Happy New Year

Designed by Harryarts - Freepik.com

Community quilts 2015: all the quilts ...

We have had a very productive year in our Community Quilts program. You've seen our collection of 23 Blankets of Love from our Christmas gathering. Here are the other 38 quilts we made this year to donate to community causes:

These four quilts might look like a pair of duplicate photos, but they
are two pairs of quilts that are very similar but not exactly the same 

Four of the five 'Pittwater" quilts made from the end-of-year
challenge blocks for 2014. The fifth will be the first 
community quilt finished in 2016!

Blankets of Love made throughout the year

Colours of 2016

Hope you are enjoying these often casual, relaxing few days between Christmas and New Year, with some time to think about where your quilting might go in 2016.

You might want to contemplate which colours are likely to appear in fabric next year (somewhat subject to the forces of fashion as it always is). Here are two contrasting campaigns for particular colours:

Robert Kaufman Fabrics has announced the beginning of an annual release of one its popular Kona solid cotton patchwork fabrics in a 'colour of the year' that will be available only for that one year. The first one is the bright and cheerful yellow,  Highlight. A 'look book' of free patterns has been released as part of the marketing campaign to stimulate ideas. It might be just what you have been waiting for. 

On the other hand, Pantone's colour of the year for 2016 was released earlier in December to a mixed reception, and is actually two colours, Rose Quartz and Serenity.

Does either proclamation excite your colour sense? 

(Depending on the calibration of the colour rendition of your screen, these images might not match actual fabric colours exactly)

 Merry Christmas

For 2016 online: sign up now, with Sarah Fielke

If you like Sarah Fielke's designs, books and classes you might be interested in her newly advertised 2016 Block of the Month. It's a new pattern provided by email with online support in a number of different formats - there is no fabric provided (Sarah knows about our stashes!), so the price is very reasonable and can be paid upfront or monthly.

All the details, including a sketch of the whole design is on Sarah's website - check it out before Christmas, just in case you want to add it to your wish-list.

It looks like fun.

'Making The Australian Quilt: 1800-1950': Melbourne, 2016

Another reason to visit Melbourne in 2016!

Making the Australian  Quilt  1800 - 1950
NGV Melbourne
22 July - 6 November 2016

Tickets are on sale now, from the National Gallery of Victoria.

Storage bargain

The current Aldi catalogue includes this three tier metal trolley on special from Saturday19th December, for $39.99.

Similar trolleys available elsewhere are popular with quilters and other crafters because they are relatively compact, and can be easily wheeled to where you are working or stored away. The drawers are a good depth to hold a lot of supplies, but not so deep that you lose sight of everything. All dimensions are in both the print and online catalogues.

Blankets of Love, 2015

A collection of Blankets of Love (tiny quilts, 18" - 24") made by Fairholme Quilters as an end of year challenge, will be donated to maternity units via Quilt NSW, to be offered to parents of babies who die in the neonatal period:

Christmas lunch

Take thirty women with a common interest, and a long history of meeting and working together, supporting each other and being creative, a warm summer's day with a cool breeze, a beautifully appointed venue, a wonderful spread of summer food provided by those women, a bowl of punch, twenty two small quilts to admire, and you have the ingredients for three hours or so of enjoyable chat and friendship - that was our Monday group's Christmas lunch/end-of-year wrap earlier this week.

The small quilts hanging from the pelmets are our end of year challenge - Blankets of Love, to be offered to parents of babies who die in the perinatal period, via Quilt NSW. We voted for Viewers' Choice, which was won by Robin S:

Our thanks to Louise and Dennis, who organised and prepared the venue, for the tenth year. Is it too soon to book for 2016?

Mad Quilters Gathering Penrith: February 2016

You can't read the small print in this flyer here, 

but you can download a larger print/printable copy from here.

An outing for the raffle quilt

We kicked of ticket sales in our 2016 raffle quilt at the weekend, with a stand at the Studio ARTES fundraiser in the Mall at Hornsby. It was a great opportunity to show the quilt to community members, invite people to our Quilt Show in April, and to meet some of the Studio ARTES members who will benefit from the raffle proceeds, and to see their beautiful work. They will be our guest exhibitors in April.

Meagan often works with textiles, and might have some work
in our exhibition. She was a great model for our quilt,
on a beautifully sunny day in Hornsby.

Naylin, Emily and Sarah are all members of Studio ARTES,
and were very willing to help us display the quilt.

Today we are going to take the quilt out again, to our Christmas lunch, where we will take some more photos, generally admire it, and maybe come up with a fancier name than 'the raffle quilt'.

2016 Fairholme Quilters raffle quilt

Our 2016 raffle quilt is finished ahead of schedule, so we took it out yesterday for a photograph in the afternoon light ... but the wind was up and gusty, so it became more a case of the 'quilt as spinnaker'! We will re-visit that exercise on a calmer day ...

