Lyn Ballinger Challenge

Great excitement at this weeks meeting, it was our annual Luncheon and Judging of the Lyn Ballinger Challenge. This year, in keeping with our Quilt Show Theme of 'International Year of the Forests'  our challenge was to create a 'green' shopping bag from calico and re-cycled fabric.  The feature fabric, at first sight, could only be described as,  well, ugly really.  But what a star it turned out to be!, those clever quilters created some really cute shopping bags.  Now as the 'Viewers Choice'  voting is to take place at our Quilt Show on the first weekend in June, I can't show you all the finished bags....but...I can show you some of the innovative ways the girls used 'that fabric'

 There are leaves galore, singly and as bunches, hearts, suffolk puff flowers, letters, logos, buildings and baskets. How innovative is all that!

The Luncheon itself was organised by our 2 Professional Luncheon Co-ordinators, Queen Fran and Duchess Beryl, who had their tiaras firmly in place to prove their claims, they did a great job of presenting the many delish dishes, keeping everyones glass topped up with a selection of champers, punch and chilled fruit water and just generally setting out the room with lovely green table decorations.

 and of course, there is always the 'behind the scenes' workers and helpers who make these occasions sing along without a hitch.

Judging this year was by Patchwork Group co-founder, Rose, who in keeping with the theme, wondered if perhaps she was a re-cycled Judge, having previously judged a challenge 10 years ago.

 We also had some great Show and Tell, some of which was from a week or so ago, sorry I've missed a couple of posts, it's all the new pup's fault, I seem to rush from sunup to sundown and beyond with a roll of loo paper in one hand and a mop in the other, chasing behind a new puppy that can only be described at 'mischief on a stick'

Sue bought along a couple of cushions from last century, yep she finally finished them!!.  Both cushions used Sue's own hand dyed fabrics.

Now why is Susie hiding behind the 2nd cushion?, she was having a little sob...somehow or other, in the cushion swap over, all Sue's colour co-ordinated, organised tinsy little applique pieces got dumped on the floor!.....I kid you not! and what is worse, somehow, one of them disappeared. Drat!.

Janet has used a pattern from on of our Library books on using Jelly rolls to create this wonderful quilt.  Yep, apart from the background all the colour pieces are from a Jelly Roll!

Here is a closer view, it takes clever colour matching to create that larger triangle but as you can see, Janet has done a brilliant job of creating those large triangles.

The quilting, which so suits the quilt design was done for Janet by Fiona of the Quilting Fairy.  Fiona used a variagated thread for extra flow in the quilting design.

Val has been commissioned to make two quilts for twin little girls, she bought along finished quilt number one to share with us.  Wonderful vibrant colours bring this pattern to life.

 and a few closer views of the great blocks.

 Wendy bought along her finished 'Chinese Lantern' table runner done in a recent in house workshop with Janice.

Janette has created another wall hanging for her home,  a lovely stained glass creation with the neatest blanket stitched applique.