Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue #95 2019 i Quilters Companion

Firstly, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fun Christmas and exciting New Year. Secondly, thank you! Thank you for all the warm and encouraging feedback we have received regarding the re-design of Quilters Companion. Plus it seems that many of you are enjoying the extra content, including articles and how-tos. I look forward to bringing you more great articles to keep you inspired and informed. This issue’s Block Masterclass shows you how to master the Double Wedding Ring block. It may have curved seams, but it is doable, and we take you step-by-step through all you need to know to confidently make a DWR. If you would like to try this gorgeous all-time favourite pattern, we share a project on page 86 featuring foundation paper piecing. They…

The relaxed design of this cushion is heightened by the use of raw-edged hexagons that Jane has incorporated. They have been artfully held in place with Sashiko stitches using cotton crochet thread. The fabric is yarn-dyed and woven in one of the few remaining factories in Japan that still use this traditional technique. The thread is a fine crochet cotton, also produced in Japan by the Olympus Thread Company. Jane also shares instructions for how to make the cushion as well as a handy hint for making your own cushion insert. The hexagon shape is included on the Pattern Sheet. If you wish to buy pre-made papers, it’s quite likely you won’t be able to buy them with edges that are 9/16 in long. You could use shapes that have…

Best of Show Retaining the Tradition The Caswell Challenge, 176.5cm x 203cm, (69½in x 80in), Judith Stacey Quilted by Meredith England Pattern source — The Caswell Quilt, a reproduction pattern by Corliss Searcey Artist’s statement: The Caswell Quilt challenged me to extend my quilting skills to learn new techniques such as needleturn appliqué, bias making and fussy cutting, guided by my quilting mentor, Sharon Porter. Combined Piecing and Appliqué — Amateur Australian Eden, 227cm x 225cm (89in x 88½in), Mary Heard Pattern source — Val Moore Artist’s statement: Begun shortly after my dad died at my home, it was put away for some years, taken out and put away several times. Finally finished quilting Easter 2018. I love it but it may be the last queen-size quilt I will attempt.…

Textile artist Cindy Watkins has always been intrigued by the magic of nature and has had a fascination with trees from a young age. “One of my earliest memories is going with my dad into the forest when I was very young,” Cindy recalls. “It was like a magical world of dappled light, rich, clean smells, and strange and wondrous plants and animals. Every tree I stitch takes me back there.” Cindy was introduced to sewing by her grandmother, then her mother introduced her to quilting. She didn’t have a real interest in patchwork until 11 years ago, when she saw a project by art quilter Helen Godden in a magazine, which sparked her interest in art quilting. “I have already found it greatly beneficial to focus on one theme,…

Despite this creative confidence, the DWR pattern still presents as complex; it is one that puts off beginners as it includes a lot of building units and curved piecing. Just over three decades ago, in my early 20s, I joined a class by (then well-known tutor) Noreen Dunn to make a Double Wedding Ring quilt using the method that Mary Ellen Hopkins (also very well known) had shared in her (then) recently published book. I hadn’t been quilting long enough to be wary of curves, so when I was told this is how you do it, I just did it. Fortunately for me, my curved piecing turned out okay. It certainly helped that I had a patient teacher peering over my shoulder, giving me guidance. At the time, the technique…

This quilt is a traditional medallion style that features washed woven wool appliqué and a little reverse appliqué, along with pieced blocks and borders. The fabrics used are from the collection called Cumberland County, a line of reproduction fabrics inspired by an antique quilt that Deirdre owns. Designed by Deirdre and produced by Leutenegger, they were released a few months ago. The name of each print is shown in parentheses in the Materials list, so you can buy the same fabrics as Deirdre has used if you wish. Deirdre likes to give her quilts meaningful names; as this quilt is made using reproduction fabrics from circa 1830–1890, she looked for something historical from around that time. She discovered that Waltzing Matilda was written by Banjo Patterson in Winton, Queensland, in…

To purchase any of these, and hundreds of other patterns from the team at Quilters Companion and Australian Homespun magazines, please visit www.cosyproject.com…

Most obviously – what do you want the machine to do? If you are planning on basic sewing then an introductory machine may be the best option and these can retail up to about $1000. If you are looking for a machine that does a bit more than the basics but doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, then a middle of the road model may suit your needs and these retail from around $1000-$3000 dollars. If you are a super serious sewer and will use all the functions available on top machines then go for it! You’ll be looking to spend from $5000 to $10,000+. Remember you get what you pay for – cheap sewing machines are nasty sewing machines. Once you know what you are looking for go…

Australian Mementos The competitors in the recent Invictus Games in Sydney all took home a unique Australian memento from the games thanks to the RSL Auxiliaries of Australia. More than 550 laundry bags — one for each competitor — a quilt for each of the 18 competing nations, and more than 1250 black and yellow poppies for family members to wear as a symbol of their support for the competitors were hand-crafted and gifted. Quilts were also made for several high-profile guests, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The quilts and laundry bags were Australian-themed and included Indigenous material sourced from the Northern Territory for the laundry bags, as well as scenes on the quilts representing iconic Australian sites such as the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour Bridge.…

