e - Spotlight Promotions

A MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SPOTLIGHT VIP MEMBERS 

reg price $4.95 

FREE to VIPs 

QUARTERLY 

AUTUMN 2012 

52 

projects 

inside 

Roll out the 

RED CARPET 

Oscars party ideas 

Upholstery 

101 

*9341222361748* 

9341222361748 

Chocolate 

FREE EASTER 

Projects & products 

you’ll love! 

Romance 

& weddings 

Say ‘I do’ to craft! 

WIN a sewing machine for mum Plus a $500 gift card

Make a 

creative gift 

Make an impact with your gifts this year by adding a personal touch. 

Spotlight has launched an exciting new range of pre-cut timber 

designs from Kaisercraft that make great wall decorations. 

Buy this 

FREE 

owl clock 

project 

available at 

spotlight.com.au 

Make this 

Make this 

Buy this 

Create a cute clock 

with a Shamrock clock 

movement shaft. 

Decorate 

an elephant 

Decorate 

a monkey 

Decorate a lion 

For your nearest store and for product details visit 

spotlight.com.au or call 1300 305 405

Craft news, profile stories 

intocraft.com 

Free 

Projects! 

Sydney March 8 – 11 

Rosehill Gardens Racecourse 

Auckland, NZ March 15 – 18 

ASB Showgrounds 

Brisbane March 22 – 25 

Brisbane Exhibition Centre, 

South Bank 

Melbourne April 12 – 15 

Royal Exhibition Building, 

Carlton Gardens 

Tasmania April 27 – 29 

Launceston Silverdome 

Perth 

May 23 – 27 

Perth Convention 

Exhibition Centre 

JUNE 

Brisbane June 9 – 11 

Brisbane Exhibition Centre, 

South Bank (long weekend) 

Sydney June 13 – 17 

Sydney Exhibition Centre, 

Darling Harbour 

Melbourne 

July 26 – 29 

Melbourne 

Exhibition Centre, 

Southbank 

Canberra August 9 – 12 

Exhibition Park In Canberra 

Newcastle August 16 – 19 

Newcastle Entertainment 

Centre, Broadmeadow 

Hamilton, NZ 

September 6 – 9 

Claudelands 

Conference & 

Exhibition Centre 

Townsville October 4 – 7 

Townsville Entertainment & 

Convention Centre 

Brisbane October 17 – 21 

Brisbane Exhibition Centre 

Melbourne October 25 – 28 

Caulfield Racecourse 

Adelaide 

November 

8 – 11 

Adelaide 

Showground 

For more information on these 

great events, visit: 

craftfair.com.au 

craftandsew.com.au 

aqc.com.au 

scrapbookexpo.com.au 

All these great events organised by Expertise Events, phone 02 9452 7575, or visit www.expertiseevents.com.au

• welcome 

creative 

QUARTERLY 

Project difficulty legend 

It’s all about Autumn... 

Hello and welcome to the sixth issue of Get 

Creative Quarterly; the one where we slip on our 

coat of many autumn colours and craft, create 

and decorate to our heart’s content. 

We’ve got some great competitions in this 

season’s issue; we’ll admit that off the bat. 

Do not go past page number 6 if you want to 

try and win a fantastic sewing machine and $500 

Spotlight card for your mum in our Mother’s Day 

Hamper competition. And, on page 94 you can win 

a great little library of crafty books linked to cake 

making and more. See our story on Cake Pops 

and be inspired. 

We’re celebrating the colours and themes of 

autumn this issue in everything from canvas art 

(page 26), to jewellery (page 29) to quilting (page 

37). 

On the topic of quilting – and sewing – we 

have some great information for you this issue, 

including news on exclusive designer patterns 

coming to a Spotlight near you and all the trend 

updates you’ll need to sew a gorgeous autumn 

winter wardrobe. 

For those in a romantic mood there’s a full 

romance and handmade wedding section. If you’re 

ready to tackle some home decorating projects 

you might want to check out the hallway makeover 

we’ve done on page 78 and then, on page 86, 

we’ve done a ‘chairlift’ – it’s like a facelift but the 

results are more reliable! 

We’ve got projects for Easter, ideas for 

a whacky Oscar’s party at home, news on 

the amazing work Spotlight is doing with 

disadvantaged communities here and abroad and 

a good round up of news and events for lovers of 

arts, crafts and community. We look forward to 

your feedback and ideas as always. Don’t forget 

to connect with us on Facebook and remember 

that any letter published in our ‘You Said It!’ 

section (page 144) receives a $25 Spotlight gift 

card. What’s stopping you? 

Stay well and stay creative … 

The Get Creative Team 

Whether you’re a stranger to the knitting needle or an expert with the scissors we 

have a variety of projects to get you interested and keep you there. 

Easy 

Intermediate 

Challenging 

e A great project i Reach the next c You’ve done the k 

for beginners, 

13 and over. 

level by building on 

basic skills. 

time now craft 

sublime! 

Kids 

Projects to keep 

tiny hands busy. 

Adult supervision 

recommended. 

editorial 

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 

Jono Gelfand 

jono@getcreative.com.au 

EDITOR 

Jacquie Byron 

jacquieb@getcreative.com.au 

publishing, distribution 

& advertising 

PUBLISHER & AD SALES 

Vittoria Bendinelli 

vittoriab@spotlight.com.au 

Megan Kannegiesser 

megank@spotlight.com.au 

Elaine Sharman 

Gypsy Media & Marketing 

services 0411 550 808 

DISTRIBUTION 

Times Printers Private Ltd 

Ph: (65) 6311 2888 

creative 

CREATIVE COORDINATORS 

Kaye Wolf 

kayew@getcreative.com.au 

Gale Wickes 

galew@getcreative.com.au 

design & style 

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS 

Monica Tuohy 

Sonia Barras 

Danielle Lakeman 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Emma Perry 

Melanie Harris 

Markus Weber 

Leah Wheelton 

STYLIST 

Cathy Chadwick 

GRAPHIC REPRODUCTION 

Gavin Hannaford 

Markus Zielonka 

Romell Catuaan 

Lok Leung 

contributors 

Joanna Baxter 

Helen Bradley 

Deb Cleveland 

Amanda Lefebure 

Jeannine Stein 

Mandy Stevens 

information 

ENQUIRIES 

Get Creative Quarterly, Locked 

Bag 4321, Sth Melb, VIC, 

3205. Call Toll Free 1300 662 

742 (in Aust) or email 

info@getcreative.com.au. 

Get Creative Quarterly 

magazine. For more, visit 

spotlight.com.au. 

Copyright by Get Creative 

Quarterly Publications Pty Ltd. 

All rights reserved. Published 

quarterly by Get Creative 

Publications Pty Ltd. For store 

locations call Toll Free 1300 

305 405 (in NZ call 0800 

276 222) or go to 

spotlight.com.au 

spotlight.co.nz 

spotlight.com.sg 

Please note: Due to varied 

buying patterns throughout 

Australia, New Zealand 

and Singapore some stock 

may vary between stores 

or sell out. Ask a Spotlight 

employee at your nearest 

store for the best alternative. 

2 spotlight.com.au www.facebook.com/gcqmag

48 

contents • 

creative 

contents 

QUARTERLY 

8 

48 

make it 

10 Wedding jewellery 

Swarovski necklace & earrings. 

12 Wedding guest book 

14 Wedding cards 

16 Candlelit vase 

17 Flower girl frock 

20 Fabric & ribbon heart 

wreath 

21 Valentine’s card 

22 Love frame 

24 Wedding scrapbooking 

26 Autumnal collage canvas 

29 Leaf earrings 

32 Crochet flower scarf 

33 Crochet potpourri pouch 

34 Crochet head scarf 

35 Crochet dress 

37 Patchwork garden quilt 

45 Brother overlocked scarf 

Dr Seuss quilt 

50 Batik tote bag 

53 Button clock 

54 Quilted cushions 

76 Pyramid door stop & 

door sausage 

78 Hallway facelift 

82 Silk quilt & cushions 

86 Re-upholstered chair 

88 Ottoman covers 

95 Easter basket 

96 Hand painted eggs 

97 Kids’ Easter projects 

Easter bunting, easter egg hat & 

decofoam bunny & chick 

100 Easter card 

102 Fabric eggs 

104 Easter bunny softies 

108 Travel book 

111 Warhol inspired card 

113 Clothes decorating 

115 Mother’s Day mugs 

Get Creative Quarterly Autumn 2012 3

• contents 

42 

123 Throw an Oscars party 

Invitation, placecards & glass 

decorations 

128 Oscars appetizers 

132 Kitchen tea invite & 

basket liner 

136 Raspberry friands 

Dairy free recipe by Emily Rose 

product knowledge 

8 Bridal mannequin 

Make your dresses feel 

amazing with these beautiful 

fabrics. 

9 Wedding essentials 

28 Blankets 

Trends for the season. 

30 Crochet hooks 

41 Motifs & trims 

47 Denyse Schmidt fabrics 

52 Tool Talk 

68 Curtains 

70 Blinds 

72 Vive La France 

Parisienne-inspired décor 

& curtains for your home. 

74 Curtains & décor 

75 Brampton House towels 

85 Picnic fare 

90 Re-upholstery tools 

91 Guest room make-over 

92 Mini kitchen 

125 Party basics 

133 Kitchen helpers 

Competitions/ 

Coupons 

6 Mother’s Day hamper 

Win a Toyota sewing machine and 

$500 gift card. 

94 WIN a copy of ‘Cake 

Pops’ by Carolyn White 

143 Vouchers 

creative words 

18 Handmade weddings 

Tips from the pros! 

31 ACS winners 

40 Quilt trends 

42 Meet Liesl Gibson 

Discover the Lisette Sew 

Your Style fabrics & pattern range 

coming soon to Spotlight. 

46 Australasian Quilt 

Convention 

56 Sew trends 

Autumn fabric fashions. 

58 Meet Monica Poole 

Quilt designer & teacher. 

60 YEP update 

60 Blogs to watch 

63 Ethical fashion 

The new trend in couture. 

66 Spotlight helps 

Australian design 

students overseas. 

94 Discover the delicious 

appeal of Cake Pops 

106 Journalling 

with Helen Bradley 

114 Mum’s the word 

by Amanda Lefebure 

116 Artyfacts 

Learn about paints 

118 Books 

120 Papercrafting 

With Joanna Baxter from Bella! 

122 Gift wrapping 

with Jeannine Stein 

126 Red carpet dressing 

130 Oscars party ideas 

134 News 

136 Healthy baking 

with Emily Rose 

138 Spotlight help out in 

Vietnam 

140 Spotlight store news 

142 Mother’s day stall ideas 

by Mandy Stevens 

144 Readers’ letters 


my accessories 

my fabric 

my cake 

my flowers 

my bonbonniere 

Create your dream 

Wedding 

Spotlight has everything you need to 

put together your perfect wedding. 

Visit one of our stores today to 

browse through our extensive range 

of products or chat to one of the 

team for inspiration! 

For your nearest store visit 

spotlight.com.au, spotlight.co.nz or spotlight.com.sg

• competition 

Mother’s Day 

Competition 

A Toyota ESG 325 

Sewing Machine and 

a $500 gift card 

A multi purpose machine 

that will sew every type 

of project. Includes 

specialised patchwork 

& quilting stitches and 

accessories plus all the 

other stitches and extras 

you could want or need. 

• Stitch length and stitch width controls. 

• 25 Stitch patterns including 5 

specialised stitches for patchwork 

& quilting. 

• Patchwork & quilting accessories 

included: walking foot, free motion 

stipling/darning foot, 

¼” piecing foot, open toe 

appliqué foot, piping/zipper & 

quilting guide. 

• Electronic foot control for more 

power stitching & control of speed. 

• Drop feed control. 

• Built-in needle threader. 

• One step button hole. 

• Machine extension table. 

• Twin needle sewing. 

Available exclusively from Spotlight stores. 

reg AU$499ea 

gift card 

$500 

The competition commences at 9.00am AEDT on Wednesday 1st February 2012 and closes at 5.00pm AWST on Monday 

30th April 2012 (the “Promotion Period”). During the Promotion Period, entrants must send in an envelope with their name, 

address and VIP number to: GCQ Magazine – Mother’s Day Hamper Giveaway Level 6, 111 Cecil Street, South Melbourne. 


product knowledge • 

Here 

comes the 

bride 

Celebrate romance 

& nuptials with our 

sweet selection 

of projects & 

products. • 


• product knowledge 

Blushing 

Bride 

Tackling gowns for bridal parties can be nerve-wracking 

but extremely rewarding. Apart from the pleasure that 

comes from participating in such a special way in someone’s 

wedding, it also gives sewers the chance to play with some 

of the most elegant and glamorous fabrics and patterns of 

their stitching life. 

First time gown sewers should consider making a toile of the 

garment before tackling the real thing. Toile, the dressmaker’s 

term for a trial garment in cheaper fabrics, can be made in different 

weights of calico. With this you can pre-empt any problems and 

gauge the drape and so forth of the gown. 

Silk dupion, as pictured here, lends itself perfectly to voluminous 

gowns or dressy garments that require structure. It’s great for 

strapless and corsetry-based pieces and can also be used for 

accessories such as clutch purses and headpieces. Beginner 

sewers should ensure they maintain substantial seam 

allowances to cope with any fraying. 

Made in Japan, Spotlight’s delustered satin is high 

quality, with a gorgeous heaviness that sculpts 

beautifully and holds its shape. It has a 

reputation as being highly flattering. 

Referred to in the fashion world 

as peau de soie (skin of silk), 

delustered satin has a lovely lustre 

but is less shiny than other satins, 

producing tasteful, elegant results. 

Romance lace is soft lightweight lace 

with the characteristics of traditional 

French corded lace. It’s great 

for overlaying and for select 

placement and, of course, can 

be beaded. 

Both are perfect for bridal 

garments. Remember to 

use good sharp scissors 

and a new universal sharp 

needle for sewing on the 

machine. Always use the edge 

joining foot on the machine when 

sewing lace. • 

Romance lace 

Japanese 

delustered satin 

Silk dupion 



Bride & Belle tiara 

Wedding charms 

Wedding 

essentials 

From beads to blooms, the aisles of your local 

Spotlight store offer all manner of things to 

help you create your own unique day. 

Organza bonbonniere 

Bridal trims & accessories 

Bride & Belle garters, gift bags & hair combs - all from Spotlight 

Go to www.spotlight.com.au 

to download this flower 

arrangement project sheet. 


• make it 

e 

“I do” 

love jewellery! 

Swarovski wedding 

necklace & earrings 


make it • 

Materials 

1pk x Swarovski 15mm pendant crystal 

AB (1pc) 

2pk x Swarovski 11mm pendant crystal 

AB (2pcs) 

1pk x Swarovski 6mm pearls white (18pcs) 

2pk x Swarovski 6mm bicone crystal 

AB (7pcs) 

3pk x Swarovski 4mm bicone crystal 

AB (14pcs) 

1pk x Ribtex glass seed beads 1.8mm 

white rainbow (25g) 

1pk x Ribtex clasp round glitter 8mm 

bright silver (2pc) 

1pk x Ribtex earring shepherd hooks 

silver (10pcs) 

Beading thread 

Bead board 

Scissors 

Beading Needle 

NECKLACE 

1. Cut a piece of beading thread 2m 

long, thread on the 15mm pendant 

bead and then bring both ends 

together. The bead will now be half 

way down the thread. Hold both ends 

together and thread through the eye of 

the beading needle. 

2. Thread on the following sequence 

of beads: three seed beads, one 4mm 

bicone, one 6mm bicone, one 4mm 


bicone, three seed beads, one 6mm 

pearl, three seed beads and one 4mm 

bicone. 

3. Working on left-hand strand only, 

thread on five seed beads then the 

following sequence of beads: one 4mm 


pearl, three seed beads, one 4mm 


bicone and three seed beads, loop 

through the 11mm pendant and then 

take the thread back through the bead 

sequence to create the drop. Repeat 

this pattern for the right-hand strand. 

4. Thread five seed beads onto the 

left-hand strand, then the following 

sequence of beads: one 4mm bicone, 

three seed beads, one 6mm pearl, 

three seed beads, one 4mm bicone, 

one 6mm bicone, one 4mm bicone, 

loop through one seed bead and then 

take the thread back through the bead 

sequence to create another drop. 

Repeat this process for the right-hand 

strand. You now have the five centre 

drops. 

5. Thread the following sequence of 

beads onto each side: ten seed beads, 

one 4mm bicone, one 6mm pearl, one 

4mm bicone, ten seed beads, one 

4mm bicone, one 6mm bicone, one 

6mm pearl, one 6mm bicone, one 

4mm bicone, twenty seed beads, one 

4mm bicone, one 6mm pearl, one 

6mm bicone, one 6mm pearl, one 

4mm bicone and finish with twenty-six 

seed beads. 

6. To attach the clasp to the necklace, 

thread the beading thread through 

the loop of the clasp and then back 

through the last seed bead three 

times. Tie a knot and cut off excess 

thread. Repeat for other side. 

EARRINGS 

1. Cut a piece of beading thread 

15cm long, thread on the 11mm 

pendant bead and then bring both ends 

together. The bead will now be half 

way down the thread. Hold both ends 

together and thread through the eye of 

the beading needle. 

2. Thread on the following sequence 

of beads: three seed beads, one 4mm 



pearl and four seed beads. 

3. To attach to the shepherd hook, 

thread the beading thread through the 

loop of the shepherd hook and then 

back through the last seed bead three 

times. Tie a knot and cut off excess 

thread. Repeat for other earring. • 


• make it 

i 

Wedding guest book 

Materials 

Bella! Wedded paper range – 8 sheets 

assorted (4 for covers & 4 for pages) 

Bella! ribbon bucklez 

Bella! paper lace 

Fundamentals fancies – silver 

Fundamentals imprints embossed cards 

& envelopes 

Fundamentals card making vellum pad 

Fundamentals card making die cuts 

silver 

Fundamentals card making sparkles 

alphabet 

White A4 office copy paper 

Book board, strawboard or mat board 

Crafters Choice PVA glue 

Double-sided tape 

Paper trimmer 

Awl or small hole punch 

Bone folder 

Scrap card 

Pencil 

Large eye needle 

Gütermann topstitch thread – grey 

Sewing machine (optional 

Silver metallic thread (optional) 


5mm space 

Template for cover 

make it • 

Inside front cover 

spine 

Inside back cover 

5 

Step 1 Cut papers – decorative 

and copy, to measure 14.5cm x 28cm 

then fold in half to form the pages of 

the book. Fold vellum sheets in half 

for pages. Each signature contains 

1 decorative paper, 2 vellum sheets, 

2 copy pages, a decorated envelope 

pocket and an embossed card. 

Step 2 Fold the flap of an envelope 

over twice then secure in place with 

some zigzag stitches or double-sided 

tape. Cut a strip of decorative paper 

4cm x the width of the paper then fold 

in half and nest the envelope inside 

the fold attaching at the back with 

stitching or tape. Attach a silver fancy 

to the strip in the centre with stitching 

or tape. Create three signatures by 

nesting folded papers and envelope 

pocket inside an embossed card. 

Step 3 Create a template for 

stitching the signatures by using a 

scrap of card, trim the scrap to 14.5cm 

x 10cm then fold in half lengthways. 

Measure 2cm from the top edge and 

mark the spot, then measure 2cm from 

the bottom edge and mark. Divide the 

space between the marks into four and 

mark. Measure 1cm on both sides of 

the centre then recreate the marks. 

Use a hole punch to punch out the 

holes on the template. 

Step 4 Cut a piece of the decorative 

wedded paper 15cm x 15cm then fold 

in half. Place the folded template in 

the fold of the decorative paper and 

mark all the stitching holes then punch 

out. Place the template in the centre 

fold of the signatures and punch out 

the centre line of holes only in each 

signature. Stitch the signatures to the 

decorative paper using the topstitch 

thread beginning in the bottom hole 

then stitch in and out of the holes in 

order until the stitching ends back at 

the beginning then tie off the threads. 

Step 5 Create the cover. Cut two 

pieces of book board to measure 

15.5cm x 15.5cm and one piece to 

measure 15.5cm x 2.5cm. Cover 

the outside of the two larger pieces 

with the decorative paper using the 

PVA glue. Cut a 12cm x 20cm piece 

of decorative paper from a different 

patterned sheet, cover the wrong 

side of the paper with PVA glue then 

quickly lay the cover pieces on top of 

the glue with the spine piece in the 

centre aligning the covers on each 

side of the spine leaving a 5mm space 

(see diagram). Fold the excess paper 

top and bottom over to the inside of 

the cover and smooth down. Thread 

a buckle onto the silver ribbon then 

attach to the cover to hide the edge 

of the spine paper using double-sided 

tape, this is a good way to hide the 

edge if it is crooked. 

Step 6 Glue the decorative 

paper holding the signatures to the 

spine, centering the signatures and 

overlapping the front and back covers. 

Cut two pieces of paper 15cm x 15cm 

then glue in place on the inside 

of the covers hiding the ribbon 

ends and the paper holding the 

signatures. Decorate the cover with 

the sparkles alphabet and decorate 

the pages with tabs from the die 

cuts and paper lace. • 

Note: Create more signatures or add 

more pages to suit your requirements. 

Template for stitching 

3 

Above: Examples of pages. 


• make it 

e 

Wedding cards 

BRIDE & GROOM 

Materials 

Fundamentals imprint card & 

envelope - dots 

Bella! Wedding trims – black 

Bella! Wedding pearl stickers with 

silver rims 

Bella! Wedding cardstock sticker 

phrases – black and white 

Bella! Wedding cardstock sticker icons 

– black & white 

Bella! ribbon glue 

Bella! Wedding 4.5” x 6.5” mat stack 

– 48page 


Foam squares 

Paper trimmer 

Scissors 

Step 1 Cut a 10cm x 6cm piece of 

the pink damask patterned paper from 

the wedding paper stack. Tear down 

the right-hand edge. 

Tear a 10cm x 1cm strip of glitter 

stripe paper. Place onto the pink 

pattern paper as shown. 

Adhere the two papers onto the imprint 

card 2cm from the left-hand edge, 1cm 

up from the bottom. 

Step 2 Cut two 16cm strips from 

the black trim and adhere to the 

card as shown then place three pearl 

stickers underneath each other on top 

of the black trim. 

Step 3 Place foam squares 

underneath ‘Memories are to be 

cherished’ sticker and adhere to the 

bottom left-hand corner. Attach bride 

and groom stickers to the pink pattern 

cardstock using foam squares. 


make it • 

HAPPILY EVER AFTER 

Materials 

Fundamentals black cardstock 

148 x 210mm 


phrases – black & white 

Bella! Wedding trims – white 

Bella! ribbon glue (RG48) 

Bella! Wedding 4.5” x 6.5” mat stack 

– 48page 

Bella! ribbon bucklez – round 


Foam squares 

White ink 

Paper trimmer 

Scissors 

Step 1 Fold black cardstock in half. 

Cut four rectangles from the black floral 

pattern paper as follows – two 9cm x 

2.5cm, one 9cm x 5cm and one 9cm x 

4cm. Ink edges of your rectangles and 

adhere as shown. 


underneath ‘Happily Ever After’ sticker 

and adhere to the right-hand side of 

the card on top of the second and third 

rectangle sections. 

Step 3 Cut a 12cm strip from the 

white trim and feed through a round 

ribbon buckle. Adhere 2cm from the 

bottom of the card. 

WEDDING CAKE 

Materials 

Fundamentals white cardstock 

140 x 280mm 

Bella! Wedding narratives (BWT60) 


phrases – black & white 

Bella! Wedding cardstock sticker icons 

– black & white 


silver rims 

Bella! Wedding narratives black & white 

Bella! Wedding trims – black 

Bella! ribbon glue (RG48) 

Bella! Wedding 8” x 8” paper stack 

– 48 page 


Foam squares 

Paper trimmer 

Scissors 

Journalling pen 

Step 1 Fold white cardstock in 

half and doodle around the edges with 

journalling pen. Cut a 13cm square 

from a silver patterned paper within 

your paper stack and adhere to card 

inside the journalling doodles. 

Step 2 Tear off a black and silver 

foiled narrative and adhere to the 

left side of the card as shown. Place 

a wedding cake sticker onto a foam 

square and adhere to the right-hand 

side of the narrative. Add a pearl 

sticker to the top of the cake. 


underneath the ‘Always & Forever’ 

sticker and adhere to the right-hand 

side of the card. Cut 20cm black trim, 

form a bow and adhere down the left 

side of the card as shown. • 


• make it 

e 

candlelit vase 

Materials 

4pk x Vivaldi Blossoms flower with large 

pearl & pearl spray white (6h/1bch) 

4pk x Vivaldi Blossoms flower with china 

knot centre metallic silver (6h/1bch) 

1pk x Vivaldi Blossoms flower acrylic 

heart bunch crystal (6h/1bch) 

1pk x Vivaldi Favours ribbon 6mm 

woven nylon metallic silver (23m) 

2pk x Critters butterfly gauze 10cm 

silver (2pcs) 

1pk x Ribtex memory neck wire 1mm 

silver (15g) 

Round vase 

Tealight candle holder 

Tealight candle 

Double-sided tape or blu-tac 

Scissors 

Wire cutters 

Step 1 Cut a piece of memory wire 

to the size of the inside of your vase. 

Alternating between the flowers with 

large pearls, the flowers with china 

knot and acrylic hearts, twist onto the 

memory wire to form a flower wreath. 

Step 2 Cut a 50cm length of ribbon 

or length to suit and weave through the 

flowers. 

Note: you need to ensure that the 

flowers are evenly spread and hiding 

the twisted stems. 

Step 3 Put a tealight into the 

candle holder and using double-sided 

tape or blu-tac stick the tealight holder 

into the vase. When the tealight holder 

is in position carefully place the flower 

wreath into the vase. If necessary 

reposition the flowers to hide any 

unsightly wires. To finish, place a few 

butterflies onto the flowers. • 

Caution: You need to ensure that the 

flowers and butterflies do not hang 

over the tealight section of the vase 

to ensure items do not catch fire when 

the candle is lit. 


make it • 

e 

flower girl frock 

Materials 

McCalls M5795 – View B size 4 or 

required size 

Fabric & notions as per pattern 

Sewing supplies 

Sewing machine with zipper foot 

Instructions 

Make as per pattern - no variations 

shown here. • 

To make this dress 

use pattern 

McCalls M5795 


• creative people 

Are you ready for a 

CRAFTY wedding? 

Below from left to 

right: Anna, Amy & 

Sarah Blessing 

A new book from Penguin Australia called 

‘Handmade Weddings’ got us thinking about just 

how realistic and achievable it is to introduce 

handmade elements to what is, for many of us, 

the biggest day of our lives. 

Handmade Weddings contains 40 

budget-friendly ideas and creative 

ways to give weddings a truly 

individual touch. Some ideas are 

elaborate, aimed at experienced 

crafters, and some are beautifully 

simple. Anna Blessing, one of the 

contributors to the book, is based in 

the USA where she and her sisters 

run a lovely and inspiring site called 

‘bbb craft’. When developing the idea 

for Handmade Weddings, Penguin 

came across this site and invited the 

Blessings to participate. 

While used to trying their hands 

at everything from knitting and 

needlepoint, to crocheting, paper 

arts and collage, Anna says she 

still considers the modern wedding 

a time when brides might feel too 

overwhelmed with the basics of 

planning to consider making some 

things by hand as well. 

Nevertheless, she says, the 

most memorable weddings that she 

and her siblings have attended are 

celebrations that do include “little 

details and thoughtful artful touches 

throughout the day”. “When you can 

get anything, from anywhere, with 

a phone call or click of the mouse, 

one-of-a-kind, handmade elements are 

more essential than ever,” she adds. 

Laura Maffeo is another expert in 

this area and she agrees. Her book, 

One-of-a-Kind Weddings, came out 

in 2008 – a time, she says, when 

the wedding market was growing, yet 

brides “seemed to be shying away 

from the over-the-top, typical wedding 

styles”. 

“They wanted to put their own 

personal stamp on the event,” says 

Laura whose background includes set 

dressing and decorating for television 

and film, styling and contributing 

to Martha Stewart Weddings, Vogue 

Knitting and more, plus authoring her 

own gorgeous books. 

“I think brides today 

are much more 

interested in being 

fun & unique than 

being traditional.” 

– Laura 

She says that, financially, no one 

she knew wanted to “shell out tonnes 

of money for a cookie cutter wedding 

design”. “I think brides today are 

much more interested in being fun 

and unique than being traditional,” 

she adds. 

Both Anna and Laura say that, as 

beautiful and special as handmade 

touches can be at a wedding, 

romanticism must make way for 

realism when projects are being 

chosen. 

“Whether you are capable of 

creating and making things yourself, 

or are a klutz with crafts, you need 

others to make a handmade wedding 

work,” advises Anna. “There is a big 

production element of making things 

for weddings and, to keep your sanity, 

you must enlist friends and family to 

be your assembly line. If you aren’t 

the naturally creative type, but have 

a friend who is, focus on one or two 

things that you’d like to make by hand 

and ask for his or her creative advice.” 

She also says that the size of a 

wedding plays a large part in what can 

be achieved. If it’s a big wedding and 

you want to make a lot of one thing 

then make sure you give yourself the 

time to do it. alternatively, just make 

one truly beautiful thing for the bride. 

Laura agrees that time is the 

crucial element but adds, “It’s also 

important to pick something fun 

that you actually want to create. “No 

one wants to dread the task. In my 

experience, the most popular thing 

to personalise has been favours (like 

place names for tables, keepsakes 


Left: Handmade Weddings contains 

stunning photographs, templates & 

step-by-step instructions for beautiful 

handmade details, including elegant 

invitations, quirky seating cards, 

simple decorations, & vintageinspired 

accessories. 

Penguin Australia - AUS$35 – available at 

bookstores and online. Right: Laura Maffeo 

creative people • 

Inside Laura’s crafty tool box 

“My kit for work is part craft box, part tool box 

and part sewing kit. You need to be prepared 

for anything so having a good variety of small 

hand tools, pens, wires, threads, papers and 

trims is essential. The most important thing 

for me is adhesives. A hot glue gun works for 

most everything! I also like having a variety 

of ribbons and other embellishments. I collect 

vintage trims and buttons so there is always 

something fun and unique to add to a project.” 

or bonbonniere). They say so much 

about the couple and the theme of the 

wedding. Also, there are so many fun 

and inexpensive ideas for these that 

will make the day really memorable.” 

She likes the idea of organising a craft 

night to tackle handmade wedding 

projects and get the job done. 

The Blessing sisters walk the talk 

and, when Anna got married, her mum 

said the sisters went “bonkers”. They 

did everything they could themselves, 

short of making the dress. 

“There were guest boxes stamped 

and filled with white and green - the 

wedding colours - we made seating 

cards that we hung from grosgrain 

ribbons anchored by roses in the 

garden, my mum knitted me a white 

shrug for the evening, I made my 

earrings (and was finishing them the 

morning of!) the list goes on ... ” 

In Handmade Weddings the sisters 

created fabric invitations, headbands, 

table markers and napkins. They 

chose to keep the colour schemes 

neutral for the most part and focus on 

using different textures, shapes and 

patterns for contrast. 

