Allocan!

Two Brown Chickens Giveaway...

The new 'Two Brown Chickens' pattern is out today! (Of course my hubby was quick to point out that they are two brown chickens in Red Work!)LOL:

The pattern comes with an iron-on transfer for the framed stitchery as well as a 'light box' copy for tracing (maybe you'd just like to stitch the little house or maybe the chickens):

The pattern includes full instructions for both the framed stitchery and the cushion (before you ask, you need 1/2 meter for the cushion of the Moda 'Swell' big red rose on yellow if you want the same as the one here):

So, as always when I have a new pattern release, I will be giving away five copies of 'Two Brown Chickens'. Simply leave a comment on this post and I'll draw a winner on Friday the 16th May 2008:

If you can't wait Kerry Swain from 'The Cottage on the Hill' will have patterns, and even kits if you like, of 'Two Brown Chickens'. Visit Kerry via her blog, website www.cottageonthehill.com.au or phone her on 02 6769 3297.

I had an incredible amount of fun recently when I was at Kerry's retreat in Nundle (have a peek back at the last few posts if you missed all that fun) where the ladies worked on this project.

Like to see the originals that are in these photos? Drop into Foothills Fabric and Threads and visit Lesley and Sandra, that's where they are!

Until Friday,

Leanne Beasleyxxx

P.S. For all the ladies that have been trying to get in contact with Kim at Honeysuckle Cottage I spoke with her today and she assures me that her new email address is now up and running! So if you are waiting on something give her an email at: kim@honeysucklecottage.com.au. You can also call her on (02) 6723 7377.

P.P.S Thanks to Marg and Lou at GlenHarrow Gardens for letting me photograph their chickens for this post because there's only one brown chicken left in my backyard (thanks Mr. Fox)! 

Sunday in Nundle...

After the 'Girls' Day in the Country' on Saturday Rosie and I had a different kind of retreat - a trip to Kerry's shop:

What a magnificent place for a quilting shop:

Inside is a treasure trove:

See:

Full of lots of lovely samples:

Of course, I couldn't resist a bit of a shop myself (lucky there was a tiny bit of room left in the suitcase!):

And I wasn't the only one:

The views from the shop are just divine:

Hope you enjoyed the trip,

Leanne Beasley xxx

A Fantastic Time in Nundle!

Saturday saw me in Nundle, country New South Wales, teaching at a wonderful retreat (I know you will wish you were here):

Rosalie Quinlan and I went up to teach for Kerry Swain from 'The Cottage on the Hill' for her 'Girl's Day in the Country':

This stitchery below was my project for the day. Kerry had already ironed the iron-on transfer onto the fabric for the ladies and also backed it with Weaveline, so they could just sit and get stitching! I felt the framed stitchery just needed a cushion to go with it so I also included a pattern for this:

Rosie and I met lots of wonderful ladies including some Blogland friends. Here's me with Chookyblue and Jelly Wares:

Can I just say I was so happy to meet fellow stitcher/scrapbooker Janelle Wind. Janelle and I have admired each other's work for years and chatted via emails and even have the same distributor, but never seemed to get the opportunity to actually meet! So this weekend we just chatted and chatted!

In fact I chatted so much I lost my voice (I know this will not be a surprise to those of you who know me!). You can see some of the ladies here at the end of the day with their projects:

I will have more photos tommorow for you, so you can see just how much fun we had. Now I'll leave you with the view from the Jenkins Street Guest House where Kerry was kind enough to put Rosie and I up for the weekend. Just like the website claims, it was like "staying in a Country Road catalogue":

Now I really need to catch up on some sleep!

Leanne Beasley xxx

Sit Down With a Cuppa...

Well I thought I'd catch up a bit in blogland and see what everyone's up to. Best you grab your cuppa now, I've found a few treasures:

To start off my sister-in-law sent me this link which you will just love. Really, any girl who calls her blog 'Glittergoods (a sparkly life)' has to be good!

Then I found a few girls who had been working on some of my designs:

Catherine has been making some of the postcards from my 'Romancing the Roadtrip' book for a postcard swap. Another fun blog to visit. I mean, anyone who has, "you can never have enough projects on the go at one time" in their profile just has to be worth a visit!

Lynda in Wonderland has a 'Ruth's Quilt' in progress, from my first book, 'Living the Dream'. I know lots of you ladies who read my blog have made one of these, or are 'working on one' so that's a nice blog to visit too.

I promise you will enjoy Pinks and Needles and beware her Etsy shop - very tempting. I am involved in a very exciting 'blogland project' that includes Pinks and Needles and just can't wait to get stitching that project (be patient - you'll be updated!).

