Bag Class

Hi Everyone,

Just a reminder of the ‘Double D’ Bag class this is being held on Saturday 22nd August, this is an all day class and is being tutored by Adrienne Nelson, this bag is reversible  and would be great to put your quilting accessories in, or as a gift for a new Mum.

This class is ‘Stack n Whack’, there a just a few places remaining so if you want to learn this great technique contact us either by calling in, telephoning or email.

We have just put on display the new Advent Calender fabric from Makower as well as our range of Christmas fabrics including the ‘Kiwi Kev’s Christmas Stocking’ these can be bought by the pair eg: front and back for one stocking or make two stockings by putting a backing fabric on each one.

We shall look forward to seeing you when you visit, so until next time,

Happy Quilting

Experience Upper Hutt Retailer of the Year Award.

Hi Everyone

A brief posting before turning in for the night, just to say Kevin and I have  just attended the Experience Upper Hutt Awards, we were both very proud to have had Sawmillers nominated for Retailer of the Year, and whilst we were unsuccessful in winning, we both feel we had won by being nominated in a category that had very well established retailers amongst the nominations. So we send a big thank you to those who nominated us and be assured that we shall continue to do all we can to make your piecing and quilting  experiences as enjoyable as we can.

Until the next time, Good Night and

Happy Quilting

The ‘New ‘ Sign, UFO Night and Free Demo.

Hi Everyone,

Isn’t it great, we have a new sign on SH 2, our previous sign disappeared after the road was re-surfaced and after exhaustive enquiries to the various roading companies and Upper Hutt City Council  our pleas have been heard and ‘our’ sign has been replaced, now everyone will know where we are.

Our UFO night is being held this Friday 24th July, so why not come along and join in the fun, if you would like Fish n Chips don’t forget to phone in advance so I can order them, if not we always have a cuppa and ‘bicky’ before we go home.

The final mention in this posting is to remind you of the Free Demonstration on Sunday 26th July at 1.30pm – 2.30pm, Dianne Barnden will be showing us how to Paper Piece, I know there is a lot of interest in this technique, I have to say I have just got into this and love it, so if you wanting to know how to achieve those beautiful sharp pointed stars, Mariners Compass or those ‘teeny tiny’ Log Cabin Blocks come and join us, Dianne will answer your questions too.

Before I finish I was sure you would like to see ‘The Boys’ lots of visitors have mentioned that perhaps Barney 2nd Assistant and Official Greeter and Archie 3rd Assistant ( Unpaid ) needed something warm to lay on! so here they are on our travel blankets, which will have to suffice until I can make them a quilt each, the heat pump which is keeping us toasty warm plays hot air onto the boys on just the spot where they are laying.

Until next time

Happy Quilting

Customers Work

Hi Everyone,

As the title of this posting suggests we have been lucky to have customers bring in their finished projects, pictured here is a small selection.

Above is Beverley’s ‘Kevin’s Quilt’ she has made this using ‘Savannah’ and ‘Flowers For Emma’ it is so pretty, and I am sure Joan will love it.

Kevin ( Brophy ) has made the remainder of these quilts, pictured above is from a pattern by Brenda Dean, it is a lovely wall hanging.

I expect lots of you are familiar with the traditional ‘Churn Dash‘ block, Kevin used a combination of the reproduction fabrics we have here at Sawmillers.

This is the ‘Sakura’ quilt, using fabric of the same name by Red Rooster, Kevin has made this beautifully and is a very striking quilt. All the quilts pictured have been quilted by Sue Burnett of Sue ‘B’s Quilting Service, she has made a super job of them and all the piecers have been very pleased with the final effect.

Until the next posting,

Happy Quilting

UFO Night Change and New Shop Samples

Hi Everyone,

My apologies for not writing a posting before now, but I have been completing the two shop samples pictured, the first one pictured above is one of our Tea Ceremony Geisha Wall Hangings, all the directions for making this are in the pattern and you can embellish as much or as little as you want, these are very economical to make as it takes less than a metre of the fabric to applique the panel and there are four colourways.

This quilt is made from the ‘Endless Love’ range by Fabric Freedom, it is really striking and was very easy to make, I think this ideal for a teenager, perhaps to take to Varsity and have a bit of home to cuddle up to, we have the free patterns here at Sawmillers, the quilting was done by Sue B and is beautiful.

The UFO night which is due to be held tomorrow evening Friday 17th July has been postponed to Friday 24th July, this is to allow for the Star Beginnings Class to continue.

We are still waiting for our new thread stand to arrive, we are getting a tad frustrated having told everyone how wonderful it is, but I am assured by our agents it won’t be long before it arrives, so apologies to all those who are waiting.

Barney and Archie, Assistants 2 and 3 have had a cut and blow dry and are looking very handsome, they have been wearing their coats first thing in the morning, but once the new heat pump kicks in the coats are discarded. Come and see the new ranges at Sawmillers and treat yourself to  a Devonshire Tea at Stonestead too, so until next time.

Happy Quilting

More Classes

Good Morning Everyone,

Due to popular demand we have added more classes to our timetable, we have Heather Harding teaching a Hand Quilting class on Saturday 31st October, by that time there will be lots of quilt tops etc. finished in the winter months and will be waiting to be quilted in preparation for the Stonestead Outdoor Quilt Festival in February, the other class we have been asked to repeat is the Star Beginnings Quilt, this is an excellent project to make, not just for beginners but those more experienced, as you can either learn or revise lots of different techniques that will be used in lots of other projects, the first class begins on Friday 25th September.

These 2 bags can both be made in our 1 day classes, the uppermost bag is the very attractive  ‘Double D‘ it is a reversible bag and very versatile, the class is being held on Saturday 22nd August, and tutored by Adrienne Nelson, the Black and White Charmed bag, is being offered again, and is being held on Sunday 6th September, it is being tutored by Dianne Barnden, there are limited places available so don’t leave it too long to register, Sawmillers has all the Black and Whites in stock, not just prints but spots, polka dots and stripes too.

The 3 fabrics pictured are part of the Williamsburg New Town Farm range, a beautiful range that, although is probably classed as a reproduction has designs which can be incorporated in many contemporary patterns.

For those who have interest in dancing the competition went very well with some excellent dancing, it was quite difficult to judge some of the events as the standard was high, the boss Kevin did a great job keeping the rest of us judges in hand!

Until next time, Happy Quilting

Sawmillers First Challenge

Hi Everyone,

I always have such good intentions of getting this updated on Wednesdays and then something exciting happens and it gets put aside, so the exciting stuff this week is the lovely new heat pump in the shop, it is so cozy warm now, I have just told Kevin it’s like being on the French Riviera!!

The other exciting happening is the Challenge we are holding in conjunction with the Stonestead Quilt Festival being held in February 2010, all the challenge packs are ready for you to collect, included are the guidelines and 4 Fat Quarters for you to create a Table Runner, we decided it was preferable to have a project that was achievable and not too big, so come along and feel the heat and pick up your pack, you have plenty of time to design and it can be traditional or original.

Pictured is some of the lovely Black and Whites we have, we also have prints and Red and Blacks too, these will be ideal for the Charmed Bag and Double ‘D’ Bag classes and also the Stack n Whack class.

This afternoon I am judging and Kevin is Chairman of Judges at the Wellington Provincial Dance Championships at the Lower Hutt Horticultural Hall, I shall have Julie looking after Sawmillers for me and there are supplies of scones at the tea house so that will still be open too. We wish you all a great stitching weekend so until next time.

Happy Quilting