Australian Country Threads And Country Craft Blog

All of us here at Express are thrilled to announce the safe arrival of Lynelle’s beautiful daughter, Peyton Olivia, on the June 28. Mum and baby are now home and doing very well by all reports. We certainly wish them both all the very best and eagerly await Peyton’s first visit to the hectic world of publishing. I’m beginning to think that there must be something in the water this year as I have never encountered so many women expecting – and, of course, this means lots and lots of sewing, just the thing to keep me out of mischief! My overwhelming problem is, however, that I want to hand-quilt everything and I’m rapidly realising that it’s simply not possible to finish the 13 I have to date – tacked and ready to go – let alone those I’ve made this year, and let’s not mention the many more that I intend to make … I can see long-term relationships with local machine-quilters happening in the very near future!

May your thread never knot and never run short – Danielle.

Time certainly flies in the publishing industry – no sooner have we put one magazine to bed than we are in the final stages of the next one. We’re usually working on elements of at least three issues at the one time, so things can certainly become a little confused. Of course, when you take a week off – as I did for the Craft & Quilt Fair at Darling Harbour – the extent of the confusion compounds.

Notwithstanding this, I had a deliriously happy time, admiring quilts, talking, buying ‘must haves’, meeting contributors, buying things I don’t really need but want, and talking some more, all in between helping at a friend’s stand. With everything I bought, I need to add at least another 10 years to my lifetime to make them. But how do you make sure they are 10 years of – relatively – good eyesight, nimble fingers and adequate time?

More than anything, however, the buzz at big craft shows is wonderful, and the quilts in the exhibition were inspiring. A significant number of them were from junior members and I think many of them have an amazing future in the industry if they choose to continue.

May your thread never knot and never run short! – Danielle.

You may have noticed that the blog hasn’t been updated for a little while – and the reason is that Lynelle left on maternity leave earlier than expected, and while I have been getting on my feet, I have been rather remiss with it. Learning the schedules for Country Threads, getting to know our wonderful contributors and a myriad of other things have kept me very busy indeed! I’m still slipping and sliding around a bit – but I’m getting better at it!

My move to Express Publications has been a wonderful opportunity and as so many aspects of it happened at ‘just the right moment’, I know there was some guiding force involved. Only a handful of times in my life has the saying ‘good things come to those that wait’ applied – and this has certainly been one of them. It’s still only been a little over two months, but I still feel amazed that I am here – and astounded at the knowledge base and the generous nature of everyone around me. I’m off to the Craft and Quilt Show at Darling Harbour in Sydney next week, so I’ll no doubt wax lyrical on my return.

May your thread never knot and never run short

– Danielle.

One of the things I love about working at Magazine land is the wonderful women that I get to ‘do life’ with everyday. They are an amazing and talented bunch and I love them all. Yesterday, Maralyn (Embroidery and Cross stitch magazine) gave me these beautiful little socks for the baby. They are really beautiful Italian, cotton….SPOILT! Maz is truly a gem - so kind hearted and caring.

Working in an environment with all women has been a BLESSING at the best of times and at the moment while expecting….well words simply can’t express.

This image reminds me of an appliqué project I’ve had simmering in the back lot of my brain for a while. I thought about it again just the other day and then this morning I saw this….I’ll have to move it up a notch or two on the list of projects to do. Ahhhhh, the list of projects! Never ending and always growing (a bit like the list of UFO’s). I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it while on maternity leave.

And to add something else to the said list, I bought a new tapestry a couple of weeks a go and this has become the main thing I’ve been doing in the evenings. I love that I don’t have to think to hard and I can just put it down and not have to worry about where I’m up to. I think of it as colouring in with thread.

If you failed to pick up my hint a couple of posts ago but have the current stitchery issue of Threads then you know that I’m expecting!

Another trip to the Doctor’s this morning and all is well. One of the things I love most about my Obstetrician is that he does an ultra sound every time, so we get to see bubba very regularly - all is going well!

I’m busy getting the magazine sorted for while I’m on maternity leave (just three weeks away) as well as thinking up lots of projects to keep me busy before our little one arrives. Perhaps I’ll get time for some of those ‘one day’ quilts…’one day, when I have time’.

Oh, and I’ve updated the Blog roll today and added some extras to the list - be sure to check them out!

Have you done your Mother’s Day shopping yet? For once I can say I’m all organised. What a relief not to have left it to the very last minute.

Perhaps you might like to make something? A cushion or a wall-hanging, maybe a table runner. Can’t say I’ve been THAT prepared!

If you do get stuck then a beautiful bunch of blooms is always lovely.

I love finding inspiration in the everyday! And it is always an advantage to have the camera handy. I nearly always have a small digital camera in my handbag so I can take advantage of snapping things like this old rusty piece of iron work. For a couple of months I was without a camera………..finally we have replaced it.

Recently a friend asked me ‘how old was I when I first became interested in photography?’. Hmmmmm, without thinking I answered 13/14ish but then on reflection I remember being obsessed with my parents camera at the age of 4. I know I was 4 because we where in New Zealand and I dropped the camera on a tiled floor and broke it. Very BAD, although then I got to play with it all the time…so maybe GOOD.