Rest and Relaxation......

How is this for a spectacular view! Each morning this past week Paul and I having been waking up to this wonderful view of Waikiki beach from our hotel balcony, looking towards Diamond Head. Mmmmm how long can we stay? Unfortunately it will all be over way too soon!

See you all in not so sunny Melbourne in a day or two,

P.S. Sue - thought we would take a cruise this afternoon... with the skipper and his mate... we could be delayed a little! Maybe even stay a little longer than planned! K & P xxx

A little bit of shopping and a 'good' cup of Tea!

Our last day in Kansas City saw us doing a little bit of shopping, SHOE shopping to be precise, and enjoying a 'good' cup of tea with friends! I don't normally enjoy a lot of shopping, but a little bit of 'shoe' shopping in a different city never goes astray. I found these very gorgeous slip on 'clogs' in a local store, and then purchased this very appropriate tee shirt to match.

After a successful few days of Spring Market a girl also needs a 'good' cup of Tea. Thats not always easy when you are travelling... but a quick check through the handbag can come up with several alternatives. While the boys were sampling the local beers, Lynette Anderson, Sue Daley, the Quilted Crow Girls Leonie and Diedre, and I enjoyed a quiet cuppa before heading off home!

Wow, not a bad selection to be found in our handbags! Even a little bit of milk and a snack or two!

Now its off to Honolulu for a bit of R & R for Paul and I, catch you all again soon,

We made it...

After many long hours in the air Paul and I have finally made it to Kansas City. 

Our exhibitor badges were waiting for us with these very pretty ribbons announcing that we were very new at this.

We met Darryl at the hotel and he helped move all of the heavy bits and pieces over to the convention centre for us.

The Booth is all done and ready to receive visitors... this is a very different set up to what we are used to but hopefully everything looks OK.

During the show I found some old friends and called in to say Hi!

Jo Morton in her beautiful booth.

 Cindy and Ronnie Rennels with their fabulous antique quilts, I always visit this booth when I come to the USA.
One day I will bring one home with me!

Mary Koval and her gorgeous antique fabrics and quilts.
Mary will be visiting Melbourne again this year during October for Quilts in the Barn with Linda Collins.

And another Melbourne designer... Gail Pan was there with her lovely quilts.

Until next time,

Kansas City... here we come!

Paul and I are heading off to Spring Market in Kansas City tomorrow, our first trip together to the USA, and I am trying to pack... don't you just love packing! There always seems to be too many things to go into the suitcase and not enough space to fit it all! Never mind I will keep rearranging until it does.

Last minute preparations before those cases get closed for good include 'pole scrunchies', who knows what they are? Apparently they go around the poles that hold our booth together so that they look much more 'prettier' than they already are! Just one more to go and then I think I am done.

Last minute sewing for the long flight is almost ready to go too, can't forget that!

We will be at Booth #2311, so if you are in town call in and say Hi! - we would love to meet you. I have packed the new iPad and will attempt to blog so keep watching for updates as we travel.


Until then, 

Mrs Billings Update...

WOW!! Look how Mary's quilt is coming along... 

This stunning version of Mrs Billings has taken on a life of its own, filled with lots and lots of fabulous fussy cutting.

See if you can find the 'cheeky monkeys' ;)

This is one we have seen before in an earlier post, its now almost to the last border.

In fact Sue is so close she has chosen her backing while working on the final border!

Each Mrs Billings has a name of its own.. this one we are calling the '42nd cousin twice removed'! 

Check out Sue's blog for her updates.

Meredithe's 'Beguiling Billings' was at the shop for a sewing day this week too. 

Visit Pomegranate and Chintz for more news on this lovely version.

And lastly, Kaye... is working on her own modification of the last border, the end is in sight!

The girls are all working very hard at the moment because there is a plan in place for a big surprise in a few months time. 

More about that later!

Keep on sewing girls............................!!!!!

Until next time,

A day off!

What does a quilt shop owner do on their day off? Play with fabric of course! 

Mid last week we had a delivery of the latest beautiful range from Paula Barnes, 'Old Savannah'... mmmm, it just called out to me (and Sue too!). I took home a selection and mixed it with some others that have been lurking on the shelves for a little while, cut them all up and pieced them back together to make this lovely quilt that we will be calling 'Savannah'.

A little fussy cutting for the larger stars and the border!

Most of the collection is featured below. (We do have the complete range in stock now... look here!)

Until next time,

More Robin's Nest

AQC is over for another year! It was lovely catching up with so many of you over the weekend, thank you to everyone who popped by to say hello. 

It's back to stitching on Robin's Nest for me now... 

Those hexagon stars from earlier this year have been joined by lots more stars as well as square blocks and small hexagon rosettes.

These little hexagons were lots of fun to make. Inspiration came from my recently acquired book 'Elegant Geometry', aren't they sweet. I can't pass up an opportunity to 'fussy' cut fabric!

Elyte from 'Tea, fabric and other things' came by for a visit and brought a little something especially for me! I think she might know my soft spot :)

AQC set-up from this to this!

Yesterday was set-up day at the Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC) and I thought you might like to see how Paul and I go from this to what you see when you come for a visit!

The boxes arrived on pallets having been sent on from our last show in Brisbane along with a top up load we brought in from the shop. 

Boxes and trunks are opened and lights need to go up on the wall first.

Then the quilts!

Tables set in place and boxes opened and sorted.

And after several hours of shuffling fabric, patterns and books.... its done and this is what you see when you come to visit!

Mrs Billings at AQC

This week we will be exhibiting at the Australasian Quilt Convention (stand #58) at the Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton Gardens here in Melbourne. It has now been a full year since we launched Mrs Billings Coverlet at AQC in 2011. 

During the past 12 months she... (we fondly think of her as a real person!) has travelled far and wide. I know there are many of you working on this quilt from all over Australia and all over the world too! We have been asked many times will she ever be available as a complete pattern...well YES she will and to celebrate her 1st birthday here she is! 

I have been hibernating this Easter, working hard on our next Block of the Month 'Robin's Nest'. Whilst there are eight borders in total - only the first two are attached to the centre block! Months 1-3 are shown below.

See you at the show,

New Trading Hours...

Today the 7th of April marks our 9th anniversary as owners of Somerset Patchwork (formerly the Craft Cottage). The old saying that time moves faster the older we get is very true. Where have the past 9 years gone to? We have been through many changes during that time; starting with our fabric choices... in the early days we were well known for our Robyn Pandolph and Moda fabrics; now as many of you know, we specialise in a large and comprehensive range of Reproduction fabrics. Our projects have changed over the years as well - from simple large-patch quilts to antique-inspired intricate designs.

The latest change is to our trading hours - we will no longer be open on Mondays. This will give us more time to sew, design and create new projects as well as hatch a few more hair-brained schemes!

New Trading Hours

Tuesday - Saturday   9.30am - 5.00pm

Sunday - Monday   CLOSED

The Easter long weekend will also give me a chance to pore over these beautiful books that arrived in the post this last week from the International Quilt Study Centre, Nebraska. I'm not allowed to get too inspired just yet, not until I have finished the two (or more...shhhhhh!!!) quilts currently nearing completion!

Enjoy your Easter break, I hope the Easter Bunny comes for a visit!