Winter Workshops

Recently I attended the Winter Workshops in Warracknabeal, hosted by Quilters Harvest in Warracknabeal. Again Shirley and Del provided to be the delightful hosts with the usual brilliant hospitality and warm welcome. The three tutors for the weekend workshops were Emma Jansen, Annette Blake and Jodie Carlton.

 

Annette displaying the strip piecing technique-- In her Stash Busting workshop.

Annette had a lovely display of quilts, and gave a talk of the history and significance of several of these heirloom quilts that she has made.

We all placed our fabrics across our work spaces, and Annette assisted in grading the fabric from darks to lights. Quilt designs and patterns were discussed, before we all began to cut and sew- to ensure we had a productive day.

The quilts shown below have all been made by Annette, providing us with much inspiration.

My choice of quilt -  to work towards.

 Most of Annette's work is 2 inch squares, enabling a variety of colours to be utilised in the quilts--and having the designs be vivid.  I had bought some charm packs of Joel Dewberry, Heirloom fabrics along to the day. I decided to cut these into 2 1/2 in squares to utilise the charm packs,  rather than into 2 in squares and have wastage.  Using a variety of lighter fabrics for the background, the couple of strips I made on the day, pieced together quickly. I have bought some more of the Heirloom fabric, and now wait for a quiet day to go back to the machine to piece some more strips for this quilt.



Source from here

 

Making a start on my next project!

These are some more photos of the productive work of the industrious pupils on the day. Amazing how placement of the blocks can change the layout of the quilts.

Emma Jansen taught her Harlequin Stars quilt. I previously had attempted to do this as a workshop with Emma, when she had her bricks and mortar shop - Ballarat Patchwork open. The days inevitably fell as the same day as our local Agricultural Show, sporting finals or at other busy times. I was delighted to see that this was the quilt pattern that Emma was teaching at Warracknabeal.

 

 

This was a fast paced and informative day, I finished one block, and hope to soon make several more blocks to piece together into a smaller throw quilt.

Emma has just posted a comprehensive tutorial  on her blog to assist with the piecing of the block. I will be referring to Emma's tutorial when I forge ahead in sewing further blocks.

 

I was too busy listening to Emma, and concentrating, that I took very few photos during Emma's workshop. Emma, however has put some photos on her blog of the productivity of her pupils each day!

 

Yet again, it is an absolute delight that a bricks and mortar shop in rural Victoria is able to provide a weekend of workshops with such talented tutors. We are fortunate indeed.

 

Bricks and Mortar Shopping

Unable to attend the Australian Quilt Convention, I decided to assist with boosting the local economy, and visited two local businesses instead.  First up was visit a local bricks and mortar shop, loving the display of fabrics,  and assistance provided from the friendly, knowledgeable staff.

All photos are taken on my phone, did not think to put the camera in the car that day--so apologies for the poorer quality photos.

 

 

 

Candy Bloom by Aussie designer Rosalie Quinlan

 Lovely Softies, and also many fabrics from the Tilda fabric range

Pinwheels in a fresh spring palette.
Kits available for this quilt.

Vintage window display

Sew, Laugh, Love  by Leanne Beasley

I have seen the above stitchery popping up on Instagram feeds, and on some blogs,  I was pleased to see the pattern for this stitchery at  Quilters Harvest, so I quickly bought it.

Pattern transferred, and able to be seen!

 This pattern contained the iron on transfer, I quickly ironed the pattern onto some white linen that I had at home,  -- no instructions in the pattern -- but I chose to use a hot dry iron-- to iron on the pattern, which at the time --I remember letting it cool completely, before needing to re-iron several times- until I felt the pattern had been transferred onto the linen.
 I have been slowly doing a little stitchery some nights. 

Significant fading of the pattern transfer ---over a two week time frame

I must say, I am very disappointed with the iron on transfer,  the markings are quickly fading away - very difficult to distinguish at all, I have had to trace over areas that I am working on -- and feel I will quickly need to trace out the complete design soon- or it will have faded away altogether - unable for me to see the pattern markings.
I have ironed the piece of linen again with a hot dry iron, the markings have reappeared slightly, but still making it challenging to see the pattern.

I wonder if others have bought the kit with the markings already on the linen, or have transferred the pattern across to fabric.

Anyone out there with some handy hints for me ??

Summer stitching

Planning ahead for 2012 Christmas, after only just finished tidying up from Christmas 2011, this is the time of the year I begin BOM's purchased through the year, or keep going along with Christmas Stitcheries.
Have made a start on the Vivian Robinson  -  "Merry Little Christmas"  a BOM from the fantastic "Quilters Harvest" in Warracknabeal,

I love Viv's style, raw edge applique combined with a little stitching, the projects are doable! particularly for the time poor - we all seem to proclaim that we are.

Lynette Anderson's - Scandinavian Christmas fabric range, with a little HomeTown Sweetwater, all on an exquiste linen. Blocks are roughly 12in each, 3 rows x 3 blocks should be a great Christmas Quilt or Wall Hanging when finished.
Love doing the stitching with my new Klip Fast or Q Snap frame, my youngest is assisting with the stitching, and proclaims much easier in this frame.