Author: lynkeoghquilts

Lovely news today… ‘Waratah in Full Bloom’ is one of the 30 finalists in the AQC challenge.
It will be displayed in Melbourne at AQC in April, then tour the Craft and Quilt Fairs in Australia throughout 2023.

The quilt maker had to make a quilt 90cm X 90cm…their interpretation of the theme ‘In Full Bloom.

The 30 finalists feature traditional designs and contemporary styles.

It is a lovely honour to be included in this display of beautiful quilts.

Quilt maker’s statement….I am in awe of our beautiful native flora. Living on the South Coast of NSW our home is surrounded by natural bush. In 2019 millions of acres of NSW were ravaged by devastating bushfires, leaving a black and scarred landscape. Over the past 3 years we have watched it slowly regenerate and come back to life. The radiant Waratahs, in all their glory, showcase the beauty and colour found in nature. These Waratahs were captured in a photo taken by my husband. In full bloom, they are a symbol of the vibrancy and resilience of our iconic Australian wildflowers.

We all have a way of keeping track of what we have created.

It is important to have a record of your work. I make note of any techniques used, design inspiration, what materials and threads, tension, stitch type and needle. This helps me know what has worked…and what has not.

I always take photos of my work being made, make notes and keep photos of workshops and quilting adventures ……retreats, magazines that have published my projects, guild shows, award ceremonies, valuation certificates., etc.

I decided to make a photo book which included all these items. This keeps everything recorded in one place PLUS it is a great coffee table book for the sewing room. To my surprise I now have a whole series………

We all make quilts for friends, family and charities. Once these quilts are gifted we loose track and sometimes forget we even made them. This is an excellent way of keeping a record of your creations.

It is not an arduous task if you record each project as you complete it. The book project sits on my computer. Photos and notes are added once I have finished each quilt. This also keeps a chronological order of my work. When the book reaches its page limit, I then order and send the files to the ‘photo book’ company. My books are hardcover, 100 pages, size 26cm X 33 cm. This size allows me to include some closeup photos of special details or quilting designs.

I hope this has inspired you to create a lovely way to showcase your work.

I recently tried experimenting with the Inktense Pencils on linen, using a fabric medium to minimise the bleeding.

The inspiration for the design came from a photo my husband took on one of his photographic outings, a group of Waratahs. It was a suitable beginning for this years AQC challenge, In Full Bloom.

Living on the South Coast of NSW our home is surrounded by native bush. In 2019 our region was ravaged by devastating bushfires, leaving a black and scarred landscape. Over the past 3 years we have watched it slowly regenerate and come back to life. The radiant Waratahs, in all their glory, showcase the beauty and colour found in nature. In full bloom they are a symbol of the vibrancy and resilience of our iconic Australian wildflowers.

I was thrilled the finished quilt ( 90cms x 90 cms) has made it through the first round of juried quilts. Fingers crossed that it progresses to the next stage.

It was exciting to see my wall quilt ‘ Florabunda’ displayed on the cover of Quilters Companion GREAT AUSTRALIAN QUILTS magazine. #13

This version is a raw edge machine appliqué project using batik fabrics. The background is quilted in patterns that extend the floral design and the gum blossoms are embellished with colonial knots. The full pattern and instructions are listed as a project in the magazine.

FUN WITH INKTENSE PENCILS.

I had an enjoyable day with some lovely ladies in Batemans Bay. We experimented and played with our Inktense Pencils on fabric to create a placemat or small sample.

In this workshop I demonstrated how to outline the selected design on the fabric, various techniques used to apply the colours and how to quilt the finished piece with free motion machine quilting.

Below are some images of their work, well done to everyone who attended.

With the warmer weather arriving it is time to change those thick winter doonas over. I had made several queen size quilts over the years but they never looked quite right on the beds as they were missing matching pillow shams.
Being reluctant to throw any fabric out I found all the matching off cuts filed away at the bottom of my stash… some of the quilts were made 10-12 years ago.

After a couple of rainy days and a jigsaw of odd shaped pieces I now have all my guest beds dressed for Spring. It was a good challenge for creative machine piecing.