Friday, July 29, 2011

Top of the range designs

What child doesn’t love dragons, fairies, wizards and dinosaurs…. kangaroos, koalas, and kookaburras… or puppies and kittens? From the top of the Blackall Range in South Eastern Queensland, Australia, designer Tracey Campbell has created an amazing range of artistic designs for applique. Her Top of the Range Designs include many really cute quilts for kids.

A Kangaroo's rest, 34 x 21", by Tracey Campbell, at Top of the Range Designs


This is exactly what a kangaroo looks like when it is resting ! "A Kangaroo's Rest" is a beautiful hand or machine applique design that includes full instructions for the applique, and optional embroidery embellishments. Fly stitch and French knots, or long stitch and beads, were added to simulate trees on the distant hills and wild grasses on the closer areas.

Koalas, 21 x 34", by Tracey Campbell, at Top of the Range Designs


We love the colors and design of this little quilt, with its blue sky, green gum tree leaves and pink flowers. Little seed beads, and french knots in various shades of pink, were used to embellish the gum-nut flowers. At Tracey's Australian animals page there are patterns for kookaburras, cockatoos and possums, and her Nature collection includes whales, dolphins, frogs, puppies and kittens.

Spell-Caster, 26 x 36", by Tracey Campbell, at Top of the Range Designs



The spectacular Spell-Caster, above,  is just one of the magical Fantasy patterns by Tracey Campbell. This wizard charms the stars from the heavens, much to the delight of his curious cats. An added sparkle embellishes the stars with the addition of sequins and seed beads, to make them appear to shimmer. 

Angel's Flight, 26 x 36", by Tracey Campbell, at Top of the Range Designs


This lovely Angel wall hanging was stitched with needleturn applique, but it would also look great using other forms of applique. A lot of extra sparkle was given to the angels gown, and her halo, with the addition of sequins and shiny beads. This wall hanging would be perfect as a gift for anyone who is a real-life angel, or as a symbol of an angel that watches over children to keep them safe.

Image credits and links: Images are provided with the generous permission of Tracey Campbell. At Top of the Range Designs you can find original and colorful applique patterns, creative stitchery kits and supplies, cross-stitch charts, beautiful beads, and free lessons.  For beginners who want to tackle these and other patterns, Tracey has written a tutorial called How to Applique.  Also check out her patterns for dinosaurs and fire-breathing dragons.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Cute as a button: Buttons and Bees

As metaphors for quilts go, "cute as a button" is spot on. The phrase was inspired by the cute and fluffy button quail.  Buttons also keep you warm and protected ("button up your overcoat" !)  Buttons are often beautiful to look at -- which may be why grandmas once collected them in jars. All of which brings us to Buttons and Bees*, purveyors of unique buttons, quilt patterns, and cozy hand-dyed wool.

Cat's Cradle, 36 x 42", by Kim Gaddy, at Buttons and Bees


We love these minimalist kitties, and the cute mouse in the lower right corner.  "Cat's Cradle" is mostly pieced, so it goes together quickly. If you are a dog person, check out Puppy Playtime and Big Dog Little Dog.  Kits are also available on the Buttons and Bees shopping page.

Night owl, 48 x 49", by Kim Gaddy, at Buttons and Bees


These sweet owls with their button eyes are sharing the tree with a possum, while fireflies light up the night sky. The pattern includes both Night Owl and Day Owl versions ! The bright and sunny Day Owl quilt has ladybugs.

Ladybug Lane, 44 x 52", by Kim Gaddy, at Buttons and Bees


"Ladybug Lane" will delight every child who loves the little red bugs.  The ladybug lane kit includes the pattern, fabric for the quilt top, and buttons to decorate the ladybug wings.

Live Simply lap quilt, by Kim Gaddy, at Buttons and Bees


The words of wisdom in "Live Simply" speak for themselves, so we'll sign off now... but not before mentioning a few more Buttons and Bees patterns we think you'll love:  Honey Bee Houses, Love is Patient, and Born to Quilt.

Image credits and links:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Kim Gaddy.  Kim and her husband, Mark, first launched Buttons and Bees in 1991. Kim was experimenting with ceramics and making buttons for her sewing projects while Mark was a budding beekeeper. For more information, see Buttons and Bees:  About Us.

Thursday, July 14, 2011