Jacaranda City Quilters of Grafton Challenge

The Jacaranda City Quilters of Grafton invite entries for their Exhibition Challenge, with the theme of A Song Title.

There are four categories for the Challenge:
Section A - A4 size (21cm x 30cm)
Section B - maximum size one metre
Section C - over one metre
Section D - Youth (age 16 and under. The quilt may be any size.)

Each entry may be quilting category Q (quilted by the owner) or P (professionally quilted).

Entries may also be made to Section E - these quilts are for exhibit only and do not have to be related to a song title.

Entry forms are available from Marian Brown, phone 02 6644 9434 or Anne Carter, phone 02 6643 1353 or email Jacs9@mail.com Entries close May 1.

The exhibition will be at the Grafton Community Centre, 59 Duke Street, Grafton on June 17 and 18 (10am-5pm) and 19 (10am-4pm). Admission is $5 for adults, no charge for children under 16.

Quilt Show at the Cathedral, Goulburn: 12 & 13 March 2011

“Quilt Show at the Cathedral” at St Saviours Cathedral Hall – Burke St, Goulburn on Saturday and Sunday, 12 and 13 March from 10am-4pm in conjunction with Goulburn ’s “Rose Festival”.

Entry is a gold coin donation which goes to Anglicare’s Emergency Accommodation in Goulburn.  For more information, contact Julie on 0404 106601

12 March Quilt Study Group meeting

The Quilt Study Group of NSW is a Guild sub-committee, which exists to promote interest and research into quilting, particularly in Australia. Members are committed to the study of quilts past and present with this study encompassing the social and historical context in which the quilts were made as well as designs, techniques and materials used in both vintage and contemporary quilts.

The first meeting for 2011 will be held on 12 March, when Lynn Hewitt will share her collection and knowledge of Japanese textiles and tell of the influence contemporary Japanese cottons have had on her quilts and clothing. Lynn has made many visits to Japan, enhancing her collection of Japanese textiles each trip. Bring your antique Japanese textiles for show and tell and, of course, those wonderful quilts made with Japanese quiting fabrics.

Venue: The Ambassador Room, Burwood RSL, 96 Shaftsbury Avenue, Burwood.
Time: 2.00 – 4.30 pm.

This is a free event for Guild members. Non-Guild members are also welcome ($15.00 per visit).

Eastwood Patchwork Quilters Exhibition: 11-13 March 2011

EASTWOOD PATCHWORK QUILTERS
2011 QUILT EXHIBITION
Friday March 11 – Sunday March 13
10am – 4.30pm
Historic Brush Farm House, Lawson St Eastwood

Stunning quilts: Cafe: Craft stall: Quilt shops

Raffle quilt supporting Achieve Australia

No admission charge

Reminder: Quilt Show Entries Close on 11 March

If you just looked at the calendar and are shocked to discover that it is 2 March already, never fear! there is still time for you to submit your entry for the Sydney Quilt Show 2011.  The closing date is Friday, 11 March. If you've misplaced your February newsletter, here are the forms that you can download:

• 2011 Quilt Show Entry Form (156KB PDF)
• 2011 Quilt Show Volunteer Form (94 KB PDF)
• Guild Membership Application Form (  196KB PDF)

Please direct any queries to the Exhibition Secretary, Deborah Laurie. (If you experience difficulties downloading the entry form, try the Alternative Entry Form 570 KB PDF. )

Casterton Kelpie Association Quilting Challenge 2011

The Casterton Kelpie Association Quilting Challenge in 2011 is to make a quilt no bigger than one metre square on the theme 'A little bit country'. Entries based on traditional or art/textile styles are welcome.

The closing date for entries is 20 May 2011. For further details, contact Anne James.

Correct dates: Australian Quilts in Public Places

Australian Quilts in Public Places (AQIPP) is an initiative of The Australian Quilters Association Inc. Entries are invited for the 2011 exhibition, which will have a theme of Forest Threads.

The exhibition will be held from 11 November to 21 December 2011 at Box Hill Art Space in Melbourne.

Contact for enquiries: Pam Hammer, phone 03 9873 4371.

Entry forms: can be downloaded here, or send a stamped self-addressed envelope to AQA - AQIPP, PO Box 224, Surrey Hills Vic 3127.

The closing date for entries is 5 October 2011.

4 March Friday Showcase: Elizabeth Long

Elizabeth Long presents Friday showcase at the Guild office at 10am on Friday, 4 March 2011. All welcome! ($5.50 entry fee)

Twelve by Twelve

Congratulations to Guild member Brenda Gael Smith who is one of the co-authors of the newly-published book, Twelve by Twelve: The International Art Quilt Challenge. It is published by Lark Books and is now available.

