Show and tell from last saturday.

Here is the promised show and tell from The Applique Society meeting last Saturday.

And while l usually try and get the ladies names, some slipped past me. So l will give credit where l know, and if l miss someones and you know who's it is, please let me know and l will give credit. Thanks.

First up is Bev, with her centre of  what will be a 4 block quilt. The centre was designed by a friend of ours, Gina, and given to Bev on her 60th birthday. A work in progress.

This little beauty has been made by Bev. Once its framed, it  will be 2nd prize at our exhibition in October.

This quilt was made by Rose. It is a Chris Serong pattern.

This quilt was made by Deidre. The pattern is Calico garden with some border adjustments.

The same lady made this little mini hexi quilt. It was so darn cute!!

The pink 3/4"hexagons and hand are to give you perspective.

Again, an unnamed lady and also unnamed quilt.

This beauty is made by Simone. Its called Steve's garden, designed by Susan Smith, from Patchwork on Stoneleigh.

Both Simone and her mother Joy made this same quilt. l think this one is Joy's. My guess is its another Patchwork on Stoneleigh pattern, though not positive. P.S. Its been confirmed that this is a Karen Cunningham design, that was taught at Patchwork on Stoneleigh during summer school. Thanks Adele.

Another Unnamed quilter with unnamed quilt.

This stunning Sarah Morrell was made by Wendy. Pattern is designed by Di Ford. Available through Threadbear quilt shop.

This is another of Wendy's quilts. Not sure of the designer.

Wendy has only been quilting for a few years, but boy has she achieved a lot. She works full time, travelling on a train for an hour each day, each way, stitching as she goes. She says she doesn't mind going to work, its the 8 hour wait to go home she doesn't like!!!!

This is someones beautiful applique centre from her Ann Daggs Quilt.

A beautiful sampler made by???

This lovely travel sewing bag was made by another unnamed lady. It opens right out, with scissors and such stuff handy for working while traveling in the car.

Well, that's all folks!!

This is an amazing bunch of women. And so inspiring to spend time with them. The next meeting is in November. Must put the date in my diary. Don't want to miss it.

My DH is away for the weekend, and the old saying, while the cats away the mice will play came to mind. So l gathered up some quilting Friends and we are heading off to Sorrento for a retreat weekend. ( which just happens to start on a Thursday, Yay!!!)  My bags are packed and l am ready to go. Have the camera ready  for some action shots. Its freezing here today in Melbourne,so the heater will have a workout on the way.

Thanks for visiting,

Linda.

l think l will leave it to the professionals!!

l took a machine quilting class yesterday. Not to learn to quilt the  big quilts, just the mini ones that are hardly worth taking to a professional quilter. The ones l love making as gifts.

We started the day with simple shapes, to build our confidence with free motion quilting, and try and get some degree of stitch regularity . Its looked easy till we had to control driving that fabric under the needle without the help of the feed dogs or the presser foot..

Then we had to trace this flower pattern on our fabric and follow the continuous line to the end. Thought that would be easy till l had trouble staying on the lines. Got lost a few times.  l called it poetic licence!!

Here is the back of the work which  looks better than the front, almost passable as a cushion for my  mother who has cataracts. She will  be happy to see it!!!!

After lunch, we moved on to making pebbles,  those perfect ones,  bottom left, are the teachers sample.

 Then we tried Mctavishing, lots of artistic freedom here,

Some gum leaves, and even a few gum nuts,

Then, of course, a bunch of banana's.

  

All in all, l enjoyed the day, and became a little closer and a lot more comfortable with my sewing machine. By the end of the day l was able to do the work below. NOT!!!!

This stunning quilting was done by Karen, over at Quilts On Basting's.  l just picked it up on Saturday on our way home from Castlemaine. Its heading off to Sydney by the end of the week. As its a magazine project, l can't show you any more than this till its published. Sorry!!  Go over and read her story about quilting this quilt. And hope this never happens to you.

Don't worry Karen,  l doubt l will ever be competition to your wonderful work.

But l feel confident enough to tackle those small quilts in a big pile in the corner, which in the past l would just use straight stitching on. Mind you, l need lots of practice first.

Thanks for visiting,

Linda.

Guest Speaker at The Applique Society Meeting

Was Gail Chalker from Gatton in Queensland.  Some of you may know the name. Gail has been the driving force behind  the World's biggest Hexagon Quilt. Gail asked to attend one of our meetings, and was then asked to be the Guest Speaker. Because she had traveled down from QLD, she had only a small selection of quilts. But what beauty's they were

 Each had a story about why she made them and what had inspired her. She also talked about other historical women of note and shared some of her story about the making of the World's biggest hexagon Quilt.  Gail also owns a quilt shop in Gatton called Sew Creative.

This quilt is still a work in progress.

As you can probably tell, most of her work has been inspired by antique quilts.

The circles in this one was amazing, all different reds, some contributed by friends.

