Another productive Thursday

As Elva enjoys her scenic holiday around New Zealand,  new vice president, Judy organised the weekly news and Iris here on blog.

A couple of reminders:

• Membership fees are due:  see treasurer, Grace. 
• Any unfinished blocks for the contemporary 2018 raffle quilt must be in next week, also to Grace:  this is how it looks so far:

Helena demonstrated 'Extreme Knitting'  ...   needles were huge, 15 cms in diameter and the blanket she knitted weighed 5 Kilos  (Helena, if I've got those measurements wrong - let me know)

Show and Tell  ... lots !

Jenny was on a roll with two finished tops, both for community:  working on her UFOs.  This one had many of Vi's blue fabrics.

And this one was based around the pink  'braid' make by Sue Robuck :  both lovely memories of old friends.

I also had a finished top which was made from an UFO donated to the 'cupboard'  ...  all the triangles were already cut - I just had to put them together.   The purple fabric was the left over from our 2008 raffle quilts - no scrap goes unused.

And a finished quilt for the community stash from Doreen and Gil:  it was shown last week, but only photographed (very badly, sorry) on Thursday.    This was also a UFO from a friend which became Gil's challenge.    Heather was responsible for the free motion quilting.  The quilt came with a matching bag by Gil.   I think it should be called 'Orangeade' ?

They are still coming  ...     The first of Adrienne's three quilts is finished: worked on by many members.   It is beautiful and will be donated to a very worthy charity after Adrienne has seen it.

And finally  ...   five more cot quilts:  some from June and Beryl R and, I'm sorry,  my notes have let me down.

A very productive day.    Enjoy a good stitching week  ..  Iris

AGM day - 16/2/17

A very good roll up to HHQ this week, possibly because of our Annual General Meeting. 

Happily by the end of the day, all positions on the new committee for 2017 were filled, and the continuing business of the group can seamlessly carry on. 

A reminder that yearly membership fees are due, with the closing date 31/3/17.

We were very happy to announce that there are now 6 new members, and look forward to more possibly this year. It's always great to have new blood in the group, new ideas and strengths to share.

Robyn J has pieced all the blocks of the Traditional Show Quilt together, by hand and all by herself!

It looks amazing, and discussion continued regarding how to quilt it.

Thanks so much for your efforts Robyn, and those of all the girls who contributed a block.

      

The Contemporary Show Quilt is also coming along nicely, looking spectacular on the design wall.

Thanks to Grace for the initial workshop teaching us about the "borro" technique, and how to apply it to this design. Looking very promising. Please let us know if you need more blocks or bits Grace.

          

The only other Show and Tell this week was a small quilt which was originally started by Joan Gai (a previous member I believe). She tired of it and so Gil took it on to finish. Well done Gil!

       

I will see you all when I return in early March. Iris will take over blog duties while I'm away. Thanks Iris.

Until then, stay well and safe, and enjoy your stitching!

Cheers, Elva

HOORAY - FIXED WI FI!

At last the techs have fixed my wi fi connection. Below find the pictures which I couldn't send with the last blog.

Cheers, see you Thursday!

The Traditional blocks spread out on the floor!

     

Wagga for the CWA, made by Jess.

                            

Maree K's scrappy quilt top.

Jenny's baby quilt.

Susan H's six baby quilts.

    

DONE! Sorry for the delay!

STILL STEAMY HOT! 9/2/17

We sweated away valiantly in the hall this week, with the air-conditioners not really cooperating at full strength!

Robyn J was delighted that all the Traditional Quilt blocks are now in and that the overall quality of the work was so high! Well done girls! Now all that's needed is layout, piecing and finally the big quilting job. The style of the quilting is still being debated. Let us know if you have any ideas. Needs to be of traditional style, while at the same time being manageable for members. Great if lots of girls can participate. Thanks Robyn for all your preparatory work. It was an amazing effort!

Remember that the September retreat this year will be the weekend of September 15, 16 and 17.

Remember also that next Thursday February 16th will be our AGM, starting at 12pm. Normal start for quilting, and then we'll pause to hold the AGM. Hope to see a good turn out!

Iris showed a beautiful Wagga which has been chosen for donation to the CWA. It was made by Jess and will be handed over to Barbara Ward this weekend.

At Show and Tell this week we had a baby quilt from Jenny S and five baby quilts from Susan Hartigan.

A lovely scrappy quilt top from Maree Kennedy.

(Owing to wi fi technical difficulties, I haven't been able to include the pictures from this week's meeting. Sorry! I'll include them next week assuming I get this thing sorted!$@###?!!!!

Cheers till we meet next week.