So while I have been visiting everyone in Blogland I should have been packing! For what? Well, Rosie and I are off to visit Kerry at 'Cottage on The Hill' in Nundle, New South Wales, on Friday (yes another trip!). We are also very excited about meeting lots of the ladies there who are coming to spend Saturday with us. We have some projects that we hope will be loved and treasured, my camera batteries are charged, and well, tommorow will see me frantically running around picking up my samples to take with me!

This, of course, leads me to another great blog, Chookyblue, which all the overseas ladies will love - it's a great insight into the 'real Australia'. It may also be a clue to the project I've designed for Saturday...and maybe where all that 'Matilda's Own' wool batting comes from!

Until then,

Leanne Beasley xxx

Photos are Black and White...

Today's blog entry sees my photos in Black and White. I hope you enjoy some more of my views of beautiful Vietnam:

From a woman sewing to a woman selling fruit on the street:

A family at sunrise on the way to work, taken through the train window:

An engaging conversation:

Love in any language:

A sacred moment in Notre Dame, Saigon:

A sacred moment of a different kind:

Sisters:

Meeting a mentor, Long Thanh, at his studio in Nha Trang:

I was completely overwhelmed to meet Long Thanh, who for a long time has been one of this eras very best photographers. His work is amazing (just click on his name above to visit his website and see many of his famous images).

On visiting his studio I actually didn't expect him to be there and was so excited to meet him. He was, of course, a perfect gentleman, even though I was so excited I could barely string a sentence together! He showed me what he'd just been working on and talked about his upcoming overseas exhibitions and photographic excursions. He was so friendly asking me about my photography (the camera around my neck was a bit of a giveaway!).

Long Thanh is a photography purist, working only in black and white. His work is an insight into the people of Vietnam.

Hope you enjoy my simple black and whites,

Leanne Beasley xxx

Land of Colour...

On my recent trip to Vietnam I was overwhelmed by the beautiful colours that seemed to be at every new twist and turn.

Hot pink Dragon Fruit in the basket of a street vendor:

Purple waterlilies opening to the sunlight:

 

The blue and red boats of the Nha Trang fishermen:

The green fields of rice:

Beautiful orange flowers:

Pure white frangipanis:

 

Can't you just smell the fragrance?

Leanne Beasley xxx

Back from Vietnam...

What a great trip! Vietnam for me was the land of stitching and fabric, really beautiful stitching and fabric. I even visited a place of worship called the 'House of Embroidery Ancestor', the perfect place to light some incense and say a prayer, just like these ladies:

I was really excited to see the D.M.C. chart on the worktable, and more D.M.C. threads than you could ever imagine! These ladies work in a single thread, often in silk as well, and have a long apprenticeship to learn their skills:

Of course I had to have a bit of a go at some kind of stitching myself! I was fortunate enough to visit some ladies at home making conical hats. They were really happy for me and my friends to have a stitch:

The conical hat, symbol of Vietnam:

These two lovely sisters had lots of fun with my friend Jenny and I as they taught us how to weave a traditional sleeping mat:

I have so many photos (what a surprise!) and stories to tell you so I will be back soon,

Leanne Beasley xxx

Another Wonderful Adventure...

My bags are (almost) packed to head off again:

While my Mum and Dad come and stay here to look after Georgia we are off to a place far far away:

Full of a different and intriguing culture. Full of thousands of photo opportunities!:

I have been reading my travel guides and just can't wait to get on that plane!

Top of the shopping list is fabric! I hope to collect some wonderful silks and cottons to play with when I get home. I have made my travel journal and it's just sitting there waiting to have all those blank pages filled with stories.

Home soon,

Leanne Beasley xxx

P.S. I have spent the last few days cleaning up my email in-box out-box thingy before I go away. All this effort, only to accidently delete a whole lot of emails! How frustrating. If you don't have a reply from me and were expecting one, and still want one, can you please re-email me. Thanks.

Busy Stitching...

I am frantically stitching (as per usual) finishing off a number of new projects. Here's a sneak peek for the ladies who I will be lucky enough to share a day with at The Cottage on the Hill in Nundle, New South Wales, in May:

We are just going to have such a lovely time - I can't wait!

Then there's the project for Australian Country Threads magazine that I would love to show you in full but again, a little sneak peek will have to suffice:

I got carried away with this project (what's new) and decided to make two versions of the project for readers:

Hope you will get the magazine when it hits the stores (will let you know):

Back to stitching,

Leanne Beasley xxx

Beautiful Props...

Before the storms hit in Melbourne there was time to grab a second day of photography for Rosie's new book:

We were joined by a wonderful photographer, Kim Dall, who did the most amazing indoor shots for the book (you'll have to wait for those). Rosie gathered together the most amazing props for the book:

After all, it's all in the details:

Of course, it all looks very ordered when you see the photos like this but really this is more accurate:

It's all just so exciting , a book coming together! You are just going to love all the effort that Rosie's put in so far!

Until next time,

Leanne Beasley xxx