A Special quilt and a Show Winner

Sheila recently bought her latest creation in to share with us.  It was packaged up the next day in Birthday Wrapping for someone special, one of her lucky Granddaughters!

The center panel is a piece of Nottingham Lace that Sheila has been treasuring for quite a few years, surrounded by memory blocks, such as the T's for an initial and hearts for love of course, all surrounded by a very unusual pieced border that Sheila designed.

It's always a thrill when one of the group gains outside acknowledgment with a win at a show, be it Agricultural or Quilt.  Congratulations to Janice for her win at the Nambour Show with her 'Musical Quilt'
Janice has made several Musical Themed quilts and they are always a popular seller at our Fairs, each one different but all with that musical theme.

Our group recently had a visit from Pauline Rogers, also known as 'The Gadget Queen'.

Marie, who organised the visit also took pics and did a report for us.  Thank you Marie - I was sorry to have missed the show but school hols always chuck a bit of a curve into one's plans.

Pauline explains many ways to use Bias on quilts.

On this example Pauline has used a striped fabric to create bias.

And on this example she has created a most unusual floral design.

A quilt made using bias and many different techniques of using fabric.  The quilt was put together with a variation of quilt as you go which Pauline demonstrated.

Two different effects on the Butterfly wings.

More methods of construction to create the flowers, some are created by different folds and others using a folded suffolk puff.  The Butterfly's pink wings were created by uniform tucking then folding the tucks back on themselves and stitching in place.

The backing is done using different fabrics pieced together.

Here Pauline shows how to use the mesh transfer canvas and Karisma glue pen and pencils to transfer your designs then glue them in place with Roxanne glue.

Demonstrating how to use the Binding Tool to make finishing off your binding easy with no hassells.

Pauline demonstrated her version of how to do quilt as you go, using the bias makers.

And lastly, Pauline demonstrated how she folds and pins her fabric before cutting.

Everyone had a most enjoyable time, lots of stories told about a fun day with lots of damage done to the plastic and some gals even finding exotic ways of 'hiding the purchase'....don't we all just love to do that!

Beryl's Trunk Show

Beryl's Trunk show is a real collaborative effort of both Wednesday arvo members and Thursday night members, so thank you very much Debby, Letitia and Marie for all of your efforts.

Beryl is an active member of our groups, visiting the Trunk Show and Tell evenings as well as the afternoon meetings and when she volunteered to present her quilts the Thursday evening group were delighted.

Beryl told that she was bought up in a crafty family, and well remembers the first dress she made herself, all in orange and yellow fabrics.  

'Country Houses' is a friendship quilt started in 1998 and finished in 2000.  Beryl loves to collect nick nacks with a house theme so of course her request for the blocks in this quilt was for country houses.  A closer look at the blocks and some of the pins.

 Each block reflects the personality of the gal that created it and is greatly loved by Beryl.  The quilt also has many buttons and pins at sashing intersections.

Beryl's Darling built a special quilt hanger of rod and shelf above to hold some of the many little houses from her collection.  It is a special touch that adds to the display of this favoured quilt.  All the names of the creators on the quilt label.

Beryl was a member of the Nowra quilting group for many years and when an art gallery opened in nearby Shoalhaven the group was asked to create items to be hung in the fledgling gallery.  Using furnishing fabrics, Beryl designed and created this clever wall hanging reflecting on how we travel through life.

Beryl also wrote a poem titled 'Life is not Perfect' on the back of the wall hanging explaining her thoughts and the design for her piece.

 

We grow up in a controlled, ordered life

Then our days of freedom arrive

Our Wings take flight

To who knows where

We see the golden days

The perfect pinks

As well as the down brown days

Life goes on and we learn

About ourselves and others

In later life a pattern develops

As do the flowers and leaves

So we take charge of our lives

We accept the pinks, browns and golden. 

This cute bag was made in sampler style ( a great idea) using small blocks, the project could also be made into a wall hanging.

 

Hand stitched with blanket stitch. Yellow background with lots and lots of hearts and floral fabrics - very pretty. This quilt is a 'holiday quilt' started on a trip to W.A., Beryl completed all the hearts while traveling.

Very interesting quilt with nice colours of purples and yellows.  Beryl made this quilt in a class at Carbargo with Lyn Hewitt.

