Welcome to Precious Time

Thank you and goodbye

After 15 years of being the sole owner of Precious Time it has come time for a change. After much thought and consideration I have decided to sell the store.

Owning the store has given me so many gifts the most important of which is all of you. Whether I have been stitching with you for the past 15 years or the past 5 months or you visit the store on yearly retreats we have shared our lives – marriages, births, formals, year 12 finals, driving lessons and many more memorable events have been at the centre of our quilting journey. I have loved every minute of it and have been blessed to share in your quilting journey. 

I have been thrilled to have some of the most wonderful tutors visit and share their quilts and creativity with us.   I hope that they have inspired you as much as they have encouraged, extended and inspired me in wanting to create gorgeous quilts.

I am pleased to let you know that you will be left in the capable hands of Patrina who is taking over ownership of the store. Many of you already know of her love of quilting and I am certain that Precious Time will continue to encourage and stir your quilting heart. I wish her every success and look forward to visiting the store as a customer.

I will of course always be in love with fabric and the immense joy it brings to my life. I have a long, long list of projects that need my attention – so I will be doing a lot of stitching and a little bit of travelling with my greatest fan – Roland. He and the girls have had shared custody of me since I opened the store and it gives me immense pleasure to know I will be able to spend more time with them and support them in their future endeavors. It goes without saying that a lot of people have helped in my journey but none more than Majella. Words just seem so insufficient to express my thanks to her.

If you would like to continue following the store you can find them @precioustimefabricandquilts.  

My last day at the store will be Tuesday.  The store will be open from 9.30am to 12.00 noon after which it will be closed for settlement and transfer.  If I don’t see you before I go I wish you every happiness and my sincere thanks for your support, encouragement and love.

Lisa x 

 

Tula arrives Friday

We are so excited and getting ready for Tula's arrival at the store on Friday.  Please be aware that the shop will be closed for this event and entry will only be permitted to those who hold a Tula Ticket.

Please arrive for a welcoming morning tea at 9.30am with Tula due to arrive at approximately 10am.    The shop will be open at 9.15am. This event should be finished at approximately 2pm at which time the shop will re-open.  We hope that you understand our decision to close for this event and look forward to welcoming you all after the event. 

See you Friday!

 

 

 

 

Irene Blanck's world of appliqué

What a fantastic weekend all the ladies had with Irene - generous, kind, down to earth and a little cheeky (maybe even a lot!).  By the time Sunday came they were all very reluctant to leave the classroom all asking when Irene would be returning for another class.  That sings success as a shop owner - you know that all the ladies had a fabulous time and left on Sunday with their projects under control having been shown what they needed to achieve the steps to finishing their quilts.  

Irene works with a light box so it was interesting for the ladies to be shown a method (new to many of them) of transferring designs and appliqué to their background fabrics.  This gorgeous fellow belongs to Amanda.  As with any class their were several quilt options for the ladies to choose from so a few did this and a few did that......

Another delightful centre of Mosaic belonged to Linda who used a clearer palette for her centre 

Mosaic has been a long time favourite quilt of mine.  

We had a group of ladies fall in love with Confetti so their journey took them on a different path

A delightful quilt for lovers of hexagons - asked how many 3/8" hexies were needed for the outside border, Irene delightfully replied "too many to count!"

Tanya was delighted with her appliqué top - learning new skills and techniques in her first ever class.  She did a marvellous job choosing a modern palette for her version of Confetti

Ros surprised us all in choosing an orange vase - fabulous to challenge ourselves by going outside of our comfort zones

Lorna has a love of fussy cutting and making hexagons - just a love of EPP all round I would say

Soft muted blues and greens were the stars of her appliqué border.......

Of course when you get a group of lovely like-minded quilters together there is always show and tell and this weekend was no different.  There were some delicious bags brought to class

and a quilt or two......

Sandy (from Goondiwindi) shared her finished version of St Neot Band Sampler by Susan Smith using her favourite French General fabrics.  If you are a local Gundi girl I believe it will be hanging in the upcoming show - so keep an eye out!  Beautiful stitching Sandy - all the very best for the show.

Hexagon lover Lorna brought in her divine version of Brigitte Giblin's 13 panel hexagon quilt to share with Irene and of course the girls in class..........

Here is a close up of some of the delicious fabrics that Lorna used in her quilt- bet you want to add this one to your list now!

