Thorpe and Co Workshop

It is with great pleasure that I bring to my blog a few photos taken during a very wonderful workshop at Thorpe and Co in Boolaroo in May. It was a full house - with loads of creativity against the background of  gently purring sewing machines.

Here is just a small sample of the lovely work done throughout the day. I am sorry that I don't have photos of everyone's work. 

Elizabeth made beautiful panels for her Sewmiriam Tote  using a Cath Kidson print.

It is always wonderful to see traditional and modern prints working together like here 

 and here.

Fully lined zipper pockets were added too!

Pam worked some Tula Pink magic. Love those stripes

Lesley used these gentle, classic fabrics to make  beautiful blue panels

These vibrant  reds will make a stunning bag 

Cindy is using self printed and embellished prints to great effect here 

and here to make great front and back bag panels.

I always love to see special fabrics showcased and these batik prints are stunning

as are these tropical prints 

Who doesn't love a puppy or two?

Margaret's panel speaks for itself!

Congratulations to all the ladies who attended this great day. Your Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top bags and Totes are going to be gorgeous! Thank you to Janette, Maarten and Chris for making us all so welcome in your lovely shop. 

Taking the time to stitch and get lost in the process of creating something special is always a joy, and sharing it with others just makes it even better. Friendships form and grow too. Bliss!

Happy sewing, love Miriamx 

Kiama Quilters Retreat

It was my immense pleasure to work with the Kiama Quilters at their Annual Retreat. What a great time we had. These ladies really know how to sew and they made great progress working on their Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top Bags and their Sewmiriam Totes. Thank you to Anne and Phyll for organising such a terrific event.

With our any further ado let's take a look at the sewing action. 

Here is Robyn's bag. Her choice of Tula Pink fabrics worked a treat! This is the front

and here is the back. What a great bag Robyn. Well done!

There was a definite Japanese theme going on in one corner. I love Japanese fabrics, having lived in Tokyo  for 7 years, so I am always thrilled to see special pieces being made into Sewmiriam bags.

Just look at Annette's beautiful work 

and Willi's stunning panel

and Anne's owl and fish panels below. 

On the other side of the room Anne was also using a Japanese focus fabric but with a fantastic, funky twist.

French influences were also at play at the Retreat. How exquisite is this bag by Clare 

Pam 's bag is gorgeous with a beautiful bird focus fabric, surrounded by reproduction prints. 

Modern fabrics were not neglected. Here is Georgie's stunning panel. 

and here is  Phyll's beautiful bag panel, with a sewing theme.

Colleen used a teal and gold colour theme to make this modern, graphic panel.

Kathy used a striking and bold colour  palate to make this vibrant, beautiful panel.

Soft pastels also make great Sewmiriam bags, and the butterfly panel made by Diedre demonstrates this 

and so does Joy's gentle hydrangea panel.

Congratulations ladies on such gorgeous creative work!

OH, and did I mention the beautiful food that we had? Here is the cake.

Jealous?

Happy sewing to you all! Love Miriam

Patchwork Plus Magic

There is something magical about teaching a group of enthusiastic talented ladies at a gorgeous quilt shop. I was fortunate enough to do just that last Friday at Patchwork Plus in Miranda, NSW.
Everyone was working on the Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top Bag. Elizabeth was making her second one, having attended my last workshop at Patchwork Plus earlier this year. She came back for more which is fantastic.

Let's see what was created. First up is Elizabeth's beautiful work. She bought in her Sewmiriam bag from the last workshop to show us.

Here is the front and the back. I love the beautiful colours and fabric choices. This time Elizabeth made an ipad cover using the Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top Pattern. The result was stunning!

Doing this means you can use a larger scale print to great effect.

Katya had a selection of striking fabrics and made this beautiful bag front

Here is a closer look at how gorgeous this is

Katya's friend Margaret wowed us all with her cat panel. You can see just how delightful her bag is going to be.

Liana sewed up a storm and used one of my favourite Tula Pink fabrics to make this royal beauty.

I love the way the floral panels make all the colours sing.

Jennifer made quick progress on her bag using a single fabric to feature on the front and back of her bag. How clever!

And last , but certainly not least I want to show you Vanessa's bag panel. Vanessa rediscovered the power of  machine quilting. Once she started there was no stopping her. Using an absolute stunner of a bunny focus fabric she made this show stopper.

And that is a wrap from the Patchwork Plus at Miranda Workshop. Thank you Lorraine and all the ladies for an inspiring day. I have a few more workshops booked for later in the year. Ring Lorraine for details on (02) 9540 2786. These workshops are for the Sewmiriam Tote and the Sewmiriam Pikelets Quilt as You Go technique. Hope you can join us! 

It is busy workshop season for me, and I know that I have yet to blog about the outstanding Fairholme Quilt Show.  This will happen but in a few weeks time.  Stay tuned!

Happy sewing. Whatever is happening in your world, finding time for quiet stitching always helps. It works for me!

Love Miriamxx 

Patchwork Plus Sewmiriam Workshop

It is workshop season indeed and my Sewmiriam Workshop at Patchwork Plus in Miranda was such a delightful day.  Lorraine and her team made me feel so welcome and the ladies in the class were outstandingly talented and enthusiastic. Much was achieved and the results speak for themselves.

This workshop was all about making the Sewmiriam Handy Zip Top Bag.

The ladies learnt about

 *   choosing and mixing fabrics
 *   how to put in zippers
 *   quilt - as - you - go techniques
 *   boxing bag corners
 *   how to put in a pocket and lining, and
 *   how to make modifications to the pattern to create a variety of different bags.


And that's just to name a few of the things that were covered and discussed during the day! What I love about these workshop days is how each participant brings along their own style and works it into a Sewmiriam Bag. Bespoke bag making!

Brenda brought along a beautiful piece of fabric and she used this to make her bag front and back panels. This is what her bag looks like before boxing the corners. If she stops here, and just adds lining, she has a zip top bag that fits an iPad. Awesome !

Here is Brenda"s bag finished. I love how she has showcased a special piece of fabric. This method results in a bag in quick time!

Anastasia curated a beautiful selection of fabrics to create this divine bag. Here is the front 

and equally as beautiful -here is the back. I also love the texture created by the use of a large stitch size and thicker thread. 

Sue is happy with her bag front panel . How effective are her choice and placement of these vibrant fabrics.

Here are Judy, Carol and Elizabeth working away in class

Below is a special part of Judy's bag front. She used an exquisite patchwork piece ( note the tiny fussy cut hexagons) as the focus for her panel. I really wanted to steal this one!

Here is the Judy's other panel- just look at the beautiful fussy cut diamond star centre,

 Carol has a great eye for colour and she created this masterpiece.

Here is a small sample of the lovely panel  Elizabeth was working on . The fussy cut birds provide the perfect focus for this bag.

And last but certainly not least is this absolute stunner of a bag front, created by Denise. Tula Pink and Jen Kingwell fabric used together to perfection.

And here is the back

Well that is a wrap from this wonderful workshop day. Thank you one and all. I hope this blogpost has provided you with a wealth of inspiration.

I look forward to my next Sewmiriam Workshop at Patchwork Plus in Miranda on Friday 27th April. Call Lorraine for details on 02.95402786


Happy Sewing, love Miriamx