“We are in love with the 

headbands, because they’d be so 

pretty on a bride, but you could make 

simpler variations for bridesmaids and 

flower girls. Or - just for a fun cocktail 

party,” says Anna. “Creative table 

numbers and seating cards are a sure 

way to make a creative mark on your 

celebration. It’s the small, thoughtful 

handmade elements that make the 

difference. When a bride considers 

her guests, and thinks about how to 

make the most festive, welcoming 

party she can, handmade touches are 

the best way to do that. No matter 

what, a wedding is all about the 

bride. Creating handmade elements 

throughout the party make it all about 

your friends and family too.” 

“Creative table 

numbers & seating 

cards are a sure 

way to make a 

creative mark on your 

celebration. It’s the 

small, thoughtful 

handmade elements 

that make the 

difference.” 

– Anna 

In terms of the most memorable 

handmade wedding item Anna has yet 

to see she cites her cousin and his 

bride who used a vintage typewriter to 

create more than two hundred savethe-date 

notes and invitations. 

“With inserts!” she declares. “This 

was the most ambitious, enormous 

task I could imagine doing – with the 

most unbelievably fantastic results. 

She (the bride) also used vintage, 

unused stamps on the envelopes 

for mailing. We all kept our beautiful 

invites and have them posted on our 

bulletin boards. Those are the kinds 

of things that will truly be remembered 

for ever.” 

Laura has had her share of 

memorable weddings too. Well known 

for her table top design skills, she 

once acquiesced for a dear friend 

who wanted live goldfish in her 

centrepieces. “They were actually 

quite beautiful and modern – round 

bowls with gold fish next to striking 

bouquets of calla lilies and tea lights,” 

she says. “The only problem was not 

all the goldfish made it through the 

event. Not the most festive outcome!” 

There’s a lesson somewhere there... • 

LINKS 

• bbbcraft.blogspot.com 

• www.lauramaffeo.com 


• make it 

e 

ALL HEART 

fabric & ribbon wreath 

WREATH 

Materials 

Assorted coordinated fabrics – cotton, 

organza, tulle & satin or raw silk 

Assorted coordinating ribbons – 

organza, satins 

1m length of ribbon for hanging 

Wire heart – 300mm 

Scissors, tape measure 

Optional - rotary cutter, cutting mat & 

quilters ruler 

Step 1 Cut strips from fabric and 

ribbons 20cm long by 2cm wide. The 

number of strips required will depend 

on how full you want the wreath to 

look; start with 100 strips and add 

more as required. 

Step 2 Tie and knot the centre 

of each strip around the wire heart 

shape. Tie them in a random or regular 

pattern, adding more strips until 

desired fullness is achieved. Twist and 

fluff out strips as desired. 

Step 3 Tie and knot the end of 

hanging ribbon around the top middle 

point of the heart, and trim the long 

end of the ribbon to desired hanging 

length. 

A HEART FOR THE 

BRIDE’S WRIST 

1. To make a matching ‘good luck’ 

heart for the bride, use the same 

method as for the large heart wreath 

but using a 100mm wreath instead. 

2. Use strips left over from the large 

heart but trimming the strips down 

to a length of 10cm. Or if cutting new 

strips, cut strips 10cm long by 1cm 

wide. 

3. Loop a 50cm length of ribbon and 

tie the ends to the top point of the 

heart. • 


Valentine’s 

card 

Materials 

Bella! pink fusion papers 

Bella! pink fusion trimming 

Remarks rub on alphabet 

Jenny B collection hearts 

White Kaisercard 


Scissors 

Paper trimmer 

Step 1 Cut the pink fusion 

cardstock 21cm x 15cm then fold 

in half to form the card. Cut a 6cm 

x 15cm strip of white cardstock and 

attach to the front of the card. 

Step 2 Attach the pink rickrack 

along the top edge of the white card 

strip. 

Step 3 Attach the hearts to the 

front of the card then rub on the words 

make it • 

be mine in the centre. • 

e 


• make it 

e 

love 

frame 

Materials 

Kaisercraft BTP nine frame photo display 

Kaisercraft wooden flourishes – swirls 

Kaisercraft wooden flourish packs – 

mannequins, Eiffel Tower, elm tree 

Kaisercraft 6½” paper pads - Vintage 

Timeless, Black & White Timeless 

Kaisercraft paper blooms – butter cream 

Kaisercraft Timeless rub ons – doilies, 

treasures, borders 

Kisercraft pearl flourish 

Scrap of red paper 

Scrap of cream card 

Spotted cream grosgrain ribbon 

Scrap of lace trim 

4 brown buttons 

Cream thread 

Cream paint 

Stazon ink pads – saddle brown, black 

UHU glue stick 



Mounting tape 

4 clamps or large bulldog clips 

Fiskars scalloped edge heart punch 

Hole punch 

Scissors 

Paper trimmer 

Paint brush 

Pencil 

Sponge 

Step 1 Using a pencil, trace around 

the inside of each frame onto the 

backing board. Select the desired 

papers for each frame and remove 

them from the paper pads. Trace the 

frame for each paper on the back of 

the papers then cut out roughly leaving 

a small border around the pencil line so 

when the frame piece is replaced the 

edges of the papers are hidden under 


Diagram 

make it • 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 8 

7 

6 9 

the borders. Attach the papers to the 

backing board with double-sided tape 

using the pencil lines as a guide. 

Step 2 Paint the frame cream and 

set aside to dry. When the frame is 

thoroughly dry, smudge some brown 

ink from the ink pad around the edges 

and corners to create an aged look 

then apply a little black ink directly 

from the pad to the outside edges 

and at random spots. When the inks 

are dry apply a little PVA glue to the 

back of the frame, take care not to 

use too much glue as it will seep out 

onto the papers, then carefully place 

it on top of the paper covered backing 

board aligning the edges. Clamp it all 

together with clamps or large bulldog 

clips and set aside to dry. When glue is 

dry remove clips. 

Step 3 Decorating the 

inside of each frame 

1. Decorate frame one by attaching a 

mannequin shape to the centre with 

the glue stick and adding a grosgrain 

bow to the waist. 

2. Cut out a butterfly from the vintage 

paper pad and attach it to the centre of 

frame two. 

3. Punch a heart shape from the red 

scrap paper and attach to the centre 

of frame three. Find the LOVE word in 

the vintage paper pad then add to the 

heart using mounting tape. 

4. Attach the Eiffel Tower to the center 

of frame four. 

5. Attach some scrap lace to the paper 

of frame five then add some buttons. 

6. Cut out the BLISS word from the 

paper, smudge some brown ink onto 

the word, and then add black ink 

around the edges to create a border. 

Attach to frame six using mounting 

tape. 

7. The elm tree is slightly too wide 

for the frame so carefully remove the 

outermost leaf from the left side and 

it should fit nicely. Attach the trimmed 

tree at the bottom of frame seven. 

Create one large tag and two smaller 

tags from the scrap cream card, punch 

a hole at the top of each tag then 

smudge with brown ink. Add some 

black ink to the larger tag. Add rub ons 

to the small tags. Find the FAMILY word 

from the same page as before and 

attach to the large tag. Tie the small 

tags to the large tag then attach the 

lot to the top of frame seven above 

the tree. 

8. Rub on the cameo and a rose then 

add the pearl flourish to frame eight. 

9. Attach three butter cream blooms to 

the bottom corner of frame nine using 

mounting tape. Rub on a flourish and 

a bird. 

Decorating the outer frame 

Attach a swirl to the bottom left corner 

of the frame and another to the border 

between frames two and three. Add 

some doily rub ons to a mannequin 

then cut out a butterfly and attach to 

the back of the mannequin as wings. 

Find the LIFE word from the same page 

as before and attach to the mannequin 

at the waist. Attach the mannequin to 

the right-hand side of the frame. Add 

rub ons to the frame if desired. 

Note: Add your own photos and 

mementos to personalize the display. • 


• make it 

e 

WEDDING SCRAPBBOOK 

Materials 

Bella! Wedding embossed stripes 

black cardstock 


silver rims 


phrases – black and white 

Bella! Wedding trims – silver 

Bella! Wedding 12” x 12” paper pad 

– 48page 

Bella! Wedding tokens 

Bella! ribbon glue 


White chipboard alphabet 

11 different size photos 

Paper trimmer 

Scissors 

Left side layout 

1. Cut text patterned paper 27cm 

x 9cm and tear the bottom edge. 

Adhere this in the centre of the black 

cardstock 9cm down from the top. 

2. Cut a 28cm x 3cm strip of the silver 

flourish patterned paper and adhere 

over the top of the words paper as 

shown. Then place a pearl sticker on 

each end of the strip. 


make it • 

3. Place multi sized photos around the 

page and adhere some ribbon across 

the top of one photo using a pearl 

sticker. 

4. Using the leaf glitter paper, 

decorate the page by cutting leaves 

out individually. Continue this onto the 

next page of the double layout. 

Right side layout 

1. Cut a 30cm x 3cm strip of silver 

flourish pattern paper and adhere 2cm 

up from the bottom edge of the black 

cardstock. Cut a 28cm x 1.5cm strip 

from the text patterned paper, tear the 

bottom edge and overlay on top of the 

silver pattern paper. 

2. Add ribbon to this paper strip and 

three pearl stickers (left side) as 

shown. 

3. Adhere a wedding heart token to 

the bottom right corner of the page 

on top of the patterned cardstock you 

have just attached. Place the “Cherish’ 

cardstock sticker on the left side of 

the token, adding another pearl sticker 

to the left side of the sticker. 

4. Place photos around the page and 

continue on with leaves from the first 

page. 

5. Add a title using chipboard alphabet 

letters to each page so that the first 

part of the sentence begins on page 

one and ends on page two e.g. ‘A Day 

to Celebrate’ or ‘Our Wedding Day’. • 


• make it 

e 

autumnal 

canvas 

Collect fabric scraps synonymous with 

the season & create some simple wall 

art to hang. 


make it • 

Materials 

12” x 16” Renoir stretched canvas 

20cm x 40cm piece of fabric for the 

trunk 

Assorted coordinating fabric scraps 

50cm x 30cm wide vliesofix 

Fine tip fabric marker 

Pencil & plain white paper 

Sharp scissors 

Iron 

Step 1 Using the template 

provided, trace the tree trunk shape 

onto the paper side of the vliesofix. Cut 

out the trunk from the vliesofix allowing 

Large 

Medium 

Small 

an extra 1cm around the edges. Using 

the iron, fuse the trunk shape to the 

wrong side of the trunk fabric and allow 

to cool. 

Step 2 Using sharp scissors cut 

out the fabric tree trunk shape. Peel 

off the backing paper and place right 

side up onto the middle of the canvas, 

aligning the bottom edge of the trunk 

with the bottom edge of the canvas. 

Carefully place the white paper over 

the canvas (this protects the canvas 

from the iron scorching it) and gently 

Autumn tree 

template 

enlarge by 195% 

press with the iron to fuse the trunk to 

the canvas. Allow to cool. 

Step 3 Using the leaf template and 

the same method as for the trunk, 

cut out an assortment of leaves in a 

variety of fabrics and sizes. Arrange 

leaves and fuse onto canvas as per 

picture or as desired. Draw thin dashed 

lines 2mm in from the edges of all 

leaves and the trunk to give the look 

of stitching using a fine tip permanent 

fabric marker. • 



Ever Rest cellular cotton blanket 

Cover up! 

Ever Rest plain dye mink blankets 

Spotlight’s collection of blankets 

& throws adds warmth, colour & 

texture to any room. • 

Ever Rest faux wool blanket 

Ever Rest cotton waffle blankets 

Koo fleece 

blanket 

Justlink coral fleece blankets 

Ever Rest printed dye mink blankets 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand 

some stock may vary between stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight employee at 

your nearest store for the best alternative. 


make it • 

Textural leaf 

Materials 

Scraps of wool felt, suiting, corduroy, 

organza & net 

2 x earring shepherd hooks – boho gold 

Sharp scissors 

Pins, hand needle 

Sewing machine 

Sewing thread 

Step 1 Using the templates 

provided, cut two large leaves from each 

of the wool and organza scraps and two 

small leaves from each of the suiting, 

corduroy and net scraps. 

Step 2 Layer the cut fabric leaves 

on top of each other, with the wool felt 

on the bottom, followed by the suiting, 

then the corduroy, organza and the net 

on the top. 

Turn each leaf outwards slightly to either 

side, but keep the top points of the 

leaves aligned. Pin leaves in place when 

happy with arrangement of leaf shapes. 

Step 3 Starting from the top point 

of the leaves, sew a straight line of 

stitching half way down the leaves, 

reverse the line of stitching back to the 

top and repeat again with the stitching 

ending back at the top, leaving the ends 

of the threads long. 

Using the long threads, hand sew the 

base of the shepherd hook to the top of 

Fabric scraps in various 

textures form the bulk of these 

distinctive & stylish earrings. 

the sewn leaves shapes. • 

earrings 

e 

Large 

Small 

Leaf earring templates 




hooked 

on crochet 

Crochet comes from an old French word 

meaning ‘hook’. These hooks, by Boye 

& available at Spotlight, are high-grade, 

light weight & made from aluminium. 

They come in packs of six, in assorted 

sizes & colours. We love ‘em! • 


ACS winners • 

Clockwise from right: The 

winning entries by Dawn 

Spencer, Venetia Elbourne- 

Hobbs and Linda Castles. 

They knitted their way 

to a generous cash prize 

Last winter Spotlight and 

Australian Country Spinners ran a 

joint competition called ‘Knit your 

way to a share of $30,000’. Get 

Creative Quarterly promoted the 

competition in issue number three. 

The competition was, in part, a 

celebration of the annual World Wide 

Knit in Public Day. This issue we are 

proud to introduce you to the three 

successful knitters who shared in the 

prize pool: 

• Venetia Elbourne-Hobbs (Horsham, 

Victoria) - Winner of the Baby, Child & 

Teen category 

• Linda Castles (South Melbourne, 

Victoria) - Winner of the Men’s & 

Women’s Fashion category 

• Dawn Spencer (Swan Hill, Victoria) 

- Winner of the Homewares & Pet 

category 

Venetia Elbourne-Hobbs was taught 

to knit by her mother and grandmother 

but took it up seriously once her own 

children had arrived. “I decided that 

it would be nice for me to knit each of 

my children a jumper,” says Venetia. 

“I knitted the two boys jumpers and 

then all four children received an 

Australian animal toy.” 

Venetia doesn’t confine her creative 

pursuits to knitting, she also loves 

to design and began designing and 

knitting her own patterns because 

she couldn’t find commercial ones for 

her girls that she liked. “So I created 

‘mini mae knitwear’ two years ago to 

produce, publish and sell my designs. 

You can see them at 

www.minimaeknitwear.com.au” 

For this competition Venetia 

entered her ‘One Knit Wonder dress 

and hat’ design. “You just knit the 

two pieces and then sew the shoulder 

straps and side seams together. The 

idea was to make a cute, simple dress 

and matching hat, with basic stitches 

for a novice knitter - busy mums like 

me, who may have previously only 

attempted a scarf.” 

And what’s Venetia’s best tip for 

novice knitters? “I think the best way 

to improve your skills is to try different 

things, and perhaps get involved with 

other knitters.” 

Linda Castles is the daughter of a 

knitter so probably had her first set of 

needles before she owned a school 

bag. Lately Linda has been knitting 

lace scarves and shawls with very fine 

yarns and, she says, the competition 

gave her an excuse to extend that to 

a dress. 

“Something I wouldn’t usually 

have reason to knit,” she explains. 

“It wasn’t made for anyone in 

particular, but was made specifically 

for the competition.” 

And her tip for success in 

knitting? “Just lots of practice, and 

persistence,” says Linda. 

Dawn Spencer was at primary 

school during the 1930s and she 

remembers how, in the upper school, 

the class was regularly divided into 

boys and girls so the lads could learn 

woodwork and the girls could study 

sewing and knitting. 

“This was probably my earliest 

knitting experience,” says Dawn. 

“My mother and grandmother (a 

tailoress) were very good at sewing 

and crochet but I don’t remember 

seeing them knit.” 

One of Dawn’s earliest creations, 

of which she was very proud, was a 

green brushed wool scarf that she 

often wore, regardless of whether it 

matched her outfit. “It was because 

I remember people admiring it,” 

she concedes. 

“I love knitting so much that I take 

it almost everywhere,” says Dawn 

who describes her pastime as both 

relaxing and satisfying. “In the car on 

a long journey my late husband would 

sometimes say, ‘Would you please 

stop that click – clack for a while?’” 

Dawn says that “involved patterns 

do not combine well with conversation” 

so if she is watching television, 

catching public transport or sitting at 

the football she tends to knit cushions 

or rugs to use as gifts. In fact it was at 

a football game – whilst watching her 

grandson Thomas play for Lake Boga 

(near Swan Hill) – that she came up 

with her winning project. His team is 

black and white hence the black and 

white rug and matching cushion were 

created. • 


• make it 

e 

CROCHETED 

FL WER SCARF 

Materials 

*Assorted DMC tapestry wool 

3.50mm crochet hook 

Scissors 

Yarn needle 

*1 skein (8m) makes – 4 x centres (1st & 2nd 

rnds) or 2 x 3rd rnds or 1 x 4th rnd. 

Note: This can also be made by using up scraps of 

left over yarn. 

Abbreviations 

beg = beginning; ch = chain; lp = loop; 

Rnd = round; sl st = slip stitch; sp = space; 

st/s = stitch/es; tr = treble; 

Instructions 

Using 3.50mm crochet hook work 4ch and join with 

a sl st to form a ring. 

Rnd 1: 4ch, (1tr in ring, 1ch) 7 times, sl st to 3rd ch 

at beg of round. 

Rnd 2: (1tr into 1-ch sp, 2ch) 8 times, sl st into top 

1st tr. 

Rnd 3: Change colour, (4tr into 2-ch sp, 1ch) 8 

times, sl st to top of 1st tr. 

Rnd 4: Change colour, (4ch, sl st under 1-ch sp) 8 

times, sl st to 1st ch. 

Petals: (6 tr under 4-ch lp, 1ch, sl st in 1-ch sp as 

before) 8 times, 1ch. 

Fasten off leaving long tail for joining flowers. Weave 

in yarn ends of colours 1 and 2 using the yarn 

needle. 

Create 20 (or desired number) flowers in assorted 

colours then stitch together to create a scarf. • 


crochet 

potpourri pouch 

make it • 

e 

Materials 

2 x 50g balls ‘Moda Vera’ Bamboo 

Cotton 


Scissors, yarn needle, pins 

Your choice of potpourri 

Abbreviations 

blp = back loop; ch = chain; dc = 

double crochet; htr = half treble; inc 

= increase; lp = loop; Rnd = round; sk 

= skip; sl st = slip stitch; sp = space; 

st/s = stitch/es; tr = treble; yoh = 

yarn over hook; dec = decrease over 

next 2 dc = (pull up lp in next st) twice, 

yoh, pull through all 3 lps; 

Instructions 

Lining Row 1: Make 31ch. 

Row 2: 1dc in 2nd ch from hook, 1dc 

in each st to end, turn. 

Row 3: 1ch, 1dc in each st to end, turn. 

Rows 4-43: Repeat row 3. 

Row 44: 1ch, 1dc in blp only in each st 

to end, turn. 

Outer Covering Row 45: 1dc, 

2ch in 1st st, (1tr, 1htr in next st, sk 

next st, 1dc, 2ch in next st) 9 times, 

1tr, 1htr in next st, 1dc in last st, turn. 

Row 46: 1dc, 2ch, 1tr, 1htr in 1st dc, 

(1dc, 2ch, 1tr, 1htr in next 2-ch lp) 9 

times, 1dc in last 2-ch lp, turn. 

Rows 47-66: Repeat row 46. 

Row 67: 1dc, 2ch in 1st dc, (1dc, 2ch, 

1tr, 1htr in next 2-ch lp) 9 times, 1dc in 

last 2-ch lp, turn. 

Rows 68-74: Repeat row 67, turn. 

Fasten off. 

Bring the bottom of lining up to meet 

the last row of body and sew both side 

seams from the outside using a whip 

stitch. Now fold the outer covering 

back over the lining and pin in place. 

Join yarn with a sl st into the bottom 

right-hand corner and work a row of dc 

up the right sides to seam the back 

and front of the bag, then work across 

the front flap before joining the left 

seam in the same manner, turn the 

work around and work another row of 

dc back to give the bag a stable edge. 

Fasten off and sew in all ends. 

Flower Magic Circle (used when 

you want a tight circle with no hole in 

the middle) = wrap yarn twice around 

your finger & work a sl st into the lp, 

slip the lp off your finger and work the 

first round into the ring (over the two 

strands), sl st into 1st st when round is 

finished, pull the yarn tail to tighten the 

lp to create an invisible centre. 

shell A = (1dc, 1htr, 2tr, 1htr, 1dc) in 

same st; 

shell B = (1dc, 1htr, 5tr, 1htr, 1dc) in 

same st; 

Rnd 1: 12dc into magic circle, sl st 

into 1st dc. 

Rnd 2: (1dc in next dc, 2ch, sk 1dc) 6 

times, sl st in 1st 2-ch lp. 

Rnd 3: shell A in same lp, (shell A in 

next lp) 5 times, 1ch, working behind 

the petals just made sl st into 1st 

skipped dc of row 2. 

Rnd 4: 1dc in same st, (3ch, 1dc in 

next skipped dc) 5 times, 3ch, sl st 

into 1st 3-ch lp. 

Rnd 5: shell B in same lp, (shell B in 

next lp) 5 times, fasten off. 

Sew in all ends. 

Sew flower to front flap of the bag. 

Pop the potpourri inside the pouch 

then sew closed along the base of 

the flap. • 


• make it 

e 

BAMBOO 

headband 

Materials 

1 x 50g ball ‘Moda Vera’ Bamboo Cotton 


Scissors, yarn needle 

Abbreviations 

ch = chain; dc = double crochet; htr = 

half treble; inc = increase; lp = loop; 

sk = skip; sl st = slip stitch; sp = 

space; st/s = stitch/es; tr = treble; 

yoh = yarn over hook; dec = decrease 

over next 2 dc = (pull up lp in next st) 

twice, yoh, pull through all 3 lps; 

Instructions 

Row 1: Work 36ch, sl st into 2nd ch 

from hook, sl st into each of next 34 

ch, turn work 90°. 

Row 2: 1ch, 2dc in side of work, turn. 

Row 3: 1ch, inc in next st, 1dc in next 

dc, turn. 

Row 4: 1ch, inc in next st, 1dc in each 

of next 2 dc, turn. 





Keep increasing in this manner until 

you have 12 dc, turn. 

Row 13: 1ch, 1dc in 1st st, (1htr in 

next st, sl st in next st) 5 times, 1dc in 

last st, turn. 

Repeat row 13 until you have 40 rows 

of pattern, turn. 

Row 43: 1ch, 1dc in 1st st, 1dc in 

each of next 9 dc, dec 1dc, turn. 





Keep decreasing in this manner until 

you have dec 1dc over the last 2 sts. 

Work 36ch, sl st into 2nd ch from hook, 

sl st into each of the next 34 ch, sl st 

into top of band, fasten off and sew in 

all ends. • 

Ionna Charalambous, Spotlight 

Braybrook, VIC, has been with 

the company for 13 years & is a 

dyed in the wool crafter. “Craft 

is a labour of love. I especially 

love making knitted toys that 

bring joy & happiness to those 

who receive them. Hopefully, 

I pass on my passion to our 

customers.” 


make it • 

cream 

bamboo dress 

ei 

Materials 

13 x 50g balls ‘Moda Vera’ Bamboo Cotton 


Scissors, yarn needle 

Abbreviations 

ch = chain; dc = double crochet; htr = half 

treble; lp = loop; Rnd = round; sk = skip; sl 

st = slip stitch; sp = space; st-ch = starting 

chain; st/s = stitch/es; tr = treble; yoh = yarn 

over hook; dec 2tr = decrease over next 2 tr 

= (yoh, pull up lp in next st, yoh pull through 2 

lps) twice, yoh, pull through all 3 lps; dec 3tr = 

decrease over 3 tr = (yoh, pull up lp in next st, 

yoh pull through 2 lps) 3 times, yoh, pull through 

all 4 lps; fdc = foundation row worked in dc = 

2ch, pull up lp in 1st ch, * yoh, pull through 1 lp 

(ch made), yoh, pull through both lps (dc made), 

pull up lp in last ch made, and repeat from* for 

each foundation st required; shell = (1tr, 1ch, 

1tr, 1ch, 1tr) in same st; v-st = (1tr, 1ch, 1tr) in 

same st; 

Magic Circle (used when you want a tight 

circle with no hole in the middle) = wrap yarn 

twice around your finger & work a sl st into the 

lp, slip the lp off your finger and work the first 

round into the ring (over the two strands), sl st 

into 1st st when round is finished, pull the yarn 

tail to tighten the lp to create an invisible centre. 

Instructions 

Back Yoke Row 1: Work 44 fdc. 

Row 2: 1dc, 1ch in 1st st, (1tr in next st, sk 2 

sts, shell in next st, sk 2 sts, 1tr in next st) 6 

times, 1 tr in last st, turn. 

Row 3: 1dc, 1ch in 1st st, (1tr in next st, sk tr 

& ch, shell in next tr, sk ch & tr, 1tr in next tr) 6 

times, 1tr in last st, turn. 

Rows 4-14: Repeat row 3 eleven times. Fasten off. 

Front Yoke Row 1: Work 44 fdc. 

Row 2: 1dc, 1ch in 1st st, (1tr in next st, sk 2 

sts, shell in next st, sk 2 sts, 1tr in next st) 6 

times, 1 tr in last st, turn. 

Row 3: 1dc, 1ch in 1st st, (1tr in next st, sk tr 

& ch, shell in next tr, sk ch & tr, 1tr in next tr) 6 

times, 1tr in last st, turn. 

Rows 4-11: Repeat row 3 eight times. 


• make it 

Diagram 

Right Front Row 12: 1dc, 1ch in 

1st st, 1tr in next st, sk tr & ch, shell in 

next tr, sk ch & tr, 1tr in each of next 2 

tr, sk tr & ch, 1tr in next tr, turn. 

Row 13: sk 1st tr, 1dc, 1ch in next tr, 

1tr in next st, sk tr & ch, shell in next 

tr, sk ch & tr, 1tr in each of last 2 tr. 

Row 14: sk 1st tr, 1dc, 1ch in next tr, 

1tr in next st, sk tr & ch, shell in next 

tr, sk ch & tr, 1tr in each of last 2 tr. 

Fasten off. 

Left Front Row 12: sk 20 sts, join 

yarn with a sl st into middle tr of 2nd 

last shell, 3ch, 1tr in each of next 2 tr, 

sk tr & ch, shell in next tr, sk ch & tr, 

1tr in each of next 2 tr, sk tr & ch, 1tr 

in last tr, turn. 

Row 13: sk 1st tr, 

1dc, 1ch in next tr, 1tr 

in next st, sk tr & ch, 

shell in next tr, sk ch 

& tr, 1tr in each of last 

2 tr, turn. 

Row 14: sk 1st tr, 

1dc, 1ch in next tr, 1tr 

in next st, sk tr & ch, 

shell in next tr, sk ch & 

tr, 1tr in each of next 2 

tr. Fasten off. 

SKIRT The skirt 

is made up of 15 

large motifs, 10 

small motifs and 5 

half motifs, all sewn 

together to form a 

tube. 

Large Motif 

(make 15) 

Rnd 1: 8dc into a 

magic circle, sl st in 

1st dc. 

Rnd 2: 3ch, 2tr in 

same st, (1ch, 3tr in 

next st) 7 times, 1ch, 

sl st into 3rd ch of 

st-ch, 

Rnd 3: 3ch in same 

st, 3tr in next tr, 1tr in next tr, (2ch, 1tr 

in next tr, 3tr in next tr, 1tr in next tr) 7 

times, 2ch, sl st in 3rd ch of st-ch. 

Rnd 4: 2ch in same st, 1tr in each of 

next 2 tr, dec 2tr, (3ch, 1dc in 2-ch lp, 

3ch, dec 2tr, 1tr in next tr, dec 2tr) 7 

times, 3ch, 1dc in 2-ch lp, 3ch, sl st in 

1st tr of round. 

Rnd 5: 2ch in same st, dec 2tr, (3ch, 

1dc in 3-ch lp, 3ch, 1dc in 3-ch lp, 3ch, 

dec 3tr) 7 times, 3ch, 1dc in 3-ch lp, 

3ch, 1dc in 3-ch lp, 3ch, sl st in top of 

dec 2tr. 

Rnd 6: 1dc in same st, [(3ch, 1dc in 

3-ch lp) 3 times, 3ch, 1dc in top of 

dec 3tr] 7 times, (3ch, 1dc in 3-ch lp) 

3times, 3ch, sl st into 1st dc, (32 lps). 

Fasten off. 

Small Motif (make 10) 

Rnd 1: 6dc into a magic circle, sl st in 

1st dc. 

Rnd 2: 4ch, 1tr in same st, 1ch, (v-st in 

next st) 5 times, 1ch, sl st in 3rd ch of 

st-ch, sl st into 1st 1-ch lp. 

Rnd 3: 1dc in same lp, (3ch, 1dc in 

next 3-ch lp) 11 times, 3ch, sl st in 1st 

dc, (12 lps). Fasten off. 

Half Motif (make 5) Rnd 1: 3dc 

into a magic circle, sl st in 1st dc. 

Rnd 2: 4ch, 1tr in same st, 1ch, (v-st in 

next st) twice, turn. 

Rnd 3: (3ch, 1dc in next 3-ch lp) 5 

times, 3ch, sl st in 3rd ch of st-ch, (6 

lps). Fasten off. 

Pin motifs together, as per diagram, 

(a – a to join the big motifs together, 

1-1 to join the small motif in the middle 

of four motifs, & 1 -1 to join the half 

motifs) (coloured stitch markers are 

ideal for pinning together as you can 

use the different colours to make the 

joins recognizable). 

When pinned in place, use a needle 

to sew each loop to its corresponding 

loop, weaving the yarn through the 

chains to get to the next loop, and so 

on. It is advisable to join only a few 

motifs together at a time so that the 

work does not become too heavy. Sew 

in all ends. 

Laying the tube flat, pin the front and 

back yokes in place leaving a little 

space on each side for the armholes. 

Sew in place. Sew up shoulder seams. 

Join yarn with a sl st into the bottom 

of one armhole and work a row of dc 

evenly around the armhole to neaten 

the edges, work another row to finish 

off. Repeat for second armhole and 

also for the neck opening. Sew in all 

ends. • 


make it • 

e 

patchwork 

garden 

Paula Stewart, quilting 

department, Spotlight 

Bairnsdale ,VIC, works in 

manchester & home décor & is 

an avid quilter. “I love to create 

quilts from materials I see at 

Spotlight. These great African 

prints are so bright I thought 

they’d be great for a ‘stack & 

slash’ & make a great gift.” 


