Taupo Symposium 2013

Taupo Symposium 2013 was a wonderful time for students and tutors.

This quilted banner welcomed us all at the Taupo airport after  a memorable tiny plane  on Wednesday 17th July 2013.
Only a 20 seater Air New Zealand plane from Wellington to Taupo. The views were stunning .
Taupo pronounced (Tar poor)

View inside the plane  Wellington to Taupo   full of Quilters

Sun setting on the clouds from the plane

 

 

The committee arranged a wonderful free first day for the tutors, we got on the  

 bus and went to the Hukka Falls, a lovely lunch at a glass blowing studio and a creative ceramic studio garden. It was a lovely day one that the tutors spent some time getting to know each other.

 

To be very honest I was star struck by the likes of Gwen Marsden, Robbi Eklow, Cara Gulati, Jenny Bowker, Jean Wolfrom ,Phillipa Naylor, Susan Brubaker-Knapp and so many more wonderfully talented ladies from the states, NZ, Australia, Africa and Great Britain.

 Having the day together was very settling for me .

bus to and from motel to school

Hukka Falls

Thank you for the demonstration of glass blowing very informative

The falls release water 3 times a day  it was stunning to see.

mosaic arm chair and me

 

The symposium was held at the local high school "Taupo -Nui-a-Tia"  college during winter school holidays and between 800-1000 quilting students attended classes for 5 days. Friday through  to Tuesday  19-23 July. AMAZING ............It was HUGE......
I was worried that I could not handle the cold , but we were blessed with beautiful sunny days .

 Front of the school , new wing where I was teaching.

 

 

 

 

 We were all welcomed by a traditional Hakka Maori welcome performed by  the  student choir who's performance left all there, very touched by the performance . It was wonderful

 

 My class room. I had a wonderfully light filled large class room  and every day an new angel assistant to help  with anything that we needed. Thank you to you all...
We had wonderful lunches, everything was thought about to perfection.

 How clever the chairs were too low so the box on wheels for my student needs was perfect.... :)

Thank you to Kevin and staff from BERNINA NEW ZEALAND for supplying me with Bernina sewing machines for my classes

 During lunch and in the evening after the daily cocktail party there were tutor lecture,s showing their work, here the very talented and so much fun is Susan Cleveland from the USA. Susan is so fun and funny and full of life . I know here students enjoyed their classes so much .

I had 4 classes these were :
day 1 Free Motion Designing and using Stencils
day 2 feathers and advanced techniques
Day 3 Flowers and colouring
day 4 and 5 free motion quilting

 Fabulous Feathers here

Feathered flower's

 flowers, leaves and colouring . They did so well Im thrilled with my classes......

 

 Free motion . This was funny, day 2, I showed the girls that you can draw with a needle and asked them to come up with some fun shapes. Well we got dinosaurs, kiwis, woolly sheep, dogs, kites, bows sailing boats

 and Humpty dumpty on a wall........ FANTASTIC   yes you can free motion quilt now ladies ... Go quilt.... and enjoy

 

There was some wonderful quilt exhibitions and this amazing painted quilt won a few awards including viewers choice.

 How realistic is this fellow... all stitch art..........Stunning

 

 We had beautiful meals at local restaurants. This was a high- light of the Symposium for me a terrific  Indian meal with very talented quilters. The food was delicious and the company sublime. The restaurant had textiles over the walls, ceiling , everywhere.....

Left to right
Gwen Marsden, Lisa Walton, Cara Gulati, Susan Brubaker-Knapp, me , Pam Holland, Joen Wolfrom, Susan Carlson

 

 The last day there was an evening closing ceremony ,we were given great NZ  wine and a snack box and this photo is of the committee. What a wonderful job they all did . A huge CONGRATULATIONS ..........
Again the choir performed some very moving songs a farewell traditional Maori  song , awards and thanks  everywhere , so many people contributed to the weeks success.

After the closing ceremony we were treated to a beautiful evening meal with the committee and all tutors back at our Suncourt Motel.

 

 Here Gwen Marsden and Jenny Bowker and myself celebrate a great symposium.


Both Jenny and Gwen were wonderful company and mentored and encouraged me so much .
 I thank you both from the bottom of my heart for your company and very wise words.
 They mean more to me than you could imagine.
 I aspire to be a teacher like you both.
 thank you.....

Dinner table with  Dianne Traveller, Gloria Loughman, Jenny Bowker, me ,Robbie Eklow (standing) Garry Traveller, Dena Crain, Lenore Crawford, Patti Hempen.

Taupo waterside  

 The last day in Taupo we woke up to rain and very low cloud made for a wonderful camera moment.

 Unfortunately no planes were arriving or leaving into or out of Taupo so we had to bus up to Auckland instead of Wellington for a late flight home , but all made good again with great company on the bus with some Aussie quilters, thanks girls I had fun ... doe  a deer .........and the Air new Zealand lounge thanks to my travelling companion Lisa Walton made it all very comfortable. Just one last glass of NZ wine........was had.....

The town of Taupo embraced the whole quilt symposium,  window displays everywhere embraced the theme.
Thank you from me to tutors, Organisers, Angels , students and Taupo I had a ball..


Symposium 2015 is in Palmerston North 16-22 January , where I am thrilled to announce have been invited to teach again.

http://quiltsymposium.co.nz/

Contact the organisers for more information.

 

 

To the organising committee and Dianne and Garry Traveller

a huge

THANK YOU

 for a wonderful time