Welcome to Wednesday

In this week's Midweek Moments we meet a very avid sewer who, at the tender age of just nine, is already showing signs of becoming one of the future big names in the quilting and patchwork communities across our great nation. Read about some of her creations in 'Show and Tell'.

Also this week we have new fabric instore called Gypsy Bandana, as well as Go Go Gadget featuring a nifty gadget and in our Big 'n' Bizarre column controversy unfolds!

Are you ready for the Australasian Quilt Convention starting in Melbourne week next on Thursday 14 April running through to Sunday 17 April? If so be sure to come and say Hi Jackie and Carmel and enjoy what Blueberries has on offer and we are sure you will be inspired, we will be at Stand 21.

Show and Tell

Show us the item and tell us the story

Hallie Bancroft – nine-year-old sewing aficionado

What first got you interested in sewing?
I used to watch my grandma (Jan Hyman) when she was sewing and I’d play with her spare bits of fabric, arranging them on some wadding. Grandma thought it looked good so she threaded the needle for me and showed me what to do.

What was the first thing you made?
It was a quilt, not a full-sized one, but it was just right for my twin dolls. I also made them a nightie each. Grandma bought me a craft book and I like to have a different project every holidays.

What else have you made?
I made some cupcakes out of felt. Grandma helped me a little bit, but I did most of the sewing and decorated each one with a different top. When they were all made we put them on a plate with a doily and they looked real enough to eat.

What does your mum think of all this?
She’s never really been a sewer, but now she’s signed up for a beginner’s class at Blueberries. We’re going to the Craft Fair at Darling Harbour later this year and I’m really excited about that.

Click here to see a bigger picture of what Hallie made.

Gypsy Bandana

For all of you that love brights click here to check out our latest range in store called Gypsy Bandana.

It's vibrant colours and large scale designs are great for fussy cutting.

Check out what we have made with the Gypsy Bandana fabrics when you visit our stand (number 21) at the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne next week.

Go-Go-Gadget Girl

She loves her quilting toys

What: Quickthru Needle Threader

This wonderful little gadget is put out by Sewline and it’s specially designed to help threading very fine needles.

As you can see, it looks a bit like a lipstick, which means it fits neatly into your sewing basket. The needle sizes are from 9 to 12, which are generally the ones with tiny eyes.

The Quickthru Needle Threader is very easy to use and even has a little magnetic square on the bottom of it to help you pick up the needles. There’s also a little storage compartment in the bottom to hold your needles.

All in all, it’s a very cute, girly little thing, lovely and compact. It retails for $20.00, which is money well spent, considering the frustration it will save you (not to mention your eyes).

Click here to order the Quickthru Needle Threader.

Big 'n' Bizarre

A road trip of Australia’s fibreglass monuments

The Big Matchsticks

Whether or not this huge pair of matches actually qualifies for Big Things status is a debate that raises heated passions on both sides.

Purists argue that because it’s a creation of artist Brett Whiteley and formally donated to the people of NSW, the Big Matchsticks should actually be classified as a piece of artwork and not a real Big Thing. In other words, it isn’t anywhere cheesy enough.

They also point out that the Matchsticks’ location next door to the Art Gallery of NSW smack dab in the middle of Sydney, also disqualifies them, since everyone knows that true Big Things are only to be found in regional areas, especially small country towns (in fact, the smaller the town, the bigger and cheesier the Big Thing).

The other side of the argument is that they qualify for Big Thing status simply because they’re really big matchsticks.

Whatever your opinion on this controversial subject, the Big Matchsticks are pretty impressive, if a little esoteric. Designed by Brett Whiteley and constructed by Matthew Dillon, they were officially unveiled in 1991 after a gestation period of 23 years. They stand eight metres tall (although the burnt match is slightly shorter than the non-burnt one) and are constructed of Blackbutt timber and fibreglass with a concrete base. They also have an official title – “Almost Once”.

Up close, there’s something oddly mesmerizing about the Big Matchsticks, possibly because they look as though they’re not supposed to be there. They have a pretty good view of the Eastern Distributor and the Eastern Suburbs rail line, but you can’t help wondering if they secretly yearn for a more normal life, perched on the edge of the highway just outside a small country town somewhere.

And the last word...

"Dying to Quilt!"