Sydney Quilt and Craft show 2015

Sunday saw the conclusion to Sydneys Quilt and Craft show for 2015. This year was different, there was a new location  at Glebe Island. I think some people saw this as a minus but it was a sensational venue. 

I congratulate Expertise Events for such a wonderful event. I took the train to town hall walked down to darling habour and we were then transported to Glebe Island by a free ferry. It was a lovley 10 minute smooth and very enjoyable journey. With great company my firend  Robyn .

Once into the new venue and into the quilt show the excitement grew.  I recievd a phone call from Linda Butcher the president of the NSW guild on the sunday afternoon before the show started , to say I am recieving a prize. What prize I didnt know , it is a wonderful feeling that the judges really recognise all of your hard work.The show is a fantasic few days where we can all catch up and see our quilting friends from all over the country. 

The presentation of prizes ceremony is a joyous occasion as so many talented quilters are thrilled to be rewarded for their hard work, and to be judged amongst your peers is a special thing, Mind you not for everyone I respect that, but I have always been a competative personality and I really enjoy seeing how much I need to improve my skills to get to higher qualities with my work.

It was funny my good friend Michelle Marvig and I always hang together, support each other at this nervous time. Well my catagories came and went without my name being called out. Gee I was getting worried, perhaps they have forgotten me.....

Well the special awards are being called out and my goodness I won Excellence in Domestic Machine Quiltign for My Sister My Friend Quilt.... That honestly, I was not expecting AT ALL........I last won that prise in 2005 and 2006.

Wow I was thrilled and what a great responce from the audience cheered very loudly for me it was WONDERFUL.... 

Me recieving the award.

My quilt is for my sister Doreen, she is a wonderful thoughtful, kind, loving sister, she has always  been there for me from being a baby to now . I wanted to have it finished for Doreens 60th birthday last September but that was not possible. 

Doreen with her quilt. 

I called Doreen staright after the awards asked her to pop by and see my quilt. She was totally surprised and a few tears flowed for both of us. 

I would like to share a few things about this quilt. 

It was inspired from a quilt I found in a a vintage quilt book. I loved the way there was only 3 borders all different applique and the side blocks were pointing inwards. Its diffrent and charming. I sketched all the patterns out to scale . Below is the first thought draft of the quilt in my diary. i always make comments about what I love about the original quilt and what changes I would like to do.

Then I shopped for fabrics. I used Emma Louise white for the base and very small scale clean prints for the other fabrics. I did the right thing , I pre washed and ironed all the prints. 

I banket stitched the applique with my Bernina 710 , #720 stitch , length 1.4 and width 1.3 chose the thread colours  to match the fabrics and blind hem all of the 1/4 inch bias stems on all the strips #3 stitch  mirror reverse with Superior mono ploy thread stitch length 0.60 and width 0.9.

All blocks are on point , appliqued and pieced together. The top I completed in 2013 then packed away for our home move. I knew once I was settled into my new sewing room I would be able to get stuck into the appliuqe borders. And this I did not realising how many more hours of work the border was going to be to applique. Hundreds of tiny circles in the bottom and right hand side. Ahhhhh.......

 But they do look great.

Okay now to the trapunto work . I designed the quilting to scale and marked the quilt top with a F (feint ) pencil.Stiched the trapunto with dissolvable thread then spent a week at night cutting away the excess wadding.

 Now to quilting. I decided the top thread would be Wonderful Invisafil 100 weight off white, and the bobbin white polysheen thread on a whole cloth wide back white . Well I ran out of the bobbin thread 3 times back to Pegs pieces  for new stock and I actually used  different weights of white, nobody can tell the difference.

I stitched with a 60 needle and did a tiny as much as possible tear drop as the fill and outlined all the trapunto. All of this quilting took about 70 - 80 hours over a week in June. It was exhausting and to be honest very stressful. I wasnt happy that the filler was not small enough. I just cant seem to get my shoulders to hang in there for hour after hour anymore.. Getting older......  I am a bit of a mess to be around , I doubt my abilities when Im stressed and to a dead line, that old self doubt that we all struggle with at times.The family is very relieved when quilt show quilt is done believe me .....

Anyway it was done. So I cut the quilt to square it up and was washing the trapunto thread out , when the worst thing could happen , did.... the red fabric bled , quite badly... Crap so in the washing machine in 8 colour catchers and luckliy it was nearly okay. So I pinned it on my design wall to block it to dry and the red started again.... CRAP , so I got bleach, water and a cotton bud and carefully rubbed out the red. It worked ..PHEW breath again.......

Binding was going to be red but no way green it is.

Me pinning my ribbon on.

All that drama forgotten now just thrilled with the result and that Doreen loves it. Thank you must go to mu Husband John and Daughter Claire foir their understanding of me and my emotions during the quilting process. Also my quilting friend  you know who you are your encouragement is so much appreciated. Id be lost without you all.

How wonderful to share with Ally Bowyer my beautiful student friend from Hobby Sew Kings Park her award . Ali trusted me to help and advise her with this spectacular quilt. I encouraged Ali to put it in for the First Time entrant. Ali got the call also and called me and we had a little cry over the phone, I was so excited for her. 

Here is this beautul quilt and this beautiful lady... CONGRATULATIONS ALI. Ali appliqued and quilted this spectacular quilt all herself on her Bernina 820. Its a large quilt too. So amazing..

Also June Kelly a student from the far north Coast of NSW won BIG TIME.

 

June won Excellence in Domestic machine quilting ameture . I am so THRILLED for you June.

June took what I taught her a few years ago and has develope her skills tremendiously. June won 3 ribbons on the day with her stunning applique and whole cloth quilts. It was such a please to see you again June and I am so proud of you. June is a delightful lady so excited about her art, loves it all.

My friends Katrina Hadjimichael, Michelle Marvig, Bob James also won ribbons with their stunning quilts.

 A spectacular 4 set of quilts by some friends of mine, Sandra Lyons, Robyn Ellis and others were outstanding. I will not publish their quilt photos withput their permission..

There was a lot of fun being had by the members, a jelly roll race. Crowns , ferathers , flags and lots of chearing , good fun. The committee always work very hard to give us all a spectacular show and I personally thank each and every one of them for their hard work and dedication to our guild.

Denise and I had the pleasure to sit next to each other on the friday, demonstrating, I was free motion quilting and Denise was quilting charity quilts and doing a great job of it too. Well done...

Anyway over for another year.

Next year 2015 there is a RED and WHIte Challenge which I think I will do another quilt for so it all starts again , which is sensational. Hope to see your quilts there too.

Thanks for Listening 

Hapy Quilting

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