AQC 2024 Winners

 AQC is over for another year but there were some prizes given out. Every year there is a challenge and this year the theme was 'Oh My Stars'. There was a huge variety of quilts, people can be very imaginative. The winners was Soul Dance by Elizabeth Dubbelde.

Soul Dance by Elizabeth Dubbelde

It was made of recycled jeans but the photo does not do it justice.

Viewer's Choice was Balthazar's Camel by Julie Tasker.

Balthazar's Camel by Julie Tasker

Best of Show in the Australian Quilt Show was Tathra Wharf by Gloria Loughman.

Tathra Wharf by Gloria Loughman

Here is a photo of Gloria with her big cheque. Fancy winning $10,000. She could hardly believe it.  

Susan Sheath won Best Modern quilt with Mexican Hats.

Mexican Hats by Susan Sheath

I was so busy working on the Bernina stand this year that I didn't take many quilt photos, but I did manage to take some that caught by eye.

I liked two quilts that were in the SAQA Red exhibition.

Finding Neverland no. 8 by Jan Soules

The Implication of Red by Hsin-Chen Lin

The Implication of Red detail

I liked some of the quilts by the tutors.

Ceramic Portals by Julie Haddrick

Journal Quilts by Gillian Travis.

I went to a lecture by Gillian Travis and she explained how she makes little quilts inspired by her travel photos and then stitches them together to make wall hangings. I think it is such a good idea.

I think that AQC is the best quilt show in Australia and we are so lucky that it is held in Melbourne every year.

Bye for now,

Linda

AQC 2024

 AQC or the Australasian Quilt Convention is over for another year. I am so lucky that it is held in Melbourne where I live because it means that I can go every year.

This year I was the guest artist on the BERNINA stand and it was a fabulous experience. The stand was 12 metres long so it was hard to get a photo of it all. It was a great honour to be asked.

Bernina Australia stand

I sat down at a Q16 sewing machine and demonstrated quilting and talked to visitors at the show for four days. People were so kind about my quilts and I received many compliments.

Demonstrating the Q16

I even managed to sell a couple of machines, which was a highlight. It was an easy sell though, I have the Q20 and I love it. The Bernina people were lovely to hang around with too.

I also had a quilt in the SAQA Red Display. It is the quilt that sold in Houston last year, so it will be the last time that I see it.

Autumn Song by Linda Steele

I took some more photos of quilts that I liked.

Two Ponies and a Dog by Jocelyn Trembath

Australian Flora by Bev Butler

Conundrum by Belinda Betts

I also escaped from the Bernina stand on the first day to have a catch up with some SAQA members from all over Australia.

SAQA Oceania catch up

I took some more quilt photos but I'll put them in the next post.

Linda Steele on Bernina Stand

Bye for now,

Linda

AQC Time

 The Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC) is on again this week. It starts on Thursday 11th April and finishes on the Sunday. I will be there on Wednesday with other Victorian Quilter members to set up the quilt show.

The exciting news is that I will be on the BERNINA stand everyday as their Guest Artist. I will be spending my time quilting on the Q20 and talking to visitors. I will also have a display of some of my quilts at the stand.

There will be lots of quilt exhibitions and one of them is the SAQA Red exhibition and my quilt, Autumn Song was used for the front cover of the catalogue.

This quilt sold at Houston last year, so I am very grateful that I will get to see the quilt one more time before it goes to its new owner.

Autumn Song

Autumn Song was the first Improv quilt that I made.

If you are coming to AQC please come and say hello to me at the BERNINA stand.

Bye for now,

Linda

AQC 2023

 After four years the Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC) was back in Victoria. We just slipped into it like it had never been away.

It was held at the beautiful Royal Exhibition Building, such a lovely place to spend our time.

The Royal Exhibition Building

 Even though I live in Melbourne, I stayed in the city so I didn't have to drive back and forward every day. I stayed with Clare, a lady that I met on the Morocco Tour. 

I took a photo from upstairs where the classes were being held.

Every year, they run a challenge and this year's theme was called In Full Bloom. I didn't make one this year but my friend, Sue de Vanny won 1st prize.

Grow Around You by Sue de Vanny

Second place went to Elizabeth Dubbelde for her quilt, Denim in Bloom

Denim in Bloom by Elizabeth Dubbelde

Viewer' Choice went to someone else I know, Karen McGregor for her quilt A Feast of Nectar. She was absolutely thrilled.

Karen McGregor with A Feast of Nectar.

Here is a close up photo, she had thread painted the birds and the blossoms.

A Feast of Nectar detail

There was a miniature quilt display by award winning artist Kumiko Frydl, she was also a teacher at the Convention.

Kumiko Frydl Display.

We had never seen such perfect miniatures before, every one was a treasure. The one below was only 10.5 inches square.

