Happy Jack class cancelled- 3 April

Just a reminder that the Happy Jack class on 3 April has been cancelled due to lack of numbers. There is one place available in the class on 14 April. Other classes will be scheduled in the coming months.
Contact workshop co-ordinator Jakki.

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!