However, we have an opportunity to sell tickets in the quilt this weekend, at the Studio ARTES Ride-a-Day fundraising event, so that's where we'll be if you want to get in early.  The quilt is approximately 80" x 60", hand and machine pieced, machine quilted (long arm), all cotton fabrics, with wool/polyester batting.

General ticket sales will open in the new year, when more details about the quilt will be released, and the raffle will be drawn on 10th April 2016, at the close of our Quilt Show. Watch this space.

Hornsby Mall
Saturday 5th December
from 10.30am

We will be located next to the fountain, between the Blu-Water restaurant and the south entry to Westfield (the David Jones wing).

Tickets will be $2 each or 3 for $5

Proceeds to Studio ARTES

This week at Fairholme ...

That was quick - our last regular Monday meeting for 2015 was this week. We take a break for a few weeks over the summer, after a Christmas lunch next Monday, with a display of the Blankets of Love we have made for our end-of-year challenge (so there are still some finishes to see). Since we have a Quilt Show scheduled for 8th - 10th April 2016), it might be a break from meetings, rather than a break from sewing for many of us.

Simple rail fence blocks were elevated in design by the addition
of a narrow sashing strip - Roslyn chose all of the fabrics from
our community stash, and quietly and expertly produced this
stylish, calm quilt while she is also coordinating stock for the
exclusive craft boutique to be offered at our 2016 Quilt Show,
and the members' challenge for the Show.

Jill repaired a 25 year old baby quilt of great sentimental
value, made for her daughter. It is to handed back to its maker's
daughter as a memento of her late mother, along with a new
baby quilt that Jill made for her daughter, due be born this week.

Dawn has been making bags of all shapes and sizes for our
craft boutique - we know they will be popular, because  a select
few have been released for re-Christmas sale to our members at
their request, with proceeds going to the craft boutique.
We don't know when Dawn sleeps!

A final preview

Out raffle quilt for next year's Fairholme Quilt Show (8th - 10th April 2016) is nearly finished. This is a last preview before final reveal.

We will be selling tickets at Ride-a Day-in-My-Wheels, the annual fundraiser for Studio  ARTES, the community organisation who will benefit from the raffle proceeds. They will also be guest exhibitors at our show. The fund-raising event is on Saturday 5th December, in Hornsby Mall.

We will be located next to the fountain, between the Blu-Water restaurant and the south entry to Westfield (the David Jones wing) - come along and see the quilt, and buy your tickets if you are in town. Details of how and where to buy them later will be posted next week.

The design is classic modern, combining precision piecing and
counterpanes to showcase the background fabrics.

This exquisite French toile is in one piece on the back, m
ing the quilt beautifully reversible.

The quilt-making process began a year ago when Miriam and Janice agreed to design the quilt and steer its completion with all of the group members able to contribute. We were fortunate to have a stash of beautiful fabric to work with, much of French in origin. They have done a wonderful job, and it will be ready ahead of schedule.

Our thanks and congratulations to Miriam and Janice, to everyone who has been (and is) stitching, has advised, reviewed and measured, measured and measured again, and to Jo who generously donated the long arm quilting. We even managed to win ourselves a pack of batting at the  Sydney Quilt Show earlier this year (thank you again Lyn, Peggy and Susan).

We are very happy with how it is looking, and we think you will like it too.

Finders Keepers Sydney

The Finders Keepers markets are not specifically related to sewing or quilting, but fine design, high-end craft and the gathering of artisans will appeal to anyone interested in design and artisanship.  They are only held twice a year in Sydney. And the venue is well worth visiting.

A goldmine of Christmas quilt links, and more

Quilt Inspiration, a blog by two quilting sisters, has been very organised and generous, publishing a series of  four posts with links to many free patterns for Christmas themed quilts, way back in July.

The first post is here (a forest of free patterns and tutorials for Christmas Tree quilts and wall hangings) and you will easily find the next three by scrolling down the right hand column to the archives list for July 2015.

There is much else to enjoy on this blog - you might want to bookmark it or add it to your reader in time for some holiday reading.

A unique volunteering opportunity in Hornsby

Artist members from Studio ARTES will be guest exhibitors at our 2016 Quilt Show - we are looking forward to seeing their work displayed along our quilts. As we learn more about the Studio and the artists, and they learn more about us, we are finding other ways that we might be able to work together from time to time.

Jess, who co-ordinates the Friday sewing/textile group at the Studio, has asked if we can help to find some volunteers who know a bit about sewing, by putting the word out among our sewing contacts. If you are in Sydney's northern suburbs, this might be just the opportunity you are looking for:

Studio ARTES is looking for volunteer sewers to help with the Friday group, at our Hornsby Studio. 

We have sessions from 9.30 - 11.30, and 12.30 - 2.30 making bags, cushions and other simple sewn items.  

We often screen print designs onto fabric and then turn them into beautiful original pieces! there are also several members who like weaving and hand sewing too.  

