Housekeeping for Retailers...

Here I am interrupting the general flow of my journal!

I have been trying to phone back Natasha and Janet from Alberta Canada who are after my patterns. The problem is that the message on the answering machine is very blurry and I can't hear the name of their store or their phone numbers properly! Help!

Of course, if I had been up to date and added in that 'Wholesale Enquiries' bit on my site a bit earlier they would have the details they need. So sorry ladies, I've added in a section for wholesale and trade enquiries now for you (top right hand side - just click on the photo).

I have had a few phone calls regarding the contact details for my distributors, Creative Abundance. Yes, the email details have changed. So to contact Jacques and Nel you need to email them at [email protected] , forget the old email address, it's no longer functioning.

A new email address but the same great personal and friendly service that you've always received. Of course they still have the 24 hour turnaround on all orders placed too. That means, as always, when you place your order it will be shipped within 24 hours.

So please if anyone out there knows Natasha and Janet, can you help me!

Thanks!

Leanne Beasley xxx

Betty Bernina Has Arrived!!!

After sewing on the Bernina Quilter's Edition all weekend at the Australasian Quilt Convention (how wonderful to attend a quilting event where the machines are provided!):

My friend Gail and I headed over to here yesterday:

And I purchased one!!!!! Betty has now moved into my studio and she seems to be settling in very nicely:

This blog entry could be longer - but I need to get back to Betty!!!!

I am so HAPPY!!!!

Leanne Beasley xxx

AQC 2008...

What a fantastic four days! WOW! The Australasian Quilt Convention held in Melbourne was a quilting experience of some of the planet's finest teachers, perfect organisation, and wonderful fun. What did I turn all that bright fabric into? This work in progress:

Melinda (my quilting friend) and I, indulged in a wonderful two day class with Gloria Loughman titled, 'Playing on the Surface'. Play we did! I don't ever remember being in a class and learning so much in two days. Gloria has a way of teaching that makes everything just seem like having fun and only at the end of the day, when you sit back with a nice wine, do you realise that you actually weren't just playing, you were learning! Melinda and I were so keen to keep going on our projects we stayed up until 2am on the first night and 1am on the second night!

It was a great abstract class, and going way outside my comfort zone, I think I did okay.

Day Three saw Melinda and I in another one of Gloria's workshops all about colour, 'Color is Magic'. It was so magnificent. The only disappointment was that we didn't want it to finish! We did the theory and then it was into practise. Gloria gave us two landscapes to choose from (so we didn't get tied up in the design - ONLY our colour selection - brilliant - or people like me wouldn't have got anything done) and then away we went. Here's a portion of my work in progress:

We had the opportunity to paint our own sky etc, and it was just so much fun I felt like I was back in the art room at highschool!

Exhausted as we were we managed to frock up and attend the wonderful Gala Dinner - a wonderful national quilting event:

Do you recognise (above) me, Kirsten from 'Two Lime Leaves' who was one of the teachers, and Melinda?

Then there was a photo opportunity with Gloria Loughman:

And, so after another even later night, we managed to head off to a class with South African Quilter, Rosalie Dace. This was a design class and it was very exciting to sit and listen to some great inspiration from Rosalie.

I got about this far, and did another abstract quilt design:

Rosalie works with lots of different fabrics and embellishments and I had so much fun just 'playing'. Today I finished my design layout and just can't wait to get my new sewing machine and get going.

Yes, Jan is going to retire. I spent three days getting aquainted with Betty Bernina and I have decided that we just got along so well (she was VERY easy to communinicate with) tommorow will be adoption day for Betty...

Stay tuned,

Leanne Beasley xxx

Bright Things Ahead...

I am off tommorow bright and early to the Australasian Quilt Convention with my friend Melinda. It will be heaven! Four days of quilt classes and staying in the big city of Melbourne:

We are fortunate enough to be doing classes with Gloria Loughman! To me she is the queen of colour and although we have very different styles I know that I will learn brand new exciting things in her classes.

It's very important to me as a designer to also be a student, keeping up with trends, new styles, and new techniques. I know I will not be able to sleep tonight, filled with the excitement! I have REALLY gone outside my comfort zone and purchased fabrics that are quite different for me:

I can't wait to get creating!:

We are also lucky enough to be having a one day class with Rosalie Dace, a South African Quilter. She loves fabrics of all descriptions and so for her class I have collected silks from Italy and India, organzas, and WAY too many embellishments! I have a very different colour selection for this class, but you'll just have to wait and see!

Off to pack (can I leave the clothes out so I can take more fabric?)

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. If you are going to the Convention my 'Butterfly Garden' quilt be on the Foothills Fabric and Threads stand if you'd like to have a look in person. Foothills have also made up divine starter kits that include many of the fabrics that I used in the original version. Of course you can purchase my patterns and books here as well.

Friday In My Studio...

7am: Head into the studio with a coffee and read the card on my notice board:

" This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tommorow comes, this day will be gone forever; in it's place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."

8:00am: Fresh flowers from the garden, a candle, a reminder to 'relax' and take the day in, make sure I'm on schedule to finish this week's projects:

8:30am: Race around (like thousands of other mothers) doing school drop off. Do school drop off. Pick up the mail at the Ferny Creek General Store (yeah - I love mail!).

9am: Finishing off the weeks projects, loving soft and subtle prints full of roses:

10am: Sewing sewing sewing! Must finish off the projects that are overdue!!!!

(somewhere in here there's time for a sandwich)

1:30pm: Arguement with Jan (Janome) after numerous broken needles, threatening that Betty (Bernina) will be here soon (well, as soon as I can pay off that new washing machine and fund Betty).

