First community quilts shared in 2025

The 2025 community quilts collection is building up - we know there are at least a dozen more in progress, and about the same held over from late last year. Thank you all for your contributions.

Lynette has made many blue and white quilts, but has
not reached the end of her blue fabrics yet.  The mix of
blues and repeated regular strips has great appeal.

Complimentary serpentine stitch quilting.

Lynette also put these blocks together. They were made
in a workshop, by several members, using strips cut
from the community stash. 

Another appealing mix of colour, this time placed irregularly.

How do you use a fabric printed with clocks?  Elaine G used
them as the background to pieced and appliqued clock faces.

Each of the clocks shows a different time …

… but by the time she reached the backing, Elaine said
she was ready for it to be 12 o’clock!

 

A huswif, a zip pouch, a needlework tool roll and a tote bag …

It hasn’t all quilts been shared at our January meetings …

Helen rounded up some French General scraps and stitched
them into a ‘huswif’ to hold some of her needlework
tools. It closes with a robust snap fastener.

The term “hussif” (abbreviation for housewife) first appeared 

in print in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1749 suggesting 

that it had already been in common use. “Hussif” was not the 

only term used. Its other known names were: “huswif” 

(or “huswife”), “hussive” and “housewife”. 

The Hyland House Museum

Chris made a beautiful flat-bottomed zip pouch
 in pastel tones …

… and included pickets and lining in apricot.

 

Pat’s needlework tool roll is a modern evolution of the huswif -
a fabric roll to keep needlework tools together and protect them.

Cat lover Pat used some of her feline stash
in the clam shells and pockets.

During the holidays, Carol W decided to make a blouse
she had been thinking about for some time.
 As she searched her fabric cupboard, a panel printed
with vintage sewing machines caught her attention.
She really did want to make that blouse, but somehow
she stitched up a tote bag instead … and the blouse
still hasn’t been made, but the fabric for it
is still in that cupboard somewhere.

 

Show and tell

Show and tell after the summer break is always fun - you never know what people have have been up to…

Susan K made the delightful linen ‘Lolli’ mouse in her
sparkly pink tutu, from JodieRicRac’s design and kit … 

… but substituted pink and green striped tights for the black
and white ones in the kit! Susan says she’s easy to make, but tiny.

Susan K made this trio too - the giraffe from another Jodie
RicRac pattern, the elephants from a Heather Bailey design.
Excellent fabric choices and combinations!
They will live with Theo little boys and their new baby brother.

`Susan Mack meanwhile was making the very grown
up ‘Ultimate Travel Bag 2.0’ designed by  By Annie. 

The outer panels are quilted.

There are many useful pockets inside and out.

A great start to 2025

We’ve been on a few weeks’ summer break from our regular meetings, but not entirely from sewing. 

We’ve borrowed Jeni’s photo of this beautiful modern 
quilt because it is now with its new owners - she finished it  
just in time for it to go under the Christmas tree for her
son and his partner.
Design/pattern by @loandbeholdstitchery
Quilted by Sue Olma,

Susan Mack offered to make a baby quilt for one of her
husband’s colleagues, and he immediately remembered that
two of them had babies due. So Susan made two baby quilts
 in the last week of the school term before the teacher-parents
went on leave before Christmas. The first one was requested
to include black.There was only time for a photo of one of them.

Margaret finished a long term project, appliquéing her hexagon
flowers to diamonds of a cross-hatch print.

She then hand quilted around each flower
and diamond for a stunning finish.

Carol W cut up a panel of a gardening themed print,
and set them with counterpane blocks suggesting garden beds.

Carol has donated the quilt to our community collection.

Not our work! Janice was at the Braidwood Airing of the Quilts
late in 2024, and after returning home she was delighted to
hear that she had won first prize in the raffle!
She chose this gorgeous nine-patch on point quilt, ‘Colours’,
made by June Weatherstone  (see the label below).

June’s quilt is beautifully machine quilted, and a wonderful
range of scrappy pieces that work beautifully together.

We all loved your quilt when Janice brought to out first
meeting for 2025 June, and it has us thinking
about beautiful classic nine patches.

2025 Kona Color of the Year

The 2025 Kona cotton Colour of the Year was announced last month by textile company Robert Kaufman. Kona cotton in Nocterne will be available for a year. 

You can view the Look Book, featuring two free quilt patterns, four designer patterns to purchase, and the manufacturers pre-cuts on the Robert Kaufman website here, and on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

2025 COTY Look Book

 

January - February 2025 events

 

Timeless Textiles
Fibre Arts Gallery
90 Hunter Street
Newcastle East NSW

Timeless Textiles
Fibre Arts Gallery
90 Hunter Street
Newcastle East NSW

Exhibition dates: 23 November 2024 - 28 January 2025
Exhibition title: 
Margaret Oppen and Roma Field Competitions Retrospective
Artist name(s): Embroiderers' Guild NSW

This retrospective exhibition features past winners from the 
two competitions held by the Embroiderers' Guild NSW - 
the Margaret Oppen and Roma Field Prizes.

Gallery 76
76 Queen Street Concord West 2138

The Embroiderers' Guild NSW proudly presents a stunning 
collection of student work produced over the past year.

Gallery 76
76 Queen Street Concord West 2138

Check gallery opening hours here

Details of opening times, directions to the venue, tickets at
www.craftalive.com.au/events/sydney/