A Great Day

 Hi Everyone,

What a day we had this week. At 11 am representatives from the two charities we were supporting this year, arrived. Also Narelle brought out the cakes and drinks to celebrate our 40th Anniversary.

Janelle from Days for Girls spoke to us about her charity. She showed us one of the kits they make. One kit lasts for approximately 5 years. It is therefore an ongoing task to make all the items, get them packaged and sent. We were able to donate fabric from our cupboard as well that can be used in the kits. 

Emily from Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women's Shelter explained the many ways donated money is used for the refuge.

We are proud to support such worthy charities.

Our members chatted and mingled around which gave the whole day a party atmosphere.

When we hear the stories of where and how money can help these charities, all the hard work we put into our Show is very worthwhile. For a small group of women we certainly "punch above our weight". A big thank you to everyone.

There was an extra surprise as well. As you know Marie K. makes many quilts. She was talking to her daughter about perhaps selling some of her quilts.  Her daughter and her friends soon took up the challenge and sold all the quilts.
Marie came to me with a cheque that she wanted to include with our donation to the Women's shelter. I was blown away by her generosity and Emily was too.

Thank you Marie!

Executive Meeting:

Later in the day we had an Executive Meeting. Alison has prepared a survey for you all to fill in. We would like feedback from everyone. We all need to be involved with the group and each have her say. Like everything these days, we are evolving, and the way we have always done things may no longer apply.

 The survey will be emailed to everyone and printed copies given to those who are not on line.

Show and Tell:

Some photos from our show.

Morning tea almost all gone. 

Thank you to Kerry who organised the cakes and to Narelle for picking them up.

Janelle and Emily from the charities with their cheques.

Until next time .....

15 September 2022

 Hi Everyone,

Another busy meeting this week - almost full house which is always good to see. Now that the show is over we can concentrate on other things. Had an email this morning to let me know that Christmas is 14 weeks away!

As September 22 has been declared a public holiday in memory of Queen Elizabeth, our next meeting is on 29 September. We will celebrate our 40th Birthday then. Please remember to bring a glass for the toast. We are allowed to sing this year so I hope you will be in good voice.

We have received a very nice letter from our contact at the City of Sydney about the Lord Mayor's Picnic. Unfortunately the City has made the decision to no longer proceed with the Lord Mayor's Picnic on New Years Eve. They will therefore no longer require us to make a quilt for raffle. We have made some pretty spectacular quilts for this event in the past so it is very disappointing. 

Alison and Sandy looked through the cupboards to find dark fabrics to be used for the Days for Girls kits.  Alison, Sandy and I washed and ironed them over the weekend. The lovely sunny weekend was very welcome.

Show and Tell:

Two quilts from Sue D. this week. The first uses the disappearing four patch blocks. The second is an Irene Blanck pattern. Irene's patterns are great for applique and hand stitching.

Until next week .....

8 September 2022

 Hi Everyone,

Birthday wishes to all those who have a September birthday. Spring is in the air and hopefully we can look forward to some sunny weather. Gardens are blooming which is always a wonderful sight.

Akiko has finalised the accounts from our Show. Even though we had 161 fewer guests come we still managed to make enough money to pay our two charities the same amount as last time. 

This is a credit to you all for your hard work. Thank you. Representatives from the two charities will come on our 40th Birthday celebration to receive their cheques. 

As September 22 has been declared a Public Holiday we will celebrate our Birthday on 29 September.

Robyn's trophy has been engraved. I was very happy to give this to her for her Best in Show quilt. It was also very special to have Marie G. at our meeting this week.

Grace spoke to us about the Waggas. Their sales contributed greatly to the amount we can donate. 

Grace suggested that for our Community Day at the beginning of the month, she and Jenny will set up a table to demonstrate and help any who would like to learn how to make a Wagga. They are lovely things to work with using all the beautiful wool fabrics.

Grace also said that two ladies who bought Waggas last show, came back for another one each. Waggas are unique to our group thanks to Doreen who introduced them.

