I've been quilting for 20 years!

I have recently joined the Victorian Quilters committee and the editor of the magazine asked me to write a paragraph about my quilting likes etc. While I was wondering what to write it occurred to me to work out how long I have been quilting, I was surprised to realise that it was 20 years ago that I went along to my first beginners class. I didn't really know what a quilt was back then and I had booked into the class not knowing what the quilt even looked like.

I still have that first quilt and have very fond memories of making it because I was hooked from the first lesson.

My first Quilt

I had no idea how much quilting would take over my life. I have made many quilts and done many classes over the years. After about 6 years of following patterns I started to design my own quilts and then the obsession really began.

I have joined the Vic Quilters committee because I am taking on the role of Showcase Coordinator! Yes, I am actually taking on the running of our state quilt show.

At the Vic Quilters Annual General meeting earlier this month I was awarded my Judges Certificate.

Last year I was awarded my teaching certificate.

I have also been a Quilt Appraiser for a number of years. I certainly didn't set out to achieve these things, they just sort of happened along the way.

Quilting has been a wonderful part of my life and I have made many friends over the years. I wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn't gone along to that class 20 years ago?

Bye for now,

Linda

My Crazy Blocks

The Southern Cross Crazies Round Robin is over and I have received my blocks back. I sent off 5 base blocks earlier this year and one by one they have been embroidered by the other participants and now I have them back.

It was supposed to be a tone on tone round robin which means that the embroidery should be in the same colours as the base block, I said that they could do whatever they wanted. It's fun to look at what they have done. Everyone has a different style.

By Alison

By Florence

By Maureen B

By Maureen T

By Patti

I don't have any plans for the blocks; they will go into the pile with the previous round robins that I have participated in. One day when I get enough I might get them out and put them all into a quilt.

I got a surprise in the mail the other day, Florence had been dyeing some laces and she sent me some. What a kind thing to do.

Laces from Florence

Bye for now,
Linda

Crazy Quilting Round Robin completed

I have finally posted off the blocks in the last round of the Round Robin 2017 for the online group the Southern Cross Crazies.
The last block that I had to embroider was for Florence. Her blocks were a lovely blue/green silk. This is the block that I chose to work on.

Because this is the last round I got to see all the blocks that the others in the group had done.

I've been with this group for a few years now and I can guess who has made which block because everyone has their own style.

I picked out the ribbons and threads that I thought I'd use and got to work.

As I was working I was thinking about what the others had done and realized that they had all stuck to the tone on tone theme. That means that you only use the colours that are in the base block. Florence had asked us to stick to the tone on tone theme and so I realized that I couldn't use the orange and yellow threads that I had picked out for some contrast.

I found it a bit of a challenge at first because I am used to using lots of colours and I love the pop of the complementary colour, which is the opposite colour on the colour wheel. As I worked away I came to terms with the tone on tone theme and ended up loving the more subtle look.

I have since heard from Florence and she loved the block that I made for her. I had sent her a photo of the block and she said that it looks even more beautiful in person! Thanks Florence.

Bye for now,

Linda

Vic Quilters Showcase 2017

I had a wonderful time at the Victorian Quilters Showcase last week, I loved looking at the wonderful quilts, catching up with friends and of-course doing some shopping.

Best of Show was won by Sugy Kim with her original, machine pieced and hand quilted quilt named Colourful Retina.

Colourful Retina by Sugy Kim

Here is a photo of Sugy in front of her wonderful quilt. I know Sugy and she is a lovely soft spoken, gracious lady.

Sugy Kim

Runner up to Best of Show was Cameo Rose by Elizabeth Allen.

Cameo Rose by Elizabeth Allen

Here is a close up photo of the quilt so you can see some detail.

Cameo Rose detail

For some reason the background looks white but it was actually a pale pink, it must have been something to do with the lighting when I took the photo.

Chris Serong was the Profile a Quilter this year and her display of mainly traditional quilts was stunning.

Here is Chris in front of her quilts.

Chris Serong and her quilts

Chris Serong's quilts were all very traditional so her modern quilt really stood out.

