QuiltCon 2024

QuiltCon 2024 is the large modern quilt exhibition and convention hosted by The Modern Quilt Guild in Raleigh, North Carolina from 22 - 25 February. Photos of the award winning quilts can be found on Instagram, Facebook and on the MQG website: https://quiltcon.com/quiltcon-2024-winners

The Best of Show was awarded to Ginny Robinson for ‘What We Will Use as Weapons: A List of School Supplies’, a powerful commentary on school shootings in the US.

Most of the entries and award winners came from the United States, but others came from a number of other countries, including Australia. Tara Glastonbury from Melbourne won a second place award in the Super Scrappy Challenge with her quilt ‘Multifarious Me’. The category rules required a minimum of 30 different fabrics to be included in the quilt. You can find Tara on Instagram @stitchandyarn, and on Facebook at Stitch and Yarn, where she has also shared photos and information about other Australian exhibitors.

Lorena Uriarte from Sydney was invited to make the QuiltCon 2024  raffle quilt, ‘Caminito’ (Spanish for ‘little laneway’). The quilt was pieced by Lorena, machine quilted by Cat Jones from Tasmania, with additional hand quilting by Lorena. You can see more detail and photos in Lorena’s Instagram post @lorena_in_sydney.

The Peoples’ Choice award, announced at the end of the show on Sunday was won by Irina Timofeeva from the Russian Federation for her very clever quilt ‘White Babbles’, which can be seen on Instagram, Facebook and the QuiltCon website and Instagram.

Congratulations to the award winners, all the entrants and to The Modern Quilt Guild.

QuiltCon 2025
Convention Centre

Phoenix Arizona
20 - 23 February 2025

Tara Faughnan will be the featured speaker and exhibitor

Our recent finishes

Susan Mac adapted the floral designs in her vibrant
quilt from Natalie Pearson’s 1994 book ‘Floral Applique:
Original Designs and Techniques for Medallion Quilts’, and
 placed them using needle turn appliqué. The multi-patterned
black and white backgrounds and asymmetrical
grid of floral squares are Susan’s design.
We enjoyed watching Susan hand stitching the floral
 appliqué during our meetings, but the finished quilt
was a delightful surprise!

The tropical palette is carried through to the pieced back.
 It is hand quilted.

Elaine G says she doesn’t like hand quilting (and she’s a whiz
at machine quilting) but she’s done a beautiful job on this quilt
for a dear friend. The palette was chosen from her friend’s
favourite colours, including the soft rose on both
the front and back. Lucky friend!

The backing fabric is lovely, and highlights the hand-quilting.

Miriam is working on a range of embroidery exercises
for students in her classes. This one is a tiny woven panel
of embroidery threads on linen, perhaps destined
to be a pendant - we shall see!

The improv patchwork for Daphne’s zippered pouch
was made by fusing raw edge pieces to a base cloth and
then further securing them as tulle overlay and quilting.
A fun way to use some tiny scraps.

A clever project bag, also made by Daphne with a zip
closing and a clear front panel to leg you see that
everything is where it ought to be!

 

March 2024 events

Fibre Arts Australia

Australian Design Centre

110—115 William Street, Darlinghurst 2120

‘International Art Textile Biennale 2023 celebrates the vibrant and evolving world of contemporary art textiles. In its second edition, this Biennale showcases a diverse array of works that push the boundaries of textile art.

A testament to the profound shift underway in the perception of textile art, lies a powerful and accessible medium for exploring identity, society, and politics in the 21st century. The 35 finalists from 11 countries dismantle preconceived notions on what it means to be a textile artist and how this medium can express profound commentary.’

 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

A Century of Quilts

16 March  - 25 August 2024

Presenting a rare opportunity to see a historically and artistically 

significant group of works, A Century of Quilts showcases an 

often-overlooked art form made almost exclusively by women. 

Included in the exhibition is the National Gallery’s most requested 

work of art: The Rajah quilt 1841.

https://nga.gov.au/exhibitions/a-century-of-quilts/

Pictured: TEXStyle 2023 exhibits. (Grey Photography: Phong Lam and 
Annie Nguyen - Principal Photographer.) TEXStyle 2024

Presented by the Technology Educators Association of NSW

Gallery 76

76 Queen Street, Concord West 2038

3 March - 27 April 2024

The TEXStyle exhibition is an annual showcase of excellence in HSC Textiles and Design, enjoyed by both the education sector and wider community. A range of school excursions is offered to high schools

Free entry to general public during regular gallery hours (weekdays 9-4 and weekends 10-2).

Even more new community quilts

‘Boxes and Crosses’ is an Emma Jean Jansen design
from her book ‘By the Bundle’. Lynette made this
version for our community collection.

It is a simple 9 patch design, with colour and tone placement
 producing the more complex looking pattern. Very clever!

Jenn has generously donated her version of ‘Starry Picnic’
designed by Megan Collins, to our community collection.
 A beautiful palette, married with interesting shapes.
Quilted by Janet.

She made it up in modern prints from a number of her favourite 

designers, including Sarah Watts, Cotton and Steele, 

and Lizzie House.

Lynette had lots of strips in soft warm browns, and 

enough cream for a background. It looks like coffee, 

chocolate, and caramel, or spices.

‘Positive and Negative’, again made from strips, by Lynette.

A simple block cut in two different directions
makes up Daphne’s modern scrap quilt

 

More new community quilts

Helen is finishing off a few projects she has found in her
sewing room, donating several to our community collection. 

The red - blue- cream palette was popular at show and tell.
Quilted by Laura.

Elaine G used squares and strips in a five piece block,
rotated to add layers of interest..

She used an interesting layout on the back too,
to make a feature of a join.

Machine quilting more visible on the reverse.

Susan made this one some time ago, and decided it
needs to be used rather living in a shelf.

Not every quilt is for a bed …

Susan did a multi-day collage class with Maru from
Material Girls Down Under, and made an excellent start on
her elephant wall hanging, using lots of Kaffe Fasset prints.

Clever placement of print features!

More elephants and flowers in the quilted background.

Some of them floral prints overlap, including those
forming the rounded corners.
A spectacular finish!

Some orphan blocks and excess pillow stuffing,
and Hilary had made a cushion!

Miriam has crocheted this design from fabric strips previously.
This one is bigger, stretchier and the handles are soft in her hand.

Someone mentioned another bilby  to Hilary …

… and before she knew it she had made another one,
 in the largest size!

 

Our recent finishes

Janet’s sixth quilt made of little house blocks,
‘Torrens Title’ is quilted with large tropical leaves.
We suspect that she might not be done yet …

What an absolutely fabulous first finish for the year! Jeni’s
version of ‘Look Up’ designed by Wendy Williams was
finished while Jeni has been recovering from an injury - time
 very well spent. The whole quilt is full of whimsy,
but particularly the hand quilting. 

Elaine is just about finished sewing the binding down
on her patchwork quilt made from squares originally cut
for another project, long ago. Her granddaughter found
them in Elaine’s stash and asked if she could have
the quilt when it is finished. Of course Elaine said
yes, and got in with making it.

Elaine’s quilt is back with a Japanese print panel from her stash.

Miriam started her version of the ‘Sisters’ quilt at
Karen Cunningham’s 2023 Summer School.
This year she was able to share it visiting tutors Judith Ebbelaard
and Petra Prins. Petra designed the quilt.
It is a gift to Miriam’s son and daughter-in-law
as their wedding quilt.

Emma Di Stefano from Treehouse Textiles designed the
‘Clamshell Tool Roll’, Jeni’s latest project. Beautiful front …

… back …

… inside …

… and the whole exterior!