• make it 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

1.2m Sew Easy cotton/bamboo batting 

Matching Gütermann 100% cotton 

thread 

Rotary cutter, mat & quilters rulers 

Quilting pins, tape measure 

Scissors, seam ripper 

Hand needle 

Sewing machine with ¼” foot and 

walking foot 

All fabrics should be 100% cotton, 

washed & pressed. 

¼” seam allowance used throughout 

unless otherwise indicated. 

Read all instructions carefully before 

commencing the quilt. 

CUTTING 

All strips are cut across the width of 

fabric unless otherwise stated. 

• From each of the six Allover Floral 

and Floral Bouquet fabrics (A-F) cut 1 x 

6½” strip, crosscut each into 3 x 6½” 

squares (18 squares in total), 3 x 4½” 

squares (18 squares in total), and 2 x 

3½”squares (12 squares in total). 

• From each of the six Floral Wavey 

and Little Floral fabrics (G-L) cut – 1 

x 2½” strip, crosscut each into 15 x 

2½” squares (90 squares in total); 1 x 

3½” strip, crosscut each into 7 x 3½” 

squares (42 squares in total). 

Quilt measures: 

42½” x 42½” (108cm x 108cm) 

• From navy homespun cut 5 x 2½” 

strips for binding. 

Diagram 1 

Diagram 3 

Diagram 4 

Diagram 2 

Materials 

Fabrics are from the Rendevous range 

20cm Allover Floral – green/lilac (Fabric A) 

20cm Allover Floral – red/tan (Fabric B) 

20cm Allover Floral – blue/grey (Fabric C) 

20cm Floral Bouquet – green/lilac (Fabric D) 

20cm Floral Bouquet – red/tan (Fabric E) 

20cm Floral Bouquet – blue/grey (Fabric F) 

20cm Floral Wavey – green/lilac (Fabric G) 

20cm Floral Wavey – red/tan (Fabric H) 

20cm Floral Wavey – blue/grey (Fabric I) 

20cm Little Floral – blue (Fabric J) 

20cm Little Floral – red/tan (Fabric K) 

20cm Little Floral – navy (Fabric L) 

2.4m Paisley – red (for backing) (Fabric M) 

40cm Prima Homespun – navy (for binding) 

BLOCKS 

1. Take 72 x 2½” squares and 

randomly sew together in pairs 

(Diagram 1). Press seams to one side 

and set 18 units aside. 

2. Take the remaining 18 units and 

randomly sew together in pairs to 

create 9 x four-patch blocks 

(Diagram 2). 

3. Take the 18 remaining 2½” squares 

and sew one to each of the 18 units 

set aside in step 1 to create 18 x 

3-square units (Diagram 3). 


make it • 

H 

I 

J 

K 

L 

M 

Diagram 5 

Diagram 6 

4. Sew a 3-square unit to one side 

of each 6½” square to create Unit A 

(18 units). Press seams to the large 

square. (Diagram 4) 

5. Take 18 x 4½” squares and 

randomly sew together in pairs then 

sew a four-patch block to one end 

to create Unit B (9 units). Press 

seams to away from four-patch block. 

(Diagram 5) 

6. Arrange 2 x A Units and 1 x B Unit 

as shown in Diagram 6. Sew together 

the two A Units then sew to the B 

unit. Make 9 blocks. 

QUILT TOP 

7. Arrange the blocks into 3 rows of 

3 blocks, rotating blocks as shown 

in Diagram 7, or rotating blocks as 

desired. 

8. Sew the blocks in each row 

together then sew the 3 rows 

together. 

9. For the border strips take the 

54 x 3½” squares, randomly sew 

together in two sets of 12 and two 

sets of 14 then discard the remaining 

two squares. Press seams in one 

direction. 

10. Sew one 12-strip to each side 

of the quilt top then one 14-strip 

to the top and bottom as shown in 

Diagram 8. 

11. Cut red Paisley backing fabric into 

2 x 1.2m lengths, trim off selvedges 

and sew together along the length. 

Press seam open. 

12. Layer backing, batting and quilt 

top, baste together. Quilt as desired. 

Join the 5 x 2½” binding strips 

together on the bias to make one long 

strip. Press in half lengthwise and 

bind mitering corners. Attach a label 

or sign and date your quilt. • 

Diagram 7 

Diagram 8 


• quilt trends 

Below: Cross stitch 

Home 

Sweet 

Home 

New quilt fabrics 

salute 

Australian cities 

The linen-look trend continues and 

Spotlight’s quilting customers will 

love the new collections arriving in 

store this season. 

Add your own stitching or 

embellishment to this cute cross 

stitch fabric to make great pockets 

for aprons, borders on table 

cloths, or simply add cross stitch 

detail to quilts or garments. 

Regular Spotlight shoppers 

might have already purchased 

the gorgeous cotton linen blend 

picturing London cityscapes 

that’s been in stores recently. 

That fabric proved so popular 

that a collection is now 

blossoming, exclusive to 

Spotlight, and the Australian 

cities of Sydney and Melbourne 

are the new stars. 

Both new fabrics feature 

iconic Sydney and Melbourne 

imagery: Sydney with the Harbour 

Bridge, Centrepoint Tower (also 

known as Sydney Tower Eye) and 

the surf at Bondi, Melbourne 

with Flinders Street Station, the 

Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 

trams and, of course, coffee. 

“This will be fantastic for 

home quilting but I see it as a 

really great design for people 

wanting to make things to send 

overseas to family and friends 

as well,” says Spotlight’s 

quilt fabric buyer, Miriam. 

The cityscape fabrics can be 

manipulated for use in small 

and big projects, paper crafts 

(what great postcards they could 

make), sewn into travel purses 

and more. We love the idea of 

a sweet dress or nappy pants 

for a newborn friend in another 

country. 

Linen-look quilt fabrics 

with their wholesome feel and 

distinctive, fun designs are 

also making their way into the 

nursery. Spotlight has introduced 

charming and innocent designs 

including Hey Diddle Diddle, 

Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Riding 

Hood and The Three Little Pigs. 

Once again the scope for use 

with these fabrics is tempered 

only by your imagination. 

Obviously small bed quilts would 

be gorgeous but so would wall 

hangings, nappy bags, soft 

furnishings, patches on clothes 

and more. Creative sewers might 

even be able to make fabric 

books using the characters on 

the fabrics. 

The other lovely linen-look 

fabric arriving this season 

features a cross stitch design, 

once again on the distinctive 

seeded or unbleached base. 

“I think people might have fun 

adding dimension to this textile 

by adding real cross stitch and 

other stitched embellishments 

onto the pattern,” says Miriam 

(see example to the left). “The 

nice, natural look of this fabric 

– it’s a bit like grandma’s cross 

stitch – will appeal on many 

levels I think.” • 


new season product • 

Greetings from Sydney 

a cool 

patch 

Above: Icon 

Sydney. 

Left: Icon 

Melbourne. 

From a love tattoo to a skull & crossbones, 

Leutenegger has the perfect iron-on 

patch for you to ROCK any outfit. See the 

collection at Spotlight. 

Greetings from Melbourne 

Above: Make a 

unique luggage tag 

with Icon fabric. 

Above: Snake trim–by MT & Rock 

n Roll motifs Below: Grandma 

labels. 

Above: Nursery range (clockwise from top left) Hey Diddle Diddle, Humpty 

Dumpty, Little Red Riding Hood & Three Little Pigs. 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New 

Zealand some stock may vary between stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight 

employee at your nearest store for the best alternative. 


• creative lives 

meet liesl 

YOUR NEW FAVOURITE DESIGNER 

Once a designer for top international fashion brands, 

America’s Liesl Gibson now heads up her own company 

Liesl + Co. and is bringing her distinctive fabrics and 

patterns exclusively to Spotlight in 2012. 

With a distinctive design signature 

that has made her popular with 

sewers worldwide, Liesl describes 

herself as “a very practical girl” who 

loves good design and style. 

“I like a little playfulness,” she 

says, “but I’m not big on passing 

fancies and fleeting trends. I like 

things to last, so quality is important 

to me. And I believe that other people 

appreciate good design too.” 

A graduate of New York’s Fashion 

Institute of Technology, Liesl began 

shopping around for sewing patterns 

when her daughter was born and was 

disappointed with what she found in 

the shops. Her company, Oliver + S, 

was created and soon her pattern 

collection was joined by an Oliver + 

S fabric range. Since then Leisl has 

released her Lisette fabrics collection 

(both adult and children’s versions) 

and all of these will be available at 

Spotlight. 

“Lisette has it completely covered, 

collaborating with only A-grade 

business partners,” says Tim 

Hanrahan, Senior Buyer in Spotlight’s 

Sew department. “We’ll be able to 

present customers with a range of 

beautiful printed apparel fabrics in 

cord, canvas, drills and soft poplins. 

They’re all printed and developed by 

the famous American quilt brand, 

Fabric Traditions. 

“To completely round off the 

experience, Lisette has teamed up 

with the super brand, Simplicity, 

to provide a complete collection of 

patterns for women and children which 

are not only inspirational but truly 

original and developed by Liesl herself. 

The experience is like working in a 

design studio from home – we love it!” 

Liesl grew up around a mother and 

sisters who sewed but, she says, it 

wasn’t until her daughter was born 

and she left her design job that she 

noticed the resurgence of interest 

that sewing was enjoying. Knitters, 

who had been growing in numbers in 

the few years leading up to this, were 

recognising the creative possibilities 

of sewing and Liesl discovered it was 

“a perfect time to be launching a 

pattern line”. 

Aware that sewing isn’t a part of 

life like it was in her mother’s youth, 

instructions in Liesl’s patterns don’t 

assume anything. “I explain what an 

edge stitch is, when to finish the seam 

allowances, etcetera,” she says. “But 

I also like to include little dressmaking 

details that aren’t usually found in 

sewing patterns. Those details might 

take a little more effort to sew, but 

the result is such a beautiful garment 

and gives you such a feeling of 

accomplishment. So the patterns are 

appropriate for sewists of all levels.” 

When Liesl’s collections arrive in 

Spotlight stores there will already be 

plenty of Australian sewers familiar 

with her work. “Australians seem to 

be a very creative bunch,” she says. 

“Right from the start, due to the global 

nature of the Internet and sewing 

blogs, I heard from lots of Australian 

customers who loved our patterns.” 

“A year or so after launching Oliver 

+ S, we added a discussion forum 

section to the website to allow our 

customers to get to know each other 

and to talk about sewing, ask and 

answer sewing questions, offer tips, 

etc. Now there is quite an active group 

on the discussion board, including 

sewists from all over the world who 

congregate digitally to talk about a 

range of topics. Many of the most 

active members are from Australia.” 

Liesl’s friend Laurel, who initially 

suggested she publish sewing 

patterns, now lives in Australia too. 

“Her son is the Oliver of Oliver + S,” 

explains the designer, “so I always 

feel a special connection to Australia, 

since our Oliver lives there!” 

Liesl’s daughter – the ‘S’ in Oliver 

+ S – is six-years-old now so too big to 

be the house model for her mother’s 

Oliver + S collection (the base size 

is a size 3T) but she is still the girl 

paper doll and she often serves as an 

assistant. 


creative lives • 

“Australians seem to be a very creative bunch,” she 

says. “Right from the start, due to the global nature 

of the Internet and sewing blogs, I heard from lots of 

Australian customers who loved our patterns.” 

“We visit her old preschool for 

all the Oliver + S fittings, so I let 

her choose whether to act as the 

photographer or help to dress the 

children when we go,” says Liesl. 

“And lately she’s really enjoyed 

the photography and styling, so I’ll 

certainly be curious to see what she 

does with all these experiences.” 

The experiences and influences that 

come together to fuel each of Liesl’s 

new collections are diverse. 

“Before I start a collection I tend 

to collect a lot of inspiration, pulling 

ideas from found objects, things that 

I’ve seen or photographed, scribbled 

notes and drawings in my sketchbook, 

and then I let them all marinate 

together for a while before something 

starts to come out,” explains the 

designer. “I have some giant bulletin 

boards in my studio where everything 

gets pinned up and moved around and 

stared at for a long time before I really 

start to work ... It’s difficult to explain 

what exactly happens in there, which 

is probably why my husband calls it 

nebulous, but it takes a lot of time and 

can be a lot of fun or quite painful at 

times. I guess that’s just typical of the 

creative process, right?” 

Even now, with being a wife and 

mother and running her own business, 

Liesl still “absolutely” finds time to do 

some sewing. 

“I may only get to sew a seam here 

and there, but I always have at least 

one project I’m working on and usually 

many more than just one,” she says. 

“I need to sew to feed my own creative 

impulses, and I feel strongly that a 

designer of sewing patterns should 

also be a sewer if I’m going to develop 

good patterns. Plus, I just love to sew! 

“I’ve been making lots of Lisette 

patterns for myself and every Friday 

on the Lisette blog we have a feature 

called ‘Wear your Style’ where we 

show how I or someone else has 

assembled an outfit around a Lisette 

style. It’s lots of fun to do, so I’m 

always thinking of different ways to 

sew up the patterns and to show the 

fabrics.” • 

LIESL’S TOP TIP FOR 

BEGINNER SEWERS: 

“I’ve taught a lot of beginning 

sewers and my advice to them is 

to be fearless. It’s just fabric, after 

all! Take a chance, try something 

you’ve never tried, and you’ll learn 

something new. It’s the best way to 

develop new skills and knowledge 

and it’s not a terribly expensive 

pursuit, even if you make a mistake. 

It never hurts to take a class or read 

a sewing book but I’ve found that 

experimentation will teach you all 

sorts of great things.” 

www.sewlisette.com 

@ 


So much more than just edges with the 3034D Overlocker 

Sew seams, trims excess fabric and overlocks raw edges, all in one easy step. Featuring 3 or 4 thread 

cut-and-sew over lock stitches, easy to-follow threading and F.A.S.T. lower looper threading system. 

With the free-arm/flat bed convertible sewing surface for easy control when over locking cuffs and 

sleeves, you’ll save time and produce professional results.

make it • 

e 

overlocked 

scarf 

Materials 

Brother 3034D overlocker (using rolled hem feature) 

Lightweight fabric 30cm x 115cm 

2 small squares of Velcro to blend with 

fabric colour 

3 reels matching thread 

Hand sewing needle with a large eye 

Scissors 

Pins 

Step 1 Set the overlocker to 

rolled hem stitch with blades 

disengaged then thread the 

machine. 

Step 2 Roll hem 

all four sides of the 

fabric, use hand sewing 

needle with a large eye 

to weave in any threads on 

the corners back into the 

rolled hem. 

Step 3 Measure 23cm from 

each end along the top edge and 

mark with a pin. Measure 6.5cm 

from each end along the bottom 

edge and mark with a pin. Create 

six pleats along the angle between 

the pins on the left-hand side until the 

pins meet. Pin and sew the Velcro in 

place catching in the pleats. Repeat for 

the right-hand side. • 

23cm 

23cm 

6.5cm 

Bottom 

6.5cm 


• AQC news 

Below clockwise: ‘Pemberley’ (detail) by Katrina 

Hadjimichael, ‘Garden Party’ by Philippa Naylor & 

‘Northern Lights’ by Rita Hutchens. 

AQC 

question time 

The Australasian Quilt Convention 

(AQC), now in its eighth year, comes 

to Australia again in 2012, from April 

12 to 15 at Melbourne’s historic 

Royal Exhibition Building. Judy 

Newman, Craft Consultant and AQC 

organiser, answers a few questions 

and explains what the 15,000 

expected attendees will discover in 

the aisles and classrooms of this 

annual celebration of the stitch: 

GCQ: How has the quilting scene 

in Australia changed since AQC first 

began? 

Judy: Australian quilters have 

become more acknowledged and 

highly regarded, and the standard of 

knowledge of quilters in classes is 

high. I think that quilters in Australia 

also recognise the quality of our local 

tutors; international tutors are no 

longer always the first to book out 

- bookings are more evenly spread 

across the entire tutor faculty. 

GCQ: What are some of the 

highlights this year in terms of the 

tutor programme? 

Judy: It’s hard to pick - the tutors 

are all fabulous and that’s why they 

were selected. Noriko Endo is the first 

Japanese tutor we’ve had and her 

work is wonderful. There are a lot of 

excited people booked into the four 

day ‘masterclass’ with Kay Haerland, 

all looking forward to making some 

fantastic landscape quilts. Philippa 

Naylor from the UK is highly acclaimed 

and we haven’t seen her before so 

we are looking forward to her classes 

and to seeing her quilts. Sue Daley 

and Katrina Hadjimichael are teaching 

beautiful quilts with a traditional 

flavour and, at the other end of the 

spectrum and definitely not traditional, 

is Lesley Riley with her textile art 

techniques. Lesley has loads of clever 

things to teach. Lesley is teaching on 

two days but will be demonstrating on 

a stand in the AQC Expo on the other 

days. 

GCQ: What are your top tips for 

getting the most out of AQC for the 

first time attendee? 

Judy: I would suggest jump in 

and book a Gold Pass - you get to 

experience the classes, the lunches 

and all the functions in the most 

economical way. Some people book 

a Gold Pass but leave one day free of 

classes so they can go shopping and 

that can be a good idea too. There are 

a few people who are concerned about 

coming to the Gala Dinner alone but 

we assure them they will be seated 

with other quilters and I’m sure they 

won’t be lonely - everyone is friendly 

and out to have fun. 

If full day classes aren’t your thing, 

there are plenty of short seminars to 

do and hands-on sessions. Of course 

the shopping is fantastic and the Quilt 

Show is a unique opportunity to see 

high quality quilts - many that will not 

be seen anywhere else in Australia. 

GCQ: Could you tell us a little about 

the Travelling Friendship Quilt? 

Judy: Eight empty suitcases left 

Maleny, Queensland, in January 

2011 for a one-year journey around 

Australia, returning full of completed 

blocks which are then being made 

into a friendship quilt. The quilt should 

prove to be an interesting snapshot of 

women’s lives around the country. We 

plan to tour it at all of our Craft & Quilt 

Fairs in 2012 so if people visit www. 

craftfair.com.au they will be able to 

check if it is coming to a city nearby. 

GCQ: If you could bring anything in 

the world to Australian stitchers for a 

future AQC - if time and money were 

not in the equation - what would be 

your dream acquisition? 

Judy: I’d love to bring more 

traditional American quilts - old ones 

- and also modern quilts from Japan. 

I think vintage American quilts have 

such a lot of homeliness and classic 

beauty and the Japanese ones are 

loved for their intricacy and artistic 

composition. The detail that many 

modern Japanese quilters have in their 

work is astounding. • 

www.aqc.com.au 

@ 

EXTRA EXTRA 

Don’t miss the Craft and Sewing 

Shows in 2012 which are touring 

the new exhibition ‘Beneath the 

Southern Sky’ and also featuring 

Brenda Gael Smith as guest artist. 

www.craftandsew.com.au 



DS Quilts Collection 

Now available exclusively to Spotlight 

in Australia. 

See the fabulous DS Quilts Collections in store now – 

Salty Aire, Windy Roads, Picnic and Fairground. 

Denyse Schmidt has set the quilting 

world on fire. Her fresh, modern 

approach to this timeless craft has 

inspired a whole new generation of 

sewers and quilters. Denyse is a 

former graphic designer and graduate 

of the Rhode Island School of Design. 

Denyse has been sewing since her 

mother taught her as a young girl. As 

a professional seamstress, Denyse 

has stitched everything from tutus 

and bishop’s miters, to fine clothing. 

Not merely confined to beds, Denyse 

Schmidt’s Couture quilts have recently 

been featured in the Ralph Pucci 

International Gallery Nine in New York 

City and the University of Bridgeport’s 

Arnold Bernhard Center Gallery, among 

many others. 

A trailblaser in the current 

Modern Quilt movement, Denyse 

has inspired a new type of quilter – 

young, unconventional, cutting edge, 

contemporary. Her unique pairing of 

fresh, modern colours and fabrics with 

traditional quilt patterns results in 

singular designs, instantly recognisable 

as Denyse Schmidt Quilts. Her studioproduced 

patterns for the home crafter 

which include ‘Single Girl’ and ‘Stacking 

the Odds’, are at once fresh and rooted 

in tradition. 

Producing both custom and couture 

quilts since 1996, Denyse Schmidt 

Quilts continues to grow. Her licensing 

partnerships include books and 

stationery with Chronicle Books, and 

a new book – featuring twenty of her 

favorite traditional quilt patterns – will 

be published in 2012 by STC Craft. 

Her modern line of quilts for Denyse 

Schmidt Designs for Sarita Handa are 

sold in specialty boutiques worldwide 

and through catalogues including Crate 

and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, 

Sundance, Neiman Marcus, Maine 

Cottage Furniture and ABC Carpet and 

Home. Denyse designs a vintage-inspired 

fabric line for independent shops with 

Free Spirit/Westminster/Rowan, and 

her newest venture – a fabric collection 

designed especially for specialty chains 

for Fabric Traditions. Her first quilt 

pattern for McCall Craft will launch in 

spring 2012. 

A gifted teacher, Denyse inspires 

new as well as seasoned crafters 

with her frequent touring and homebased 

workshops. Her ‘Improvisational 

Patchwork Workshop’ introduces 

students to her intuitive approach to 

quilting. Her encouragement of risktaking 

and exploration in class reveals 

students’ creativity in fresh and 

surprising ways. 

Raised in a textile mill town in central 

Massachusetts, Denyse’s studio is 

located in the historic American Fabrics 

Building in Bridgeport Connecticut. • 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand some stock may vary between 

stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight employee at your nearest store for the best alternative. 


• make it 

e 

Cat in the hat 

QUILT 

Dr Seuss licensed quilting 

fabrics now at Spotlight 


make it • 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

H 

I 

Quilt measures: 43” x 47” 

(109cm x 119cm) 

Materials 

Fabrics are from ‘Dr Seuss’ range 

Dr Seuss panel – Fabric A 

40cm Fabric B – Cat in the Hat Mess 

(yellow) 

50cm Fabric C – Cat in the Hat Spot 

(blue) 

30cm Fabric D – Cat in the Hat Wavey 

Stripe 

40cm Fabric E – The Cat in the Hat 

Words (red) 

40cm Fabric F – Celebrate Seuss Words 

(multi) for binding 

1.3m Fabric G backing– Cat in the Hat 

Allover (blue) 

20cm Prima Homespun – marine (H) 

20cm Prima Homespun – white (I) 

1.3m Sew Easy cotton/bamboo batting 

Matching Gütermann 100% cotton 

thread 




Hand needle 

Sewing machine with ¼” foot and 

walking foot 







All strips are cut across the width of 

fabric unless otherwise stated. 

BLOCKS 

1. Fussy cut ten blocks from the panel. 

Arrange into 3 rows – 3 blocks in top 

row, 4 narrow blocks in middle row and 

remaining 3 blocks in bottom row. 

2. Trim the 3 blocks in top row to the 

same height. Trim the 4 blocks in the 

middle row to the same height. 

3. Cut 2½” strips from marine and 

white homespun and use to add 

borders to blocks in bottom row. Trim 

on an angle making all 3 blocks the 

same height. 

SASHING 

4. From Fabric B cut 3 x 4½” wide 

sashing strips the height of the blocks 

in the middle row. Arrange blocks in 

desired order and sew one sashing 

between blocks 1 and 2, and one 

between 3 and 4. Sew 3rd sashing 

between blocks 2 and 3. Press seams 

to sashings. 

5. From Fabric A cut 2 x 4½” wide 

sashing strips the height of the blocks 

in the top row. Arrange blocks in 

desired order and sew one sashing 

between blocks 1 and 2, the 2nd 

sashing between blocks 2 and 3. Cut 2 

x 3½” sashing strips the height of the 

blocks and sew one to each end of the 

row. Trim row to be the same length as 

the middle row. 

6. From Fabric A cut 2 x 5¼” sashing 

strips the height of the blocks in the 

bottom row. Arrange blocks in desired 

order and sew one sashing between 

blocks 1 and 2, the 2nd sashing 

between blocks 2 

and 3. Trim row to 

be the same length 

as the middle row. 

7. From Fabric C cut 

2 x 4½” strips. Sew 

one strip between 

the top and middle 

rows and the other 

strip between the 

middle and bottom 

rows. 

BORDERS 

8. From Fabric D 

cut 4 x 3½” strips. 

Sew one border 

strip to each side 

of the quilt. Press 

seams towards 

border and trim off 

any excess fabric. 

Sew remaining border strips to the top 

and bottom of the quilt, press and trim 

off any excess fabric. 

QUILTING 

9. Layer backing, batting and quilt top 

together and baste. Quilt as desired. 

FINISHING 

10. From Fabric E cut 5 x 2½” strips 

for binding. Join the strips on the bias 

to make one long strip. Press in half 

lengthwise and bind mitering corners. 

Attach a label or sign and date your 

quilt. • 

Introducing the new 

licensed quilting range 

The new Dr Seuss licensed quilting 

fabrics are ideal for a fun children’s 

quilt as well as cheeky library bags & 

gorgeous nappy pants. Check back 

regularly for more family favourites 

in the Spotlight licensed quilting 

range. Coming soon: Beatrix Potter’s 

beloved Peter Rabbit and Australian 

favourite, Gumnut babies. 


• make it 

i 

beautiful batik 

Quilted tote bags are as practical as they are 

pretty. Easy to store, wash and care for, with 

enough strength to carry a decent swag of 

goodies, you’ll find yourself making these for 

yourself, family & friends. 


make it • 

Materials 

60cm batik fabric – autumn tones 

1.2m batik fabric – neutral tones 

70cm x 250cm quilters muslin 

1m x 90cm medium weight iron-on 

pellon 

Gütermann variegated sulky thread 

– autumn tones 

Gütermann quilting thread – neutral 

tone 

Rotary cutter, ruler & cutting mat 

Sewing machine with drop feed dog 

feature 

Darning/free-motion foot for machine 

Iron 

Quilters safety pins 

Step 1 Cut a piece of the neutral 

batik fabric 35cm x 55cm. Cut a piece 

of both quilters muslin and pellon 

slightly larger (approx 45cm x 65cm) 

than the batik then fuse the pellon to 

the muslin. With pellon right side up, 

centre the batik on top right side up. 

Use safety pins to secure the layers 

together. 

Step 2 Thread machine with 

neutral thread, attach darning foot and 

drop the feed dogs then set machine 

to straight stitch. Begin stitching 

in the centre of the piece and work 

towards the outer edges in circles 

approximately the size of a five cent 

piece. Continue stitching until the 

entire piece is quilted. 

Step 3 Cut a piece of autumn 

tone batik 80cm x 50cm. Cut a piece 

of both quilters muslin and pellon 

slightly larger (approx 90cm x 60cm) 

than the batik then fuse the pellon to 

the muslin. With pellon right side up, 

centre the batik on top right side up. 

Use safety pins to secure the layers 

together. 

Step 4 Thread the machine with 

the variegated sulky thread. Raise the 

feed dogs and replace the darning foot 

with the regular sewing foot. Begin 

straight stitching lines across the 

fabric at varying widths until the entire 

piece is quilted. Add some diagonal 

lines of stitching if desired. 

Step 5 Cut the neutral piece 

(top section) into two pieces each 

measuring 16.5cm x 48cm. Cut the 

autumn tone piece (bottom section) 

into two pieces each measuring 

35.5cm x 48cm. Place each top and 

bottom section together, right sides 

facing, pin and stitch together using 

1cm seam allowance. Press seams 

open. With right sides facing and 

matching seams at side, pin then sew 

bag pieces together along sides and 

across the bottom. 

To create the base, flatten out the 

bottom and match the side seam to 

the seam at the bottom of the bag. 

Pin together and mark 5.5cm down 

from the point and rule across to form 

a triangle to create an 11cm base 

for bag. Stitch across end then add a 

second row of stitching 5mm from the 

first. Trim seam to 1.5cm, cutting off 

the point. Repeat for the other end of 

the base. Turn right side out and press. 

Fold top edge over 4cm, press and pin 

in place. 

Step 6 For the handles cut two 

10cm x 80cm strips and two 4cm x 

80cm pieces of pellon. Fuse pellon to 

the centre of wrong side of the fabric. 

Fold one long edge of fabric over the 

pellon, press other long edge 1cm to 

the wrong side then fold over pellon. 

Stitch down the centre of the handle 

to secure then add one more row of 

stitching on each side approximately 

5mm from edges. Fold each end of 

handles over 2cm to the back and 

press. Stitch handles to front and back 

of the bag 10cm in from side seams 

aligning bottom of the handles with 

bottom of the top section of the bag. 

Step 7 To create lining for bag cut 

two 48cm x 52cm pieces from the 

neutral batik. Stitch side seams and 

bottom seam then create the base 

same as for the bag but do not turn 

right side out. Fold top edge over 4cm 

to wrong side and press. Insert lining 

into bag matching side seams, pin 

and stitch lining to bag around the top 

edge. • 

Note: Quilt the fabrics as much or as 

little as desired. 

What is Batik? 

Batik is the process of dyeing 

fabric that has patterns drawn on 

it with wax. The wax resists the 

dye, creating beautiful organiclooking 

finishes. It orginates from 

Indonesia and examples of the 

technique can be found everywhere 

from Asia to Egypt and Nigeria. 

For a gorgeous modern take on traditional prints, check out our ‘Earth’ & ‘Ocean batik fabrics, in store now. 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand some stock may vary between stores or sell out. 

Ask a Spotlight employee at your nearest store for the best alternative. 



Tool talk 

1 5 

2 3 

4 

1.Beeswax & holder 

Used for hand quilting, this product 

keeps threads from tangling and helps it 

glide through fabric when hand sewing. 

2. Button hole spacer 

This little measuring tool has a couple 

of different uses. Most commonly you 

would use it at the sewing machine or 

with fabric spread on an ironing board 

to ensure your seams are uniform in 

size but also, of course, it’s for ensuring 

you’re creating an even amount of space 

between button holes and that you have 

enough room to get the button through 

the hole in the garment or object you’re 

sewing. 

3. Magnetic seam guide 

This little charmer helps you stitch 

even seams, tucks, and pleats without 

marking. It’s great if your eyesight’s not 

perfect but, really, can be useful to any 

sewer. You put the fabric against the 

edge 

of the guide and 

stitch away. You’ll always 

achieve uniform seam widths. 

Not for use on computerised 

machines. 

4.Loop turner 

This long wire with a tiny hook turns 

fabric ‘tunnels’ so you can create 

spaghetti straps, or other narrow cords 

or straps. A ‘must have’ for sewers the 

turner is also handy for anyone needing 

to retrieve elastic or cording that has 

gone ‘awol’. 

5. Hemming tape 

For beginner sewers and sewing 

emergencies – this is another essential 

in your sewing kit. Great for quick 

hemming jobs; you just iron it on. The 

double-sided adhesive on hemming tape 

creates a strong bond to last through 

repeated washes. It’s great for patching 

garments or for saving time when it 

comes to hemming curtains. • 


make it • 

e 

Button o’clock 

Materials 

21cm wooden embroidery hoop 

Bella! red fusion paper 

12 white buttons in assorted sizes 

Clock hands & clock movement 

Scissors 


Tailors awl 

Step 1 Unscrew and remove 

the outer frame of embroidery 

hoop then apply a strip of doublesided 

tape around the outside 

of the inner hoop. Cut a circle of 

paper to fit around the inner hoop 

and fold over the edge of the 

hoop, cut short slits at the edge 

to ease the paper over the edge. 

