No drop-in on the afternoon of 14 March

Due to an unavoidable commitment elsewhere of the drop-in co-ordinator there will be no drop-in between 1-4pm on Wednesday 14 March.

QFO Excess Fabric Sale - 17 March (International Quilters' Day)

Quilts For Others (QFO) has been the recipient of some very generous donations of fabric from estates and members' downsizing. To help alleviate some storage issues and to raise funds for batting and thread to be used in future QFO quilts, a SALE of excess fabric and some donated tops will take place on Saturday 17 Feb, between 10am and 4pm. The sale will be in the Canberra Quilters room at the Cook Community Hub in Templeton Street.
Fabric is from $5 a bag, cash sales only.

Here is an example of a quilt made by QFO for donation to charity (over 200 were donated in 2011):

Art Quilters meeting - new start time of 1pm

Just a reminder that the Art Quilters will be meeting tomorrow (Saturday), starting at 1pm, until 4pm.
This is a change to the previously advertised start time.
The formal part of the meeting will be first, followed by creative pursuits. The fabric swap projects are due to be revealed at this meeting.

Workshop Vacancy - Advanced Dyeing on 24 March

There is one place remaining in the Advanced Dyeing workshop with Mary Kennedy. You will be using Procion fibre reactive dyes and need to have completed the beginner's class or have some understanding of fibre reactive dyes.
The class is on 24 March from 10am to 3pm, cost is $85. This includes dye supplies.
You will go on a tour around the colour wheel, producing 20 fat quarters by the end of the day.

For further information or to take up this offer, contact the workshop co-ordinator Jakki Cashman, here

Quilt Show in Goulburn 10 & 11 March

Here is a message from one of our members/ sponsors about a quilt show in Goulburn next weekend:

Quilts at Mandelson’s of Goulburn

Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March; 10am-4pm

Entry by gold coin; all proceeds go to local Anglicare Emergency Accommodation.

This is a quilt show with a difference! There will be a huge array of superb quilts from well known quilters from this area and beyond. Our guest quilters are Beth Miller and Wendy Keegan (from QuiltsbyPattern), and we will also be showing prizewinning quilts from this year’s Canberra Show.

The ‘difference’ is that the quilts will be shown around the magnificence of Mandelson’s, using the building and antique furniture to display them to their best advantage. The quilts vary from traditionally pieced designs to contemporary appliqué patterns, and will be sure to inspire. 

There will be items for sale from Claire Ayling Bali Batiks (contemporary cotton batik fabric), Julie Woods Superior Threads (top quality threads in stunning colours for every occasion), Beth Miller and Wendy Keegan from QuiltsbyPattern (the designs can be seen in the quilts on display), and also Bungendore Country Patchwork will be with us with an array of needs for quilters. Please note that purchases can be made with cash or cheque.

As the quilt show is taking place there will be no High Tea this month, but Claire and Steve will be serving tea, coffee and  wonderful slices and cakes in Mandelson’s dining room.

The Quilt Show is to coincide with Goulburn’s Heritage and Roses Festival.

Mandelson’s is on the corner of Sloane and Clinton Streets in central Goulburn. Entry from the front door in Sloane Street.

Claire Ayling Bali Batiks

4821 0707 / 0421334404
claire.ayling@bigpond.com

Rowmakers group kicks off for 2012

The first meeting for the Rowmakers was on 8 February. The Rowmakers started last year, making a row-by-row quilt throughout the year.
This was the set-up meeting for the rest of the year.  It was well attended, as can be seen by the picture below. We also have a number of members participating "by correspondence" as they can't make it to the second Wednesday.

This year the design challenge will focus on feature blocks, although participants can make more each month and go with rows. Each month three elements will be selected and you have to incorporate at least two of the three.
Here is a message from Joanne West, our co-ordinator (fearless leader?):
What a great meeting! Thanks to everyone who turned up and the positive attitudes. I'm pleased to see we haven't suddenly become quiet. What we need is the decibel meter from the Australian Open. I'm sure we'd beat Sharapova but maybe not Azarenka!

The INGREDIENTS for the first BLOCK (or ROW) are;

.BLACK (Yvonne Williams)

.CURVES/CIRCLES (Colleen Reed)

.STARS (Shirley Rollins)

Remember that you only have to include two of the above, but you can include all three if you wish. And flexibility and interpretations are encouraged.

Don't stress, it will get easier as we go along. (Usually)
Hope to see all of you at our next meeting on Wednesday 14 March.
Have fun!

