Helen's quilts in progress

Some of Helen's current works in progress, seen at our recent fortnightly meeting - there's nothing like seeing them in real life.

Helen has adapted a Margaret Sampson George design,
 using a collection of authentic vintage feedback fabric for
the wide borders, with just a few reproduction to fill gaps. 

Some of the vintage fabrics are quite fragile,
and required careful handling. You can just see glimpses
of the fine blue and white striped outer border.
It is already beautiful, but can you imagine how it will look when quilted?

It is already beautiful, but can you imagine how
it will look when quilted?

This one is made entirely from Helen's scrap baskets,
featuring soft florals ...

... in large economy blocks, in predominately pinks and
blues, with touches of yellow.

Last year Helen sewed along with a UK monthly challenge
to make large EPP hexies to different themes

Helen is assembling them with occasional
large scale un-pieced prints

For this one, the theme was
'something that reflects your interests',
and Helen had just the right prints.

Sue's big beautiful quilt

Sue's masterwork is finished - one hour of hand quilting a day during quarantine completing more than seven years of thoughtful, but sometimes interrupted sewing. It is huge! Who would have thought that little teacup panel would grow so? Margaret Sampson George was Sue’s mentor for all those beautiful borders. You really need to see this in real life - it will be in our next quilt show (no, we don't know when that will be yet.)

And it’s just as well that it is finished, because Sue was elected as our 2020-2021 Convenor at our recent AGM on Zoom, so she’ll be a bit busy with that. Congratulations Sue.

Recent community quilt finishes

Making quilts for community members continues with and without regular meetings. These finishes were seen at our August community sewing day, where we also cut batting and backing for seven completed tops, and pin basted two more. Meanwhile six people worked on new community projects by machine (and we forgot to take photos of them). It was a productive and enjoyable day!

Julie collected a donated partial jelly roll, added some strips
from her stash and enjoyed making this pieced hexagon
quilt so much she is contemplating another.

It has been beautifully quilted by Laura on
her long-arm machine.

Elaine W is working through her William Morris stash

Julie had four melon patch blocks left over from an earlier
quilt - just enough for a small lap quilt. Quilted by Laura. 

Mixed hexagon flowers  made by Julie, quilted by Laura.

Robin made this quilt top and the one below from her
wonderfully vibrant stash, they were quilted by Laura.

They are now  each being bound by a third member,
a true collaborative effort, that includes organising
for them to be passed on to the next person, all with
appropriate COVID safe precautions.

First Monday meeting since March ...

We've seen some more great quilt finishes, at our first regular meeting since March, held last week with reduced numbers and public health recommendations implemented, and in photos passed on by members while we continue Zoom meetings as well.

Jo finished her  Zen Chic designed quilt just before quarantine,
 but not everyone had seen it. I t was good to have another
look, and to learn that the kitten is no longer interested in
it, so it has reverted to a people quilt!

Jo says the first side is the top, and the second one
the back, but it looks just like a totally reversible
quilt to us - what do you think?

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Sharron's baby quilt is just the perfect palette for a little one.

Hilary's beautiful scrappy little circles are modified
drunkard's path blocks made with scrappy low
volume backgrounds

Lyn has been practising her free motion quilting skills, using
You Tube tutorials on straight and curved rulers,
on her domestic machine.

Her nephew William's quilt shows how good she's become.

Reading, viewing ...

Photo by cottonbro from Pexel

As the largest quilt show in Europe, The Festival of Quilts held in Birmingham requires a lot of judges, giving us a substantial gallery of Judges’ Choice quilts - 38 at our early morning count. Enjoy!

The Judge’s Choice Awards are an opportunity for each judge to choose a quilt that speaks to them – that makes them smile, or tugs at their heart-strings or that simply stands out as “special” to them. The judges are asked not choose category winners, but otherwise they were free to choose any quilt in the show that they deemed as their favourite in the competition.

Just One Quilt (films) is a series of online videos, in which British quilter and sewer Jenni Smith talk to a quilter about one quilt they have made. There are more than thirty videos  available at the moment. Jenni teaches both garment sewing and quilting, with some courses available online. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram.


Giant quilt captures snapshot of time during Queensland's coronavirus lockdown
Jessica Hinchliffe, ABC Radio Brisbane, 10 July 2020

A callout by ABC Radio Brisbane Breakfast attracted 200 handmade blocks from across the state, each depicting the story of the maker's life in lockdown.

The blocks were stitched together by members of Queensland Spinners, Weavers and Fibre Artists (QSWFA) — a mammoth task which took more than 108 hours — into the official Queensland Quarantine Quilt ...

Stitches in time: how global crises can be measured in material
University of New England, 11 August 2020

When a global crisis hits, women throughout history have mobilised to hand-make some of the supplies most in demand. A UNE History Masters student says COVID-19 is no different - and this time it's masks and scrubs. 

... She found that sewing bees and circles have promoted a degree of social cohesiveness during wars, in pandemics and at times of political upheaval in Australia's history. During World War I, committees managed patriotic sewing groups that met in school or church halls to make soldiers' uniforms, and linens and medical supplies for hospitals. In the midst of the Spanish influenza epidemic, Red Cross volunteers sewed masks and gowns for infected soldiers returning from the war. Women again volunteered to sew and darn for soldiers in World War II, and to make quilts for those serving overseas.

Several weeks ago we posted about Lisa Walton's Quilt Stories Playlist, on You Tube, where she interviews an award winning quilt in-depth about one of their quilts. Lisa  has added a number of new interviews to her playlist, to introduce you to new quilters and the way they work.

Works in progress ...

It feels like everyday life is more of a work in progress than usual at the moment. Quarantine restrictions go on, with changes, and so does our sewing ...

Nerida's 'Nickles and Dimes' quilt  (pattern by
Every Day Quilts) is growing ...

... but is her fabric stash diminishing? She does have a lovely
range of fabrics that play together very well.

Jenn whipped up a 'Plaidish' quilt top in between her
several EPP projects - it speaks of a great stash too.
Pattern by Kitchen Table Quilting.

Jill  cut out the squares and triangles for Miriam's 'SuperStars'
quilt and sewed them together exactly a year later ...

Sue has made one of Miriam's latest patterns, 'Little Women',
and photographed it on her newly renovated quilt
hanging screen, also known as her front fence.

Dawn holds the record for the number of
'SuperStars' quilts made ...

... this one, for a child was quilted by Yvette,
just awaiting a binding.

Helen has nearly finished her 'Into the Woods' quilt made
with July Newman's pattern. A woodland print border,
and some little Dresden's for the corners, and it will be done.

More show and tell from our July sewing day

After a big show and tell at our July sewing day, we're not sure when when we can resume weekly meetings at our regular venue, but we are aiming for next week unless restrictions change before then. From what we've seen on our regular Zoom meetings, there is much more to see!

Elaine started her wall hanging in a class early in the year,
but has finished it during quarantine. Raw edge applique
is used to colour a Reece Scannell print.

Closely free-motion quilted ...

... and the reverse.

Julie’s beautiful machine appliqued ‘Constantinople’ is
finished.Designed by Tamsin Harvey, from her book
‘Constantinople Quilts’.

Machine quilted by Sue Olma.

We pin basted this one, made by Jill's daughter Emma, ready
for Jill to quilt and send back up the coast to Emma
for a navy binding.