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Mother’s Day…. Something that was so simple when I was a kid is these days fraught with errors. There are those that think its too commercial. Those who think its insensitive to talk about it, as there are those who have no mothers, don’t get along with their mothers, are not able to be mothers. Those who want to shout about their perfect husbands and children and their shiny internet lives from the rooftops and make us all feel inferior. Did you know, Mother’s Day wasn’t originally a commercial holiday? During the Middle Ages in England, it was traditionally a day on which those who had moved away from their homes to work or to marry were allowed to visit their home parishes, and therefore their mothers. This became known, and is still known by some in the UK, as Mothering Sunday after a bible verse: "Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband." Galatians 4:27 I have to say though I’m not quite sure what that has to do with Mother’s Day in its current form, but there you are - history is not always linear! In its modern form, it actually originated in the USA. A woman named Anna Jarvis from Philadephia organised a memorial service for her mother on May 12, which was the second Sunday in May. Her mother had been much loved and active in the community, organising groups to help promote women’s health and friendship. Within five years, every state in the USA was observing the day, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. Although Jarvis had promoted the wearing of a white carnation as a tribute to one’s mother, the custom developed of wearing a red or pink carnation to represent a living mother or a white carnation for a mother who was deceased. Over time the day was expanded to include others, such as grandmothers and aunts, who played mothering roles. What had originally been primarily a day of honour became associated with the sending of cards and the giving of gifts, however, and, in protest against its commercialisation, Jarvis spent the last years of her life trying to abolish the holiday she had brought into being. I was quite interested to learn that a few days ago - I hadn’t ever known the origin of what we celebrate as Mother’s Day until then, I guess I just never thought to find out. As a mother who is without a mother, I was quite touched that Mother’s Day is at its core about celebrating a mother who is no longer with us. My mum was a great celebrator - she loved an occasion, a reason to bring everyone together, feed lots of people and pop a champagne cork. We always made a huge fuss of her on Mother’s Day because she always put so much effort into making a fuss of us all the other days of the year. As my boys have gotten older, all I really want is for them to come home for Mother’s Day. The flowers and cards and presents are all nice, but we spent Mother’s Day night watching football and playing board games in front of the fire. That to me is more of a gift than anything wrapped in paper, and I would give anything to have one more night like that with my own mother. Anyway thats all very maudlin! Here’s something fun for your Wednesday - did you see Tula’s Tuesday video yesterday?? She offered to make me the bag when she was here, but I had no idea she was going to go to so much trouble. Aren’t I lucky to have such a lovely friend?? Now I need to think of something to make her to say thank you in return! To celebrate the imminent arrival of my amazing bag with the Simple Folk animals on it, use the StitchyMites only code TULABAG for 20% off my Simple Folk pattern book, valid until next Wednesday May 22. Have a wonderful week peeps - I promise to be more cheerful next Wednesday. One more week of the Courting Sew Along and then we can start our colour lessons - I’ve been planning! Sarah x

By popular request last week, I am posting the Sew Along instructions here as well as on the regular blog so that you dont have to go back and forth - theres a little extra pattern especially for you at the bottom though :)​ If you would like to join in with the Sew Along, all you need is the Courting pattern, available as a PDF download from my website. This is the second post for the Sew Along, there will be two more, on Wednesday May 15 and 22 respectively. I hope you have all had a chance to choose your fabrics and get organised. This week we are going to make the hearts for the centre of your Courthouse Steps blocks. Depending on which size quilt you have chosen to make, you will need - King - 9 hearts Queen - 9 hearts Single - 6 hearts Throw - 9 hearts Cot -  4 hearts There are 9 of the heart block foundation papers at the end of the pattern. Print the required number out onto foundation paper before you begin sewing, and put a fresh needle into your sewing machine. Don't forget that in addition to the photos below, the pattern comes with access to a comprehensive video tutorial about how to foundation paper piece these little pretties on the My Content page, scroll down to the Courting