light's not the greatest in the shop, the fabric is really bright and gorgeous, you can't help but smile when you see it made up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, Peggy & he Mum - Nancy have been here helping pull a chair apart for recovering.  (Now you know why Peggy's so multi-skilled).  You'll have to tune in again tomorrow when I can show you the completed project.

Cheers, Bev