Dianne Firth Wins Quilt National Award 2013

Quilt National, a biennial art quilt exhibition in Ohio, is widely regarded as the premier event in the contemporary quilting calendar. In 2013 "there were 851 quilts submitted by 458 artists from 44 states, 17 countries and five Canadian Provinces. Jurors Linda Colsh, Penny McMorris, and Judith Content selected 85 quilts by 85 artists. The exhibitors represented 27 states and 7 foreign countries. In this exhibition 20 percent of the exhibitors are first time Quilt National artists."

Congratulations to Guild member Dianne Firth who was awarded the McCarthy Memorial Award for her quilt Storm. You can view Dianne's work, and the quilts of the other prize winners, in the Quilt National 2013 Prize Winners Gallery.

Beneath the Southern Sky @ Gosford Regional Gallery

The work of many Guild members is featured in the travelling exhibition Beneath the Southern Sky which opened at Gosford Regional Gallery  last week. The exhibition continues until Wednesday, 26 June and Brenda Gael Smith will be presenting a curator's floor talk at 1pm on Saturday, 1 June and again at 1pm on Saturday, 22 June. The gallery is open daily from 10am-4pm.  This is the final opportunity to see the exhibition in Australia.  Catch it while you can!

Quilt Show Countdown : Quilt Entries Reminder

There are a record number of entries for this year's Quilt Show, ensuring that "Drop-Off Persons" will have a busy time collating and checking their cohort's quilts.

Please make their job easier by reviewing your entry(s)

• Is the sleeve on the back secure, with a minimum finished depth of at least 8cm?
• Are all pins and needles removed?
• Is the identifying label securely sewn on the back?

Quilts must be delivered to the relevant Drop-Off Person no later than Wednesday, 5 June 
These particular Quilt Show volunteers are no doubt finishing off their own entries, so please make their very responsible involvement less challenging by having one more look at your entry.
Thankyou.

Quilt Show Countdown : Raffle Books Reminder

Raffle books will now be in your possession. It is imperative that all books be returned to the Guild whether tickets have been sold or not.
If returning books, monies and unsold tickets prior to the quilt show, they must be in the Guild Office before 31 May 2013.
Alternatively, bring them to the Raffle Desk at the Show, on any day, prior to the draw on the Sunday afternoon.

2013 Raffle Quilt First Prize : "Benjamin Franklin's Blessings"

This First Prize is a truly outstanding collaborative effort from some extremely talented Guild Members.

Their hard work, the Merchant donations of other prizes and resultant sales of raffle tickets, benefits the Guild enormously.

2013 Quilt Show Countdown: Exhibition Dinner

All members of The Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc are invited to attend The Exhibition Dinner.

Download Exhibition Dinner Booking Form. A booking form was also included in the May issue of The Template, however if there is a wish not to use that page and a photocopier is unavailable then consider phoning the Guild Office today.
 The volunteers there can complete a form with credit card details over the phone for you.

As publicised, the Guest Speaker at the Dinner will be the extremely talented and internationally regarded Australian Textile Artist, Sue Dennis.
Her particular topic during this evening of fun and companionship will be "Quilting Adventures from Mt Isa to Mongolia"
Anyone who has followed her blog in recent times will know that her talk is bound to be colourful and informative.
It is indeed a privilege to  have Sue share her quilting journey with us at the Dinner.

Date     : Friday 14 June 2013
Time     : 6.00pm Pre-Dinner drinks at Pumphouse bar ( at own expense)
                6.30pm  Dinner - Darling Harbour room  (drinks at own expense)
Venue   : Rockford Novotel Darling Harbour
Cost       : $70.00

A night not to be missed!

NSW Country Quilt Shows this Weekend

If you are out and about this weekend in the countryside, then be charmed by two forthcoming quilt shows being presented by rural textile groups.

Jacaranda City Quilters' Quilt Exhibition
Dates      : Friday - Saturday 24-26 May 
Venue     : Grafton Community Centre
                  59 Duke Street, Grafton
Times      : 10.00am - 5.00pm Friday and Saturday 
                  10.00am - 4.00pm Sunday
Entry Fee : $5.00, children under 16 - free
Enquiries : Email: marianhelen@dodo.com.au

Central Coast Handweavers, Spinners & Textile Arts Guild Inc Biggest Morning Tea and Exhibition
Date         : Saturday 25 May
Venue      : Building 2,
                  10 Russell Drysdale Street, East Gosford
Times       : 10.00am - 3.00pm
Entry Fee : $5.00
website     : www.centralcoasthsguild.org.au

Invitation to Join the Jelly Roll Race - Sydney Quilt Show

Guild members are invited to join the jelly roll race (aka 1600 Race) at the Sydney Quilt Show on Thursday through Sunday, 13-16 June. A team may consist of one up to three people. If we get a lot of interest we will try and fill teams of three. If you are interested in participating but can’t form a team, please submit your name and we will try and link you up with other enthusiastic quilters.

Each Team is to pick a Name and Colour Code for clothing.- Be Decorative and Creative.

Each Team Member to receive a free entry if required. It is hoped that you would be able to volunteer as white glove for another session of the day if possible or continue to demonstrate sewing techniques at the machines.

