Leanne's House

New Pattern Out Now!

A new pattern out today, 'Sweet Love and Kisses' Gift Bags:

 
I had a lot of fun with this pattern and I hope that you might too. There are 6 little gift bags, each measuring 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" (14cm x 19cm):

 
The pattern includes six different, but simple, gift bag designs to make for many different occassions. My favourite is using these designs for giving tickets and gift vouchers. To me it turns a gift that may seem 'easy' into something really thoughtful and personal, especially a gift voucher:

Of course, you know that I love the idea of you using designs from my patterns in all different ways so that you can make the most of the patterns you purchase. Why not stitch the floral heart onto a romantic pair of pillowcases? Or stitch it and frame it up with the date you met, or your wedding date:

 
If you love that idea and need your pattern quickly (you could stitch it over the weekend) they are in stock already at Quilt Fabric Delights and Under The Mulberry Tree.

Many of you in the USA are also keen to purchase from the USA so contact Laura at Happiness Is...Quilting (isn't it just!!!) as she is keen to help you out.

Until next time (by which time I hope to have finished cleaning up my flooded garage and studio!!),

Leanne Beasley xxx

 

 

Cyclone Yasi Approaches...

As I am sitting finishing off the second issue of Vignette my mind and heart are distracted with thoughts of the approaching cyclone in FNQ (Far North Queensland), particularly Cairns. This is one of my favourite parts of Australia and one of the most beautiful places to visit. Of course, as with many beautiful parts of our country, it also has its dangers and one of these is cyclones.

 
So to all of you up there, especially Buttontree Quilts in Cairns and Tinkers Cart in Townsville, I am thinking of you and praying that you and your family, friends, and customers will all be safe. When I look at photos from teaching there in the past it is hard to imagine what you are about to face.

 
I am due to teach in Cairns in June and in Townsville in July and I pray that the stories I will hear when I arrive, and share time once again with all you great ladies up there, will be stories of courage and love and not disaster.

 
It is being reported on the news that the government has evacuated all the hospitals in Cairns and are about to put the city (where Buttontree Quilts is) into lockdown as Yasi is now a category 5, the most serious of categories.

Now is the calm before the storm but rest assured that we down south, and all over Australia, will be here thinking of you and hoping that you will all be safe once it hits in the upcoming hours.

Leanne Beasley xxx

New Family Members...

Runner and Spotty have arrived to live with our little family. With our good friends moving home and nowhere for Runner and Spotty to live we were only too happy to have them move house yesterday and come to live with us:

 
And, obviously very comfortable in their new hen home, they even gave me lunch today:

 
And it was delicious!

Back to finishing Vignette Issue Two...

Leanne Beasley xxx

 

Some Exciting News For The Local Girls...

For those of you wanting to further enjoy your issues of Vignette you can come and share four Sundays this year with me at one of my favourite local shops, Foothills Fabric and Threads! Each of the four Sundays will go from 10am to 3pm and will be held as the new issues come out (March, June, Sept, Dec). The first Sunday will be the 6th of March:

 
We will be having a relaxing bunch of Sundays (with stitching and good food involved, of course!) working on projects that feature in the magazine. You might like to come along and work on 'Vignette in Stitches', the mystery 'block of the issue' quilt, or maybe you'd like to start the hexagon quilt coming in Issue 2:

 
This is a really fun quilt to make and is all handpieced (all the bits you need are stocked at Foothills Fabric and Threads), if you like you can add in the stitchery blocks that I have or keep them plain. The choice is yours, but I will be there to get you started and guide you through to completion:

 
So you can choose to come each time and work on an ongoing project from the magazine, a short project, different projects each time, or to do a little handwork and enjoy the stories that go with producing a magazine and my other adventures, as well as enjoying some of the recipes from the issues (first class I will bring my very own organic home made lemonade to enjoy!). Of course each issue has a little cooking and I can tell you the issue two recipes are yummy!:
 
(Well, one shouldn't waste good food even if it's for a photo shoot!)

I will also be using one of my favourite new ranges of fabric in this issue, 'Where The Wind Blows' by Melanie from Melly and Me. So, if you're keen to use the same fabrics for the projects that I have you can pick up your fat quarter pack at Foothills:

 
If you're interested in joining me, contact Foothills Fabric and Threads for further details (03 9754 6166), or to sign up. Places are LIMITED so book early to avoid disappointment.

I hope I get to see you there!

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. I will be letting you know shortly where else you can see me this year, there are some really great retreats planned including something very exciting (I see palm trees, white sands, cocktails by the pool, and passports...mmmmm).....

 

The Year Begins...

Thanks to all of you who wished me well over the Christmas Season, your thoughts are appreciated. Today I am back in the swing of things and so my New Year begins! I did have a lovely summer break and managed to spend lots of time in my garden. I potted up, weeded, and of course, spent lots of time in my greenhouse:

 
With all the unseasonal humid weather we're having my greenhouse plants have just about doubled in size in a week!:

 
And, as I am always saying to everyone else, I did manage to relax and spend time cutting flowers and just appreciating my little patch of earth. Cutting my favourite garden flowers always adds cheer in my kitchen:

 
And while I vacationed at the beach and spent time here at home Perri was very busy with the Vignette blog! She has put in such a huge effort to get it up and running and I hope that you all pop over regularly and also contribute so we can share our journey:

 
There will be regular giveaways, lots of photos, and a chance to see what women all around the world are doing with their issues of Vignette! I will show sneak peaks of what's to come and a few other insights into Vignette, such as the fun we have on a photo shoot! I look forward to your contributions!

I spent lots of holiday time sewing 1" hexagons for Issue 2 (these are a separate project to the 'Vignette In Stitches' quilt!:

 
More about that soon.