See you on the 14th with your completed block.  After the meeting, the library will be open until 1.00pm.

Blankets of Love

Blankets of Love is a long-running program of Canberra Quilters, co-ordinated by Joan Porta and Anne Eccleston. Last year 100 quilts were donated to Canberra Hospital and Calvary John James. Joan and Anne want to build up the stocks for this year as the cupboard is nearly bare.
This program also runs throughout the rest of Australia, with local quilt groups co-ordinating the effort with the hospitals in their region.
The program donates quilts (about 50-60 cm square) to the maternity wards and neo-natal units of hospitals for use in the case of a still-birth or a death in the neo-natal unit. The baby is wrapped in the quilt. A small postcard-size quilt, replicating the design of the larger quilt is also donated. This is put in a memory box for the parents and is only one of the important keepsakes included in the box.

If you are interested in making a quilt, here are the guidelines:
Size: 50-60cm square. Postcard quilt is 10cm x 15cm
Fabrics: Your choice- nursery prints, pastels, small prints. Patchwork-weight cottons or poly-cottons, nothing too heavy like furnishing.
Batting: Not required
Backing: Please use flannelette as it is soft and flexible.
Quilting: Minimal or practise some free motion swirls and loops.

Here are some examples of donations made in the last couple of weeks:

All donations gratefully accepted.

Like to meet the members?

At our evening meeting on the first Thursday of the month we have a group of members who perform an important tole. They are "the greeters". They are stationed at the front entrance and welcome people, get you to sign in, give you your lucky door ticket and answer any questions you may have - or point out who you can ask.
For the past two years the members of Allsorts friendship group has performed this role. They are retiring from this and would like to handover to another group. Here is a description from Pam, of Allsorts :
The task is not onerous and we have had a lot of fun taking on this role.

So if it is that great, why aren’t we staying on? Well we did consider this; but for most of our group, our lives have changed very significantly in the last 12 months and we need to step aside for the moment to take up other roles. Life will change again as time goes by.

It is a job we would however highly recommend for a friendship group – or just a small group of friends (3 people per night is a good number – but not everyone will be able to come each time). It is easy, enjoyable, fun.

It is a great opportunity to ‘do your bit’ for a year without taking on a huge role. And you don’t do it alone either! Of all the jobs at CQ this has to be one of the simplest, with very little time commitment, no preparation and minimal responsibility. And you get to meet lots of new (and old) faces.

If you would be interested in having a go, but don’t belong to a friendship group (or you are interested, but your group is not), and you would be happy to work with others in a similar position, then contact Melinda (president) or Tricia (vice-president).  Enjoy! 

Quilt shows at the moment

Over the next few days you can visit 3 spaces showing quilts:
Canberra Grammar School Gallery:3Ds is an exhibition exploring dimensional twists in fabric, silver and paint. Until February 25. Open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm and Saturday, 11am-4pm. 40 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill.
The Q Exhibition space in Queanbeyan has the Australia Wide 2 exhibition. See 31 January post below for details. Closes on Saturday, February 25.
Then of course on Friday, Saturday and Sunday there are the quilts on display at the Crafts Expo at the Royal Canberra Show. See www.canberrashow.org.au

Friendly Friday Meeting - 24 Feb

Don't forget that this Friday is the Friendly Friday meeting at Cook from 10am-1pm. This is followed by drop-in time until 4pm.
Come along to sew and chat, use the library, perhaps you need advice or have a quilt to baste. Don't forget that large pinning table.

Art Quilters' meeting tomorrow - 11/2

A message from Buffy Beggs - convemor of the Art Quilt special interest group:

Our first meeting of 2012 will be this Saturday, 11^th Feb. at 1pm

I think our first meeting should be planning/priorities, etc so there will be NO mini-workshop.

Let’s talk about where we’re going, what we’d like to accomplish this year, mini-workshops, exhibitions, etc
Bring Show&Tell, books, information about exhibitions or workshops …
See you at 1pm

Friendly Friday Meeting in February- back to original day

This was originally moved to the third Friday because of an apparent clash with a workshop date. This confusion has been resolved and the Friendly Friday meeting will be as normal on the 4th Friday. That is the 24th of February, 10am - 1pm, followed by drop-in until 4pm.

Workshops with Canberra Quilters

Our workshop program has some exciting prospects early in the year. There are still places available so contact Workshop Co-ordinator Jakki (details in newsletter) or follow link on CQ website- workshop list.
11 Feb - Basics of Dyeing (fibre reactive) with Mary Kennedy at Strathnairn. $55 includes materials cost of $30.