 

 

Some of the girls took on the challenge of making Irene's Message in a Bottle and there were some stunning results and these girls seemed to achieve so much over the 3 days

These modern blocks belonged to Kyleigh .......

Lisa from Goondiwindi went with a mixed palette of colours and prints for her happy version.......

While Sharon went with happy but subdued for her Message in a Bottle blocks......

 

Of course most of us fell in love with Irene's new quilt - Birds Eye View.  How could we not and for those of you that think they need to join us in making this quilt we have a few patterns still in store.  Another one to add to my list

Here are some more snapshots from the weekend to encourage you to pick up your needle and thread......

This delightful vase and bouquet belongs to Rose - another of the lovely ladies who joined us for the weekend from Goondiwindi - Rose decided to make Eva Grace.  Beautiful stitching......

Like her vase, Maureen was happy and bright and definitely kept us in stitches for the weekend - every class needs a Maureen.  

Lots of girls also chomping at the bit to make this quilt once the pattern is available.  Another delicious quilt Irene!!!

Gardenhurst stole Michelle's heart for the weekend workshop - look how perfect those teeny, tiny circles are.....well done!!!!!

Irene's Message in a bottle quilt.......a gorgeous quilt to end this post on.......

Happy stitching until next time........Lisa

 

Rosabella Yarns - From farm to needles

 

 

Rosabella is a family farm based business created to supply craftswomen with yarns of exceptional beauty to inspire their creative journey. They have a passion to see more Australians using and wearing natural fibres. Running 120 Angora goats on their farm at Hampton near Toowoomba they produce some of the finest Kid Mohair in the world.

They also select other luxury fibres, from Alpacas and Merinos bred and grown in Australia and Silk, ethically sourced in Thailand, to blend with their locally produced Kid Mohair. After shearing they wash, blend, process and spin these fibres into beautiful yarns. The yarn is then hand dyed into a rich and harmonious colour range that is constantly growing. 

Rocabella is inspired by the threads that link the generations, whether they be mothers passing their skills onto their daughters; farmers producing the world's finest fibres on family farms for generations or engineers working with wool carding and spinning machinery handing down their expertise and skills. 

If you would like to learn more about the story behind Rasabella Yarns and Threads please come along on Friday 29 April at 1.00pm to meet Dianne and hear first hand the Rosabella story.  A light afternoon tea will be provided.

 We have a wonderful array of yarns and delicious kits for cowls and scarfs at the store but they really can't compete to holding the threads in your hands and falling in love with the softness and gorgeous array of colours.  I hope that you can join us and support a wonderful local producer of stunning yarns suitable for both knitting and crochet..  

Easter Trading Hours

The store will be open on Easter Saturday  (9.30am till 2pm) - but we will be closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.  If you are hoping like me - which I am sure you are - you will be looking forward to finding some time to put needle to thread over the Easter break.  I so enjoy Easter - for me it is a quieter more reflective time than the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  If you are travelling please take care on the roads.  We would like to wish you all a safe and happy Easter-time.  

 

 

Gorgeous quilts visit the store

Vicki is a new quilter to our Friday group and she was so excited to collect her very first quilt from us after being quilted by Majella,  Vicki has been unstoppable - one of the wonders of a successful first quilt - your appetite becomes insatiable as you want to make just about everything in sight.  That heady and giddy feeling of starting a new quilt - choosing and cutting the fabrics, deciding on placemnet never leaves you no matter how many quilts you make.  Each one is special for it's own individual reason.  They are all gifts of love to celebrate births, marriages, twenty-firsts, eighteenths, special birthdays and then the just because - the ones that capture our hearts the most.

Also back from the quilter on the same day was Kyleigh's Peak and Valleys by Tula Pink - yes you guessed it - filled with all her favourite Tula Pink fabrics.

It is absolutely stunning and of course the back is breathtaking - Freefall Raspberry to top it off.....

Now any of us would be thrilled to get this quilt finished and bound for the first few months of the year but of course we are talking about Kyleigh - so hold your hats because this is her next quilt dropped in ready to go to Majella for quilting.

This is Gravity by Jaybird Quilts - made completely from solids.  Kyleigh cannot say enough wonderful things about the construction of this quilt - in her words it was a joy and super quick to make.  We can't wait to see how it is quilted.  Congratulations Kyleigh it is absolutely gorgeous.

I would hate to think about the number of hours that has gone into Paula's quilt.  It is her version of Mary Tolman by Brigitte Giblin. I wonder if she kept a register of all the times she sat to stitch and cover hexagons - hundreds and hundreds of hexies....  Congratulations Paula on completing this magnificent quilt - it could frighten even the very best of quilters.