And to everyone in flood stricken Queensland, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Leanne Beasley xxx

 

 

Seasons Greetings...

Wishing you a very very Merry Christmas and a truly wonderful New Year:

 
The shopping is done and the presents are wrapped here. Time to sit back and enjoy my family and friends, my loved ones. (Might be a little time left to spend in the garden too if I'm lucky!)

Thankyou to all of you have read this blog this year, met me teaching somewhere in the world, taken time to write or email or facebook me. I value each of you and am so happy to be sharing my life's journey with you. I know that God has blessed me this year with all your well wishes through one of the toughest years in my life so far. There's a Christmas prayer for each of you. Thankyou.

May your Christmas celebrations be a wonderful time,

Leanne Beasley xxx

 

The Digital Story Of The Nativity...

My lovely (good humoured) Sister-In-Law just sent me this - the digital story of the nativity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA&feature=player_embedded

Times change!

Leanne Beasley xxx

 

I Love The Christmas Season...

There's a special 'buzz' I feel during the Christmas season. I think for me it starts the minute Australian Quilt Market finishes; and I know that all my travelling is over until next year, meaning I get to do all the lovely things in my garden and my home, and with family and friends, that I never seem to have enough time to do all year! Just like getting to my Sewing Group! I had missed every get together this year so it was nice to still be invited to the Christmas Breakup:

 
We had such a great time (and yes, my biscotti went down a treat!) including swapping our Kris Kringle presents. Rosie was the lucky recipient of Jenny's (centre front) handmade apron:

 
We did also get some sewing done! I was hexagon addicted (you will find out all about this in Vignette, Issue 2!) as was my friend, Bev:

 

Silly me forgot to take a photo of my Kris Kringle present that I stitched up, I showed you a peek of the fabrics that I used in the last blog entry. I made a table runner and serviettes, which Jenny received. I will show you a photo from Vignette, Issue One, and you will have to imagine it in the fabrics I showed you last entry!:

 
And:

 
Of course the thing that I love most about the Christmas Season is the HUGE cleanup/cleanout that I get to do in my studio and office. You will see my poor studio is in GREAT need of this:

 
There WILL be 'after' shots. I'm sure you can tell this is the 'before' shot!!! LOL

Back soon,

Leanne Beasley

P.S. Thanks to all of you who gave me hints on how to get the toffee off!! Hot water and a little elbow grease worked best!! Won't be attempting nougat again any time soon, I know when I'm beat! 

 

Disaster In The Kitchen!!!!

It started off pleasantly enough (although my friends had warned me yesterday at lunch it would end in disaster for a girl like me). There was a nice 'easy to follow' recipe; and the toasting of the pistachios went very well, as the kitchen was filled with the fragrance of their baking:

 
As you can see, I was even taking photos. Things were going smoothly with my first attempt at making Nougat! I am no baker (hence the warning from my friends). I can cook up a dinner party like a wiz but will always ask someone else to do dessert or baking of any kind as mine always ends in tears. The sugary mix was boiling on the stove ever so perfectly:

 
And then DISASTER! As you will note there are no photos of the disaster. This would be because my sugary mix had somehow ignored the candy thermometer and was turing dark sticky brown like toffee and boiling everywhere. Some hours later (after I had filled the 'swear jar'; and now have enough money for a short holiday in there) I had cleaned the kitchen and soothed my blistered finger from the burning 'toffee' and was so distracted I forgot to take even one photo!

So, with my Sewing Group breakup only hours away I had to whip up something else: biscotti:

 
Thank goodness that was a success, well, actually, I haven't tasted any yet so I will have to get back to you on that one:

 

So here I am (for some reason doing a blog entry) while I still have to cook dinner, finish cleaning the kitchen (any hints for how to get 'toffee' off laminex???), get out of my pyjamas and have a shower, and wrap my Kris Kringle for our Sewing Group breakup. At least that worked. Maybe I can't bake - but I can sew! Can't show you my complete gift (us girls love a surprise) but I will show you a hint (just incase the girls are reading):

 

Until next time,

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. Dear Sewing Group: Can I please bring a cheese platter next time???

Vignette Update...

Hi Everyone! Thankyou so much to all of you out there who have purchased your copy of the first issue of Vignette, and especially for your lovely cards, emails, comments, and all the encouragement and feedback that you've given me, I really appreciate it:

 
For any of you still looking to buy Vignette Issue One please try your local patchwork store first. I am still receiving a lot of emails asking where it can be purchased. If you are still stuck please email me of course and I can help you out with where to purchase:

 
I am thrilled that so many of you are enjoying Block One of 'Vignette in Stitches'. I do understand that the quilt has been more popular than anticipated (thankyou!!) and this has caused some difficulty in getting the supplies to make the quilt. If you are waiting on a kit from the store you ordered it from PLEASE be patient. I know many stores are working very hard to get the fabric (and threads in particular) from the supplier so please bear with them, new stock should arrive very soon:

 

I did mention that I would put up a list of stockists of Vignette on this blog but the list has ended up being so huge I'm not quite sure how to manage it - but I am working on it! In the meantime please contact your local quilt store or email me:

 
In particular to the ladies in the USA who wish to purchase in the USA please try:

Calico Creations in Mount Vernon - Washington, Happiness is...Quilting in McKinney Texas, In Between Stitches in Livermore California, Quilting Adventures in  Richmond Virginia, Quiltique in Henderson Nevada, and The Quilt Barn in Kimberly Idaho. I have only listed a few USA stores here but I know they will be happy to help you.

Meanwhile I am busy working on Issue Two for you which I hope you will love as much as Issue One!:

 
Until next time,

Leanne Beasley