Remove the backing paper from 

the tape and stick the paper in 

place. 

Step 2 Replace the outer 

frame and screw to secure in 

place. Attach buttons for numbers 

on the face of the covered hoop. 

Step 3 Mark the centre of the 

hoop and use an awl to poke a 

hole through the paper. Attach the 

clock movement and hands, put 

in a battery and set the time. • 

Option – Cover the inner hoop 

with fabric instead of paper. 


• make it 

i 

quilted 

cushion covers 


make it • 

Materials (for 1 cushion) 

8 x assorted spots & stripes fabrics 

60cm white Prima homespun 

60cm x 60cm square white quilters 

muslin 

60cm x 60cm square Sew Easy cotton/ 

bamboo batting 

White Gütermann 100% cotton thread 




Sewing machine with ¼” foot & 

walking foot 







CUTTING 

• From white homespun cut – two 

18½” x 15” pieces for cushion back 

and set aside; 8 x 5” squares; 4 x 2” 

squares (Block A) and 4 x 2½” squares 

(Block B). 

• From each of 4 stripe fabrics cut – 

two 2” x 5” strips (Block A) and 2 x 2” 

squares (Block A). 

• From each of 4 remaining spot/ 

stripe fabrics cut – two 1¾” x 5” 

strips (Block B) and two 1¾” x 2½” 

rectangles (Block B). 

BLOCKS 

Block A – make 4 

1. Sew a 2” stripe fabric square (Block 

A) to one side of a 2” white homespun 

square. Sew the matching 2” stripe 

fabric square to the opposite side 

of the white square. Press seams to 

stripe fabric. 

2. Sew a 2” x 5” strip of the same 

stripe fabric to the top and bottom 

of step 1. Press seams to the stripe 

fabric. 

Block B – make 4 

3. Sew a 1¾” x 2½” spot/stripe fabric 

rectangle (Block B) to one side of a 

2½” white homespun square. Sew the 

matching 1¾” x 2½” spot/stripe fabric 

rectangle to the opposite side of the 

white square. Press seams to spot/ 

stripe fabric. 

4. Sew a 1¾” x 5” strip of the same 

spot/stripe fabric to the top and 

bottom of step 3. Press seams to the 

spot/stripe fabric. 

FRONT 

5. Arrange blocks A and B alternating 

with white 5” squares as desired. 

6. Sew 4 blocks in each row together. 

Press seams in each row in opposite 

direction to row before. 

7. Sew rows together; press seams in 

one direction. 

QUILTING 

8. With batting on top of quilters 

muslin place cushion front on top of 

batting and smooth out any creases. 

Pin together in the centre of Blocks A 

and B and quilt as desired. Trim away 

excess batting and muslin. 

BACK 

9. Take the two 18½” x 15” pieces of 

white homespun and along one 18½” 

long edge of each piece, press under 

½” then another ½” and topstitch. 

Press. 

10. With front facing right side up place 

one back piece face down with raw 

edges aligned at top and sides and 

hemmed edge across the centre. Place 

remaining back piece face down on top 

aligning raw edges at bottom and sides 

with centre edge overlapping. Pin and 

sew together on all four sides using 

¼” seam allowance. Trim corners, turn 

through to right side and press. Place 

insert into cushion cover with back 

edges overlapping. • 

Block A 

Block B 

Block C 


• sew trends 

Starlet 

Film Noir 

SEW STORY 

Spotlight’s autumn winter fabric collections represent 

the hottest fashion trends, translated into weights and 

colours chosen specifically for Australasian climates. 

New fabrics at Spotlight this 

season reflect the more moderate 

climate we generally experience 

here as opposed to our European and 

North American fashion loving friends. 

As Tim Hanrahan, business manager 

in Spotlight’s Sew department 

explains, the season in our region 

can be quite short but we still want 

to take part in international fashion 

trends. To this end lightweight and 

trans-seasonal fabrics have been 

sourced that suit current fashion 

looks. 

Starlet, Pop Colour, Femme Fatale, 

The Hunter, The Free Spirit and 

Film Noir are the six fun collection 

names that have been designed for 

Spotlight’s autumn winter fashion 

fabric collections. 

Starlet takes sewers into the 

‘Mad Men’ era of the 1960s with looks 

like the classic Chanel boucle tweed 

knit jacket, lots of matching garments 

– skirts and jackets – in lovely peach 

and pinks. The fabrics in this collection 

are very textured and suits of colour 

can be worn in similar tones but in 

different textures. As Tim explains, 

these fabrics will be introduced slowly 

through autumn and winter and will 

remain a great choice for garments 

leading into summer. 

Pop Colour describes a group 

of colours and designs reminiscent 

of Warhol’s pop art days and the 

fabric designs of the ‘Mod’ era. On 

the floor at your local Spotlight store 

you’ll find loads of polyester sheers, 

plenty of clear colours and great 

geometric patterns. These designs 

suit homewares as much as garments 

so consider using ‘pops’ of colour 

throughout the house. 

Femme Fatale is part of a general 

return to grown-up, sophisticated 

and glamorous forms. Rich jewel-like 

colours such as gold and purple are 

presented in equally lustrous fabrics 

– velvet and textured pile in particular. 

Look at these fabrics for scarfs, 

cushions and bedspreads as well as 

complete garments. Tone down bright 

colours with attractive astrakhan 

collars or wide waist-cinching belts. 

The Hunter is another true 

winter collection that brings to mind 

images of wild green woods, bracing 

country walks and views through rain 

spattered windows. “This is a less 

serious version of the equestrian or 

hunting lodge looks we have seen 

previously,” says Tim. “There are lots 

of tonal classics here, tonal layering 

and an underlying free spirit.” Tweeds, 

herringbone, pinstripes, brushed felts 

and melton wool (95 per cent wool, 

five per cent nylon) can all be found 

in this collection. These are great for 

making jackets and heavy looking, 

light weight coats. And they’re much 

easier to sew than some of the satins 

and chiffons that have been popular in 

previous seasons. “These will be great 

for homewares too,” says Tim. 

Also in The Hunter area you will find 

trims – faux snakeskin for example – 

as well as iron on motifs (black and 

gold tattoo designs), real brocade and 

jacquards and a lot of faux fur. Much 

of the fur is now in pre-cut formats so 

you can buy as much or as little as you 

like (perfect for adding to collars and 

cuffs etcetera). 

The Free Spirit is a look tailormade 

for the creative rebels out there. 

Decorative patterns, hand crafted 

elements, raw finishes and tribal 

influences define this collection. Ikat 

and chunky yarn dyed patterns fall 

within this collection as do natural 

fibres including linen. The colour 

pool includes green, blue, ochre, tan, 

orange and gorgeous fuchsia.” 


sew trends • 

SIMPLICITY, defined ... 

While in the USA recently Spotlight’s Sew team met 

with Judy Raymond, the senior vice president of brand 

management and licensing for the Simplicity Creative Group. 

Blown away by the remarkable trend-setting standards now 

found within Simplicity patterns, and inspired by Judy’s 

passion about the future of home sewing, we asked her to 

explain something of the Simplicity philosophy... 

Film Noir is the well dressed villain 

in the autumn winter fashion story. All the “Our approach is essentially 

sewers who hated the maxi dress and to offer designs that attract the 

the free-flowing and billowy silhouettes fashion forward gals (of all ages) 

of recent summers will be rubbing their who really respond to trends, while 

hands together with glee over this trend. keeping our long term customer on 

Spotlight loves ‘killer’ fashion too so 

board, satisfying her fashion needs 

the Sew department is presenting the and raising her sewing skill level,” 

colour palette – silver, black, ash and says Judy. “For our design team 

charcoal – plus the trims – faux leather, it’s a constant, massive editing job 

houndstooth – to bring this look to life. to understand the trends and their 

“Classic patterns, conservative but with a evolution from season to season 

subversive twist, is how I would describe (or decade to decade). The trends 

this trend,” says Tim. “I’d love to see 

are everywhere and accessible to 

confident sewers trying their hand at stab everyone so it’s important to be in 

stitch jackets that shape and flatter, as sync with our shoppers. 

well as the androgynous suits and so 

“Our ‘Inspired by Project 

forth that will be dominant. “Wait til you 

see our blown out hounds tooth patterns. 

Once again a lot of these fabrics can be 

used in garments but would make great 

bags and soft furnishings.” • 




Runway’ collection has really 

pushed the pattern envelope (so 

to speak), enabling us to provide 

the latest and greatest looks with 

some intricate fashion details 

that make each item special. Our 

‘Suede Says’ collection (as seen 

in issue four of GCQ) is super cool, 

young and hip ... and Suede is 

out there, meeting, greeting and 

teaching, so he’s been a terrific 

partner. And – news flash - we’ve 

just signed the season five Project 

Runway winner, Leanne Marshall, 

to design for Simplicity! Leanne’s 

looks will be featured in our spring 

2012 collection with an emphasis 

on the prettiest party dresses with 

a couture touch.” 

Judy says that another important 

activity for Simplicity is sewing 

education. “We really must enable 

and empower more people to sew, 

especially teens,” she explains. 

“Sewing does so much for self 

esteem so we are very involved 

with sewing camps and classes - 

getting the word and techniques 

out there.” 

Judy thinks the next five 

years will bring home sewing 

to even greater levels. ‘Apps’ 

(downloadable applications for 

phones, laptops and more) related 

to sewing will grow and sewing 

machines will be more fun than 

ever, featuring touch pads and 

maybe even voice activation. 

“Creativity will remain the 

number one reason to sew,” she 

says. “Economics will become 

more important, not in the sense 

of ‘saving by sewing’ but in the 

sense of having more stuff through 

sewing and being a force for self 

expression.” • 



dream job 

Above: The reversible wrap 

Ever stood entranced in front of a range 

of mouth-watering fabrics, as if in a 

sweetie shop, thinking about how you 

could put them together? 

Designer and teacher Monica Poole is no 

different – she even dreams about quilt 

and fashion designs and follows them up 

the next day. 

“I recently dreamt about a little 

girl’s skirt – it had a pocket with frills 

and a little A-line skirt with a frill 

around the hem,” says the mum of 

two teenagers who spends three days 

a week teaching and the other two at 

home working on designs. That dream 

is now featured on one of her many 

sewing patterns. 

“I often dream about designs, 

then I’ll source the fabric, come 

to the studio and start cutting up 

and drawing and 

taking notes and 

photographs,” says 

Monica, who was 

taught to sew as 

a teenager by her 

Mum and later went 

on to study pattern 

making and design 

and worked as a 

designer before her 

daughter, now 18, 

was born. 

She is now 

based on the Central Coast in NSW, 

designing from her home studio, 

and has a website: www.moonshinedesigns.com. 

Monica loves cotton quilting fabric. 

She uses it in most of her designs, 

ranging from funky bags and colourful 

reversible wrap skirts to quilts that 

“I often dream about 

designs, then I’ll source 

the fabric, come to 

the studio and start 

cutting up and drawing 

and taking notes 

and photographs”, 

says Monica 

make you want to reach into your 

stash and get sewing. 

Her first book, Quilt As You Go - The 

Moonshine Way, makes quilting even 

easier. Often a problem for quilters 

(novices and devotees) is they spend 

so much time doing the creative stuff 

– the patchwork and/or appliqué on 

the top of the quilt – that finishing off 

the quilt with batting, the back and 

the binding seems a chore. 

The technique of quilt as you go 

– at the same 

time as piecing 

the top of the 

quilt, you also 

sew together the 

three layers of 

top, batting and 

back so when 

you finish all you 

need to do is the 

binding round the 

sides - is by no 

means exclusive 

to Monica as 

it’s been used by quilters all over the 

world for generations. 

But her designs using the 

technique – sewing ‘trams’ of bias 

strips with fusible web over the 

exposed seams on the top of the 

quilt - offer the possibility of throwing 

together a quilt in just a day or 

two. Yes, you’d have to spend the 



Left: The day tripper. Below from top: 

Fancy Free and Peacock’s Garden quilts.. 

Monica loves cotton quilting fabric. She uses it in 

most of her designs, ranging from funky bags and 

colourful reversible wrap skirts to quilts that make 

you want to reach into your stash and get sewing. 

previous day doing all the cutting and 

organising of the bias tape, but once 

you start sewing, the hard bit is over. 

To make the quilts she uses a 

one-inch bias tape, which she makes 

with her Clover bias tape maker. Other 

favourite tools for sewing in general 

include her Japanese Kai scissors – 

she likes the micro serration which 

stops the fabric from slipping and 

uses the larger size for cutting fabric. 

Like all sewers, she has a favourite 

machine and hers is the Pfaff 

Expression 4. Most-used presser feet 

are the open toe for appliqué, the 

quarter inch for piecing, the walking 

foot for quilting, the zipper foot for 

piping and the ruffler foot for sewing 

frills on hems. She also loves her 

overlocker for the professional finish 

on seams. 

For those new to quilting, she 

suggests buying a cutting board, 

rotary cutter and ruler (sold at 

Spotlight) and starting off by cutting 

out squares and sewing them 

together. She’s seeing a “sewing 

revolution” with younger women 

coming to quilting and wanting to sew 

and make their own home decorations 

as well as kids’ clothes. 

Her day starts at 5am with two 

hours spent writing up patterns in her 

home studio, before getting her son 

ready for school. She has an ideas 

board where she’ll pin fabrics for 

inspiration, or she lays rolls of fabrics 

on the floor to get a feel of what 

combinations work best. 

Ask her whether her studio is tidy, 

she laughs. “Sometimes – although 

every time I start a new project I tidy 

my sewing room so I’m working in a 

clean environment.” Fabric is stored 

in big plastic tubs, “though all of my 

more recent ones are sitting on a 

shelf in the studio – that way I can 

look at them all the time and think 

about how I’ll use them,” she adds. 

Threads are kept in a large plastic 

fruit bowl so she can quickly find the 

ones she wants. And presser feet for 

her sewing machine are stored in a 

little sewing box. “I love my special 

equipment and I keep it nicely,” she 

About our columnist 

Sydney-based Deb Cleveland is a journalist 

who writes mostly on finance but is mad 

about sewing. Taught by her mum Patti to sew 

as a teenager in Cape Town, South Africa, 

she sews quilts, clothes and has too many 

UFOs (unfinished objects) to count. 

says with a smile. • 


• design news 

RMIT students 

design nursery fabrics for Spotlight 

b l o g s 

& sites to watch. 

Last year Spotlight was a proud 

participant in RMIT’s Young Essentials 

Project (YEP), a programme aimed 

at providing merchandising students 

with the opportunity to work to a 

commercial brief for leading Australian 

fashion retailers. Spotlight gave one 

group of students the opportunity to 

see their class work transformed into 

a real product line. This innovative 

course gives students a broad based 

understanding of critical areas such 

as fashion product development, 

supply chain, marketing, CAD/IT, 

merchandising and planning. 

Right: Christine Clark, Quentin Gracanin, 

Robyn Lyons & Zac Fried. 

Left: (From left to right) 

Rachel Alfonsi, Francesca 

Gelai, Cheyney Herron, 

Jordana-Lee Pearce, Alicia 

Chan and Rima Al-Bay are 

the members of HATCH, 

students from the Royal 

Melbourne Institute of 

Technology’s Associate 

Degree in Fashion and 

Textiles Merchandising. 

Their collection of printed 

fabrics for the nursery 

will be produced and for 

sale in Spotlight stores 

nationally in February and 

it will be called HATCH. 

The students behind the HATCH fabric 

design are aged 19 to 23. Their work was 

chosen to go into production by Spotlight 

because, after an intensive feedback 

process, it so exactly matched the 

company’s brief. According to the students, 

the HATCH concept is “based on kids and 

creativity and what they (the consumers) 

actually want to buy”. 

Left: Part of the presentation kit from HATCH. 

“Our Mums are certainly 

proud and can’t help but 

tell everyone they know!” 

says the HATCH team. 

www.pepperdesignblog.com (a 

collage of handmade projects 

and DIY ideas – great for home 

renovators), sallycampbelltextiles. 

blogspot.com (after 25 years 

designing sets and costumes for 

Australian films, this blogger now 

designs handmade textiles), www. 

quiltdad.com (delightful musings 

of a New York father of three who 

loves to make quilts), ispy-diy. 

blogspot.com (Manhattan’s Jenni 

works at a fashion magazine and 

uses DIY techniques to emulate 

the fashion looks of New York’s 

most stylish women), littlesnoring. 

blogspot.com (one Tassie gal’s 

collections of favourite ideas 

to fuel her jewellery, toy sewing 

and homeware making hobbies), 

handmaderomance.blogspot.com 

(Melbourne graphic designer posts 

about her own handmade creations 

as well as inspiration), yarnchick. 

blogspot.com (irreverent sci-fi 

loving crochet addict). 


100% DANCE 

100% DANCE 

100% DANCE 

Designing for dress ups at home 

or outfitting a complete dance 

troupe, gymnastic team, callisthenics 

team or school production, Spotlight is 

now home to all your dance needs. 

With our 100% Dance range you 

can create the simplest to the most 

extravagant of costumes. Our range has 

been designed in collaboration with one 

of the most respected importers in the 

business. 

Digital 

Spandex 

Polyester 

Chiffon 

Glitter Chiffon 

Two Way 

Stretch Velvet 

Shiny Nylon 

Spandex 

Printed Spot 

Spandex 

Two Way 

Stretch Mesh 

Glass Organza 

Start with a basic Shiny Nylon Spandex, 

add our exclusive Digital range, drape 

with our matching chiffon and trim with 

our satin, finish it off with our gorgeous 

glass organza and you’re ready to 

perform. We also offer a fabulous fashion 

rotation in Glitter Velvets and Hologram 

Spandex’s. These ranges change four 

times a year so get in quick. 

Spotlight backs up this comprehensive 

fabric collection with patterns and relevant 

haberdashery including sequins, rhinestones, 

feathers, netting, limelight trims and more. 

Polyester 

Satin 

Polyester 

Chiffon 

Shiny Nylon 

Spandex 

For your nearest store visit 

spotlight.com.au, spotlight.co.nz or spotlight.com.sg

Prima plain dyed cotton homespun is 

the quilter’s first choice when selecting a 

premium fabric. 

With over 50 shades available in store, 

explore and co-ordinate with our large range 

of colours and prints. 

Prima homespun is available by the metre, 

as well as in flat fats and fabric bundles. 

Our fabric contains mercerised cotton 

that has been pre-shrunk, quality tested 

and dyed with superior dyestuffs. 

Available exclusively at 

email: sales@caprice.com.au 

Phone: 03 99 222 500

creative living • 

we’re in a transitional period of awareness 

So does this mean consumers, her 

readers, are truly interested in the 

provenance of their garments? 

“Yes and no,” she says. “I don’t 

have any statistics, of course, but I 

feel we’re in a transitional period of 

awareness, with half of the world still 

not giving a toss where their polyester 

comes from ... and the other half 

seeing the issues in a sophisticated, 

futuristic and more caring way.” 

The latter half, of which she 

considers herself a part, are “trying 

to slow down spending on fad fashion 

and thinking more about quality, backorganic 

& ethical... 

ETHICS – THE NEW TREND IN FASHION 

There was a time when the words ethics and fashion had no business being neighbours in the same 

sentence. There was a time when the world’s poorest people would have no involvement with the world’s 

richest fashion houses. There was a time when discarded materials or ‘recyclable’ objects would never make 

their way to the windows of department stores. There was a time when cashed-up fashion consumers cared 

only how their garments looked, not what their impact on the earth and its inhabitants was. Times change... 

These days we’re expected to 

know the origins of so many of the 

products we use, from the milk we 

serve our children to the wood that’s 

used in our kitchen tables. And 

fashion is no different. Each week we 

learn of new organisations that are 

focussing on the behind-the-scenes 

of fashion production and many 

designers are doing amazing things 

to give back to the communities 

around the world who have long 

provided labour in the name of style. 

Jan Breen Burns, fashion editor 

at The Age newspaper in Melbourne, 

says the ethical fashion concept “has 

been kicking around for a decade or 

so” but used to be very niche and the 

products often somewhat anti-fashion 

- “hippy sacks” as she calls them. 

“In the past four to six years there’s 

been a steady increase in the number 

of good boutique fashion brands also 

mentioning ‘eco-friendly’ practices and 

organic and ethical processes in their 

marketing material,” says Jan. “I think 

this is a natural consequence of global 

conversations getting louder around 

pollution and toxic industries, climate 

change, Armageddon etc... .” 


• creative living 

fashion & 

sustainability... 

story and the life-cycle of clothes, and 

are willing to pay more for it all”. 

The Clean Clothes Campaign is an 

example of a group concerned with 

the rights and health of workers in 

the global garment and sportswear 

industries. It raises issues with 

governments, the media and 

consumers and encourages fashion 

producers to examine their practices. 

Such was the case when Versace, 

Gucci and Levi decided to stop using 

sandblasted denim. The sandblasting 

that gives jeans a used or worn look 

also contributes to a potentially lethal 

pulmonary disease in the workers who 

carry it out. 

On the opposite side of the coin are 

the individual designers or labels that 

are going directly into impoverished 

communities and working with them 

to create decorative components or 

complete garments and accessories 

that benefit everyone involved. 

The Polly & Me collection, ‘Peace 

of Cake’, was launched at the 2011 

Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. 

Australian designer Cath Braid began 

Polly & Me in 2003 as a social 

enterprise, working with around 1000 

female embroiderers in 19 centres 

across the remote valley of Chitral 

in Pakistan, to create the signature 

hand-embroidered cloth that adorns 

the label’s handbags, clutches and 

wallets. The aim is to encourage rural 

artisans to utilise their traditional craft 

in a contemporary way, promoting selfsufficiency 

and dignity. 

After the 

catastrophic 2010 

earthquake in Haiti 

American designer, 

Donna Karan, 

visited the island. 

According to Jan Breen Burns, 

other local fashion designers working 

hard to do the right thing are Alex 

Trimmer from Sosume, Rachel Bending 

from Bird Textiles and Lisa Gorman 

(Gorman). 

“These are all interesting designers 

who could tell you about the struggle 

to stick to your green principles, and 

the kind of compromises they will and 

won’t make, to compete in a market 

that still privileges fast, cheap, fashion 

with no ethics to speak of,” says Jan. 

Overseas the trend is developing 

in exciting ways too. Last year 

Deana Bianco, the UK-based editor 

of Runawaynow.com, a trend setting 

travel website, wrote an article about 

Ilaria Venturini Fendi (from the famous 

Fendi Italian fashion house) who was 

creating handbags made 100 per cent 

in Africa. 

“I wrote the article for the Eco 

Tourism section of our site,” explains 

Deana. “I write with my friends in 

mind; places they want to visit, things 

they want to do. People want to travel 

but they want to know they aren’t 

leaving a carbon footprint wherever 

they visit.” 

Deana says Stella McCartney 

was one of the first designers she 

remembers discussing ethical fashion. 

“I remember reading that she wouldn’t 

use leather or fur in her collection and 

I thought that was pretty punk,” says 

Deana. “The term really stuck with me 



Changing lives 

one stitch at a time 

This bag is hand-made 

and fair labour item lovingly 

created by women in the 

Stitch In Time 

program in Cambodia. 

Jan Breen Burns, 

fashion editor, The Age 

because it combines two things I loved 

- fashion and sustainability. I don’t 

know who first coined it but bravo to 

them!” 

In Deana’s mind the popularity 

of environmentally conscious labels 

shows that consumers care about 

the story behind the creation of their 

garment. “We are conscious of the 

food we eat so why not think about 

what we wear in the same light?” 

she asks. 

After the catastrophic 2010 

earthquake in Haiti American designer, 

Donna Karan, visited the island, 

looking for ways to help the community 

use its natural resources and artisans 

to get back on its feet. As she wrote 

in a blog on her website, “ ... the 

vision for Haiti is simple: help Haiti 

help itself ... create business models 

that can be properly marketed and 

distributed throughout the US and 

Europe. As an American designer and 

businesswoman, I have a good sense 

of what makes a product desirable 

to the western consumer”. Donna’s 

spring 2012 collection was all Haitian 

inspired, assisted by famous Haitian 

artist Philippe Dodard. 

Last year Dame Vivienne 

Westwood, now 70, turned her 

attention to the people of Nairobi. 

She described the endeavour as, “Not 

charity, just work” and created the 

Ethical Fashion Africa Collection of 

handbags and totes using everything 

from old rubber thongs to roadside 

advertising banners and old tent 

fabric. The bags are available online. 

The collection was produced in 

collaboration with The Ethical Fashion 

Programme, a joint agency of the 

United Nations and the World Trade 

Organisation, which connects some of 

the world’s most marginalised people 

to fashion’s international movers and 

shakers. It enables communities of 

artisans and micro-manufacturers - 

the majority of them women - to thrive 

in association with the talents of the 

fashion world. • 

LINKS 

• www.cleanclothes.org 

• www.pollyandme.com 

• www.fairlabor.org 

Spotlight and 

Fair Trade 

Spotlight’s Stitch in Time bags, 

available in your local Spotlight 

store, are made by women living 

in impoverished circumstances in 

various regions. 

Spotlight first took sewing 

machines and sewing teachers 

overseas (to Uganda) via its Stitch 

in Time (SIT) programme in 2008. 

Since then Cambodia, Vietnam and 

Australia’s Northern Territory have 

all become involved. Down the track 

Nepal and Kabul could also receive 

SIT centres. 

As Spotlight’s director of 

marketing, Jono Gelfand, says, 

“The idea is to empower these 

women to make an income. We 

enter into commercial and fair trade 

agreements where, for instance, 

the sewers in Cambodia make 

1,000 bags per month. Our aim is 

that we are simply their first clients 

and, once people see the work the 

women are capable of, they can 

grow their business.” • 

@ www.spotlight.com.au/ 

community-support 


• spotlight news 

Designs by Laura Anderson 

Spotlight helps new 

Australian designers 

explore the world 

In the last two years Spotlight has presented Melbourne Spring Fashion Week’s (MSFW) RMIT Student Prize. 

This Prize goes to an outstanding graduating RMIT fashion student & includes a one month internship in Milan, 

Melbourne’s sister-city & a hotspot for global fashion design. Spotlight provides thousands of dollars 

in sponsorship funds to assist the winner to reach his or her potential. 

The 2010 winner 

was Laura Anderson 

who spent a month 

with Costume 

National in Milan. 

She returned to 

Melbourne in March 

2011 to fulfill an ambassadorial role 

with MSFW before returning to Milan to 

undertake additional study at Istituto 

Marangoni, one of the city’s leading 

design schools. Now based in Sydney 

where she is working to further her 

career, Laura took time out recently 

to speak to Get Creative Quarterly 

about the impact the Award has had 

on her life. 

GCQ: How did both Costume 

National and Istituto Marangoni affect 

your design process and your work? 

Laura: One of the best parts of this 

experience was seeing how the design 

system works in Italy and the way that 

design is taught. Istituto Marangoni 

is an incredibly well regarded school 

in Milan (and internationally), in fact 

many of the designers at Costume 

National studied there. Their approach 

to design is commercially based but 

always with exceptional quality. 

The access to fabrics and trims was 

also incredible. I think commercial 

viability whilst innovating was 

something I definitely took from this 

– as well as working with a lot more 

colour! 

GCQ: How has winning the award 

impacted on you overall? 

Laura: The award gave me an 

incredible opportunity to experience 

Europe and see how my work fits 

into an international context. It was 

also an incredible recognition of what 

I’m doing which has given me the 

confidence to keep pushing it and 

pursuing what I love. 

GCQ: We have many young readers 

keen to pursue careers in fashion 

design. When choosing courses what 

would you tell them are the most 

important things to look for in course 

structures and what skills will they 

most need once they enter “the real 

world”? 

Laura: I think when you are 

studying fashion there are two really 

important areas to learn. The first 

is how to develop really original 

concepts and work that is innovative 

and challenging. I think this area is 

about developing ‘design thinking’ and 

looking at the many different forms 

fashion can take. The second set of 

skills that I consider important in the 

‘real world,’ is having a good business 

understanding as well as the technical 

knowledge to execute your work. It’s 

an important balance to have and to 

look for when choosing a course. 

GCQ: What are you doing now 

in Sydney? What are your plans for 

2012? 

Laura: After coming back from 

Europe I really felt like moving to a new 

city and seeing what opportunities 

might come from it. Currently I am 

looking at collaborating with the 

Danish company MUUSE, which is a 

great platform for helping graduate 

designers move into the next stage 

with their work. I have also just found 

out I am a finalist for the incredible 

Australians In New York Fashion 

Foundation (AINYFF) Award, which 

is extremely exciting and a great 

opportunity to produce new work. So 

my plans for 2012 could hopefully 

see me in New York and, if not, 


spotlight news • 

Above & left: Laura Anderson designs 

then definitely pursuing new work/ 

collaboration opportunities. 

GCQ: When in Milan, where was your 

favourite shopping haunt? 

Laura: Milan was incredible for 

shopping but Corso Como 10 was by far 

my favourite. It was founded by gallery 

owner and publisher Carla Sozzani and 

is dedicated to art, fashion and design. 

An incredible and inspiring space with 

some of the world’s best designers - I 

visited many times! 

GCQ: What was the name of the 

collection you submitted to win the 

award and what would you say set your 

work apart? 

Laura: The collection was my major 

graduate project and was called Minimal 

Surface. This collection was based 

around an initial bodysuit I created for 

the Triumph Inspiration Awards - an 

international lingerie competition. The 

bodysuit was formed around the idea 

of visual sensation and inspired by the 

work of early 20th century geometric 

chronophotographer, Etienne Jules- 

Marey, who explored the documentation 

of movement through his pioneering 

photographic techniques. 

Below: 2011 winner Anisha Bhoyro. 

Left: Anisha’s winning design style. 

What I took from Marey’s work was 

And meet the 

an idea of exploring visual movement, 

specifically applied to lingerie through 2011 winner ... 

print. I started working on the stand 

Twenty three-year-old Anisha 

with scaled print photocopies to 

Bhoyro is the epitome of the 

design the garment and began to 

industrious, ingenious and hard 

develop a method of creating the print working modern student. She 

through patternmaking, whereby each completed the pieces entered 

component informed the other. The 

for Melbourne Spring Fashion 

print I created was formed through the Week’s RMIT Student Prize 

use of manual heat sublimation transfer whilst working in retail, studying 

printing; a paper based print process, and doing an internship at 

which results in each pattern piece 

avant-garde Melbourne design 

being an individual print. 

studio, MATERIALBYPRODUCT. 

This first bodysuit piece, and the 

Anisha’s winning collection, 

subsequent textile research to create Precious Threads, was designed 

it, informed the making of the rest of around the idea of removing 

the collection as I began to design 

wastage from the fashion 

around the idea of integrating it into design and production process. 

my graduate show. Through applying 

“I wasn’t sure of my chances 

techniques such as laser cutting into when I entered my pieces,” she 

leather and wool felt I was able to 

says. “My work is quite subtle, 

experiment and extend the possibilities it lacks the traditional ‘wow’ 

of the print as well as see how it 

factor and I wondered if that 

translated into garments beyond 

would work against it.” 

lingerie. This collection was in many 

Stay tuned for updates from 

ways inspired by design process, textile Anisha when she too completes 

and lingerie technique research, and her Milan internship! 

the early exploration into the idea of 

• 

visual sensation. • 



Inspire, decorate and create the 

new season look with Custom 

Made curtains from Spotlight. 

