New Zealand Machine Quilters' Conference 2008

“I am speaking to you tonight as President of the AMQA. Founded about two years ago in Queensland, Australia, the Australian Machine Quilting Association is a not-for-profit organisation which is specific to machine quilting..... in particular.... the business of machine quilting”.

Earlier this year I was given the privilege to open the 2008 New Zealand Machine Quilters’ Conference at Cambridge, New Zealand. Hosts, Mike and Lori Neels once again ran a very successful four days of learning opportunities and machine quilters and tutors travelled from all over New Zealand and Australia to attend.

There were seminars and workshops for all levels that gave tuition across a wide range of interesting topics including, funky free-handing, thread-play, templating, pantographs, designing wholecloth quilts, business principles and inspirational colouring techniques.

Sunday was open day at the hall and the public were welcomed in to view a very impressive display of machine quilting. Hands-on classes for those who wanted extra were given by Kim Bradley, Tina Whitaker, and yours truly, either side of the main two-day conference.

The conference dinner was held at Onyx, one of Cambridge’s top restaurants. Everyone had a fantastic time, the food was great and I developed a serious liking for NZ wine which I am pleased to discover is available here in Oz.

Congratulations to all the winners:

Peers’ Choice 1st - Linda Young - $500 cash from Nolting Mfg Inc plus $250 thread parcel from Coats Industrial. (photo to left)

Peers’ Choice 2nd - Colleen Burr - $250 cash from Karamu Quilting plus $250 voucher from John Rainger Textiles.

Public Choice 1st - Diane Caskey - $500 cash from Kasa Engineering plus $250 thread parcel from Coats Industrial.

Public Choice 2nd - Julie Cannon - $250 cash from Karamu Quilting plus $250 books & fabrics from Fabco Ltd.

Kim Bradley’s Choice - Susan Trendall - 2 nights B&B plus 20 fat quarters and batting from Quilt Fairies of Baylys Beach.

The time just flew and before I knew it I was saying goodbye to our Kiwi friends. I left Mike and Lori sharing a well earned moment of relaxation on the front verandah at Quiltique under the autumn leaves of that beautiful neighbouring tree.

See you in 2010!

Soon It Will Be Spring

I can't remember feeling so cold in the winter months in Brisbane. Previous winters have been quite mild, this year it's freezing! Normally we only need to use the heaters occassionally, this year they have really had a good work out.

Sure to brighten the wintery mood is such a crisp, fresh explosion of bright Spring colours. This quilt made by my good friend Suzanne Walker called appropriately 'Spring Fling' has reminded me that the start of the Spring season is only one week away!

I usually find myself looking forward to a welcomed spell from what can be a very hot Queensland Summer. This year though I must admit, I am looking forward to feeling the warmth of the sun again.

I love daisies, don't you? This is a view of Sue's quilt from the back. Lovely Sue, well done.

Exciting News!

It was a very exciting day here at The Quilt Connection yesterday. I received a phone call in the morning from the organisors of the Quilts Across Queensland exhibition at the Ekka to tell me that my quilt ‘Solutions 1’ had won 1st place in the Professional Small Quilts category. A blue ribbon….. I’m stoked!

‘Solutions 1’ is one of a pair of teaching samples created in preparation for the New Zealand Machine Quilters’ Conference in Cambridge which I attended earlier in the year. Both ‘Solutions 1’ and ‘Solutions 2’ are examples of thinking ‘outside the square’ in terms of planning the quilting. I applied very different machine quilting to a very basic piecing design which resulted in two unique and very individual quilts. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete ‘Solutions 2’ before the cut-off for entries so only ‘Solutions 1’ will be on display, but WOW, it will be on display with a big blue ribbon on it!

Second phone call for the day was from one of my favourite customer/friends, Barb McIntyre..... the red and purple one, and her husband David, who by the way, poses as my part-time business manager occasionally giving advise such as, “definitely with the stippling, not without” and “white, not red thread will give a better result on that red and white quilt”.

They rang with the news that Barb’s quilt, “The Torch of Lady Liberty” had won the red ribbon in the Collaborative - Commercially Quilted - Any technique Class 7 also in the Quilts Across Queensland competition. How ironic is that, a new red ribbon to dress up Barb's red hat. (VBG)
Congratulations Barb......Woo Hoo!

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, later in the afternoon, another much loved customer/friend, Lorna Haigh, rang to say her quilt ‘Morning Light’ had won the Blue ribbon in the Class 7. Congratulations Lorna.
I’m very excited for you both.
In fact, I am just over the moon, not only is it just the best feeling ever, to know that as partners in quilt-making we are obviously getting it right but also so good to be rewarded for our efforts.

All this excitement will make it difficult to focus today, but preparations need to continue for activities planned at the end of the week. Machine Quilters have flown down from the Atherton Tablelands and others, more local, who have recently purchased a machine for their own use or to enter the business of machine quilting, are attending a longarm workshop I am running here on Friday. Then, on Saturday, people from all over Queensland will come here to attend the next Queensland Machine Quilters’ Gathering. So off to work I go…… Whistling with joy all the while.

Congratulations to all other winners in the Quilts Across Queensland exhibit at this year’s Ekka.

I'll post some photos in a couple of days.