More on tension

We've probably all marvelled at Helen Godden's quilting expertise and creativity in exhibitions, competitions and magazines - here is an opportunity to see and hear talk about top thread and bobbin tension, and how to get it working together.  She obviously know a lot about it, and is not afraid to reset her machine(s). As she sensibly says, if you weren't meant to alter it, there wouldn't be a dial or screw that you could operate ...

This week at Fairholme

We have two major group projects on the go at the moment - one just finished and one just started - to be revealed soon.

While there is lots of other interesting quilt-making happening, photos will come as they are finished. Here are some finishes that we are happy to post about this week ...

A cot quilt for Ginnie's newest grandchild is based on a
Material Obsession pattern, and features circus animals
fussy cut in the centres of the giant hexagons.
Ginnie also had a very cute knitted dachshund in a striped
sweater that she has made for one of the grandchildren,
but no photo was taken!

Sew Together bag, made by Jill in a class with Cath Roberts
at Craft Depot ... already packed with sewing gear ...

... the interior, almost complete, showing the three zippered
pouches and four additional storage spaces - lots of room and
 not as difficult as it looks to make (with a good teacher).
Pattern by Sew Demented, via Craftsy

Catch up with what Miriam is up to at Sew Miriam - some of her work will be part of a big deal happening this weekend in Victoria

AQC 2015 Challenge finalists

The Australasian Quilt Convention is in Melbourne in a few weeks.

The winner of the 2015 Challenge, True Blue will be announced during AQC. The finalists can be viewed online now.

A small selection of the Lest We Forget Challenge quilts can also be viewed online now, here.

The AQC Awards and the Best of Australia award will also be announced at AQC - lots to look forward to.

QuiltCon 2015 - award winners, images, reflections

QuiltCon is the international exhibition of The Modern Quilt Guild (based in the US). The 2015 event was held in Austin, Texas last month.

Photos of the award winners are here, on the Modern Quilt Guild's blog.

The Best of Show award was won by Kathy York for her quilt called iQuilt - you can see some close up images showing the quilting, on Cat and Vee's blog, here, and four other excellent posts, with lots of beautiful images, labelled "QuiltCon 2015 ---" here, here, here (this one features quilts by Australian quilters) and here. It will take a while to get through all five posts, but if you love modern quilts, you will be enthralled.

Christa Watson (Christa Quilts) has also posted extensively (here and here) about QuiltCon, with many excellent photos, and three posts including the judges comments on her three judged entries (here, here and here) and what she has leaned from the experience. She followed up with some thoughts about modern quilting in light of her experience of QuiltCon.

A Google search on 'QuiltCon 2015' will bring up more reports, and many more images.

More Jolly Star blocks

We're making progress on our Jolly Star blocks, learnt in our recent workshop with Catherine Butterworth:

Daphne finished her class block at home

Dawn made a second block ...

... and will use both red and blue backgrounds in her quilt

Susan remade her class block, swapping the position of
the green fabric - she plans to make enough for a quilt

Georgie's bright and cheerful blue and yellow block is finished.

Jill's second block ... more to come.

This week at Fairholme ...

Anyone who has made lots and lots of hexagons will relate to this - 

Ros did a little sewing on Sunday evening, but she must have 

been a bit tired. When the hexies came out on Monday morning, 

she had sewn two in the same position - double layered hexies 

is unlikely to become a 'thing', but had we a good laugh! 

Your hexagons are gorgeous, Ros.

On Monday morning we pin basted Dawn's latest quilt for our 
community quilts program. Soft touches of pink for a little girl.

Jill hand pieced these hexagon stars some time ago and relieved
to have finally put them together. The quilt will be hand-quilted
over the winter - this winter.

On Tuesday evening we pin-basted Pam's Very Big Quilt.
She too will be hand-quilting over the winter - when she is
not staying on a boat in Paris, or travelling to England and
elsewhere. Notice how she got round the corners with the
appliqued hexagon border? Spaces are useful.

Rope bag class

If you have admired Lyn and Janice's rope bags recently, you might be interested in this class advertised in the Patchwork on Pittwater newsletter:

Be the first to come along and make this amazing Jelly Roll Rope Bag! 

Our special guest teacher will show you how to turn a Jelly Roll into a gorgeous bag - in just one session! Places are strictly limited so please book in early.

Wednesday, 29th April 10am - 3pm 

Cost of class: $50 

Contact POP on 9999 6159 to book your place and get your list of requirements.

Under 35s quilt competition 2015 announced

Quilt Your Way is the 2015 Brother Under 35s Quilt Competition. Details are in the current issue of Quilters Companion magazine, or go directly to the website for the entry form and all information.

