Leanne's House

Down In The Garden...

Those of you that visit my blog regularly know that I like pottering around in my garden (okay, I love pottering around in my garden)! It's my main source of inspiration, and my main source of peace.  So, whether you have a passion for gardening like me, just love to potter from time to time, or just enjoy being in a garden, my new Block Of The Month Quilt, 'Down In The Garden', was designed with you in mind:

 
I have drawn from the inspiration in my green house (don't you love my new pink strawberry flower!!!):

 

And from my greenhouse to my watering can collection, you can come on a garden journey with me while stitching this quilt:

 
Even the herbs get a look in (my very green basil there behind the regular white flowered strawberry):

 
 
From blossom to daisies there's loads of flowers in this quilt (and heaps of stitchery!):

 

Well, it's back to frantic stitching now (right after I run out to the greenhouse and water!). I have only a few days before Australian Quilt Market and I haven't finished stitching the entire quilt myself yet!

I will show you more than a few sneak peeks over the coming days and will let you know what fabrics and threads, etc. that I have used.

Hope you like it!

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. Two of my favourite stores will be running a Block Of The Month pattern and kit with almost exactly the same fabrics as my original. They are www.quiltfabricdelights.com and www.underthemulberrytree.com. And a little hint, I have used Rosie's fabrics in the quilt and both these stores have them in stock!

The Quilted Crow...

What a wonderful time Rosie and I had on the weekend visiting the ladies of Tasmania with Leonie and Deirdre from The Quilted Crow (and some lovely ladies that flew in from interstate too!):

 
We shared an inspirational day of hand sewing:

 
The Quilted Crow ladies always host a day full of exciting little details to be enjoyed, like personalised scrapbooked nametags (I've kept mine for future use!):

 
I have to show you just how inviting the hall looked even before everyone arrived:

 
 And it was time to catch up with lots of ladies! You might recognise Helen, Rosie, Me, Jo, or Sarah!:

 
We also stayed in the most beautiful and inviting B&B, Mrs Currie's House, in Richmond:

 
I think you all know how I love details and this B&B is full of thoughtful details, like fresh flowers on each breakfast table:

 
Pop on over to Rosie's blog for some more photos...and Helen's, and Jo's, and Sarah's, and...

Leanne Beasley xxx

Here I am!

Oh, yes, it has been too long since we last talked! All I can say is, no excuses, I have been in "lockdown" working on my new big project, getting ready for Australian Quilt Market!

My new project involves A LOT of stitchery which I have been loving. It also means lots of time to catch up on all those t.v. programs and movies and, one of my favourites, art documentaries, while sitting and stitching. One of those art shows got me thinking about self portraits.

Here's my version:

To me this represents who I am because a.) I am hiding behind my camera. b.) It shows my red glasses. c.) It exposes all my (almost 40) wrinkles which I love because it shows all the lessons learned in that time and life's experiences. d.) my hair which I have learned to love inspite of the fact that I cannot control it!

Anyway, I'm sharing this because maybe you'd like to have a go at a self portrait or just think about the things that represent you and where you are in your life now (love you to share and leave a comment)!

So, apart from that, I simply have not been able to keep away from my sunny little greenhouse:

 

Spring is bountiful and inspirational too:

 

Everyday you can see the seedlings growing at this time of year:

 

My entire garden is full of inspiration:

 
Anyway you may have read on Rosie's blog that we are off to teach for The Quilted Crow this weekend!

I am really looking forward to this because last time we went was a wonderful adventure that I really enjoyed. Stay tuned for photos when I return!

Until then,

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. Note to Lisa: will call you when I return!

P.P.S. Sarah F: I have just added in a Quilter's Journal to my luggage!

P.P.P.S. Will get back to Norway and Rome on future blog entry!

Around Trondheim, Norway...

Trondheim is a very beautiful city of Norway and one that I love very much. I must say, it is a photographer's delight and I just couldn't stop snapping! Streets are decorated all year around:

 

Georgeous bowls of plants grace otherwise empty spots along the streets:

 

There's the very famous waterfront (I'll refrain from showing you ALL the photos I took along here!):

 

Nidaros Catherdral:

 

A wonderful spot to sit and think:

 

Okay, just one more waterfront photo!:

 

Flowers, flowers, flowers:

And of course there's lots more to show you, so I'll be back soon. Pop over to Gail's blog to see what else we got up to, and Siw's blog, and Solvi's blog, and Stina's blog, and May Kristen's blog...

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. To any of you awaiting an email reply, hang in there, I still have so many to get through and I am in "lock down" finishing my new big project before Australian Quilt Market!

 

Home!

Oh, I just have SO MUCH to tell you about! What an incredible trip Gail Pan and I had to Norway! Meanwhile, since I returned home, I have frantically been working on my next big project, but more about that later. Here's a cute little shot along the Norwegian coast:

 

I'll fill you in over the next little while on our trip to Trondheim in Norway, our filming for Norwegian t.v., our sea voyage on the Norwegian Sea with Hurtigruten (told you to pack sea sickness tablets Gail!), a wonderful time with a great group of ladies in Northern Norway, and a short stop over on the way home in Italy!

Firstly, it was fantastic to return to Siw's wonderful shop in Trondheim, Quiltegarden:

And catch up with some of the girls that I'd met on my last trip:

 

And of course, Siw herself:

Meet some new ladies who share the same love of all things sewing that I do:

 

See many amazing views:

And even get a little bit of stitching done myself at night time!:

 
So I'll be back soon with more...

