Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#85 - 2017 i Quilters Companion

Who would have ever thought I would be in this position, writing this page? It was 25 years ago when I made my first quilt. I went along to learn how to construct quilts to make samples for the family’s material shop in country NSW. To say I was hooked from the first stitch would be an understatement! I had tried many crafts before the class and enjoyed them, but there is something so creative and fulfilling about patchwork. My first class consisted of two evening workshops only (with my very young children left at home with their father). We learnt to piece a Log Cabin block, then put the quilt top together and discussed borders. I went on to make six Log Cabin quilt tops before I found out…

After recently relocating from Western Australia, Christine says she is fortunate to have found her place in country Victoria. “Our new home has been renovated to include a dedicated studio that overlooks the historic village of Clunes. With large windows to the east, the vista to Mount Beckworth, the skyscape, the seasonal changes and the village in the foreground, the views are at times breathtaking and stirring,” says Christine. “I have often dreamt of having such a space and still pinch myself that my vision has been realised, and in the most unlikely of places have I found myself so creatively abundant.” Christine named her studio The Margie & Bert Design Studio in honour of her parents, Margaret and Albert Lethlean, pioneer wheat and sheep farmers in Western Australia. “In…

In Quilters Companion #84, we looked at using your walking foot to create interesting quilting designs and textures using a 1in cross-hatch stencil. This issue, I would like to explore the same stencil for you, but use the free-motion foot instead. With all free-motion quilting, we attach the freemotion darning foot on the machine. I like to use an open-toe #24 foot on my Bernina. Then we drop or disengage the feed dogs and take the stitch length to zero. If you are new to free-motion quilting, practise for a while on scrap fabric basted with batting. Slowly move the fabric with your hands slightly up and down, then left and right. With free-motion quilting you do not have to turn your quilts — just slide them under your hands,…

May 5–June 18 Mundaring WA-Inspired art quilters’ exhibition; Mundaring Arts Centre, 7190 Great Eastern Highway, Mundaring WA. ‘Primary production in Western Australia’ is the main theme of this exhibition of art quilts, featuring triptychs on farming and the wine, fishing and forestry industries. Open Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm, closed Mondays and public holidays. More information: Email Pat Forster, wainspiredquilters@gmail.com May 20–21 Hoppers Crossing Stitch! By CraftAlive Werribee; Encore Events Centre, 80 Derrimut Rd, Hoppers Crossing Vic. A show dedicated to patchwork, knitting, embroidery, and all things stitching, with products to buy, demos, workshops and much more. Open 9.30am-4pm. More information: Visit www.craftalive.com.au/stitch-by-craftalive May 20 Chermside Nundah Cottage Group Quilt Show; All Saints Anglican Church Hall, 501 Hamilton Rd, Chermside Qld. Quilt display, sales table and quilt and mini raffle. Quilt…

Bobbin Match Mates A simple concept, but oh so handy. The blue plastic plug has a long side and a short side on either side of a stopper. The long side pushes into the centre of your traditional spools of machine thread, leaving the short side exposed. The bobbin wound with the matching thread is pushed onto the short side. You are then able to store the thread and bobbin together. Design boards These handy little items are like mini portable design walls designed by Lori Holt for Riley Blake. Available as 10in x 10in squares, or 18in x 18in squares, they are so useful. They consist of a foam core board covered in cotton batting, edged with fun fabrics. Fabric clings to the cotton batting, so you can lay…

What might you include in your design? Finished size: 150cm (59in) square Finished block size: 111/2in square Materials ♦ An assortment of grey print fabrics to total about 1.7m (2yd) (block backgrounds) ♦ Fat sixteenth each of 16 spot print fabrics (hexagons) ♦ 16 squares, 8cm (3in) of assorted check print fabrics (block centres) ♦ An assortment of printed linens to total about 2.1m (2⅜yd). Christine used old teatowels, tablecloths and doilies ♦ 1.4m (1⅝yd) red check print fabric (hexagon cornerstones, Border 1 and binding) ♦ 90cm (1yd) grey print fabric (Border 2) ♦ 3.4m (3¾yd) backing fabric ♦ Batting at least 170cm (65in) square ♦ Pre-cut 1in hexagon papers or stiff paper to make your own ♦ Template plastic, fine permanent-marking pen/mechanical pencil ♦ Erasable fabric-marking pen ♦ Milliner’s/straw…

