It must be hidden! - Label of My 2014 Show Quilt

I handed my quilt to the organiser of the Sydney Quilt Show this afternoon. It's a kind of log cabin quilt. This year, the quilt label must be covered or the quilt will be ineligible for judging. I'm obliged to comply although I don't think my quilt is a winning kind. I make a quilt for practical use, and not so much for keeping or to be put away as a precious item.!

(Details of the quilt label are blocked out in this photo)

.... I used 60 strips from 2 sets of the same pre-cut 2 1/2 inch strip batik fabric range (Tonga Treats by Timeless Treasures) for the quilt. The log cabin pattern was drawn up with my own calculation based on the amount of the pre-cut fabrics and their colours. In this day and age, it's probably less common, but I enjoy working out quilt patterns by hand using mental arithmetic as I find it relaxing, truely. :-) [I do have EQ7 but rarely use it] I have chosen shades of rainbow as the colour scheme for the quilt and have decided on a grey background (instead of white or cream) in an attempt to tone down the contrast. The quilt pattern has a lot of corners. To soften up the angular feature of the quilt, I used the swirl and circle quilting pattern named 'modern snails' by Anita Shackelford for the quilting. I used different colours of the same printed pattern fabrics for the binding, and some of left over fabrics from the binding for the quilt label. I like and am pleased with the finished quilt. I hope that I will be able to see it hung at the Show, but I will see....

2013 Sydney Quilt Show

I was a volunteer 'white glove lady' during the first morning of the Sydney Quilt Show, this morning. It was also a good chance for me to see my Show quilt hung there. I'm just happy to see my quilt at the Show, among other wonderful quilts. I have also seen my signature half-square triangle block (sunflower), in the Guild's coverlet. I made the block to join the Guild's 30 years celebration.... I didn't know that today was a very wet day until I was coming home in the afternoon. I guess the weather was preparing me for Seattle, WA. I'm going to be there for work on Friday, so am off packing my bag now.!!

 

Part of My Quilt for Sydney Quilt Show

Here is part of my quilt top, 'Short Trips Around the World'. The pattern was from a tutorial by Katy Jones. I have entered it to the Sydney Quilt Show at Darling Harbour this year. Both the quilt design and colour scheme weren't what I would normally choose. But I was curious to see how I would feel when working on this kind of scrappy quilt - 'outside my comfort zone' was one way of looking at it. The experience was fun and I really enjoyed it. The process, in principle, was very similar to project management. It's probably why I enjoyed it so much.! I'm still deciding how I would like to quilt it.... I will find out in early May whether or not it will be accepted to be juried and hung at the Show, so fingers crossed.!

mE and my Show quilt

I was a volunteer, white glove lady, on the first day of the 2012 Sydney Quilt Show at Darling Harbour, Sydney, today. It was good experience and fun. I have learnt quite a few things about quilts and quilting, both by hand and machine, while on duty. After looking at and admiring all the exceptional and exquisite quilts on display, I have come to realise that, being a practical kind of person who I am, I probably wouldn't make a quilt that would be a prize-winning quilt. I very much prefer to make a quilt that is 'effective' and can be re-made by others without too much difficulties. And just as well, unlike tatting, I haven't had a desire to make a prize-winning kind of quilt, either.... I had a chance to take a few photos of my own Show quilt after I finished my white glove duty. Meg Orr, my quilting teacher, whom I respect and am very fond of, was very kind and insisted that she must take a photo of me in front of the quilt. Here they are....

Time does fly, but here is my Show quilt for this year

Since my last post in March, I have been keeping very busy with organising my overseas trips, on top of everything else that I manage to fit into my day. I'm off to Europe again, for a couple times this year. The tricky part was for me to be back from the second trip in time for my trip to AMQF in Adelaide at the end of September. And, yes, I will be back from Sweden one day before flying to Adelaide. So, never mind the jet lag, I will be sure to cope, and keep awake and entertained by Ricky Tims's seminar/workshop.! ....After this year travelling, I hope to be staying home and having more time to spend on my sewing and tatting. My Gammill Statler Stitcher has been wonderful, so far. Apart from my own quilts, I have quilted a few quilts for friends (and for a fee). My latest quilting project has been completed last night (5/06/2012). It's my Show quilt for this year. It will be on display at the Sydney Quilt Show next week. I have got an idea for the quilt pattern from a picture of the quilt called 'Fresh Traditions' by Darlene Zimmerman, published in the American Patchwork & Quilting, February 2007 issue, while reading about the border basics. All fabrics were from Craft Depot's last year sale. The 'journey' wasn't all according to plan. Nonetheless, I'm very pleased with the quilted quilt, including the variegated 'Poppy Blaze' Signature thread and the 'Daisy Doodles' E2E pattern by Apricot Moon Designs that I have chosen for the quilt. I have named my quilt 'Blooming at Night'. Here are some of the pictures.

 

Em's Green and Gold Bargello Quilt

I did get the quilt finished.!! But it has taken me a while to find the time to take a few photos on a nice sunny day and upload them. I have entered it to the Sydney Quilt Show and am waiting to hear whether or not it will be accepted... I took a class with Michel Higgins at Sydney Sewing Centre, Hornsby NSW, in February last year (2010) to learn how to make a bargello quilt. Sunflower yellow is my favourite colour. So, I chose the fabric with little bright yellow flowers and green leaves print for the middle row first, then, other colours of fabrics to 'mix and match' for the rest of the quilt top and the backing. The strips sizes and cutting were Michel's measurement. I designed the border, the size and the finish (of the quilt). I quilted the quilt using my beloved Bernina 440QE. It wasn't that easy to try to manoeuvre the quilt through the small space but it did come out the other end and I got the whole quilt quilted nicely (to me, anyway).!! It certainly has been a very good learning process for me and, more importantly, keeping me grounded during this very busy time at work. I will see how it goes with the competition or if it ever will....AND....yes, the quilt has been accepted. The news has just arrived this afternoon (30/04/2011), just in time as my birthday present tomorrow....AND yes, I'm a 'May' flower.... :-)