25-26 Feb - Introduction to Border Prints with Margaret Kirkby from Logan's Patchwork. Two days of exploring use of border print fabrics. $110 for two days

24 March - Advanced Dyeing (prerequisite Basic Dyeing) with Mary Kennedy at Strathnairn.$85 includes materials cost of $60.

Art quilts in Queanbeyan

Australia Wide Two

A touring exhibition by Ozquilt Network Inc

7-25 February 2012

A touring exhibition by Ozquilt Network Inc: Australia’s National organisation for Art Quilters.

Stitched and layered works showcasing original and diverse interpretations of contemporary

textile art from Australia’s leading and emerging quilt artists.

Opening night

Tuesday 7 February 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Opening by Dianne Firth 6:00pm
Associate Professor and Head of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra
Member of Ozquilt Network Inc

'The Q' Exhibition Space
Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre
Lowe Street Queanbeyan
6285 6290 www.theq.net.au
Weekdays 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am - 3pm

Details of image:

Quilt # 6 Colour Patch Series: Yellow & White

Sue Dennis
Sunnybank QLD

ROWmakers for 2012 & recap images for 2011 (Long post)

In 10 days (8 Feb) the first ROWmakers meeting will be held for 2012. This is the set-up meeting for the year, where we draw out our first month's ingredients. Those of you who signed up for this year should have an email today from Joanne, detailing this year's design focus, some hints for preparing for a well-designed quilt and the lists of ingredients.

This year we can choose to go in a different direction and produce a feature block each month, incorporating the chosen ingredients. We are each creating our own block-of-the-month.  Makers can still go with the row format if they want to. Each month we will publish the ingredients here, as well as in-progress images.

We had a lot of fun last year and here are the quilts (finished in some cases) that were shown at our last get together of the year. We were all amazed at the diversity of interpretation!
Those of you who are able should bring your work to the evening meeting on 2 Feb for show and tell.

Position Vacant...

At the evening meeting we normally have a couple of people at the welcome desk - getting members and guests to sign in, collect their lucky-door tickets and to answer any questions.
This role is a fun one - you get to meet with lots of people, and is usually taken on by a friendship group. The team that has been doing it for a while now are retiring from the role and  Canberra Quilters committee are seeking someone or another friendship group to take over. If you are interested please contact the President, Melinda.

Our next evening meeting is on Thursday 2 February, 7.30pm start. This is the teachers' and sponsors' night- so come along and see what is on offer this year.

Happy New Year & welcome back!

Canberra Quilters Inc premises have reopened after a break for the holidays. Today is a drop-in day from 10am until 4pm. Everybody welcome.
Next Monday night from 7.30 until 9.30pm is the first evening drop-in for the year.

From now on we are back to our regular cycle of meetings and drop-in days (Wednesdays and Fridays). Just a reminder that the library will be available at a number of these drop-ins, as well as the meetings.

See you all soon!

Opportunity for Canberra Quilters' members

The Wesley Uniting Church at Forrest holds its fete on 17 March 2012. Canberra Quilters have been invited to participate by selling hand-crafted items, similar to what is sold in the Sales Room at our Annual Exhibition. Members would be acting as individual sellers, not through Canberra Quilters.

If you are interested in participating you need to sign up with the Wesley organising committee. All the details are on the Wesley website. Here is a link - Wesley church fete - craft

Evening Meeting - 1 December

This is the final evening meeting for the year. It is also the meeting for the reveal of the Mini-Quilt Challenge. The theme is "Stars". The item needs to be no larger than 24 inches in any dimension and represent the theme is some way. It could be through fabric choice or the overall design.
You also have the opportunity to attach a 300 word story relating to the quilt.

A toy drive is being conducted for local women's refuges. Baskets will be available at the meeting for you to drop off new (UNWRAPPED) toys.
The library is open from 7.00pm, closing at meeting start time of 7.30pm and re-opening after the formal part of the meeting is finished.

Also a reminder that membership fees are due. Canberra Quilters membership runs for the calendar year.  Membership fees are accepted at the meeting or through the post. Annual fee is $46, Junior Member is $16.50.

Wonderful Wednesday Christmas Meeting - 16 November

It was a fun meeting with lots of Christmas decorations and food!
We received $81.25 in donations as votes for the Christmas challenges. This will be topped up to $100 and donated to the women's refuge.
Below is a link to some images taken at the meeting.
Link to skydrive
Next WW will be on January  18th, from 9.30. and all ROWers are encouraged to come along and display their row quilts.