The theme for entries is 'My State'.

A total prize pool worth more than $10,000 will be awarded to quilt makers in five age based categories from kindergarten up to 35 years.

Online entry is available now, with quilt submissions due by 27th November 2015 - plenty of time to encourage the young quilters of your acquaintance!

In our backyard ...

From the Destash Facebook page, it seems that there are still a few spots available for stalls. Others might be interested in being customers.

Which way is up?

Susan made this quilt about four years ago. She exhibited in our show, and then hung it on a wall at home. She noticed this week that the hanging sleeve needed a minor repair, so she took it down.  

However, it took some time to get around to the mending, and since it had a bottom sleeve as well, she quickly re-hung it upside down, just to fill the empty space ... and this happened:

Precision piecing with templates - an extreme sport

Yesterday, for our first workshop of the year, eleven of us gathered in the classroom at Kim Bradley Creations in Castle Hill, with Catherine Butterworth teaching us the benefits of using Marti Michell's multi-sized templates for precision piecing.

We chose to work with two templates to make Catherine's Jolly Star blocks, using three contrasting fabrics. We are all quite experienced quilters, but we appreciated Catherine's emphasis on precise cutting, nipping points before sewing (the templates are designed for that), precise 1/4" seams, and precision pressing. The templates provide precise measurement for blocks of several sizes.

We did only make one block on the day, but we also had the opportunity to look at blocks and quilts from Catherine's portfolio that demonstrate the versatility of using just one or two templates to create many designs. She showed us how fabric choices and fussy cutting fabric can enhance and broaden the design potential of using one or two templates.

Seeing how the blocks work together making a more complex design, especially when set on point, will motivate us to make more blocks and we will see those finished quilts here in no time!

Getting started - the large quilts on the walls to the left belong
 to other teachers who regularly teach at Kim Bradley Creations.
Catherine's Jolly Stars is on partial view at the end of the room.

The other end of the classroom. Some of Catherine's teaching
blocks and units are on the far design wall.

Concentration - we needed to focus on every step - fabric choices, 
precise cutting, placement of the pieces to make the design work, 
sewing precise 1/4" seams and precise pressing. 

Some of us adjusted our fabric choices as we saw just how the blocks would look finished, some of us took exactly the right fabrics, some of just took a lot to choose from on the day, and there may have been a little shopping. The advantages of holding the class at a fabric shop were immediately obvious.

Here are just some of our works in progress, caught on the camera on the day:

Dawn broke out her collection of US patriotic fabrics and auditioned
various red and white blue complimentary fabrics

Miriam's cut pieces - she cut the corner pieces on the bias
to enhance the design of the secondary star point.

Pat chose three fabrics that work beautifully together
- she plans to make her whole quilt using just these three.

Georgie chose some of her favourite vibrant blues from her
considerable stash, but ended up choosing the yellow
background fabric from the shelves in the shop.

Lyn finished her block during the class!
Great choice of background fabric.

This finish is a bit of a cheat - Jill finished her block at home. 

Thanks to Georgie for organising the workshop, to Catherine for her generosity in sharing so much of her expertise in technique and design, to Kim for allowing us to use her well set-up classroom, Gillian for opening up early to allow us to maximise our time, and those who provided a delicious morning tea.

Footnote: Kim has a lot of new fabric to clear space for, so there are even more fabrics now on sale at $3 per metre to help that happen. They are excellent quality - well worth a visit. No affiliations, we're just happy customers.

Kim Bradley Creations 

Unit 7/9 Packard Ave, Castle Hill 2154
Phone: 9659 2912

Finishes this week ...

There is a lot going on at Fairholme this week, but much of it is works in progress - we'll have photos of the finished projects as they come.  Here are some finishes from our members this week:

Janice made her gorgeous rope bag in a class with Sandy at Cottage Quiltworks. 

She used 40 jelly roll strips (from a Bali Pop) that she joined prior to the workshop. 

Sandy put them through the bias machine and it was ready for sewing on the day.  

The cord (sashing cord) was supplied. Janice then sewed the rope into the bias 

with a single footed zipper foot and then zig-zagged it together with a walking foot.

It was a fun day but lots of sewing and Janice said that she wished she had  

remembered her multi focal glasses!

Robyn L has finished the large bag she started in Miriam's class 

late last year. The panels are the same on both sides. 

The rose print is fabulous.

Jill has finished her modern hexagon quilt, with blocks from 

Tacha Brueher's book Hex-a-go-go, with appliqued hexi blocks alternating. 

It is hand and machine pieced and hand quilted.