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My local quilting group have been working on a monthly sewing challenge, where a new block is released at the beginning of each month. It is a sampler quilt with sashings.

I have completed the quilt to provide examples of how it can be quilted. I used straight line and scalloped quilting with rulers. It was great for refining my skills. In some of the blocks I added free motion feathers and circle patterns to add interest.

We are also looking at ways to machine bind a quilt, so this was my first attempt at a flange binding. I am really pleased with the end result. A great exercise for practicing your piecing, ruler quilting and binding techniques.

I have just completed teaching my ‘Bits and Pieces’ sampler workshops, where we covered a new technique each week. At the end of the seven weeks it was lovely to see that many of the students were up to attaching the sashing strips. Some of the ladies had extended my designs and applied their own twist to the patterns. This is great to see. I am always impressed when they extend the pattern and make their own unique creation, feeling confident with their own choices and colour selection.

My ‘Whimsical Houses’ quilt was taught over 2 day workshop earlier in the year. As a result of demonstrating how to create the New York Block centre I had a bright colourful medallion workshop sample…….this has grown into a new quilt, ‘Whimsical Flowers’.

The Raw edge machine appliquéd flowers grow out of the centre circle. I added a foundation pieced flower border to finish the design. It is a small baby quilt measuring 42 inches square.

The bright, colourful Kaffe Fassett fabrics sit on a selection of grey background fabrics. Machine blanket stitch is in a colour that matches the fabrics and the quilting is in grey polyester to blend with the background. The flowers are surrounded by flowing, free motion quilted feathers.
All the appliqué has been outline quilted to define the shapes.

I have always been drawn to the old towns of Europe with their cobbled streets, beautiful ironwork, arched stone and heavy wooden doorways. A photo from a family holiday to Kotor, Montenegro, provided the inspiration for this small quilt. It measures 50cm X 70 cm.

The base fabric is plain unbleached calico. I outlined the image using a fine point permanent black pen then coloured it with Inktense Pencils, using water to release the colour.  The calico has so much sizing in it, the colour doesn’t bleed. Once dry and pressed gently with a hot iron, it was sandwiched together.

All the quilting is free motion in black thread over the black pen outlines.

I am really pleased with the overall ‘rustic’ appearance of the finished piece, plus very happy that it won 1st place in the Challenge.

Each year Canberra Quilters Guild hold their members judged exhibit to showcase work completed over the year. Canberra displayed beautiful weather, sunny days and lovely autumn colours in all the deciduous trees.

Everyone who entered their work should be congratulated. It was a colourful and beautiful display of all things ‘Patchwork and Quilting’.

I was fortunate to win prizes for all my entries.

‘Isabel’ placed 1st Large Quilts Professional and also received a judges encouragement award for Applique.

‘Memories of Alex’ placed 2nd Small Quilts Professional and also received Excellence Mid Arm Machine Quilting Award

My friendship group of 8 ladies entered a quilt ‘Loretta’s Kaleidoscope’. We all contributed to making the blocks and I did the machine quilting. This quilt was awarded 1st Group Quilts.

Each year there is also a challenge set. A small quilt measuring 50cm X 70cm. This year it was Doorways and Portals. My entry ‘Doorways’ was awarded 1st place.

2023 Virtual Exhibition