Merry Christmas.

Jacquie

Call for entries - Antique Quilts of Ireland

We have received the following request:

Call for Entries - Antique Quilts of Ireland Exhibit at the Galway City Museum.

We are looking for antique Irish quilts to feature at the Galway City Museum during the 1^st International Quilt Festival of Ireland (June 7-10, 2012). We would like to feature quilts especially around the time of the Great Famine (1845) and up to 1930.

These quilts will be on display for three weeks at the Galway City Museum starting from one week before the festival to one week after the festival. All quilts will be showcased in our festival program and in our online Showcase of Quilts.

How to submit:

If you’re interested in sharing one of your Antique Quilts please contact Suz at suz@iqfoi.com for all submissions and questions. IQFOI will pay the costs of shipping to and from Ireland.

Many thanks

Alan R Tremain

Director – Oz Quilt Design

Guest Speaker tonight - Life Member Beryl Hodges

At the evening meeting tonight our guest speaker is Beryl Hodges. Beryl is a life member and former president and has been quilting for many years. Beryl will present "A Personal Retrospective".
Meeting starts at 7.30pm at the Cook Community Hub Hall.

The library is open before the meeting (from 7.00pm) and after the meeting - in the Canberra Quilters Room in Building C.

Braidwood Quilt Event - Deadline approaches for entries

This year, a local Braidwood business, Cortona Resources, is offering an acquisitive award of $1,000 for an art quilt at the Braidwood Quilt Event with the theme

"We are Australian".

As well as this acquisitive award, there is the usual $200 prize for viewers' choice at the indoor exhibition (the main competition, which is open from the official opening on the Friday night, to the end of the day on the Sunday), plus an additional $200 prize for the viewers' choice winner of the outdoor exhibition (the Airing of the Quilts which is held on the Saturday only). There are some other cash prizes on offer as well, plus the usual other kinds of prizes for various categories.

The deadline for receipt of entry forms is Monday October 24, 2011, and the quilts must be received by Monday November 14, 2011.

The actual Braidwood Quilt Event runs from the evening of Friday November 25 (6 pm for the official opening, till about 7:30 pm), to Sunday November 27. If you'd like more info about categories, entry fees, etc. go to the website www.braidwoodquiltevent.org.au or email Jill (the Braidwood Quilters president) on dunvegan@activ8.net.au

You can also phone Jill on (02) 4842 2626, or June (vice president, and owner of the Braidwood Quilt Shop) on (02) 4842 2355.

Wonderful Wednesday Meeting on 19/10

A message from our meeting co-ordinator Jacquie...

The next meeting is in the Community Hall at the Cook Hub, starting at 9.30pm
This meeting starts our lead up to Christmas with a Christmas Fabric Lucky Dip.
So parcel up about a fat quarter of Christmas Fabric from your stash and bring it along. In exchange you will get some fabric that another member could do without and then the fun begins.

You will have a month to incorporate this fabric into something to bring along to the WW Christmas meeting on 16 November.
We will have a fundraising competition at the November meeting.  No exchanging of gifts this year we are going to raise some money for a local charity.
You will be displaying the item you made incorporating the Lucky Dip Fabric. This item must have wadding but need not be a quilt. It could be a stuffed animal, a tea cozy or perhaps a Christmas Tree decoration – whatever you feel like making.
There will be prizes for the best ones.

ROWmakers meeting today- final ingredients revealed

Joanne West reports on today's meeting...
We had another very enjoyable meeting this morning. The design walls were full again. By my count, it looks like we'll have about 30 quilts to show off. I think that's fantastic!

I'm glad we finally have the INGREDIENTS for the final row. To make things easier, I came up with a bit of a twist this time. We chose two ingredients from each list - but YOU ONLY HAVE TO USE ONE OF EACH..... YOU CHOOSE!!!!!

From the first list the INGREDIENTS are : BASKETS or BIRDS/ANIMALS (You choose which one you'd prefer).

From the second list the INGREDIENTS are : PINK or BLACK (Again, you choose which one of these two you prefer).

The ladies who chose these were Helen Percy, Mary Robertson, Pat Kenna and Pam McNamara.

