Cinderberry Stitches

I see the light

Time for a little illumination.

Of the Woodland kind.

To say my Daughter is excited about this lamp would be an understatement. 

It also has to be the most simple project I have made for sometime and I like simple, especially when running around getting last minute things ready for quilt market.

Hot pink lamp base & shade: Target $15

Fabric to recover shade: Woodland (neighbours print / pink)

Target also had the same lamp in blue which would match Woodland perfectly.  I am planning to pop back in a see if they still have some left on the shelf, my studio needs a new lamp now Isabelle has adopted this one.  Hmmmm.....would you like to see a blue version?

So glad I saw the light.

Till then,

Natalie x

New Pattern: Hedgehog Happy Hour

Did I mention last time there was another new pattern to come?

The third new design (hot on the heels of Woodland Village and Hedgehog Happy Hour) is the sweetest design I have named 'Hedgehog Happy Hour'.

Two patterns in one - Bunting and the bags

This design is also packaged with iron on transfers and as with all the new patterns are printed in full color and written with lots of detail. Oh, and did I mention my little illustrations among the pattern pages? A little bit of Cinderberry on every pattern page *LOVE*

Hedgehog Happy Hour features my latest pencil sketch - The cuckoo clock.  Not any regular clock, this one has deer, hedgehog and a little cuckoo bird popping it's head out.

Surely it must be happy hour?  Whatever the time of day.

The bags on the pattern cover feature three diffecent colorways from my Woodland fabric collection and a delicious polka dot lining from Lecien basics.

The same embroidery design is featured on the bunting just a smaller version which looks super cute.  Perfect for any bedroom - studio - nursery - kids play room, actually anywhere you can find a spare spot.

Everyone needs Hedgehog Happy Hour cuckoo clock bunting. Don't you think?

Well, at least this little fella agrees with me.

Pattern: Hedgehog Happy Hour

Includes: Iron on transfers

Fabric: Woodland by Cinderberry Stitches (& Lecien basics (polka dot) for lining)

Embroidery floss: COSMO & COSMO Seasons thread

 

Hope it's Hedgehog Happy Hour at your place soon.

Till then,

Natalie x

New Pattern: Hedgehog Happy-ness

I adore this quilt.

Generally speaking the last quilt I make is my favorite, or at least until the next one is sewn and ready to share. 

This one is different

Hedgehog Happy-ness will be my forever favorite.

F.o.r.e.v.e.r

Four little elfin girls, each with a bunch of ten hedgehog balloons makes anyone hedgehog happy.  And every girl in woodland dreams about hedgehog balloons, don't they?

Sweet little faces and stripe stockings peep out from the middle of the quilt.

So innocent & full of imagination.  Hard not to love them, just a little.

Hedgehog Happy-ness features my Woodland fabric and Lecien basics against white linen.  I adore the bright fabrics against the crisp linen - fresh and modern.

The quilting?  I decided on a mix of hand and machine quilting, DMC perle cotton across the middle panel and straight line quilting.

Oh, and the deer.

They are so deer.

I want to reach out and squeeze them.

But the hedgies?  They are definately my favorite.

Spreading their Hedgehog Happy-ness

 

Pattern: Hedgehog Happy-ness

Includes: Iron on transfers

Fabric: Woodland by Cinderberry Stitches & a little Flower Sugar & Lecien basics

Embroidery floss: COSMO & COSMO Seasons thread

(Hand) Quilting thread: DMC perle cotton

 

Hope they spread their happy-ness your way soon and find themselves in your local patchwork store.

Till then,

Natalie x

New pattern: Woodland Village

I have just arrived home from set up day at AQM so it is time to start sharing with you the new patterns ready to hit the market. Feel free to pass the word on to your local patchwork store.

I think it might be best to show you the new patterns over a series of three days while I am up in Melbourne at Quilt Market, that way you get to see the goodies the same time the stores attending do.  I have been in my own pattern writing world getting the new products ready for release so now I can finally share some more handmade goodness with you.