We have added some new kits to the website

Both of these fabulous quilts are quick cutting, quick piecing and would look delightful in any home.

The hour is getting late so it is time to leave you - I hope these quilts have inspired you to continue your quilting journey with wonder and joy.

Happy stitching........lisa 

 

Lots of laughter and learning.....

We have had a wonderful collection of new modern basics arrive in the store the past week - soft tones and great little prints make them the perfect stash builders to go with the louder or main prints that we all fall instantly in love with and have to have!

I just love the pop of soft raspberry and aqua together - a clean fresh look to any new quilt in the planning stages.....

 

These terrific teals make me think of Summer holidays at the beach and all the glorious colours that the ocean takes on as the waves crash onto shore......peaceful......

But if you are looking to add a drop of freshness to your next quilt then this range of oranges and lemons is the perfect choice.....

They honestly start to make my mouth water - such delightful prints!  Of course with any collection of new fabrics there are always the left overs that don't quite fit into a category - but as we know they are always delicious.......

We have hand cut fat quarters of all of these great prints and will have them up on the website by end of week - if you can't hold out that long just give us a call at the store on 4633 4748.

Our weekend was filled with laughter, yummy treats and delicious fabric to boot!  What a great time we had with the gorgeous Judy Newman over three days of classes.  Judy is one of our favourite tutors that visits us here - which of course means that we all have to keep up with the cracking pace she sets.......the girls go home most nights with homework in readiness for the approaching day.  And then you hear Judy's voice - homework - I don't set homework........and the laughter bubbles away......

Judy freely admits that she likes to keep you working little by little on your quilt while she is here - so by the end of three days you actually feel that you have accomplished quite a lot and are comfortable with the next stage. For most of us that means the 200 blocks that you have to make to surround the centre of your Emma Mary.......or the triangles for the next circular border of Museum Medallion  - can't tell you how many you will have to make for that! Will have to count them up on someone's quilt (quick count of Trish's = 48!)

Several girls in class were making Emma Mary so here are some divine centres to tempt you just in case you haven't added it to your must make list........

Amanda choosing her corner diamonds.........

 

Sharon's centre - expertly stitched together with sticky-tape.......

 

Marie's centre is under way.......there have been a few design changes since this photo was taken - it is looking lovely........

Patrina decided to go with thread - a little more secure than Sharon's option for the day....

Trish made a wonderful start to her Museum Medallion .......

as did Kyleigh......

and Jalena............

Judy brought in her very happy version of French Market Medallion to share with us all.  Started in last year's class with Judy, we were thrilled to see it completed in time for this weekend - those stickability genes run strong in this lovely lady.

Another gorgeous quilt was Lorna's version of Emma Mary - Lorna was so close to having it finished for this class and we commend her for getting so near to the finish line - congratulations Lorna your quilt is beautiful!

Perri brought along her sewing machine determined to start and finish Judy's Vintage Comfort over the three days and true to her word she left on Sunday with her version all stitched up...... Perri also made a Sonia Scarf on the first day as well......zoom...zoom...zoom.......

 

A fabulous start was made on Judy's version of Liberty Alice - Judy C would recommend anyone making the quilt to start in a class with Judy as she felt a little overwhelmed, but with some assistance and tips from Judy N she was well on her way and it looked absolutely delightful......well done Judy C

I am sorry if I didn't get an image of your quilt to share on the blog but I have no doubt you will be back in the store to continue on your journey and I will definitely pop you and your work on......the weekend seems to always go so quickly and it gets so busy that you don't get time to get around and snap everyone's work.....of course some of us did start secret stitching - which I am not able to share on social media at this point in time......I really didn't want to get detention from the teacher........

 Just to wrap up these soft, delicious modern backings arrived in store - all of which will be popped up on the website this week - but if you can't resist call the store on 4633 4748 and we will happily pop some in the post or hold it until your next visit.

 

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend and that you found time to have needle and thread in your hand.  Remember that starting something is the best way to finish it!

Until next time........happy stitching......lisa

Welcome back Judy Newman

We are so looking forward to the return of Judy Newman to Precious Time for a 3 day class from 19-21 February.  Judy was an absolute delight on her last visit and many are looking forward to sharing another weekend to learn from this very generous tutor.  