I hope this makes it easier for everyone to finish. At the end of this post I'll include a complete list in case anyone is not sure.
Next month our meeting will be on Wednesday 9 November. As well as our usual show-and-tell we'll have a Share-a-Technique session and a discussion of the guidelines for next year's challenge. We'll also be discussing arrangements for our Christmas party on Wednesday 14 December. If you'd like some input, be sure to come along. Also, feel free to bring along any friends who may be interested in joining us next year. And don't forget that the design walls are a great resource for anyone wanting to arrange their rows (with free "expert" advice thrown in).

 Have fun finishing your rows and bring them along next month.

LIST OF INGREDIENTS

1. DIAMONDS/HEXAGONS and PURPLE

2 .CIRCLES/CURVES and YELLOW
3. STARS and STRIPES
4. BUTTERFLIES/BUGS/BEES and ORANGE
5. FLOWERS/TREES/LEAVES and GREEN
6. HEARTS and APPLIQUE
7. WORDS and BLUE
8. BASKETS or BIRDS/ANIMALS and PINK or BLACK

Theme for Wonderful Wednesday Meeting on 21/9

Tomorrow is the Wonderful Wednesday meeting in the Community Hall at the Cook Hub. The themed show & tell is "First and Last" - members and visitors are encouraged to bring along their first quilt and the last one that they have made.
Starts at 9.30 until 12.30. Sewing and chat until 11.00, when the formal proceedings start.
The meeting is followed by a drop-in session in the Canberra Quilters' room, in the building adjacent to the hall. This runs until 4pm.

Quilts For Others (QFO) working bee - 13/9

The next QFO day will be on Tuesday 13 September from 10am until 2.30pm - come along and help where you can. It could be quilting, sewing for a quilt-as-you-go quilt, hand-sewing bindings and labels, cutting, pin-basting...there are any number of activities you can help with. The working bees are held on the second Tuesday of the month (excluding December and January).

Tea and coffee supplied - BYO lunch.
If you are going to be sewing by machine you can bring YOUR machine and sewing accessories, OR use one of the four Bernina machines that Canberra Quilters own for just this purpose - whatever you feel comfortable with.
At the recent members exhibition at the Quilt and Craft Fair QFO volunteers were busy sewing. Bernina provide us with loan machines for the exhibition - the 440 Quilters Edition. Here are a couple of images of volunteers hard at work...

 Yvonne is sewing strips on a quilt-as-you-block. In the background you can see a completed quilt using this technique.

Anieta is quilting one of the quilts prepared at a QFO working bee. Quilting in public is fun - but you have to be able to sew and talk at the same time. Members of the public love to ask lots of questions!

So far this year 131 quilts have been handed over to various organisations. This includes 67 that were distributed to Karinya, Marymead, Ted Noffs Foundation, Anglicare, Uniting Care and the Women's Housing Program. Sometimes quilts are given to organisations to use as fund-raisers through raffles or auctions. Four quilts in this category were given to Make-A-Wish, Gungahlin Lions Club, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, and two were given to Calvary Hospital.

Workshop on Basics of Dyeing(with fibre reactive dyes) September 10

This Saturday CQ accredited teacher Mary Kennedy will be leading a workshop in hand-dyeing using Procion MX fibre reactive dyes. You will learn the basics of dyeing and come away with 12 fat quarters of hand-dyed fabric - be initiated into this wonderful world of colour!
Class runs from 10-3 at Strathnairn Arts Association, 90 Stockdill Road, Holt. Cost is $55, including materials fee. Contact workshop coordinator Jakki Cashman to secure your place: jakkicashman@homemail.com.au

Art Quilters Meeting - 10 September

The Art Quilters special interest group of Canberra Quilters meets this Saturday at our Cook headquarters.
The meeting starts at 10.30am and there will be a mini workshop on screen printing, presented by Anne Dickens. Contact Buffy Beggs for more details.

Row by Row - round 5 (July)

In July our 5th row was due. The elements to be included were the colour green and flowers, trees or leaves.
The quilts are starting to form into cohesive works now - colour themes and styles are more obvious. Japanese styles, beige/ cream pallette, white background, yellow background, garden-themed, child-themed - the variety is amazing given we are incorporating the same elements each row.
In some ways this is testing members to keep with their chosen direction and also incorporate the chosen elements.

We have had a break for the month of August because the annual exhibition was on, but the next meeting is only 2 1/2 weeks away so it is time to get sewing. The elements chosen for inclusion are hearts and applique.
This could be a trial for those who have pieced everything so far (your truly).
See you on 14 September for a 10.30 start. This will be our 6th row - we will be three quarters of the way with our rows.
Liz Rose