Hugs from Helen

Stitching Employment opportunity

As much as I loooove to stitch every day for my therapy I simply don’t have the time to stitch samples for all my lovely store friends… and they are in the same position…and we know you all like to see them made up before you decide to purchase the pattern to make one yourself.

So, I am compiling a register of sample/model stitchers for my stores to refer to when they need a sample made.

If you love to stitch but cannot fit another thing in your home or any of your family and friends’ homes :) then this may be the perfect thing for you.

Job Description: Sample/Model Stitcher

Job Requirements:

Stitching, sewing skills and experience                               Time and knowledge of craft

What you need to do:

Download the

Application Form

and the

Block Instructions

Fill out form and sew up the block and submit according to the instructions. If accepted your listing will be placed on a hidden page for Pattern Press stores to access. When they are in need of a sample stitcher they will contact the chosen applicant personally to discuss arrangements, payments, fabrics etc directly with the sample stitcher. Where possible once a contract is decided the pattern will be emailed from Pattern Press to the contracted employee for the sole purpose of making the finished product.

As part of your application you need to make up the block shown below which includes piecing, appliqué and stitchery.

Don’t worry if you are not a master of all skills, you designate what your strengths and preferences are on your application form.

What more could you ask? The perfect job, stitching and getting paid for it! You get to work on all your favourite patterns, and maybe have your name in lights also!

Hope you can join us…

hugs, Helen

World trip over, winners announced

okay okay, enough I am exhausted…. I have now squeezed in Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Spain, Chile and more…missed out on Africa and Asia though, maybe next time…

So we have 334 comments, how am I going to choose?? Will have to use the trusty Random Number picker…

127

erika said...

Hi Helen I love the pattern, I did my homework and I advertise it on my blog, Have a great day
Erika

123

elaine at stitchnquilt said...

I think this quilt is quite cute. A fun thing for Christmas. I am posting it on my blog.

304

May Kristin said...

HI!
I couldn't resist! So here's my comment!
Looks like a fun and great pattern, and I love when it's done in one colour!
And I've made a short little post about your great give-away!
May Kristin

Thankyou all so much for sharing the fun. If you missed out you can get it here now or soon from here in the USA and here, here, here and here in Europe…. and here in New Zealand

or of course ask your local store to order it from here

back soon with some more goodies for you.

hugs,Helen, safely home again…

Hugs ‘n Kisses around the world

wow girls, talk about spreading the word!! and I have to say I have visited each and everyone of you and feel like I have had an around the world in 5 days trip… I have been to Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, USA, UK, Spain, France and more…. now as we are so close to 300 comments I am going to leave it open until we reach that mark and then draw 3 winners, yes not one, not two but 3 winners..because you have all said such nice things to me, nothing like a bit of morale boosting to make me feel generous.. Poor Lori though cant keep up with the packing here…

While I am here I have a couple of things to show you,,,,

firstly, look what the postman brought me a little while ago from Kerry – now I didn't even know I had entered a giveaway so it was just the best surprise… If you look at Kerries blog you will see some bits are missing from my photo, sorry didn't last long enough to photograph!

Next a special lady I picked up from the Quilt and Craft show here last weekend  DAD – don't show this to mum…its a surprise

Paris is just loving her sojourn at my house, hanging out all over the place

isn't she just the most adorable thing? Jo and I plan to get together and make some more one day!

Lastly, thanks to all who voted for inktense or coloursoft back here – I can tell you the inktense side really caught the attention hanging directly under its own spotlight at the state exhibition over the weekend… and the white glove ladies were working hard to show everyone the back..

hugs for today, be back soon with the winners…

Helen

Twas the night before Christmas

and all through the house…..

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse….

My sugarplums have been folding and packing and finally we are ready to show you this…

It is a seven part Block of the month, each month with a transfer for the stitchery and then you get to do a bit of piecing also. I have even sourced some new paper and have included the foundation papers for you. The whole quilt takes 10 fat quarters and 1m of background fabric but many stores will be offering BOM fabric kits, I shall tell you who as I know them. For now you can order here if you just can’t wait to get started. Now there are not 7 months until Christmas so you will have to get your stitching skates on and double up one month perhaps..