Tutorial. (Log in first to access) You can find foundation paper here and add a quarter rulers here at my website. In the photos below, I am using pieces of fabric that I have cut roughly out, rather than the more precise measurements given in the pattern. This is how I usually FPP - I just cut a strip of fabric to the largest measurement needed, then chop smaller pieces off the strip as I go to piece with. Its quicker, and it also gives you a bit more fabric to play with as you sew - but you can't write a pattern that way! ;-) Cut each paper heart block template out ROUGHLY - a little way outside the outer line of the template. Do not cut them out on the line. The printed side of the paper is your SEWING line. The blank side of the paper is where your fabric goes. You will find detailed instructions in the pattern, and also in the video that is included with the pattern. One of the most important things to remember as you FPP is the trimming away step. It takes all the bulk out of your block, but it also gives you an accurate reference for where your next piece of fabric should be lined up. As a refresher, lay your piece of cardboard along the sewing line between the two pieces you are about to sew, covering the piece already attached to the paper. Fold the paper back sharply along the line against the card. Trim back any of the fabric that is protruding PAST 1/4” from the crease using a ruler - a 1/4" ruler is excellent for this. Remove the card, fold the paper open along the crease and turn the paper over to the fabric side to start again. Repeat these steps with each piece of fabric in order, until you have covered the whole heart with fabric. Trim the paper and any excess fabric back to the outside line of the block. Do not remove the foundation papers until you have sewn the first two rows of strips in the block, and the heart is completely surrounded. Then you can turn the block over and remove the papers along the stitching lines. Your hearts should measure 2 1/2” square. Make 9 (or the number needed for your quilt layout). This week is a quickie! Next week we will start to sew your blocks together. If you want to get ahead, you can start thinking about what order your fabrics will go in for each block, and cut some of the 2 1/2" strips out according to your pattern. This week I have a little giveaway for you! I would love to see everyones blocks as they build up... please post a pic to social media, either on Instagram using the hashtag #courtingquilt AND #stitchymites OR to Facebook, either tagging Sarah Fielke Textile Designer or post it in my Sarah Fielke Quilts Facebook group - please make sure you also mention in your post that you are a Stitchymite. Each post will earn you TWO entries to win this little heart pinnie and a pair of little scissors - one for the general giveaway, and one for a second pincushion I made especially for the Smites. That gives you double the chance to win. The pinnie is the perfect size to tuck into your sewing tin or pouch when you're on the go! It's all stitched up and ready to post out to someone. Entries are open until May 22 (the final week of the Sew Along), you can enter as many times as you like and I will announce the winner in the final Sew Along post on the 22nd. If you would like to make one of these little cuties for yourself, here's how! First you need a 2 1/2" square. I used the Heart block from the Courting quilt but you can use anything you like. Cut a second 2 1/2" square for the lining of the scissor pocket. Place the two squares right sides together and stitch along the top edge. Open the pair out and iron them along the seam, with the wrong sides together. Cut two pieces of fabric, each 2 1/2" x 4 1/2". Place the front rectangle piece right side up on the table. Place your 2 1/2" pocket piece right side up on top of it, with the raw edges of the pocket lines up with the raw edges at the bottom of the rectangle. Lay the rectangle piece for the back of the pinnie over the top with right sides together. Pin. Stitch all around the pinnie using a 1/4" seam, leaving a gap of around 1 1/2" at the top right hand side, just above the pocket. This is for turning. Turn the pinnie right side out, pushing all the corners and edges out sharply, and press. Stuff the pinnie with toy fill - take care not to stuff it too much, as the scissors won't sit right and you also won't see the heart properly if its too rounded. It should be quite flat. You can use some walnut shells or similar if you would like to, but I just used the stuffing. Ladder stitch the opening shut and pop your little scissors into the pocket! These make such a nice gift for a sewing group as well as for yourself, as they're quick to make and useful for anyone's kit! Thanks peeps! See you next week! Sarah ​​

