Di Mill

Salt Lake City Quilt Market

Morris Meadows

It was so exciting to see Michele Hill's new fabric line "Morris Meadows" released at Quilt Market at the In The Beginning booth. The range is gorgeous as are the new BOM's that Michele has designed. Michele has a facination with William Morris and a passion to keep the genius of his design alive. She has certainly achieved that with this range. There are 3 colour palettes available: 

Rose

 
 

 

 

Peach

  

Blue

Michele has also designed 2 new BOM's to go with the range:

Arts & Crafts Sampler - uses the stunning stripe to border the quilt.

 

Morris Sampler

 

If you love the fabric but applique is not your thing...then this FREE pieced pattern will be available.

 

The Morris Meadows range will be available in Australian Stores in November.

NYC Garment District

After Quilt Market in Salt Lake City I was fortunate enoough to spend a week in New York City. One of my favourite places to walk around is the garment district. The fabric stores are full to the brim of rolls of fabric and the trim stores are amazing. I've put together a video of some of my photos from that area. If you are a Project Runway fan like I am, the first store on the video is Mood - the store where the Project Runway contestants do their shopping. It's a great store that has home dec fabric as well as fashion fabric. I also love B&J Fabrics. I also walked down to The City Quilter on 25th and saw their new Artquilt Gallery. It's small but lovely. Purl SoHo was also on the list and it's very surreal to finally walk in the doors after reading their blog for so many years.

 

The Garment District is a great area to spend a few hours in if you have the time.  If you are looking for something in particular, make sure you are organised and know exactly what you need as the stores can be a bit overwhelming. The stores I have shown are all well organised, tidy and easy to shop in but they are not all like that.  Paula Nadelstern has a great guide to the Garment District on her website. I always refer back to this guide each time before I go to New York as I usually only have a limited amount of time and I don't want to waste it going back and forth backtracking etc. Have a map, make a plan and mark the stores on the map - take a big breath and have fun!

Take care...Di

Salt Lake City Quilt Market

I'm back in Australia after a wonderful 2 weeks visiting Salt Lake City for Quilt Market followed by a week in New York. It's so good to be back at my computer and go through all of my photos. Sadly I did lose all of my video clips and some photos due to my little "bloggie"having a spak attack and resetting and deleting everything. It's not the end of the world but it is dissappointing as I had taken some great video footage.

I wish I had arrived in Salt Lake City a fews days before market as it looks like such a lovley area to visit. The city is surrounded by snow capped mountains which are only about a 15 minute drive away.

 

I was fortunate enough to be able to pop in and listen to the Morman Tabernacle Choir during their rehersal night. They are wonderful and a joy to listen to. Salt Lake City has some beautiful parks and the most adorable flowering trees. I'm not sure what variety they were but I just loved them:

 

 

Beautiful blossoms

 

 

Lovley parks

 

 

Tulips everywhere

 

My photos and video of the Tabernacle Square and the choir have all been lost but I can still remember how beautiful it all was. All the gardens were full of tulips just coming into bloom, something that just doesn't happen here in tropical Brisbane.

In this post I'm focusing onNorthcott.

Northcott's booth was focused centred on their extremely popular line of fabric called Stonehenge. This beautiful marble print has been a massive seller for them and is getting more popular each market. Their School House session was standing room only as they presented their new panels that match the basic prints.

 

There are three new lines in the Stonehenge family:

Renaissance  The colour palette below is "Mineral"

 

 

Renaissance is available in Mocha, Mineral and Peacock as shown below.

 

 

Stonehenge Magnoliawhich has a beautiful stained glass effect: available in Earth, Flamingo and Mysteria

 

 

The panels below are from the Apollo range:

 

 
Northcott also have a new range of fabric called Stonehenge Skins. They are in the Stonehenge family and have animal skin prints on them.

 

Quilts in above photo from top to bottom: Into the Amazonby Designs by LOBO; Time Share by Kate Mitchell Quilts; Shadowplay by Plum Tree Quilts

 

 

Quilts in above photo from top to bottom: Country Lines by Mountainpeek Creations; Wild Cloverby babs 'n jas designs.

 

 

 
Safari Adventureby Marlous Designs

 

 

 
Road not Takenby Creative Sewlutions

 

I'll be back tomorrow with more Quilt Market news. Take care...Di  

 

Quilt Market Salt Lake City

One of my favourite collections that was on display at Quilt Market was the beautiful flannel collection "Winter Palace Flannel" by Maywood Studio. This flannel fabric will be arriving in Australia any day and it is so beautiful. Maywood's flannel fabric is so soft, yet has a beautiful feel to it and sews like a dream. As our Australian weather cools down, flannel quilts are so warm and cuddly to snuggle up in.

 

Maywood's display involved a selection of quilts made using differnt fabrics from the same range in order to present the varying quilts you can make.

 

This is a close up of a quilt using the Winter Palace Flannel.

 

I still have tonnes of photos to show you with many of them having to wait until I get home early next week. Still to come is the new range "Garden Enchantment" by Maywood - lovely rich florals.

 

I'll be back soon with more photos.

Take care...Di

Quilt Market Salt Lake City

Hello. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post about quilt market but I've been having trouble with my new sony "bloggie" video camera. My partner's netbook is not recognising it and worse still...it looks like I've lost a whole heap of video clips and photos as on the last day the camera decided to reset itself. So I'm hoping when I get back to Australia that they will still be there...fingers crossed. It's a sick feeling you get when you think that you may have lost about 100 photos and video clips! Not the end of the world though and I do still have some on my point and shoot camera, so all is not lost.

