Saffrons Blog

Today celebrates two years of writing this blog and designing fabrics. It certainly took me a while to find my voice and know what to write. More and more I am finding myself going to facebook and flickr as it is so much faster and easier. Often I wonder what will l blog about this week? What is the story morning glory? So I write about a mixture of current fabric design, upcoming  fabric designs, new quilts and kits. I am most relieved when I have enough ideas to write about and have a few posts lined up dated for the future, though that said often they don't get published as they are not aligned with my mood.

The most wonderful thing about writing a blog has been the friends I make. Meeting like minded people is really special to me. Only a few years ago a mother in my mothers group who I really liked said in pity that she thought I was "sad" liking quilting and having a passion for fabrics. After thinking about it I realized what she said did not ring true with me! I now can laugh about it. How can one person's passion ever be "sad"? So these are the people I turned away from and found many like minded ones through my love for fabrics.

On Monday the 31st I have been a fabric designer for two years. It was on my birthday that I decided that this is what I wanted to do. The interesting thing about my journey in fabric design is the more I design the more ideas come to me. Really fun innocent designs have been swinging in my imagination lately. This week it is bugs. My daughter commented that "you can't have a Lady Bug Snail?" I think I can!

I am dreaming big and hoping to find more time to escape into the world of design as freelance work comes my way. I have just designed fabrics for a children wear label and I hope to do more of that. 

Thanks to all of you who send me emails, put comments on facebook, flickr and on this website. It keeps me connected with you and takes me out of my little wee studio, which I love. A celebration is in stall for me. I have lined up a week of catching up with friends and having lots of one-on-one time with them.

One such friend is Kate Conklin who has designed a new quilt kit, Sienna's Forest. As a launch special use "sienna" as the discount code to get 10% until Monday midnight the 31st of May.

Love peace and harmony to you all.

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I listen to what you ask, actually I really appreciate your feedback and questions so thanks! I have been asked for the DandelionFields to be printed in green and blue. Out of the infinite possibilities of those colours this is what I decided on. It will tie in with the upcoming Bird Tree range that I will share with you over the next week or so. So I think I will call it sky blue and apple green.




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Thanks for all the comments, I think the amethyst is the winner in terms of colours.

And as for a winner of the give away the random number generator decided on comment #79. Marta from the US. Congratulations Marta!



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The Owl and Koala softie has been recoloured. I received the new strike offs (printer's proof) and I was pleased to see that we all agree to print all three of the new colorways, scheduling them throughout the year.

The red Owl  and Koala looks happy and dare I say might sit on both boys and girls beds. The amethyst is my favourite colour and is the funkier of the three while the grey is so smart and will fit into modern interiors with a hoot.

I recently had a lovely email thanking me for encouraging an 8 year old son to sew up both the Owl and Koala softies. It is so wonderful to receive such feedback as that is one of the intentions behind the softies — to encourage children to learn to sew.
 
We only have a few left of the brown & orange Owl and Koala softies, so grab one while you can. And once they are sold we'll get one of the new colour ways printed.

Please leave a comment letting us know which colour you like best. One comment will be rewarded with a free panel of the Owl and Koala softies in brown. The most popular colour will be the first to be printed.













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I have been collaborating with Kate Conklin on another project. Kate is so much fun to work with.

Kate Conklin has designed and made another fantastic quilt. This time she has taken the Forest Elementals range and put her own unique style of quilting into it. I think it is fabulous.




I invited Kate to share her story about making the quilt she called Siera's Forest:

Kate: I fell in love with the Elk Landscape fabric as soon as I saw it.  The forest scene is so serene and beautiful and the magenta and gold are so rich and warm. To me the fabric design has a Scandinavian feel, and being part Finnish I was really drawn to it.  I wanted to showcase the panel as a piece of artwork hanging on a wall, or as a scene viewed through a window. The stripes above and below represent the dense forest with elk, birds and geese peeping through. The free form stack and slash method of construction makes it quick and easy to put together and I love that wonky look.

The back features the striking Birds on Leaves fabric with slightly wonky strip piecing down the side. 

