A Sunny Thursday

Hi Everyone,

After all the rain in Sydney over the last weeks, it was good to see the sun on Thursday.
Unfortunately though, the rain has not been falling in the Catchment area and many parts of NSW are in severe drought.

Members were talking about the QuiltNSW show and the various quilts on display. A QuiltNSW member won the first raffle prize. The show was a great success. Many photos were shared.

Alison had visited the Patchwork Plus stand at the show with her daughter. They were chatting with the owner and found that her shop is in Miranda. They subsequently visited the shop. Alison was impressed with the variety of fabrics for sale including many spots and stripes.
The owner very generously donated 5 metres or so of beautiful soft fabric stripes. We will use these pieces for baby quilts and backings.

Sheila had also visited a quilt shop, Patchwork on Pittwater in Mona Vale, during the week. This one doesn't have a shop front but is upstairs which makes it difficult to find. It is worth a visit if you are in the area.

Iris has received a few more single bed quilts for the Women's Shelter. They have asked for 18 so if you can help out that would be good.

Show and Tell:

First up we have a colourful quilt from Gill.  Gill was at Logan's and discovered that the owner is retiring so they are closing down. It is always sad to see a shop close.

A teaser sample of our Traditional Quilt for our show next year. Volunteers are needed to help with the hand quilting. It really is a lovely quilt.

Below are photos of quilts we are donating to the Women's Shelter.

Until next week .....

QuiltNSW Show

Hi Everyone,

I'm back from holidays! Thanks to Jenny for standing in for me and also Alison and Iris for keeping the blog going.
We had a lovely trip but it is always good to get home and back to normal. One thing that I was particularly happy to see everywhere was the effort to recycle plastics and paper etc. and the number of wind farms we flew over.

The QuiltNSW show is on this weekend. I spent most of Friday there. There are some amazing quilts on display. Catherine Butterworth won Best in Show and what a quilt!
I sat in on one of her talks where she described her process and thinking and came away full of ideas as well as wonder at her creativity.
It took her 11 months to make and it is really wonderful.

Iris had some news for us.

* You may remember that a few weeks back we gave some cot quilts to the CWA in the Pilliga called Come By Chance.
We received a copy of their newsletter in which they thanked us for our donation.

* Sally from the Hornsby Women's shelter has requested 18 single bed sized quilts for the month of August. We have 6 in the cupboard. So get stitching everyone.
If you have any at home, please make sure they are freshly washed and labelled.

* Iris also mentioned that the price of batting has gone up considerably. We have found a new supplier.
This means that we will no longer 'sell' any batting to our members. It will all be used for Community quilts.
The new batting is an 80:20 cotton poly and wider and costs $27/metre.

Kitchen:

Suzie Lord spent most of last week cleaning out the kitchen cupboard. All the cups were thoroughly cleaned. Please make sure that you use hot water and soap when washing the cups. This is particularly appropriate during this winter cold and flu season.

Show and Tell:

 A baby quilt from Jenny

A tiny sample of our Traditional Raffle Quilt for our show next year. It is a beauty! Thank you to Christie who has done a lot of the work to get the quilt to this stage.
Please volunteer to help with the hand quilting.

And that's all folks for this week .........

Lots of members still travelling ...

So, Iris on Blog this week. 

Jenny reminded us that the QuiltNSW Show is on next week, Wednesday 19th to Sunday 23rd at the Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.     Five days of all things quilting, stitching and crafting. 

Excellent progress with the traditional raffle quilt:   Christie and her team of helpers, ironed, then ironed again, went shopping for wadding and then got down to the job of pinning it all together. 

Show and Tell: 

Marie K has been super busy this week, with three quilts for show and tell:

This little cutie for the Grace Centre Newborns

These two 'toddler-size' quilts for Robyn Jo to deliver to Amelia House

Note the counting theme!

Chickens are in!

Although we call ourselves a 'quilt' group ...   just look at the other various 'stitching' activities in progress on Thursday:

Happy stitching, until next  week.

June Community Day

It was an exciting day for the Hunters Hill Quilters to see Christie putting the raffle quilt together and there was lots of Show and Tell.
Sheila has finished her knotted rag rug...

