I was born and raised in Port Pirie South Australia and have spent all but 5 years from 1990-95 here. From 90-95 we lived in the mining town of Roxby Downs where my husband still works, travelling to and fro every week (which gives me lots of time for sewing).

I live with my wonderful husband Steve, children Dylan 23, Abbie 20 and Brady 10 and two dogs, Chloe our beautiful 11 year old Dachshund, and Kaiser our 12 month old Schnauzer and chief mischief maker.

During one of my visits to my mother's house ratting around in the bits and pieces she had hoarded over the years, I found a pack she had purchased years before at a Home Show at the Wayville Showgrounds in Adelaide. The pack contained very light iron on interfacing printed with various size squares and triangles.  This product was used to create patchwork projects.

 

After hating sewing at school, I proceeded to make my very first quilt in rich burgundy and dark green by hand from this product, which after being purchased, had laid lost and forgotten in the bottom of a drawer for many years. The quilt 11 years on is still hanging in my lounge room. I had caught the bug.
 

Appliqué was a natural progression for me as I have loved to draw since I was a child. Even though my designs can be machine appliquéd, I prefer to do them by hand.

 

One of the greatest compliments I received was recently at a craft fair when two ladies were trying to decide whether my blanket stitch was done by hand or machine.

Over the years many family members and friends have encouraged me to produce my designs and share them with the craft world.

 
So in September 2004 with the encouragement of my wonderful husband Steve, and my children Country Hart was born.

Country for the country inspired appliqué designs I love to create with warm country colours and fabrics.  Hart in remembrance of my wonderful Grandmother whose maiden name was Hart.

After 12 months of working from home and the collection of bolts of fabric very quickly taking over our home, Steve and I looked into opening a shop front in our home town of Port Pirie in the mid north of South Australia. However, upon realizing that the running of the shop would leave me little time for what I really loved (the designing and sewing of my designs), we opted for the development of a website which with the design talents of Kim Sample of Black Crow Designs was launched on Australia Day January 26 2006.

 
www.countryhart.com.au

I think my logo reflects my designs perfectly. Country Inspired Appliqué Designs to warm your Heart and Your Home.

I try to keep my designs easy enough for the beginner, yet appealing enough for experienced quilters. I like to create the smaller finishing touches for the country look like cushions, swags etc. The smaller things to balance out the large quilts and country furniture.

 

My designs are produced as patterns, full kits and now E-patterns all of which are printed, cut and packaged by me with the help of my wonderful family at home.

My web site also contains an array of hand made items which is ever changing. Many of these are one off originals.

I ship my products all over the world. Over the last couple of months my web site has undergone an upgrade, and although its graphics and colours remain the same, the layout is quiet new and it has lots of new and exciting additions such as wholesale access, which is sure to make things a lot easier for all of my wholesale customers.

The wholesale side of 'Country Hart' has seen my patterns and kits make their way into patchwork stores in New Zealand, Norway and England which has been very exciting.

So grab a cuppa and come and visit me at:-

 

www.countryhart.com.au

Robyn