South Coast quilt show, Easter Weekend

Iron Cozy: Elizabeth Hartman

© Oleksandr Melnyk | Dreamstime.com

Carrying still-warm irons around might be a problem peculiar to quilters, who often gather to sew and press in all sorts of places - most other people just leave their irons at home ...

This blog post, about a Fairholme member's very practical iron carrier is one of the most popular of all time on this blog. Here is another nifty idea for an 'iron cozy' from Elizabeth Hartman's blog, Oh Fransson!

Sale at Quiltsmith

... in Annandale
until Saturday 30th March

25% off all fabric (30 cm min cut) and fat quarters
See this blog post, Roll up, roll up, we are having a sale

Quilt show dates for the diary

Springwood Community Quilt Show
Friday 26th April to Sunday 28th April 2013 
Open 10am to 4pm each day

Springwood High School, Faulconbridge

The Show raises money for the Blue Mountains Rural Fire Service. 
A photo of this year's raffle quilt is on the Springwood Community Quilt Show blog.


Eastwood Patchwork Quilters Biennial Exhibition
Friday 3rd May – Sunday 5th May 2013 
10am - 4.30pm
Brush Farm House, Lawson St, Eastwood NSW
Entry free (but donations are welcome)
Enquiries 0412 314 754
Raffle proceeds going to the Special Olympics - the two raffle quilts are on display at Craft Depot, Pennant Hills, and at Logans Patchwork, Leichhardt

Keep up with news of this event at the Eastwood Patchwork Quilters website

Fairholme recent show and tell

These star blocks were made by various group members a couple of years ago  - Lynette has found an excellent sashing fabric (tiny multi-coloured spots on a white background) to tie them together in a quilt that will be donated to a child in need, just as soon as that binding sews itself down.

Janice's second 'power stripped' quilt following on from our workshop late last year with Brenda Gael Smith from Serendipity Patchwork and Quilting.  The design is 'Tapestry'. Janice decided on that fabulous border, by selecting images of fabrics, and her husband doing something magic with them in Photoshop, so she could compare - he's a keeper.

Dawn's beautiful Baltimore - how many hours of work, and how much skill went into all that applique? A lot!

Dawn might have made her disappearing 4-patch as light relief after the Baltimore, but it's nearly as big. The 4-patches don't really disappear - they just realign in several different configurations.

Workshop with Pauline Rogers, Quilter's World

We recently spent a day with Pauline  from Quilters' World, learning and practising with a number of techniques, and tools.These are just a few samples of our work under Pauline's excellent instruction, a very full day. Thanks Pauline - and Rob!

Applique with bias strips:

 Chenilling:

Colourwash: 

This weekend in Sydney ...

Image courtesy Brenda Gael Smith, Twelve by Twelve

... could be busy ...

Stitches and Craft Show
Thursday 7th - Sunday 10th March 2013
Rosehill Gardens (Sydney)

Including, the exhibition of art quilts. Twelve by Twelve: Colourplay





and





Quilt Study Group
9th March 2013
Powerhouse Museum
Please join members of The Quilt Study Group on March 9 at The Charles Kerry Room of The Powerhouse Museum to hear Guest Speaker Lyn Dennis talk about her recent research into Heritage Quilts in the UK ... read more at Template Free.

Madrona Road challenge: one fabric range, many quilts

It's not unusual in classes, at regional quilt shows, or online to see several quilts made to the same pattern,  but using very different fabrics, displayed at a single location, and to marvel at how different they look. This northern winter, The Modern Quilt Guild set a slightly  different challenge:  for quilts to be made with a single range of fabric,  Madrona Road, designed by Violet Craft for Michael Miller Fabrics.

The winners, chosen by the designer can be viewed here on Violet Craft's blog, and the flickr group of online photos of the many, many entries is here.

