On the road

I've just come back from a weekend workshop in Wagga at Simply Stitches. What a great shop.

It's in part of the old David Jones building and is two stories high. The bottom of the shop is classroom with plenty of room for students. I had 14 over the two days and there were no problems at all - just what the teacher likes! Upstairs is all the fabric, heaps of knitting wool and a longarm machine tucked in one corner.

The girls worked really hard on their large Mariners centres with one busy student getting to the sewing-together stage. Faye looked after us wonderfully and a good time was had by all I think.

I got to do a bit of op-shopping in Cowra and Beechworth and picked up heaps of doilies - more on them later.

This is Judy's from Tuesday class - yum!

Sonia's beautiful embroidered centre

This year at the quilt show there was a break from tradition and we all got to pin our rosettes on our own quilts. Nice idea I thought.

Who's a lucky girl

Guess what? I won a 1st prize today at the Sydney quilt show!! Can you believe it - I was nearly in tears going to receive my award for the category New Traditions from Old Favourites with my Lots of Dots quilt.
It is so exciting to even have a quilt noticed at this show let alone win a prize. I am so pleased and thank the sponsors Matilda's Own wadding for my great prize.
Check out all the winning quilts here - the standard this year is very impressive. Try and get there - it's on til Sunday and you won't be disappointed I guarantee.
Not to mention all the retail therapy!

Prize winning Lots of Dots

My 2nd entry in the show was this Ancient Dahlia quilt. It didn't win a prize but looks great hanging with all the others at the show. It was quilted for me by Belinda Betts from Orange and she did a fantastic job.

Belinda's son Harry took out a prize in the Junior category at the show. Must be in the genes!!

I'm off to Wagga tomorrow for a 2-day workshop at Simply Stitches so should have lots of pics when I get home.



Show and tell and more

Last Saturday's class at home was a real hoot - way too much fun and laughter for any serious sewing!

But there was some lovelly show-and-tell.

A cot quilt for Bronwyn's grandson

A beauty for Pam's granddaughter

Another stunner from Bronwyn

This NYB quilt is Pam's and she has just won viewer's choice with it at the previously-mentioned
 Coonamble Quilt Show. Well done Pam.

This was sent to me recently by Lynne who started it last September in my class at Quilting on the Downs in Toowoomba. She has done a lovely job of all those NYB blocks and I just love the border fabric.

I am off to Toowoomba again for this year's event put on by Precious Time Quilt Shop.

Lisa has arranged 2 weeks of classes with 8 different tutors teaching all sorts of quilty things.

Check it out here.

All credit to Lisa for biting the bullet and holding such a big event in these uncertain times.

Girls come from around Queensland and Interstate to attend these classes so give it some thought - you'll have a ball.

Last but not least I have a project in the latest issue of Australian Country Craft and Decorating

Vol 22/10. It's a table runner made from a layer cake of beautiful French General fabric.

You can see it in the flesh from Wednesday on display at the mag"s stand at the Sydney Quilt Show at Darling Harbour.

More exciting news from the show later in the week!

I won a prize!

Guess what - I won a prize in Sarah Fielke's Naked Bed challenge (scroll down to June 14 post). Can you believe it! I don't often enter bloggy contests but this one was so easy - just submit a pic for the challenge, then sit back and look at all the beautiful entries.
I won a $50 gift voucher and the opportunity to submit my design as a project for Down Under Quilts magazine - how exciting.

This was my entry which is a foundation pieced block drawn up in EQ7. I used lots a oriental and large print scraps and it went together really well. The blocks are 14".

Thanks Sarah for hosting the challenge and thanks to all the sponsors for such wonderful prizes.

Lovely weather....

for sewing that is. How nice it is to be inside with the fire going and the whole day ahead to do whatever I fancy.
Yesterday I went to the Glenbrook Cocktail Quilters quilt show with my friend Rachael. She took some pics at the show and you can see them on her blog. Morning tea was pretty good too and we ran into lots of familiar quilty faces.

When I came home I had a chance to finish this. It's a really scrappy number that I call a "faux" wedding ring. There's no curved piecing but you get that look and it used up quite a bit from the repro scrap bag.

The borders are on and I'll wait for a better day to take a finished pic.

Lorraine's William in Paradise quilt just needs some applique to finish it off. The colour choices are beautiful and she has designed a final border repeating the centre NYB block. Can't wait to see the result.

Vicki has combined two quilts here and resized the diamond border to fit.

Fancy cutting of the stripe border was just perfect for the project tho can you see the top border was sewn on in reverse! Always happens when you're in a hurry doesn't it.

Aahhh Laurel's quilt! This has gone on for I don't know how long but finally came together last week.

It's a testament to never give up on a project - it looks fantastic and I know she is very proud of her efforts.

Two from Warriewood class - lots of room in this Mariners for "special" quilting

and the Pickled Lillies below just needs some more applique to assume finished status.

Cottage Quiltworks at Warriewood are having their annual Quilt Escape next month with nine teachers offering classes over five days from the 11th of July. There are a few spots left in my 2 day class on Monday and Tuesday where you can choose between this Summer Baskets doily quilt or make a start on my Reproduction NYB quilt. Ring the shop for details - I'd love to see you there.

Summer Baskets Doily Quilt

Reproduction Beauties

On the road 3

Show-and-tell from Susanne

Last Thursday hubby and I set out for the city of Orange way west of Sydney.

I was there for a 2-day class at Bella Patchwork owned by the lovely Delma.

We were expecting freezing temps but it was really mild and the town looks beautiful with all the tree-lined streets and magnificent old houses and public buildings.

These are pics from the class with the girls making a start on Lots of Dots.

They worked really hard and I will be back in November for another round.

From Orange we continued to Bathurst on Saturday morning for my class at The Home Patch.

These beautiful blocks are from Nicki's NYB quilt. Some of the "coloured" fabrics are satin-type and give a lovely sheen to parts of the blocks. 

Home on Saturday for my SIL's 30th birthday bash then off to Hobbysew Kings Park on Sunday.

This is Debi's amazing Reproduction Beauties top being pieced together.

It has taken a while but looks stunning don't you think.

Coral is up to the borders on her Emperors Wheel where she has combined a Summer School block in the centre with a great collection of oriental fabrics and very precise piecing.

This is a ring-in from my Berrima class. It's Leah's Lots of Dots and it's the 1st one I've seen finished.

Her work is beautiful and she should be so proud of the result.

More show-and-tell from Susanne in Orange.

She started this in my class last year and i was really pleased she brought it along. Precise piecing and great quilting go together for a quilt with that wow factor.

Further to the exhibition at the University of Nebraska featuring mosaic quilts you can view the exhibition and buy the catalogue here.

It was certainly good to get home and maybe there'll be some sewing time for me today!