Last show and tell for winter

It's still cold here in Sydney - great quilting weather! But spring is not far away ...

Chris and Sue B went to Uluru for the 'Sewing Up a Storm in 
the Desert' retreat earlier this month - they took some spectacular
classes. Chris's thread leaf is made with free machine embroidery
sewn over Solvy wash-away stabiliser - she is working on a much 
larger piece too. We will have some great photos when their 
works are finished - very soon!

Chris started a cot quilt for her grandson with this cute panel 
- it has had to grow as he is no longer a toddler. Chris has 
made a more grown-up backing so the quilt will be reversible.

Dawn added some bling to her jelly-roll quilt with diamond 
spacers that have a metallic tracery pattern, also used in the 
border - she likes it a lot, and might even keep it herself.

A donated bundle of fabric squares became a quilt that looks
warm and cosy - Dawn's work.

Dawn used a simple block to tie these fabrics from the
community stash together

Re-opening of popular social enterprise store

Many of us have done business (as donors and as customers) with 'The Fabric Cave', then 'Fabric, Needlecraft and More' at Meadowbank, and now the Achieve Foundation's craft materials store is re-opening at a new site, with a new name:

We are delighted to announce our new name and location for the Fabric, Needlecraft and More store! The Sewing Basket was chosen out of nearly 100 proposed names, and it captures the essence of the unique range of products and services on offer. 

Our new-look store will open on Friday 7 September from 9am - 2pm at Unit 5, 2 Holker St, Newington. 

Further trading days and hours are soon to be announced as we settle into our new location. We hope to see you there.

Achieve Foundation, on Facebook today.

Events: September

Gallery 76, 76 Queen St, Concord West 2138
These are not like quilts you’ve ever seen before ... 
Embroiderers Guild NSW

Illawarra Quilters 2018 Quilt Show

Wentworth Quilters Open Day

Sunday 23 September 2018

Linnwood, 25 Byron Road

Guildford 2161

Enquiries: 0418 342 254 or 0405 468 206

Embroiderers Guild of NSW

'Thread Stitch Cloth'

- an international juried exhibition focusing on the use of machine stitch. 

Selected works will be exhibited at the new 76 Queen St Galleries, Concord West 

21 September - 6 November 2018

 A Festival of Contemporary Machine Stitch event.

Show and tell

We also saw some finished quilts this week ...

Louise is expecting a new grandchild later in the year -
this is the baby quilt for if it's a boy ...

... she chose the blue print first and then found the
owl print that coordinates beautifully.

A bright modern baby quilt for a friend of Nerida's

And Nerida's stunning 'Whimsy' (pattern by Judy Newman)
is all finished.

A community quilt made from mostly community stash
fabrics, by Jill ...

... the setting triangle fabric was also found in the community stash.

Some fabulous quilt tops, all ready to be quilted

We love to see each other's quilts at the earliest possible opportunity, so we love to see them even before they are quilted, like this lovely crop from last week and earlier this week. Then we'll need to see them again when they are finished, of course ...

'For the Boys' is a Jen Kingwell design from her very popular
book Quilt Lovely. Jan's contemporary, graphic prints and the
contrasting sashings are ideal.
Looking forward to seeing it quilted.

Janice's fun, modern applique 'Bloom' is from Treehouse
Textiles in Victoria. Many of Janice's fabrics are from her
monthly Fabric Club with Queen of Fabrics, in Melbourne,
and she chose a variety of crisp white on white backgrounds. 

Lots of fussy cut pentagon centres have made it a subtle 'I spy'
quilt for a little great niece, who will love it. Janice will hand
quilt it - we look forward to seeing it finished.

Roslyn just about made this striking quilt top in a day at our
recent community sewing day. She did have something of a
head start having selected the fabrics from our community
stash some time ago, and made the half square triangles from
ten inch squares. Roslyn is renowned for her skill with
colour - you can see why - and we consult her frequently,
so she did well to get it done with so many interruptions.

Elaine G brought in her latest quilt top finish to show us,
because she says it will be quite a while before the quilting will
be finished. It already absolutely sparkles - it will be
wonderful when it is quilted!

Robin call this vibrant quilt top an experiment - she very often
works with just Kaffe Fasset fabrics. This time she has featured
other prints and solids as well. We would say that the experiment
has definitely worked!

August community sewing day

This time last week we were just packing up after our annual Saturday community sewing-and-soup-lunch day (we usually hold community sewing on Thursdays), a productive and very social gathering ...

We started by trying out the combination of a large donated
border and a circular block made by Chris Jurd, and generously
donated by Nerida who bought it at a Springwood Community
Quilt Show. Made for each other! Sue H is tasked with finding
a background fabric to applique them both to, and we'll then
see whether any additional applique is needed.
You can see just a few of the many feet gathered around the
'design floorspace' to offer an opinion.

Elaine W quietly whipped this pretty fabric stack into half
a quilt during the day.

We sorted through a generous, anonymous donation of finished
quilt tops, blocks and fabrics.
Helen added a border to these very appealing pinwheels,
and basted it ready for quilting.

