Monday, September 30, 2019

High Tea fundraiser

Chris, who donates many children's quilts to our community quilts program (and others), has asked us to let you know about about this event, to which she has donated two quilts, in support of the Kids Cancer Project ...


Sunday 6 October 2019
Two sessions: 11am - 1pm or 3pm - 5pm

Castlereagh Hall, 1158 Castlereagh Road, Castlereagh 2749
(overlooking Penrith Lakes)
Booking essential


A lovely outing for a long weekend Sunday, and for a very good cause.
Follow the link for bookings and all details.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Community sewing day - September

Lots of colour and movement at another enjoyable community sewing day last week ...

We made backings for three quilt tops that Dawn has
made from donated 'cheater cloth' fabric.

Hilary is making bags from donated blocks. They will be for sale on the
craft stall at our 2020 craft stall., and the proceeds will provide materials such
as batting for our community quilts program.

Miriam made a beautifully snuggly quilt from fabric donated
by her Mum. It has been quilted by Laura, and Pat is making
the binding and sewing it on.

Cutting, cutting ...

... packaging strips.

And of course, there is always some pin basting while we have
 a team of basters and big tables to work on. Jill made this top.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Show and tell

Lots of show and tell this last week, so we'll divide them between a couple of blog posts.

The second panel for Adrienne's bag is nearly done!
Claire is pleased to be nearing the of putting her red and white
hexagon's together - so many different red prints ...


... the white-on-white  spotted background provides a crisp, fresh contrast.

Elaine B is very nearly finished her jelly roll quilt.

Louise made her table runner for the coffee table next to her blue sofa.

Marilyn O's 'Christbella' (designed by Margaret Sampson George)
is progressing very well.

Robin’s beautiful version of Jen Kingwell’s ‘ pieced '
Butterflies’ is ready for quilting! 
She usually chooses vibrant, saturated background as well
as feature fabrics, so the very low volume background
was a challenge for Robin - one well met.

Yvette made this simple quilt (squares with triangles on diagonal corners),
quilted it on her long-arm machine and has nearly finished binding it in
just two weeks!

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Recent community quilt making

Lynette quilted and bound this fun quilt for a child, the top 
made by our friend Chris, generously donated to our 
community collection

‘In A Whirl’, cleverly designed by Miriam, is much easier
to make than it looks. Jill
 made this version from a box
of strips cut about four years ago. When she got to the bottom,
 she found two log cabin blocks ... maybe that was the original
intention, but they are happy to whirl.

The pattern for 'Batiks Gone Wild' is available at suzys-sitcom.com
This is another 'easier than it looks' design, made by Jill from the
community stash and her own, for our community collection. 

Daphne is quilting a top re-purposed from a donated a
large donated quilt top.

The Go-Cutter is still getting a workout, preparing packages of
pre-cut fabric for the craft stall at our 2020 quilt show.

Helen finished her quilt top with precision-cut borders

Sue's machine pieced William Morris hexagon quilt,
borders added, is ready for basting.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Some little things ...

Not everything we make is big, or even a quilt ....

Marilyn O is helping to stack our 2020 quilt show's craft stall
with very cute  pieced and embroidered mug rugs ...
... while Julie is making baby blue whale pin cushions!

Yvette bought a kit at the Sydney Quilt Show, without realising
quite how dainty the zip top pencil case would be.

Pat is stitching up the Twelve Days of Christmas in embroidered
felt, starting with the turtle dove.

Daphne played around with embroidered felt flowers ...

... and has moved on to pin cushions,
some will be for the craft stall.

Tiny accordian pouches Daphne made from a You Tube
demonstration by YouTube video by
Darvanalee Design Studio ...
... roomier inside than you might expect.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Show and tell

Lots of recent work to share, over two or three posts.

Daphne made this quilt from the scraps of one she made
about 12 years ago. She is happy with it but she is disappointed
that she lost the original top - possibly left behind at a quilt shop
when she went looking for border fabric!
When she found that Jill's winged star quilt was to be donated
to Studio ARTES for a fundraising event, Yvette generously
donated the quilting!



Show and tell came to a standstill while we all took a close
look at Lyn's exquisite, delicately embroidered block quilt. 
It began with six blocks given to Lyn - she made another
nineteen to complete this beauty.

The sashing is lace, stitched to the top after quilting (that
was done by Lyn) - this is one of her favourite blocks.