Finished size: 198cm (78in) square Finished block size: 6in Materials ♦ 1.5m (1⅝yd) cream print fabric #1 (Nine-patch blocks) ♦ 2m (2¼yd) apricot print fabric (Nine-patch blocks and binding) ♦ 1.25m (1⅜yd) cream print fabric #2 (triangle blocks) ♦ 1.25m (1⅜yd) brown print fabric (triangle blocks) ♦ 1.85m (2yd) large-scale floral print fabric (border) ♦ 2.2m (2½yd) extra-wide (275cm/108in) backing fabric ♦ Batting at least 220cm (85in) square ♦ Rotary cutter, ruler and mat ♦ Sewing machine with ¼in foot ♦ General sewing supplies www.quilterscompanion.wordpress.com Cut the fabric From cream print fabric #1, cut: ♦ 21 strips, 2½in x width of fabric (Nine-patch blocks) From the apricot print fabric, cut: ♦ 21 strips, 2½in x width of fabric (Nine-patch blocks) ♦ eight strips, 2½in x width of fabric (binding) From…

Echidna Sewing Products Address: Head office, 56 Neumann Road, Capalaba Qld 4157 Phone: 1800 000 360 Email: sales@echidnaclub.com.au Website: www.echidnaclub.com.au Each spool of our Hemingworth Embroidery 200m Thread Starter Set contains a hi-sheen polyester embroidery thread, which is 100-per-cent colourfast, soft and supple. The high quality of this thread allows for superb stitching results, giving a brilliant lustre to each design. Suitable for stitching machineembroidery designs and built-in decorative machine stitches. Purchase the complete Thread Starter Set, including 66 different spools of 200m Hemingworth thread, two spools of 1000m Hemingworth thread, a colour card including 300 samples, and also a CD with over 100 embroidery designs, for only $249. Hemingworth thread is also available in the 1000m spool and cap system, from only $6.95 each. Price: RRP $249 Nutex Wholesalers…

The 2017 Road to California quilt show, the largest on the west coast of the USA, was held earlier this year, and the numbers are impressive. The prize pool exceeded US$92,000; more than 35,000 visitors attended; and there were more than 225 vendors in the merchants’ mall! Winner of $10,000 for Best of Show Quilt Sponsored by Gammill Quilting Systems The Twisted Sister Made by Margaret Solomon Gunn (Gorham, ME) Winner of $7500 for Marie White Masterpiece Award Sponsored by Road to California Cardinal Points Made by Gail Stepanek (New Lenox, IL), quilted by Jan Hutchison Started in 2014, finished in 2016 Winner of $5000 for Director’s Choice Sponsored by Moore’s Sewing Center Yuja Made by Linda C Anderson (La Mesa, CA) Winner of $5000 for Outstanding Art Quilt Sponsored…

Finished size: 174cm (68½in) Finished block size: 12in square Materials ♦ Fat eighth of 25 assorted print fabrics (blocks) ♦ 2.5m (2¾yd) plain white fabric (block background) ♦ 60cm (¾yd) red spot print fabric (binding) ♦ 3.9m (4¼yd) backing fabric ♦ Batting at least 190cm (75in) square ♦ Rotary cutter, ruler and mat ♦ Sewing machine with ¼in foot ♦ General sewing supplies www.quilterscompanion.wordpress.com Cut the fabric From the plain white fabric, cut: ♦ 12 strips, 4½in x width of fabric. Cross cut them to yield a total of 100 squares, 4½in (G) ♦ three strips, 12½in x width of fabric. Cross cut them to yield a total of 40 rectangles, 2½in x 12½in (H) (sashings) From the red spot print fabric, cut: ♦ seven strips, 2½in x width of…

Finished size: 157.5cm x 77.5cm (62in x 301/2in) Finished block size: 201/2in x 10in Materials ♦ Fat quarter each of nine print fabrics (applique) ♦ Fat quarter each of nine light print fabrics (block backgrounds) ♦ 35cm (⅜yd) multi-coloured print fabric (binding) ♦ 1.8m (2yd) backing fabric ♦ Batting at least 175cm x 90cm (69in x 36in) ♦ Fusible web ♦ Fusible stabiliser (optional — recommended for machine applique) ♦ Rotary cutter, ruler and mat ♦ Sewing machine with ¼in and open-toe embroidery feet ♦ Thread for applique ♦ General sewing supplies www.quilterscompanion.wordpress.com Make the blocks From each of the nine light print fabrics, cut: ♦ one rectangle, 10½in x 21in (block backgrounds). If your fat quarter isn’t quite 21in wide, just cut whatever width is possible. What’s important is…