​Hi everyone and welcome to week 2 of the Courting Sew Along! If you would like to join in with the Sew Along, all you need is the Courting pattern, available as a PDF download from my website. This is the second post for the Sew Along, there will be two more, on Wednesday May 15 and 22 respectively. I hope you have all had a chance to choose your fabrics and get organised. This week we are going to make the hearts for the centre of your Courthouse Steps blocks. Depending on which size quilt you have chosen to make, you will need - King - 9 hearts Queen - 9 hearts Single - 6 hearts Throw - 9 hearts Cot -  4 hearts There are 9 of the heart block foundation papers at the end of the pattern. Print the required number out onto foundation paper before you begin sewing, and put a fresh needle into your sewing machine. Don't forget that in addition to the photos below, the pattern comes with access to a comprehensive video tutorial about how to foundation paper piece these little pretties on the My Content page, scroll down to the Courting Tutorial. (Log in first to access) You can find foundation paper here and add a quarter rulers here at my website. In the photos below, I am using pieces of fabric that I have cut roughly out, rather than the more precise measurements given in the pattern. This is how I usually FPP - I just cut a strip of fabric to the largest measurement needed, then chop smaller pieces off the strip as I go to piece with. Its quicker, and it also gives you a bit more fabric to play with as you sew - but you can't write a pattern that way! ;-) Cut each paper heart block template out ROUGHLY - a little way outside the outer line of the template. Do not cut them out on the line. The printed side of the paper is your SEWING line. The blank side of the paper is where your fabric goes. You will find detailed instructions in the pattern, and also in the video that is included with the pattern. One of the most important things to remember as you FPP is the trimming away step. It takes all the bulk out of your block, but it also gives you an accurate reference for where your next piece of fabric should be lined up. As a refresher, lay your piece of cardboard along the sewing line between the two pieces you are about to sew, covering the piece already attached to the paper. Fold the paper back sharply along the line against the card. Trim back any of the fabric that is protruding PAST 1/4” from the crease using a ruler - a 1/4" ruler is excellent for this. Remove the card, fold the paper open along the crease and turn the paper over to the fabric side to start again. Repeat these steps with each piece of fabric in order, until you have covered the whole heart with fabric. Trim the paper and any excess fabric back to the outside line of the block. Do not remove the foundation papers until you have sewn the first two rows of strips in the block, and the heart is completely surrounded. Then you can turn the block over and remove the papers along the stitching lines. Your hearts should measure 2 1/2” square. Make 9 (or the number needed for your quilt layout). This week is a quickie! Next week we will start to sew your blocks together. If you want to get ahead, you can start thinking about what order your fabrics will go in for each block, and cut some of the 2 1/2" strips out according to your pattern. This week I have a little giveaway for you! I would love to see your heart blocks when they're done... post a pic to social media, either on Instagram using the hashtag #courtingquilt or #sarahfielke OR to Facebook, either tagging Sarah Fielke Textile Designer or post it in my Sarah Fielke Quilts Facebook group. Each post will earn you an entry to win this little heart pinnie and a pair of little scissors - its the perfect size to tuck into your sewing tin or pouch when you're on the go! It's all stitched up and ready to post out to someone. Entries are open until May 22 (the final week of the Sew Along), so any time you post a pic of your fabrics, your hearts or your blocks in construction you will get an entry. I will announce the winner in the final Sew Along post on the 22nd. Thanks peeps! See you next week! Sarah

Hi everyone and welcome to the Courting Sew Along! There will be four weeks of Sew Along. Week 1 - Fabric choices Week 2 - Making the Hearts Week 3 - Making the blocks and troubleshooting Week 4 - Assembly and borders All you need if you would like to stitch with me is the Courting pattern. That's available here. If you are a StitchyMItes member, you have a discount code so don’t forget to use that! StitchyMites also have a little bit of extra info this week to help you along, and a video about foundation paper piecing too. If you would like to become a StitchyMite its just $5 AUS a month, and you can join here This week for the Sew Along we are going to chat a little bit about your quilt size, and fabric choices. Really the first thing. You need to decide is how large you would like your quilt to be. The pattern gives you sizes for King, Queen, Single, Throw and Cot sizes, and each needs a different number of strips and amount of fabric, and several have a different block size. Once you have decided what size you are making, go through your pattern with a highlighter and mark the measurements and numbers for your