The first new design is called Woodland Village, I have been holding on to this pattern for a little while. It was created around the time I was designing my fabric line for Lecien and you can see where some of the inspiration for the fabric came from with my little 'shroom' village.

Woodland Village features fourteen small embroidery designs (some designs are repeated) and one large scale 'shroom' village though the middle of the quilt - as I type this I have begun stitching the blocks again so I can make the quilt using Woodland fabrics and show you two different colorways.

Here is a close up of a few little houses in the village centre block, with little pot plants on the window sill and flowers 'painted' over the door of each house.  I believe the lady birds love these little houses too.

Woodland Village is packaged with iron on transfers so you have all you need to go home and get started on your own version - no need to trace = perfect!

At the time what I thought was a moment of sheer madness, I decided to hand quilt with DMC perle cotton rather than send it off to my quilter.  Actually it turned out to be the best decision, very relaxing and the perfect size quilt to finish by hand at 50" x 44"

Pattern: Woodland Village

Includes: Iron on transfers

Fabric: Flower Sugar & Grandmothers Flower Garden / Lecien

Embroidery floss: COSMO

Quilting thread: DMC perle cotton

 

For any shop owners attending AQM (wholesale market) over the weekend please be sure to come and say hello I would love to meet you - my Cinderberry Stitches designs and Woodland fabric can be seen at both the Creative Abundance and Charles Parsons booths. 

Which reminds me, I must pack my camera tomorrow to snap photos of the booth display for you! (with a clean lens this time)

 

Till then,

Natalie x

I'm making daisy chains

Pattern writing or making daisy chains with my girl?

I choose the daisy chains every time.

There is nothing better on a sweet Spring day.

It makes me want to dance like this.....

Congratulations to Sandra Timmons who left this message -

"I just love happy dance. I could be dancing my little heart out when I have the copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4 in my possession. I just want to make so many of these blocks. Thanks for a chance to win such a wonderful magazine."

I will have Quiltmaker send you a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volumn 4 so you can in fact dance your heart out - and stitch away!

Till then,

Natalie x

Flat Nat's case goes missing

During Quilt Market I sent out a message to my Twitter and Facebook friends about Flat Nat and her miss adventures during market.  It read something like this:

"Travel alert!  The infamous Flat Nat's suitcase has gone missing at International Quilt Market. She has no travel insurance and needs your help!  If you see her hand stitched luggage anywhere, please return.  Thanks a Million."

Her bag is still missing.

Feel free to share this post, and help get the message around - I guess you never know where her case might appear next.

This is the case, it's cute and little -10cm x 8cm (4″ x 3¼″ ) when closed.

Open and inside is the contents, this is a pic I snapped the night before I left for market...kind of wish now I had taken more images at the time.

It was last seen right here in the Woodland display

The fabric in the lining inside the case is the yellow Woodland print below

Here is a better image of the inside - image from the original version 'Flat Nat 1.0'

Ironically, my suitcase also went missing on the way home from America. 

Yes, the two of us - Flat Nat AND Not so Flat Nat hanging out with no luggage.....must have been a full moon. I can laugh about it now, but there is nothing worse than waiting at the airport baggage claim area for a bag that never arrives. 

Believe me, it's 1,000,000 x worse when your case is filled with samples.

I was lucky, mine arrived by courier 24 hours after I got home.  I wonder if Flat Nat will ever be reunited with hers?  Please, let me know if you catch a glimpse of the case anywhere around your neighbourhood.

Till then,

Natalie x

More Quilt Market & after hours

One of the best parts of quilt market is meeting and talking to people I have only talked to via the internet or just meeting up for the first time. Suddenly the friends in my phone are real people, wow - fancy that! 

I have to say, thank you everyone who popped past and said hello and those that I met during my time in the USA, you welcomed me, my designs and fabric with open arms and it was an absolute honour xo

The morning of the final day at market I met up with Pat Sloan for a chat, it was a great opportunity to take a quick snap of the two of us at the Woodland display and enjoy a few laughs in between her super busy market schedule.