Elva

February Community Day

Thursday was the first community day for 2017 and there was a lot of activity in progress:  fabric selections, cutting and pinning.

Special Dairy Dates:  

Hazelhurst Gallery,  Gymea,    February 11 - 21, 2017:  Rolina Project Exhibition.   The final works from a course by Bob James,  entitled 'Abstraction - Colour and Design in Art Quilts ' will be on display.  Several of our quilters took part in the course and  have their works on display: everyone is invited to attend.  

Early reminder of the dates for our annual retreat at Blackheath:  September 15 - 17, 2017.  Elva also mentioned that there is a vacancy for a Retreat Coordinator :  volunteers please chat with Elva.  

AGM - notices have gone out for Thursday, February 16th, 12 noon.  An opportunity for all members to show their appreciation for the 2016 committee and welcome the new 2017 committee.  

Donations: 

Grace arrived with a couple of boxes of donations for the group:    'wagga'  wool  from the Quilt NSW guild and fabric for community work from Kathy D.   All were admired and distributed.  As always we thank Kathy for her constant generosity to the group.

Show and Tell:

Four new baby cot quilts for the Grace Centre:   3 from Lindy and 1 from Beryl R.   All super cute.

A very proud Merlyn showed off the apron made and appliqued by her grandson: great work.

A cot quilt from Iris:  made for that satisfaction you get from a 'finished' UFO.

Happy sewing, see you next week,   Iris    (Elva is sorting out 'technology' problems !!)

A quiet day - Thursday 19/1/2017

Elva was enjoying  a 'Grandma' day,  so Grace was in charge of news and this is Iris on blog!

First the housekeeping news:

• No quilting next Thursday - enjoy your Australia Day
• Kerry will email/distribute the AGM notice and agenda in the coming week.  Our AGM will be on Thursday 16/2/2017.    Several positions are vacant.
• Raffle quilt blocks:
• Ensure that your completed traditional blocks are given to Robyn asap.  Just a few missing.

• Completed contemporary blocks to be given to Grace by the 16/2/2017.   The circles are looking so dramatic and I can't believe that I didn't get pictures.

Show and tell ... 

Top of the 'whoa'  list, was a huge quilt top from Marie K.  A present for her daughter.  Lots of 'scraps' together with Kathy Doughty's latest fabric range, Folk Art Revolution.

A community quilt - aptly named 'Stained Glass'    Top by Narelle and quilted by Iris.

Grace shared a Memory Quilt that she had just finished:  make for a young girl from her outgrown clothes

Have a fun Australia Day and see you on February 2nd - first community day for 2017.      Iris  ..

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! 12/1/17

Welcome back everyone!

We started the year with a good size group, and it was clear that people had been pretty busy with quilting work over the break.

Traditional blocks and contemporary ones were emerging from all directions, and being handed to Grace and Robyn. For those who still have blocks being done, just bring them along when you can so that putting our 2018 Show raffle quilts together can begin. 

In addition to these, it wasn't long into the day before a wonderful array of quilt tops appeared on the floor! Amazing amount of work by first Jenny S,

and also Iris....

and finally Karen.

From what I gather, all three girls have been completing these as part of a '365 day block' challenge of some sort. All the rest of us could say was 'WOW!'

Grace displayed some of the Contemporary Quilt blocks which have been handed in, and it certainly looks spectacular enough just lying on the table. Imagine what the finished quilt will be like! Very exciting.....

Iris also showed the quilt top which many of us participated in during the 2016 Show. It made pleasant for work in the new Stitching Lounge section of the event. Definitely an innovation to repeat next show I'd say! And the quilt is looking wonderful. Iris is looking for suggestion as to the quilting, and quite a few of us like the idea of stipple. Let her know what you think. 

Grace displayed six little baby quilts which she has been working on over the break. She said she was trying desperately to reduce her stash, but for some strange reason, it still seems to keep growing?!

I think we all know that phenomenon don't we?

They're gorgeous anyway Grace. 

And finally we had another baby quilt from Val. She said she deliberately kept the border fairly plain because there was so much colour and interest in the main fabric itself. A lovely result.

Phew! I hope these girls enjoyed their 'break' and got out and about as well!

Talk about starting with a bang!

At this rate, it looks like a really prolific year of quilt production.

Bring it on!

Thanks to Alison for taking responsibility for production of the 2016 Quilt Show book. If anyone who hasn't ordered one would like to after seeing it, Alison can tell you how to go about it.

We had thanks from Stepping Stone House and Giant Steps for our support of them both, and a response from the Hunters Hill Council about our application for 'Australia Day Event of the Year'. Unfortunate this time we were not successful. There were many applications we gather. 

Well, a great start to the year, and we're off again!