Fine embroidery, lots of knots, skilled quilting.
If you would like to see it up close and personal, it will be
hanging n our 2020 quilt show.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

'The Good Fight' on iView

Here is the link to 'The Good Fight', Australian Story, Monday 9 September 2019
When ABC broadcaster Jill Emberson was told she had ovarian cancer, she opted to go public and go loud. Fighting the deadliest of all women's cancers, Jill decided to advocate for more awareness and funding. 
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/australian-story/series/2019/video/NC1902Q021S00 
Available until 8:32pm on 9 Oct 2019
Jill Emberson started the Pink Meets Teal campaign, that is supported by the Fearless Flowers project.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

SuperStars - finished quilt tops

You know that people have loved a workshop when you start seeing the finished quilt tops barely a week later. Our workshop with our very own Miriam Jones, learning how to make her  new 'SuperStars' design was barely a month ago, and fully subscribed, so there will be more of these beauties. You can see from these first finishes how versatile the pattern is, working well with all types of palettes and the range of sizes included in the pattern. More to come!


Lisa's quilt will be for her young son - he will love
the colours and prints.

Jo-Ann's beautifully soft quilt will be ready for the
next baby to need one.


Daphne loves bright colours, cats and Tula Pink fabric!


Denise likes to mix colours and prints up - that works too.

Clare's deep jade batik background adds great texture to her stars.
Margaret's quilt is the smallest size, for a cushion cover.
The background is a beautiful linen.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Quilt/fabric shops news

We hear too often of quilting and fabric shops closing, so it's great to hear about a new shop, a re-opening, and updated hours ...



The Selvedge Society Textile Emporium opened in Stanmore, in Sydney's Inner West in August
132 Percival Road, Stanmore
Slow fashion/Textile emporium. Quilting. Apparel. Knitting. Crochet. Vintage. Remnants. Patterns.Open M-F 10-4 Sat 9-2
Follow on Instagram @selvedgesociety to see what they stock, and the classes and gatherings offered.


The Braidwood Quilt Store re-opened this week, with a new owner, Bronwyn Hill
6/119 Wallace Street, Braidwood, NSW 2622
Open Thursday through to Monday. 10 to 4 on weekdays and 9.30 to 4 on weekends.
Instagram: @Braidwoodquiltstore
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebraidwoodquiltstore/


The Sewing Basket has recently updated opening hours for the three locations
Balmain427 Darling Street, Balmain NSW 204110am to 4pm Wednesday-Saturday 
West Ryde1079 Victoria Road (Cnr Bellevue Ave), West Ryde NSW 2114
9am to 3pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 10am to 4pm Saturday 
NewingtonUnit 5, 2 Holker Street (Cnr Ave of Asia), Newington NSW 2127
9am to 3pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9am to 2pm 1st Sunday and 3rd Sunday of every month
Instagram: @achievesewingbasket
Website: achieveaustralia.org.au/my-career/the-sewing-basket/ includes directions.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Show and tell

Making for the craft boutique at our 2020 Quilt Show has well
and truly begun - this week Miriam has made button bouquets,
and Val and Roslyn (stylists) and Geoff (photographer) have
produced a range of cards featuring the two quilts made with
our 2018 black, white and a splash of colour blocks (one of
which is our raffle quilt for the 2020 quilt show. More details
on the raffle quiltand the cards later.
A small lap-sized 'rescue' quilt - it came to us as a packet of
tiny 3" nine patches, with 'colourwash' written on the
packaging, anonymously donated. So Heather volunteered to
join them together as directed, we found border and backing
fabric in the community stash, Janet volunteered to quilt it
and Denise attached the binding - another good team
effort community quilt.



Elaine W has a bundle of pretty, soft Robyn
Pandolph fabric languishing in her own stash, that
she has made into another small lap quilt for our
community collection.

Julie is making some minor repairs to the first machine
applique she ever attempted - a  many-layered Tudor Rose
cushion cover that has lived in the UK and now back in Australia. 
One of a pair of community quilts Julie has recently finished.

Margaret's hexagons are just 1/2" !

Miriam calls this scrappy quilt made with solids
'The Menopause Quilt' - you can see why!

Sue C is very happy with Yvette's quilting on her blue and
white quilt, started ten years ago, and she is thrilled
to have it bound and finished.
Two full sets of these beautiful American barn blocks were
anonymously donated to be made into community quilts.
Made with crisp, modern prints on with a white background,
this is the second quilt, put together by Yvette, who made
and added the sashing, nine-patch corner stones
and border, and quilted it on her long arm machine.

The prints are much-admired Denyse Schmidt designs.
The quilt made from the other block set is in
this post from October 2018.