Australian Homespun October/November 2022

I don't know what I am most excited about in this issue! It is jam packed with wonderful ideas for Christmas, yarns and bag making – I wonder what your favourites will be. Our bag feature includes four projects from talented and well-known creators Kasia Jacquot, Kylie from Little Moo Designs, Crystal McGann from Raspberry Spool and Sue Kim from I Think Sew. You can choose to make any one, or all four, of these original and exciting patterns. Additionally, we share a Bag Making Tips, Tricks, Tools & Patterns round up. There is still time to start, and finish, some cool Christmas projects. Choose from a crocheted hexagon tree skirt by Kylie Moleta, a lavish Australian Flora Wreath made in 100% wool felt by Candice Mason and a bright quilt by…

There's retro and then there's Ashley Lee Zhong's grannysquare swimming costume. Ashley says, “All I want to do, all day long, is make things.” She sells many of the outputs of her “insatiable creative appetite” on her website. They include clothing, bags, shawls and wallhangings. As for the swimming costume, it's available in sizes XS up to 3XL and isn't, in fact, crocheted. It's made of a stretch fabric with a very realistic printed crochet pattern on it — so perhaps that “no” could become a “maybe”! Visit snapdragonbrand.com FABRICS WITH PANACHE Tilda recently announced it will be producing three new fabric collections each year: one for spring and summer; one for autumn and winter; and a special concept range between, which will allow for the testing of new ideas and different…

A SOFT OPTION We're always on the lookout for ways to get children started with craft. We were delighted, therefore, to come across a book published last year entitled The Zenki Way: A Guide to Designing & Enjoying Your Own Creative Softies. Sydneybased author Trixi Symonds has developed an approach that makes it very feasible for anyone — including children as young as six — to design and stitch huggable hand-sewn soft toys. All that's required are two pieces of felt, a simple running stitch and not much else. Full-size patterns and instructions are provided for 14 softies to get you started, but after that, the sky's the limit. Published by Schiffer Publishing. STORM IN A TEACUP A hand-knitted tea cosy in every colour of yarn imaginable has set a new Guinness World…

Please notify us at least four months before the event. Queensland October 12-16 South Brisbane Queensland Quilters’ Annual Quilt Show Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Glenelg Street, South Brisbane More information: www.qldquilters.com Victoria October 8-23 Malvern Threading A Way — Annual Members' Exhibition of The Embroiderers' Guild of Victoria Embroidery House, 170 Wattletree Road, Malvern More information: www.embroiderersguildvic.org/annual-exhibition-2022 New South Wales October 15-16 Mulgoa Fibre Fest 2022 Winbourne Function & Retreat Centre Mulgoa 1315 Mulgoa Road, Mulgoa NSW 2745 More information: info@winbourne.org October 21-23 Rosehill QuiltNSW Exhibition Grand Pavilion Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Rosehill More information: www.quiltnsw.com/exhibitions/quiltshow October 28-30 Uranquinty Wagga Wagga Patchworkers and Quilters’ Exhibition Uranquinty Community Hall, Baker Street, Uranquinty More information: Maree 0428 629 738 October 29-November 5 Grafton Jacaranda Embroidery Group Biennial Exhibition Anglican Cathedral Parish Centre Cnr Fitzroy and Duke Streets, Grafton More information: Val (02) 6642 3010 November 12-13 Campbelltown Campbelltown Patchwork and Quilters’ Guild Exhibition Campbelltown Civic Centre 91 Queen Street, Campbelltown More information: Denise 0425 226 379 Western Australia September 10-November 5 Midland Stitched and Bound Biennial Exhibition Midland Junction Arts…

If you'd like to stand out in the crowd, get yourself a hand-knitted jumper, cardigan or top created by Kendall Ross, a fibre artist from Oklahoma City in the USA. As a child, Kendall was taught to crochet by her grandmother and learned to knit in classes at a local yarn shop. She has a BA in history, for which she wrote a thesis on racial divides between black and white women's knitting movements in World War I. Kendall started her Instagram account, @id.knit.that, for fun, to share pieces she had made. But several years ago, she began to take her craft more seriously and set up a website to sell her designs. In a typical week, she makes two or three jumpers or cardigans and has also started publishing…

From skeletons with jack-o’-lantern heads to ghosts with friendly smiles greeting you at the door, designer Lindsay Swearingen's cross-stitch world is spooky and surreal, but has a playful twist. As Lindsay articulates, her style is “subtly spooky”. She loves exploring dark themes with a dash of fun in her artworks. “My favourite designs are usually those that appear just slightly morbid, but also have some whimsy to them,” she explains. “I've been really inspired by Edward Gorey for some time; his work is definitely dark but also humorous at the same time. I love that contrast and I like to include it in my work whenever I can.” From Hocus Pocus to Nightmare Before Christmas, Lindsay's interest in spooky themes was sparked by movies she enjoyed when she was young. “I remember…