Show and Tell:

Two quilts below were donated by Rhonda.

A cot quilt featuring Dinosaurs from Judy.

Another donated quilted from Rhonda. 

Our Womens Shelter charity asked us to make little decorated felt hearts for them to sell at their show.

Many members rose to the challenge, especially Elva, Joy and Heather. Also Marie K and Iris. Apologies if I have missed anyone. Sandy arranged them into the heart shape. They look so pretty. I am sure they will sell like "hot cakes".

Another quilt donated by Rhonda. All these donated quilts have been taken to a Womens Refuge. I am sure they will bring much comfort.

Until next week .....

1st September 2022

 Hi Everyone,

It was good to have such a big roll up this week. A new member, Dawn joined us as well.

I spoke to Marie G. yesterday. She has been unwell for a while now but remains very positive. A family member reads the Blog to her so she can keep up to date with all our news. 

Carolyn and Robyn S. also have not been well. 

We all send our love and best wishes and look forward to seeing you back at Quilting very soon. 

Some of you heard Gill and her daughter being interviewed on ABC radio on Sunday morning during Simon Marnie's programme. Unfortunately I was tied up with helping a friend being discharged from hospital and couldn't let you all know in time. I should have thought of our WhatsApp group. The interview was delightful and Gill spoke very well.

A reminder from Narelle re the retreat. We need 20 attendees so think about coming if you are free. It is a fun weekend and in lovely grounds where kangaroos run free.

Message from Akiko. Our  HHQ bank account has been closed. We now have a new account for any transfers of money. Ros will email everyone with the details.

We have lost our step ladder. I checked with the Town Hall but couldn't find it. Robyn Jnst has offered us a replacement that she does not want. Thank you Robyn.

We will have our 40th Birthday party on 22 September. Please remember to bring a glass as we have very few plastic ones left.

It was lovely to have Helena back this week from her long holiday. 

Show and Tell:

Merlyn made this using only fabric from her stash. Her daughter will use it as a picnic throw when at sporting events

Alison and her friend made this beautiful quilt for Alison's daughter. They made a wedding ring quilt when her daughter was married. This is a lovely change for her.

This pretty quilt was made from orphan blocks. Lindy, Grace and Iris added bits and pieces. Grace quilted it.

Until next week ......

25 August, 2022

 Hi Everyone,

It was pleasing to see so many this week. Kathy called in and stayed a while. She is always full of ideas and energy. I don't know how she does it.

Items from the show were still being returned. We have more room in the kitchen cupboards now which has eased storage somewhat.

Akiko is waiting for more information from the bank before she can finalise the amount we will be able to donate to our two charities. 
Like everything these days, our rent has gone up. We will also return to our normal annual membership fee next year. 

After Show Committee Meeting:

Reports were received from those in charge of their areas. 

Stage sales were quite a bit higher than last show as were Waggas. Both these areas are important and always the most lucrative. The cafe comes out about even but is the most popular area of the show. The tables and new organisation worked well and made order taking and food delivery easier.

Akiko changed the cash delivery to each section which made it a lot easier for her to keep track.

Raffle ticket sales were down. This was partly due to the fact that a number of members don't come very often. This made it difficult to get the tickets to them. 

Since the show we have had an enquiry about joining; how to hang a beautiful quilt a lady bought at the show; asking for help with sewing wool and thick seams.

I urge you all to become involved with the show. It is a rewarding experience. With more of you involved there will be fresh ideas and suggestions. An example this year was Sue hiring a Go-Get van to pick up and take back the frames. The frames are extremely heavy when packed into their groups. It has always been a problem backing a trailer into the small delivery area at the Hall. Such innovations make everything a little easier.

Retreat:

Narelle handed out the  details for our retreat in October 14-16. Please grab one if you missed out. The prices have gone up but when you think about the meals, morning and afternoon teas etc it is still good value.

