Call for Entries: Art Quilt Australia 2017

Link to 'Call for Entries' page

Australian quilter Kat Jones wins QuiltCon 2017 Best in Show

QuiltCon is the Modern Quilt Guild's convention, being held in Savannah, Georgia this week. It attracts international entrants, and an international audience. The award winners were announced last night.

Katherine Jones, from Tasmania was awarded Best in Show, for her spectacular foundation pieced quilt Bling.  If you'd like to see more of Kat's award winning quilts, visit her blog, two cat quilts, or see her on Instagram, @twocatsquilts.

Jess Frost, also from Tasmania, won third place in the 'Improvisation' category, with Scattered. To see more of Jess's award winning work, visit her blog Elven Garden Quilts, or see her on Instagram @elvengardenquilts.

Congratulations to you both, and to all the winners

Photos of all the 2017 QuiltCon award winners are posted here, with descriptions, and details of the quilters.

Some quilts and a farewell

We had a farewell morning tea for Robyn S who is
leaving us after many years of active involvement.

A sneak peek of Chris's current project

Joy has just finished a grandchild's quilt

Julie made a wall hanging ...

... based on a card she was given.
Nice translation into cloth.

World Quilt Competition 2017: Australian entries now open

Australian quilters have the opportunity to enter the World Quilt Competition and have their work tour in the United States to quilt shows run by Mancuso Show Management. Accepted entries will premiere at the World Quilt New England.

The 2017 Entry Form and Contest Rules are now available.

Entries close at midnight on 15 May 2017

This week at Fairholme (2)

Margaret is a new member, but she is not new to sewing or
quilting, and she does a great deal of sewing for various charities
and community groups. One of her current interests is making
pillowcases for the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
at North Rocks. Superhero and princess prints are very popular!

Rachel is on a deadline to have to have her daughter-in-law's
 quilt finished by the weekend - she should make it, the
binding is nearly done.

Rachel found the pattern in Australian Patchwork and Quilting
 - we loved the colours she has chosen.

Daphne has completed another large block from
The New Hexagon book.

Zilla is still unpacking after her move back to
Sydney, and brought in two quilts she made with
Fairholme Quilters in the 90s.
This one was a round robin ...

... and this was a friendship quilt where members made
blocks requested by Zilla. Some signatures are visible
- Janice found hers, and her mum, Hazel's.

This week at Fairholme (1)

We knew Dawn would return from our summer break with a
finished quilt or two - this week she had three beauties to show
us. This one is a for a niece's new baby - the design is Sarah's Star.

Dawn has done a number of workshops with Brenda Gael Smith
(Serendipity Patchwork and Quilting) - she made these blocks
using a technique she learned at a workshop in Wauchope last year. 

Another vibrant quilt from a Brenda Gael Smith workshop,
made by Dawn - gorgeous fabrics, and that pop of orange is
a little bit of design and colour genius.

Elaine W exercised her considerable applique skills on
her wall quilt featuring scarlet poppies, for remembrance.

Sue B has been 'finishing off' - she started this
colourwash squares quilt some years ago ...

... it used up lots of 2 1/2" squares, including some fabric
from her boys' pyjamas.

Sue used three fabric panels to make up this
 quilt in less than a day!

This weekend, Castle Hill Showgrounds

All details - Craft Alive! website
Facebook event page

More new books

So many quilting books are published every year, few us can have all of them, or want to, given out various interests and tastes. Here are just a few more released in 2016, or due for release early in 2017 ...

By the Bundle, Emma Jean Jansen,  Lucky Spool, 2016

With Emma’s guidance you’ll learn how to cut your fat quarters to maximize usable fabric. She also shares her tips on how to combine your bundle fabrics with crisp solids to achieve maximum contrast. Photographed within sweeping Australian vistas, the quilts are so refreshing that you’ll want to sew all 12 of them!

A Common Thread: A Collection of Quilts, Gwen Marston, Martingale, 2016

...chronicles five decades of Gwen’s fascinating work. From her beginnings as a traditional quilter to her “liberated” quilt era; from her series of spectacular string quilts to her exploration of minimalist design, this magnificently photographed collection of more than 65 quilts—curated by Gwen herself—invites you to enjoy her journey, her artistry, and her process like never before.

