Happy Days at Nesting Needles!!!
I've just spent the most wonderful few days teaching at Nesting Needles quilt shop.
It worked out well that my visit was just a couple of weeks after Lisa had relocated the shop to Coramba, a picturesque 10 minute drive from Coffs Harbour.
Let me take you on a tour, starting from the balcony...
with it's welcoming bunting.
There's rustic garden at the side of the shop.
Inside the walls are lined with shelves and shelves of fabulous fabrics.
and sweet touches in little nooks.
Lots of natural light and high ceilings create a spacious feeling throughout the different rooms.
Beautiful polished wooden floorboards add a warm sound to footsteps.
Lisa stocks a great variety of brights, dreamy, modern, traditional, batiks, Japanese, classic spots and dots, really there's everything or anything you could ever need.
Gorgeous rainbow yarns! I feel so strong for resisting knitting and crochet. I know if I started I would end up with a room full of all the gorgeous yarns available these days.
Towers of bias binding!!
And here is Lisa with Frankie the puppy.
Look at that sweet face!
But wait, there's more!! Just off the workroom is a huge deck, perfect for sitting with hand sewing, having lunch, stopping to admire the view...
and hanging quilts.
Here is another angle of the view. Over the fields to the hills, there's usually some cows wandering around too.
Now for some show and tell - lots of blocks in different colours and styles.
Wonderful cushions that are the result from last years workshop.
Great fabric choices by Barabara!
On the other side of the table Vivienne was working with these wonderful colours.
And how delightful is this bee block made by another Vivienne who teaches garment making at Nesting Needles.
It happens to be the same colours as the purple house across the road from the shop.
A couple more snaps taken when strolling around Coramba.
I didn't get photo of the excellent cafe next door to Nesting Needles. The pub is also a popular destination for meals which makes Coramba a wonderful place for a day out.
After the classes each day Mr Daisy would pick me up and we'd zoom off down the road in the Daisymobile to see the sights of the area.
One evening we visited the Bowerbirds Quilters Quilt Show. They kindly stayed open a little later so the Nesting Needles class wouldn't miss out.
I loved how this wall of mini quilts came together to look like a big quilt. They fit perfectly together.
I didn't take many photos of individual quilts but here are some overall room photos to give you a sense of being there,
We came across a field of kangaroos at the oddly named "Look At Me Now Headland". The lighting looks a bit strange because it was just before sunset. The kangaroos didn't mind us at all as we walked through to get to the beach.
Love these two standing in the same pose.
As I mentioned our visit was right on sunset so the lighting is quite subdued but you can see the how beautiful and wild the beaches are.
I really enjoyed the spectacular cloud shows that filled the skies.
Emerald beach was such a gem.
It might have been the time of day but we mostly had the beaches to ourselves! This was Sapphire Beach.
It's always special to see hearts in the wild.
This was our happy home during our stay. A cabin up in the hills over looking Sapphire Beach. It was idyllic being nestled amongst tall trees. So quiet and peaceful.
Even though it just looks like a plain shed inside was beautiful, aged timber beams, stylish decor, a fully appointed kitchen and everything we could have needed.
I love being surrounded by trees!!
My view as I ate breakfast.
Finally, it wouldn't be a visit to the area without a photo of the Big Banana!! It's like a big, fruity smile! The happy smile of everyone in Coffs Harbour!
A huge thank you to Lisa and all the lovely ladies at Nesting Needles for inviting me to teach and spending the days sewing with me. I'm already looking forward to returning next year in early April.
Plus I'll be in the area later this year at the Misty Mountains Retreat in Dorrigo from the 6-11th October. I'll have more details about that soon.
Meanwhile in another part of Australia, the With You, With Me, With Them Quilt Exhibition is in full swing. I'm so honoured to have many of my favourite quilts hanging in the show alongside quilts made by Margaret Mew, the Quilts of Valour quilters and other talented quilters. Also Caroline McGregor a renowned artist.
I'm always thankful when my quilts go out into the world to help in some way. The exhibition is being held as a way of raising awareness for the difficulties faced by our returned service personnel. Maybe with more conversation about these issues more support for veterans will result. A quilt show is a great way to pay tribute as quilts are blankets stitched with love, they wrap, comfort and keep people warm. As quilters we know that favourite colours and fabric designs can lift the spirits and make people smile.
