Best of Show quilts from around Australia

You can now see high quality images of all of the 2014 State Winners of the Bernina Australia Best of Show Awards here on the Bernina Australia website.

The the National Best of Australia Quilt Award will be announced and presented at the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne, 16th - 19th April 2015.

Winding down ...

... for 2014, we're having a party or two in the next couple of weeks before taking a few weeks break over the summer.

These two quilt tops are another generous donation
from Robin W, from her extensive stash of Kaffe
Fassett fabrics - which Robin thought was diminishing
until her daughter brought her a gift from a trip ...
They will make an excellent start to our 2015
community quilts project, and will be donated
for a child, at Robin's request.

Pat brought in her now fully completed beautiful
Hanover Blues quilt begun in a workshop with Anne
Sommerlad earlier in the year. It was custom quilted by
JoAnn Phillips (Quiltwise), and now lives on the bed in
Pat's guest room - lucky visitors!

Daphne found these quick and clever Christmas stars online.
They start with a pair of fabrics and a simple pentagon paper
template that you can make yourself. Daphne's had 4" sides.
They could become tree decorations, garlands, coasters,
or perhaps something else altogether.
You'll find a tutorial here.

Last community quilts sewing day for 2014 ... progress and finishes

The camera captured one photo and then declared itself 'exhausted'  last Thursday ... otherwise we would have shown you more of our work on this very hot day. We were thankful for air conditioning, and cold watermelon (and fresh doughnuts, thank you Miriam!). 

A lot of sorting and finishing off was done, and some new fabrics selected for new projects.  Some people have taken their projects home in case they feel the need to make some progress during the summer break (we did talk about the meaning of  a 'break', briefly ... ) and some were returned to the 'works in progress' box until we resume in February. 

We are working our way through our substantial, largely donated fabric stash, and one empty container at the end of the day (this is big news - our storage space is very tight!) with some re-packing. 

That One Photo - Elaine B finished putting these funky blocks
together into funky chevrons, including a pieced border that
has just one side to be sewn on. Good to see them out of the box.

Lynette finished off two community quilts earlier in the week, and Barbara sewed on their labels today:

Lynette make this child's quilt from a
donated panel and some stash fabric borders.
She quilted it with her favourite straight
line cross-hatch variation.
It will be donated to a child in need
through the Quilters Guild of NSW 

This is another Lynette finish - she has a gift for 
picking up where someone else has left off and 
producing great finishes.  These blocks were 
donated with the applique completed, and 
Lynette found a vibrant sashing fabric make 
them come alive.
It too will be donated to a child.

We enjoyed more stories from Roslyn and Miriam, who have both recently returned form trips to the US, taking in the International Quilt Festival and other events.  Thank you for sharing your photos and travel tips - iPads are the best!

Thank you everyone for your contributions throughout the year.

Modern quilters interviewed

If you have even a passing interest in modern quilts, you will probably enjoy the Modern Quilting Modern [Wo]man series of posts currently running on Two Little Aussie Birds blog right now. Interviews of well known modern quilters, along with beautiful photos of their quilts.

Some of the international list of interviewees: Latifah Safir, Chris Thompson, Mollie Sparkles, Weeks Ringle, Sarah Fielke ... lots to like.

Quiltsmith Summer School details released

Have a look at the Quiltsmith blog to see the interesting range of (mostly one day) workshops they are offering in their 2015 Summer School (dates range from 14th January - 1 February). A great range of teachers and quilting styles and techniques are on offer - all details of photos of each teacher's work are on the blog:

• Lynne Alchin
• Sue Ross
• Chris Jurd
• Anne Sommerlad
• Lindy Apps
• Margaret Sampson George
• Catherine Butterworth
• Judy Newman
• Jane Davidson
• Lorena Uriarte
• Amanda Daly
• Suzy Miller

Better book in early!

This week ...

We've seen Elizabeth working on small applique pieces
for some time, but she's been away for a few weeks,
in South Africa ... and then there was this!
It isn't finished yet, but we like where it's going!
Just a couple of borders, Elizabeth.
We might see it next in our 2016 Quilt Show ...

This handy little tin could have been designed just for storing
1" hexagons. There are about 200 basted hexies in it at the
moment. It is a free gift attached to the December issue of
Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  This one came from the
newsagency at Pennant Hills Market Plaza, and there were
a few more in stock today. Thanks to Louise W for the heads
up - the cardboard box they were in is getting shabby, and this
won't be a quick finish!

A generous gift

Speaking of The Fat Quarter Shop (as we were yesterday), we were delighted to see Miriam back her trip to the US at our Monday meeting, bearing many treasures, including a great boost to our library - a collection of books given to us by Kimberley Jolly from The Fat Quarter Shop, at the International Quilt Festival in Houston!  Thank you Kimberley and The Fat Quarter Shop.

photo: Miriam Jones

Miriam chatted with Kimberley during the show, and told her about our community quilts program, prompting Kimberley to donate the books on the spot. So thank you Miriam, too, for promoting Fairholme Quilters wherever you go.

Miriam's blog Sew Miriam has kept us up to date with her recent travels, and yesterday she told us a little about her experiences, shared some goodies, and took some photos of us checking out the books.  Take a look at her previous post too, to see her almost finished trip-around-the-world quilt from the recent Brigitte Giblin quilt-along.

'Fat Quarter Fizz' and 'Fat Eighth Frenzy' - free online patterns

If you have found free quilt patterns like the Charm Pack Cherry useful, you will be pleased to see Fat a Quarter Fizz,  and Fat Eighth Frenzy, also free from the Fat Quarter Shop, now available for free download here, with photos of finished examples here and here on the Fat Quarter Shop's blog.