You are able to choose from any of Judy's quilts and we are being spoilt this visit with a sneak peak of her new block of the month, along with two new quilts that Judy is happy to share with us - aren't we lucky!  

Emma Mary was a favourite along last class and we have ladies returning to continue this journey so that will be wonderful to see everyone's progress - I am hoping to have my centre complete at least by next weekend - two more sides of hexies to be stitched down.

Another favourite from Judy's last visit was Museum Medallion pictured below with Judy's Summer House quilt....

If you would like to join us for a weekend of stitching with one of Australia's favourite designers and share the company of like minded ladies please call the store on 4633 4748.  We will only be too happy to help you with any queries and assist you in choosing a project that will make your heart sing.....

 

We have some wonderful new kits in store this week.......

 

Noughts and Crosses designed by Kookaburra Cottage is made using Figures designed by Zen Chic for Moda.  It is a super quick cutting quilt that stitches up easily.  If you are looking for a great modern quilt that can be made in a great array of different fabric collections then this is the quilt for you.  We have kits available in the fabrics above now available on the website - pattern only is also available.  

 

The other new quilt is a magical baby pinwheel quilt complete with perspex template to make it easy to piece together.....

 

Another great design from Kookaburra Cottage - this is the perfect welcoming gift for a new arrival and works perfectly with any charm pack - kits are now available in store and on the website.

These great quilts are now in store - I am sure you will fall in love with them!

 

Are you still wanting to make a Sew Together Bag  -  Saturday is your perfect opportunity to join Kyleigh for her class starting at 9am.  We have numerous ladies who pop back again and again to have Kyleigh's patient guidance - any little hiccups can be easily and quickly smoothed out on the day ensuring you leave with this delightful bag to add to your basket of sewing goodies.  This is a full day class not to be missed.  See the website or call the store on 4633 4748 for more information.  We look forward to sharing this busy but fun day with you.

Happy stitching until next time........lisa

 

Quilts, quilts and more quilts…….

It is always so lovely to see ladies who have been in class pop in to the store to share the progress on their quilts.  So it was a treat for Wendy to pop in and share her progress especially as she lives in Brisbane.  Wendy was searching for a background for her current Marg Sampson quilt so of course we had to audition various backgrounds to find the perfect one....

They are so delicious and we can't wait to see how they all come together with the other elements when Marg joins us again in June.  

Kyleigh has been extra busy over the Christmas break and has made this lovely project bag designed by Annie.  This great hold all with a see through plastic front makes it so easy to see where everything is and put your hands on it straight away.  Kyleigh has made a little finishing tweak to the pattern that she will share with you on the day.  Annie's products are lovely to use and make the bag serviceable whilst at the same time making them very stable.   To join us click on this class for further information including dates, time and cost.  We are more than happy to help you with kits, and we will have the patterns available with all the supplies for class.  

If you haven't spent time with Kyleigh she has a bubbly personality whilst having a gentle nature which keeps us on track - no matter what project we are making with her at the time.  An experienced teacher she says we are much nicer and easier than high school students from her past......yay for us I say!  

 

We have had some gorgeous florals arrive in store that are sure to tempt you......

 

These birds are just super cute......

 

Jenny has been working on her Hare Race by Marg Sampson relentlessley - I wish I could be as controlled as Jenny and work on the one project with a deadline in mind for finishing.  My deadline usually sounds something like this.......by end of year, maybe it will be next year....early though so I can hand quilt it by Christmas.....to still sitting at home waiting to be finished.  Congratulations Jenny it is absolutely stunning and I am sure that Marg will be filled with excitement at the thought of seeing your quilt complete....

I just love it.......

Finally back from the quilter is our version of Hugs and Kisses designed by Jaybird quilts.  Started some time ago (not giving away the exact date) we chose a wonderful collection of fabrics from Denyse Schmidt, Amy Butler, Tula Pink, Anna Maria Horner and of course Kaffe Fassett

We have bundles and patterns for this quilt in store now and you can choose your own background from a wonderful selection we have in store.

The afternoon has run away from me with visitors so I have to say bye for the moment.  I have plenty more to share with you all in the next post......

Until then .....happy stitching.....Lisa

Birthday Sale - last chance this weekend

There are still fabulous fabrics available in our birthday sale which will continue until close of business on Sunday at 2pm.  Don't miss out on this chance to buy great fabrics for backs of quilts, or the start of a new quilt.   Hope to see you over the weekend to grab a bargain.

Happy stitching

Lisa