Life during Lockdown

It takes a bit of adjustment to reconcile with the order to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. The daily walk is a welcome break to stretch your legs and your eyes, to go and find some trees and grass and water and listen to the birds. Spring is blooming well, the blossoms and the magnolia are well worth a look.

What are members of Queanbeyan Quilters doing? They are staying busy, gardening, cooking, sewing, designing, working at home or in the office, keeping tabs on each other and looking forward to getting together again. Regretfully, our annual retreat at the end of the month is now out of sight so we have set a new date for next year.

Last night we held our September meeting, via the old faithful, Zoom. We had a pretty good turnout and Bryony took us through the usual points on the agenda, finishing with the Show and Tell. Members have been very productive. They are helping Liz fill the toiletry bags for donation. They have made a staggering number of gift quilts, which are or are about to be quilted by some of the long arm quilters in the group. We thank you all for your hard work finishing this very important step.

On the second Friday in the month we have a social Zoom session too, which members enjoy. Our next one will be on the 8th October at 7.30pm. A link gets sent out to members so they can join in. 

Unquilted top by Christine

A new star block by Dacia

A mystery quilt finish by Cassandra

A colourful display by Jacqui

Hexagons by Liz

Stars by Maryanne

A fun moment on Zoom

June Technique Night

 Last night we had our latest technique night, led by the lovely Kath Hunt. As reference we were sent to Bonnie Hunter's Trip Around The World tutorial from 2005. (https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/scrappy-trips-around-world.html )

This is still a very useful technique for a scrap quilter; pick a wide variety of fabrics (or use jelly rolls), cut into 16" lengths and sew them up, block by block. Our members enjoyed a busy and productive night together at our usual venue, the Letchworth Community Centre where we keep all our useful items, including irons, boards, mats, power cords and our library. Kath brought two sample quilts, one with a 2.5" strip cut and the other a 3.5" strip. There are lots of patterns you can make, you can also choose how scrappy to make your piece. You can make each block out of the same fabrics. You can choose a common dark or bold fabric which will run through all your quilt blocks. The only limit is your imagination and with so many fine examples in books and online there is bound to be one layout you would like to try.

Trip to Young

 Four of us keen quilters set off across country on Saturday to visit Young. There we found the Town Hall and the Quilt Show Here Today sign. The Lions Club of Young were holding their 2021 Quilt Show. We were welcomed warmly, bought our raffle tickets, found old friends already there, made new friends and generally had a great day examining and appreciating all the lovely quilts on show. We were particularly keen to see Michelle Marvig's trunk show and had front row seats! We were able to look at them closely after the showing and appreciate Michelle's exquisite work and her colour combinations.

After a very enjoyable interlude at the more-than-a-baker next door eating lunch, we trotted across the road to the Millards centre and the Robynette Fabric Salon where we enjoyed discovering all the lovely fabrics that they carry. The rack carrying a rainbow of gorgeous colours and patterns made us sigh with pleasure, we wanted to carry them all away and make even more quilts.

Our day was done and we had a swift, uneventful trip home with one coffee stop, to help the driver get over that late afternoon somnolent phase. It is wonderful to be able to go to Shows again, we have missed them this past year.

The Raffle has been drawn

 Today we had a busy day selling raffle tickets outside Spotlight. Sales went well, only a very few tickets left in one book by the end. Then it was time to bustle about preparing our display for the live feed to Facebook. Amos and his staff did a great job of ordering the shelves into tip top shape. Then after a short intro, it was time to shake the box and draw the tickets. Watch the video for the actual event on this link:

https://www.facebook.com/QueanbeyanQuilters/videos/911998902697063

Once the draw was over there comes the fun part. Ringing people up and telling them that they have won a prize. I did have to repeat the news a couple of times before they took in what I was saying and who I was and what they had won.

As soon as I had told Judith the news, she said she was coming down straight away. She was so excited - what a lovely Mother's Day gift! It just topped up her day.

Once we were all packed up and had moved on from Spotlight, I was home in time to present James with his quilt. That's the one I wanted! was his reaction to the news he'd won the second prize. May he have a lovely toasty winter now under his new quilt.

Finally after dinner, Andrew called back to say could he on second thoughts pick up his prize tonight on his way home. He was thoroughly chuffed by his prize and is thinking of taking up sewing himself now that he has his own machine. 

Queanbeyan Quilters Challenge - Home

 It was with great pleasure that I greeted Fiona Hammond of Creative Edge in Braidwood to our town today. She is our generous sponsor in the club challenge from 2020 called Home.

Participants were asked to make an embellished piece 30cm x 30cm incorporating elements that denote home to them. There was also a piece of fabric that had to be included in the work.

There were nine entries, each very different from the others and Fiona observed them all. After closer examination inside the shop window, she made her decisions.

by Sandra Still

 by Liz Hendrickson

 

Congratulations to our winners!

Thank you to our generous sponsor 

https://www.facebook.com/TheCreativeEdgeGiftsAndCrafts/

April's Quilt Display is up

 So this morning, the 'old' display was taken down and up went another batch of quilts, some of them hot off the sewing machine! We do hope you will be able to catch a glimpse on your way to the coast or stop for a longer look and read while in Monaro Street in Queanbeyan. Riverside Plaza has been most generous to the arts groups, allowing us to display material in their windows.

This month we feature larger works by Sue Camm, Chris Charlton, Liz Hendrickson and smaller pieces from many members of the club. This month we not only have our Circular Signature blocks in hoops but also feature the Home Challenge, set for the 2020 Exhibition that never happened.

Raffle tickets are still available for the two quilts and the sewing machine; drawn on Mothers Day, 3pm 9th May.