Consultants from Spotlight’s Custom Made department 

at team training at Roman Empire. 

The possibilities of the type of curtains you can choose 

are almost endless. We offer a versatile range of 

fabric, from bold, rich colours to smooth neutrals for 

an understated look. Curtains offer an effective way to 

reduce heat loss through your windows and create a 

block out effect with the use of our quality curtain linings. 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand some stock may vary 

between stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight employee at your nearest store for the best alternative. 



custom 

Individually made for you 

Custom made curtains, blinds and 

shutters bring the ultimate designer look 

into your home, allowing you to create 

window furnishings uniquely made for you. 

We’ll come to you! 

Across Australia and New Zealand, 

Spotlight has over 100 trained 

professionals who can advise you on 

curtains and blinds to suit your home, 

style and budget. 

We offer a free of charge, obligation-free, 

in-home measure and quote service. 

Make an appointment today for a 

home consultation and: 

· Explore a designer world of fabrics from 

around the world – Australia, Turkey, Italy, 

India, Pakistan and more 

· Discover different blind types, new 

technologies and fabrications available. 

· Bring the outdoors in with our 

customised window solutions 

· Find the perfect decorator 

rods and finials 

WE CAN DO IT ALL... 

• Curtains & Sheers 

• Curtain tracks 

• Swags & Tails 

• Valances 

• Pelmets 

• Tie backs 

• Roman Blinds 

• Roller Blinds 

• Aluminium Venetians 

• Timber Venetians 

• Vertical Blinds 

• Panel Blinds 

• Cellular Blinds 

• Austrian Blinds 

• Motorised Blinds 

• Outdoor Blinds 

• Shutters* 

• Sheer Roller Blinds 

• Bedspreads 

*Not available at all stores. 

We’ll come to you! 

AUS CALL 1300 305 405 

NZ CALL 0800 776 854 

to book your FREE in-home 

measure and quote 

or visit us instore for advice on curtains & blinds 

custom 



custom 

Enjoy life in Custom Made style 

Bring the ultimate designer look into your home with Custom Made blinds and shutters. 

Allowing you to create window furnishings uniquely made for you. Come in store to talk to 

our friendly team or book a free no obligation in home visit. 

Panel Blinds 

Gliding across the window 

to give you total privacy, or 

stacked back to welcome 

the view, panel blinds are a 

versatile option that can be 

used on windows or as 

room dividers. 

Roman Blinds 

Roman Blinds give a unique look to your room while 

also providing energy efficient benefits. Select from 

our wide range of furnishing fabrics or our canvas 

collection and accessorise with battens or trims. 

Roller Blinds 

Roller blinds add clean, contemporary style to any 

room. Dual roller blinds give double the benefits by 

featuring both a sunscreen and a block-out blind on 

the one window. Sheer roller blinds give you privacy 

while allowing soft light to filter into rooms. 





Aluminium 

Sheer 

colour range 

From left to right: chocolate, 

cherry, gold, chesnut, sugar 

maple, beech, cedar image 

dark, cedar image medium, 

eggshell & white. 

Venetian Blinds 

At Spotlight you’ll find an extensive 

range to suit all budgets and 

décor. Choose from cedar, jarrah 

image, timber look, aluminium and 

our new sheer Venetian range. 

Venetians allow you to open and 

close the slats to any position, 

giving you perfect control over light 

and security in any room. 

Shutters* 

The designer’s favourite – shutters can add value 

to your home and produce an immediate and stylish 

update. Control the light throughout the day and 

give your windows a distinctive look by installing 

Custom Made shutters from Spotlight. This chic 

window covering suits many interiors and provides the 

immediate ‘wow’ factor. *Shutters not available in all stores. 

Outdoor Blinds 

Protect and cool your home from the harshest sunlight 

with Spotlight’s block-out canvas fabrics. Our extensive 

screen range offers great protection while still allowing 

you to look through the awning and enjoy your view. 

Spotlight Custom Made - We come to you for all your window furnishing needs. 

Aus Call 1300 305 405 NZ Call 0800 776 854 for a free measure & quote. 


• new season product 

Vive la 

France! 

Bring a touch of Parisienne 

flair to your home with 

Spotlight’s latest collection of 

chic soft furnishings. • 



Left & below: Omega ready to hang pencil pleat curtains 

arrive in store 22/2/12, Tower memo board, door stop, 

assorted cushions, assorted object d’art and tea light 

holders - all from Spotlight. 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand some 

stock may vary between stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight employee at your nearest 



• new season product 

simply 

stylish 

Above: Peru pencil pleat curtains, Jumbo wall clock, assorted cushions, Natura wire 

candle holder, Tara chenille throws, Cabana floor rug and Opinici jacquard ottoman. 





towels 

Brampton House cotton towels 

from Spotlight. • 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand some 

stock may vary between stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight employee at your nearest 


Linda Coombes from the 

Henderson store in NZ, 

is new to the company & 

works in the manchester 

department. This doesn’t stop 

her exploring the craft aisles 

though! Meet Henry, the 

wonderful pooch she sewed 

using a tool kit put together 

from Spotlight. 


• make it 

e 

pyramid doorstop 

& door sausage 

Take another look at furnishing fabrics this season when 

you’re making small projects for the home. This gorgeous 

canvas print will keep out the autumn chills and add colour 

and style. (*Dug the pug not included!) 


make it • 

Pyramid 

door stop 

templates 


Sides 

(CUT 4) 

Base 

1.5cm seam allowance 

(CUT 1) 

PYRAMID DOORSTOP 

Materials 

20cm x 112/120cm+ wide coordinated 

plain & printed canvas fabric 

(allow extra for pattern matching 

or placement) 

13cm x 26mm wide cotton/herringbone 

tape 

1 kg raw uncooked rice or plastic toy 

stuffing pellets 

Sewing thread 


Pins, hand sewing needle 

Scissors, tape measure 

Iron 

Step 1 Using template provided, 

cut out 4 x triangles and 1 x square 

base from canvas fabric. Transfer dot 

markings from template. 

Step 2 With right sides together, sew 

two of the triangles together between 

the dot markings along one side only. 

Press seam open. Repeat with the 

remaining two triangle pieces. 

Step 3 Fold tape in half and place 

ends of tape at raw edge at the top 

on the right side of one sewn triangle 

piece between the two marked side 

dots. Baste in place. 

With right sides together pin the other 

sewn triangle piece on top aligning all 

raw edges. Sew pieces together at the 

sides between the two marked dots. At 

the top, stitch straight across between 

the two side seams securing the loop 

in place. Trim away excess fabric above 

this straight line of stitching. Press 

seams open. 

Step 4 Open out pyramid and with 

right sides together pin the pyramid to 

the square base aligning all dots at the 

corners of the squares. Stitching one 

side at a time, sew between the dots, 

being careful not to sew the pressed 

out side seams within the stitching. 

Leave a 7cm opening along the last 

side for turning through. 

Step 5 Clip corners, turn pyramid 

right side out and press. Fill pyramid 

with uncooked rice or stuffing pellets 

to desired fullness. Hand sew opening 

closed. 

DOOR SAUSAGE 

Materials 

20cm x 112/120cm+ wide coordinated 

plain & printed canvas fabric 

2 kg raw uncooked rice or plastic 

stuffing pellets 

Sewing thread 


Pins, hand sewing needle 

Scissors 

Iron 

Step 1 Cut a piece of fabric 90cm 

wide by 20cm high. 

Step 2 Fold fabric in half lengthways, 

right sides together. Using a 2cm seam 

allowance sew long sides together and 

across one of the shorter ends, leaving 

one short end open for turning through. 

Step 3 Clip corners and turn fabric 

snake right way out. Press flat and 

press in 2cm along the open end 

raw edges. Fill firmly then topstitch 

open end closed with two rows of 

stitching. • 


• make it 

i 

HALLWAY facelift 

The hallway of an Edwardian house gets a makeover when its 1980’s dusky 

pink floral cushions are transformed by the GCQ team using mattress ticking 

stripe drill on the seat, plus burgundy drill, toile & roses furnishings linen on 

the cushions.The result, as you can see, retains the romantic mood but with 

a clean, fresh 2012 update. 

CUSHION COVERS 

FOR SEAT 

Materials 

*Mattress ticking drill fabric burgundy 

& cream 

Matching sewing thread 

*Cotton piping cord (optional) 

*Matching zip by the metre 

Tape measure 

Scissors 

Pencil & paper 

Calico to create a toile (optional) 

Seam ripper 


Iron 

*Quantities required will depend on 

the dimensions of the cushions. 

Step 1 To use the existing cushion 

cover as a guide/pattern for creating 

the new covers unpick the existing 

cover. Alternatively draft a new pattern 

using pencil and paper then create a 

toile from calico to check that pattern 

is correct. 

Step 2 Create the desired length 

of covered cord (piping) for the edge 

of the cushion covers by cutting strips 

of fabric approximately 6cm wide then 

sew together end to end. Fold in half 

lengthways around the cotton piping 


make it • 

Before 

BOLSTER CUSHION 

COVERS 

Materials per bolster 

55cm x 45cm plain fabric in colour of 

your choice 

Two 55cm x 12cm pieces contrasting 

fabric for ends (plus scrap for yo-yo’s) 

60mm yo-yo maker 

1.3m piping in matching colour 

2 tassels 

2 large buttons 


50cm x size 3 (3mm) cotton piping cord 

Tape measure 

Safety pin 

Scissors 


Iron 

Bolster cushion insert 

cord then sew in place along the length 

as close to the cord as possible using 

the zipper foot on the sewing machine. 

Step 3 Sew the covered piping 

cord to the top of the cushion cover 

with the raw edges aligned matching 

the stripes of the fabric, then sew the 

piping to the bottom in the same way. 

Insert a zip along the back edge of the 

side piece. With zip open slightly join 

the top and bottom to the side section 

matching the stripes where possible. 

Turn through the open zip and insert 

the foam cushion. 

Note: Matching stripes can be difficult 

for inexperienced sewers; if this is the 

case choose fabrics without stripes. 

Seat covers can also be made without 

piping cord. 

Step 1 To attach piping, place 

piping on long end (55cm) on right side 

of main fabric aligning raw edges so 

the cord is facing inward. Pin in place 

and using the zipper foot on the sewing 

machine, stitch close to the cord. 

Repeat on the opposite end. 

Step 2 Finish one long (55cm) side 

of each end piece with a 1cm folded 

and stitched edge. Fold the edge over 

again and stitch to form a small casing 

for gathering later. 


• make it 

For a pieced or bordered cushion 

cover, create a pieced fabric then cut 

into a 43cm square for the front and 

complete as per below. 

Step 3 With right sides facing, 

match raw edge of end piece to raw 

edge of piping and pin in place. Stitch 

close to cord using zipper foot. 

Open out then fold in half lengthways 

aligning the long raw edges and 

matching the cord and ends. Sew 

together to create a long open ended 

tube, taking care when sewing over the 

thick cord. Turn through to right side. 

Step 4 Thread the cotton cord 

through the casing at the ends of the 

tube using the safety pin. Insert the 

bolster cushion insert then pull the 

cord ends to gather around the ends of 

the insert, tie to secure then tuck the 

ends inside. 

Step 5 Create two yo-yos using 

the contrasting fabric and following 

the instructions in the packet. Attach 

buttons or tassels to the centre of 

the yo-yos then hand stitch the yo-yos 

to the ends of the bolster to hide the 

gathered opening. 

CUSHION COVERS 

Materials 

50cm patterned fabric in colour of 

choice 


Tape measure 

Scissors 


Iron 

Size 16 (41cm) cushion insert 

Step 1 Cut a 43cm square of fabric 

for the front. Cut the remaining fabric 

in into two 36cm x 43cm pieces. Along 

one 43cm long edge of each of the two 

back pieces, press under 1cm then 

another 1cm and topstitch. 

Step 2 With front right side up 

place one back piece face down with 

raw edges aligned at top and sides and 

hemmed edge across the centre. Place 

remaining back piece face down on top 

aligning raw edges at bottom and sides 

with centre edge overlapping. 

Step 3 Pin then sew together on all 

four sides using 2cm seam allowance. 

Trim corners, turn through to right side 

and press. Place insert into cushion 

cover with back edges overlapping. • 


MARNI

• make it 

i 

Elvie Browne, Spotlight 

Hoppers Crossing, VIC, works 

in the furnishings & sew 

centre. She is the ‘go-to’ girl 

for demonstrations because 

she always has the best ideas. 

She makes decorations for the 

store, including display quilts. 

Her favourite trick is creating 

fabric ‘stories’ to help explain 

& sell new ranges. 


make it • 

Silk quilt 

with matching cushion covers 

Let the fabric speak for itself in this dramatic, glamorous quilt that is 

surprisingly easy to make. We’ve used an overlocker to create the quilt 

top & cushions, speeding up the process & avoiding frayed seams. 


• make it 

the quilting is finished. Use the quilting 

guide to help maintain even lines of 

stitching. Change the thread colour for 

the different silks. Thread the tails onto 

a needle then sew through to the back 

and tie ends together, or gently pull 

through to the back then tie together. 

Materials 

2m silk dupion – red 

2m silk dupion – pink 

2m silk dupion – purple 

2m red homespun (plus extra for backs 

of cushion covers if desired) 

2m purple homespun 

2.4m x 250cm wide unbleached 

quilters muslin 

2.4m Sew Easy cotton/bamboo wadding 

Elna 664 overlocker 

Sewing machine with walking foot & 

quilting guide 

4 reels red thread for overlocker 

Gütermann sulky rayon 30 thread 

– purple, red, pink 

Rotary cutter, ruler & cutting mat 

Basting spray 

Quilters safety pins 

Scissors 

Hand sewing needle 

Note: This quilt is not made in the 

traditional way as it is made on an 

overlocker due to the fraying nature 

of the silk. Therefore the seam 

allowance is approximately ½”, not 

the usual ¼” found in most quilt 

patterns. 

QUILT Step 1 Cut two 35cm 

(15”) x 2m strips from each of the 

three colours of silk dupion. Set aside 

the remaining fabric to create pieced 

cushion covers to match the quilt. 

Step 2 Stitch the strips together 

alternating the colours using the 

overlocker, removing approximately 

¼” as you stitch and cut. After all the 

strips have been stitched together, 

overlock around the outside edges to 

prevent fraying. 

Step 3 Lay the muslin out flat then 

lay the batting on top, smooth out any 

creases then spray with the basting 

spray. Lay the pieced quilt top on top of 

the batting smoothing out any creases 

then pin around the outer edges only 

as the basting spray will hold the quilt 

top in place. 

Step 4 Quilting the top 

Using the matching sulky thread quilt 

the top in even long lines of straight 

stitch lengthways down the quilt, 

starting in the centre and working out 

towards the edges. Leave long tails of 

thread to sew through to the back once 

Step 5 Remove the selvedges 

from the red and purple homespun 

and stitch together lengthways (down 

the 2m length) for the backing. Trim 

the excess wadding and muslin from 

the quilt top and remove the quilting 

pins. Lay the homespun backing on 

top of the quilt top right sides together 

matching the centre points at the top 

and bottom. Stitch around the quilt 

top approximately ½” (1.5cm) from 

the raw edges leaving a 60cm opening 

along the bottom edge to turn the quilt 

through. Carefully trim excess from 

the corners then turn quilt through. 

Turn seam allowance in along edge of 

opening and topstitch all around the 

outer edges of the quilt securing the 

opening closed. Change thread and 

bobbin colour to match the fabric if 

desired. 

Tip 

More quilting can be added in the 

ditch at this stage, if desired, by 

machine. Some oversized straight 

stitches across the quilt using 

contrasting embroidery threads can 

be added by hand. 

Cushion covers Piece 

together strips of the left over fabrics 

to create different cushion covers to 

complement the quilt. Create the top 

only in the silk fabric then back with 

red or purple homespun. Create covers 

in different sizes for added interest. 

Use the cushion instructions on page 

80 to complete the covers. • 


Summer Brights 

set of 4 dinner plates 



salad bowl & salad servers 

romance on 

the grass 

It doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day to 

suggest a romantic picnic in the park ... 

but it’s as good an excuse as any! • 


set of 4 tumblers 

Go Vino 

neoprene double 

bottle bag 


set of 4 bowls 

4 Person picnic cooler 

backpack with set 

includes setting for 4 

4 Person picnic cooler basket 

set includes 4(ea) of plates, wine 

glasses, forks, knives, & spoons. 

Salt & pepper shakers, waiters 

friend, cutting board & cheese knife 


• make it 

i 

Try a chair lift 

Breathe new life into dull or 

damaged furniture using Spotlight’s 

furnishing fabrics & upholstery 

tools, plus a little imagination. 


make it • 

As chairs vary in 

shape & size we 

have provided the 

process & not the 

measurements, 

fabric quantity or 

zipper length you 

will require. 

Materials 

Upholstery fabric – Texas, colour Pepper 

145cm wide 

Continuous zipper by the metre 

Thread to match fabric 

Hand sewing needle 

Tape measure 

Seam ripper 

Scissors 


Paper & pencil 

Step 1 Remove any cushions from 

the chair. If the cushion has a zipper, 

undo the zipper and remove the insert 

(these are often foam) from the cover. 

Unpick all seams on the cover and lay 

the fabric out flat. If the cushion does 

not have a zipper carefully unpick one 

long seam, remove the insert and 

proceed as above. 

Step 2 To remove the back cover, 

turn the chair upside down and 

carefully unpick the seam along the 

bottom edge at the back. Remove 

any staples (our chair didn’t have 

staples). Check to see if the back 

cover is attached at the sides and 

if so carefully unpick. Ensure that 

all necessary sections are unpicked 

before pulling the cover off the back of 

the chair. For this chair it was possible 

to pull the cover along with the insert 

up off the frame. Unpick all other 

seams and lay the fabric out flat. 

For this chair we then removed the 

fabric covering the arms. 

Before 

Step 3 Measure the quantity of 

fabric needed, consider that extra 

fabric may be required if you choose a 

directional print. 

You can use the old fabric as a 

template to cut out the new fabric 

pieces or if preferred use the paper 

and pencil to make a pattern. 

Step 4 Cut pieces from new 

fabric and stitch together adding 

zipper length to cushion if necessary. 

Reassemble the chair in reverse. • 

Tips 

• Take digital photos of the chair 

before you begin, then progress shots 

to help remember how the cover was 

constructed. 

• If the old foam inserts are 

disintegrating purchase new ones. 

Casey Farrell, assistant 

buyer blinds, tracks, 

accessories & sheers is an 

artist at heart. When not 

devising her next fantastical 

tattoo she’s thinking about 

home DIY projects to save 

money & look great. 


• make it 

i 

cover story 

Choose from the canvas fabric 

collection at Spotlight for quirky & 

quick makeover jobs. 


make it • 

Visit your local 

Spotlight store 

for all your 

upholstery 

fabric needs to 

FURNISH your 

latest project. 

Before 

Materials 

Canvas fabric – navy, lime & printed 

Navy piping 

Elastic 

Calico to create toile (optional) 

Tape measure 

Scissors 


Paper & pencil 

Step 1 Create a pattern using 

pencil and paper to make a slip 

cover for the item, in this case a foot 

stool. If desired, cut out the pattern 

in calico and sew it together to check 

that the pattern fits properly. When 

the pattern is correct, cut out fabric 

pieces. 

Step 2 To attach piping, place 

piping on right side of canvas for the 

top of the stool aligning raw edges of 

piping fabric and canvas so the cord 

is facing inward. Pin in place and 

using the zipper foot on the sewing 

machine, stitch close to the cord. 

Stitch the side piece to the top, right 

sides together, using the zipper foot 

and again stitching close to the cord. 

Step 3 Cut a piece of fabric the 

same length as the side piece and 

approximately 10cm wide, finish 

each end with a folded and straight 

stitched edge then fold and press 

in half lengthways. Match the raw 

edges with the side piece then 

stitch in place to create a casing for 

elastic. Place the slip cover onto the 

stool then thread the elastic through 

the casing and stitch or tie ends 

together. • 

Note: Creating a slip cover rather 

than reupholstering makes for easy 

removal for cleaning or updating for 

a new look. 



Upholstery Tacks 

Twist pins 

upholstery 

tools 

Spotlight carries tools for projects big & small. 

Visit the furnishings area of your nearest store 

& start exploring. • 

Heavy duty stapler 

Staples 

Biotex & Durapel 

fabric protectors 

Foam 





From spare 

to special 

It’s the time of year when house guests 

descend & the spare room becomes a guest 

room. Some new bedding, something on the 

wall & one or two throw cushions can be 

transformative. Visit Spotlight for affordable 

ideas today. • 

Pictured: Avant lamp, Rapee throw and cushions & 

KOO pintuck quilt cover set - available at Spotlight. 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand some stock may vary between 

stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight employee at your nearest store for the best alternative. 



Wiltshire Little Chef 

silicone jigsaw dinosaur 

baking mould 

d.line assorted 

shapes cookie 

cutters 

Great products from 

Spotlight to get the kids 

cooking up a storm. 


let’s bake a jigsaw 

mermaid 

Ladelle Cheeky 

Owls & Truck childsize 

aprons 

Wiltshire Easybake 

mini springform pan 

Wiltshire 2 tier cooling rack 







silicone jungle animals 

baking moulds 

Mode 8 piece mixing 

bowl set 

Wiltshire Party Bake 

cupcake carry case 

(From left to right) Wiltshire Party Bake: a number cake pan, 24 cup mini 

muffin pan, decorate me cupcake pan, petit fours & chocolate tray. 



Carolyn’s book 

is published by 

David & Charles 

(RRP AU$19.99) 

& available at 

good book stores 

& online. 

EVERYONE’S 

BAKING ... 

CAKE POPS! 

Once upon a time all anyone 

could talk about was cupcakes 

when it came to tasty, trendy 

baked goods. Now cake pops 

are on the rise, tiny globes of 

deliciousness that just beg to 

be decorated. The UK’s Carolyn 

White, owner of a company 

called Cakes 4 Fun, has a new 

book out - Bake me I’m yours ... 

Cake Pops - so we’ve asked her 

to explain just what all the fuss 

is about. 

GCQ: When did cake pops first 

start appearing in the UK and how 

popular are they? 

Carolyn: Cake pops started to 

appear in 2008. Early 2010 is 

when we started to design our 

cake pops. They are two of my 

biggest passions combinedchocolate 

and cake! We started 

running classes with pigs and 

reindeers (making them, not 

teaching them). The success 

of these led to our book. Cake 

pops are very popular in the 

UK- everyone is still looking 

for something to take over the 

success of the hugely popular 

cupcake. 

GCQ: Can you explain what they 

actually are? 

Carolyn: Gorgeous cake, delicious 

butter cream and decadent 

ganache all enrobed in Belgian 

chocolate. 

GCQ: Who is your book aimed 

at - beginner cooks or the more 

experienced? 

Carolyn: Complete beginners 

through to those who have 

dabbled in cake pops who are 

looking for more inspiration. 

GCQ: Who likes cake pops more - 

adults or children? 

Carolyn: Anyone aged from three 

to one hundred. 

GCQ: If you had to choose your 

last meal, what cake would be 

served? 

Carolyn: Something with 

chocolate orange ganache; our 

‘death by chocolate’ sponge 

covered in it! And I’d choose 

carrot cake with lemon cream 

cheese frosting - as a second 

choice. 

GCQ: While we have you we 

just have to ask about weddings 

... what’s the most unusual or 

difficult cake your company has 

been asked to produce for a 

wedding? 

Carolyn: We did a ‘knights and 

ladies’ cake - a castle with a lady 

wearing a very tight corset top 

and her knight in shining armour. 

A Fiat car with people in it is 

another memorable one but there 

WIN CAROLYN’S 

BOOK & MORE! 

Thanks to Capricorn Link Australia, we have 

FIVE packs, each containing the following 

titles to give away: 

• Bake Me I’m Yours…Cake Pops 

• Bake Me I’m Yours - Cookie 

• Bake Me I’m Yours - Cupcake Love 

• Bake Me I’m Yours - Whoopie Pies 

has been a few. • 

• Make me I’m yours: Just for fun: 

20 handmade projects to stitch, knit & craft 

To enter simply send an envelope addressed 

to GCQ Magazine Cake Pop Competition, Level 

6, 111 Cecil Street, South Melbourne. Victoria, 

Australia 3205. On the back give your name, 

address, telephone and Spotlight VIP number. 

Entries close 30 April 2012. 


make it • 

easter baskets 

e 

Materials – for each basket 

25cm x 63cm of printed felt or cotton 

fabric (outer) 

25cm x 63cm of printed felt or cotton 

fabric (lining) 

65cm jumbo rickrack 

2 x 65cm coordinating small rickrack 

65cm pompom trim 

23cm x 63cm medium pellon 

Two 45cm x 23mm grosgrain ribbon 

(handle) 

43cm x 12mm wide boning 

1m x 38mm ribbon (bow) 

Scissors, pins 


Matching sewing threads 

Step 1 Pin the jumbo rickrack along 

the length of the outer fabric 8.5cm 

down from the top edge and topstitch 

in place. Pin a length of small rickrack 

above and below jumbo rickrack and 

topstitch in place. 

With pompoms facing down, align the 

edge of the pompom trim with the top 

edge of the outer fabric above the 

rickrack. Stitch in place 1cm down from 

the top edge. 

Step 2 With the outer fabric right 

(trims) side down, lay the pellon on top 

2cm down from the top edge with side 

edges aligned. Pin then baste pellon to 

the outer fabric 1cm in from each side 

edge. 

Fold the outer fabric in half lengthways 

with the right (trims) side to the inside, 

side edges aligned. Sew side and 

bottom edges together using a 1.5cm 

seam allowance. 

Clip corners, and press seams open. 

Step 3 To create the base, flatten 

out the bottom, match side seam to 

bottom seam and pin together. Mark 

7.5cm down from the point, rule across 

to form a triangle and stitch across. 

Trim seam to 1.5cm, cutting off the 

point. Repeat for the other end of the 

base. Turn right side out. 

Step 4 Omitting the trims and 

pellon, sew the lining in the same 

method, but do not turn right side out. 

Step 5 With the 2 x 45cm lengths 

of grosgrain ribbon on top of each 

other, sew along both long edges 2mm 

in from the edge. Sew one of the short 

ends closed. Push the boning into the 

ribbon through the open end. Sew 

the open end of ribbon 

closed with boning 

inside. 

Step 6 Turn top 

edge of basket and 

lining 2cm to the wrong 

side and press. Pin one 

end of the ribbon handle 

2cm down on the inside of 

the basket side seam and 

baste in place along seam 

allowance. Pin the other end 

of the handle to the opposite 

side in the middle 2cm down 

from top edge, baste. 

Place the lining inside the basket, pin 

in place aligning seams and top edges. 

Topstitch both layers together 5mm 

in from the top folded edge, securing 

handle within stitching. 

Tie a bow around the base of one 

side of the handle using coordinating 

ribbon. • 


• make it 

k 

hand painted eggs 

Materials 

Decofoam eggs 

Assorted colours Jo Sonia’s paints 

Paint brushes & palette 

Wooden skewers 

Empty tissue box or tall glass or jar 

Step 1 Push a skewer into the base 

of the egg just enough to hold in place 

then paint with a base coat of colour 

using the skewer to hold the egg. Stab 

the other end of the skewer into the 

tissue box or stand in a tall glass or jar 

to allow paint to dry thoroughly. Repeat 

for as many eggs as required. Paint 

eggs with a second coat if needed. 

Step 2 Paint little flower designs or 

designs of choice on the dry painted 

surface of the eggs then return skewer 

to the tissue box or glass to dry. 

Step 3 When the paint is dry 

remove skewers. • 


make it • 

Junior 

easter projects 

Take the kids’ minds off chocolate this 

season with some simple crafty ideas. 

k 


• make it 

EASTER GARLANDS/ 

BUNTING 

Materials 

Coordinating plain/printed card/papers 

1cm wide ribbon or trim 

Adhesive alphabet letters 

Single hole punch 

Pencil 

Scissors 

1. Using the template provided cut 

out 24 bunny head shapes from 

coordinating card/papers. Use single 

hole punch to punch a hole in each 

bunny ear 1cm down from the top 

edge. 

2. Cut end of ribbon on an angle and 

thread ribbon through the holes of 11 

bunny heads for the top bunting. Space 

bunny heads as desired leaving extra 

ribbon before the first and after the 

last bunny head. To make a hanging 

loop at each end of ribbon, loop over 

10cm and tie a firm knot. 

3. Repeat with remaining 13 bunny 

heads on another length of ribbon to 

make lower garland. Again allow extra 

ribbon at each end enough so that it 

will hang lower than the top garland. 

4. Hang garlands and adjust bunny 

heads to the centre and balance the 

garlands. 

Stick on adhesive letters as desired. 

EASTER EGG HATS 

Use for chocolate eggs or as a gift card 

for eggs. 

Materials 

Coordinating plain/printed card/papers 

Coordinating ribbons 

Adhesive alphabet letters 

Crafters Choice Craft glue 

Pencil & ruler 

Scissors 

Gift egg 

1. Using the template provided cut 

out one bunny head shape per gift egg 

from coordinated card/papers. Cut a 

3cm wide strip from printed papers. 

Glue one end of the paper strip to the 

centre back of paper bunny head, allow 

to dry. 

2. Wrap the strip around the gift egg 

and allowing enough overlap at the 

centre back of the paper bunny head 

trim excess paper strip. Remove egg 

and glue the overlapping end of the 

strip to the back of the bunny head. 

Allow to dry. 

3. Embellish the front of the bunny 

head by gluing on ribbon bows. 

DECOFOAM EGG CHICK 

& BUNNY 

Materials 


Sharp pencil 

Scissors 

Wire cutting pliers 

Bunny 

75mm decofoam egg 

3 x white chenille sticks 

3 x hot pink chenille sticks 

1 x small white pompom 

1 x medium white pompom 

1 x pair of joggle eyes 

Coordinating ribbon 

Chick 

75mm decofoam egg 

2 x yellow chenille sticks 

1 x orange chenille stick 

1 x pair of joggle eyes 

Coordinating ribbon 

Bunny 

1. To make bunny’s feet, bend a white 

chenille stick in half. Make two loops 

by bringing each end back to the bend 

in the middle. Twist the ends around 


make it • 

the middle to secure loops. Lay feet 

flat and place a small amount of glue 

on top of the twisted section. Place 

the egg onto the glue, adjusting the 

position of the egg so it can stand 

freely on the feet. Glue a medium 

pompom to the back of the egg to 

make the bunny’s tail covering up the 

raw end of the bunny feet. Allow glue 

to dry. 

2. Loop another white chenille stick 

to desired ear height and twist to 

secure. Twist a hot pink chenille stick 

into a slightly smaller loop and place 

inside white loop, twist ends to secure. 

