Nambour Show Winning Quilts and more......

.....much more.  A thrilling day yesterday, even though, as happens in the midst of winter, members decamp in droves, off on wonderful holidays all over the world as well as Oz. Nevertheless we had lots of 'Chantelle' and some very exciting news from Marie.
This fiery beauty 'Rainbow Serpent' won 1st Prize in the Wall Hanging section at the recent Nambour Show.  Marie based 'Rainbow Serpent' on a pattern she had but decided to change the spiral design.

Marie and her Darling really cleaned up at the Show, her Darling grows and shows both Roses and Hibiscus blooms.  Which brings us to Marie's next award winning quilt, aptly named 'Show Time'.

'Show Time' won 2nd Prize at the Nambour Show, it was designed by Marie to honour her Darlings prize roses.  They spent quite some time together, researching the net for just the right design for Marie to create these beautiful machine embroidered roses on her quilt.

A closer look at the lovely roses

Marie then used her Machine Embroidery skills to make her own quilt label for the back.


Two other quilts entered in the Show by Marie also won prizes, she will bring them along next week to show us.

Val has been busy with her Charity quilts as well as creating a cutie for our Christmas Fair..........yeah, Christmas, its just around the corner you know! will be on us before we have time to blink!
Val practiced her 'Crazy Patch' quilting skills with this denim creation, using various denim scraps from a vest she had previously made herself.

A peek at some of the different denim fabrics Val used, including one with lovely bronze stitching.

The inspiration for Val's creation of this girls quilt comes from the fabric used in the first border and the nine patches, pretty little pink and blue ballerina slippers.  Someone is going to be really happy when they see this lovely at the Fair.

Lorraine arrived and promptly got to work, attaching handles onto a bag she made from Sues Machine Pieced Hexagon Tutorial.  Lorraine wanted to convince Sheila that it was possible to machine piece the hexies together, and keep them flat, as well as create them by machine. 

This is the result, one cute bag.  Butting the hexies together, Lorraine used her machine's Feather stitch to attach two rows into a circle, she then formed a base using 3 hexies.

 Attaching the handles to the inside of the bag, Lorraine then stitched small hexies over the join for neatness, decoration and strength. 

Next on Lorraine's list of must do's at our meeting was to finish the binding on this cute quilt for Judy Bellingham's Project Linus. The newly created group meets on a Monday, once a month at the Patchwork Angel in Forest Glen, everyone welcome, there are many jobs that even non sewers can help out with, and it really is such a good cause.  Creating little 'blankies' for Children with Cancer. 

Another giftie Lorraine was creating for her family is this great table throw - now doesn't that sound so much more vibrant and young than tablecloth? table throw......love it.  The nifty thing about this throw is the way Lorraine is finishing it off, not unlike a cross between a border and double binding, the weight of the doubled fabric makes the throw lay flat on the table, and able to withstand a light breeze outdoors.

But with all the things this clever lass had to show and share yesterday, this was to her the most exciting.  She has hit on the idea of creating her own gift cards to give with her many wonderful creations, using a blank plain card, obtained from that rotten shop that won't give you a bag for your purchases......(I'm sure to find blank cards elsewhere - will let you know!)...........sorry, stepping down off soap box now.....to continue....using a blank plain card, some fabric scraps from your creation, a little fusible web, and a letter template, - Lorraine got one from an embroidery book.  Transfer the letter to the fusible web paper, iron the web to the fabric's wrong side, using a low heat, press it onto the card and then stitch around the letter using a small zig zag or other decorative stitch, doing the same with a bar of fabric down the side of the card.  How Easy Is That!!

How Effective!!  How Pretty! and just how personal to get your very own card, not another one in the whole world like it!  Thanks for sharing Lorraine.

Betty had this very cute beanie that she has knitted to welcome the newest Great Grandie, the Booties were made by one of the needlework ladies and Betty was lucky enough to snaffle them to go with the beanie.

Janice presented a workshop on various ways to create Bias Binding strips.  Lots of experimenting and steaming went on up around the ironing board I can tell you.  It's amazing that what one person takes for granted as 'oh just something everyone knows' and is brand new knowledge to another.  Janice did discover that the old tip of using pins on the ironing board to create bias might work beautifully on closer weave fabric cut on the straight, certainly presents a bit of work and a bother if the fabric is cut on the Bias!! "Where's that Bias maker" was the catch cry!

Arvo Tea was not only lovely, but presented by just one Member, one lass bought us along delish egg sangies, chocolate biccies (went fast)  custard filled iced bun, another fave, and for the wheat intolerant who usually miss out, rice crackers and dip! and she did enjoy them - see those little fingers going in for seconds!   ;o)