2pm: Okay, I'm beaten! Jan has done a wobbly and refuses to help me complete my projects. We'll talk later Jan. Meanwhile I'm off to the framing shop to pick up my newly framed lithographs from Norway:

2:30pm: Stop in at Foothills Fabric and Threads to gather my supplies ready for next week's projects:

3:30pm: School pick up and haircuts.

5:30pm: No time to cook, haven't even looked at answering those emails yet. How does toasted cheese sandwiches sound? Hang on, I've got a photoshoot to do before the sun goes down (yes, I know it's my backyard but I can't reveal the projects I've been working on just yet):

6:30pm: Toasted cheese sandwiches. Get through some emails (why can't I ever get under 700 unanswered emails??????)

7:30pm: Hubby's home. Time to throw on a load or two (or ten) of washing. Read school newsletter. Get through a few more emails. Tidy up studio.

8:30pm: Tuck in the littlest Beasley under her 'To Georgia, Love Mummy' quilt. Thank goodness it's Friday and there's a sleep in tommorow! Another load of washing, dishes (why don't I have a dishwasher?), folding clothes, etc.

11pm: Haven't done blog entry! So here I am....

Yes, a day well used...

Leanne Beasley xxx

Yumptious, Scrumptious, Diddlyumptious...

Mmmmm, yummy new fabric, from the new Durham Quilt range by Lecien. Seeing as I had a project to complete for Australian Homespun magazine I was immediately inspired to start measuring, cutting and stitching:

So I grabbed my favourite big floral from the new range, with a vanilla ice cream colour background, and had my project completed in almost no time:

But then there was the big floral with the lovely green background, so I made another version:

And, well, the big floral with the blue pale duck egg blue background was irresistible:

So, there will be three versions in the magazine to choose from. Of course I still have that divine sunshine yellow with the tiny sprays of flowers...

More soon,

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. Hope you like the sneak peeks. Love to show you the whole of the projects but, well, there's nothing like a lovely surprise to wait for in an upcoming issue.

P.P.S. After venturing over to the Melly and Me blog and Rosie and Melly's update on their Scrappy Cabins challenge I realise I have been VERY slack with the 365 Quilt. I too will pull my socks up (thanks for the nudge girls) and get updated and posting!

A Favourite Place in Paris...

What is it that draws me to Montmartre in Paris? Fabric shops? Galleries? Sacre-Coeur? Maybe it's just thinking about who has walked those streets over the years. Somehow, the area still seems to preserve the divine village type atmosphere:

When you see windows like this you can't help but feel inspired:

The street theatre reminds you that you are in a special nook of Paris:

And being high up on the hilltop, looking at Sacre-Coeur in all it's grand glory, well:

Maybe it's the sacred feeling that comes over you when you enter into Sacre-Coeur and quietly find a spot on one of the church pews and hear the singing of the nuns.

Or maybe it's just that wonderful feeling of being surrounded by the streetside artists:

 

Whatever it is, Montmartre is a place not to be missed:

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. Just incase you haven't seen it yet, head over to Rosalie Quinlan Designs for a little peek at her new blog! Just like her designs it is great viewing and lots of fun!

I Love Paris in the Evening...

Paris, more Paris (can you ever really have enough of Paris?).

Enjoy an evening of her beauty and be seduced by the Parisien lifestyle. Somehow the magic of Paris in the evening is tied up with the Moulin Rouge:

So grand in the evening, especially from the top of the Arc De Triumph, La Tour Eiffel is breathtaking:

All lit up for the night ahead, the Arc De Triumph looks wonderful with all the traffic racing around her:

The Champs Elysees, and all the lovely designer shops, wonderful eye candy ( I love the quote on the window, "Be Better than Yesterday"):

Take the Metro, to remind you, tonight you are in Paris:

Stroll along the banks of the Seine, snapping the odd shot of Notre Dame on the way home to your little French hotel, before sipping champagne on your balcony overlooking the streets of Paris:

So, as well as the back streets, love the big tourist attractions of Paris, for they too are the heart of Paris.

Bonsoir,

Leanne Beasley xxx

A Little Bit of Paris...

Bonjour,

Someone needs help - Tsktsk! She's off to Paris and wants to get a real feel for it! Tsktsk needs some advice. Well this got me thinking (and digging through journals, draws, photos, postcards, and other general memorabilia)...

This is one of my favourite Paris photos. Where else in the world would you see a well groomed man on a bicycle riding along with a bouquet of flowers? I tell you - ONLY IN PARIS! (And where do you think he's off to?).  And where else in the world do bakeries look like this in the late afternoon?:

Where else can you wander the streets and feel the romance of every other couple? I tell you, ONLY IN PARIS!:

Where else in the world can you ask for a ham and cheese sandwich and it sounds like a love story, "Je voudrais un bagette avec jambon et fromage."?:

And nowhere but nowhere, can you wander the streets at night and see something that makes you catch your breath and a tiny little tear wells in the corner of your eye, because, then, and only then, do you truly know you ARE IN PARIS!:

Of course, my favorite piece of travel advice is - take a journal! I just dug my Norway to Paris journal out of my draw and found this page:

LOL - I scribbled this down while stopped over in the airport at Paris (for 5 long hours) on the way to Norway (after 30 hours since leaving home). See, even at the airport you cannot miss the essential Paris!

I think this week will be a Paris week on this blog! (Besides I'm frantically working on magazine stuff so can't show you what I've been up to just yet!)

Au revoir ma amie,

Leanne Beasley xxx