When she moved to a new home in 2005, Wendy was thrilled to have a dedicated sewing space. “It was very decadent,” she recalls. Over the years her workspace has developed, along with her passion for quilting and patchwork. “I have a big custom-made sewing bench to work on,” Wendy enthuses. Her studio features large windows with views out to beautiful Lake Colac, and they also overlook the back garden, for which Wendy won an award in 2012. “There is also lots of bird life,” she adds. It is not just the views that give this creative space so much charm. Wendy’s studio features an eclectic mix of projects, trinkets and keepsakes, making it a smorgasbord of interest every way you look. Quilting projects adorn the walls in both large…

Babies love black and white, and the directional print of this background fabric provides lots of movement and fun. It also creates chance for error! Ensure your fabrics are in the correct orientation before cutting them. There is merit in pre-cutting all pieces and chain piecing in many quilt patterns, however, if you are using directional prints, it pays to slow down the process and cut and piece a block or two at a time. Laying out the pieces to the left of the needle is a good way to keep the fabrics under control. Each of the coloured arrows requires less than a fat eighth of fabric (9in x 22in) — one 3½in square and one 3⅞in square. Your scrap basket may yield all the prints you need. In…

The North Wind block reminded Wendy Sheppard of garden patches — and that coupled well with the new fabric range by Lynette Anderson, Sweet Garden of Mine, by Lecien. Combining a traditional block design with a modern layout, this quilt is constructed by straightforward piecing, with half-square-triangles — which can create a striking visual effect with just a little play. Finished size: 173cm x 142cm (68in x 56in) Finished block size: 6in square Materials • Fat eighth of each of 20 print fabrics in muted tones of lavender, pink, blue, grey, and almond (blocks). Wendy used fabrics from the Sweet Garden of Mine range by Lynette Anderson for Lecien• 1.9m (2⅛yd) beige tone-on-tone print fabric (block backgrounds and border)• 55cm (⅝yd) grey tone-on-tone print fabric (binding)• 3.2m (3½yd) backing fabric•…

This is no ordinary Double Wedding Ring quilt — this is a Double ‘Diamond’ Wedding Ring! You will certainly fall in love with this pattern with its special ‘centre’ block, where you will find the ‘diamond’. The curved seams may seem daunting, but foundation paper piecing will take away the stress as you stitch this sparkling beauty. If you haven’t sewn a Double Wedding Ring pattern before, you may like to read through the Block Masterclass on page 78, where we cover various techniques of construction and tips and tricks, including foundation piecing. In Sarah Elizabeth Sharp’s book, Adventures in Paper Piecing & Design, this is one of many projects that expand on the techniques she shares as well as developing your own designing skills. Finished quilt size: 142cm (56in)…

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…

Influenced by her love of the Flying Geese block and the colour blue, Cheryl Filby incorporated both pieced and appliquéd Flying Geese into this quilt — along with some arrow heads! While the style is traditional, the block designs are original. Cheryl has also used raw-edge appliqué, blanket-stitch appliqué (her favourite!) and machine piecing. Finished quilt size: 183cm (72in) square Finished block size: 15in square Materials • 3m (3¼yd) light cream and blue print fabric (block backgrounds and Borders 1, 2 and 3)• 2m (2⅛yd) dark cream and blue print fabric (Borders 3 and 4)• 35cm (⅜yd) each of 24 assorted blue print fabrics• 60cm (⅝yd) blue print fabric (binding)• 4m (4⅜yd) backing fabric• Batting at least 200cm (80in) square• Fusible web• Stranded embroidery floss to match the blue print…

2019 Quilting Retreats With Leading Australian Quilt Artists The Quilting Room live-in retreats run four or five times a year and have done so since 2011. Bookings for 2019 retreats are filling so don’t miss out! Katrina Hadjimichael returns in February with her beautiful Highbury quilt (pictured), and Lisa Walton will be teaching her Permission to Play workshop in May which incorporates numerous textile art techniques. Katrina Hadjimichael is returning in June to teach three of her machine-pieced quilts. Pam Holland will be teaching her Masterclass, House of Whimsy, in September and Deborah Louie is planning something new for her October workshop. The two- or three-day workshops are held in Adelaide and offer either live-in or day places. The cost includes teachers’ fees, home-style cooked meals and accommodation, if choosing…

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 Asia Discovery Tours Suite 1302, Level 13, 370 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Ph: (02)9267 7699, website: www.asiadiscoverytours.com.au Batik-Oetoro (Dyeman P/L) 3/11 Nevin Close, Gateshead NSW 2290. Ph: (02) 4943 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. Ph: 1800 237 646 or (02) 9899 1188, email: bernina@bernina.com.au, website: www.bernina.com.au Braidwood Quilt Shop Shop 6 Albion Centre, Wallace Street, Braidwood NSW 2622. Ph: (02) 4842 2355, email: braidwoodquilts@bordernet.com.au Brother Australia Ph: 1300 880 297, email: brothermarketing@brother.com.au, website: www.brother.com.au Can Do Books 39 Clifford Street, Huntingdale Vic 3166.…