Sheila's knotted rag rug

Beryl R. who broke her finger a few weeks ago, needed something to do so she made a quilt for Barry the Dog who we are told is not terribly fussy about the quality of the quilting:

Beryl B. has made this stunning Millefiori quilt without using any papers...

Millefiori Quilt by Beryl R.

Closeup

 Then there were lots of baby quilts for the Grace Centre from Carolyn, Alison, and her friend Annie...

Baby quilt by Carolyn

Baby quilt by Carolyn

Baby quilt by Carolyn

Baby quilt by Carolyn

Baby quilt by Alison

Baby quilt by Alison

Baby quilt by Annie

 

Baby quilt by Annie

Baby quilt by Annie

Baby quilt by Annie

Baby quilt by Annie and Alison

Baby quilt by Annie and Alison

A busy day at the office

Hello Everyone,

Alison here. I thought that the blog was a bit late this week and then remembered that I an responsible for it while Judy is away. 

It was a very busy day, perhaps because the cool weather is here at last and we feel more like quilting.

All the blocks for the traditional raffle quilt are finished and some of us are putting them together this week. It promises to be absolutely beautiful.

Sally admired a quilt that Carolyn was making and was overjoyed when Carolyn presented it as a gift to her on Thursday. As Kathy commented, it looks like something that Sally would make but it would take 20 years:

Quilt by Carolyn

Closeup showing the tiny hexagons

We also have some baby quilts for the Grace Center made by Bev and Lindy

Baby quilt by Bev

Baby quilt by Lindy

Another baby quilt by Lindy

An inspiring Show and Tell

This week's "Show and Tell" was so inspiring that many of us went home and thought about some new projects.
Suzie has made a lovely fluffy rag rug for a friend's grandchild:

Rag rug by Suzie

Marie G. likes to keep busy and has hand pieced and quilted all these hexagons checks into a delightful quilt:

Quilt by Marie G.

Helena stole the show this week with three quilts:
This is her version of Liberty Fields designed by Kathy Doughty from Material Obsession

Quilt by Helena

Helena had some fabric left over so made this lovely baby quilt for the Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care

Baby quilt by Helena

Helena has almost finished a quilt designed by Wendy Williams. Here are some close-ups:

A Casual Remark

Hi Everyone,

I went into the kitchen on Thursday to make a cup of tea. Felicity's carer was heating something in the microwave. She looked at me and said 'a nice group'. She used to belong to a group who crochet when she lived in Canberra and she misses it.

I was reflecting on my way home and thought how lucky we are to have such 'a nice group'. We are pretty terrific when you think about it!

It was so good to see Beryl this week. She looks good after all her trauma. She even managed to finish the Traditional quilt block by using stab stitch. Amazing! All done with her thumb with wire through it.

Thank you to everyone who made one of the Traditional blocks. They are all ready now to be put together. It is going to be a most beautiful quilt.

Felicity's husband works at Westmead hospital. He was present when Carolyn and the girls were displaying the kangaroo quilts we had given them. He was most impressed. The quilts were very well received.

Grace spoke about the NSW Guild's Friday Showcase. They always have an interesting speaker and many girls attend. Friday Showcase is held on the first Friday of each month except in June because of the Guild Show which is on from 19 - 23 June. Grace suggested that we get a group together one Friday and then have lunch in town. Sounds good.

I had a peek at some of the embroidered items that Elva, Joy and Helen are making to sell at our show next year. I spotted a number of things that I would like to buy. Elva is bursting with ideas. There seems no end to her imagination. Such clever ladies.

A number of us will be away now over the June/July period. Jenny will be in charge.  Don't get up to too much mischief!

Show and Tell:

Alison had a lot of Patons 5 ply Bluebell crepe wool. She crocheted a lovely rug/throw. Apparently the Bluebell is not made any more. I remember it well. Mum knitted a number of cardigans and jumpers for me with it.

Sue St. has been doing quilling. She showed us this using two strips of ribbon. I apologise for over exposing it. The colours are red and blue.

Until next time .....