quilt size on each page, so that you can’t get lost or confused. My quilt is made in colours I like to call “squashy”. That's my highly technical term for not having a lot of contrast. The fabrics that I used in my “white” selection all have white backgrounds, but they all have coloured patterns on top. The fabrics that I used for my “pink” selection are all soft - medium pinks, and a few hot pinks, with not a lot of contrast between them on the whole. This results in the pattern running across the quilt quite clearly, but not being very sharp, which is the way I planned it. Courthouse Steps quilts are traditionally quite sharp in their contrast though! A Courthouse Steps block is what we are making in this pattern, with of course the addition of my little heart in the centre. A Courthouse Steps block is kind of like a Log Cabin, except that the strips build outwards on alternate sides of the centre square instead of wrapping around it, like the Log Cabin block does. Because of this symmetry, the strips look like a set of stairs, which is how the block got its name - although where the original Courthouse was is anyone’s guess. The block pattern dates back to the 1700’s in the USA, however stitched and folded Log Cabin and Courthouse Steps patterns were wrapped around mummified cats, dogs and other animals in ancient Egypt, so there’s no claiming that as a first I’m afraid. The Courthouse name did originate in the USA though. If you’re interested in reading more about the history of cat mummies with quilts on them (how could you not be?!), Barbara Brackman has a wonderful post about it so I won’t expand on her expertise - you can find it here https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2021/12/cat-mummies-log-cabins.html I digress. Here are some examples of antique Courthouse Steps blocks. You can see that the contrast is rather more in most of them than in mine. The best example really is the wonderful black and red one here, which is actually by a Gees Bend quilter - it’s not at all symmetrical or perfect in its construction, but isn’t it wonderful? And that sharp edge contrast between the colours really shows the pattern off. All that to say, don’t be afraid to stray from the pink and white path when choosing your fabrics. You could choose navy and very bright white, red and yellow, or even put your strips in rainbow order across the quilt for the pink, and make your “white” strips all black! I would love to see what you all get up to in choosing your fabrics, so please make sure and post your choices on instagram using the hashtag #courtingquilt, or join my Facebook group Sarah Fielke Quilts and post your choices there. Sew alongs are always much more fun when you can see everyone else’s progress, so please don’t be afraid to share. Have fun getting your fabrics together this week, and don’t worry if you aren’t quite there - next week we are making the Heart blocks so thats really all you need to have in hand before then. If you want to get organised for next week, you will need some foundation paper for your heart piecing - I sell the Carol Doak brand of paper and I have plenty in stock! Have fun and don’t forget if you’re having trouble you can always send me an email sarah@sarahfielke.com See you next. Week Sarah x

Hi StitchyMites, welcome to Wednesday :) Today is the day that the Courting Sew Along starts! While its open to everyone, I thought you might like some little extra insights on things you can do with the pattern to make it suit the fabrics you already have or things you might especially want to use. The post for the Sew Along today is all about choosing. your fabrics - however if you're thinking of doing one of the slightly different layouts below you'll want to know that before we start making the Heart blocks next week. Essentially, the centre square is 2" finished - so if you don't like the idea of hearts, or are making the quilt for a little boy for example, that square is sitting there waiting for you to pop something else in there and change the plan up. I especially like the idea of appliquéing a circle (or fussy cutting a big dot) right into the middle - it will give the layout some punch and focus, like the heart does but without as much effort or without being too cutesy. If you have any of my BOM template sets, you'll find lots of the smaller circles will fit into that square. Using my Perfect Circles method they will be quick to turn and stitch down! Another option is to make that centre square a continuation of your colour scheme. This works better if you are using a lot of contrast in your colours - for example, navy blue instead of the pink and a sharp white. 