Hexagon Flower by Chris Serong

I took a lot of photos, far too many to put up on my blog but here are a few to give you an idea of the show.

Agapanthus by Linda Crouch, a miniature quilt won Excellence in domestic machine quilting; her applique was very special as well.

Agapanthus by Linda Crouch

The retaining the Tradition Award was won by Noelene McGuren for her quilt Alex's Journey.

Alex's Journey by Noelene McGuren

It was made up of lots of little squares on point.

Alex's Journey by Nolene McGuren detail

I was facing Allsorts by Sue Broadway when I was selling raffle tickets and I had a terrible craving for liquorice all-sorts, I wonder why?

Allsorts by Sue Broadway

There were a couple of modern quilts that I really liked.

Deconstructed Lone star by Carolyn Murfitt

Harry's Quilt by Penny Cade

I think that I especially loved the quilting on the modern quilts.

Harry's Quilt by Penny Cade detail

Here are a couple of the pictorial quilts; I loved this turtle especially as I am into under the sea quilts at the moment. I am actually making a quilt with a turtle and I think Karen's is much better. She's a young, enthusiastic quilter and one to watch in the future.

Green Sea Turtle by Karen McGregor

I loved If These Walls Could Speak by Linden Lancaster, she is so talented and whenever I see her quilts I wish that I had done them.

If These Walls Could Speak by Linden Lancaster

Here is a gorgeous quilt by long- arm quilter Karen Terrens called Snow White, it was so delicate and pretty and so beautifully quilted.

Snow White by Karen Terrens

My photo doesn't do this quilt justice; it is by long-arm quilter Ramona Resurreccion. The white centre is a vintage table-cloth and I always think of my friend Gina who collects vintage linens when I see this done. You can see Gina's blog and her posts about vintage linens Here Her blog is called Patra's Place of Stitching and Vintage Linens

Il Vignetto by Ramona Resurreccion

I loved this Japanese Inspired quilt by Pattie McDonald.

Japanese Dreaming by Pattie McDonald

This small quilt by Julie Adamson done with silk was absolutely beautiful, it is hand appliqued and hand quilted.

Jacobean Revival by Julie Adamson

Here is a close up detail to get an idea of the perfection.

Jacobean Revival by Julie Adamson detail

My friend from Waverley Patchworkers, Ronnie Heagney won Best Amateur Applique and Best Amateur quilt with her quilt Scherenschnitte in Fabric. She was absolutely thrilled with her awards and she won a sewing machine from Bernina.

Scherenschnitte in Fabric by Ronnie Heagney

This last quilt was in the non judged section but I thought it was really pretty, it was called Sophisticated Medallion by Trish Lang.

Sophisticated Medallion by Trish Lang

I showed the quilt that I had in the show in my last post, it is called The Bleaching.

Bye for now,
Linda

The Bleaching is a winner at Showcase 2017

I have just spent a lovely few days at the Victorian Quilters Showcase and I was absolutely thrilled when the latest quilt in my Coral Reef series called The Bleaching won 2 prizes.

Here is a photo of me with my quilt not long after the awards ceremony. I won 1st in Pictorial and also Excellence in Embroidery and Embellishment.

The quilt is about how the coral reefs are suffering with the higher water temperatures which cause the coral to bleach and turn white. The middle section is all black and white to show what can happen to our coral reefs.
The last section shows the reef starting to regenerate because I wanted a happy ending.

Here are some detail photos.
I wanted to include some Clown fish swimming among the anemones but they were quite fiddly to make.

I have included quite a lot of embroidery by hand and machine on the quilt.

 People keep asking me how long the quilt took to make and I honestly lost track of time but I started it late in 2016 and finished it around June this year but I was working on other things as well.

I know that the hand embroidery was quite time consuming, and each coral section took a few days to make.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt.

The quilt ended up measuring 49" wide and 31" long.

When I get a chance I'll do a post about how I made the quilt.

There were so many beautiful quilts in the show and I took many photos, so in my next post I show some of them.

Bye for now,
Linda