I really enjoyed stitching this, sometimes stitching in one colour is very relaxing instead of having to think of colour choice.

now to our giveaway, if you link to this post or place the photo on your blog and leave me a comment you will go in the draw to win a full set of patterns. IF we get 150 comments I will draw two names! So leave a comment with the link to your blog post (cos I like to spend time visiting your blogs and always like to discover new friends) to be in the running.

hugs, Helen

QuiltAid thanks the world

Wow girls, over 32,000 hits to our website…. way to go. I am overwhelmed at the response to our QuiltAid launch, hence  not much time here sharing with you all. And the nice part is that you are doing it because you care. I have had so many emails about personal stories, those who have worked or visited the Fistula Hospital and just those of support. I never doubted the generosity of quilters and stitchers but they have touched me and as I read the book ‘Hospital by the river’ to inspire me to work harder at this, I can’t imagine ever being able to make the difference Catherine Hamlin has made.

anyway, thankyou thankyou, and if you haven't joined in yet and want to, don’t leave it too long as the fabric will run out!

in the meantime I have had head down ** up working on getting this ready for you….

and as its now only 184 days til Christmas I hope to have the full pic to you later today…..and yes, that means a giveaway….

hugs to you all,

Helen

What is it with rusty things?

a ‘gathering’ of ‘things’ I was drawn to last week?

memories of long ago…

hugs, Helen

My sincere apologies.

after a couple of recent comments I went back to check and I really really honestly thought I had announced a winner for a set of my latest release patterns! honest, I did. I remember typing it up but obviously it went somewhere into cyber space. So  I do hope you don’t think badly of me, offering a giveaway and then never ‘giving away’…. to make up for it I will give not one but TWO sets away. So the winners from this post are:

Lindylou from Oz said...

Hi Helen, such lovely patterns,as usual, and cute this time too (cupcakes!) Love the doily - v. darling. pls enter me in draw! I would love to win something of yours.

Di Jobbins said...

More tempting goodness, Helen! I just love your modern twist to the doily pattern. So sweet. And those cupcakes are a great idea - clever you coming up with such creativeness!

just waiting for addresses girls and these two patterns will be flying over Bass Strait on their journey to your doorstep…

hugs

Helen

Crochet from the Master

The main reason for our last minute trip home to South Australia was to visit my last surviving Grandparent who is not doing it too well lately.

Old Gran taught me to crochet when I was about 5 and I still have my Granny square rug I made then. BUT I had forgotten completely how to do it!

So we arrived at the hospital last Sunday with 3 crochet hooks and 3 balls of wall for our lesson.

We practised all week so we had something to show Gran on the way back to the airport when we called to the hospital again. We went from this

to this

she was quite proud of us and quite chuffed that we cared to ask her…. she taught me a lot of my embroidery and sewing skills and I will  be eternally grateful for that. I only wish she would be here forever for when I forget again next time… a woman of many skills, a lifetime of memories, many of which I know we will never hear. She has made her mark on the world and my wish is that she soon has peace again – and Grandma, I promise I will continue to share all you taught me with everyone I can so that your generation of handwork, embroidery, needlework and sewing never dies….

hug your Gran today,

Helen

Home for Hugs ‘n Kisses

I have just spent the last lovely week at home…. by home I mean where I was born, where I grew up, where my parents still live… it is always so nice to get there if not very often. Whilst I still worked I managed to sleep in, enjoy the garden (even if in its winter state) meet up with old friends, read a book, and show my girls what it was like to grow up in the country.

I love going back out to the farm, most of which they don't own anymore but the memories of green grass, open paddocks, huge old gums and play equipment come flooding back from my childhood. It always seems so peaceful and clean and innocent.

The kids love riding the motorbikes, something which was ‘ordinary’ to us (altho only on two wheels back then)

 

Mum doesn't mind getting back on either tho, and you really don't want to hear about Tilly’s riding skills, suffice to say we lived to tell the speedsters tale!

city raised kids have different opportunities I know but there is nothing like growing up in the country and I wouldn't have swapped it for anything. Hope I have shared some of the experience with my girls.

home and back to work and school again today… I will just have to retain the memories until next time…

hugs, Helen

More quiltaid photos

As promised here are some more QuiltAid photos for you, mmmm how will you choose?

of course you can see them all plus all the individual blocks and visit the designers on the Quilt Aid website.

hugs

Helen