I machine quilted white wavy lines across it at varying intervals and then hand quilted around the blocks in Perle Cotton No. 8 in purple. My Sister in Law, Sierra was awestruck the moment she saw it and I was powerless against her exclamation of "That's the most amazing quilt I've ever seen!", hence it became "Sierra's Forest".

You can see more images on Kate's blog and my Flickr page.

This sure is beautiful. Thank you Kate.


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We are going to be at the 2010 Quilt & Craft Expo in Rosehill, Sydney on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th June 2010. This will be my first trade show and we're really excited.

The 2010 Quilt & Craft Expo Sydney is a trade only event. If you purchase from us wholesale or are thinking about doing so it would be great to meet you face to face.

We will have a new range to show you and so much more. We hope you make it and look forward to seeing you there.

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This year I really wanted to collaborate with various talents around the world. One such venture is with Selkie Smith Design who makes wonderful fabrics bags. Mel designed a range of bags for us using my new fabrics the Forest Elementals. I asked Selkie Smith a few questions about herself.

1. What is your story?  Where do you come from?

I have worked in the Financial Markets Industry for the past 12 years, when they decided to move my department offshore, I jumped at the chance to take a redundancy.  I had enough of commuting to the city and wanted to be closer to home and spend more time with my daughter, Caitlin

2. How did you come to make bags?

This is a funny question, I can't remember when and why I decided to make bags...my husband Chris remembers me telling him quite matter of factly that I was going to do so. I wanted to do something creative, and I know I'm good with colour placement and pattern, so I bought a few patterns, got myself a sewing machine and started teaching myself.  It was about year ago now.

3. Future prospects?

To expand my range of bags to larger style bags, including Nappy Bags, Market Bags and Laptop Bags. As well as complimentary items such as makeup bags, travel mats, etc.

4. What inspires you?

Essentially Fabric inspires me.  The detail of the fabrics is amazing, so much work is involved, and when I make a bag, I am really just  showcasing the fabric in all its glory.  I know it sounds crazy but when I receive a bundle of fabric it's almost an emotional experience.  When I go though all my fabrics I can pretty much visualise straight away what it will end up being!

5. What was it like to work with Saffron Craig fabrics?

It was great working with Saffron Craig Fabrics. Saffron's fabrics are so beautiful and detailed, and I was really pleased with the way the elk landscape bags, (the porkiepie and the market bag) turned out. They are just fabulous scene scapes. I also adore the Birds in Leaves Hobo bag. I will start producing them commercially in September as well as the Market Bag. I also learned a few lessons on the way. Although I'm not heavily inspired by patchwork I can see the beauty of it in the Bird in Leaves Tote Bag, and I will incorporate some of these elements into my current range of bags.

5. The big picture, where do you see yourself in five years time?

In five years, I would love to have a bricks and mortar Store up here in the Blue Mountains, and be able to employ local mums in the area.  I would love to keep designing bags and accessories, which will appeal to a broad market. I believe there is a bag for everyone.

Good on you for following your dreams.

Here are the pictures I took of her wonderful bags. If you like anything Mel Smith is happy to custom make bags for you. Contact Selkie Smith design here.




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It's a bit of a thing in our family to hand make our cards, its all about the sticking and glueing for my 5 year old with a texter rainbow over the top. Patrick hand sketches with fantastic realistic interpretations often in black and white. While I am more and more about strong colours and elements that I have been designing with, familiar elements.

This card came together while thinking about my three close friends who all had their first babies this year. Also for my Mum who is just amazing and for my sister who is heavily pregnant with her second baby. We don't know the sex of her baby yet as it crossed its legs in the ultra sound.

So to all you mothers who celebrate when all the washing is done only to find there is three more loads to do and to the mums who drive here there and everywhere to give their children all the best that this amazing life has to offer; plus so many more things, such as cooking nutritious food.
Then well done, Sunday is the day to celebrate. Why not ask for what you want. I am  going to celebrate me being a mother too. You are the creator of your life so make it beautiful.

Here is my card to you. I have not put any headings on it so if you like you can use it to celebrate another occasion. You can download it here. If you post it on your own blog then please link it back through this site. Thanks.





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