Craftsy

Just in case anyone has been too busy actually making quilts to discover the  Craftsy website yet, a visit is recommended - you will find online patterns, projects, workshops and courses in many crafty fields, including patchwork and quilting, and a blog.

While some are free, most charge a very reasonable fee, and there are regular 'sale' periods, when you can purchase online events at significant discounts. You will find some very familiar names there.

• Craftsy's quilting patterns,projects, workshops and courses are here

Moda designers' blog-hop

We all know Moda as a leading fabric design/manufacturing name, but have you checked out their blog, The Cutting Table, and some of the activities they run from it? Here is a current 'blog hop' that could see you collect a collection of free block patterns from Moda fabric designers:

Join the Moda Designers for a Friendship blog hop where they will be sharing friendship block patterns along with some fun stories. 

Each day visit 3 Moda designers' blogs as they share with you a 9" friendship quilt block. Add these patterns to your block library.  

The last day (1st March) a setting option will be supplied on the Moda blog, The Cutting Table.

We all have a fully indexed, cross-referenced, easy-to-access block library, right?

Sydney Quilt Show 2013

in conjunction with the Craft & Quilt Fair with the support of Expertise Events
Exhibition Centre

Darling Harbour
SYDNEY

Further information from the Quilters Guild of NSW - entry forms, volunteer forms, and key dates

And a new book from Sarah Fielke

Hot on the heels of the announcement of Lisa Walton's book, and her own new fabric range, comes news of Sarah Fielke's new book, Hand Quilted with Love,  due to be launched mid-March.

With 16 stunning new projects, you can join in Sarah's passion for this addictive craft. Whether you class yourself modern or traditional, a beginner or advanced quilter, there is a project in this book to inspire and challenge your own passion for quilting. 

The book will be widely available, and can also be pre-ordered online here, through Sarah's website.

New book from Lisa Walton

Award winning Sydney quilter, textile artist, teacher and owner of Dyed and Gone to Heaven, Lisa Walton is about to have her first book published by C & T.  Visit Lisa's blog to see just how excited she is to have an advance copy of  Beautiful Building Block Quilts in her hands.

Lisa has promised to blog more about the process from nascent idea to published book. So keep an eye her blog.

The book will be be available to buy directly from Lisa in March and other retailers and online from April.

We at Fairholme Quilters have enjoyed a number of workshops with Lisa. Congratulations Lisa, and best wishes.

The new Fairholme year is in session

Our regular meetings resumed this week - it was good to get together again. It wasn't all lounging by the pool and jet-setting holidays for Fairholme Quilters this summer - although there might have been some of that ... Click on the images for a larger view.

Helen's little grandson will love his teddy bear quilt with it's 3-D waistcoat, started in a workshop with Val some time ago,

Lyn finished this gorgeous applique tree  just in time for Christmas

Lyn then turned her attention finishing this Jinny Beyer top over the holidays. Isn't the gold fabric doing it's job well?

Quite a few Fairholmers happily worked on quilts to be donated to others via our Community Quilts program over the summer.  Click on the images for a larger view.

Dawn made the most of some smallish pieces of Dr Seuss fabric

These colourful blocks were donated to the community stash, put together by Dawn

These two postage stamp quilts were made by Dawn, from  scraps collected from anyone willing to part with them

Elaine W collected  florals from the community fabric collection in various scaled prints

Cute puppies and triple four-patches made by Elaine W from fabrics donated via the Quilters Guild of NSW for quilts for children

Georgie had fun with these flag prints

Lynette decided that not all patchwork has to be squares ....

This log cabin quilt was a joint effort by Robin W, who made the top (love that coral coloured fabric), quilted and bound by Lynette

Another Team Robyn and Lynette quilt - a disappearing 9 patch

The quickest quilt Jill has ever made - the centre floral is wholecloth, conveniently printed over a grid, borders were added (also from the community stash), and it was quilted using the prints as the stitching guide.

Our first community group sewing day is on Thursday 21st February, at Pennant Hills.