Friday 13 November 2015

Raffle Quilt 2016 - traditional style

Breaking news...
...One of the major raffle prize quilts has just been completed. You will soon be able to buy tickets
for a chance at winning it for yourself. This has been lovingly made by Sandra Still over countless painstaking hours and custom quilted to set it off beautifully by Kay at Kay's Quilts. A great job, come and show your support for our art by visiting the Exhibition next April.


Wednesday 16 September 2015

Raffle Quilt for our Members Exhibition 2016

The first of our two raffle quilts is now complete. This has been a while in the making, from the selection of a design to choosing fabrics, cutting, sewing and the many stages it went through before completion.

Firstly then,  we had to select the design. The group was happy to try and make the gorgeous one we saw in Patchwork Tsushin last August 2014. It could be made using a quilt-as-you-go technique and be hand stitched in showy colourful thread, sashiko style. The quilt was the work of the quiltmaker, Hiroko Uemura. We wrote to the magazine and they put our request to her. Straight away we got a response that she was happy to give us permission to make a raffle quilt with her design. Once finished, we hoped to send her photos to show how it came out. The magazine editor hoped our raffle would be successful and that we would keep enjoying the magazine. So it is with sadness that we recently heard that the magazine has ceased trading, after more than a decade of subscription enjoyment on our part. I hope that through the small world that it now is thanks to the internet, Hiroko Uemura will see what we did with her design.


Quilt by Hiroko Uemura

***

After many months and many hands, the quilt below is the one that Queanbeyan Quilters Inc has made based upon Hiroko Uemura's design. In it, we used a variety of commercial fabrics as accents to the lovely colour of the fabrics hand-dyed by Moni Potter.



This is the full quilt front.


This is a detail of the hand stitching and applique circles.


This is the back of the quilt.

Last drop-in at the RB Smith Community Centre in Queanbeyan


Tomorrow, Thursday 17th September 2015, is our last drop-in at the RB Smith before it becomes Council office space.

Everything changes in October, venue and which Thursdays in the month you can drop in, so be advised as follows:

  • Drop-in days will be second and fourth Thursday morning of the month.
  • Still 9.30am - 12.30pm.
  • Venue is a room under the Queanbeyan City Library, entrance on the ramp alongside the car park laneway, off Rutledge Street opposite the old Uniting Church Hall.
So in October, you can drop in on the 8th and the 22nd.

Come along and meet some quilters who are happy to share knowledge and skills and provide good company.

Friday 21 August 2015

Drop in Day details will change from October

Be on the lookout for details of the new venue and days for our drop-in time. We expect it will still be in the centre of town but not at the RB Smith Community Centre, owing to it changing function from meeting space to office space from the end of September 2015.

Details will be posted as soon as they are finalised.

Sunday 26 July 2015

Arabesque workshop 29th & 30 August 2015 cancelled

Arabesque workshop with Jenny Bowker   2 days

This workshop will teach you to play with a selection of patterns to produce designs suitable for quilts made with blocks – but your blocks will be appliquéd like Islamic blocks.

It is really curious that quilters make hundreds of wonderful block designs with geometric piecing, but the moment they think about appliqué they use a cream square and put something in the centre that does not touch the sides. We will work with ways to create stunning tile patterns for appliqué.

Pattern is defined in the Concise Oxford dictionary as "a regular form or order … or design." We will look at the way pattern appears in nature - while there is usually an underlying structure there is often a lot of variation within the basic design. We can play with patterns that nature produces for us or produce patterns of our own using several different systems.
It is a design based workshop where you will not produce a finished quilt, but will work with many small sample design ideas in paper. Most of your time will be used in working up designs

Student Requirements List: is available on Jenny Bowker's website  http://www.jennybowker.com/arabesque/

Skill level: A willingness to work in new ways is necessary for this class. Some experience is useful but not essential.

Jenny Bowker
Jenny has been working in Textiles since 1997 - from the time she finished a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Visual) and decided to make just one quilt.

Her background - life before quilts - was in science. She is moving towards a melding of her fine art work and her textile work. She is interested in the way pattern comes into many parts of our lives and often include some geometrical piecing in her work as she thinks it keeps her technically on her toes and provides a key for traditional quilters to link to her work.