2 What you will find is that the navy makes much more of a continued wave across the quilt, uninterrupted by the distraction of the heart and the middle of the block. This won't work nearly as well though if you try to do it where the white fabric should go in my layouts - it will look more like a big H, as the three 2" pieces at the centre will all run in a line. A third option is to fussy cut all the centre squares from the same fabric, in a different colour. In my pink and white layout for example, a red fabric would be great but so would green or yellow. If you have something you love like a little bee on a Heather Ross fabric for example, its a lovely way to showcase that. If you would rather fussy cut one of your big Kaffe or Tilda flowers, or a dump truck for a little boy, you can expand the centre square to 6 1/2" cut. Once you have cut your centre squares, simply leave the first row of piecing for the pink and the white fabrics, and begin to stitch your strips with Row 2 of the white, then build the blocks as per the pattern as its written. It will give you a more open looking block, but its a nice way to feature something or to personalise the quilt for someone special. Of course if you want to get really detailed, you could always piece a little something into the centre of the block - some triangles, or a square in a square, or a tiny star for example. Thinking about all these things has made me want to make another quilt with a 6" star in the middle of the strips... must. restrain. self..... Anyhoo I hope these ideas give you something to think about if you're joining the Courting Sew Along! If you are and you haven't bought your pattern yet, don't forget that last weeks post has a StitchyMites only discount on the pattern in it, that expires today. Happy sewing peeps and see you next week - and thank you so much to those of you who sent get well messages and cards, you're all so sweet and thoughtful and I appreciate you so much! Have a great Wednesday Sarah x

All you need is the pattern, available for PDF download only at my website (a paper pattern is available wholesale!) The pattern comes with sizes for king, queen, single, throw and cot, and access to a video tutorial on making the hearts. A link to the first Sewing Along post will be up tomorrow. There will be four weeks of sew along- choosing your fabrics, making the hearts, making the blocks and border and assembly. It’s going to be fun! Pattern available from here StitchyMites members, don’t forget you have a discount code! (Information on becoming a StitchyMite is also at my website)

Well peeps to quote Forrest Gump, I'm happy we're here together in our nation's capital. Despite still being a little banged up, I've been loaded into the car and driven to Canberra to see our gorgeous son and DIL, who moved here in January. We haven't been able to visit them yet so I'm looking forward to seeing where they're living and working, and to giving them both a hug and the grandpuppy some scritches and snugs. Tomorrow is ANZAC Day, so Canberra will be busy. If you aren't an Aussie or a New Zealander, ANZAC Day is kind of like Memorial Day in the USA, but specific to the ANZAC spirit. You can read about it here https://www.army.gov.au/about-us/history-and-research/traditions/anzac-day My great grandfather was at the Gallipoli​ landing. The family didn't talk about it for years and years, so much so that my Dad only found out when he was in his 40s. Having lived through the bloodbath of the Gallipoli landing, the whole campaign and then conditions on the front in France, he was dishonourably discharged for cowardice later in the war. It was something so awful, embarrassing and such a blight on a man's character, that the family hid it for years. I think that having lived through seeing their friends die, their colleagues die, lice and mud, disease and hunger and cold and foot rot.... some men just broke. I think he was brave no matter how his war ended. You can read more about Gallipoli here https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/gallipoli-landing ​​ If I was at home today I would be making ANZAC biscuits, like every good baker in our region loves to do. I don't need an excuse to make them, they're DELICIOUS, and also easy and a crowd pleaser. 1 cup (150 g) plain flour 1 cup (80 g) rolled oats 1 cup (100 g) desiccated coconut 2/3 cup (90 g) raw sugar 125 g butter 3 tablespoons golden syrup ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 2 tablespoons boiling water Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Add plain flour, rolled oats, desiccated coconut and raw sugar  to a large bowl. Mix well. Heat butter and golden syrup in a small heavy bottomed saucepan on medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Reduce heat to low. Mix bicarbonate of soda in the boiling water in a small bowl. Add the soda-water mixture to the butter mixture. The mixture will start foaming and increasing in volume. Remove from heat immediately and mix well. Add this bubbly butter mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix and knead the biscuit dough with your hand. Roll one tablespoon of dough in the palm of your hands. Flatten to a 1cm high disc shape. Pace on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing the flattened biscuits 3cm apart on the tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 14-18 minutes depending on how