2026 Block Challenge

The 2026 members’ challenge brief  for the Quilt Show last weekend was for a 10” star block using dark blue as the background, with the addition of darker blues and white or cream fabrics only. The viewer’s Choice winner was Noelle Sona’s brilliant swirling star. Here are the 26 individual entries:

Viewers’ Choice awards

 Our quilt show is not juried or judged, and is open to all members to enter, but we do give visitors the opportunity to vote for a Viewers’ Choice quilt, and from the members’ challenge. 

This year’s quilt winner was Laura Ujhazy for her stunning En Général, her first English paper pieced quilt, that was made entirely from her extensive collection of French General fabrics, include the back. Laura custom quilted it herself on her long arm machine. The award was announced at the end of the show on Sunday afternoon by our Convenor, Susan Mackintosh, just before the display was taken down. Congratulations Laura!

The 2026 members’ challenge brief was for a 10” star block using dark blue as the background, with the addition of darker blues and white or cream fabrics only. The winner was Noelle Sona’s brilliant swirling star. Noelle was also presented with her award at the close of the show. Congratulations Noelle

Members can donate their challenge blocks to our community quilts initiative, and they will be used to make a quilt or quilts. We’ll post all of the blocks in closer detail in a later post.

Thank you to all our visitors for coming to the show and participating in the Viewers’ Choice.

June events

Timeless Textiles Gallery

90 Hunter Street Newcastle 2300

Open 10 - 4 Wednesday - Saturday; 10 - 2 Sunday

Closed public holidays

Branching Out Designs is a collaboration between sisters
Jillian Culey and Carolyn Dance. Jillian works with locally
harvested fibres, exploring natural patterns and experimenting
with traditional basketry. Carolyn, based in the Blue Mountains,
 creates meditative woven pieces inspired by the
surrounding landscape.

Gallery 76

76 Queen Street, Concord West 2138

Open 9 - 4 Monday - Friday

10 - 2 Saturday and Sunday

Closed public holidays

From above …

It’s been a great first day at the 2026 Fairholme Quilt Show - thank you all who came, saw, enjoyed and shopped!

We were delighted when professional photographer Ken Martin offered to shoot a drone video of the 2026 Fairholme Quilt Show when the set-up was complete. Thank you Ken for this special record:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x9gkj14kbjk7fp1gesttb/Quilt-Show-2026.m4v

The show is open again tomorrow, Sunday 17 May, 10am - 4pm, at Thornleigh Community Centre.

#fairholmequiltshow2026

Fairholme Quilt Exhiition 2026 - this Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May!

 A reminder that this where we will be from 10am - 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday this weekend:

The quilt display is hung!

Our craft stall will be open for business as will our vendors:

The Makers Stash

Fabric Garden

60 Stitches

The Hornsby CWA Cafe will be fully stocked and open 

for your enjoyment, as will their totally amazing 

home produce and baked goods stall.

Next weekend!

We’re at the pointy end of preparation for the 2026 Fairholme Quilt Exhibition, opening next weekend, and we are ready! Set-up day is Friday, doors open 10am Saturday and 10am Sunday.

In addition to the quilt display, the show will include our raffle quilt, and:

Latest finishes

Amanda did a class with Chilean modern quilter Caroline Oneto, 
learning to grade colours - her class work is the first photo.
The second is her vibrant application of her new skill in a
large quilt, using similar colours.

Susan Mack found a vintage navy guipure lace dress, that she
re-purposed as a bag, pairing it with fabric and notions
from her stash!

Can you see whose quilt this is? Follow the red lines. 

Julie made ‘August’s Alphabet’ for her great grandson, inspired 

by a gift of fabric from a friend, she tracked down a whole 

panel in the USA, and re-arranged the blocks to spell 

out his name. Quilted by Sue Olma.

New community quilt finishes

Susan Mack often astounds us with with her talent - just
like with this community quilt made from scraps, many of them
from the community stash - put together with an excellent
eye for colour and a whimsical design.

Pieced back for the win - and economy!

Julie has made a bundle of complementary prints chosen
from our community stash sing, in a simple composition of
half square triangles. She added a few darker tones and some
extra orange touches to lift the interest. The result is a highly
appealing community quilt. Machine quilted by Laura.

Anne has been busy making two quilts for our Royal Far
West project. We collected children’s prints cut into 6 1/3”
squares, and paired them with solid and small scale print sashings,
 and volunteers like Anne are making them into quilts for children.

Anne added a fun backing and simple straight
line quilting as requested

Anne’s second quilt is cotton sized, made from a similar kit.

The modern plaid was a donation from Laura - it
has been a valued backing and binding,

Introducing our 2026 Quilt Show vendors: 60 Stitches

The third vendor at our 2026 Quilt Show on 16 - 17 May at Thornleigh Community Centre is the very fabulous 60 Stitches - we are so pleased to welcome them back!

60 Stitches is renowned for its beautiful fabric ranges, kits, blocks of the month projects, wide range of classes with in house and guest teachers, and a welcoming program of sit and sew days (surrounded by all those gorgeous fabrics, and other necessities for quilters) to name just a few. Visit the website to see all the other services and products 60 Stitches offers.

Here is just one of the Blocks of the Month Projects available for 2026:

You might know that 60 Stitches staff were part of the recent Liberty Fabric Showcase in Brisbane and Melbourne and that they are very knowledgeable about their much loved extensive Liberty range - here is just a little preview of the newest arrivals:

Some of the Liberty Tana Lawn ‘Garden
Melody’ beauties new to 60 Stitches.

60 Stitches is at 4 Daydream Street (Building 1, Level3, Unit 1), WARRIEWOOD 2120

60 Stitches website

You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram for regular posts.

It’s great to have such a an excellent line-up of vendors for 2026:

60 Stitches

Fabric Garden

The Makers Stash

Not long now until 16 - 17 May !