The Fat Quarter Shop also provides other free patterns, and regular tutorials for blocks and other projects, designed to use pre-cuts, that can be easily adapted for scraps and yardage. Worth a bookmark.

Show and tell isn't always predictable ...

Jo is back from the USA, and and brought along
some treasures this week, including this lovely antique quilt
purchase.  It was made about 1900, and although there
is not a lot of documentation, some inferences can be
made about the quilter - it is assumed she was comparatively
well off, because the quilt not scrappy,  being made from just
two fabrics (a dark grey floral print and white), and it is
machine quilted.  The batting is now quite thin, and the quilt is
very soft and drapes beautifully, probably indicating that
it has been well used. Jo was astonished at the large numbers
of antique quilts they saw for sale. We loved hearing about
your trip, Jo and the many fascinating things you encountered.

Pam is a woman of many talents. she makes beautiful quilts,
and is a musician with a particular interest in folk music.
She recently made this beautiful birch and ply three-stringed 
instrument - a dulstrum - herself! She played a short 
melody for us on Tuesday evening - demonstrating its 
sweet, delicate sound, but it also has an electronic pickup 
allowing it to be amplified to sound quite different when 
called for! Isn't she clever?

Works in progress and finishes ... this week at Fairholme

Elsa's top from last year's workshop with Margaret
Sampson George is finished, and she's ready to quilt.
The dark red and cream print border sets the centre
hexagons off very nicely.

Robin S has been making up this pretty blossoms and
swan hand applique designas she went along.
The original crane didn't look right, so it came
off, and was replaced by a swan. It will be
Robin's hand quilting project for next winter
- great forward planning.

Janice is making a beautiful baby quilt for a friend - made
with pink Liberty prints. The petals are hand appliqued,
and there is a white border to be added.  Lucky baby.

Bags from Miriam's workshops are still emerging.
Having finished the largest design, Georgie decided she
needed the small pouch as well (left) - the lining (no photo)
is two fun complimentary hot pink and white prints.
Peggy's version (right) has become a stylish little girl's
handbag with the addition of pink fabric handles
secured by heart buttons. Cute birds in the main panel.

On Fran's first time at our monthly community sewing days,
she took her rotary cutter to a little of the community
stash and cut many, many 3" squares that Lynette pieced
into a simple scrappy patchwork top with white
counterpanes, quilted with a cross-hatch - isn't it just
beautiful? They think they have enough squares cut for
about two more community quilts - well done!

A donated top from Robin S - quilted by Dawn, and
bound by a friend of Lynette's will be added to our
community collection that will be delivered to
their new owners before Christmas. 

We also saw the great progress being made by the small group working on our special project this week, and it looks very impressive.

From the Quilters Guild of NSW

The Quilters Guild of NSW has announced the winners of its 'Mini Modern Challenge' and posted a gallery of all the entries via its blog, Template Free.

Read about the Guild's 'Red and White' themed category for the 2015 Sydney Quilt Show here.

Sydney Quilt Show 2015

17th - 21st June 2015
Glebe Island

Entry form and key dates

A new week at Fairholme ... bags and quilts

Margaret made the smallest of Miriam's bag patterns, in her
favourite terracotta and turquoise. Birds were not compulsory,
but were a popular choice for the main panels ...

... the reverse of Margaret's bag, also showing the
long handle she added so she can use it as a
cross-over shoulder bag.

Pat made the largest bag option in elegant cool tones.
The navy and white French text fabric in the bottom
panel is from Spotlight.

A glimpse inside Pat's bag - one of the inner pockets,
in a complimentary back and white print.

Daphne reached into her scrap bag and devised a triangle
block that produced a secondary grid - gorgeous colours,
well finished with that lovely border print.
The binding is nearly finished.

Louise C sewed and sewed on retreat with Studio Quilters
- this very pretty blue chevron design is made with
pairs of rectangles. No triangles!

Lousie C's 'fruit salad' version of the scrap quilt that
Lyn also made in berry colours (here) - just two simple
blocks, great contrast to highlight the colours.
We can almost taste summer here, Louise.

Gerringong Quilt Show next weekend

Gerringong Quilt Show
7th - 9th November 2014
Gerringong Town Hall, Gerringong (NSW)

Further information: Lorraine Peade on 4234 2606 or 0417 342 606.

• Gerringong committee of the Children’s Medical Research Institute prepare for the annual quilt show, Kiama Indpendent, 3rd November 2014

At local quilt shops this month ...

Craft Depot
Sydney quilters probably don't need reminding since this is the 18th year of the November sale (20 - 50% off fabric) at Craft Depot in Pennant Hills. The website is also hosting a 20% off fabric sale throughout November.

And submissions for the Quilters Challenge: Compassion in Action charity auction are due by 30th November, at Craft Depot.

Kim Bradley Creations
A scrap busting workshop is scheduled for Sunday 9th November, at Kim Bradley Creations on Castle Hill - details here.

Kim's final sale of the year will be on Saturday November 15 - prices as low as $6 per metre and other bolts at $12.

The latest newsletter also includes news about events in 2015.

Look who's in Houston!

Click on the photos for a larger view.

Roslyn and JoAnn at the preview night '... both overwhelmed!
The standard of quilts is wonderful but the word unbelievable
comes to mind.'

.... and ready to explore this, a small portion of the huge
vendor mall, take some classes, and of course to spend more time
with the hundreds of quilts in the exhibition, over several days

 On arrival in Houston, the tour group visited 'the biggest and best quilt shop we had ever seen.  Temptation everywhere.'

And they have met up with Miriam - more photos on Sew Miriam. Thank you for keeping us in the loop - we are enjoying your trip!