golden and crispy you want them. The longer you bake, the crispier and browner they get. For chewy ANZACS, bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until light golden. For crunchy ANZACS, increase cooking time to 14-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack. They will harden up as they cool. Store in an air-tight lidded glass container in a cool corner of your kitchen. They last for up to a week. Now I'll tell you girls that this is the bog standard recipe, and there is nothing whatsoever wrong with it - but even you seasoned Aussie and NZ ANZAC bakers might be interested to know that if you add 2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh rosemary leaves and a pinch of salt to the mix (rosemary for remembrence!) they're just absolutely phenomenal. Top tip. You can also paint the flat side with melted dark chocolate, which is also decadent. There is a lot of conjecture in Australia as to wether the chewy or crunchy ANZAC is the best - I personally land on the chewy side but I've never kicked a crunchy one out of bed either. If you would like to know why ANZAC bikkies are a thing, you can find out here https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/anzac-biscuits#:~:text=The%20texture%20and%20hardness%20of,and%20even%20as%20photo%20frames. As both the kids are at work today, after we drove down we went to the National Art Gallery to see the exhibition of Australian quilts that are currently on display. I will say that I was a bit disappointed - having read about it online I thought it was much bigger, but it's only about 15 quilts. Still, some are just wonderful and I took a few pics for you. This lovely row by row was made by Mary Barton in Swan Hill, Victoria sometime in the late 1880's. Its a very pretty quilt, not uncommon for the era. I particularly like the red borders - I feel like Mary had some spunk. The thing I liked most about this quilt was the fabrics - theres some lovely little bits and pieces in there. Particularly though is the backing, which has medallions of Queen Victoria, commemorating her 1887 Golden Jubilee. Also the way she has finished the quilt is wonderful, a red and white embroidered ribbon has been sandwiched between the back and the front all the way around, making a fun little extra. Mary Jane Hannaford is a quilter I was already familiar with from other books and exhibitions. In this show there is one of her sketchbooks, which just broke my heart to look at. Maybe one day someone will want my books full of chicken scratch! :D The workbook dates from around 1860. I've tried my best to take a good pic of this one but as it was under glass the reflections were difficult!! The quilt is called Advance Australia Fair and was made sometime between 1910 and 1925. She made two quilts like this, and both depicted First Nations figures, as well as native birds and wildlife. She often used biblical verse and her own poetry in her quilts, and this one is no exception. I hope you enjoyed coming to Canberra with me. Next week theres another quilt I want to show you, and the sew along for my Courting quilt will have started too so we can chat about that - don't forget you have a Stitchymites discount code to use for the pattern if you would like to join in, it's in last week's post. Happy stitching and don't forget to make a batch of ANZACs to dip in your tea :) Sarah xx

Hi everyone, Sarah is recovering very well and keeping nice and quiet! She wrote this tutorial for you before she went to hospital, sorry for being a day late with posting it. She says hello to you all and hopes you enjoy the zipper pouch. Damian Hi Smites :) I decided recently that I needed a little pouch to put bits and pieces in, and this is what I came up with! I’m going to make a couple I think, as its the perfect size to hold your Wonderclips, or stitch markers for knitting, your AirPods and an eye mask on a plane trip, or your spending money for the quilt show and a Chap Stick… the possibilities are endless, and what’s more the little square in the middle is the perfect size for the heart block from my Courting quilt pattern, or for a T-Rex from Tula’s new ROAR! collection - or for anything else in your stash that needs to peek through a window. I hope you have fun making it, and filling it. You will need small amounts of: Two fabrics for centre window Two fabrics for backgrounds surrounding windows One fabric for lining Iron on fleece for stabiliser And One zipper at least 6” with plastic teeth Cup, mug or circle template of some sort Zipper foot for your sewing machine Cutting: For each panel (front and back), cut One 2 1/2” square for “window” Two 2 1/2” squares from background Two 6 1/2” squares from background From lining fabric, cut Two 5 3/4” squares From iron on fleece, cut Two 5 3/4” squares Window Panels: Stitch a 2 1/2” square of background to the top and bottom of the window square. Press away from the window, and then stitch a 6 1/2” strip to either side of the window square. Press. Trim the window panels to 5 3/4”, centering