Repeat for the other ear. Trim away 

excess of twisted sticks leaving a 

1.5cm end. 

3. Using a sharp pencil, poke a hole 

into the top of the egg. Place a small 

amount of glue inside the hole and 

push the twisted ends of the ears into 

hole. Adjust ears to desired angle. 

Allow to dry. 

4. Tie a ribbon bow around the base 

of the ears to hide where the ears are 

attached to the top of the foam egg. 

5. Cut a hot pink chenille stick in half. 

Twist and join each stick together in 

the centre to make the whiskers. Trim 

to desired length. Glue whiskers to 

the centre front of foam egg. For the 

nose, glue small pompom on top of the 

whiskers. Glue joggle eyes onto eggs 

above the nose and whiskers, allow 

glue to dry 

Chick 

1. To make chick’s feet, cut an orange 

chenille stick in half. Bend one of the 

sticks in the middle. Cut two 4cm 

small lengths from the other half of 

the stick. Twist these around each of 

the ends of the bent stick to make the 

toes. Trim to desired length. 

2. Glue the bend in the middle of the 

legs to the base of a foam egg. Allow 

to dry. 

3. To make wings, bend a yellow 

chenille stick in half. Make two loops 

by bringing each of the ends back to 

the middle. Twist the ends around the 

middle to secure loops. Bend loops 

into wing shapes. 

4. Using a sharp pencil, poke a hole 

into the centre back of the egg. Place 

a small amount of glue inside the hole 

and push the twisted ends of the wings 

into hole. Allow to dry. 

5. Cut a yellow chenille stick in half. 

Bend one of the sticks in half. Make 

two loops by bringing each end back 

to the bend middle. Twist the ends 

around the middle to secure loops. 

Shape loops into a pointed beak 

shape. Poke a hole in the centre front 

of the egg and place a small amount of 

glue inside. Push the twisted ends of 

the beak into hole. Allow to dry. 

6. Glue joggle eyes onto egg above 

the beak, allow glue to dry. Tie a bow 

with ribbon and glue to the top of the 

chick’s head, allow to dry. • 

Bunny 

head template enlarge by 155% 


• make it 

e 

easter card 

A basket full of eggs makes a delightfully 

different design for this season’s stand out card. 


make it • 

Basket & egg 

templates 


facing up arrange seven eggs on the 

pink card as though the eggs were 

inside the basket. Use double-sided 

tape to stick eggs in place then attach 

the remainder of the basket to the 

card. 

Materials 

Kaisercard– pink, white 

Coordinated bright printed papers 

Coordinating rickrack 

Kaisercard pearls – hot pink 


Foam adhesive dots 

Cutting knife & cutting mat 

Scissors 


Hot pink sewing thread 


Front of card 

Step 1 From the template provided, 

cut out 1 x basket shape from white 

weave cardstock. Using a long stitch 

on the sewing machine and hot pink 

thread, sew around the basket shape 

5mm in from the outer edge and also 

5mm in from the inner edge of the hole 

in the middle of the paper basket. Tie 

loose threads to back of paper basket. 

Topstitch lengths of rickrack across the 

base of the basket as in picture or as 

desired. Trim ends of rickrack in line 

with the edge of the basket. 

Step 2 Cut a 22cm x 30cm piece of 

pink weave cardstock and fold in half 

widthways to form card. Apply doublesided 

tape along the bottom edge of 

basket and stick basket to the centre 

front at the base of the card. 

Using egg template provided, cut out 

nine eggs from coordinating bright 

printed papers. With card flat and front 

Step 3 Stick the remaining two 

paper eggs to the left corner of basket 

using foam dots. Further embellish 

the card by cutting out paper flowers 

from printed papers or cut the flowers 

from a flower printed paper then attach 

to the basket using foam dots to give 

the flowers height and depth. Stick 

adhesive pearls to the centres of the 

paper flowers. 

Inside of card 

Step 4 Cut an 18cm x 12cm piece 

of white weave cardstock then using 

a long stitch on the sewing machine 

and hot pink thread, sew around outer 

edge of the card 5mm in from the outer 

edge. Tie loose threads to back of 

card. Stick to the inside of card using 

double sided tape. 

Cut out two more eggs from printed 

card and adhere to the bottom left 

corner of the sewn edges. • 


• make it 

e 

FABRIC 

eggs 

Quilting fabrics are 

perfect for small, 

decorative sewn items. 


make it • 

TOP 

• 

Materials 

10cm x 30cm pieces of printed 

cotton fabric 



Scissors 

Pins 

Hand needle 

Fiskars fingertip rotary cutter 

Cutting mat 

Iron 

Hobby fill 

Step 1 Using the pattern 

provided cut out one pattern piece 

from 4 different coordinating 

fabrics for each fabric egg. 

Step 2 With right sides facing, 

pin two pieces together along one 

side from the top marked point 

to the bottom marked point. Sew 

together between the points using 

a 5mm seam allowance. 

Step 3 Open out sewn pieces 

and with right sides facing pin 

the next piece to one of the sewn 

pieces. Sew together as before 

along one edge between marked 

points. 

Step 4 Repeat with the 

remaining piece of fabric leaving a 

5cm opening along the final seam. 

Step 5 Trim and clip all seams, 

turn right side out and press. 

Firmly stuff the fabric eggs with 

hobby fill and hand stitch the 

opening closed. • 

Fabric egg pattern 

Cut 4 

5mm seam allowance 

• 

bottoM 

Fiskars new stylish rotary cutters and Eco 

friendly cutting mats are designed to ensure 

maximum comfort and style. 

The iconic loop handle design 

of the Titanium Softgrip 

Rotary Cutter ensures a 

better fit for all hand sizes with 

the design being slightly larger. 

new 

Self-healing 

surface 

Fiskars Eco-Friendly 

Cutting Mats are lightweight 

and 100% recyclable. The 

Self-healing surface is textured 

on both sides to provide cutting 

stability which means that the 

mat has ‘Twice the Life’! 

iconic loop 

handle design 

range available now in 

Spotlight Stores Nationally

• make it 

e 

bunny 

babies 

If you like making soft toys then try 

some simple non-fattening bunnies as 

gifts this Easter. 

Lorraine Barry from 

NZ’s Rotorua store sees 

Spotlight’s calico teddy 

bears as a blank canvas 

waiting to be explored in 

patchwork. A large teddy 

bear takes approximately 

14 days to complete. 


make it • 

Bunny template 


Materials – for one bunny 

20cm wool felt or wool flannel fabric 

Scraps of printed cotton fabrics 

Vliesofix 

Pencil 

Scissors, pins, handle needle 


Sewing thread 

Iron 

Hobby fill 

Step 1 Using the template provided cut 2 

x bunny shapes from wool felt/flannel fabric. 

Using templates provided trace one of each ear 

shape and one heart onto the paper side of the 

Vliesofix then cut out leaving 1.5cm around all 

edges. Iron vliesofix shapes onto wrong side 

of the fabric scraps and cut out shapes. Peel 

backing paper off each shape and place on top 

of the front bunny shape as per the position on 

the template. To fuse shapes to bunny, press 

with a warm iron. Topstitch around the shapes, 

2-3mm from the edge. Tie off loose threads at 

the back of the fabric. 

Step 2 To make fabric pompom, cut a piece 

of cotton fabric 15cm long x 4cm wide. Using 

a long straight stitch, sew a straight line down 

the length of the fabric strip in the centre, 

leaving long tails of thread. Cut a fringe along 

the long edges of the fabric to a width of 4mm, 

stopping the cut 2mm from the stitching line. 

Gather the fabric by pulling on the long threads 

to make a pompom shape. Tie and knot threads 

to secure, still leaving threads long. Using the 

long threads, hand sew the pompom to the back 

bunny piece. 

Step 3 With wrong sides facing, pin the front 

and back bunny pieces together. Using a 5mm 

seam allowance, sew the two pieces together, 

leaving an 8cm opening along the bottom of the 

bunny for stuffing. Stuff the bunny with hobby fill 

to desired fullness. 

Hand sew or machine stitch opening closed. • 


• from Helen’s desk 

Below: Helen Bradley’s 

travel journal cover. 

Left: Inside the journal. 

Ink on your fingers 

and words on the page 

Helen Bradley suggests that, in an increasingly digital world, 

the process of putting pen to paper has never been more important. 

I bought an autograph album a few 

years ago at a flea market. It dates 

from 1882 and the autographs and 

poems are written in pen and ink. Just 

flipping through the pages puts you in 

touch with the young girl, Mary, who 

owned the book. 

This book now lives in my studio. I 

don’t know much about Mary; there is 

no record of what she did or thought 

or what she hoped for but her old 

autograph book is there to remind 

me daily of the beauty of handwriting 

and the living legacy that handwritten 

notes provide. 

About Helen 

Australian-born, Californian-based Helen 

Bradley is a globetrotting photography, 

computer and Photoshop whiz with a 

penchant for paper crafting and jewellery 

making. Her projects appear on pages 

108 - 112 of this issue as well as in 

countless publications internationally. 

See: www.http-design.com 

and www.helenbradley.com 

One thing the scrapbook movement 

gave us was a forum for writing our 

stories as we scrapbook our photos. 

Of course, not everyone does this and 

Angie Pederson, best-selling author 

of The Book of Me, Growing Up Me, 

and The Book of Us, worries when she 

is shown scrapbook pages without 

journalling. She explains, “I ask who is 

in the photos or what was happening 

at this time and I wonder, why aren’t 

their stories written down and what will 

happen to them when the scrapbooker 

is gone?” 

One thing I think that stops some 

of us writing a lot is we don’t like 

our handwriting. It is so easy to print 

text neatly from the computer that 

it takes an effort to embrace the 

beauty in handwriting. At one time I 

wrote everything on my computer and 

printed it - and then I got over myself! 

Now I do exactly the opposite and, 

wherever possible, I handwrite using 

a black permanent marker straight 

onto the project. If I make a mistake, 

I just scratch it out and keep going – 

it’s liberating to actually celebrate its 

imperfection. 

Angie agrees “… think of a recipe 

in your collection, written in your 

grandmother’s handwriting. Do you 

look at it and think, ‘I wish she 

wouldn’t have handwritten this… it 

looks awful’? No, you look at it and 

smile because it makes you think of 

her. Your handwriting is a part of who 

you are - why deny someone else that 

connection with you? “ 

Of course scrapbooks aren’t the 

only outlets for journalling our lives. 

Many of us journal because we have 

an inherent need to do it. I always take 

a journal with me when I travel – it is 

always a new book for each trip and I 

spend a few weekends before I leave 

decorating the book ready for the 

trip. In consequence I have a magical 

jumble of books bursting with precious 

memories stacked on my shelves. 

Many people journal daily and 

incorporate their art into their work. 

Dawn DeVries Sokol, author of 1000 

Artist Journal Pages, Doodle Diary: 

Art Journaling for Girls and Doodle 

Sketchbook: Art Journaling for Boys 

explains, “I art journal to document, to 

experiment, to brainstorm, to create. 

Art journalling has become such a 

part of me that it’s almost as if I have 

to art journal.” Dawn makes all her 

own journals - some are filled with 

watercolour paper for paint journalling 

and others are built from scraps of 

paper. 

Designer, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, also 

journals every day. She says, “Some 


from Helen’s desk • 

Below: Olivia Bray’s journal pages. 

Left: Helen Bradley’s autograph book. 

Above: Dawn Solok’s stack of her 

hand made journals. 

days I write about my feelings… other 

days I write a list of ‘to dos’… some 

days I stamp out the date, scribble 

down some thoughts and walk away. 

Whatever the day holds I know that 

my daily journalling is a place to 

express myself, vent my frustrations, 

weigh my options, confess my 

insecurities, and be honest. 

Journalling has become as regular a 

habit as brushing my teeth.” 

Nana Campana’s journal stash 

includes one she has dubbed her 

‘For the sake of memory loss’ 

journal’. In this she jots down the 

events she doesn’t want to forget. 

“I sometimes draw or attach pictures 

to make the memory more vivid. I am 

pretty sure I am not going to lose my 

mind anytime soon, but I sure am 

preparing for it.” 

I love that our journals are a 

rich visual and historical record 

of our lives. Young Olivia Bray has 

been building her collection for 

years and she’s only six! Her mum, 

Laura, explains that Olivia has been 

journalling since she could hold a 

pencil. “Olivia has always watched 

me work on my journals so, of 

course, she wanted to do it too. She 

uses spiral bound books and when 

she first started she would fill her 

journal pages with drawings and 

paper scraps and images. As she got 

older, she would write a jumble of 

letters and numbers and I would joke 

that she was taking dictation from 

outer space. She’s in first grade now 

and simple sentences have replaced 

her alien dictation. Teaching her to 

journal has given her an outlet for 

her emotions and sometimes I’ll see 

her scribbling away after she’s been 

reprimanded. I am so glad she has 

a way to get her emotions out in a 

positive way.” 

So, next time you’re tempted to 

write something down – do it! And if 

you’re tempted to type a letter or type 

some journalling on the computer, 

think about getting out a pen and 

paper and hand write it instead – your 

great-grand-children will thank you – 

one day. • 

LINKS 

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer 

www.balzerdesigns.typepad.com 

Angie Pedersen 

Twitter: @AngiePedersen 

GeekCrafts.com 

Dawn Sokol 

www.dawndsokol.com 

Twitter: @dawndsokol 

Nana Campana 

www.youniquereflections.blogspot.com/ 

Laura Bray 

www.katydiddys.blogspot.com 

READ ALL ABOUT IT 

Available at local bookshops and 

online, these new titles explore and 

celebrate the art that is the journal! 

The Weekend Crafter: 

Books and Journals: 20 

Great Weekend Projects 

by Constance E Richards 

Geared specifically to the beginner, 

this book offers a variety of simple 

and attractive projects, ranging from a 

traditionally bound wedding album to a 

trendy ‘jelly bean’ book, all accompanied by 

easy-to-follow instructions, colourful, howto 

photographs, plus templates. 

Publisher: Lark Books. Distributor: Capricorn 

Link Australia. RRP AU$12.99. 

The Art Journal Workshop 

by Traci Bunkers 

The beautiful illustrations in this book 

break down the entire working process of 

journalling with step-by-step photos and 

instructions from start to finish. You’ll learn 

how to use different media such as paint, 

photographs, and collage, while following 

journalling prompts and exercises to help 

you dig deeper and enrich the process and 

experience. You also get a DVD featuring 

the author as she creates many of the 

journal pages shown throughout the book. 

Publisher: Quarry. Distributor: Capricorn Link 

Australia. RRP AU$29.99. 

Elemental Journal: 

Composing Artful 

Expressions from Items Cast 

Aside by Tammy Kushnir 

This book shows you how to craft a wide 

variety of journals to hold your secrets or 

express your inner thoughts and shows 

you new ways to use wood, paper, fabric, 

plastic and metal in your art. It includes 15 

projects using everything from tree bark to 

dismantled photo albums and even tin boxes. 

Publisher: North 

Light Books. 

Distributor: 

Capricorn Link 

Australia. RRP 

AU$29.99 

Note: Books 

available 

all good 

bookstores or 

check online. 

Australian 

price guides 

given where 

possible. 


• 

e 

make it 

TRAVEL 

A book made from large envelopes provides room 

for photos & a place to keep trip memorabilia. 


page 1 doublesided 

insert 

make it • 

Materials 

Wallet size photos 

Chipboard book with envelopes 

Memorabilia including paper bags 

Assorted alphabet & swirl rub-ons 

Heavy paper shapes & journalling blocks 

Black felt tip pen 

Scrapbook paper with lines and tabs 

Adhesives 

Scissors 

Paper trimmer 

page 1– back 

The inspiration for this design was a 

souvenir concertina black cardboard 

display of seven Amsterdam house 

shapes. These were cut into individual 

houses so they could be used in the 

book. Paper bags and catalogues 

from the museums visited were also 

used making the book a living piece of 

memorabilia. 

page 2 – back 

The foundation is a purchased book 

that came with ten large envelopes 

inside. We pulled the book apart, put 

aside unwanted envelopes, decorated it 

and then reassembled it. 

You can create the same effect with 

large envelopes and chipboard or 

corrugated cardboard covers and book 

rings. 

Each envelope was covered on the 

front with pieces of paper cut from gift 

shop paper bags, and a house was 

glued on top. The house name was 

added using a permanent marker. The 

house mounted on dark blue paper has 

a reversed sheet of paper mounted 

underneath it so it can be seen more 

easily. One other house shows small 

images cut from a museum catalogue 

in its windows. 

This book has two different views. If 

you flip through it face first you see 

the house shapes and a simple colour 

block design. Go from the back to the 


front and the look changes to less 

structured and it is stuffed with photos, 

pockets of memorabilia and things to 

pull out and view. 

Here’s how we decorated the back of 

the envelopes and their inserts: 

Page 1 – back 

Trim a piece of scrapbooking paper 

with a tab to the page size, round 

corners and add photos, rub-ons and a 

cardboard journalling block. 

Cut the flap off the envelope and used 

the string as a pull for the insert. 

Page 1 – double-sided insert 

Trim matching paper cut to size and 

adhere photos to both sides and add a 

journalling block. 


Trim a piece of scrapbook paper to the 

envelope size and create a tab from 

a scrap of paper. Adhere to the page. 

Add photos and a journalling block. 

Apply a large rub-on letter to decorate. 


Trim a sheet of paper with tabs to 

size and then adhere to the page. Add 

photos, rub-ons and journalling. 


Cover envelope with paper, add 

photos and a rub-on and a cut in half 

journalling block. 


Cover envelope with scrapbook paper, 

add images, rub-ons and a shaped 

cardboard arrow. 


• make it 

page 5 – insert 




page 7 

cover 

page 6 – insert 

You don’t need to use all the envelopes 

in this book for memorabilia. For 

extra interest, trim the flap from some 

envelopes and slot in additional pages 

of related photos. The envelopes will 

hold the pages tightly enough that they 

won’t fall out. Leave some envelopes 

intact for stuffing with museum tickets, 

maps, receipts etc. 

Page 5 – insert 

Trim a piece of double-sided 

scrapbooking paper to smaller than 

envelope size. Add a tab and string 

pull. Add photos and journalling and a 

rub-on. 


Cut a piece of scrapbooking paper to 

size and adhere to the page. Add a tab 

shape over the top of the paper. Apply 

photos and a rub-on to the page. 

Page 6 – insert 

Cut a piece of double-sided paper to 

smaller than envelope size. Add a tab 

and write ‘PULL’ on it. Add photos, 

journalling, assorted cardboard shapes 

and rub-ons. 


Cover the page with scrapbooking 

paper and add a tab cut from a second 

sheet of paper. Cut photos to size and 

adhere. Apply a large rub-on letter, 

hang a tag from the tie and add some 

tickets stapled together. 

Cover 

For the front cover, print a photo just 

smaller than the cover width, trim to 

size and glue. Use rub-on letters for 

the title and a heart shape cut from a 

souvenir. 

back cover 

Back Cover 

Print an interesting photo slightly 

smaller than the back cover, trim and 

affix. • 


Warhol inspired 

make it • 

e 

printing 

Create this Warhol inspired 

card with a fun & simple 

printing process. 


• make it 

1 2 

Materials 

Acrylic paints – 5 different colours 

2 x A4 sheets cream Kaisercard 

A4 sheet black canford paper 

Black permanent ink calligraphy 

marker 

Thin foam sheet 

Canson Sketching & tracing paper 

Paintbrush 

Adhesives 

Craft knife & cutting mat 

Paper trimmer 

Scissors 

Step 1 On a sheet of paper 

draw a 5cm x 5cm square and 

inside this draw an apple with a 

stem, leaf and some highlights. 

Use some tracing paper to trace 

this shape. 

Transfer the apple shape to the 

thin foam piece. 

Trim the foam to 5.5cm x 5.5cm. 

Using craft knife cut out the 

shapes making sure to leave all 

pieces intact – any excess cuts 

will show in the printing process. 

Step 2 Trim one sheet of 

cream paper into 5cm squares – 

you want to print lots more pieces 

than you will actually use. 

Paint the outside of the foam 

piece with one colour paint, place 

one sheet of paper on the foam 

and burnish it to print it. Repeat 

with different colours of paint so 

you get 8-12 background prints – 

in a range of colours. 

Step 3 Take the apple shape 

and print it over the top of the 

printed background (step 2). 

In each case, print the second 

shape in a different colour to the 

one you used for the background. 

Continue to build up the prints, 

printing first the background, then 

the apple, then the stem, leaf and 

finally the highlights using all five 

colours on each print. 

Step 4 When the prints are 

completely dry, draw around all the 

edges of the design with a black 

permanent calligraphy marker. 

Trim a piece of cardstock 25cm 

x 12.5cm. Fold in half and paint 

over one half of the card in one of 

the colours that you used in the 

design. 

Step 5 Select the best four 

prints making sure each is a 

different colour combination. 

Adhere the shapes to a piece 

of black cardstock trimmed to 

13.5cm x 13.5cm. 

When dry, adhere the black 

cardstock design over the painted 

card. • 

You can adapt this printing 

process to any simple design. 

Draw a design using simple 

shapes and allowing enough 

design elements so you can use 

a palette of five to six colours to 

print it. 

3 

4 

5 


thank you 

for freedom of expression 

Rarely does a simple marker give free rein to your 

creative instincts! That’s why the Pébéo Setaskrib+ fabric 

marker range is so special. They allow you to unleash all 

those fashionable ideas you’ve kept inside, with the 

simple stroke a pen. 

Fashionable Designs 

These felt tip markers for fabrics are particularly practical 

for decorating T-shirts and cottons, but are also well 

suited to accessories such as bags and shoes, or even 

household items like cushions, curtains, tea towels, 

napkins and table cloths. You can add your own personal 

touch to any outing or event. They are also perfect for 

the younger artists around your home as they are easy to 

handle and easier to clean. You’ll have no more trouble 

with bored kids during the holiday period! 

Choose fine or broad brush tips to draw translucent or 

fluorescent colours with various lines and effects. They 

are also perfect for outlining letters. 

SETASKRIB+ 

fact sheet 

Colour mixabile: Yes. Drying: Air dry 30 mins. 

Finish: Matt. 

Opacity: Transparent 

Surfaces: Suits all clean and dry light fabrics. 

Fixing: Use an iron (cotton position), pressing for 2-3 

minutes on the reverse of the decorated fabric. 

Caring (decorated fabric): 48 hours after fixing, 

the colours are resistant to washing machine at 40°C. 

Use your clothes, bags, shoes, and even the curtains 

and cushions in your home to express your ideas; draw 

on them, write on them! Give free rein to your creativity! 

It’s easy with PébéoSetaskrib+ felt tip fabric markers. 

Materials: 

• Setaskrib+ markers 

• Paper & Pencil 

• White cotton fabric 

T-shirt or singlet 

with Pébéo Setaskrib+ 

02 

Orange 

08 

Lt Green 

09 

Green 

Completion time: 2 hours 

Drying time: 30 minutes 

Cleaning of tools: soap and water 

Colour fixing: with a household iron 

10 

Brown 

1 

2 

Step 1: Use a pencil and paper to draw your design to use 

as a guide under your fabric. 

01 

Yellow 

02 

Orange 

03 

Red 

04 

Magenta 

05 

Violet 

06 

Light Blue 

Step 2: Make sure your fabric is clean, smooth and free 

from dust. Place your design inside/under the material as a 

guide and to avoid the paint from staining through the other 

side. Then simply use your Setaskrib+ markers to colour 

over your design as desired. 

3 

07 

Blue 

08 

Light Green 

09 

Green 

10 

Brown 

11 

Grey 

12 

Black 

Step 3: Allow to dry for 30 minutes and remove the 

backing guide. Once dry fix on the reverse side using an iron 

on cotton position for 2-3 minutes. 48 hours after fixing, the 

colours are resistant to washing machine at 40°C (100°F). 

13 14 15 

Fluoro Yellow Fluoro Orange Fluoro Pink 

16 

Fluoro Violet 

17 

Fluoro Blue 

18 

Fluoro Green 

5A 

Colours shown may vary in accordance with the printing process. 

Range available may vary in each store. 

For more creative projects visit www.pebeo.com 

or see the Pébéo display in your nearest Spotlight store. 

NAMAD-152

• crafting with kids 

Mum’s 

the word 

They say a picture is worth a thousand 

words, but a single word can trigger a 

thousand pictures or memories if spoken 

and written with feeling from the heart. 

As a child, when it came to 

special occasions in our house, 

greeting cards were not bought from 

a store. Whether it was birthdays, 

anniversaries, Easter or, of course, 

Mother’s Day, handmade cards or 

gifts were essential. My mother 

always insisted that a card made by 

my brother and I, filled with words 

spoken from our hearts, was worth 

more than any expensive card or gift. 

Now a mother myself, I try not to 

buy store bought cards if I can help it 

and my kids are happy to make and 

write their own cards. Their words 

are true and honest and from their 

heart, although unfortunately not 

always tactful; they love to state how 

old everyone is ... all over the front of 

their cards in bold marker pen ... for 

everyone to see. 

The longevity of a card isn’t as long 

as we’d like it to be. Before too long it 

gets thrown out, recycled or - if you are 

like me - stored away in a keepsake 

box. Once children are old enough 

to write or at least draw something 

that looks like a letter or two, they 

can make all sorts of wonderful gifts 

incorporating their words. These can 

be poems or stories or my daughter’s 

current favourite - pop love songs. 

Words can also be used to embellish 

décor items such as frames, cushions, 

painted mugs (see our project on page 

115) and canvases. 

Once children are old 

enough to write or at 

least draw something 

that looks like a letter 

or two, they can make 

all sorts of wonderful 

gifts incorporating 

their words. 

I made a present for my own mother 

for her 60th birthday, just using words. 

I wanted to make something special 

About Amanda 

A freelance stylist, project designer and creative 

consultant, Amanda Lefebure is a qualified visual 

merchandiser and a crafter par excellence. Her work 

appears in publications such as New Idea, That’s Life and 

Total Girl and she’s a regular project contributor to the 

Herald Sun Home Magazine. Amanda has two children, 

aged eight and five, and still sews on her mum’s old 

sewing machine ... 25 years and counting! 

for her that she could keep and, every 

time she looked at it, she’d remember 

me and the love and appreciation I 

have for her. 

I painted a large wooden frame and 

found an old photo of her from when 

she was sixteen-years-old. I borrowed 

her life story that she had written in 

her note book, got myself a paint pen 

and started writing her story around 

the frame edges. I only wrote single 

words, dates or small phrases, but 

there was enough information for 

mum to read to ignite her memories of 

those times. I continued to write filling 

the frame, spiralling inwards towards 

her photo. As I got near the end, I 

wrote a few words that described my 

feelings towards her, along with our 

hopes and dreams for the future. 

She treasures that frame as it 

hangs on a wall in my old bedroom 

at her house. My kids love reading it, 

swivelling their heads upside down and 

around as they read and asking Nanny 

what each word means to her. I’m 

not sure if they have ever got through 

the whole frame. With thousands of 

stories to be told, it may take a while. 

Happy Mother’s Day! • 


make it • 

Kids Mother’s 

Day Mugs 

e 

Materials 

China or porcelain mug 

Pebeo Porcelaine paint pens – scarlet red 

& black 

Oven (with help from an adult) 

Tips 

Step 1 

Wash and dry mug thoroughly. 

Step 2 

Using Porcelaine paint pens, write 

wording onto the outside of the mugs and 

allow to dry for 24 hours. 

Step 3 

Bake in an oven as per the 

manufacturer’s instructions. • 

• If a mistake is made, the writing will 

wipe clean off the mug before it is baked. 

• If the writing is only required 

temporarily, just for the occasion, don’t 

bake the mug and simply wash clean 

when finished with. 

You can also write a message around 

the rim of plates (not where the food is 

placed) and wash clean after use if not 

required permanently. 



ARTyFACTS 

Instalment 

No.2 in 

getting to know your 

way around palettes, 

paints, papers & other 

artistic paraphernalia 

Entering the paint aisle at 

your local Spotlight store can be 

overwhelming; there are so many 

exciting toys to choose from but 

what suits which art form and what’s 

the best tool for your painterly 

project? This issue GEORGIA 

MANDARINO, general manager of 

marketing, sales and service for 

Rossdale, an Australian owned and 

operated supplier of fine art and craft 

materials, continues to demystify 

this topic and inspire you to try 

interpreting the world through your 

own artistic perspective. 

WATERCOLOUR PAINT 

This paint is made with pigment 

and a binder called Gum Arabic which 

is solidified tree sap; additives such 

as glycerin, honey and ox gall all 

change the viscosity of the paint, 

making it thick or thin. 

The distinguishing feature of this 

paint is that, when mixed with water 

or used on wet paper, the colour 

disperses and gives a watery-like 

finish. 

Artists sometimes use masking 

fluid to block out areas of colour as, 

unlike with other paints, you can’t 

paint over an area because you want 

to retain the transparency of the paper 

and see the paper underneath. 

Paper has been the surface of 

watercolour artists but, recently, 

a watercolour canvas has been 

developed (Renoir Watercolour 

Canvas) which allows artists to paint 

their work and hang it immediately 

upon drying. 



Above: Watercolour by the famous William 

Blake (English 1757–1827) 

Dante running from the three beasts 1824–27 

illustration to The Divine Comedy by Dante 

Alighieri (Inferno I, 1-90) 1824–27 

Pen & black ink and watercolour over pencil 

37.0 x 52.8 cm (sheet) 

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 

Felton Bequest, 1920 

Right: Samuel Prout 

(English 1783–1852) 

Bridge of Sighs 1825–52 

Watercolour, pen and brush & brown ink with 

touches of gouache & gum arabic 

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 

Felton Bequest, 1932 

Many watercolour works have 

survived the years, especially those 

kept under glass and framed. This 

style of painting lends itself to 

botanical work, seascapes and 

landscapes. As the paint is loose and 

transparent there is no body or texture 

to it and the skill is in the layering 

up of colour while keeping the fluid, 

transparent look 

CRACKLE MEDIUM 

Crackle medium is a special 

formulation that makes the paint 

shrink and crack in certain areas. If 

another colour is painted underneath 

then that colour will show through 

when the crackle medium is applied. 

VARNISH 

Varnish is a clear coating usually 

applied to the last layer of artwork. 

Varnish can have several effects such 

as matt, satin and gloss and can be 

brushed on or sprayed. This layer 

protects the paint from fading, being 

subjected to temperature fluctuations, 

and to dust and dirt. In many cases 

there is no need to varnish acrylic 

paint as it is very durable and usually 

has some gloss to the finish. Oil paint 

is usually enhanced by varnish but 

Damar based resins and varnishes 

yellow over time and do not do 

justice to the work underneath. The 

best varnishes are ones that can 

be removed at a later time such as 

Gamvar. Gamvar is a low molecular 

weight synthetic-resin gloss varnish 

originally developed by conservation 

scientists at the National Gallery in 

Washington, USA. 

IRIDESCENT MEDIUM 

This medium gives any paint colour 

a pearlised effect or sheen. It usually 

also lightens the paint colour but 

creates an attractive shimmer to it. 