Baby Quilts:

We were delighted to see Olivia from Little Wonder arrive this week to collect 40 more quilts. I assume they are for their Father's Day gift bags.  She will be back in October for another lot and then in November  for the purple quilts. They are a very busy group.

Show and Tell:

A quilt for the Ukraine from Marie K.

Cot quilt from Jane

Cot quilt from Sue D.

Until next week ......

18 August 2022

 Hi Everyone,

We had a small group at our meeting this week. Perhaps many are recovering from our show.

Narelle has booked our retreat for 14,15,16 October at Kurri Kurri. A minimum number of 20 is required for this.

Elva demonstrated the little felt hearts we have been requested to make. If you would like to participate, Elva has templates for sizing etc. The money earned from selling the hearts is for charity. 

The Show Committee will meet on 25th of this month for our after show wrap up.  It was interesting to have feedback from some of our members this week. Apparently there were questions from some visitors about the Banner across the freeway that we used to hang. The reason we no longer do that is because it is heavy and difficult to hang from the bridge overpass, especially if it is windy; insurance is extreme as you can imagine if it blew off onto cars below; and it was expensive to have the dates replaced for every show.

We received comments that Hunters Hill residents were unaware of the dates of our show. We had advertised in TWT which many in the area read. However the article was not very prominent and easy to miss.

Another suggestion was that the Bunting needs to be hung at the corner near the Gun Sculpture, as well as at the front of the Town Hall. This would catch your eye as you drive past. A number of visitors remarked on the brightness of the bunting which worked well.

Apparently some people had difficulty locating the Town Hall. Maybe we could put a map on the back of our brochure as Eastwood Quilters did for their new show venue.

It is helpful to receive feedback from the public and your friends so we can improve every year.

No show and tell this week.

Until next week .....

2022 Show

 Hi Everyone,

A big thank you to everyone for helping with the setup and take down and running of our show. All went smoothly.

Thank you to our Judge, Roseanna Gallo OAM who chose the winning quilts, guided expertly by Coleen. It is difficult choosing from such a wonderful display. 

I received many nice comments about the quilts, the layout and of course the scones. Who doesn't love a scone with jam and cream.

The weekend was a lot of hard work but well worth the effort. 703 guests came. Kathy remarked that everyone leaving had a smile on their face!

The kitchen is always a busy area. Hats off to Narelle and Ros and those who worked in the kitchen, including Kerry, the best sandwich organiser ever! 

Sue managed to simplify the job of picking up and dropping back the frames. Hiring a GoGet van worked like a charm. The lighting people were great as well.

Grace sold many Waggas and Wagga kits. The stitching area was welcome and a respite often for tired legs.

Suzie's stage sales were spectacular. We almost sold out on the first day. Thank you to Susan H. also who was the perfect partner on the stage.

So many to thank: Jonquil and Robyn raffle sales; Iris Publicity and History section, the printing, tags for quilts, certificates etc., Elva and her husband for the drinks stand; Akiko for providing change for door sales etc as well as working in the kitchen; the Museum staff for volunteering to open the Museum so we could view our Bicentenary quilt; and of course Kathy and her generous support; Husbands and family members; the show committee. 

Raffle Quilts:

Our raffle quilts were won by two ladies who were excited and happy to receive them. The first one chose the black and white "Splashes of Colour". She is also a great friend of Laurel. The second lady was just thinking where she could put the Traditional Quilt, "Gentle Harmony" when Alison called to tell her she had won it. Two very happy winners.

Charities:

We will distribute profit from the show between our two Charities - Days for Girls and The Womens' Shelter at Hornsby. Both speakers from these two groups spoke eloquently. We are very pleased that we can give these worthwhile charities a helping hand.

Show and Tell:

The Wagga Corner:

Kathy's new quilt kit

The prizes for the lucky winners

The lucky winners

 Hunters Hill Mayor on Stage to officially open our show

More of the Stage area

Joy's quilt which attracted a lot of attention

Until next week .....