Volunteers with skills in any of these areas would be much appreciated. Studio ARTES would ideally like people to help on a regular basis but are happy to work around busy lives of our valuable helpers!  

Please contact Jess if you are at all interested or would like to find out more: jessica.hodgkinson@studioartes.com.au or 02 9482 5266 

Studio ARTES is a non-profit organisation offering creative programs to adults with disabilities. For more information, visit www.studioartes.com  

Last year, the Tuesday night group helped out with making simple
envelope closing cushion covers for an exhibition by Studio ARTES
members at Koskela, and for sale at Gallery ARTES in Hornsby.
The fabric for the cushion fronts is artwork from the members,
digitally printed onto cotton canvas.

Earlier this week ...

A lovely box of 40 fat quarters landed in Jo's
mail box, all from Cotton and Steel ranges

... a few of Jo's FQs in close-up. What will she make?

Where do you think Janice found this very
charming pin cushion?
Luccello, in Melbourne, of course!

Sue H makes an I-Spy quilt for each of her
lucky grandchildren as they turn three ...

... this one is a quillow.

Susan M has finished her  Lucky Strikes
quilt, made from Kim Kight's free pattern ...

... her quilting design captures the movement of
the bowling balls down the lanes.

Last community sewing day for 2015

Last week we held our last community sewing day for the year. 

Several quilts were pin basted, bindings were attached, tops put together, and at least two new tops were started ... there will be some  lovely new quilts to see after we return from our summer break. 

We have gathered a substantial collection for distribution, and will keep some aside to display at our 2016 Quilt Show before they too are donated. Our very grateful thanks to everyone who has contributed - some are not even members of Fairholme Quilters!

Some recently completed quilts

Last month, these three quilts were pin basted, and this month
they have come back quilted (by Lynette) and bound (by Lynette
and Barbara) - they will be donated to a local aged care facility, 
where the staff tell us the residents love to receive them.

Australasian Quilt Convention 2016: challenges

Australasian Quilt Convention 2016

Calls for challenge entries:

Information on the 2016 challenge is online here. 

$5,500 in prize money.

Online entries close 25th February 2016

Millefiori Magic

Kaleidoscope quilts to be displayed in a non-judged exhibition 

Online entries close 25th February 2016

Paws and Whiskers

Textile Art Mini Challenge - pet portrait

Online entries close 25th February 2016

For the 2016 diary

The local quilt show season starts early in 2016 - if you are visiting the North Coast, you might want to catch the first one below in early January.

These events (and other a little further away from us) are listed in detail in the November 2015 issue of The Template, the journal of Quilt NSW, and will be posted on the blog Template Free closer to their dates:

Pelican Piecers Patchwork and Quilting Group of Harrington 

8th - 10th January 2016

Harrington

Southern Highlands Quilters

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th February 2016

Mittagong

Enquiries: Elizabeth 02 4868 1106

Avalon Quilt Show

11th - 12th March 2016

Avalon Beach

Enquiries: Anne 02 9918 7196

Australasian Quilt Convention 2016

APRIL 14 – 17, 2016

Royal Exhibition Building

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne

Caroline Bay Quilters 

15th - 17th April 2016

East Gosford

Enquiries: Glen 4365 6651

Sydney Quilt Show 2016

Wednesday , 22 June to Sunday 26 June 2016 

Exhibition Centre, Glebe Island 

This week at Fairholme ...

 We have been talking about and making plans for our Christmas parties, and our early meetings in 2016, all just a few weeks away!

A lot of foundation piecing and curved piecing has been
keeping Daphne busy as she completed this very striking
quilt top in a regular class with Chris Jurd. The colour
scheme, fabric selection and design have masculine
appeal, so her husband might be the lucky recipient
of her interpretation of All At Sea.

Dawn has been quilting for some of the men in her extended
family too. This quilt and the one below are both based
on printed panels, enhanced with complimentary borders.
The pebble print narrow border on this one is a particularly
good choice. with the other prints.

The wilderness theme is continued in Dawn's second quilt. 

Jo has just returned from a trip to the Northern
Territory. She found some beautiful fabrics in Alice
Springs, and this painting on canvas by Kyra
Campbell, After Rains, appealed because of it
similarity to free motion quilting.

Margaret is finishing the binding on a long-
standing work in progress. She found the fabrics while
on a cruise through the Inside Passage from
Vancouver to Alaska ...

... and dyed the backing fabric herself. Worth waiting for!
(and note how beautifully she dressed in coordinating colours.)

Pat has completed her machine appliqued wall
hanging begun in a class with Anne Sommerlad last
year. She found the machine quilting a challenge,
but it looks great, Pat!

Sue H is a new member this year, but she is
certainly not a novice quilter. Her foundation pieced
feathered star lies perfectly flat, and will be the centre
of a medallion quilt.