She has four children and a very supportive husband who worked as a diplomat for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. While following him she lived a total of fifteen years in Arab and Islamic countries. This might seem irrelevant to quilting, but has influenced her subject matter and much of her work reflects her love of the Middle East. She has lived in Syria, Western Samoa, Malaysia, Jordan, Jerusalem and Egypt.

She teaches and really enjoys it. There is no greater delight than to offer tools to a quilter who wants to make original work but doesn't know how to access her own ideas.
For more details about her background and experience in quilting go to her website at www.jennybowker.com.

Queanbeyan Quilters Inc had their 2015 AGM last week

Another year has rolled around and the Committee has been very busy with meetings, workshops, newsletters and events for the membership. Thank you to all for your hard work, it has been much appreciated. We are sad to see some step away to pursue other interests but it just goes to show what a diverse group of people that we are, with plenty going on.

For those who were not at the AGM, the positions were filled as follows:

President:   Bryony De La Motte
Vice-President:  Julie Herring
Secretary:  Michelle Livanes
Treasurer:  Narell Smit
Committee:
Library:  Glenis Feltham
Publicity:  Cassandra Philpot
Newsletter:  Julie Herring

Congratulations to all on their new roles, here's to another exciting year and a great Exhibition in April. There will be lots of progress reports on that in the intervening few months.


The Monthly Inspirations for August were:

Yellow
Appliqué
People and figures

Tuesday 14 July 2015

Drop in this week and take up quilting

This Thursday is the third one of the month, when Queanbeyan Quilters get together to stitch and share news. Bring quilting, sewing, knitting, hand or machine work of any kind and spread out in our light premises at the RB Smith Community Centre at 264 Crawford Street in Queanbeyan. From 9.30 am to 12.30 pm, we look forward to seeing you there.



This is our Challenge pack, why not pick one up and prepare something for our Exhibition next April 9th and 10th 2016. Buy one at our next meeting which is the AGM on 24th July 2015.

Tuesday 16 June 2015

Drop-in on Thursday

Quick reminder that this Thursday is drop-in day at the RB Smith Community Centre in Crawford Street. Come in and join us between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

Here is what one of our members completed recently. Well done Nel, it will be appreciated for years to come.



The front of the quilt.



Even the back is interesting.

Wednesday 27 May 2015

May Meeting and June's Monthly Inspiration

Monthly Inspiration requirements for June were as follows:

Stripes
Butterflies and insects
Crazy (patch work/quilting)

At the May meeting, several members showed us what they had made with earlier clues. They are all different and it's going to be so interesting at the end to see each one put together.

At the June meeting, we may hear more about the Challenge for next year's Exhibition. I hope lots of members get involved in it and we put on a good show.

Progress has been made on the two Exhibition raffle quilts. Sandra has finished sewing the centre of the double wedding ring quilt and has the fourth side to finish of the beautiful applique border. Unfortunately these days there are not many members who can do fine hand applique work. The contemporary quilt is  going along nicely. On Friday nights members have stitched the 52 blocks together. Now the blocks have been joined into twelve units and sandwiched with batting and backing so that the sashiko style stitching can be done. Here is the first sample unit, with the stitching and the circles in place. Only eleven more to go.


Friday 24 April 2015

Our April meeting was held tonight

Queanbeyan Quilters Inc had a lively meeting tonight with an interesting guest speaker. Hannah Barrett, textile conservator at the National Gallery of Australia, talked a little about some of the forty quilts the Gallery holds, then went on to describe ways of storing them and what can damage them.

No more quilts on wooden shelves for me! Into dark, airtight, inert polyethylene tubs and must remember to check them at least twice a year for damage or insect attack.

During Show and Tell, a number of lovely quilts were shown which will be given out to the community. Members make them in a range of colours and sizes, varied enough to please someone.





Chris described and showed her lucky win in a raffle, this bright and cheerful scrap quilt.



Blocks were shown from the two Monthly Inspirations themes that have already been given out.






Then the new clues were picked. If you have not been following this, the club is currently running a month by month block, into which three components must be incorporated. Your choice of size, shape and interpretation of themes.

March - Colour red + diamond + birds
April - Colour green + hexagon + words
May - Colour white/cream + circles + hearts

Tuesday 17 March 2015

Our prolific group is always making something

We all love to see what others in the group make so here are a few items which have been shown this year so far. Starting in January with Bryony's fresh blue and white quilt, we were fascinated by the method used in this one.




