Craft and Quilt Show - Part 3

Here we are at Part 3 of my visit to the Craft and Quilt Fair!! My fabric purchases!!


Before I share my fabric goodies I just want to share 1 more quilt. It was one of my very favourites! Jemima's Purple Patch by Pamela Westmacott.

Made for her granddaughter who loves purple and "those spikey things Granny sews". How cute is that!! Not only are the pattern and fabric choices wonderful but I really love the quilting Pam has done. And check out the skinny yellow border! No wonder this won 1st prize for Small/Wall Quilt in the amateur division. Congratulations Pam!!

Okay fabric time!! It's nice timing too because it was this time last week that Mandy and I were heading home on the train looking at what we'd bought. Here I am doing the same but with all of you!!

This is where you see what broad taste I have when it comes to fabric. If I'm not shopping for a particular colour or pattern my buying is influenced by unusual things that I may not find again. Also by the wonderful bargains that some of the stalls had.

These fun vegetable fat quarters are, I think, by Hoodie for Blank Quilting. Neither of who I've heard of. Apparently this is a new range so no doubt you'll start seeing them everywhere. I was wondering what to make for dinner the other night. I wandered into my sewing room, saw these and thought " Of course- Ratatouille !". And delicious it was too!!

Mandy and I found some Prints Charming packs at the Kelani Fabrics stand. They're all one off packs. After searching through every bag I settled on this combination. I love that they're different fabrics, denim, linen, drill, corduroy. The plan is to make a skirt...

This little collection of goodies was from the bits and pieces basket at Kelani. It was like a lucky dip of fabric yuminess.

You can see why I bought this pretty panel fabric.

From French reproduction to Japanese theatre novelty, topped with a retro charity pincushion.
The flip side of my pincushion and pretty Japanese novelty fabrics in lavenders and blues.
The next 2 fat quarters surprised even me. The logical part of my brain says these are murky green and really dark and not the sort of bright fun fabric I usually go for. But something made me buy them. They're a little bit quirky and I like the painted/ printing look of them. Who knows... they'll be the perfect thing for something, some day.
Here's some gorgeous brights!! Reproduction lovelies!! I'm particularly enamoured with the yellow fabric. it makes me want to sew a purple and yellow quilt...
...Using some of these big bold purple dots from Saffron Craig's latest range Imaginary Flowers. The pink dandelions are from one of older ranges. I've always loved them, such a perfect shade of pink and dandelions take me back to childhood summers, blowing the little seeds into the wind.
Last but not least, are these gorgeous bits and pieces given to me by Terry. Bits of fabric are just the most wonderful gift to give a quilter!! She gave me bicycles because she noticed I collect bicycle fabric and of course I can never have too many daisies! Thank you Terry, I was so touched by your thoughtful package!!

I better get busy with my sewing so I can start using some of these before the next show!!

Cheerio.

The Craft and Quilt Fair - Part 2

This is the second post about my fabulous day at Sydney's Craft and Quilt Fair,

Here we go, the part you've been waiting for- The Quilts... This is just a small sample of what was on show, the ones that caught my eye. Enjoy!

Corporate Chaos by Robyn Shipton used shirts, ties and pants to create this quilt !!
I love that she left the pockets and buttons intact.

Desert Flower Revisited by Verna Horwood, based on a quilt from 1936.
This is such a pretty way to use hexagons.

Mirage by Margaret Mc Donald features Jane Sassaman's fabrics.
and enhanced with amazing quilting by Susan Campbell.

I kept coming back to this quilt. Not my usual colours but Ashbourne Mill by Katrina Hadjimichael was just stunning.

I've shown this quilt on my blog before when I saw it at the Hunter's Hill Quilt Show. It was wonderful to see it again, I think it's just incredible! Shot Waves by Kathie De Palo.

Isn't it electric!!

More diamonds. I love the way the stripes keep your eyes moving. You could get lost in this quilt for quite a while! Marquee Diamonds is by Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession.
Cosy, perfect hand stitching.
Kathy's other quilt Soul Searching jumped out at me too. I love the way it shimmers.
Lovely colour play with lots of fabric, yum!!

While we're on a Material Obsession theme, here are two quilts hanging at their stand. Both so different, Both fabulous. Wonderful use of colour!!

I love the name of the next quilt Googly Eyes by Catherine Butterworth.
Awesome fabrics!!Look at that amazing border and fussy cut star!!

Freedom by Helen Godden won prizes in the Art Quilt and Best Use of Colour categories
Incredible details.

Morocco Magic by Wendy Scott was mind boggling. There's 880 pieces making up this design.
This quilt makes me want to make log cabins! Ladies Love Poppies by Diane Tramontana.

Red, Green Again by Shirley Gibson. The longer you look at this quilt the more you see.
Last but not least, Indigo Daisies by Lynn Hewitt. You can't tell from the photo but this quilt was huge!! Love the hexagon flowers, and of course I like blue daisies!

Jemima's Purple Patch by Pamela Westmacott was one of my very favourites!!
It so deserved the Wall/Small Quilt award it won. Beautiful design and gorgeous fabric choices! Super crisp foundation piecing and that thin yellow border!! Stunning!!



