Paducah 2011 winners

Winners at the American Quilter's Society 27th Annual Quilt Show & Contest , being held this week in Paducah, Kentucky have been posted on the American Quilter's Society website, with photos.

Pam Hill from Brisbane has taken out a major award for workmanship.

A cup of tea and a good bit of time is in order to look at them all.  Thanks to Lisa Walton for the link.

Springwood Community Quilt Show

Friday 29th April - Sunday 1st May 2011
9-5pm Friday and Saturday, 10-4 Sunday

Springwood High School Hall, off Grose Road, Faulconbridge

Visit the Springwood Community Quilters show blog to see the raffle quilt, and read about the range of traders who will be at the show.

Reminder: Berry Quilt and Craft Show is also on this weekend.

Beyond the square .....

Maureen made a pieced background, and appliqued some 'paper pieced bits and bobs from her stash'  in a clever way ... we look forward to seeing how she quilts it.

Jo took a class with Kay Haerland, in more radical techniques for embellishment to produce an organic landscape - there's a chocolate wrapper in there, threads, improvised lace .... photo coming of the landscape she made last weekend in a workshop with Gloria Loughman.

Charity quilts 3 - dates for sewing days

The next Sewing Day for our community quilts project is on Thursday, April 21
at Pennant Hjills Learning and Leisure Centre, Warne St, Pennant Hills.

Dates for the rest of 2011 are as follows 3rd Thursday of the month, from 10.00 am:

April 21
May 19
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20
November 17

Charity quilts 2

Another excellent use of small(ish) strips of any width from the stash or scrap basket, these three top were put together by Georgie from blocks contributed by members.  The strips are attached to an 11 1/2 inch foundation, and those who've made them have been enjoying digging strips out of the stash.

More blocks would be welcome!

These quilts are earmarked for donation to a 'grandparents who are parents again' support organisation.

Charity quilts 1

We have a good list of charities to make quilts for this year - here are some in various stages of completion:

 These two drunkard's paths are made with gorgeous colour saturated fabrics

 More saturated colour for a playful quilt for a child ....

..... and this scrap beauty that emerged from stash fabrics collected during Robyn's 'purple phase .... a wonderful idea for all those little bits and pieces that are just too good to throw away!

(Thanks for the photos, Sue)

Grandchildren's show and tell

Our grandchildren have beautiful quilts - and here are some of the latest

Heather's granddaughter in Canada will love these bugs in bottles with lolly pop coloured sashings and bindings

Sharon's eldest grandson is into space, stars and rockets.  Aren't the rocket blocks cleverly simple and effective?

Berry Quilt and Craft Show

9.30am- 4pm
Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May 2011 School of Arts, Alexandra Street, Berry
(on the NSW South Coast).

$5 entry fee for adults and free entry for children.

Come and hear about Antique Embroidery Tools

A reminder to all about the Antique Embroidery Tools talk and showing by Kerry Easton this coming Monday 14 March at 10.30 am.

Kerry will bring a selection of antique tools and give a short talk on this interesting subject. She has stressed however for the tools not to be handled in any way as although they may look altogether, they are very fragile and pieces break off them too easily.

Kerry is the NSW Convenor for the Needlework Tool Collectors Society of Australia and they meet at Beecroft . Her knowledge is extraordinary as is her passion. She is happy for you to bring along any 'old' tools for her to have a look at.

Day and night group members all welcome.

There will be coffee and cake after the talk and a lucky door prize.

Busy weekend 11th -13th March

Lots on in the local (well, NSW) quilting world this coming weekend 11-13th March - visit the Quilters Guild of NSW's blog, Template Free for details about

• A quilt exhibition in the cathedral at Goulburn
• A Quilt Study Group meeting at Burwood
• Eastwood Quilters' Exhibition at Brush Farm, just down the road from us

That should keep us busy if there's not enough going on at home!

And don't forget that entires for the Sydney Quilt Show in June close on Friday - 11th March.

Esther Aliu free mystery block-of-the-month

Well-known Melbourne quilter, teacher and award winner, Esther Aliu runs a block of the month project from time to time, offering each block pattern as a free dowload for the initial period of its release (each pattern can be purchased after the free period expires).  The current one is:

Hearts Desire free mystery block of the month

Victoria's 18th birthday quilt

Victoria has been one of our junior members for some years.  She's just turned 18 (congratulations Vic!), and been presented with this beauty, made by her Mum, Janet .... (and yes, it was bound in time!)

Embroideries are featured in the outermost vertical rows ....

Janet bought the Bronwyn Hayes pattern on our Southern Highlands shopping day in November.

How Jane filled in her time over the holidays ...

Dina's sister Cindy visited from the US for Christmas and New Year, and brought lots of ideas with her ....

These centre blocks are constructed with a weaving technique from free-cut strips ... and below is a detail of the free-floating shapes in the border ....

The lucky recipient of this beautiful kaleidoscope quilt will only have to look at it to feel warm!  Look at it for a while to discover all the patterns your eyes will find.

Batik pinwheels with a beautifully integrated pieced border.

You should be able to click on any of these images for a larger view.

Lorraine's granddaughter likes frogs - she's going to love this quilt!

Elaine made this very effective quilt for her cousin, from Aboriginal fabrics that she had bought while they were travelling together.

Memories of Japan

 Lorraine (above) and Lyn (below) recently showed us the small quilts they each made to remember their trip to Japan in 2009, on a quilting tour.