Friday Showcase - 3 November 2017: Member Show and Tell

Friday 3rd November will be our final Friday Showcase for 2017.  It’s always a fun conclusion for our year, with all members invited to bring along a finished quilt or work in progress to “Show and Tell”.

Prepare for animated discussion, a sharing of ideas and one of Elaine’s brownies with a coffee or tea.  Or take the opportunity to borrow from our extensive library whilst there!

We look forward to your company and the pleasure of viewing the variety of projects and techniques our members continue to delight and encourage each other to try.

Hoping to see you at 10am at our usual venue, our city office at 278 Pitt Street, Sydney. Members and guests welcome.

Friday Showcase will resume in February 2018, with a presentation by Kaye Murray.

Vicki Martyn & Elaine Raahauge
Showcase Co-ordinators

2017 Suitcase Challenge competition - prize winners announced

At yesterday's annual general meeting of QuiltNSW, the prize winners of this year's Suitcase Challenge competition were announced. Addressing the theme "Remember", 45 entries were received. All entries can be viewed on our website and will, over the next two years, travel across NSW, SA and Tasmania as a travelling exhibition.

Congratulations to the following prize winners:

In 1st place, winning a one-of-kind BERNINA 215 sewing machine to be customised with artwork from her winning quilt, Linda Butcher with "For Valour".

In 2nd place, Sheila Beer with "In a Fog"
In 3rd place, Julie Harding with "Forget-me-not"

Judges Commendations:
Julie Harding with "Monday Wash Day"
Julie Harding with "Hopscotch"
Louise Stuart with "The Camera"

All entries, with their quilt stories, can be viewed on our website.

Congratulations to our prize winners and thank you to all the members who participated in the competition. Without your entries, we would not have the Suitcase Challenge exhibition that the entries become. Thank you to BERNINA Australia for coming on board as our first prize sponsor.

At our AGM, we also announced that the theme for 2018 is "Running Away with the Amish". Look out for the November Template, our quarterly newsletter to members, for more details and a full wrap of our AGM. We look forward to more members getting involved in 2018.

Upcoming QuiltNSW events

An initiative of the Australian Design Centre, Sydney Craft Week is a celebration of Sydney's makers, and it is fitting that we have not one but three QuiltNSW events that coincide with this inaugural event.

Friday Showcase - Friday 6 October

Silky Travels by Grace Widders

First up, is our regular Friday Showcase on Friday 6 October with Grace Widders. Grace ventured into our craft as a self taught quilter, beginning with a wall hanging kit, then a Mariner’s Compass.  Joining Hunters Hill Quilters in 2000 opened new opportunities to Grace, inspired by the variety of talented group members to work with wool in Waggas, produce community quilts, join workshops, take up several committee positions and move into teaching machine quilting. Her work has been displayed and has won awards in several quilting shows, including at the Sydney Quilt Show and the Modern Quilt Show Australia.

Grace’s current quilt designs grow from fabric that 'talks to her’, enjoying the texture that wool and linen offer.  Grace continues to teach at Material Obsession and whilst she machine quilts for others, still loves the process and appearance of hand quilting her own quilts. You may have admired Grace's beautiful hand quilting in this year's Raffle Quilt at the Sydney Quilt Show.

Friday Showcase is on Friday 6 October with the presentation starting at 10am.  Visitors are most welcome so bring a friend along - $5 for members and $10 for visitors.


Annual General Meeting - Saturday 7 October 
Burwood RSL
96 Shaftesbury Avenue
Burwood

On Saturday 7 October, commencing at 10 am, we have our annual general meeting. Key highlights (with indicative times) are:

• Best of Show quilt from the Sydney Quilt Show will be on display with maker Pamela Brockwell to answer questions (10 am)
• Normal AGM meeting proceedings:  financial reporting, announcements relating to some of our funding and scholarship programs, member show and tell and election of office bearers for the next 12 months (10.15 - 12 noon)
• Greg Alexander, managing director of BERNINA Australia, and Heather Middleton, outgoing Suitcase Challenge coordinator, will announce the winners of our annual travelling Suitcase Challenge competition from the 45 entries received (shortly after 1 pm). All entries will be on display all day with viewer's choice voting closing at 12 noon. 
• Guest speaker:  Noni Fisher, one of the original guild members, long time quilt teacher and passionate quilter (around 1.30 pm)
• Pop-up retail shop Sew Can I (all day)
• There will be afternoon tea at the conclusion of the AGM (around 2.45 pm) - free to members with a small charge for visitors.

Craft Up Late - Wednesday 11 October
QuiltNSW office
Level 5, 276 Pitt Street
Sydney

We are participating in Craft Up Late on Wednesday 11 October by opening our office from 5 - 8 pm. Grace Widders will be there to talk about her quilts that will be hanging in the office; Jessica Wheelahan will have the entries from the 2017 Suitcase Challenge competition and some Committee members will be present to talk about what we do and how visitors can get involved with QuiltNSW. If you know a quilter who works in or lives close by the city, please suggest that they drop in and see us on Wednesday 11 October. Visitors are most welcome.


Beyond our events, the Australian Design Centre has gathered over 100 events in a comprehensive program that can be picked up from their gallery space or at one of the participants. We have a limited number of programs if you'd like to collect one from our office. Alternatively, the full program and more information can be accessed online.