Kits and block of the month programs are popular choices for quilters for a number of reasons. How many times has a quilt caught your eye and you think “Wow I would love to make that exact same quilt with the same fabrics and colours”? When you buy a kit for a quilt you see you can do just that – make it exactly in the colours and fabrics you see. Kits also take the often difficult job of select fabrics and colours out of the equation. The hard part is done for you so you can just enjoy the sewing. It works the same way with block of the month programs. Shops will offer these programs in either one colourway or they might have several colourways for you to…

Tasmanian inspiration Tasmanian quiltmaker Sandra Champion is the only Australian to have had a quilt selected for inclusion in the Tranquility travelling exhibition sponsored by the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). Sandra’s quilt, entitled Buttongrass Creek: Winter Walk, is one of a series of quilts that uses colour, pattern and texture to reflect the fragility and complexity of Tasmania’s buttongrass plains. It has a base of dressmaker’s pattern tissue, which she painted, layered and hand-stitched onto silk. The Tranquility exhibition debuted in Houston last November before travelling to the Texas Quilt Museum and the International Quilt Festival in Chicago earlier this year. It will be displayed at the Festival of Quilts in the UK in August. Happy pill Jill Hessing from Mulgrave, Vic, has taken out first prize in the…

Scraps, Inc Compiled by Susanne Woods We love fabric, we love making quilts. End result — we have scraps! No need to stress … 15 fabulous modern, scrappy quilts are offered in this softcover publication. The quilt designs are as diverse as the 15 quiltmakers. Strip piecing, template cutting, foundation piecing and appliqué techniques are used to construct the quilts. Some utilise busy fabrics and design, while others feature more negative space in their designs. While these quilts are presented in modern, bright fabrics, they would also work with your leftover vintage, pretty or traditional stash. Grab a cutter and start using up those scraps. Publisher: Lucky Spool The Big Book of Table Toppers By That Patchwork Place Where to start? This 240-page book contains 39 table runner patterns and…

Tools Of The Trade Sewing Machine – Any machine can be used for quiltmaking. It is helpful to have a darning foot as an attachment for the machine for free machine quilting. Iron and ironing board – Make these readily available near your sewing machine so that all seams can be pressed to assist in accurate piecing. Needles – Most quilters favour a ‘between’ needle, size 8-12 for both hand-sewing and hand-quilting. Size 12, the smallest size, is usually used by very experienced quilters. Sewing Thread – Use any cotton or cotton-covered polyester thread. For machine quilting, use cotton, cottoncovered polyester, monofilament or decorative threads. Scissors – Have one pair with sharp points for cutting fabric and a second pair for paper. Marking Tools – Quilters use marking tools for…

A1 Craft and Quilting Ph: 0438 877 664, email: normabradley@bigpond.com, website: www.craftandquilting.com A Little Patch of Country 63 Princes Highway, Trafalgar Vic 3824. Ph: (03) 5633 2311, email: sales@littlepatch.com.au, website: www.littlepatch.com.au Appleyard Cottage PO Box 5595, Minto NSW 2566. Ph: (02) 9603 4671, email: veronica@appleyardcottage.com.au, website: www.appleyardcottage.com.au Asia Discovery Tours Suite 1302, Level 13, 370 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Ph: (02) 9267 7699, fax: (02) 9267 7866, website: www.asiadiscoverytours.com.au Batik-Oetoro (Dyeman) 3/11 Nevin Close, Gates Head NSW 2290. Ph: 02 943 8808, email: sales@dyeman.com BeBe Bold Contemporary Japanese Textiles 25 Elton Street, Lismore, NSW 2480. Ph: (02) 6621 9188, email: bebebold@bigpond.com, website: www.bebebold.com Bernina Australia Unit 10, 15 Carrington Road, Castle Hill NSW 2154. (PO Box 268, Castle Hill NSW 1765) Ph: 1800 237 646 or (02) 9899 1188,…

Next issue, our pages are filled with fantastic textile adventures. We travel to the Southern Highlands of NSW and explore the work of Jennifer Corkish in her textilefilled studio. She shares her instructions for an indigo Boro table runner that will have your fingers itching to stitch! We welcome three new designers to Quilters Companion: Linda Haigh, Jennie Osbourne and Leslie Edwards. Susan Emory of Swirly Girls Designs shares her new, modern quilt, Fractions (pictured). Anne Sommerlad returns with a fantastic fussy cut hexagon quilt and we discover another antique beauty from the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum.…