I was even super excited with Tula Pink popped past to say hello.....Natalie - where was your camera at that moment?  Clearly my brain was not working or I was too jet lagged to find it or even use it at the time....geeeesh, what was I thinking.

So let's pretend this is a photo of the two of us.

 

 

 

Sweet smile hey?

Talking about jet lag - for the first three days in the USA I managed to wash my hair with face moisturiser and moisturise my face with hair conditioner. So you heard it hear first, my latest travel tip: use bigger labels on your toiletries, or different shaped bottles.

Some of the most memorable times this year were when market finished for the day and we had the chance to catch up 'after hours' for a little bit of giggle juice (few quiet margarita's).  I was thrilled to finally meet Kim and Debbie from The Fat Quarters and listen to their English accents, I think we were the very last table to leave the restaurant that night and we laughed all the way back to the Hyatt.

It was lovely for my Mum to catch up with the girls again too after visiting The Fat Quarters with my Dad in the UK last year,  I will pretend she lead us all astray that night.

Thanks Mum x

Yet another night and another quiet margarita (giggle juice) all mixed up with these lovely ladies....any wonder my voice was fading toward the end of market from all that talking (and laughing)

These girls were a riot Sharon, Nancy, Brenda, Sandy and Helen (Mum).  Sharon and I wore matching Halloween head bling that night, actually Nancy gave me hers to wear.

Clearly the Mum factor lead us astray again that night.  I must take her again next time and if you are wondering, the marchello cherry - that was for my Brother, Beans.

I love market time.

If you would love to see more fabulous booth photos, schoolhouse information and a great 'wrap up' of what's new fabric wise at market you really need to pop over and visit I'm a Ginger Monkey's posts for all details - it is the best 'market report' I have seen so far.

Till then,

Natalie x

Quiltmaker 100 Blocks (Vol 4) = Rainbow Happy Dance

I have some magazine news to share!

Some months ago I was asked my Quiltmaker magazine to submit a block for Volume 4 of the very popluar 100 Block's magazine issue.  The good news is the magazine is about to arrive in stores and I can finally show you my submission.

I have a pin to prove it, and it's huge I tell you.

Both the pin, and the magazine.

Here I am, day one of Quilt Market seeing the magazine for the first time - awesome fun.

I guess I don't have to explain that at the time I was working on the block my head was filled with all things Woodland-ish.  In fact, I was feeling like doing a Rainbow Happy Dance - it is no surprise to me that is what appeared on the paper when I began sketching.

This is what I mean.

Yes, they are dancing shrooms - with sweet little faces to make you smile.

You will also find a family of little birds taking a rest on the rainbow. 

There is nothing better than a happy dance, except sharing it with friends.

Each block in the issue (all 100 of them) are 12" square and comes complete with stitching, piecing and/or technique instructions.  It's crammed full of inspiration, a must have.

Be sure to pop over the the Quiltmaker site and follow the 100 Block's blog hop, each day a new list of designers featured in the issue will show their block and give you a little insight into the inspiration behind the design.  The best part is each day there are prizes to be won from the Quiltmaker - Quilty Pleasures site and fun to be had for us all.

Sooo....If you would like to win a copy right here at Cinderberry Stitches, be sure to leave a comment below. You have until November 11 when I will randomly pick one name and the lovely team at Quiltmaker magazine will post a copy of the issue your way - yay!

If you would like to make my block Rainbow Happy Dance, be sure to buy Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Winter 2011 / Volume 4 online or in your local store....did I mention it's a collectors edition?

Happy dance indeed!

Till then,

Natalie x

 

 

Fall Quilt Market 2011

Market tip #1 - If you are going to take your camera, ensure the lens is clean and free of your childs finger prints before you begin snapping away.  There is nothing quite like a built in fuzz lens you don't know about until you get home.

