Coastal Quilters Challenge quilts plus more

Hello- yes its been a while.  I have been absorbed in the NZ Quilt Symposium 2017 class prep.  Testing my diagrams, student notes and preparing samples. Symposium is less than two weeks away.  Yay.

Last month I had the opportunity to be part of the Quilt and Craft fair held in Porirua New Zealand.  Jo decided to take the shop to the fair and the staff took turns at manning the stall each day.  Part of this fair was an exhibition by Coastal Quilters.  I photographed their "Scrap" challenge for you to see.  Quite a good turn out.  Awards we present by viewer choice only.  Three quilts were awarded.

If you scroll into each picture you will be able to read the quilt details.



"N" Scrap the dash-a-doodle by Iosbel Whooley (right)

viewers choice award

"J" Demolition Boro by Claire Smith (left) viewers choice award



"L" Old Girl by Dianne Barnden views choice award (left)

I will be sending my quilt for the Symposium Tutors Exhibition this week.  Its is the only quilt I have managed to finish in the last 14 months.  Think 'young" girl when you see it.

Here is its story and the quilt for those of you who are unable to attend symposium.  My photographs are not that great (from my washing line) but I hope to take better ones once it is hanging.

Wimsical  (without the H)

Every quilt that is made has a story.
Fabric designers spend hours creating their unique fabric designs for quilters, crafters and dressmakers to enjoy.  For several years now I have been creating quilts out of one fabric.  Basically, I cut up a fabric and re-design a different look by manipulating the fabric using traditional blocks.

I love visual textures, illusions and where possible also like to add tactile surfaces to some of my quilts.

The inspiration for this quilt came from the fabric itself - Marianna by Gray Sky Studio for ‘In The Beginning fabrics’ (2015). I was drawn to the elegant shapes, curves and subtle colours of the print. 

The centre of my quilt is made up of kaleidoscopes using the four-sided kaleidoscope block method.  Inserted between each kaleidoscope I have added a windmill block to add colour.  It was exciting to lay out my blocks on my design wall.  Sewing them together incorporating the windmills was a bit of a challenge.

Wonderfil Dazzle has been couched into the borders to add sparkle.

This quilt is Whimsical but I have left out the H in memory of my uncle Wim who took me to visit a windmill for the first time in Holland in 1967.  I wasn’t so much in awe of the windmill itself, but of the family of eleven who were about to eat their dinner sitting around a dining table that stretched right across the room. 

One day this quilt will be passed on to a young girl to enjoy.
Very Wimsical.

That's all for now.  I intend to post from the Symposium.

Happy stitching
Shirls

QAYG Another class variation

Last week I attended Coastal Quilters club meeting and was excited to see another quilt completed from my QAYG class held early 2016.

This is Leonie's quilt. I love it.

QAYG class variation

These are two variations using my QAYG template.  The white background quilt has been my main class sample.  During my classes we have played around with layouts using students blocks.  I finally have put together another variation in the greys.





For those of you who have attended my previous QAYG classes, you can use the same templates but instead of laying the first piece at the bottom of your diamond batting/backing, you place it on the side of the diamond.
My grey quilt isn't finished although I have sewn on the binding.  In the future I will eventually square up the sides to create a more functional quilt but for now its an ok size and weight to travel to Christchurch for my QAYG 2017 symposium class.

One of the major hiccups when creating QAYG blocks is demonstrated below.  See even I do it!! - Sew without checking the previous seam has been sewn in correctly.

 

There is no getting around this.  I took out the block and unpicked it.
Here are two tips I hope you will find useful when unpicking and recreating your block.

Use a lint roller to help pick up your unpicked threads.

Close your sewing holes by lightly spraying water onto your fabric, then gently rubbing with your finger making sure you don't warp any bias edges.  Finally iron dry.










I have been focused on finishing a knitted blanket which needs to be completed this week.  Will post you the photos soon.

happy stitching
Shirley

Award Winners - NZ Quilt Symposium 2015 - Part Two

Continued from previous post.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME - AMATEUR

MERIT - Starry Starry Night by Claire Davis

FIRST -  Conquering Christchurch by Sophie Wood

NO PLACE LIKE HOME - PROFESSIONAL

MERIT - Southern lakes by Lois Wine

FIRST -  Fragility, Kina at Rangiputa by Mathea Daunheimer

 