You may spend time preparing before the race getting to know the machine and filling bobbins. I think you should have your strip prepared, ie sewn together, to start the race and then the race should take approx 45 minutes.

Happy to have a race from scratch if this is what the teams prefer. The fabric used can be either a bought jelly roll or indeed 40 x 21/2 inch strips from your stash. You pay for the fabric yourselves but take the finished top home hopefully at the end of the show so that we can have them on display for the entire show. Does anyone have a finished jelly roll race quilt we can display?

This event is meant to be a bit of fun for both participants and spectators and not to be taken too seriously (except for safety requirements).

Any Questions or to submit a team please email Deborah Laurie,  with the details below or submit the Jelly Roll Race Application Form at the Guild Office before Friday 31 May.

• Team Name
• Team Colours
• Names and telephone numbers of team members (up to 3)
• Type of fabric use
• Number of days need
• Preferred days (noting any days not available)

Shifting Sands - a jelly roll race quilt by Cinzia White

Quilt Study Group : Historic Houses Trust's Research Collection

Tour of the Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection.

The Quilt Study Group of NSW has arranged for two tours of the Historic Houses Trust’s Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection. It is located in the Mint Building on Macquarie Street and is open to the public from Tuesday to Friday. It contains many items of interest touching on the history of houses, garden design and interior furnishing in New South Wales. 

The librarian will show us paintings, prints, textiles, wallpapers and other large format collection items, and you can stay on to continue your research into your quilts by using their excellent specialist research facilities. See http://www.hht.net.au/collections/library for further details.

Numbers for each tour are strictly limited to 15 people but there are currently some places left on both dates. Please contact the Quilters' Guild of NSW Office (ph: 9283 3737) to secure your place on either of the tours.

When : 10am Wednesday 5th June and

             10 am Friday 21st June 2013

Venue: The Mint Building, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney

Advance Notice : Guild Retreat

For those members who look forward to the annual  Guild Retreat, please be advised that this year's creative weekend will be in September.
Redleaf Resort  is the extremely quiet accommodation at Blackheath in The Blue Mountains that has been booked for the "get-away"
There is a licensed bar, restaurant, conference facilities and many cosy fireplaces to ensure that the weekend is comfortable.

The Guild's website has further information for those who are thinking about committing to a weekend of fun, food and maybe,"finishes". It is always a casual gathering, and this location offers a chance to enjoy wonderful views, walks, wildlife, and interesting local cafe and craft shops with other quilters.

Dates : 13-15 September 2013
Time : 1pm Friday - 4pm Sunday
Venue : Redleaf Resort
             cnr  Evans Lookout and Valley View Road, Blackheath.

All members welcome.

Reminder: Bookings for Exhibition Dinner Close Soon

The Annual Exhibition Dinner is set for Friday, 14th June 2013 at the Rockford Novotel Darling Harbour with guest speaker Sue Dennis.

 Bookings for the Dinner close on Friday, 24th May 2013.

 Download and return the Exhibition Dinner Booking Form.

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea @ Burwood

Join the Guild general meeting at Burwood RSL this Saturday, 18 May for a special afternoon tea to celebrate Australia's Biggest Quilting Bee & Morning Tea with a gold coin donation for the Cancer Council.

PS:  If you would like to bake a slice/cake it would be muchly appreciated - thank you!

Sydney Quilt Show Acceptance Letters

A record number of entries were received for the 2013 Sydney Quilt Show. Acceptance letters were dispatched to entrants earlier in May.  If you have not received your acceptance letter, or have any other queries regarding your entry, please contact Exhibition@quiltersguildnsw.com

May 18 : General Meeting

The next General Meeting of the Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc. will be held on Saturday 18 May 2013.

Speaker/s  : Ian and Bernadette Hoy
Demonstration : Kerrie Hay from Berrima
Guest shop : Peg's Pieces
Block of the Quarter : Blue and White Irish Chain

Venue : The "Dome"
              Burwood RSL
              Shaftsbury Rd, Burwood
Date :     Saturday 18 May

Demonstration : 11am
Meeting Scheduled : 1pm

As this will be the last meeting prior to Sydney Quilt Show, please bring your completed Volunteer Forms if possible.

It will be of help to the Hostesses if a personal mug is used, to partake in afternoon tea.

Quilts at St Ives Show : 18 May

The 91st Annual St Ives Show, presented by the Northern Suburbs Agricultural and Horticultural Society Inc, is set to entertain Sydney families on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May at St Ives Showground, Mona Vale Road, St Ives.

Within the "Craft"  Exhibition catagory, there will be quilts to be viewed. Both Amateur and Professional quilters are vying for prizes in "Traditional", "Hand quilted", and "Machine quilted" categories.

Entry Fee: $5 (children free)
There is free parking at the grounds and free shuttle buses will run from Gordon Station.

2013 Sydney Quilt Show : Volunteer Form

Come and enjoy the Sydney Quilt Show from behind the scenes!

The excitement is now mounting for all of those members who are exhibiting a quilt at this year's show.
As always, to help make this event a success, the Guild needs your help.