Here are a few of my quilts on show.
I've chosen quite a mix of different styles. There'll be a quilt there for everyone.
Ros and Jim, the organisers, have done a wonderful job of hanging the exhibition. You can see they have really taken their time to display the quilts to their fullest. I cant wait to see it all in person on the weekend! I'll be at the show this coming Sunday the 29th April to meet and greet and talk about my quilts. I'm thinking I'll bring a few extra quilts too for anyone who's interested, because surely you can never have too many quilts. :)
I've saved the cutest photo for last. Awwww!! Never to young to start quilting...
15 Comments
The last picture is sooo sweet with this little girl !! :) a future talented quilter !
ReplyDeleteOMG !! It's Heaven everywhere in this post !! The quilt shop ahhhh... all these beautiful fabrics ! and the beach, the animals...
Congratulations for your lecture ! It's well deserved Rachael !
Thank you for the lightning tour around my old home patch! I got married and moved to North Queensland 5 years ago, and I still miss Coffs and the surrounding area. Lovely to hear there's a new quilting shop to visit next time I'm down there :-) Amazing selection of fabrics and yarns...
ReplyDeleteOh that last picture is sow sweet. Love having the littles showing an interest in quilting. When my daughter was little she wanted to live in a purple house. Guess we should have looked for one in Australia! Thanks for another wonderfully entertaining post.
ReplyDeleteYou've been super busy but looks like you're having lots of fun at the same time. That little girl and her pink camera! Too much cuteness!
ReplyDeleteHow sublime.....(I am trying to keep my adjectives fresh). The work and thought that goes into your creations are spilling out into the big wide world and it’s a good thing! Art is art and it touches us all, without it life would be quite dull, but as long as Ms Daisy is quilting and creating, art is going to be OK.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a wonderful time away and I was very happy to read that Mr Daisy accompanied you to the Coffs area.
ReplyDeleteWhere to start? Fabulous shop, fun class, great accommodation, stunning scenery.....thanks for taking us with you. Looks like a fab exhibition too.
ReplyDeleteHow good is that you get to travel to interesting places and make quilt blocks with fun ladies. I'd never heard of Coranda, so now we have another place to visit one day. It looks rather lovely. It's so good that Mr Daisy can get to travel with you as well. Enjoy the quilt show on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteNesting Needles is in a beautiful part of Australia. I have in-laws in Middle Boambee (sounds like something out of "The Hobbit").
ReplyDeleteLike the others, the little girl is just the sweetest photo.
ReplyDeleteWas the heart on the beach made by someone and left? how cute.
I love seeing the Kangaroos! they are so wild and different from any land animal we have. Looks like a great and special trip.
The quilt shop looks amazing and your cabin is a perfect place to stay. Thanks for sharing the quilt show! I love your round blocks!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place to be at! I loved that purple house and pictures of you standing across from the waves.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful setting for both the shop and your classes. Your photos make me want to visit =straight away. So much gorgeous fabric.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course it looks like another very successful class.
Lovely views - that is a bonus. And your accommodations looks perfect.
How good to have a quilt display on at the same time!
I didn't know the Big Banana was still there. Shows I am out of touch.
It is a delight seeing your quilts travelling around and being enjoyed in so many locations. Hope you have a great day there tomorrow.
Brett and I were up in Coffs about a week before you, having a second honeymoon. So glad you had a wonderful time. We took some time to go to Misty Threads in Dorrigo and another smaller quilt shop in Coffs, but did not get to Nesting Needles. (I'm glad, all that lovely wool.) Stayed at the wonderful resort that we stayed at on our original honeymoon. Blessings to you and Mr. Daisy, will see you at the Sydney Quilt Show. Prue and Brett.
ReplyDeletei am breathless....getting a grip here from this awesome post...the scenery, the quilts, the excitement of being with other quilters. In my mind's eye...this is what I think Australia looks like...Thanks to you, I have now visited ...oh, my Thank u..xo
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for leaving me a comment. Your kind words encourage me to keep sharing my work and stories.