Bernina Best of Show Large Quilt (professional) Best Use of Colour Modern Quilting Blurring the Edges, 208cm (89in) square Beth and Trevor Reid Artist’s statement: Trevor’s diagnosis of cataracts inspired this design, with blurred edges of objects and diffusion of lights shown as the condition takes effect. Fabrics collected over the years were utilised to produce a quilt with a spectrum of colour and light. All-cotton fabric, wool-polyester batting, machine quilted and manipulated machine embroidery stitch. Art Quilt (open) Appreciation: Ineka, 70cm x 99cm (27½in x 39in) Helen Godden Artist’s statement: My muse — my daughter Ineka, a complex young woman with a very bright future. A holiday photo from when we visited the dry Lake Hart. The glare from the dry desert salt pan requires sunglasses, even for a…

In the mid to end of the 19th century, madder prints were popular due to their colourfastness. The red colour was produced from the compound alizarin found in the roots of the madder plant, along with some other obnoxious ingredients such as urine, blood and animal dung. This antique quilt appealed to Michelle Marvig due to the number of fabulous madder prints to be found in the design. In the quilt, the sashings are simply long lengths of fabric. However, the maker has not aligned the blocks very well. Michelle has chosen to modify the instructions to add cornerstones between the sashings — see the Quilt Layout Diagram on page 42. They add visual interest while also making it much easier to keep the blocks aligned. While this antique quilt…

Bullseye Quilts from Vintage to Modern: Paper Piece Stunning Projects By Becky Goldsmith From veteran author, teacher and designer Becky Goldsmith comes this amazingly striking Bullseye quilt with easy-to-use paper-piecing foundations. Though the result looks complicated, the quilt comes together easily with Becky’s simple, friendly instructions. Make the stunning Bullseye all on its own, add a border of Flying Geese, or make nine smaller Bullseye blocks for an eye-catching quilt. Published by C&T Publishing Free-Motion Quilting from Ordinary to Extraordinary: 3 Steps to Joyful Machine Stitching in 21 Days Jenny K Lyon You can obtain free-motion finesse by discovering the secret to confident free-motion work and find the courage to take on any quilting project in 21 days! Quilting teacher Jenny Lyon shares an easy, three-step process to help you…

The following instructions are abridged from those found in Adventures in Paper Piecing & Design by Sarah Elizabeth Sharp, and assume you have a working knowledge of paper piecing. In the book she shares a more in-depth explanation of her foundation paper piecing (FPP) method (based on many years of trial and error); an introduction to designing your own FPP patterns; and design exercise prompts to help you master the process. Trace the patterns for the foundations from the Pattern Sheet onto paper and cut them out outside the outer edges. Cut more than enough fabric to cover each of the numbered areas in the first lettered section. Place the fabric for area 1 so the wrong side of the fabric faces the wrong (blank) side of the foundation. Hold…

These are the last four blocks of Deborah’s glorious Baltimore Blooms Sew Along — Feathers and Flowers, Birds and Bud Wreath, Flat Vase, and Feathered Whig Rose The Feathers and Flowers block is Deborah’s favourite; she used the Sydney Opera House flowers again. She used artistic licence and chose different greens for each feather, even though a real Baltimore Album quilt would have used the same green fabric for everything. In the Flat Vase block she has designed a vase inspired by a hand-quilting detail in an old wholecloth quilt. This block also provides some visual balance to Block 2, which was reproduced from a more folk-style Baltimore quilt. This project is being published over five issues of Quilters Companion, #92—#96 inclusive. The complete list of materials needed for the…

Take a drive through the suburbs to appreciate many Frank Lloyd Wright buildings before visiting his first house and studio at Oak Park. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is a main hub for airlines and is a great place to start a tour of this area. It is a wonderful city for quilt inspiration, with many famous buildings and artworks easily accessible to the public. You can take an architecture tour along the Chicago River, visit Millennium Park or take a drive through the suburbs to appreciate many Frank Lloyd Wright buildings before visiting his first house and studio at Oak Park. Back down town you can find the Art Institute of Chicago. This is a major museum due to the collections it holds. If you can…

New South Wales February 14–16 Sydney Stitches & Craft Show ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour, Hall 5 Open Thu-Sat 9.30am–4pm March 2-3 Murrumbidgee/Yoogali Murrumbidgee Country Quilters’ 12th Biennial Quilt Exhibition St Mary’s Hall, Edon St, Yoogali (via Griffith) Quilt display, raffles, trading tables and handmade goods Open 9.30am-5pm Entry $5 More information: Marion Amery 0427 635 409 March 16-17 Shoalhaven Lioness Quilt & Craft Show St Michaels School Hall, North St, Nowra Open Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 10am-3pm Entry $5 More information: Jenny (02) 4464 1072 April 20-21 Macksville Verandah Post Quilt Show Macksville Senior Citizens Centre, 39 Princess Street, Macksville Open 10am-4pm Entry $5 More information: Diane Banks (02) 6568 1829 April 26-28 Springwood Springwood Quilt Show Springwood High School, Grose Road, Faulconbridge A biennial quilt show featuring the…