If you have not returned your 'Volunteer Form' with a Show Entry, then please think about filling it in now, with shift preferences for any of the five days, plus Set-up Day, of the Show.
By signing up, you can make this a less stressful time for the hard working Exhibition Committee, so please consider lending a hand for an hour or two, or more.
Various responsibilities include 'White Glove' duty, as well as selling Raffle tickets and catalogues.
Everyone makes a new friend! and by volunteering, you can become more connected to the Guild, the  members and activities.

All volunteers will receive a Volunteer 2013 Quilt Show Badge as well as a catalogue.

Please contact the Guild Office should extra forms be needed.

Volunteer Forms must be returned by the 24th May. 

Block of the Quarter

Who doesn't love a Blue and White Scrap Quilt?
The next Block of the Quarter is a 10 inch - Irish Chain

Folk lore may be correct in asserting that Irish immigrants brought this design to the America colonies; the design becoming popular with pioneer quilters across the country.  An 'Irish chain' was a surveyors instrument, slightly larger than 10 inches. Another theory is that the pattern is an adaption of an old weaving structure. Historian Barbara Brackman states that the earliest recording of a quilt in this design is 1814.

Whatever its History, this block structure is easy for beginners as well as providing excellent blank spaces for decorative quilting.

Page 25 of February 2013 Template has the instructions for this easily rotary cut block, utilising off white with varying blue fabrics.

So, raid your stash please (who wouldn't love a new but traditional Blue and White quilt for their home), construct a block or two, and bring them to the Burwood meeting on Saturday 18 May, or post them to reach the Guild Office by 14 May.

Remember, "Winner takes all" and the drawing of the prize always provides much delight at Guild Meetings.

May Friday Showcase : Robyn Johnston

The guild has engaged the very experienced quilter, Robyn Johnston, as next presenter for Friday Showcase.
A 1972 USA patchwork publication about Seminole Piecing was the initial inspiration for what has become a 40 year devotion to the craft, with a constant application to learning new methods, as well as a subsequent  sharing of knowledge as a teacher.
Robyn will no doubt have many stories to tell about her international quilt journey, her involvement with Hunters Hill Quilters, all whilst illustrated by the wonderful quilts that depict that journey.

"Exploration in Isometric Universe" 2012 Member's Choice Award, Hunters Hill Quilt Show.

Date   : May 3rd 2013

Time  : 10am

Venue: Guild Office

All Welcome.

April Showcase Images

On Friday 5th April members of the Quilters' Guild of NSW Inc were treated to the colourful inspiration and creativity of fellow quilter, Catherine Butterworth.
All of her quilts display a faultless attention to construction and design detail, and it was wonderful to be able to view them so closely.

Catherine admits to having a twin personality when it comes to quilt making.... her birth place of the USA results in many quilts displaying a 'Traditional' appearance, whilst Australian influences cause other quilts to be extremely colourful, as her Wedding Ring quilt, below, shows.
Thankyou Catherine for sharing your  stories and beautiful quilts with other members.

Eastwood Patchwork Quilters: 3-5 May

 This is the glorious flyer for the upcoming 13th biennial Quilt Exhibition, being organised by Eastwood Patchwork Quilters. It is an illustrative section from one of the 2 colourful Canyon Star block raffle quilts that members have been creating. The stunning first prize quilt has an added magnificent applique bird in the centre. In 2011 their event was such a success that $8000 was raised as a donation to Achieve Australia. This year these talented quilters are supporting  Special Olympics Australia with raffle, donations and entrance monies.

Previous attendees at this very popular quilt show will know that the exhibition venue will again be the historic Brush Farm House at Eastwood. This year's quilt show will be held just one week shy of the 200th anniversary of Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson setting off on the expedition that forged the first European crossing of the seemingly impenetrable Blue Mountains.

Exhibition details include:

Over 140 quilts on display

Craft Stall, Cafe, Quilt shops/merchants

Historical House tours

Demonstrations and workshops

There is Disabled Access and wheelchair available.

Venue: Brush Farm House

            Lawson Street Eastwood

Dates : Friday 3rd May - Sunday 5th May 2013

Times : 10am - 4.30 pm

Entry Free :  however donations are welcome.

Quilt Show Springwood : 26-28 April

If driving in the Blue Mountains recently, you may have seen some of the many colourful banners advertising an upcoming Quilt Show.  Quilters from the Springwood Community are staging an autumn exhibition in late April and invite all to attend.

Pictured, is the raffle quilt showing the current popular design trend of using an infinite variety of fussy cut hexagons, all exquisitely pieced, surrounding  a stunning centre panel.

There will be a "Featured Quilter" this year, and it is Nerida Richmond-Benson who will be displaying her Japanese-themed quilts on the stage of the venue.

Along with the many member's quilts to enjoy, there will be 10 quilt related traders, and a great cafe to patronise. Enjoy a weekend drive amongst autumnal colour and visit these dedicated, creative quilters!

Venue : Springwood High School Hall

             Grose Rd, Faulconbridge

Dates :  Friday 26th to Sunday 28th April

Times : 10-4pm each day 

Entry :  $5