Over the course of two years, twelve quilt artists from around the world challenged each other to create small quilts on a theme of one of the artist's choosing. The result: 144 twelve-inch art quilts created by the Twelve by Twelve group.

Members will recall seeing a presentation on this challenge by Brenda at the Burwood meeting in May last year. All 144 quilts have been on display at three venues in Australia in 2010 and are now travelling overseas.

Brenda will donate a copy of the book to the Guild so that members can share the story of the Twelve by Twelve international art quilt challenge. Look out for it in the Guild library soon.

Sewing in the Office: 28 February 10:30am-2pm

As many members are unable to participate in Community Quilts, the Guild has decided to have monthly Sewing in the Office . Held on the 4th Monday of the month from 10.30 - 2.00pm, all Guild members are welcome to come along. The first Sewing in the Office session will be on Monday, 28 February and here are the dates for the rest of the year:

• 28 February
• 28 March
• April-no Sewing in the Office
• 23 May
• June-no Sewing in the Office
• 25 July
• 22 August
• 26 September
• 24 October
• 28 November
• December - no Sewing in the Office

We will be making hand applique blocks for community quilts - the theme will be blocks suitable for children. Roslyn Moules has kindly offered to provide the fabric and templates, just bring along your sewing kit and join in the fun. For further information contact Maree Gebhardt.

Australian Quilts in Public Places

Australian Quilts in Public Places (AQIPP) is an initiative of The Australian Quilters Association Inc. Entries are invited for the 2011 exhibition, which will have a theme of Forest Threads.

The exhibition will be held from 11 to 21 December 2011 at Box Hill Art Space in Melbourne.

Contact for enquiries: Pam Hammer, phone 03 9873 4371.

Entry forms: can be downloaded here, or send a stamped self-addressed envelope to AQA - AQIPP, PO Box 224, Surrey Hills Vic 3127.

The closing date for entries is 5 October 2011.

Soul Searching Workshop: 14 May

Join Kathy Doughty from Material Obsession for a Soul Searching Guild workshp:

Saturday, 14 May 2011 (9.30am for 10-3pm)
Boronia Park Uniting Church: 93A Pittwater Road, Hunters Hill
Download and return a Workshop Booking Form to reserve your place.

As a shop owner, I see people searching for fabrics all day every day. Colour is often a confessed stumbling stone for many quilters. Confidence ebbs and flows as fabric fashions change and the way we view colours and combinations of colours. This class will teach you about you while exploring and your stash to make a fun quilt that reveals what you like and don't like to buy.  see the Guild website for more details.

Stop Press! Burwood General Meeting: 12 February 2011

You won't want to miss the first Burwood meeting of 2011, which has a theme of miniature quilts.

• Demonstration - Jane Gibson - Miniatures (11am)
• Guest Speaker - Maree Gebhardt - report on on her Guild scholarship relating to quilt valuation
• Shop - a Quilter's Hive from Georgetown
• Feature group - Eastwood Quilters

To add to this program we have an extra guest speaker, Anne Sommerlad. Ann will be discussing her miniature quilts and will have patterns for sale.

Don't forget to bring along your miniature quilt to share!

Burwood General Meeting: 12 February 2011

The first general meeting of The Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc for 2011 is set for Saturday 12 February at Burwood RSL. The program is as follows:

• Theme - Miniature quilts - bring along yours to share!
• Demonstration - Jane Gibson - Miniatures (11am)
• Guest Speaker - Maree Gebhardt - report on on her Guild scholarship relating to quilt valuation
• Shop - a Quilter's Hive from Georgetown
• Feature group - Eastwood Quilters

At this meeting, the Guild will be accepting donations of any sewing related items - pins, needles, threads, rulers, rotary cutters etc. These items will be forwarded to the Queensland Quilters to distribute to Guild members as part of a Queensland Flood Assistance initiative.  Financial donations will also be accepted.

Peacock Star by Jane Gibson
3rd Place Miniature Category - Sydney Quilt Show 2010

Quilt Show 2011 Button

Entries for the Sydney Quilt Show 2011 close on Friday, 11 March and the show itself runs from 22-26 June. Please assist in promoting the show by adding the QS2011 button to your blog or website. Here is the html code:

<a href="http://www.quiltersguildnsw.com/"><img src="http://www.quiltersguildnsw.com/quiltshowbutton.jpg" alt="Sydney Quilt Show"  /></a>

If you have a Blogspot blog, go to Dashboard>Layout>Page Elements>Add Page Element. Choose "HTML/Javascript" as your page element, click "Add to Blog", cut and paste the code and click "Save Changes". On the "Add & Arrange" page elements page, you can drag and drop the button at the desired place in your side bar. The button should look like this.

