Weddings,Planes , NZ, quilt show and goings on

  Happy June 2018to you.

Here in Sydney and its winter, chilly and my least favourite season. So bring on spring I say.

We had the most beautiful family time with my sons wedding mid May, nothing like a wedding is there. Bringing family and special friends together to celebrate life’s magical moments and times. The ceremony was very beautiful and romantic on the Shoalhaven River Terara. 

Here is my immediate family just after the ceremony. Below is the beautiful reception venue , full of candles, flowers and love, . a night of great food, dancing , special memories. 

The flowers at the wedding were divine , I just had to bring some home. Are you after inspiration for a colour way for a quilt?

 Look below , how pretty . Rich deep pinks, pinks, lilacs, magenta, pink-purples, creams, corals with gum tree grey greens. A win win combination. A beautiful appliqué, even pieced quilt combination. Stuck for inspiration ? , Look around at nature, you know when a colour way pleases you. We all stop , smile, take a second glance , maybe take a photo on your phone keep it for another time, your next quilt perhaps. 

Look at the many tints (lighter) and shades( darker) of greens in the below photo . See how they blend beautifully together with the complementary tints and shades of the orange-reds which add a zing effect. Stunning...

The autumn colours here are superb and with the bright clean neutral sky. Look how wonderful the contrast is between the sky and the branches. Contrast  here is what catches my eye first.  When choosing colours for your quilts, perhaps look at the design and ask what element of this design do I want the eye to see first. Consider this in high contrast then add related colours like the autumn leaves to blend. Again inspiration from nature.


My latest work is Dads Dahlia cushion and wall hanging.The colour inspiration here is from nature. Related pinks to oranges with the high bright turquoise blue as the background.  This is a hand drawn by me asymmetrical Dahlia with decorative stitches on my Bernina 770. I like the cushion so much, I had to make a wall size version.This will be at the Quilt NSW show next week details at the end of this post . I enjoyed quilting this. The dahlia appliqué was a little larger than the cushion with extra petals in each row and then quilted petals to extend the dahlia out further into the background. The quilted petals are filled with free form feathers and a heavy triple stitch to outline each individual shape.

The final background is quilted with pebbles of various sizes using my 1/2 grid stencil. One square = one pebble,  4 squares = a larger pebble. Grid quilting between the lines is so enjoyable. Colour on colour quilting with 100% polyester thread makes for flat shiny stitches.
My latest book “Quilting between the Lines” and 3 grids , 1/2 inch, 1 inch square grids and 3 inch diamond grid is available on my web site. I really recommend this if you are after more designs , inspiration and to achieve better free motion quilting skills. It is very popular with quilters of all levels.  


Link here deborah Louie web

I am working through a range of large flower designs and a sneak peak of my next work. More soon.  Loving spending time when I can at home making new work. 

I have just returned home from a very successful teaching trip to Tauranga New Zealand. Robyn Curd co owner of Bernina Sewing centre Tauranga invite me to teach for 6 days at her beautiful shop. Tauranga is a pretty town, a growing town 2 1/2 hours from Auckland. A waterfront town, with delicious restaurants and friendly people.

Tauranga is home to the author of Hairy McCleary and friends. A life size sculpture tribute to the Author Lynley Dodd  who resided in the town. The sculptures are so real looking and wonderfully smooth and worn a little where children have lovingly patted the dogs on the head and backs. Yes I couldn’t resist either ... 

 

And me being an angel. Yeh right...... got to have a go at all that is on offer.
Very cool being picked up every day in this van for work ,  no guesses where we were headed.

 I was blown away by the size of the shop ... huge , workshop area very generous size, also the welcome and hospitality of Robyn and her staff was wonderful.  We had 2 days of a Little Garden cushion with some of the works in progress below. Pretty aren’t they. Lovely seeing ladies using their sewing machines decorative stitches. Please excuse the photos are upside down ...

Then we had 1 day Glamorous clams class machine decorative stitch appliqué  which everyone really enjoyed . Lots of cushions underway , below was my favourite colour combination. 

 
Then I had a day off to spend with my dear friend Loz who has moved back to Nz. We travelled around and had a terrific day seeing the sights.

Back to work with a one day free motion magical 6 class and a 1 day Quilting between the lines grid free motion quilting with wonderful results.

With the final day being Daisy Paths cushion. Some of the flowers below all looking amazing.

 My apologies if I have not shown your work here only so much room on this post.

I had Brenda who I was my class angel for the week of classes. Brenda has made my Hearts and Lollipops quilt. The pattern purchased on my web site and has done the most superb version. Congratulations Brenda just lovely . Thank you for your assistance which was greatly appreciated. 

Have look at this wonderful machine foot case above . Very impressive indeed . Beats mine in a plastic cutlery tray next to my machine ...😉
Below photo is a bit of bathroom humour from the shop...

Very lovely gift from Robyn , unique NZ produce and fabric. It was my absolute please to teach your wonderful customers , so nice to meet you all and happy stitching. 



Quilt NSW Quilt show is held June  20-24 2018 details below , if your in Sydney it is not to be missed.. 

I am proud to be a bronze sponsor of this wonderful event.

I have 2 quilts entered this year, which is our maximum we can enter. There will be over 400 + quilts hanging and quite the logistical feat to organise. The Quilt NSw is run solely by volunteers who do an amazing job. I am so grateful for the opportunity to show my work amongst other Quilt NSW members. It is a members show, not the best of. Any member can exhibit a quilt or two. Just having a go , I always tell my students, it’s not s quilt show without quilts. If it was only award winners then it would be a very quick to view show. I love being part of the excitement ,the hanging day Tuesday is my favourite day.  We get to really have a wonderful close up look at the quilts. Climb ladders , hang quilts, see an empty hall in the morning and by 6 pm a stunning space full of colour has emerged.   

I would like to wish my students who have quilts in this year, all the very best. Enjoy and be proud of your amazing quilts, stand next to them with pride , share your excitement and the explain the making of your quilt experience with the public. Have fun. Enjoy and good luck. 🍀

 Happy Quilting 

XDEB