2020 Community Quilt Collection

When we suspended our regular meetings and community sewing days, in March as the pandemic was declared, we made no particular plans for our community quilting program beyond everyone just doing what worked for them at home, until we could meet again. We’d then assesss how the community quilt collection was going without access to the community fabric stash, basting tables (and extra hands), and group collaboration at community sewing days.

When we were able to resume our sewing days in July, we found that the collection was just about on track with recent years, we had some basting to catch up on, and members had found it really worthwhile to continue making community quilts, often from their own stashes, during quarantine. 

At the close of the year we have made at least 60 quilts  (photographed here, but we might have missed a few!), and most of have already been distributed to older people in residential care and children in foster care. 

It’s not all about the numbers of quilts though, and we are very pleased to be back sewing together at our monthly sewing days. We have already seen at least a dozen new quilts started, that will be finished during 2021, and there are no doubt many more we don’t know about yet.

Our thanks to everyone who has contributed during a time when we might have found it difficult to maintain the program. 

 

Merry Christmas

NSW Christmas Bush, Albery's Red, South Turramurra
© Sue Crowe, Ken Martin 2020

Merry Christmas

Last community quilts finishes for 2020

Everyone will be glad to get to the end of 2020 and we are close ... here are our last few community quilts for the year. after a few weeks break we will gather again in January, following whatever guidelines are then in place and carry on quilting.

Robin B's rabbit print just couldn't be cut up!

Elaine W chose a bargain-buy blue print to
complement her William Morris scraps.

Julie chose a set of fat quarters from the community
stash for her second version of Miriam's
'Little Women' design. It isn't finished yet, but we
know it will be by our January sewing day!.

Robin B chose to make another whole cloth quilt from
this cute teddy bear print - good decision!

Janet and her Mum Barbara worked together the blocks for
this pretty quilt, that was then quilted by Laura.

Sewing Basket: store closures for holidays

The Sewing Basket Stores (a project of Achieve Foundation) have announced their holiday closure and re-opening dates:

Re-opening dates:

Newington  11 January

West Ryde 13 January

Balmain 6 January

Kincumber 4 January

Final 2020 Show and Tell

Our final meetings, still with reduced numbers and under pandemic conditions have been held (no end-of-year party and challenge this year) and we will be taking a summer break for a few weeks. Like everyone else, we don't know what the new year holds for us yet, so we will wait for the hoped for easing of restrictions, prepared to maintain some measures of social distancing, and resume a combination of face to face and Zoom meetings to enable all of our members to remain connected. Thank you for continuing to take an interest in our activities during this year (we have a few more posts to come), and we wish you well for whatever 2021 brings.

Janice has made a wonderful collection of Christmas
stockings for her extended family over the years,
and she has added these two fine examples this year.

Liberty Christmas, bobbles and fine hand stitching.

Liberty quilting cotton, hexagons, bobbles
and more very fine stitching.

Marilyn's stocking is for her little great-granddaughter,
to be delivered to her rural home just before Christmas.

Yvette's very stylish ‘Steam Punk’ quilt, designed by
Jen Kingwell, expertly quilted by Yvette on her
long-arm machine.

Close inspection ...

Denise is captured by SewMiriam's 'SuperStar pattern
- this is her third and largest version!

Hand quilted.

Long before the pandemic was declared, we had stocked the
craft stall for our 2020 Quilt Show scheduled for April.
The show was cancelled three weeks out, but the craft stall
stock was stored. For our last meetings of the year Roslyn
kindly unpacked some of the stock so we could
enjoy some shopping. In the new year we will start again.

Show and tell catch up 7 - Sue's quilt

Sue S made her version of ‘Candied Hexagons’ a slow stitching project over ten years or so. It is hand pieced and hand quilted, and glows warmly. Lots of lovely detail in the fabrics. Well worth the time to finish.

Rachaeldaisy quilts on exhibition: Springwood

King Street Flower Shop,
by RachaelDaisy

Behind The Scene is the current exhibition at Braemar Gallery in Springwood including a mix of textiles, photography, painting, drawing and sculpture.

Rachaeldaisy's King Street Flower Shop (a new version of 'Pocket Full of Posies') and Denim are part of the exhibition.

Until 17 January, Thursday to Friday, 10-4pm

104 Macquarie Road, Springwood.

Show and tell catch up 6

Marilyn O's 'Girl Next Door' (designed by Louise Pappas) has
been finished for some time. It is for her 9 yr old granddaughter
who lives in Western Australia and Marilyn was concerned that
she would have outgrown it by the time she could deliver it.
But with the borders opening this week, it might be
long before they can catch up.

Quilted by Cathie Calvert at Lakeside Quilting, Teralba.

In between fabric quilts, Marilyn decided to work through
her yarn stash and knitted a patchwork blanket
in long strips of squares.

Susan has been sewing for her first grandchild, expected
to arrive in January. First up are whimsical woodland
animals cut from a panel and yardage ...

... and a sweet little bassinette cover.

Jenn has generously made quilts for her
children's teachers, the latest two above and
below.

Details of the second teacher quilt.

Quilt in the wild. Stephanie took Lucy (Boston) to
the beach for a photoafter a remarkably quick finish. 

She looks quite at home, but quilting will wait for next winter.

Kona cotton solids colour of the year 2021: Horizon

The Kona Colour of the Year promotes Robert Kaufman Fabric's 
Kona Cotton Solids, via a limited edition colour that will be 
available for one year only. 

Do you like the 'serene' choice of Horizon for 2021 after the 
strange and often worrying year we've had in 2020?

Kona Cotton in Horizon will be available in quilt stores 
in the New Year.

Patterns (some of them free) using Horizon are available 
on the Robert Kaufman website

Show and tell catch up 5

Elaine W used Kaffe Fasset fabrics for the first time to make
her 'SuperStars' quilt from SewMiriam's pattern. She backed
and bound it in a complimentary bright red Kaffe.
It is very fresh and cheerful.

Miriam's latest quilt top, ‘Pearlescent’, is her take on an
old design. She made it from 2 1/2” strips, joining the
blocks row by row. The consistent fabric use for the diamonds
(that beautiful green print) makes a strong design statement.
The other fabrics are a great mix of scraps.

Marilyn A's hand stitching project
- a bag made from hexagons.

Yvette has made an early start on Christmas sewing with
her house amongst the Christmas trees quilt.

Janet's most recent 'Sea Glass' quilt is larger, a wall
hanging for a friend. You cannot help thinking
of the sea and sand when you see it.

Another recent finish from Janet - all the flying geese, and
all the bright colours! She quilted it herself, in a single
spiral. It's been a productive year, Janet!