Please contact the Guild Webmaster if you require assistance.

PS: If you downloaded the code for the previous quilt show buttons, you will see that it has been automatically updated to display the 2011 button - no further action required!

2011 Sydney Quilt Show Entry Form

The February issue of the Guild newsletter The Template has been dispatched to members.  It is full of interesting items including the entry form and volunteer form for the 2011 Sydney Quilt Show.  The closing date for the return of entry forms is 11 March 2011.

Download the 2011 Quilt Show Entry Form (156KB PDF) for details about the categories and the conditions of entry. All entrants are requested to also complete a Volunteer Form. Please direct any queries to the Exhibition Secretary.

February 2011 Newsletter - look inside for the quilt show entry form!

Note:  To enter a quilt in the Sydney Quilt Show, you must be a member of the Guild for the current 2010/2011 financial year. Membership is due 1st July each year for the year ending the following June. Download a Membership Application Form (196KB PDF).

4 February Friday Showcase: Lisa Walton

Lisa Walton presents the the first Friday showcase for 2011 at the Guild office at 10am on Friday, 5 February 2011. All welcome! ($5.50 entry fee) Lisa is an award winning quilter and textile artist, maker and seller of hand dyed fabric and beads, and a very popular tutor. Lisa was awarded the final Jewel Pearce Patterson International Quilt Teacher Scholarship, in Houston, America 2010 and will be teaching Guild workshops on 23 and 24 July (information to follow).

Bushfire Sunset by Lisa Walton
(Machine quilted by Nicole Bridges)

Message from the President re Queensland Flood Assistance

Many members have contacted the Guild over the past weeks wanting to know what can be done to help the Queensland families who have lost everything in the recent floods. I have been in contact with the President of the Queensland Quilters and recently received this letter with details on how we can all help (copied below).

At the Guild general meeting on the 12th February at Burwood RSL we will be accepting donations of any sewing related items - pins, needles, threads, rulers, rotary cutters etc., these items will be forwarded to the Queensland Quilters to distribute to Guild members.  Financial donations will also be accepted.

Maree Gebhardt (President)
The Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc

Hello everyone,
The recent floods in Queensland have caused terrible loss and grief for a lot of people. The size of this devastation is unimaginable. Queensland Quilters Inc. is organizing the collection and distribution of comfort quilts for flood victims.

We would appreciate the donation of quilts. The preferred sizes range from 1m x 1.50m (40”x60”) to 1.2m x 1.80m (48”x72”) but anything you are able to give is appreciated.
We are also asking for donations of the following:

• Quilt tops not yet quilted
• Cotton quilting fabrics for tops and backs
• Cotton wadding to make and finish quilts
• Quilting books and magazines in good condition

We have many Affiliated Groups, members and sponsoring businesses in affected areas. As they live and work in these areas, we are using this network to assess the need for these donations.

If your group would like to prepare sewing related care packs we will accept these also. We are also offering some financial assistance to our Affiliated Groups making quilts and we anticipate that they will use these funds to purchase requirements within their local communities. We currently have 70 groups across the state. One group we have heard from had their premises flooded and has lost their library, among other things.

If you would like to contribute financially this would also greatly assist us.
Please send all donations and contributions to:
Queensland Quilters Inc, GPO Box 2841, Brisbane 4001.

Sincerely
Kim Boland, President
Queensland Quilters Inc

Reminder: Designing with Strips Workshop 11 February

Download and return a Workshop Booking Form to reserve your place at the first Guild workshop for 2011:

Designing with Strips with Chris Timmins
Friday, 11 February 2011 (9.30am for 10-4pm)
Boronia Park Uniting Church: 93A Pittwater Road, Hunters Hill

Updated Guild Library Catalogue Listings

The Guild maintains an extensive library of books, videos, CDs and DVDs, as well as a large selection of slide sets and magazines. The Guild Librarian, Rhonda Taylor, has undertaken a comprehensive stocktake to bring you these catalogue listings that are current as January 2011:

• Guild Library Catalogue (by Author) (134KB PDF)
• Guild Library Catalogue (by Title) (93KB PDF)

Guild members are welcome to visit the office to chat with other quilters, browse and borrow books.  If that is not an option for you, requests can be submitted via email, post, fax or phone (not available to members outside Australia).  It is advisable to give a list of 6-8 titles, in order of preference, to ensure we can have some books in the post to you within days. You may choose to reserve a title that is unavailable at the time of your initial request.

Three books may be borrowed at one time (three magazines count as one book). The Guild pays the outward postage and the member pays the return postage. Books may be kept for one month; the due date is shown on the pocket in the front of the book. Please ensure that books are returned on time and in good condition.