Mission Impossible 2 by Kumiko Frydl

There was also a display of quilts from the International du Carrefour European Patchwork Meeting in France. They were so different from our quilts. It was especially good to meet the French ladies because I am going to their next show in France in September this year.

This was the quilt that was on their posters and advertising.

Brave Lucy by Rhoda Bennett

The Australian Quilt Show is in it's second year and this year I entered 2 quilts. The prizes were announced on Wednesday night at the cocktail party. I was absolutely thrilled to win 3 prizes for my quilt Life Goes On. 

I was sitting next to Gloria Loughman and she won 2 prizes for her quilt, so we excitedly had a photo together.

I was so surprised to win a prize, I didn't even have a photo of it. I put the news that I had won the prizes on Facebook and people started asking to see a photo. I had to wait until the next morning to pin the rosettes and have a photo taken.

Life Goes On by Linda Steele

I won a Judges Commendation for Modern Quilts and Best Machine quilting for a mid or longarm machine and Best Abstract quilt. How amazing, you just never know!

Best of Show went to another modern, abstract quilt by Lyn Crump.

Bev 10-08 by Lyn Crump.

It was a wonderful four days and so lovely to catch up with all my quilting friends from all over Australia. We even managed a catch up with the SAQA Oceania group, normally we only see each other via Zoom.

SAQA Oceania Meeting

Everyone loves the Quilt Convention, which is why people travel from all over Australia to be there. The dates have already been set for April next year.

Bye for now,

Linda

Preparing for AQC

 The Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC) is on next week and Victorian Quilters help Expertise Events put on the show. We help them set up and provide tutor helpers and white glove people to look after the quilts.

AQC hasn't been held in Melbourne for four years because of Covid. That four years has really flown but we are all 4 years older and we have been having trouble getting enough volunteers to help.

This year for the first time the Australian Quilt Show will be held at the Convention. I entered two quilts, mainly because I wanted some gone while we were preparing for the new carpet. I was thrilled to find out that my quilts were both accepted and will go on tour around Australia this year.

I entered Life Goes On and First Day Fears.

Life Goes On by Linda Steele

First Day Fears by Linda Steele

We had the family over last weekend for my youngest son's birthday and we managed to get a photo of the grandchildren-it's like herding cats!

We are all prepared for Easter too.

Bye for now,

Linda

AQC 2022

A  couple of weeks ago I flew up to Brisbane with my friend Jill to AQC (The Australasian Quilt Convention). It's the usual story, it didn't go ahead in 2020 or 2021 and it's usually held in Melbourne, where I live. Apparently the venue couldn't guarantee that it would be available because it has been a vaccination centre. I usually work with the event company to organise and hang the quilts etc., so I was glad to go up and be a visitor for a change.

The weather was lovely and warm and the theme was celebrate, which is exactly how everyone felt after so long.

It was so good to catch up with quilting friends from all over Australia once more. There was a cocktail party the first night.

Here I am with my friend Jill, ready to enjoy our time up there.

I also caught up with my friend Julie Haddrick and we loved that Brisbane skyline, it added to the party atmosphere.

Women come from all over Australia to do classes, shop and look at quilts. Jill and I weren't doing any classes, we shopped and went to a couple of lectures, enjoyed the gala dinner and caught up with friends.

The quilt displays at the Convention are mainly art quilts, which are my favourite, so I love the show.

There were many different exhibitions. The challenge was called 'Going Green'. I didn't get a chance to make anything but I loved seeing everyone's ideas.

The winner was Harmony in Green by Rachelle Denneny.

Second Prize went to They're Bagged by Kathryn Harmer Fox.

I also liked Nature's Resilience by Raylene Richardson.

Another Exhibition was The State of the Art 2020.

First Prize went to Water Course by Brenda Wood.

Second Prize went to Pam Hill for Blue Space.

The SAQA, Beyond the Mirror exhibition is in Australia too and I was so pleased to see the quilt, Becoming one with the Night by Bobbi Baugh.

 My friend Sue de Vanny had a display of her quilts up there and she was doing a floor talk every morning at 11. We went along the first morning to help encourage a crowd and ask questions! Here she is mid-talk.

Gloria Loughman also had a display of her quilts, it was so good to see them again, we also enjoyed her lecture. Here's Gloria's famous Boab Tree quilt.

I also love her Fern Pool quilt.

Fern Pool by Gloria Loughman

These are just a few of the many photos that I took. I also went out to dinner every night with friends and visited the Art Gallery and Museum.

It was a big shock to come home to Melbourne's winter weather.

It has just been announced that AQC is returning to Melbourne in April next year, but it was so lovely to have it up in Brisbane for a change.

Bye for now,

Linda