20+ SuperStars!

SewMiriam's pattern 'SuperStars' is one of the most popular we've ever made in a workshop. We've now seen more than twenty finished quilt tops, and quite a few completely finished quilts (must do a proper count). Here are the three most recent, seen just before we suspended our meetings for a few weeks  ...

Hilary worked on her ‘SuperStars’ quilt to have it ready
for our quilt show that has now been postponed. So we
enjoyed seeing it at our very last meeting for some time. 

All batiks, some Hilary printed herself on a trip to Java last year.

Elaine's bright and cheerful ‘SuperStars’ quilt top
brightens up a grey, damp week here in Sydney.

The pastel dot background is a winner against the
tropical bright stars.

Julie's French General SuperStars has had a lot of fans
since the day she started it in the workshop last September.
Now quilted by Yvette, it is sensational!

Of course it needed to be closely inspected! Julie set herself
a layout challenge by going scrappy with her star points.

... and the reverse is also a beautiful French General!

Cancellation of events

As you would anticipate, many quilting and craft events have been cancelled, so please check with the organisers of anything you were planning to attend. Our events page will soon have very few current events listed. Here are some that we know are cancelled or postponed. Quilt NSW will continue to let us know of others ...

Quilt NSW, 23 March Update: The Sydney Quilt Show has been rescheduled to 8 – 12 July following the extension of the ban on mass gatherings to 17 June. This is subject to ongoing review and Government policy. Edit 9 April 2020: new revised dates have been announced, 29 Ocotber - 1 November 2020.

Sydney Quilt Show 2020

Nelson Bay Quilters 2020 Quilt Show: cancelled

Crafters Fair Wollongong: postponed until 5 - 7 November 2020 

Australian Quilt Convention (Melbourne): postponed until August 2020 

Bowerbird Quilters 2020 Quilt Show (Boambee NSW): postponed 

Caroline Bay Quilters 2020 Quilt Show (Gosford NSW): postponed until further notice 

Hunters Hill Quilters 2020 Quilt Show: postponed until August 2021

Show and tell

Are you exhausted from all the pandemic information (and misinformation)? In addition to postponing our 2020 Quilt Show, we have suspended our regular meetings until at least 20 April, and will keep in touch via social media, just like many others. So let's look at some quilts from our early March meetings ...

It’s always a good day when Nerida unfolds her latest
finish for show and tell a Broken Grid blocks quilt.
Inspiration from Roderick Kiracofe’s book 'Unconventional
and Unexpected', and Sujata Shah’s #uanduqal quilt.

Susan only recently bought some free motion quilting
rulers, and started practising - these are her first samples!
We think she's really taking off as a free motion quilter.

We’ve already found a safe home for some our community quilts that cannot go to aged care facilities at the moment, so we’ll carry on making. We know that many of our fellow quilters are making the same decisions and doing the same things.

Elaine is sewing through her stash very effectively - this one 

is a beauty, and a great way to feature that gorgeous Dresden.

Two charm packs and some fabric  from Jill's stash
made a nice nine x nine patch

There was just enough of the sashing and border
spot to make it a little larger.

The reverse is pieced from left-over squares and a good
length of fabric from the community stash.

Quilt NSW Special Update

Quilt NSW has published a special update about their own plans for responding to the COVID19 pandemic, and giving notice of member events cancelled and postponed. They have offered to continue to publish notices about members' events.

And of course, quilters are wondering about whether the 2020 Sydney Quilt Show will go ahead:

Your may be wondering whether the 2020 Sydney Quilt Show will go ahead? The Committee is in close contact with Expertise Events, organiser of the overall event, and as soon as there is information to share, we will let you know.

Follow Quilt NSW via their blog, Template Free, or on Instagram or Facebook to keep abreast of quilt events.

Fairholme Quilters 2020 Quilt Show postponed

Recommendations from the State and Federal authorities manage the COVID19 pandemic in our communities are still changing rapidly, so this is the right decision for us right now.

In the interests of community protection, the safety of our visitors and our own, we have decided to cancel our major event for the year, our 2020 Quilt Show, scheduled for 3 - 5 April, at the Thornleigh Community Centre.

We had been planning the quilt show for more than a year, and we regret having to postpone it, but we will reschedule the event when we can safely do so.  We look forward to having you join us then.

In the meantime we will continue to support our community through other activities and quilt making.

You can follow our activities and see many of our quilts by following us here on the blog, via Instagram and Facebook.

Please direct enquiries to: fairholmequilters@gmail.com

2020 Fairholme Quilt Show: 3 weeks!

Our 2020 Quilt Show is fast approaching - we open in just three weeks from tomorrow. We are ramping up advertising to let the local quilting community and travelling quilters know about it, through Facebook and Instagram, this blog, print fliers and the very powerful word of mouth. 

Please feel free to share these resources, and invite your friends and followers along - you will be made very welcome.

Our Facebook Event Page can be found here:

Our print flier looks like this - you might see at your quilting group or local quilt shop:

This image is designed for use on social media, particularly Instagram and Facebook:

Show and tell

Many of us are working to finish our entries for our 2020 Quilt Show - opening in just 26 days - and are not ready to show them yet ... others are way ahead! You might see some of these at the show ...

Julie is a William Morris/Michele Hill fan, and put a lot of
skill and effort into the beautiful machine applique in this quilt.

It was quilted by Sue Olma, concentrating
on framing the appilqued blocks

Robin is multi talented - she appliqued fire trucks to a special
T shirt for a 3 year old grandson ...

... and then she knitted this gorgeous Fireman Sam!

Julie is also busy making quilts for future great grand-children!

Very cute backing for the one above.

Daphne's confident use of bold colour is always a delight.
She has an extensive stash of vibrant fabrics to draw on.

Community quilts - February

Jill has quilted a donated top, pin basted for a long time.
The blocks are made from border prints, cut into triangles
and reoriented to form layers of squares.

Elaine W has been busy in 'finishing off mode - this one
was made from a pattern spotted several years ago
during a bus trip ...

... with some Sashiko stitching detail addd to  some of
the counterpanes to complement the oriental style prints.

Elaine used many, many hexagons originaly made with no
particular quilt in mind, and border fabrics from her stash.

Pretty 'shabby chic' fabrics  long resident in
Elaine's stash have made a soft, cosy quilt.

Dawn has been busy too, this month - this top is the sixth
she has made from a long length of cheater print donated
to our community stash.

Miriam's 'SuperStars' design is one of Dawn's
all-time favourites ...

... this one is for a child, and is the fourth quilt she
has made with the pattern.