Here Gail is showing us her Journal, where she cuts and pastes a piece of every fabric that she uses in her quilts, and also writes about what is happening in her day, her family, her community and the world that day. She said it will make interesting reading in the future. l am inclined to agree.

Here are several other links you might like to check out regarding Gail work with the hexagons.

Barbara Brackman wrote about her.

 Here, here, here and here you will find story's.

l had a lovely chat with Gail during the day, we talked about all sorts of things, including museums we had both visited in America last year, and how we had almost both been visiting Dear Jane in Bennington on the same day.

 We also talked quite a bit about the hexagon quilt,  which has now been cut into around 115 quilts. These quilts are being gifted in various ways around the country.  l  told her about our quilt exhibition, inviting her to visit, which  she said she  would like.  l asked her  if it might be possible to have  to have  piece of the quilt,  to display at our exhibition this year, sharing her story and the journey,  with the women down here. She then to my amazement,  offered one of the quilts for us to raffle. After l picked myself up off the floor, l  very graciously accepted, and so we will have our own piece of the famous Worlds Biggest Hexagon Quilt to raffle for next years Quilts in the Barn.  We hope to have it on display this year. No need to tell you, l am pretty excited!!!!

l have more photos, and will post them later in the week. Its so very sunny outside and the weeds are calling my name. Thanks for visiting.

Linda.

Ballarat Quilting Weekend Show and Tell

Here is some of the show and tell we saw on sunday afternoon. These ladies took a class with Gloria Loughman. Her work is quite contemporary.

These ladies took a class with Margaret McDonald. Mostly her work is traditional, with some modern pieces.  Margaret sells many patterns of her work through Threadbear Quilt Shop.

These ladies were working on stashbusting with Annette Blake from Fragrant Cottage. Annette also taught a hexagon workshop on the sunday.

These ladies took a 2 day workshop with Leesa Chandler of Chandler's Cottage. Leesa has just released a range of fabrics featuring Australian native flowers.

These ladies spent their time in the quilt and chat room. No teachers, just do your own thing. A great variety of work took place over the weekend.

And of course you have already seen the work we all did with Di Ford. Di also has many quilt patterns available through Threadbear Quilt Shop.

l am off on another exciting adventure on saturday. Can you remember this?  Its been 3 months since Bev and l went there, and the next meeting is on Saturday. This time we are just going to be in the audience and enjoy someone else's fabulous show and tell. Must remember to take the camera!!!

Thanks for visiting.
Linda.

P.S. Some comments are coming through to my email and some are not. If l don't reply to you, it's because they are not being delivered to my email. l love hearing what you have to say, and always try to reply.

WOW!!! What a weekend!!!

From the minute we arrived till we left on Sunday afternoon, it was non stop fun! fun! fun!!!!

The ladies who run the Ballarat Quilting weekend do an amazing job, keeping us entertained, fed and watered. Friday evening, we shared a buffet dinner, followed by tutors show and tell, then show and tell from past years.
First thing Saturday morning, once breaky was over, we headed to our class room. The quilt below was what we would be working on for the weekend. Its called Drayton Hall. Designed by Di Ford, inspired by a quilt belonging  to Janet O'Dell.

Straight into fussy cutting hexagons took most of the morning, lunch in the communal dining hall, then more stitching in the afternoon, piecing those hexagons together or prepping our broderie perse centres. Here is a photo of our group. Only 8 of us, we had plenty of one on one attention from Di.

Janet, who owns the quilt that inspired Di's, was also at the retreat, and she came for a visit.

We spread the quilt out on the floor in one of the rooms, and were able to get up close and personal.

Here is a close up of some of the fabrics.

One of the ladies in our class, Ros, brought along a baltimore quilt she has been working on.

And these are some of her fussy cut hexagon patches she has made for a different quilt.

Saturday evening was the gala dinner in the ballroom, with a nautical theme. Many dressed up. We had several mermaids, some coral, a few sailors and many in striped shirts.  Raffle tickets were drawn during the course of the evening, and l was fortunate to win a metre cut of a mustard Jo Morton fabric.

Then we moved over the the Adelphi Theatre, where a special guest was waiting to entertain us. Monica Dullard, comedian, has us rolling in our seats with laughter for  an hour and a half. l haven't laughed so much in a long time. Though not a quilter, "Muriel" as she called herself,  had done her homework and really gave us all a ribbing.

Here she is dressed in her polyester floral dress, showing us her favorite Big Bonds cottontails.

Sunday saw us bright and early back in the class room, this time working on our broderie perse, or cutting our fabrics for the diamonds. After seeing the original quilt, l had decided to "stay true to the original", and am doing mine as squares.

Here we are at the end of the weekend, with show and tell. All the different classes met in one of the rooms and we took turns showing what we had made over the weekend. There was some great show and tell.

There was around 100 women who shared in the weekend. l went knowing only a few, but came home knowing many. New friendships were forged, old ones renewed and strengthened, and wonderful contact made with like minded women. What more could you ask for from such a weekend!!!

l will be back later in the week to share some of the other show and tell we saw.

Thanks for visiting,

Linda.