We did stop for lunch - soup made by Helen and Jill, and just
a little cake left over from morning tea.

There was a lot of pin basting - these are Julie's improv
circles - she's not sure she will try them again, but everyone
else liked them.

Everyone loved Marg K's cats and dogs print quilt
 - Dawn and Julie basted it

Sue H added a label to her finished improv circles, and hardly
drew breath before making excellent progress on machine quilting
 her green bento box quilt.

Pam hand-stitched the binding on this simply effective
strippy quilt put together by Elaine W

Thanks to everyone who came, worked so hard (there was much more than this going on) and made it such an enjoyable day.

Robert James exhibition, Sydney

You might be familiar with Bob James's quilts from his work with Quilt NSW, and award at the Sydney Quilt Show. His exhibition opening in southern Sydney this week includes work from 2000 - 2018.

Robert James: My Passion for Patchwork

17 August - 7 October 2018

Moran Gallery Sylvania

29 Sylvania Road, Sylvania, NSW 2224

The Moran Sylvania Gallery is a collaboration between the Moran Health Care Group, Sylvania and Hazelhurst Arts Centre.
Located in the Moran Health Care Group’s premium residential aged care home Moran Sylvania, the gallery is open to the public Monday to Sunday, 10am – 4pm, entry is free

More recent finishes

Marilyn's beautifully made, personalised needle case,
designed by Katrina Hadjimichael ...

...lots of needle pockets ...

... more hexie flowers revealed when it is fully opened out.

Val has made a beautiful memory quilt, with fabrics mostly 
from her friend Maureen's stash.  Maureen died after a long 
illness earlier this year - the quilt is a gift for her husband, 
and will recall the many happy times they spent in Provence.

Yvette quilted Val's quilt.

Robyn B considered adding these cute appliqued puppy blocks
to last year's end-of-year ufo challenge, but was persuaded to
put them together herself. Quilted and bound by Jill for the
community quilts collection.

Robyn chose a very, very cute paw print for the wide borders.

Jan's Dilly Bag, made to Judy Newman's design -
a very appealing mix of fabrics in those hexies.

Elaine W whipped up this pretty, fresh-as-a-daisy community
quilt in what seemed like no time at all. Daphne hand sewed
the binding down during our recent community sewing day,
while Elaine got on with the next one.

Quilts, quilts, quilts: on exhibition and online this weekend

It's a big weekend in quilting locally, nationally and internationally. Here are some places to find posts from and about quilt shows:

Hunters Hill Quilters 2018 Quilt Show is on this weekend

• Hunters Hill Quilters on Instagram
• Hunters Hill Quilters on Facebook

If you're not in Canberra this weekend, can make an online visit to the Canberra Quilters 2018 Members Exhibition - an excellent gallery of photos of the award winners announced  on Thursday 9 August is available on their website here. There are lots of awards, many beautiful quilts, so settle in for an enjoyable tour.

• Canberra Quilters on Instagram
• Canberra Quilters on Facebook
• Canberra Modern Quilters on Instagram
• Canberra Modern Quilters on Facebook
• Bernina Australia on Instagram
• Bernina Australia on Facebook

UK Festival of Quilts in Birmingham is said to be the largest European quilt show:

• Instagram
• Facebook

Works in progress this week

Always lots of opinions ... Elaine W is making this pretty
spring-like quilt for our community quilt collection, and
asked for suggestion for the quilting design.

Machine applique is Julie's favourite technique, and William
Morris designs are some of her favourite fabrics. So Michelle
Hill's wall hanging and fabrics are a perfect fit.

Daphne is powering through her Pickled Fish blocks
- this one is #12 of 16 ...

... and #13 of 16 appeared on Instagram the next day! She'll
be done by the end of the week, ready to tackle the pieced border.

Pat is making excellent progress too - this one could
be #10. Beautiful centre fabric and coordinates.

... and Pat's #11 is another stunner!

Jill's son has commissioned a 'Pickled Shark' quilt, with black
backgrounds, no flowers and the colours of NRL teams
 - five more to go.

Some recent finishes and other activities ...

A cheerful improv quilt made by Sue H from 'all' the spotty
scraps from her 'Lots of Dots' that won Viewers' Choice at
our 2016 quilt show. Quilters will not be surprised to hear,
Sue still has many spotty scraps ... make another one Sue?

Community quilt made by Dawn, long arm quilted by Laura.

The coloured fabrics in Julie's melons and squares quilt
were scraps from previous quilts. Long arm quilted by Yvette.

Dawn retrieved the floral pieces from a recent donation to the
community stash. The bags will possibly find their way onto
our next craft stall.

Lynette sent a photo from her shopping at Liberty of London
- how will she fit all that into her luggage?

Miriam, her friend Alicia, Sue C, Denise, Adrienne and Jill were
successful in the ballot for seats at the recent Quilt NSW members'
sewing day at NSW Government House. We were able to stroll
in the gardens, join a guided tour of the restored state rooms, enjoyed
lovely food, and even did some sewing. A beautiful sunny
winter's day by the harbour - recommended should the opportunity
come round again.