Leanne Beasley xxx

Another Wonderful Adventure...

Here I am once again on the eve of another adventure - how exciting! I am heading back to Norway to teach for Siw at Quiltegarden in Trondheim. Not just in Trondheim but also onboard the Hurtigruten Cruise ship on a stitching journey up the coast of Norway into the Arctic Circle! Of course I am very excited to be taking this trip with another Australian Designer, Gail Pan. Gail and I have been friends now for many years, meeting through patchwork. I am sure we will both have many stories for you on our return (no photos of me sleeping on the plane please Gail! LOL):

And seeing as we had to venture through Rome airport to reach Norway, and return home, we decided to have a little stop over on the way home here:

Of course we can hardly sleep with all the excitement of catching up with many ladies from not only Norway but Sweden, England, and Denmark, who will be coming to Norway to catch up with us. While on my adventure I will have to be doing some stitching at night to complete a big project that I have on the go and must have finished before Australian Quilt Market in November:

I am incredibly inspired and will share more of this project with you later ("not more sneak peeks" I can hear you say). Of course I must say that having your best friend's first line of fabric to inspire you, like her divine little house fabric, makes life easy:

This is what I will be stitching:

 

With these:

So if you are after Rosie's fabric range check your local store, or if you need a little of each of the fabrics in the range (trust me, you do) then try 'Patchwork With Gail B' who has the entire range already in stock, or 'Foothills Fabric and Thread', or 'Under The Mulberry Tree', or 'Quilt Fabric Delights', or...the list goes on.

Anyway I will be home and blogging on the 11th of October so I will chat to you then.

Leanne Beasley xxx

                                             

Sunday's Stitch-In...

There's something wonderful about familiar faces coming together to sew:

Not to mention sharing Show and Tell with each other (Don't you LOVE Sharni's Jennifer Knoll quilt!):

 

Jenny came with some magnificent Show and Tell and this was a favourite of mine. It's all hand appliqued and embroidered and was a pattern from Canada:

A finished 'Breast of Friends' Quilt:

Barbara has made a beautiful version, and above you can see a close up of the block I designed for the quilt, and below, her entire quilt:

Trish came with her divine version of my 'Butterfly Garden' Block of the Month quilt (wish I'd done that border on mine!):

Only to then produce from her sewing bag another one she made as well (almost finished):

Of course the food was wonderful once again and I couldn't resist a few more food related snapshots:

At GlenHarrow there's always a little extra dressing for those of us who love the special dressings they whip up there:

Yum...

Leg ham and Swiss cheese and Rosella chutney:

Oh, there was some stitching done (LOL) so I thought I'd better prove that!

I guess I should show you my project for the Spring Stitch-In! Each lady received a kit (with exactly the same fabrics and threads that I used) and a full pattern to complete the project. Yes, this pattern will be released, but first I am going to share it in Tasmania in October when Rosie and I go down to teach for one of our favourite shops, the Quilted Crow! :

I will keep you updated,

Leanne Beasley xxx

More From Saturday's Spring Stitch-In...

We had such a great time at the Annual Spring Stitch-In I just had to share some more photos from the day we had on Saturday with you (I'll show you our magnificent Sunday soon as well!):

The sun even came out for awhile and the sunglasses were needed:

 

The gardens at GlenHarrow looked beautiful:

Not to mention the food:

And the Show and Tell was fantastic!:

Christina had done Rosie's 'Home Is Where My Heart Resides' Block of The Month and have a look at how beautiful it ended up being:

This would have to be one of my favourite versions of my 'Leanne's House Block of The Month Quilt'. As you may notice Leanne (yes, we have the same name!) added in sashing and lovely big borders:

All in all it was a wonderful day and some stitching did get done!:

Back soon!

Leanne Beasley xxx

The Glen Harrow Spring Stitch-In Today...

What a great day! We were all set up and just patiently waiting for all the ladies to arrive:

Then it was into a wonderful day of stitching:

And laughing:

Lots of GREAT Show and Tell and GREAT food and even some Melbourne sunshine! I will attempt to give you some more photos later but off to celebrate with some of the girls from interstate for dinner!

Back tomorrow (at the latest),

Leanne Beasley xxx

Friday's Spring Stitch-In...

A wonderful day once again at Glen Harrow Gardens for our Spring Stitch-In! I just have to share with you some of the most amazing Show and Tell I have seen! Esther had some amazing projects to share including her ukulele cover that she designed herself!:

And for those of you that have been emailing me asking to see Phena's version of Butterfly Garden here it is! It was so fantastic to see it done, and Phena had worked very hard to have it completed for today:

Then there was Ann's version that we went "ooohhh and aaahhh" over last year. This year it was all complete and looking spectacular:

Then when we convinced Sarah that she HAD to share her quilt tops there were lots of "Oh Wows" heard in the room:

Sarah made two of these because the backgrounds both looked great!:

We did do some stitching today as well:

And that was fun:

Time to catch up with friends and enjoy a day together at Glen Harrow. Margaret, Sue, Ann (her quilt above in the brights), and Phena (of the black and white and orange Butterfly Garden fame):

There was time to indulge in special treats:

Including chocolate curls to match your chocolate cake:

 

What a great day of fun and enjoyment and ladies sharing together and laughing together and just enjoying time away from everyday responsibilities!

I can't wait until tomorrow!

Leanne Beasley xxx