Australian Quilt Show Challenge and Sydney Carft and Quilt Fair

In 2022, the Sydney Quilt Show and the Craft and Quilt Fair Sydney will be two separate, unrelated events, on separate dates and in different locations. Information about the Sydney Quilt Show, hosted by QuiltNSW is here.

Information from Intocraft/Expertise Events, about the new Australian Quilt Show Challenge, posted on Facebook and Instagram, with a request to ‘Start spreading the word’:

Entries are now open for this new national touring quilt challenge, open to all Australian quilters. Deadline is April 30, 2022.

Enter this competition and your quilt could be selected for display in the Australian Quilt Show which will be at Craft & Quilt Fairs in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. You could win prizes, cash or one of three Janome machines; total prize pool is worth more than $32,000 including $20,000 in cash.

For more details visit https://craftevents.com.au/australian-quilt-show/

Edit, added 24 March 2022:

Craft and Quilt Fair Sydney

Wednesday 29 June - Sunday 3 July 2022

10am - 4pm each day

The Dome, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush

Victorian quilter’s OAM

Congratulations to Jan MacFadyen, and the many quilters who support her community work.

From bushfires to tsunamis, Janet’s quilts comfort those in need

Janet MacFadyen’s quilts have been raffled by the Armenian embassy in Paris to pay for orphanages, and were flown to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami. At the turn of the century, she would regularly drive a trailer full of them from her home in Shepparton to Puckapunyal, where dozens of citizens from war-torn Kosovo had taken refuge … Most of her quilts are delivered anonymously, sent to foster care homes and women’s refuges without her ever meeting the recipients.

It’s little surprise, then, that she thought her Order of Australia Medal for service to the community through charitable organisations was a prank …  Michael Fowler, The Age (Melbourne). January 25, 2022 

Image from our community quilts archive

 

Summer stitching

It’s a cooler than usual, very wet summer here in Sydney, while we try to keep ourselves and each other as protected from the Omicron ‘wave’ as we can. Our regular meetings are back on Zoom, but the stitching hasn’t stopped although it has been a good time to slow down and/or catch up.

Pat used a quilt she made several years ago to make a very stylish,
on trend jacket. She has embellished the collar with
additional stitching.

We might have heard her say that ‘next time’ she would make up quilted fabric panels rather than cut up a quilt …

Janice’s Boro Rice Bag is finished after a couple of years.
Slowly chipping away at the ufos. It is lined iwith a natural linen.
A nice project from Cutting Cloth.

Aren’t those interior pockets an excellent inclusion?

Helen has been ‘playing around’ with some vintage scraps 

dyed with onion skins and avocado, making small 

but finished things like this sewing kit.

 

Events at Gallery 76

Exhibitions coming up at Gallery 76. Details from the Embroiderers Guild of NSW:

 

Little things …

It’s not all big quilts on our sewing agenda …

Linda is a senior HSC marker, leading a team of 30 teachers
during the short, intense period of exam marking. To thank
them as a team and individually she has made them each a
colourful pieced and quilted mug rug with an appliqued
heart, making up a 🌈 of appreciation, after a challenging
two years for all teachers. Good one, Linda!

Hilary added a padded top to an IKEA timber box, and 

surprised a delighted fellow quilter with it as a gift. 

The box is 10” across, 4”deep, a very useful size. 

The fabric top is covering three layers of batting glued to a
cardboard template, fitted into the recessed lid. 
The hexagon panel was made by her as the beginning
of a quilt that was abandoned.

It is currently housing a growing collection of 8”
twisted hexagons in preparation for a quilt
(that will be finished!)

Helen is not starting a new large quilt until her current
 works in progress are finished.
She has nevertheless found some small new things to make,
 starting 2022 with an enjoyable day putting together a pouch
from vintage linen, cotton and braid.

A collection of small drawstring bags Helen has made for our
next craft stall … no date is in sight yet!

Helen’s latest drawstring bag - these will be very popular!

New book!

This is good news for the new year - a new book from Australian quilter, designer and teacher, Chris Jurd. published by Quiltmania.

Congratulations Chris!

Can Do Books is the Australian distributor for Quiltmania books, who recommend on their website that Australians order through Can Do to best avoid current delays in deliveries from Europe and the US.

One European quilt shop is advertising a mid-January release date, but the book is not yet listed by Can Do or by Quiltmania. Keep an eye out for sightings.

Happy New Year
May your interest in quilts and quilting add joy to your 2022.