WALK: Mastering Machine Quilting with Your Walking Foot, Jacquie Gering, Lucky Spool, 2016

You too can achieve the textures shared in Jacquie’s vibrant, graphic quilts. With a toolbox of simple to complex designs you'll have the options you need to quilt on your home machine with designs that will support your piecing and create a harmonious marriage of piecing and quilting. With a walking foot, you’ll find a level of control and success you never thought possible and you’ll become as excited about the quilting as you are about your piecing.

No Scrap Left Behind, Amanda Jean Nyberg, C and T, 2017 (released this week)

Rescue your fabric scraps-even the smallest pieces-with 16 satisfying quilts and projects. Sew modern quilts for everyday use that will help you get back to the roots of quiltmaking, with projects designed to help you use up every last scrap.

'Ten Years On' exhibition

Still more summer sewing ...

We reconvened just three weeks ago - there was quite a lot of sewing going on over the break ...

Denise's first machine quilting experience looks very accomplished.

The reverse of Denise's quilt - she often uses a doily as her quilt label.

Jo-Ann worked on these two inch hexagon during her
year-long recovery from an injury ...

The elegantly simple wave quilting design replaces an
angular design that Jo felt was 'fighting' with the hexagons.

Sue H has made many 'I Spy' quilts for children
 in her family this one is for a little great-niece ...

... there is a lot to see!

Sue H also makes a quilt for every baby in the family
- her teddies blocks are together just in time for a new baby
born in the last week!

Helen's slow-burning hexagon has been worth waiting for
- finished with Margaret Sampson George style borders.

It will be quilted in no time!

Helen has been a very successful quilt top finisher
this summer - this one is for the community collection.

Diana's beautiful applique panels are to decorate her hallway.

February exhibitions - art quilts

Materialise - Contemporary Craft from Our Region 

includes work by Carolyn Sullivan
Until 12 February 2017
Sturt Gallery
Mittagong

The Rolina Project - Art Quilts Inspired by Abstract Artist, Rolina van Vliet

28 magnificent works from Sydney's accomplished art quilters - 20 quilts by members of Quilts NSW
11 - 21 February 2017

Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre

Gymea (Sydney)

A Matter of Time
Gosford Regional Gallery

18 February - 23 March 2017

Opening at 6.30pm on Friday, 17 February 2017

Sewing through summer (2)

Janet made the most of her summer sewing time, catching
up with blocks from the Splendid Sampler - she made the top
eight of this compilation during the break, and the others earlier
last year. She has made a total of more than fifty 6" blocks now,
and you can see how well they play together.

Hilary made this cute children’s book for her niece’s 1 year old twins. There is so much work and detail, it is really lovely.

Once upon a time there was a pink bear and a blue rabbit they had a really groovy kitchen where they ate their dinner, then bear had a shower (note the shower curtain and the towel), while rabbit brushed his teeth, then they snuggled up in their own little bed and went fast asleep! They lived happily together ever after.

Louise W-S has been busy with pretty applique - for an aunt.

To catch up with Miriam's latest quilt,visit  

Sew Miriam for all the words and pictures.

Fabric sales

Fabrics up to 80% off, end of bolts from $10

Hobbysew Kings Park

Shop 4/2 Garling Rd 

Kings Park, NSW 2148
Phone: 02 9621 4000

* * * * * * * 

Patched and Pieced is having a fabric sale throughout February

All fabric originally priced at $22 pm or $24 pm is 30% off

Minimum cut 30 cm

Unit 6, 4 Dulmison Ave

Wyong, NSW 2259

ph. 4355 4400

Sewing through summer (1)

Our second week of 2017 has been hot, hot, hot ... too hot for quilting for some of us, but there is still plenty of summer sewing to see ...

Pat is hand quilting her striking original design Urban
quilt with random straight lines - nearly done, but it might
have to wait for some cooler weather.

Lyn had her daughter's sewing machine in for service,
so while she waited, she made a carry bag for it - as you do!

... and out of that bag came Lyn latest completed
quilt top - 3256 1" postage stamp pieces. The vibrant
turquoise sashing helped to organise them into
manageable panels, and preserve sanity.

The reverse of Lyn's postage stamps - she used a fusible
grid method to sew them together by machine - much quicker
and much, much less fiddly than joining them individually.
Just search for 'fusible grid quilting for lots of information.

Julie's William Morris prints look mellow and
comfortable with their mustard/yellow sashing - but she
says the flannel backing made a bit difficult to quilt
by machine because of the extra bulk.

Yvette is well into her  version of Wendy Williams's
'Round the Garden' design - mostly felt applique on
a linen background. There's a long way to go,
but it is already beautiful.