One of the thrills of Quilt Market was meeting Rachel Ashwell from Shabby Chic fame. She has a new line of fabric out...yes Shabby Chic has arrived in the Quilting World. She was lovely and I was thrilled to be able to get her new book there at market and have it signed by Rachel. I have all of her books and this newest release is just as gorgeous as the others.

 

 

Rachel's new book:

 

It was also wonderful to meet Pam from Pam Kitty Morning. Pam's new range of fabric for Lakehouse is lovely and I can't wait to get my sales book.

 

I was also impressed by how many Aussie's had booths at the show. Below are a few of them:

The lovely Kelly from Don't Look Now. Her booth is always busy and it took me till day three to get a photo with her.

 

Gail Pan was at her first ever Quilt Market. It is such a huge thing for an Australian Designer to take the plunge and hold a booth at Quilt Market. Well done Gail!

 

Helen Stubbings was also there with her lovely designs.

 

I'm in New York at the moment enjoying some shopping, and sight seeing. The weather is not the best so I'm seeing what New York is like when it rains...not the best! Today was a trip to my favourite store...Anthropolie as well as Pottery Barn, Macy's, Bloomingdales and a huge Barnes & Noble store. Tomorrow I'm meeting my good friend Pam Holland and we are going to see the "Quilts: Masterpieces from the American Folk Art Museum  exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum. It's just coincidental that we are both in NY at the same time so I'm sure we will be in for a fun filled day.

I can't wait to get back to Brisbane and download all of my photos and start posting them as I have so much to show you.

take care...Di

 

 

Tuesday Trackdown

This is what I've been loving out there in blogland and on the web over the last week:

 

1. Can't wait to get my hands on this book - You Sew Girl by Nicole Mallalieu. I love Nicole's designs so this book is sure to be a winner.

 

2. This bag by Jan DiCintio of Daisy Janie.

 

image by Daisy Janie via Jolly Jabber

 

3. I adore this beautiful block that Carrie (and friends) from A Passion for Applique made and turned into a quilt. Follow this link to see what book the block came from.

 
 

 

4. How cute are these cushions? Follow this link for a tutorial.

 

 

5. This dress by Patty Young is so sweet.  Patchwork fabric is just perfect for having an individual look and style for your child.

 

image by Patty Young seen here

 

6. I really like the simplicity of this quilt and how it's pattern and colour palette really stand out. There is a free tutorial at Fresh Lemon Quilts (via Quiltstory)

 

Take care...Di

 

 

Happy Mother's Day

 

Wishing all Mothers

 a wonderful day

 filled with the love of your family

 

 

Hope you get spoilt!

Take care...Di

Bread & Butter Pudding

With the cooler weather starting to creep in, one of my family's favourite desserts is Bread & Butter Pudding. The kids have been very spoilt as we have a wonderful bakery down the road from us called Miettes and they started making their own B & B puddings using their own chocolate croissants. Sadly they are no longer making them and I have had to try and replicate the recipe. So after a few trial and errors, I've come up with recipe that both kids think is pretty close. It is delicious and the croissants are a refreshing change to the traditional bread and butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bread & Butter Pudding using croissants

Ingredients

• 3-4 chocolate croissants (or plain croissants if you prefer)
• 75g sultanas
• 3 tablespoons rum
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 500ml double cream
• 200ml milk
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
• Grease a pudding dish with a capacity of about 1.5 litres, with butter.
• Put the sultanas in a small bowl, pour the rum over, and microwave them for 1 minute, then leave them to stand.
• Sprinkle the sultanas evenly across the bottom of the dish
• Place the croissants into the pudding dish (I usually slice across them gently before placing them in the dish as this allows the custard mixture to soak into the croissants slightly better)
• Whisk the egg yolks and egg together with the caster sugar, and pour in the cream and milk. Whisk the mixture until blended.
• Pour the egg mixture over the croissants and leave them to soak for at least 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle the top of the pudding with demerara sugar.
• Place the pudding dish onto a baking sheet and put into oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the custard has set and puffed up slightly. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes - spoon into bowls and serve with cream, custard or ice cream.

 

I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as we do. There is never any leftovers as it is just too yummy.

Take care...Di

Trends to Watch

Rainbows

Rainbows have always been a magical part of our lives, but they have certainly been popping up all over blogland lately. From interior design to food to sewing projects, the rainbow colour palette is abundant.

 
image via apartment therapy

 

 

1. Rainbow flying geese quilt by a quilt is nice
2. Rainbow bag by Mar Y Sol
3. Rainbow quilts from scraps by Red Pepper Quilts
4. Rainbow crochet on etsy
5. Rainbow chinese coin quilt by Happy Modern Quilts

 

 

1. Rainbow cake by whisk kid
2. Beautiful twin bed rainbow quilts
3. Rainbow bunting quilt tutorial by A pretty cool life
4. Colour wheel quilt seen on Quilt story
5. Rainbow bracelet on etsy
6. Rainbow twin  quilts by City House Studio

 

 The image below is a collage of rainbow inspired projects that have been collated by Whipup. Go to the Whipup blog to read all about it and follow the links.

 

 

 

The image below is from Stitched in Color and also shows a lovely array of projects using a rainbow scheme in their fabric choice.

 

 

Rainbow projects are a great way to use up scraps and the rainbow palette is bright, cheery, and fun and sure to put a smile on the recipient's face.

I'm off to Quilt Market in Salt Lake City next week so there won't be any Trends to Watch posts until I return.

Take care...Di

  

 

Thursday Inspiration

 

image at Burpee Gardening