OUT AND ABOUT - AMATEUR

MERIT - Light through the trees by Jill Bowman

MERIT - Lime and Mango by Sarah Ward

FIRST - 5 days and 5 nights in New York by Tracy Carew

OUT AND ABOUT- PROFESSIONAL

MERIT - True Bliss by Sonya Prchal

MERIT - Pacific Pathway by Donna Ward

FIRST - Hinemoa and Tutanekai by Fyvie Murray

OUT AND ABOUT IN A SMALL WORLD

My New Pillow by Sonya Prchal

RAGS TO RICHES RECYCLED

 

AMATEUR AWARD -  Blanket Ripples by Bridget McFarlane

PROFESSIONAL AWARD -  Golden Moment by Sandra Kennington

YESTERDAY, TODAY TOMORROW - AMATEUR

MERIT - Grandmothers Garden Revisited by Liz Heppleston

FIRST - Persian Window by Lucy Stephenson

YESTERDAY, TODAY TOMORROW - PROFESSIONAL

 

MERIT - A Gentle and Quiet Spirit by Jeanie O'Sullivan

FIRST - Persian Dreams by Ansa Breytenback

 

BEST THEME INTERPRETATION

 

Arch My Eyes by Adrianne Reid

 

 

CONVENORS AWARD

 

Minton by Judith Briant

JUDGES AWARD - STU SCHWARTZ

Exuberance by Jean McLean

JUDGES AWARD - CHRISTINE HARTIGAN

Three Brothers by Sarah Ward 

JUDGES AWARD - ROSALIE DACE

Rural 1 by Robyn Croft

BERNINA AWARD

Royal Velvet by Ansa Breytenbach

 

BEST OF SHOW EXCELLENCE

 

Nightwatch by Anna Prussing

Kisses for my Daughter by Donna Cumming
  

 

BERNINA BEST IN SHOW

 

Is it Art by Melanie Martin

It was a pretty amazing exhibition.  There are also 21 quilts selected for the NZ Suitcase Exhibition which will tour around New Zealand this year.  

Award winners - NZ Quilt Symposium 2015 - part one

I have been back from Symposium for four days and I have just started unpacking.  As promised - the here are the winning quilts.  Photographs have been supplied by the CD Quilt Symposium Manawatu 2015 put together.

WINNERS - GROWING THE PASSION EXHIBITION

PLAYGROUND (YOUNG PERSON UP TO 12 YEARS))

FIRST - Lilly's Garden by Lilly Duncan.

SCHOOLS OUT (NEXT GENERATION 13-18 YEARS)

 



MERIT- Road of Endless Possibility by Kataraina Hakaraia

FIRST - Schools Out by Sarah Royds

 

 3D FLORA AND FAUNA

FIRST  - Ruth Corbet

 ALIVE WITH COLOUR - AMATEUR

MERIT - Off the Floor #1 by Gael O'Donnell

FIRST - Circle the Wagons by Gael O'Donnell

 ALIVE WITH COLOUR - PROFESSIONAL

MERIT - In the Corner of the Garden by Rosemary Rush

FIRST - Nightwatch by Anna Prussing

 

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

BEST AMATUER - The French Connection by Nancy Woodney

BEST PROFESSIONAL - Sticky Fly Papers by Margaret Rogerson
 

OVERALL BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Kisses for my Daughter by Donna Cumming



CHOP AND CHANGE

FIRST -  Nascondino by Jeanette Orr

 

GAMES UP 

FIRST - Hopscotch by Alison Laurence

 HOT OF THE PRESS

MERIT - Quilters Rock by Irene Smith

MERIT -  Lost in Transit by Mary Williams

FIRST - Still being followed by Ruth Wheeler

 

GROWING THE PASSION - AMATUER

MERT - Eclipse by Leanne Kenagh

 

FIRST - Simply Childs Play by Lee-Ann Newton

 GROWING THE PASSION - PROFESSIONAL

MERIT - Fabric Flower Passion by Ruth Wheeler

FIRST -  Exuberance by Jean Mclean

INSPIRED FIBRES

MERIT - Canna Tropicana by Heather McLean

MERIT -  No Sew HST's by Heather Beaven



 

MERIT - Touch the Stars by Griet Lombard.

Unfortunately no photograph of this quilt has been provided on the

exhibition disk.

 

IT'S A SMALL WORLD (miniature quilts)

 

MERIT - Dwaft Star by Christine Singleton

 

FIRST -  Opulent and Elegant by Valda Sutton



LESS IS MORE - AMATEUR

MERIT -  Stand my ground by Gael O'Donnell

FIRST - Ode to Tron by Sue Pope

 LESS IS MORE - PROFESSIONAL

MERIT - Improvisation by Fyvie Murray

FIRST - Rural 1 by Robyn Croft







Due to the large number of photographs I am downloading, I have split the winning quilts over two posts.