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Aurifil 2017 October Designer of the Month Helen Stubbings

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I’m Designer, Author, Talk Show host Pat Sloan.

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This year we are celebrating the rainbow of colors in our color wheel. Each designer is assigned a color to create their block in.

This month we land on awesome shade of Yellow/Green with the amazing and talented Helen Stubbings of Hugs & Kisses 

I’m a huge fan of Helen’s work. I’ve put that quilt at the top down below so you can see it in more detail, it’s amazing!

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Our color wheel of fabric is so interesting. Each designer has such a unique taste in fabric, and in the end, I’ll put all their blocks into one quilt!

Missed a month? CLICK FOR PRIOR DESIGNER interviews

Remember we have a Challenge portion of our Designer of the Month interview.

Each month we select one random winner to receive a 12 spool BOX of Aurifil thread for just making the challenge block and sharing it at my website! (details at the end plus last month’s winner!)

Let’s get to know Helen!

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  • Where do you live and what is your favorite spot there?  I now live in Hobart, which is the capital of the island state of Tasmania – yes we dropped off the bottom of Australia many thousands of years ago. It is a very small city of about 170,000 people. Just a big country town really.

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  • I love the waterfront area, full of galleries, eateries and convict built sandstone buildings. It is the centre of our town and is always a buzz with something happening.

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  • When was your FIRST quilt sighting?

My sister quilted so I was happy to leave it to her and stick with my embroidery passion. However whilst completing a needlecraft skills certificate the group had to vote majority wins on the final subject – and patchwork/quilting won. Here began my quilting journey. Photos – first quilt started – traditional sampler – this taught me all the basics of quilting.

First quilt finished – course major work. – this was made from actil curtain fabric, included over 200 grub roses, candlewicking and trapunto designs and I hand quilted it – I have learnt a lot about quilting since then!!!!

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  • Did you have a career prior this, what was it? My full time career before this was as a musician in the Australian regular Army. I did do many classes and courses whilst still in the army and did my certificate whilst on maternity leave from the Army. Army afforded many many hours on buses travelling to parades etc – good stitching time. After my second child I discharged and started my ‘home business.’

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  • Have you had a ‘light bulb’ moment in making – Applique paper! A paper that could fuse on and then be left in the project… this transformed my applique love and then continued on into English Paper piecing. I knew it could work, I just had to find the right product… no more pulling that paper out and perfect results every time..

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  • What does your studio look like, and what would you change in it? 
    I cannot show you my studio – it is an embarrassment… I’d love it to look like the photos you see in home magazines with everything in its place but in reality its like a bomb has gone off. Oh, and did I tell you I’m a hoarder – I might need it one day. When I was in the Military and moving every three years you could cull, sort and keep it under control. Now I’ve been in this house for 13 years – no removalist will ever agree to move us again!

  • (This is Helen’s store, which you can visit.. details at hugsnkisses.wequilt.com.au)

 

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  • Do you have a GREAT tip on either storage, organization, sewing, stitching?

Mmm, considering the above question Im not too good at this. But I’d say have a space that’s big enough to have your sewing machine/s, cutting mat space and ironing space out all the time… And if you can manage a full spare wall for a design wall then that is so helpful…

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  • What are your 3 favorite colors of Aurifil thread? 

    – Aurifil blenders

    These are my go to piecing threads – great blenders that I can use with any coloured fabrics Im working with. Some I will also use for quilting in the 50 wt. They are great blenders for whip stitching EPP shapes together also with the stitch being invisible on many colours of fabrics.

    2605 grey, 2615 aluminium,2021 natural white ,2312 Ermine,2902 Light Laurel Green.

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  • About your block – What is it about your color that inspired you?

Growing up on a small farm with my Grandmother across the paddock I would play for hours in our garden, and in her orchard and in the green paddocks full of water, long green grasses and in the winter lots of mud!

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We would go mushroom picking in the spring, pick apples and plums and get covered in mulberry stains.. I was given yellow greens for this block, so apple green was a perfect choice – and luckily also one of my colourways in my Basically Hugs fabric line –so I had lots to choose from on hand.

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DOWNLOAD Helen’s Block

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And a few on the light side… 

  • If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to, and Why? Oooh I think I’d like to live in Downton Abby – upstairs of course…embroider in the parlour, tend the gardens and be a lady of leisure..

  • What’s the most interesting thing you see out of your office or kitchen window? What my neighbor is cooking for dinner! And our Guinea Pigs – Pip & Squeak

  • Are you a Dog or Cat person? My Bentley is the most loved member of our family….he is a total mummy’s boy and frets when I travel sitting at the front window for weeks until I return…photo

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Visit Helen at

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My idea this month is to pick one of the larger prints and do the EPP work around it.. CLICK TO SEE what I’m using…

ALSO ENTER YOUR BLOCK so you can be in the running to win a box of thread, last month’s winner is below

And  JOIN my fantastic online quilt group with the most incredible  quilt show each day… I’d love to meet you!

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******* JOIN our Aurifil Family  *******

EACH MONTH we will pick one random winner that has made a block.. that person will receive a special Aurifil thread prize! Winners are all contacted email

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Our RANDOM picker this month selected is Sheila who writes about her quilting at So This is Kentucky! She has WON a BOX of Aurifil thread! Such gorgeous blocks entered .. see all the great versions HERE

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