On the first and third Thursday of the month when we meet at the RB Smith Community Centre in Queanbeyan,  lots of interesting work is done too. This lovely stitching was finished by Kathleen in February. Wool felt always gives has a lovely dense colour, perfect for the subject.





We've been following the progress of this lovely quilt, since quilted and handed over to the lucky birthday girl. This is inspiring work from a recent beginner quilter and bound to delight all Frozen fans.


These pictures show what an active group Queanbeyan Quilters is, so many ideas, so little time to put them into practice.




Why don't you come and join us on a Thursday morning or a Friday night for some stitching activity?

Sunday 8 February 2015

What we did on Friday night...

Evenings at Queanbeyan Quilters has been bustling with activity lately . Last Friday was no exception, with lots of members there, with their cutting mats, sewing machines, hand sewing projects and the like. Narell led the team in undoing and resewing blocks for the next black, white and lime quilt. Cassandra cut rectangles which others rapidly sewed together. This is what those rectangles look like now. The fabrics belonged to one of our late and much beloved members and show what excellent taste she had.



1915 - 2015
Boni paid us a visit on Friday night too, bringing with her the completed quilt featuring Australian peace women who helped found and build WILPF nationally and internationally. WILPF (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom) has helped increase understanding of alternatives to armed conflict, and the importance of women being involved in peace negotiations. In April 1915, as ANZACs were landing on Gallipoli, 1300 women from warring and neutral nations met at The Hague at the International Congress of Women to set out resolutions for ending all war.



Wednesday 4 February 2015

Tomorrow, do drop in...

On the first and third Thursday of each month Queanbeyan Quilters Inc hosts an informal social stitching session at the RB Smith Community Centre at 264 Crawford Street in Queanbeyan for members and guests.

Come along and see what we are doing this year, or perhaps you want to talk about your project or get tips on the making of your next piece. All skill levels are welcome.

This Friday evening at the Letchworth Neighbourhood Centre you are welcome to bring your sewing machine to help out on some of our many group projects. I imagine there will be blocks of black, white and lime to sew together to stunning effect. Below are two tops which were finished recently.



What makes our social stitching evenings so enjoyable is the variety of projects our members bring along to work on. Redwork, knitting, hexagons, paper piecing, cutting out projects amongst many others.

Saturday 10 January 2015

Queanbeyan City Council Sponsors Queanbeyan Quilters Inc

Queanbeyan Quilters Inc


MEDIA RELEASE
COUNCIL PROVIDES ASSISTANCE FOR RENTAL RELIEF

Julie Herring, President of Queanbeyan Quilters Inc has today announced that the Queanbeyan City Council has been providing rent relief on the premises used by Queanbeyan Quilters Inc for social and workshop activities. This assists the regular meeting in 2014/2015 of those interested in the art and craft of Patchwork and Quilting.

Julie Herring stated that the club offers both daytime and evening session times which meant more people were able to find the time to join in. The group often works on collaborative projects which benefit good causes in Queanbeyan and elsewhere. These have included the Queanbeyan Hospital Auxiliary raffle, Home in Queanbeyan, tsunami survivors in Japan, fire victims in Victoria and Coonabarabran, Aussie Hero Quilts and many others.

Recently, the club ran a set of Beginner Classes for its members. Other workshops are run over the year, to cater for both beginner and more experienced quilters.

Are you interested in Patchwork and Quilting? Join the group for its social stitching and other handwork sessions, formal monthly meetings and numerous interesting workshops. The details are on the website and there is also a Facebook page to track activities.

Queanbeyan Quilters Inc
Postal Address:  PO Box 708, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620
Email:  queanbeyanquilters@gmail.com
Website:   http://queanbeyanquilters.blogspot.com.au
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/QueanbeyanQuilters





Sponsored by the Queanbeyan City Council

Sunday 4 January 2015

Quilting time resumes soon

Happy New Year everyone!


The Crazy Stitches Friendship Group meets again daytime on Thursday 15th January from 9.30 - 12.30 at the RB Smith Community Centre at 264 Crawford Street in Queanbeyan. All welcome, bring your handwork, your ideas and yourself. If you are new to patchwork and quilting, welcome to a very absorbing activity which has a very broad scope.

The first evening stitching session will start on Friday 16th January at the Letchworth Neighbourhood Centre at 28 Miller Street in Queanbeyan. From 7pm to 10pm. First meeting of the year will be on 23rd January and thereafter each fourth Friday of the month.