Inspired? Impressed? I know I was.

Cheerio.

The Craft and Quilt Fair - Part 1

I get pretty excited about Sydney's Craft and Quilt Fair. Not just because its full of eye candy everywhere you look but because it's also the anniversary of my journey into quilting. 3 years ago as a spur of the moment thing to do, GBF and I went to have a look at some quilts. I came away with a rotary cutter and a mat, and that was that!!

To honour my 3rd anniversary and because I have so many photos, I'm going I'd divide my pictures into 3 posts - People, Quilts and Fabrics.

I'm starting with people because that was the highlight of the show for me this year. I caught up with friends and met blogland buddies for the first time.
My friend Mandy saved a seat for me on the train as she lives further up the Mountains from me. We chatted all the way into town and before we knew it we were in Sydney. We fueled up on coffee and chai and got to the the show before it started. We had a fun time patchwork bag spotting in the crowd.

My lovely blog friend Terry found me straight away because of my BMDaisy jacket. She'd seen the post about the jacket and in a flash whipped up a design incorporating her initials TNT. I love that enthusiasm!! It was so so wonderful to meet a bloggy friend in real life. Now she's a real friend that I chat to in my bloggy life.

We started the day with Saffron Craig's talk. Here she is with her husband Patrick. They managed to fit a lot of information into half an hour. Their designing history, the design process, different ranges, how to use one directional fabrics, ideas and methods for making quilts.

I loved seeing quilts Saffron had made and her fabulous fabrics. It really makes it so much more personal hearing a designer talk about their fabrics. The fabrics gain a personality that makes them more special to use. I caught up with Saffron and Patrick at their stall later and have to say they are the nicest, down to Earth, lovely people!!

Next stop was the awards. My friend Chris Jurd won 1st prize in the New Traditions From Old Favourites category. It's not a great photo of her receiving the award. Chris is the blurry one in the photo, She's a fast mover! or maybe I was too busy trying to cheer, clap and take a photo at the same time!! I'm so excited for her.

This is the prize winning Lots of Dots quilt. As the name suggests Chris only used spotty dotty fabrics to create all those wonderful circles. It really is an amazing quilt!!

We did a screen printing class with Louise Snook. She was a natural teacher, with a zillion great tips to share with us and a bucket load of patience when the ink started flying.

Here I am trying to come up with a design idea. That was before I started playing with the ink and ended up with it all over the table, my hands and even spots on my face. I managed to get a little bit on the fabric.

Big smiles from Mandy and Lynne!! ( note Lynne's fabulous dress made from Patty Young's Flora and Fauna range). I think these two have found their calling, they took to printing like a ducks to water!! or should I say ink to fabric... I think I'll stick to fabric hunting...
It was an absolute treat to catch up with Linda from Quilts in the Barn. I've followed her blog pretty much from when she started it. Linda always has wonderful quilting trips to share. Amazing quilts made by her, her numerous friends and from her trips. On top of all of that she somehow she finds the time to organise one of Australia's best annual quilt shows -Quilts in the Barn, with all proceeds going to breast cancer research. This year US reproduction fabric designer and quilter Jo Morton is coming out as the feature quilter of the show. Linda happened to have this year's raffle quilt with her. Comprised of signature blocks from all over the world made with Jo's fabrics. Mine is in the photo, the dark red one with the fussy cut circles.

My only regret is that I didn't have more time to spend with everyone. We stayed to the very end and practically had to be kicked out. The day was a whirlwind and flew by way too fast!!! Next year I'll go for more than one day! At least Mandy and I had the train trip home to look at all our beautiful fabrics and purchases.

One last photo of Myself, Mandy and Lynne.

Stayed tuned for the next post of some of my favourite quilts of the show.

Are you going to the Show?

You may think this is a dresden plate...

but I prefer to think of it as a Blue Mountain Daisy.

My official Blue Mountain Daisy jacket!

Okay, Are you thinking I'm totally mad now? Gbf couldn't stop laughing when I showed him! But there's a method to my madness.

It's the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair this week. Oooohh I'm excited! It's the quilty event of the year for us Sydneysiders. When I was there last year, ambling around, I couldn't help but wonder if I was passing any of my blogland friends without knowing. I'll be there on Wednesday with Mandy of Mand-a-lin, and I'll be wearing my jacket. If you see it, feel free to come and say hello to us! It would be so nice to meet you in person.

I'm looking forward to seeing the 450 quilts made by members of the Quilters Guild of NSW. The Material Obsession stand will be there with all it's enthusiastic colour and inspiring quilts. The Prints Charming girls always have something fun. Fabric designer Saffron Craig is hosting a workshop at 9.30am on Wednesday so that's were we'll be starting. And there's always lots of other fun things to catch our eyes and fuel our imaginations. It's going to be a fun day!!!

I'll take lots of photos to share with you later in the week.

Cheerio

I'm linking up to Marg's Pyjama Sunday because I did indeed do some of this in my PJs this morning.

Pop over to my friend Terry's blog to see the amazing jacket she has made. I think we're starting a new trend.