the window as you do so. Iron the fleece to the back of both the window panels. Using a cup or mug (I used a circle template from my Stop, Thief! Quilt), round the two bottom corners of the window panels. Repeat the rounding process with the two lining squares. Place a lining piece face up on your mat. Center the zipper over the top face up, and then place the window panel face down on the top, lining all the edges up carefully. Clip or pin together. Using your zipper foot, stitch through all three layers. Press both the fabrics away from the zipper. Trim the closed end off the zipper (not the end with the zipper head!) Lay the other piece of lining fabric face up on your mat, and use the trimmed end of the zipper to match it up with so that everything is even. Lay the other window piece face down on top and clip together. Stitch using your zipper foot. Press the fabrics away from the zipper again. Top stitch along the edge of the two window panels, through all 3 layers. Pull the zipper head back to around 1” from the cut end of the zipper tape. Trim the other end of the zip back level with the pouch edges. Leave the zipper open to where you currently have it. Open the pouch pieces out, and align the two window panels with each other, and the two lining panels with each other. Match the pieces of zipper tape in between. Clip everything in place, leaving a space between the clips on the lining (shown here as the top two clips on the top straight edge). Begin stitching at the top right hand clip, stitch all around the pouch and end at the top left hand clip, leaving the space between the clips open to turn the pouch through. Make a stay stitch or a little back and forth and the beginning and end of the seam. Trim the fabric at the all four of the curved corners back to a very scant 1/4” to reduce bulk. Turn the pouch right side out through the gap in the lining. Take care to poke the corners and edges out nice and flat using a chop stick or a blunt pencil through the hole in the lining. Press. Turn the open edges of the lining in by 1/4” and stitch them closed. If I was making this as a gift, I would hand stitch with a ladder stitch for an invisible finish - but as its for me I just machine top stitched it. My Chap Stick won’t mind. :) Push the lining back inside the pouch, all the way into the corners, and press again. Fill your little pouch with good things! See you next week Smites Sarah x

Hi Smites, As you read this I am probably being discharged from hospital - a few quiet weeks of stitching ahead of me! When I'm done though I will be starting the sew along for my new pattern, Courting (pattern size includes King, Queen, Single bed, Throw, Cot). I know that some of you have bought it already and are waiting for it to be emailed to you - that will happen today. I have decided to sell the pattern for $20 and include a video of my Foundation Paper Piecing process, but for StitchyMites it will be $15 and the video is here for you below! I hope you enjoy it and decide to stitch along with me - the Along will start on May 1. Your code for purchase of the pattern is SMITES1. I'm off to rest, have a good day peeps Sarah x

Well Miss Tula is home safe in Missouri and I’ve nearly caught up on all the work I didn’t do while she was here! We both played an awful lot of hooky and didn’t reply to emails and didn’t sew anything work related. We were very very naughty and it was such a lot of fun. One of the reasons we didn’t get anything else done (aside from filming the Big Woods videos of course), was that Tula decided we were starting a quilt. She gave me some of her Roar fabric when we were at Market in October. One of the advantages of having friends in the industry is the very very advance fabric you’re given!! I already have T’s NEXT collection which has only just been approved to go to the mill - the public won’t even see paper designs of it for a few weeks yet and I can’t even tell you its name. I’m like a deep throat spy at this point. Anyway, I had designed this dino quilt for the release of Roar and I haven’t had a chance to start stitching it yet, and I hadn’t even designed the leaves and things I wanted in the border. Tula decided she didn’t care for that dragging of heels and we had to start immediately, especially since we both had the brand new top secret fabric collection to put into it along with the Roar! I can’t show you all of the quilt at the moment because the borders and applique leaves have a lot of the new collection in, but I promise I will soon. This is top secret also so please don’t share it anywhere, I don’t like to show my new patterns around before they’re released properly. I’m hoping to have the quilt available just before Roar is in stores, which I believe is early May. Tula’s version of the quilt will be included in the pattern. On this photo of Tula’s quilt I’ve blacked the spines out where the new collection is. She has used all her own fabrics of course, so everything you see here is Tula Pink of some sort. On mine the tail and legs are all from the secret fabrics, so I can’t show you or I would have to kill you :) The other fabrics are a mix of Tula and some weird neon Korean bits and pieces that I love, and a piece of amazing jungle linen that the two of us dug out of my stash while we were foraging. Tula was very jealous she couldn’t use the linen, but she always regrets not using her own prints so TP it was all the way. My quilt will end at cot size, with some big monstera leaves in the applique and some more border bits. Tula I think is planning to follow my lead but make the quilt bigger - hers won’t be written in the pattern but will give you something else to think about you do want to make the quilt bigger. Here’s a little bizzo about Roar in case you haven’t seen it! 