FLOW MEDIUM 

This is a medium which makes 

paint colour looser or thinner. It will 

not lessen the intensity of the pigment 

but will make it easier to brush on and 

move around. 

MARBLING GEL 

This is a clear gel which suspends 

paint colour and allows you to create 

marble-like effects. This gel can also 

be used to add texture and depth to 

already loose or runny paint. 

PUMICE 

This is ground stone which gives 

paint a coarse, sand-like texture. It 

can be applied to the canvas to create 

texture and then be painted on or 

mixed into the paint colour to create 

gritty effects. 

FABRIC MEDIUM 

This medium makes the paint 

permanent on fabric so you can take 

your ordinary paint colour and, when 

mixed with this medium, it is able to 

be applied to clothing and iron set. 

NEXT ISSUE ... We will put 

paints to use in a project. • 

Janis Cathcart, craft 

department, Spotlight 

Hamilton NZ, takes her 

scrapbooking seriously & 

has been in a scrapbooking 

club for many years. She 

presents demonstrations 

in-store whenever possible. 

All the paints & some of 

the scrapbook papers in 

these works from Janis 

came from her Spotlight 

stash. 


• bookshelf 

b o o k 

shelf 

New books to help you get creatively carried away. 

feature 

read 

Tailoring - The classic 

guide to sewing the 

perfect jacket by the 

editors of Creative 

Publishing International 

Written for the intermediate 

sewer who wants to move on to 

more challenging projects, this book 

ensures success with detailed, stepby-step 

instructions, more than 400 

photos, plus in-depth discussions 

about products and how to use 

them. The book offers guidance for 

every aspect of tailoring a jacket: 

fitting and pattern alteration, fabrics 

and tools, interfacings, interlinings, 

seams and finishes, hand stitches, 

collars, pressing, topstitching, shaping shoulders, setting in sleeves, 

sewing pockets, vents, and making perfect buttonholes. 

Publisher: CPI. Distributor: Capricorn Link Australia. RRP AU$24.99 

The Bead Jewellery Bible 

by Dorothy Wood 

Dorothy Wood is an expert beader, 

crafter and author from Scotland who 

has written over 20 books on a variety of 

subjects. In this one she provides nine 

technique-focused chapters, including 

a chapter on making your own beads, 

and a tenth chapter containing step-bystep 

instructions for 12 brand new bead 

jewellery projects. 

Publisher: David & Charles. Distributor: 

Capricorn Link Australia. RRP AU$29.99. 

Notebooks 

by Betty Churcher 

Betty Churcher was Director of the 

Art Gallery of Western Australia and the 

National Gallery of Australia and she also 

wrote and presented several television 

series on art. Now, in this gorgeously 

illustrated book, Betty takes us on a 

personal tour of her most beloved works, 

including masterpieces by Rembrandt, 

Goya, Manet, Velázquez, Courbet, Vermeer 

and Cézanne. A trained artist, Betty’s 

sketches reveal the secrets within the 

artworks and the processes of their 

creation. With the gift for making art 

accessible that characterised her popular 

television series, she gently leads your 

eye to these paintings’ intimate details, 

describing their kinship with other 

masterpieces and their place in the history 

of art. 

Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing. 

RRP AU$44.99. 

The Contemporary Cake 

Decorating Bible 

by Lindy Smith 

Based in the UK, Lindy Smith is an 

established name in ‘sugarcrafting’ 

who teaches all over the world. Here, 

she covers every must-know technique, 

starting with basic tools and ingredients 

and finishing with advanced modelling and 

decorating. She also includes techniques 

and inspiration for cupcakes and cookies, 

as well as cakes. Take a peep at her 

website: www.lindyscakes.co.uk. 

Publisher: David & Charles. Distributor: 

Capricorn Link Australia. RRP AU$39.99 

Georgie Porgie 

by George Calombaris 

In this new book Chef and MasterChef 

Australia judge, George Calombaris, offers 

family favourites like spaghetti bolognese, 

pita bread and berry ice cream through 

to dinner-table dazzlers like slow-roasted 

pork belly, braised chicken and chocolate 

marshmallow souffles. He also adds fast 

cooking facts and equipment lists. 

Publisher: Penguin Australia. RRP AU$39.95. 

101 Tees: Restyle + 

Refashion + Revamp 

by Cathie Filian 

Try your hand at more than 101 ways 

to embellish, customise and transform 

the everyday t-shirt into something truly 

fashionable. Great projects for beginners, 

10 technique-themed chapters give 


ookshelf • 

Hop Skip Jump 

by Fiona Dalton 

Fiona Dalton, author of the 

hugely-popular blog of the same 

name, shows us how to make 

gorgeous soft toys using natural 

and repurposed materials. 

Characters to sew include Arnold 

the penguin, Doris the sausage 

dog and Harriet the tortoise. 

They’re all beautifully designed; 

inspired by the handcrafted toys 

of yesteryear but with some 

modern twists. With simple 

patterns, clear instructions 

and detailed information about 

sourcing and using repurposed 

crafters plenty to choose from. Cut, stitch, 

embroider, paint, dye, image transfer, or 

add trims for gorgeous results. 

Publisher: Lark. Distributor: Capricorn Link 

Australia. RRP AU$16.99 

Colour in Art Quilts 

by Janet Twinn 

This beautiful book is for quilters 

who want a deeper understanding of 

colour. Renowned art quilter, Janet Twinn, 

covers everything from colour theory and 

harmonising fabrics to colouring methods, 

using colour to evoke atmosphere and 

place, and working in both monochrome 

and two colour. Stunning images from 

today’s top quilt makers demonstrate a 

range of creative possibilities 

Publisher: B.T. Batsford . Distributor: 

Capricorn Link Australia. RRP AU$39.99. 

feature 

read 

and sustainable materials, beginners 

and experienced crafters alike will 

find it’s easy being green. 

Publisher: Penguin Australia. RRP AU$35.00. 

More 90 Minute Quilts 

by Meryl Ann Butler 

This follow-up book to Meryl’s 

90-Minute Quilts is designed to add a new 

dimension to your quilts by incorporating 

triangles into the designs, while still using 

the authors 90-minute methods. Inside 

you’ll find ‘how-to’ techniques for creating 

a basic 90-minute quilt, including several 

methods for easy half-square triangle units. 

There is also step-by-step instructions for 

over 20 quilt projects, including baby quilts, 

lap quilts, tablecloths, wall hangings, 

pillows and community service quilts. 

Publisher: KP Books. Distributor: Capricorn 

Link Australia. RRP AU$29.99. 

Note: Books available all good bookstores or check 

online. Australian price guides given where possible. 

BOOKS TO BUY AT 

SPOTLIGHT 

Cute Creatures to Knit 

and Crochet 

by Search Press 

Create a whole menagerie of 

creatures, from cute and cuddly mice, 

dogs, bears, cats and penguins to 

the weird and wacky world of Fanfan 

the elephant, Antoinette the chicken 

and Felix the Martian dog. There are 

35 creatures to make using knitting, 

crochet, and French knitting applied to 

a fabric base. Clear notes on the basic 

techniques used as well as step-by-step 

instructions and templates for each 

creature round out the book. 

Publisher: Search Press Australia. 

60 Quick Baby Knits 

Blankets, booties, 

sweaters and more 

by Sixth & Spring Books 

From cosy cardigans and a whimsical 

blanket shaped like a sheep to a 

pinwheel beret, embroidered booties and 

tiny legwarmers, this book has something 

for everyone knitting for tots aged 0 to 

24 months. 

Publisher: Sixth & Spring. Distributor: 

Capricorn Link Australia. 

Huggable Crochet 

by Christine Lucas 

Using simple stitches and 

construction techniques, this book shows 

you how to make 19 different animals, 

measuring from thirty to forty-six 

centimetres. Crochet a snuggly squirrel, 

cow, penguin, dolphin, lion, giraffe, koala 

and more! 

Plus, each 

pattern is 

done in two 

different 

colour 

schemes: 

realistic and 

fanciful. 

Publisher: 

KP Books. 

Distributor: 

Capricorn Link 

Australia. 



Finding 

inspiration 

& sanity 

– through papercrafting 

Below: Teresa Collins (front row fouth from left) and 

Inspiration Unlimited event participants. 

Our columnist, Joanna Baxter, creative 

director of BELLA! Fynmark PTY 

LTD, reconnects with her passion for 

papercrafting at a two day event at a ranch 

resort in Nevada ... and loves it! 

I have to say some days work 

is fabulous and I feel lucky. But 

other days it just seems like an 

ongoing bundle of stress. Meeting 

design deadlines for manufacturing, 

generating projects for photo shoots 

on a hot day when the glue won’t 

stick and nothing looks right, finding 

out a shipment of product you’re 

desperate for has missed the boat … 

those days really pile on the pressure. 

That’s when I question how much 

I now love what started out as a 

relaxing hobby! 

When it all gets a bit much I try 

to take the opportunity to spend 

some time indulging my passion 

for papercraft with others, by either 

spending a day or two at a retreat or 

sponsoring an event I’d like to attend. 

I then have a ‘work’ excuse to attend 

something that will connect me back 

into the enjoyment of it all; I can 

scrapbook for pleasure like everyone 

else. 

Recently our company was lucky 

enough to get involved with Teresa 

Collins’ Inspiration Unlimited event in 

Las Vegas, USA. Teresa is a wellknown 

designer in the US, famous 

for her ‘blingage’ and girly girl 

product. She runs a luxurious two day 

scrapbooking marathon once a year 

and what a marathon it is. Here’s the 

rundown: 

Friday 

6:00am 

Dragging myself out of bed, jet lag 

kicking in. Need coffee … thank 

goodness there’s a food court in the 

hotel. Love this Green Valley Ranch 

Casino – extra large vanilla latte – 

mmmm. I can’t believe how heavy my 

scrapbooking tote is – I need to find 

the registration desk so I can get my 

lanyard and put this tote down! 

7:30am 

Woohoo I’m in the Bling Babes group 

– looks like a full class. Where to sit? 

This looks good – three other USA 

scrapbooking enthusiasts – we’re 

all here on our lonesome – but not 

anymore. 

8:00 to 11:00am 

Nothing like a three hour workshop 

first up. I love mini books and ‘The 

Story of Us’ by Janet Hopkins is a 

challenge to one very jet lagged brain; 

lots of folding pockets and envelopes. 

Love the book binding technique at the 

end – must remember that for future 

projects. Love the Cricut cartridge 

giveaway. Note to self: buy a Cricut. 

11:00 to 12:00pm 

There’s Sussan and April – so great 

to catch up with them; haven’t seen 

them since last year’s Creative 

Escape. Starving so we’re all off to 

the cafe outside the Casino – woohoo 

the shopping centre also has Pottery 

Barn and Anthropologie – two of my 

favourite stores – be back later for a 

visit. 

12:00 to 3:00pm 

Amber Packer’s layout class – and 

double-layouts to boot. Love the 

papers, vintage with lots of glitter. Not 

too sure about that jute flower I just 

made – think I might replace it with 

something from my stash at home. 

Sewing never was my strong point. 

Wish I’d brought photos to finish these 

layouts – they’re awesome. More RAKs 

(random acts of kindness) – those 

sanding blocks from Coordinations 

are huge – all the better to sand that 

embossed cardstock with and the dust 

mat will be very handy. 

3:00 to 3:30pm 

Break...stretch those legs … more 

coffee required! 

3:30 to 6:30pm 

Teresa Collins’ Travel Album – this gal 

never ceases to amaze me with her 

calm demeanour while teaching quite 

detailed projects. There’s a lot to do – 

can I get it finished? No, not quite but 

I want to add pictures anyway so, all 

good. Are those lolly buckets for us? 

6:30 to 8:00pm 

Dinner – a quick walk down to 

Wholefoods Market. Chicken noodle 

soup, salad and dessert. Just a 

wee bit warm outside – the Nevada 

weather never disappoints. 

8:00 to 11pm 

Not sure about this Friday Night 



Above (clockwise): 

Displays at the event, 

Joanna teaches a 

Christmas card make and 

take on the Friday night 

using Aussie product and 

participants crafting. 

Crop Party – I think lots of people 

will head down the Strip. I think I 

have way too much product for the 

number of people that will turn up for 

the session I’m teaching. Hang on a 

minute – is that a line out the door of 

people waiting for our Fundamentals 

Christmas Card session? So much for 

thinking I’ll be out of here at 9pm. Flat 

out till 11.30pm 

Saturday 

8:00 to 11:00am 

First up this morning Layle Koncar’s 

Observations class. Ooh very 

technique based, misting, fussy 

cutting, sewing and stamping. Two 

double layouts – we’ve got our work 

cut out for us. Love the embossed 

cardstock. Is that Bazzill album for 

me? How much product do these guys 

give away? Amazing. 

11:00 to 12:00pm 

Back to that cafe for the best turkey 

sandwich ever. 

12:00 to 3:00pm 

Always a fan of everything Bazzill 

does. They put so much into this 

industry and are just the nicest 

people. Joey Otlo’s Divinely Sweet 

album is cute, cute, cute. I’m so 

tired though. I play around with the 

chipboard cover and cover the inside 

chipboard pages. I don’t scrap them, 

just keep it simple. Bonus at the 

end of the class is when we get a 

Christmas paper pack in the same 

colours – now I know what I’ll use this 

album for. 

3:00 to 3:30pm 

More coffee for me – need to keep 

these eyes open. Ann confessed to 

a drink and a win on the pokies in 

the casino on her return – where else 

could you scrap and win money during 

an afternoon tea break? 

3:30 to 6:30pm 

The A-Z Workshop - I’ve seen this 

book of Teresa’s all weekend as other 

groups completed it in class. It’s 

beautiful and I love the whole idea 

of creating a book from A to Z about 

me. We have around seven minutes to 

complete each page and then we get 

to bind it in the new Provo Craft Your 

Story Machine – love it! Teresa rocks 

as always – this is my favourite class. 

Heaps of giveaways too – my sister is 

going to love some of these goodies. 

6:30 to 8:00pm 

Burgers and beer at Fatburger with the 

girls – I reckon we deserve it. On to 

the prizes and presentations - I feel so 

blessed to have been in the company 

of such a talented group of women, 

sharing their love for things worth 

remembering. I have so many ideas 

and new techniques up my sleeve. 

I have received such inspiration 

from the last 48 hours - I’m a lucky 

(albeit very tired) girl. Wondering how 

I’m going to get all this stuff in my 

suitcase to bring home! 

Upon review these few days 

recorded in my travel diary really do 

summarise how I feel about papercraft 

and scrapbooking 99 per cent of the 

time. With papercraft, if you share the 

process, the product and the passion, 

you do come away with a renewed 

sense of self. They say scrapbooking 

is cheaper than a psychiatrist – I 

now know it to be true! Inspiration 

Unlimited? It certainly was. • 

About Joanna 

Joanna, who has been working at Fynmark 

since 2002, got hooked on scrapbooking 

from the first class she attended and 

was designing her own products shortly 

thereafter. An interest in archiving family 

memorabilia inspired her to create 

affordable product for the Australian 

market at a time when USA products 

dominated. Today her company sells 

products throughout Australia and NZ, 

the USA, UK and Europe. “I have the best 

job in the world, designing and sourcing 

product for our BELLA!, Fundamentals and 

Ruby Rock-it brands,” she says. 



Left: Sour cream container by Sharon Burkert. 

Below: Paint chip sample box by Jessica Jones. 

wrapped in 

imagination 

Putting a gift in a plain wrapper goes against everything 

our columnist, USA papercrafter and author JEANNINE 

STEIN, “aesthetically” believes in. But, she says, there’s 

only so much you can do with gift wrap, ribbon and 

embellishments and so much more you can do by making 

the actual package yourself … 

Paper packaging takes wrapping to 

a whole new level. The ‘wow’ factor 

is huge, the creative satisfaction is 

enormous, and you can tailor the 

package to the recipient or occasion, 

such as a friend’s birthday, a wedding, 

or even for a trade among your crafty 

friends. Think dressed-up paper 

cones made from scrapbook paper, 

origami boxes made out of elegant 

Japanese paper and sewn paper bags 

and envelopes made from vintage 

ephemera, or stuff found around the 

house. 

Making a container doesn’t even 

require that much more time and 

effort than decorating a pre-made box 

or bag, and the materials are probably 

already in your stash. 

One of the most popular wraps 

right now is the sour cream container, 

so called because in the U.S. that’s 

how sour cream used to be packaged. 

While it looks complex it’s the 

simplest package to make: start with 

a square or rectangular piece of paper 

or cardstock and join two ends to form 

a tube using a strong adhesive such 

as double stick tape. Pinch one end 

About Jeannine 

Jeannine Stein has been making books for 

more than 15 years, exploring bindings, mediums 

and techniques. In addition to teaching 

book binding, she is an award-winning journalist 

and has written extensively about paper crafts, 

artists’ books, scrapbooking, rubber stamping 

and letterpress. Her books include Re-Bound: 

Creating Handmade Books From Recycled and 

Repurposed Materials and Adventures in Bookbinding: 

Hand Crafting Mixed-Media Books. She 

lives in Los Angeles, California. 

closed, again adhering with tape, fill 

the package, then pinch and seal the 

other end perpendicular to the first. 

Secure the ends with a paper crimper 

or ribbon. 

Use these containers for small 

gifts, sweets or jewellery and 

embellish them with flowers, punches, 

tags and charms. Try making them 

with a printed transparency for a great 

see-through look. Sharon Burkert 

features a tutorial and several ideas 

for the containers on her blog, using 

bold patterned cardstock and flower 

dyes to dress up her containers. 

Making a container 

doesn’t even require 

that much more 

time and effort than 

decorating a pre-made 

box or bag, and the 

materials are probably 

already in your stash. 

Need a quick box? Graphic and 

textile designer Jessica Jones shows 

how to make a colourful box and lid 

out of paint chip 

samples on her 

blog, How About 

Orange. Using 

a template, all 

that’s required 

are a few cuts 

with a craft 

knife and some 

double-stick 

tape. These 

are perfect for 

party favours. 

Paper cones are also easy to 

assemble and can be filled with small 

treats or potpourri. Start with a square 

piece of double-sided cardstock and 

bring two opposite corners together, 

wrapping them until a cone forms. 

Fasten together with double-stick tape 

(or a couple of staples that can be 

hidden) and decorate to your heart’s 

content. 

One of my favorite packages is a 

sewn gift bag or envelope made from 

old book pages, maps or vintage sheet 

music. If the pages are large enough 

they can be stitched as is into a bag 

or envelope shape on the sewing 

machine or by hand, using embroidery 

floss or yarn and a whip stitch or 

straight stitch. Or, sew pieces together 

patchwork-style for a funkier look. 

When I need some inspiration I 

head to my nearest gourmet food store 

and check out the packaging. Or, I’ll 

peruse graphic design and packaging 

books, which always offer great ideas 

and templates. Next time you give a 

gift, skip the generic box and create 

something unique. • 

LINKS 

www.howaboutorange.blogspot.com 

Paint chip tutorial on How About 

Orange: 

www.howaboutorange.blogspot. 

com/2011/07/how-to-make-boxesfrom-paint-swatches.html 

Sharon Burkert blog: www.sharon 

burkert.com/as_the_ink_dries/ 

Sour cream container tutorial: 

www.sharonburkert.com/as_the_ink_ 

dries/2011/03/flashback-friday-sourcream-containers.html 


make it • 

OSCARS 

party 

e 

Celebrate the silver screen or 

use Hollywood as a theme for 

your next party. Roll out the 

red carpet & enjoy ... 


• make it 

INVITATION 

Materials 

Kaisecard – black & white 

A4 matt double-sided gold paper/card 

3mm matt gold satin ribbon 

Small gold alphabet & number stickers 

Small gold star stickers 

White paper for computer printer 


Paper trimmer 

Scissors 


Computer & printer 

Front of invite 

Step 1 Cut a piece of gold card 

10cm x 21cm (DL size). Cut a piece 

of black weave cardstock 9.5cm x 

20.5cm and adhere to the middle of 

the gold card using double-sided tape. 

Cut white weave cardstock 8.5cm x 

19.5cm and stick to the centre of the 

mounted black card. 

Step 2 Using the template 

provided cut a full trophy shape from 

black weave cardstock. 

Cut only the statuette from gold card 

and attach to the black trophy. Cut 

a small length of ribbon and stick 

to the base of the trophy. Embellish 

below the base with letter and star 

stickers. Adhere the trophy to the 

centre front of the invite. Further 

embellish front with star stickers 

Back of invite 

Step 3 Print invite wording from 

computer onto white paper and cut 

to 8.5cm x 19.5cm. 

Stick a length of ribbon across the 

invite 1cm down from the top and 

another 1cm up from the base. 

Step 4 Cut black weave 

cardstock 9.5cm wide x 20.5cm 

and stick to the centre back of the 

invite. Attach printed white paper 

to the centre of the black card and 

embellish with star stickers. 

GLASS DECORATION/ 

PLACE CARDS 

Materials 

Kaisecard – black 


Small gold star stickers 


Small wooden peg 

Crafters ChoiceCraft glue 

Black ribbon (for champagne/wine glass) 


Paper trimmer 

Scissors 



Step 1 Using the template provided 

cut a full trophy shape from black weave 

cardstock. 

Cut only the statuette from gold card and 

attach to the black trophy shape with 

double-sided tape. 

Step 2 Print name from a computer 

onto white paper and trim to 1.5cm high 

x 5cm long. 

Stick name to the black base of the 

trophy and embellish with star stickers. 

Step 3 Glue a small wooden peg to 

the back of the head of the trophy and 

allow glue to dry. 

tie black ribbon around the stem of the 

glass and when glue is dry, peg trophy to 

the rim of the glass. 

PLACE CARDS 

Materials 

Weave cardstock – black & white 


White envelopes (1 per person) 



Paper trimmer 

Scissors 


Step 1 Cut piece of gold card 10cm 

x 6.5cm. 



Cut black weave cardstock 9cm x 

6cm and stick to the centre of the 

gold card using double-sided tape. 

Step 2 Print wording from the 

computer onto white paper (or 

handwrite if preferred) then trim 

paper to 8.5cm x 5cm. Stick the 

printed white paper to the centre of 

the mounted black card. 

PARTY 

basics 

Koo 3-tier glass 

cake stand 

Step 3 Attach place card to 

the back of an envelope with the 

top corner slightly underneath the 

envelope flap. Repeat for required 

number of place cards. • 

Koo Platinum 

white & red 

wine glass & 

champagne 

flute 

Invitation/placecard 

template 


Koo Stainless 

steel water 

pitcher 

Koo Ceramic 

serving bowl 

set 

Koo Ceramic 

cake stand 



red carpet 

More and more the ‘red carpet’ has 

become synonymous with the epitome 

of glamour and fantasy. From the 

Brownlow Medal to teen parties and 

school formals, red carpet dressing has 

become an obsession. With the Oscars 

around the corner, we’ve decided to 

dress up and become part of the 

glitterati ... but what does it take? 

An Australian in Hollywood 

Australian designer Johanna 

Johnson made a splash last 

year during the Emmy Awards 

when ‘Mad Men’ actress 

Christina Hendricks sashayed 

down the carpet in her heavy 

silk satin gown that was 

embellished with Swarovski 

crystals and screamed ‘old 

school Hollywood’. The 

Sydney Morning Herald’s 

Fashion Editor, Georgina 

Safe, declared Johanna’s 

dress a “red carpet 

stunner” and quoted the 

designer as saying events 

such as these, and the 

immediate subsequent media 

coverage, has such an impact 

it can make sales jump 

overnight. 

Johanna Johnson’s label 

was founded in 2005 with 

the aim of bringing the 

sophistication and glamour of 

the golden era of Hollywood 

to Australian brides. Now 

that modern Hollywood has 

discovered her who knows 

what the future holds for this 

mother of two? 

@ www.johannajohnson.com 

www.smh.com.au 

AAP Image/Jennifer Graylock 



Above: Kerry O’Brien (right) with colleague 

dressing 

A woman with a bird’s eye view 

Melbourne-based publicist Kerry 

O’Brien has been front and centre 

on countless red carpets. National 

publicist for five Logie Award 

Ceremonies and five Australian 

Film Institute Awards, she says 

that managing the red carpet is a 

“huge job” with close to 200 media 

representatives accredited to be on 

site and reporting each year. 

From 2000 onwards Kerry says 

red carpet dressing in Australia 

became “incredibly glamorous”. She’s 

“impressed and stunned at the effort 

that goes into dressing the stars” and 

says many local designers are using 

this avenue as a marketing tool for 

their labels. 

“I believe the Internet has helped 

because there are enormous 

increases in the amount of media 

coverage received from a red carpet 

event; photos and footage can be 

distributed to the world media in a 

matter of minutes,” says Kerry. 

Reluctant to choose just one 

Australia favourite, the publicist says 

Collette Dinnigan, Lisa Ho and J’Aton 

are among her top choices. 

“Did you see Asher Keddie’s Logies 

outfit last year?” she asks. “It was 

truly stunning! Kat Stewart also always 

looks amazing, as does Jennifer 

Hawkins – of course! These women 

are stylish and it’s not about how 

much skin they are showing but the 

perfect gowns they choose. I have also 

had Naomi Watts and Cate Blanchett 

on my red carpets and they are always 

stunning.” 

While Kerry’s work ensemble is 

normally limited to sharp suits and 

shoes that can keep her on her feet 

for 12 to 14 hours at her time, she 

personally loves Lisa Ho and chose 

one of her gowns to get married in, 

one she spied on Rebecca Gibney on 

the Logies red carpet. 

And, after all these years watching 

starlets come and go, via memorable 

moments, wardrobe malfunctions and 

pure glamour, what is Kerry’s idea 

of successful red carpet dressing? 

“Don’t over accessorise, make the 

gown the hero. Less is more is my 

motto!” she declares. • 

www.kerryobrienpublicity.com.au 

@ 

“Kat Stewart (above) also 

always looks amazing, as 

does Jennifer Hawkins – of 

course! These women are 

stylish and it’s not about 

how much skin they are 

showing but the perfect 

gowns they choose” 

– Kerry 


• make it 

OSCARS 

appetizers 

1. Tortilla chips with chorizo 

and cherry tomato and 

jalapeño salsa 

Ingredients 

Oil for cooking 

1 chorizo, sliced 

12 cherry tomatoes 

2 tbsp lemon juice 

2 tbsp chopped coriander 

1 jalapeno, finely diced 

Tortilla chips (corn chips) 

Note: If you can’t find jalapenos simply 

use a long green chilli. A mix of cherry 

tomatoes will bring additional colour to 

these canapés. 

Instructions 

1. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over 

a medium heat. Add sliced chorizo, 

no need to add oil, and cook for 3–4 

minutes on each side until golden 

brown and fat renders out. Drain and 

set aside. 

2. Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters or 

halves depending on their size. When 

chorizo is cool cut slices in halves and 

mix with cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, 

coriander and jalapeno, season with 

salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

3. To serve, spoon chorizo mix onto 

tortilla chips and serve. 

Makes 15-18 

2. Prawn and chorizo 

pinchos 

Ingredients 

1 small baguette 

Olive oil for cooking 

1 punnet cherry tomatoes 

Salt 

1 chorizo, sliced 

12 cooked prawns, peeled & deveined 

4 tbsp chopped parsley 

250ml (1 cup) mayonnaise 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

1tbsp lime juice 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. 

2. Take the baguette, slice thinly, brush 

with olive oil and toast in preheated 

oven for 8–10 minutes until crispy. 

3. Take a punnet of cherry tomatoes, 

look for smaller ones if possible, 

or cut in half. Drizzle with olive oil, 

and sprinkle with salt and roast in 

preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or 

until slightly soft. 

4. Slice the chorizo thinly and either 

grill or barbecue until crispy on each 

side. Drain on absorbent paper to 

remove excess fat. Cut prawns in half 

lengthways. Make smoked paprika 

mayonnaise by mixing mayonnaise with 

smoked paprika and lime juice. 

5. To assemble lay out bread 

slices, spread with smoked paprika 

mayonnaise, top with a slice of chorizo, 


half a prawn, a cherry tomato and 

sprinkle with chopped parsley. 

Makes 24 

3. Tostades with chipotle 

chicken and guacamole 

Ingredients 

4 corn tortillas 

Oil for cooking 

1 skinless chicken breast fillet 

3 tsp chipotle powder 

1 tbsp olive oil 

Note: Chipotle powder can be found 

at many specialist spice stores or 

try online at www.usafoods.com.au . 

Alternatively try a Mexican chilli powder 

from your supermarket. 

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Brush 

tortillas with oil and cut into 6 wedges. 

Bake in preheated oven for 5–6 

minutes until crispy. 

1 

2. Mix chipotle powder with oil and season 

with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken 

fillets. 

3. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a 

medium heat. Add chicken fillets and cook 

for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden 

brown. Place in preheated oven and cook 

for a further 5–8 minutes until cooked 

through. Remove and allow to cool. 

2 

Guacamole 

Ingredients 

1 avocado 

2 tbsp lime juice 

2 tbsp chopped coriander 

Dash of Tabasco 

¼ red capsicum, finely diced 

1. Make guacamole by removing the 

flesh from the avocado, place in a 

bowl and mash roughly. Add limejuice, 

coriander, Tabasco, capsicum, spring 

onions, salt and freshly ground black 

pepper and mix to combine. 

3 

2. To serve spoon guacamole onto 

tostadas, top with a slice of chicken 

and serve. 

Makes 12–15 

4. Coriander salmon on 

white corn tortillas 

Ingredients 

1 x 200g salmon fillet, skin removed 

Finely grated zest of 1 lime 

2 spring onions, thinly sliced 

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 

Salt & freshly ground black pepper 

4 

White corn tortillas 

Coriander leaves to garnish 

Instructions 

1. Finely dice salmon and mix with 

lime zest, spring onions, coriander, 

salt and pepper. 

2. Spoon mixture onto tortillas, 

garnish with coriander leaves and 

serve. 

Makes 15 • 

make it • 



Host an Oscars 

Party at home 

Looking for a fun excuse to pop on a 

feather boa and crack open the bubbles 

with good friends this February? 

The 84th Academy Awards will be held in 

Hollywood at the Kodak Theatre on Sunday, 

the 26th of February, with comedian Billy 

Crystal as the host. More and more people 

are getting on board the silver screen 

theme by hosting Oscars parties, some at 

home and some in glamorous hotel suites 

rented just for the night. 

Spotlight has a great selection of 

Hollywood, award night and movie themed 

novelty items in its Spartys section. 

Whether you choose to host a movie 

themed trivia night, a riotous viewing of the 

Academy Awards television coverage or a 

pre-event voting night with friends, you’ll 

find loads of inspiration at Spotlight. 

Invitation front (left) & 

Invitation inner (right) 

Clapper board 

And the nominations for 

favourite party ideas are... 

• Dress up dinner – come as your favourite 

star, present or past, or give guests an era 

– say the 1940s – to base their costumes on. 

• Roll out the red carpet outside the house 

for an Oscars themed dinner party. Take 

guests’ photos with a digital camera and 

email them out afterwards or turn them into 

commemorative cards. 

• Create your own award themed party 

invitations and DIY ballot cards. Type the 

words - print your own oscars ballot – into 

your favourite search engine and you will 

find ready-to-go pdfs that are perfect for 

party purposes. 