Seriously though the pictures I have are not wonderful, the finger prints on the camera lens has effected the color & quality of the images. 

Some images have been taken with my iphone & others with my fingerprint filled camera so I will try and mix them up for you.  AQM is in about 3 weeks time so I will get a chance to take the photos again, this time with my good SLR camera (fingerprint free).

So here we go, this is Quilt Market through my eyes & blury camera....

Friday morning Helen and I made our way down to Market with a suitcase full of samples to get the Cinderberry Stitches "Woodland" display ready at the Lecien booth.  Initially it was just a temporary (rough) set up as the samples had to be removed again for schoolhouse later in the day - we snapped some pictures of the display so the set up second time would take less than half the time.

Samples were taken down and packed up for the Lecien schoolhouse session & off we set to room......

It was pretty much standing room only left in the Lecien schoolhouse as we each introduced our fabric lines, about that time I changed my name to Natalie Nervous.  After introductions and a few deep breaths I was sharing my story about the Woodland collection and showing some of my newest designs and samples.

Below is the first quilt I completed with my fabric, it's called Woodland Utopia and I love how the collection is so crisp and clean against the white borders and sashings.  You can find the design over at the Lecien USA website as a free pattern - it's fun, quick and very easy to make.

I wish I had close up shots from schoolhouse of my Lecien Sista's Brenda, Lynette, Rosalie and Sarah's new lines but I am afraid I didn't get the chance to snap away while up the front - this one is courtesy of Katy from I'm a Ginger Monkey. (thanks Katy)

(Image source - I'm a Ginger Monkey)

Once schoolhouse was finished it was time to head back to the show floor and set up the Woodland display & balance on a chair for the second time - it all want back together like a puzzle.  Love it when that happens, like it was meant to be. 

Here is the floor plan, can you see the little red circle? - that was me.

My entire display (excluding the book shelf) came out of a suitcase and was held together with T-pins and fishing line, nothing exotic just a little Woodland magic.

So here I am below on the eve of quilt market - hours before Sample Spree with the booth display complete, wondering what everyone would think in the morning when market doors opened.

So here is the tour of my Woodland display - from pretty much every angle.

(Refer to my Market tip #1 - colors are not true to life)

There was a mushroom village scattered over the white bookcase and a set of owls watched over the display, I believe they enjoyed the view.

I stitched up a gorgeous 'Uptown Girl' reversible hooded jacket - designed by Toni Coward from Make it Perfect.  These jackets are a must have in Isabelle's wardrobe, in fact I can imagine it stitched in each colorway of the Woodland collection.

More mushroom houses lined the book shelves.

There are also a few new things you will not have seen before and I will talk more about them in future blog posts - I wonder if you can find them.

Look out for Sew Deer, Hedgehog Happy Hour and Hedgehog Happy-ness.

This quilt above was probably the most photographed and talked about quilt in my little Woodland display.  It's called Hedgehog Happy-ness and I can't wait to show off some better images over the next few weeks, yes it's new.

If you are wondering, they are indeed dozens & dozens (40) of hedgehog balloons being held by little elfin girls = Happy-ness

These 'Slumber Party Jammies' are again designed by Toni Coward from Make It Perfect.  Indeed my daughter was happy to see these come home from Market and can't wait to sleep in her favorite pink pair of jammies.  They were hung on a make shift clothesline with Australian made pegs.

The lovely Pam Kitty Morning made a gorgeous quilt for the booth called Sugar Shop using a combination of Lecien basics (red & white spots) and Woodland which I adore, thank you PKM, it was just perfect!

Here I am with Nireko and Brenda toward the end of Market - I miss these two already, they are the sweetest ladies.

So that's all for now (let's call it part one).

Fingers crossed there will be more images of the booth popping up here and there on 'Market re-cap' posts in blogville.  With better, clearer and true to life photographs......please, if you have any shots feel free to email them to me!

In the mean time I am going to clean my camera lens and make sure this does not happen a second time, more market fun to show you next time.

Till then,

Natalie x