Show and tell

Barbara used a pretty, small scale toile print to great effect in her
Irish chain design for a baby quilt. The white squares are 21/2”.

The fussy cutters were very interested in any scraps!

Teamwork - Yvette selected a kit of coordinating fabrics, that
Jill made up into a double disappearing nine patch design. The
backing came from the community stash and was bought at an
end of bolt sale. 

 Laura generously quilted it on her long arm machine.

Robyn B took part in a fabric challenge with Arcadian Quilters
- the challenge fabric is in the top and bottom rows.
The circus print uses all the colours and is complimented by
the stripes of co-ordinating solids.

Susan extracted the fabric used in the centre rectangles from
the community stash, and sewed them together. Some time
later Julie added the border print, also from the
community stash.

Julie quilted it, and Denise has hand sewn the binding
- another team effort.

Roslyn  liked her first mini  Sew Miriam zip-top pouch  so much
 that she made another to try out the fabric combination she had
chosen for her ‘SuperStars’ quilt, also designed by Miriam.
 It’s very cute too, and might start a trend ...

SuperStars workshop with SewMiriam

Last weekend we enjoyed a workshop with Miriam Jones, working on her new quilt design, 'Superstars'. The pattern provides instructions for several sizes from a cushion to a twin bed size, and is very versatile.  We are not posting construction photos because they are part of the pattern, and it will be published as a magazine project next year (more on that later). We will post photos of finished quilts as we see them.

Our thanks to Miriam for her excellent teaching, and to Nerida for organising the workshop and catering.

Getting started

Our venue is light, accessible and air-conditioned - every
comfort, so we can concentrate on the job at hand.

All eyes on the teacher - well, nearly all!

Glasses on, heads down!

Totally absorbed.

Fabric choices varied - contrast allows the stars to shine.
Lisa chose a dark grey background with bright stars

Elaine will have Kaffe Fasset stars on a light background

Pat's background is navy with a lighter spot, with
contrasting scrappy stars.

Morning tea is always welcome - time for a good chat
and excellent food!

Pat's starry cookies for the win!

August - September Quilt Shows

Modern Quilt Show Australia 2019
Friday 16 - Sunday 18 August 2019
The Pavilion, 2 Bong Bong St
 Kiama 2533

Wangi Quilt Show 2019

10am - 3 pm Friday 23 - Sunday 25 August 2019
Wangi Workers Club, 11 Market Street
Wangi Wangi 2267
More information
wangiquilters@gmail.com
0408 616 629

Arcadian Quilters 2019 Quilt Show

Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, 9.00am - 4.00pm

Galston Community Centre

37 Arcadia Road, Galston

Adults: $5 Children: Free

Proceeds got to local charities

Enquiries - Carole 9894 7749

Singleton Quiltfest 2019

20 September - 22 September

Mechanics Institute, 74 George Street 

Singleton, NSW, 2330

Enquiries: 0415 8048 56 or singletonquiltersinc@gmail.com

Show and tell (3) - finishes

Nerida's hand quilted 'Pocketful of Posies', designed by
Gina Gregory is all finished!

And beautifully hand quilted.

The reverse is more gorgeous flowers.

Elaine W's classic hexagon lozenges - using up stash fabrics.

The sashing hexies are a tiny red geometric print on white ...

... complimenting the lovely red toile on the reverse.

Janice's beautiful baby quilt is fished well in time for the
anticipated arrival of her next grandchild in a few weeks.

Call for entries: 'wonder of eyes'

Wonder of Eyes is an exhibition and art exchange developed by Brenda Gael Smith to  celebrate the gift of vision, and to support the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Read about all of the dimensions of Wonder of Eyes and how you can contribute through a textile art work and/or donation, on the Wonder of Eyes website and/or on Instagram.

Entries close 20 February 2020

Brenda is also currently curating a new travelling textile art exhibition, Vision 2020 that is also calling for entries, closing on 10 January 2020.

Recent community quilt finishes

Our friend Chris made this quilt top for a child, and
Lynette quilted and bound it.

We like to have a close look at each others' quilts.

Many hands have worked on this quilt. Eighteen months ago
we received a large donation from a quilter's stash, ranging from
finished tops to blocks and some length of fabric. We have been
working through them, adding the finished quilts to our
community collection, and we are nearing the end of working
with this generous and unexpected gift. This one came as a top -
Julie added a border, Laura quilted it, and Denise sewed
down the binding.

Close-up of Laura's quilting.

Lynette used a printed panel for this sweet little baby quilt.

Robin W made the top and Lynette quilted and bound it.
Robin loves the colours and Kaffe Fassett fabrics, and says she
has plenty more for more community quilts.

Sue C enjoyed making SewMiriam's new pattern, 'Superstars',
with a child in mind.

The red background becomes a windmill between the stars.
A much appreciated feature of this clever pattern is that no
points are required to meet!

The very cheerful backing fabric was a recent bargain at
our local quilt shop.

Fearless Flowers for ovarian cancer research

We've just wrapped up our membership year, and reported on all our activities. It has been a full year of community quilting, and we've surprised ourselves by producing and distributing 96 quilts in our own community program, and three more in broader community projects we participated in, and more than 50 blue hexagon flowers for the Quilt NSW/Arterie at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse community arts project.

Currently we have decided to make some fabric flowers to donate to the Fearless Flowers project, an initiative of Timeless Textiles Gallery in Newcastle.

The flowers will be used to raise funds for ovarian cancer research through the Teal Meets Pink campaign, in the lead up to International Day for Women 2020.

Some of us will need to practice flower making, and perhaps need some lessons, but there are few rules, so we can choose any design, size and textile to use.

Pat  is off to a good start with these two beauties that 
will have brooch pins attached.

You can also make a cash donation to the campaign if you are not a fabric flower maker.

Show and tell (2) - all the bags

Daphne said her box bag was easier to make than she expected.
The yellow zip is a fabulous touch.

Roslyn was also bitten by a bug to make a new bag
- she made the cutest little mini SewMiriam zip top bag!

Fully lined

There could be a flurry of these variations ...

... all of the zip tops members brought with them to
our Monday meeting this week!

And Miriam played with a new bag design too - this is the reverse,
 an improv version of a new pattern.
See @sewmiriam on Instagram to see the front panel reveal today.

Show and tell (1) - works in progress

Lots of show and tell this week, so they're divided into three separate posts. Here are some of our current works in progress.

Daphne is still finding lots of ways to use her colourful scraps.

Her nine patches are destined for something more intricate.

Helen has reached a milestone in her Christabella EPP quilt
- it is now square, having begun as a star. The design is by
Margaret Sampson George, the steps revealed in classes
month by month.

Marilyn O is making Christabella too, and is nearly at square too.
The two will look quite different depending on where the fabric
values are placed. Both gorgeous.

Susan has spent quite a bit of time in Melbourne recently,
and we all know there are enticing fabric shops there ...

... her shadow box quilt is mostly indigenous prints,
many bought in Melbourne.

This kingfisher print is a stand-out.

And Susan found herself with enough Melbourne purchases
to start another top that is shaping up very nicely.