A quilt of spots in hexagon shapes, each block is formed by 3 hexagons of various colours.  Beryl bought a F.Q. of spotted fabric each week for some time, then made this fun quilt.  How clever.

Another quilt for the Shoalhaven Art Gallery.  Beryl designed and stitched this lovely floral quilt using bright and happy colours.  Very nice.

Beryl followed a Magazine pattern to create and machine quilt this very large multicoloured Snowball quilt.  It is gorgeous.

Elaine's Trunk Show

Elaine presented her trunk show to the Thursday night gals a little while back, Debby had organised for Jules to take and forward pics of Elaine's quilts, but a little bird had mentioned that Elaine did more than quilting....I was to learn just how much more...

A hand quilted panel that Elaine had framed for an exhibition.

Quilting is very much a 'new' crafting experience to Elaine, bought about in part by a comment from one of her crafting friends when Elaine was showing off some lovely embroidered squares and wondering just what she could possibly do with them, the friend commented that they should be made into a quilt.........fixing friend with a bit of a stare, Elaine commented 'I don't quilt'.....the friend passively responded, 'Yes, but your daughter does', and so began Elaine's journey into the world of quilting, guided by her daughter Libby - and what a wonderfully productive journey it is for this very talented lady.

Elaine created this lovely for her Grandaughter with help from Daughter Libby, using embroideries done while a member of her Bli Bli group.

A lovely story goes with this Sudoku quilt, Grandson Jason put in an order for a quilt just 2 weeks before his 21st. Birthday, Elaine told him there was no way she could make a quilt in 2 weeks, just wasn't going to happen! Imagine Jason's surprise on opening his present to find that yes, he did have a quilt. He was one delighted young man.

Elaine is also a rather prolific creator of bags, bags of all descriptions and for all uses including some with lovely creative embroidery such as the sunflowers on this tote.

 Some of the many pieces of Hardanger created by Elaine.

Black, White and Red Stack and Slash quilt created for Craig, another one of Elaine's grandsons.

Elaine came across these fabrics while on holiday 'out west', just perfect for teenager Blake's birthday quilt

Another quilt made with Daughter Libby, at Woombye Patchwork Shop before they relocated.

More of Elaine's Embroidery and Hardanger

  Elaine is also a prolific folk artist and tutor with a lovely large studio, this is just a tiny part of all the goodies on show in the studio.

Thank you Jules for the quilt pics.  More of Elaine's wonderful work will be posted in part 2.

2012 Lyn Ballinger Challenge...

...and Luncheon of course.  Always a fun day where the gals all gather for a lovely lunch with lots of goodies, all organised by our wonderful Caterers Extraordinaire, Beryl and Fran

of course these ladies always dress for the occasion, with  astoundingly beautiful head wear and aprons designed to get everyone into the festive mood.

To start the day off, Judy bought along some Show and Tell that she has created for her daughter who loves to travel.  It's a needle case, yep a tinsy little case (or as Queenslanders call it - 'a Port'), luggage labels and all.

 Judge Roz had quite the challenge choosing a winner, checking that all entries would fit into a 6" cube.

Of course everyone has to wait til after Lunch to view all the entries and find out who the winners are, so we shall do the same.

No, don't even try to match the party girls with the finished challenges, its all a secret until after the Judging.

Oh, and somewhere in amongst all that giggling, chatting, and eating, Julie decided to heck with the pretty and dashed home to get something a little warmer to wear..

And now you have seen all the entries, well almost all. 

 Drum roll please!!

And the Winners of the Lyn Ballinger Challenge for 2012 are...

Marie, with 2nd Prize for her Mermaid and Fishes on the bottom of the Sea.

Heather with 1st Prize for her Clown Fish and Coral Reef

and Lorraine with 3rd Prize for her Jellyfish, and yes! it does fit!

Lorraine folded her Jelly Fish down into a 6" box for Judge Roz, as Lorraine said, 'There's a lot of air in a Jelly Fish'.

Congratulations to the Winners, and Big Thank You's to everyone who made the day such a success, all those who accepted the challenge, Fran and Beryl for organising the food and kitchen, Roz, our Cottage Treasurer for so very kindly being our Judge, Sue and Sheila for all the work and  organisation involved in mounting a Challenge and a very special Thank You to Marie for taking the pics, making it possible for you all to view the wonderful entries and share in the fun of the day.