'When I was a child I believed that every hill I saw was simply where a dinosaur laid down and died and then grass grew over it. I have no idea where this information came from but to my 6 year old mind this was a flawless piece of logic. I used to look out the window and try to guess which kind of dinosaur each hill was hiding while checking my children's encyclopedia of pre-historic animals. I was pretty good at it, considering this was my own theory I was correct 100% of the time. As an adult the dinosaur wing is still my first stop at the Natural History Museum. Dinosaurs are amazing and huge and mysterious. They lived tens of millions of years ago and the fascination with these giant creatures still exists today. Is it their size? Definitely. Is it about how differently they moved and lived? For sure. Is it how little we still know about them and the world they existed in? Absolutely. Everything that I do as a fabric designer is about indulging my childhood fantasies. I try to hold on to all of the things that we so easily let go of as we grow up like wonder, amazement, creative logic and delight. Typically, dinosaur fabrics are for children and I don't know who made that decision but I wildly disagree. Roar! is whimsical take on fancy dinosaurs for those of us who keep one foot firmly planted in fantasy. My prehistoric landscape is drenched in details and color. Here you will find a sophisticated T-Rex in a topiary, A Triceratops out for a stroll on a windy parkway path, Happy little hidden Raptors in a dainty damask and Pterodactyls taking time to smell the flowers. It's just your average lazy afternoon in the garden with the giants of Earth's history.' - Tula Pink And here are some pics!! It’s so lovely in real life. When the pattern is released I will of course give Smites a special discount code. Next Wednesday I have to have some surgery that will take a few weeks recovery. On Tuesday I will post a video tutorial of the way I like to foundation paper piece, in readiness for the Courting sew along that is coming up. I haven’t given a date for that yet partly because the pattern isn’t available yet - Damian’s mum had a stroke and he has been helping her, we have had Tula and Easter and in short everything is a little up in the air! If you have preordered the Courting pattern I do apologise for its lateness and we are hoping it have it available to send to everyone who has ordered it tomorrow or Friday. I will announce the dates for the sew along once I see how I feel after surgery next Wednesday - and of course we have our colour experiments coming up too, don’t think I have forgotten. Happy Wednesday peeps, I hope you enjoy the peeks of Spot and enjoy your week. Sarah x

​Hi StitchyMites and happy Wednesday to you. Everything is busy busy and lots of laughs around here! Tula has arrived and we are busy in the studio, filming the Big Woods videos and rummaging through my stash and talking non stop and eating TimTams. We have lots of work to do, but we also want to spend a lot of time stitching together, and I also want her to see a little of where I live and our beautiful beaches. We have been out to dinner and some of my favourite places, eaten lots of beautiful Sydney seafood and done some excellent shopping too! Its always such fun spending time with your best mates but T and I have talked about this visit for such a long time so having it actually happen is just crazy! We are having a LOT of fun. We filmed a kit unboxing video for Big Woods, which is on social media but we attached it here for you in case you aren't on there ( I know quite a few of you aren't). We also filmed a little "this is what we have been up to" video which will be released publicly next week, but you guys get to see it today! And we filmed a special StitchyMites video just for you. I hope you enjoy seeing a little of our madness, and if you want to say hi to Tula you can drop a comment below! Have a great week everyone. Sarah xx

​Hi S'Mites.... coming to you from four years worth of dust, a huge pile of empty boxes and a whole lot of elbow grease, this weeks missive is in video format. You might be able to tell from my introduction that I am going to sleep very well tonight. I hope you enjoy. Sarah x PS. My husband is the world's greatest trooper. :)