• Eat popcorn in front of the television – 

dress up your pyjamas with a feather boa 

and serve yourself some cinnamon and 

sugar dusted popcorn and get ready to 

critique those red carpet fashions. 

• Hire a hotel room for the screening of 

the Academy Awards and get everyone to 

chip in. Let the hotel staff wash up the wine 

glasses! After all, you’re a star for the night. 

• Use these websites for inspiration 

and information: www.oscars.org and 

Koo Domed short & Long 

tumblers & Platinum 

Champagne Flute 

Ripple 

Bowls 

Wigs 

oscar.go.com • 

Hollywood glasses 


Centrepiece 

cascade 


Feather Boas 

& Marabous 

Crepe streamers 

& latex balloons 

Party Creator 

flapper dress 

Star award 

Star door decoration 

& confetti 

Disposable tableware 

& serviettes 


• make it 

e 

Time for a 

Kitchen Tea 

Get Creative’s Facebook friends share 

the following creative kitchen tea ideas: 

“I’ve seen crocheted & knitted tea 

sets. The crocheted one had little tea 

cakes, crocheted cake stand & tiny 

snacks. The knitted tea set just had tea & 

a slice of cake.” 

Irene Ho - Hamlyn Terrace, NSW 

Manda Maczi credits her sisters - Fiona & 

Teagan - from Soldiers Point, NSW, with 

this idea: “A nice homemade recipe book 

with recipes from the people who are 

coming to the party (& even those that 

can’t make it). My sisters made me one 

for my kitchen tea & it was awesome.” 

LIKE us on Facebook & say g’day to 

fellow readers: www.facebook.com/ 

gcqmag 

BASKET LINER 

All baskets vary in shape and size. 

This is a basic idea that will suit most 

basket shapes. It will need to be 

adjusted in measurements to suit the 

particular basket used. 

Materials 

Medium basket with handle 

Gingham fabric (45cm x 60cm) 

Matching ribbon 

Firm cardboard, pencil 

Wadding & craft glue/hot glue gun 

Tea towel 

Scissors, pins, hand needle, tape 

measure 

Sewing machine, sewing thread 

Iron 

Step 1 To gauge what size fabric 

piece is needed to line the basket, 

place a tea towel inside the basket, in 

the middle and pushed in all the way to 

the bottom of the basket. Make note of 

how much more or less in length and 

width than the tea towel is needed to 

line the basket. 

Cut a piece of gingham fabric to the 

tea towel measurements (making 

adjustments where necessary) and add 

2cm on each side for hem allowance. 

Double hem fabric on all sides by 

pressing under 1cm then another 1cm 

then stitch in place. Press. 

Step 2 To make the inner base of 

the basket, trace the bottom of the 

basket onto the cardboard and cut out 

slightly smaller so it fits snuggly inside 

the base of the basket. 


d.line silicone whisk 


d.line granite 

mortar & pestle 

Kitchen 

Cut a piece of wadding to the same size 

as the cardboard base and glue to the 

top of the cardboard shape. 

Helpers 

Place the padded side of the base 

face down on extra fabric then cut out 

fabric allowing 1.5cm extra around the 

edge of the shape. Bring the edges 

of the fabric up onto the back of the 

cardboard and glue firmly in place. 

Allow glue to dry. 

Step 3 Place the hemmed gingham 

d.line potato ricer 

liner inside the centre of the basket 

then put the padded base into the base 

of the basket. Adjust the gathers/folds 

of the liner for desired look. If needed 

hand sew the liner to the basket to 

keep in place. 

Tie a bow with matching ribbon around 

the base of each side of the handles. 

d.line nylon tipped food tongs 

Optional – glue the base to the inside 

of the basket, but by doing this you 

won’t be able to remove the base later 

to wash the liner. 

KITCHEN TEA 

d.line 

INVITATION 

stainless steel 5 

Materials 

cup flour sifter 

White weave cardstock 

Jenny B collection – cup cake 

embellishments 

Koo Timber index cutting board 

Crafters Choice chipboard flowers 

d.line 

Bella! pink fusion trimming 

ceramic pie weights 

Remarks rub on alphabet 


Scissors 

Paper trimmer 

Step 1 Cut the white weave 

cardstock 21cm x 10.5cm and attach 

a strip of gingham ribbon along the left 

edge of the card. 

Step 2 Rub on the words for the 

invitation then embellish with the stick 

on chipboard flowers and Jenny B 

embellishments. 

d.line blow torch 

Step 3 Fill in the details by hand. • 

Please note: Due to varied buying patterns throughout Australia and New Zealand some stock 

may vary between stores or sell out. Ask a Spotlight employee at your nearest store for the best alternative. 


• news 

n e w s 

Events, updates & announcements to inspire. 

Above: Grace Kelly 1954. Image courtesy of 

Philippe Halsman/Magnum Photos/Snapper Media 

Grace Kelly comes to 

Bendigo 

The Victoria & Albert Museum’s 

highly successful ‘Grace Kelly: Style 

Icon’ exhibition has been secured 

exclusively in Australia by Bendigo Art 

Gallery. 

The exhibition, which attracted 

more than 200,000 visitors in the UK, 

features costumes from films such as 

Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’, plus 

Grace’s haute couture gowns from 

Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel and Givenchy, 

alongside tailored suits and American 

casual wear. 

A range of glamorous special 

events will be developed in association 

with the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion 

Festival to coincide with the exhibition. 

This exceptional exhibition, comprising 

more than 100 items, includes 

dresses and accessories that will be 

showcased in four of the gallery’s main 

spaces. 

• Takes place from 10 March – 17 

June, 2012 

• www.bendigoartgallery.com.au 

The Mad Square: Modernity 

in German Art 1910 – 37 

This summer the National Gallery of 

Victoria presents the first exhibition in 

Australia to explore the radical avantgarde 

art movements that emerged 

in Germany during one of the most 

important and chaotic periods of the 

twentieth century. 

The Mad Square: Modernity in 

German Art 1910–37 brings together 

an experimental, provocative and 

utterly compelling collection of over 

200 paintings, photographs, prints, 

films, sculptures and decorative arts 

pieces with loans from museums and 

private collections around the world. 

• Takes place 25 November 2011 

until 4 March 2012. Admission fees 

apply. 

• www.ngv.vic.gov.au 

Adelaide Festival 

The Festival brings the very best 

in theatre, dance, opera, literature, 

music, film and the visual arts to 

Adelaide, turning the city into a place 

of annual pilgrimage for arts lovers the 

world over. The programme features 

68 events, including world premieres 

and Australian premieres both in the 

visual and performing arts. Highlights 

from the theatre program include 

French screen legend Isabelle Huppert 

in ‘A Streetcar’ and Tony Award winning 

British actor Jonathan Pryce Harold 

Pinter’s ‘The Caretaker’. 

• Takes place 2 – 18 March, 2012 

• Bookings adelaidefestival.com.au 

or BASS 131 246 

Tea Cosy Competition 

Queensland’s self proclaimed Tea 

Cosy capital Miles, situated 340 

kilometres west of Brisbane, is again 

seeking the world’s best tea cosies 

for its World Tea Cosy Competition. 

In previous years entries have been 

received from Australia, England, 

Scotland, Ireland, the United States, 

South Africa, New Zealand and France. 

Enter your work into one of four 

categories: knitting and/or crochet, 

embroidery, novelty and colour 

themed. The winner of each category 

receives $200, with an extra $300 

to the overall winner who becomes, 

therefore, the champion. 

• The entry form is available from the 

website www.milesrac.org or you can 

write to Mrs Ann Gibbons, ‘Mirrabook’, 

Miles, 4415, Queensland, Australia. 

All entries must reach Miles by 30 

June 2012. 

• For more information, contact Ann 

Gibbons on (07 4627 1707) or email 

tedgibbons@bigpond.com 

Above: Water Stains on the Wall. Performed by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, photo by LIU 

Chen-hsiang. Above right: raoul 5-09 0562 A4, photo by Richard Haughton. 


Left: Felix Nussbaum–German 1904–1944. The 

mad square 1931, oil on canvas– 97.0 x 195.5 

cm. Berlinische Galerie, Landesmuseum für 

Moderne Kunst, Fotografie und Architektur. © 

Felix Nussbaum/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Licensed by 

Viscopy, Sydney. 

news • 

Right: Conversations with Creative Women by 

Tess McCabe. 

Ovarian Cancer Awareness 

Month 

Each year in February Ovarian 

Cancer Australia runs a national 

Awareness Month campaign to 

highlight the symptoms of ovarian 

cancer and to raise funds for their 

support and research programs. In 

Spotlight stores in February you can 

purchase emery boards and special 

teal coloured ribbons to show your 

support. Proceeds go to Ovarian 

Cancer Australia. This year Teal Ribbon 

Day falls on Wednesday 29 February. 

Information about the symptoms of 

ovarian cancer and the work of Ovarian 

Cancer Australia and details of how to 

host an Afternoon Teal are available 

at www.ovariancancer.net.au 

A bouquet of stitches from 

SA embroiderers 

As part of the Adelaide Fringe 

Festival, The Embroiderer’s Guild 

of South Australia is presenting an 

exhibition of members’ work entitled 

‘A Bouquet of Medieval Stitches’. The 

Guild is situated at 16 Hughes Street 

Mile End, South Australia. The Guild’s 

museum will also present the opulence 

Above: Patron Nicole 

Livingstone was Master of 

Ceremonies at the launch. 

Below left: Julia Gillard and 

members of Parliament 

wear the teal ribbon. 

of the period with items from its 

collection. See daily demonstrations 

of different embroidery techniques or 

purchase hand embroidered gifts. 

• Takes place 2 – 17 March and 

admission is $5. 

• Contact the Guild via phone on 

(08) 8234 1104, via email contact@ 

embguildsa.org.au or on the web 

www.embguildsa.org.au 

New book to inspire 

creative Aussie women 

Inspired by an innovative networking 

group in Melbourne called Creative 

Women’s Circle, a new book has 

arrived called Conversations with 

Creative Women by Tess McCabe. 

It is a compilation of interviews with 

some of Australia’s most talented 

female creatives, from industries as 

varied as millinery, textile design, 

blogging, architecture, retail, writing, 

weaving and fashion design. All 

the interviewees are at different 

stages in their careers, with varying 

responsibilities at home, as an 

employee, as a self-employed 

freelancer or as a business owner. 

These interviewees describe the 

varied paths that have led them to 

their current achievements and include 

tips for entering or sustaining a career 

in their field and insights into the 

real-life struggles, challenges, and 

the minutiae of creative practice. The 

book cost AU$44.00 and you can 

buy online at http://goo.gl/DTeq3 or 

email cwc@tessmccabe.com.au for 

stockists in Victoria, South Australia 

and Western Australia. 

Calendar quickies 

* L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion 

Festival (LMFF) is an annual 

celebration of fashion, design, 

business and creative endeavour. It 

takes place 8 – 15 March and you can 

find out more at www.lmff.com.au. 

* The Melbourne Food and Wine 

Festival sees visitors indulge in more 

than 300 events that fill Melbourne’s 

restaurants, laneways, basements 

and rooftops and spill out into regional 

Victoria. It takes place 2 – 21 March 

and you can find out more at www. 

melbournefoodandwine.com.au 

Statewide craft shows 

Sydney Craft and Sewing Show: 8 – 11 

March, Rosehill Gardens Racecourse. 

Brisbane Craft and Sewing Show: 22 

– 25 March, Brisbane Convention & 

Exhibition Centre, South Bank. 

For more information go to 

www.craftandsew.com.au 

Australasian Quilt Convention: April 12 

– 15, Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton 

Gardens. Visit its website at 

www.aqc.com.au 

Tasmania Craft & Quilt Fair: April 27 – 

29, Launceston Silverdome, Tasmania. 

Find out more at www.craftfair.com.au. 

*The Stanthorpe Art Festival opens 

Friday 24 February at the Stanthorpe 

Regional Art Gallery in Queensland. 

All details are at www.srag.org.au • 



Have a FREE recipe 

from Emily 

Baked treats with a delicious, healthy edge 

Meet Emily Rose 

Australian mother of four, Emily 

Rose, has experimented for years in 

her kitchen to create the delicious 

and healthy recipes in Have Your 

Cake. All the recipes are made 

without butter, white flour or added 

sugar but Emily has crafted them 

to still taste and look like ‘normal’ 

biscuits, cakes and desserts. 

Raspberry friAnds 

There are 60 recipes covering 

Ingredients 

biscuits, cakes, muffins, tarts and 

4 egg whites 

friands. They are full of healthy, less 

1⁄2 cup (125ml) rice bran oil 

processed ingredients and are higher 

1⁄2 cup (150g) honey 

in fibre, lower in sugars and lower in 

saturated fats than traditional baked 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

treats. 

1 cup (110g) almond meal 

1⁄2 cup (80g) wholemeal self-raising 

“My book isn’t about weight loss or 

flour 

for any specific health problem, it is 

32 raspberries (4 for each friand, 

about putting healthy ingredients into 

our bodies, feeling good about what 

fresh or frozen) 

we are eating and still being able to 

enjoy delicious foods, even sweets,” Instructions 

she explains. “The recipes are also Preheat the oven to 160° fan- forced. 

easy and simple to make. Most 

recipes take 10 minutes to prepare. Whisk egg whites until fluffy and 

There’s no sifting of flour or difficult bubbles have formed on the top. In 

methods, most can be made with just a separate bowl, mix oil and honey 

a bowl and a whisk.” 

until honey is dissolved. Add to 

Have Your Cake retails for $19.95 egg whites. Mix in lemon juice and 

and is available from bookshops, 

almond meal. Add flour and whisk 

or you can order online at www. 

for a few minutes until the mixture 

emilyroserecipes.com.au • thickens (it will still be a little runny). 

Grease a friand tin well with oil and 

cut oval shapes out of baking paper 

to place on the base of each case 

to prevent sticking. Pour in mixture, 

filling each case two-thirds full. Press 

two raspberries into each friand, and 

leave two raspberries resting on the 

top. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden; 

they should feel springy to touch. 

Leave to cool completely in the tin. 

Run a knife carefully around the edge 

of each friand to help lift them out. 

Makes 8 

Hint: If using frozen raspberries, 

don’t leave them to thaw before using 

them. • 


Embrace Autumn with 

moody mauves, 

passionate pinks 

and a sprinkle of sequins. 

loganandmason.com.au 

Eternity Lilac available as queen and king bed quilt cover sets, standard pillowcases, european pillowcases and reversible long cushion. 

Co-ordinate with Zoe Silver european pillowcase, Izzy Silver square cushion and Zoe White brunch cushion. 

Autumn/Winter 2012

• stitch in time 

Stitch in Time 

in Vietnam 

A Melbourne woman 

inspires Spotlight and 

countless others to help 

with her work in Vietnam 

Karen Leonard’s Lifestart 

Foundation in Hoi An, Vietnam, is an 

inspiring reminder of how powerful 

the human will can be and is a worthy 

partner for Spotlight’s Stitch in Time 

programme. 

A resident of the Melbourne suburb 

of Essendon, Karen Leonard has, for 

30 years, run a successful business 

called The Karen Leonard Music 

School. A few years back, however, a 

backpacking trip to Vietnam changed 

Karen’s life. After meeting some of the 

street kids in Hoi An, a picturesque 

city on Vietnam’s South Central Coast, 

Karen decided to financially support 

several of them and help them return 

to school by paying their education 

costs. 

Today this altruistic act has 

blossomed into Lifestart Foundation, 

a Hoi An-based, non-profit charity 

helping disadvantaged Vietnamese 

become self-sufficient. In June 2011 

Lifestart Foundation became one of 

the growing number of organisations 

to receive funding and support from 

Spotlight’s Stitch in Time programme 

(SIT). 

Karen’s Foundation sponsors street 

kids via apprenticeships, runs the 

‘Support a Family’ programme, helps 

children to complete their education 

and helps people with disabilities to 

earn a sustainable income. Karen still 

interviews all would-be recipients of 

aid and says, “Even after 10 years 

these interviews often leave me 

feeling emotional after I find out the 

situations that some of these amazing 

students are living in.” 

Prior to that first fateful trip 

to Vietnam, Karen had probably 

envisaged being semi-retired by now. 

Instead, she says, she has never 

worked harder. “However I have never 

felt happier and more fulfilled with the 

direction that my life has taken,” she 

adds. “I am constantly inspired by the 

women that I work with in Vietnam.” 


This bag is hand-made 

and fair labour item lovingly 

created by women in the 

Stitch In Time 

program in Cambodia. 

stitch in time • 

Mirroring the philosophy behind 

SIT, the focus for Lifestart Foundation 

is one of self-sufficiency. “In 

everything we do we try to give people 

opportunities to help themselves 

rather than building cycles of 

dependency on aid,” Karen explains. It 

was the Lifestart Foundation Workshop 

in Hoi An that first came to the 

attention of Spotlight. The company’s 

general manager of marketing, Jono 

Gelfand, heard about it, knew Karen 

was a Spotlight Essendon customer, 

and asked to meet her. 

The gift shop and workshop sells 

unique handcrafted products made 

by women in the area living with 

disabilities. These make great gifts 

and souvenirs and the shop is listed 

on many tour itineraries. At the gift 

shop you can purchase a variety of 

items including original jewellery, 

reversible denim handbags, vases 

made from chopsticks, knitted 

scarves, hand painted t-shirts and 

must-have Lifestart Foundation sock 

creatures. 

Visitors also get to meet people 

supported by the Workshop and sees 

the care that goes into making each 

and every product. 

As Karen explains, “The SIT 

collaboration with Spotlight is 

providing disabled and disadvantaged 

women in central Vietnam with a 

sustainable income stream so they are 

able to support themselves and their 

families financially. The other benefits 

are that these women have increased 

self-esteem, confidence and dignity.” 

A long time customer of Spotlight 

Essendon, Karen does not describe 

herself as a “crafter” but thinks 

that everyone has a hidden desire 

to create. The use of wool brought 

over from Spotlight allows workshop 

participants to produce knitted 

products “quite unique and difficult to 

copy”. “Anyone who has gone shopping 

in Vietnam knows that there is often 

a lot of copying of products going on 

so this allows us to keep our products 

unique,” she explains. 

Spotlight donated eight Brother 

sewing machines and an overlocker 

to the Foundation and entered into a 

commercial and fair trade agreement 

where women at the Hoi An workshop 

make 200 bags per month to be sold 

in Spotlight stores for $7.95. 

“The work these women do is 

gorgeous and the work Karen and her 

supporters do is amazing,” says Jono. 

“Karen is what I consider the epitome 

of so many Spotlight customers, 

someone concerned about others and 

willing to make a difference through 

their own energy and imagination. We 

admire her greatly and are very proud 

to add Hoi An to our growing list of SIT 

projects.” 

This year Karen would love to see 

Lifestart Foundation support more 

students through its educational 

scholarship program. Supporters are 

often surprised to hear that school is 

not free in Vietnam meaning education 

is often out of reach of children from 

poorer families. • 

Want to get involved? 

• Buy a Stitch in Time shopping bag 

at your local Spotlight store. 

• The Lifestart Foundation 

Workshop has an online store where 

you can buy truly distinctive gifts. 

You can also make a cash donation 

online or simply find out more. Visit 

www.lifestartfoundation.org.au. 

You can also contact Karen 

and her helpers through the 

online contact form. 

• Travellers to Hoi An, 

Vietnam, are welcome at 

the Lifestart Foundation 

Workshop at 77 Phan Chu 

Trinh, Hoi An. Take part 

in lantern making and 

traditional painting classes. 

@ www.lifestartfoundation. 

org.au 

Changing lives 

one stitch at a time 

Next issue 

FITZROY CROSSING 

Meet the amazing stitchers 

from Marninwarntikura Women’s 

Resource Centre in Fitzroy 

Crossing, in the Kimberley region of 

Western Australia, the next group 

to be assisted by Spotlight’s Stitch 

in Time programme. At the end of 

last year Spotlight provided the 

Centre with eight Brother sewing 

machines and one overlocker, and 

sent two team members from 

its Geraldton store to spend 

a week teaching everyone 

how to get the most out of 

the machines. In issue 

seven of Get Creative 

Quarterly we’ll show 

you photographs of 

the machines in use, 

meet some of the 

people involved with 

the centre and, best 

of all, see a few of 

the wonderful items 

the women are now 

producing and hear 

what impact SIT is 

having on these 

lives. • 


• store news 

Spotlight on 

Find out what’s happening at a store near you 

Barbara takes her sewing 

skills to the slums of Kenya 

Spotlight is privileged to have, 

amongst its store teams, many 

talented and creative individuals but 

it is their generosity of spirit and 

kindness that is often most striking. 

These same qualities are also 

reflected in Spotlight’s customers. 

Barbara Travis from Spotlight 

Cockburn, in Western Australia, is a 

stellar example of this spirit. She is 

one of those incredible individuals 

willing to share their time and talents 

with some of the poorest people in 

the world. We salute her! 

Barbara responded to an 

advertisement about volunteering 

in Kenya and, last year, found 

herself spending three weeks at The 

Gabriel Learning Centre, located in 

Kaptembwa, one of the largest slum 

areas in Nakuru, Kenya. 

A political uprising four or so years 

ago left this area devastated. There 

was much murder and destruction, 

resulting in widows, orphaned children 

and thousands of homeless struggling 

to survive. Famine is now also 

contributing to the horrific problems 

in the region; the slums continue to 

swell. 

Another WA woman, Susan 

Saleeba, founded the Centre with 

the aim of providing education to 

the destitute. The philosophy: assist 

those who, through lack of education, 

have no voice, no food and no selfrespect. 

Supporters of the project are 

encouraged to visit Kenya and provide 

hands on support. 

Barbara’s role while in Kenya was 

to help the sewing teacher and she 

arrived armed with bags of tailor’s 

chalk, pins, needles, thread and 

scissors supplied by her Spotlight 

store. Aware that Nakuru is often 

referred to as “the dust bowl of 


store news • 

On her 

bike 

Above: Hales Lawrence with her bike. 

Kenya” she got the students making 

covers for their sewing machines and 

a bag for them to carry their items to 

class in. 

“The day went smoothly and though 

language can be a barrier this is not 

so because of the practical nature of 

sewing,” says Barbara. “The ladies 

were over the moon leaving class with 

a simple bag, proud that they had 

made it. 

“As a teacher it is a thrill to see 

students gain a sense of achievement 

and to see the glow on their faces. 

Most of the students had spent less 

than a month at the Learning Centre 

for the dressmaking certificate. One 

woman, aged 24, had three children, 

the oldest was 10-years-old. There 

was no man of the house and she 

struggled to pay the rent of 500 

Kenyan shillings (between five and six 

Australian dollars) per month for a four 

by four metre space but was a true 

quiet achiever. After only two weeks in 

the class, and with hardly any English, 

she picked up the techniques easily. I 

was very proud of her.” 

Barbara said it was very sad to 

leave her students in Kenya behind 

but, she adds, “I feel as though I have 

made a difference to the lives of many 

and had a most rewarding experience 

in giving.” • 

Spotlight Cockburn 

Unit 14, 87 Armadale Road, 

Jandakot, Western Australia 

Tel: 08 9412 3600 

FIND OUT MORE, DONATE OR 

VISIT THE CENTRE: 

The Gabriel Learning Centre 

www.kenya.net.au 

Hales Lawrence from 

Spotlight’s Whangarei store in 

New Zealand recently organised 

a raffle to raise money for the 

SPCA by doing a 90km cycle 

ride. The event was the R4 

from Rotorua to Whakatane 

and Spotlight supplier, Caprice, 

kindly donated a boy’s and girl’s 

duvet cover to help raise funds. 

“I also did a half day at the 

front of the store selling raffle 

tickets,” says Hales. “The ride, 

which I completed in four hours, 

was getting harder during the 

last 40 kilometres as it was all 

flat and your legs don’t really get 

a rest. Cycling is a hobby of mine 

and this is the third big event 

I have done to raise money for 

this worthwhile charity. All in all 

I have collected just over $500 

so a big thanks to all those that 

have donated!” • 



How to run a successful 

Mother’s Day stall 

Mother’s Day is a day for 

celebrating and honouring mothers 

and their vital contribution to families 

and society and a Mother’s Day 

stall is a great way to raise funds by 

providing affordable gifts for children 

to purchase for their mums. 

The Mother’s Day stall is a staple 

at some schools, but for others it 

can be a bit of a burden because 

parents can be too busy to create gifts 

for donation. However, with a little 

planning it’s possible to set up, stock 

and run a stall that offers quality gifts 

without straining your team. 

Busy P&C committees can easily 

set up a stall using one of three 

approaches; they can create their own 

gifts, purchase gift products from 

suppliers, or use a combination of the 

two. 

If the decision is to create 

your own gifts for the stall, then a 

straightforward approach involves 

the committee organising a tea-party 

style event or workshop for parents to 

attend where they can help to create a 

range of handmade craft gifts for the 

stall. 

To get this up and running, the 

committee simply needs to decide on 

what gifts to create, then estimate 

the amount of raw materials required. 

At this point one person is tasked 

with sourcing the raw materials and 

another sets up the workshop and 

sends out invitations to parents. 

However, if resources are scarce, 

then the other option is to get in 

contact with the wide range of small 

businesses that offer a range of 

affordable products to replace the 

handmade gifts parents used to 

supply. All the organiser then needs to 

do is decide on what products to offer 

and estimate the quantity to order. 

Here are five tips to get the most 

out of your Mother’s Day stall; 

• Order your stock so it arrives at 

least a week ahead of schedule, 

preferably two. Be careful not to over 

order, as many places will not accept 

returns. 

• Promote the day well ahead of time 

– get up at assembly, send a note 

home and also put it in the newsletter. 

• Think about holding the stall at 

lunchtime, but consider bringing the 

littlies down earlier during class time 

to avoid the stampede. 

• Get the older kids to hold a giftwrapping 

stall, then donate the 

proceeds to a charity (or add it to your 

fundraising total). Go to a florist or gift 

wholesaler to purchase bulk quantities 

of wrapping paper. You may wish to 

offer free gift-wrapping, but ask for a 

donation of, say, 50 cents. 

• Set up a stall with gifts ranging 

in price from $2 to $10. Each class 

will be given a chance to visit the 

stall throughout the day. A number 

of parents will be serving on the stall 

so they can help the younger children 

through the ‘money’ dilemma. 

When it’s all over, prepare a report 

card on the activity, so you can have 

a better idea of how to run it next 

year. This will be particularly important 

with gift quantities. The Fundraising 

Directory has a free report card 

template that will make your handover 

much easier. You can download it by 

visiting FundraisingDirectory.com.au/ 

report-card • 

About our columnist 

Mandy Stevens, known to friends as Miss 

Fundraising, heads up a great website 

called FetesandFestivals.com.au where 

she and her team present a FREE guide 

to organising fetes, offering up checklists, 

templates and downloads! Visit the site or 

follow Mandy on Twitter - Mandy Stevens 

‘Miss Fundraising’. 

Order stock early & don’t over order 

Promote the day ahead of time 

Hold the stall at lunchtime 

Have a gift wrapping stall 

Set up a stall with gifts ranging in 

price from $2 to $10. 


coupons • 

SHOP&SAVE MONTHLY 

COUPONS 

EXCLUSIVE VIP COUPON 

Wednesday 1st February until Monday 30th April 2012 

Coupon Terms & Conditions: 

• Valid Wednesday 1st February until Monday 30th April 2012 • Coupon is for single use 

only on any single full priced item, one per customer. VIP Card must be presented 

• Discount does not apply to Gift card purchases, existing lay-by payments & Custom Made 

Curtain & Blinds orders or payments • Not available in conjunction with any other offer or 

Spotlight Team Member discounts • Offer valid at Spotlight stores only 

TEAM MEMBER COUPON PROCESSING INSTRUCTIONS: 

• Enter Sale as Normal • Press Supervisor 

• Select Item Discount • Select Discount % 

• Enter Discount Amount 10 (20%) 

• Select Reason “Promotion” 

• Item will now represent a Discount 

9341222468690 

20 % off 

ANY SINGLE 

Full priced 

ITEM! 















9341222468683 

20 % off 

ANY SINGLE 

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• next issue 

Patons Book 1309 Inca 

Family and Homewares 

You said it! 

Readers’ feedback and news 

Barbara, NSW 

“I received my first issue of Get Creative - the 

winter one - a few months ago and really enjoyed 

reading it … I made the kitchen apron and entered 

it in our local show and won first prize so, naturally, 

I was very thrilled. This was only the second time I 

have entered anything. My first effort last year was 

a quilt I made for the local Men’s Shed to raffle for 

funds and I was lucky enough to win second prize 

with that. Thank you Spotlight for the many hours of 

enjoyment I get from my sewing.” • 

Next issue 

WINTER 

Cuddle up with our next issue and be inspired to 

make, decorate, create and celebrate. 

Long weekend of craft Choose from five big 

impact, low effort ideas for soft furnishings, wall art, 

sewing, papercraft & quilting projects. 

A good yarn Knit, crochet & love garments, toys 

and homewares - projects & profiles galore! 

Winter warmers Home insulation ideas, winter 

warming recipes, projects for cosy kids & more. 

Special events Make a project to celebrate 

World Environment Day. 

Leonie, WA 

“I love GCQ, it has something for everyone; I 

made the gorgeous petal pillow, turning it into a 

pyjama pillow for my step-grand-daughter, Lacey. 

I’m sure she will love it. I’ve ransacked my (old) 

dress making patterns to find a pyjama pattern for 

her. Once finished they will be enclosed in her petal 

pillow wrapped for Santa to deliver.” • 

If we publish your letter we’ll 

send you a $25 Spotlight 

gift card in the mail! Email 

info@getcreative.com.au 

Competition Win a book pack from the Cupcake 

Diary Series 

In stores May 2012 

Information: Get Creative expressly grants you the 

right to copy the patterns, designs, and written 

instructions, and to construct the projects for 

personal use only. Please always take the time to 

read all manufacturer’s instructions and warnings 

before using any product. Please keep all harmful 

or dangerous products out of reach of children at all 

times. Copyright – all rights reserved. No part of this 

magazine may be reproduced by any means without 

prior permission in writing of the publisher. 


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SEE BEHIND 

THE SCENES 

From daily or weekly updates on activities 

within the Get Creative studio to news 

on store activities, updates on articles 

and projects, plus event information, our 

Facebook page is a great place to land 

every day. Keep an eye out for exclusive 

competitions and offers. 

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LIKE us at Facebook today 

photographs & 

information from 

inside the Get 

Creative studio 

SHARE YOUR 

PROJECTS 

& creative updates 

with fellow readers

ABIGAIL 

Just Landed... 

New kids’ coordinated 

bedroom ranges are now at 

your local Spotlight store. 

Choose from quilt covers, 

sheeting, cushions, throws 

and more. 

Plus see in store for a great 

range of kids’ plain dye 

sheeting and towels. 

Spotlight is the destination 

for kids. 

SHEET SETS & PILLOWCASES 

CONSTRUCTION SITE 

For your nearest store and for product details visit 

spotlight.com.au or call 1300 305 405

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