The next meeting is this Thursday 22 January, on at the civic library – 7:30pm.
As well as catching up on all the fabulous projects you’d like to bring, we’re going to have a bit of fun doodling. I’ll take people through a few different free motion quilting designs and and we’ll practice them through doodles. Bring plain paper and pencils – lead pencil is fine or some coloured pencils / pens / textas. I’ll also have some spare paper and pencils.
Looking forward to seeing what everyone’s been up to over the break and new year.
Welcome to the second part where we learn more about Danielle. Is there a technique on your list to learn this year? How do you like to learn new techniques?
I would love to do more foundation paper piecing. I have done a few blocks here and there (all bee blocks, I think!) but would love to do something of my choosing and for me. I like to learn by just jumping in, perhaps reading a tutorial or two and maybe having a friend to sew the same thing with so we can help each other and laugh at our mistakes instead of despairing alone. Another technique I’d like to try is top-down or open seam piecing. Sarah Fielke’s quilt In the Night Garden is made using this technique and it’s a stunner!
Where do you find your inspiration?
One of the things I really love about quilting is how there is inspiration everywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a pattern on a floor, or a wall, in a building, even on packaging, and thought, that could make a quilt! I love going to friends’ houses who have older style bathrooms because very often there will be an amazing tessellated tile pattern on the floor or walls. I’d love to say that every time I see an object in this way that I rush home and whip up a quilt, or at least draw the pattern and save it for later, but sadly that’s not where my headspace is right now – I’m hoping that in years to come when life is not so crazy that I will have a lot more time to reflect on design and nature and turn my ideas into all the things!
Of course in the meantime there is inspiration non-stop if you choose to engage in social media – sometimes I think there is too much! I’m constantly astounded by how many people just like me there are all over the world, with the same motivation to make beautiful things. It has been wonderful to connect with people long distances away in an instant, and I’ve made some very close friendships with lovely people I’ve met online (and have been lucky enough to meet some of them in real life too, while on holidays in the UK and US).
Who are your quilt idols?
It is hard to narrow my quilt idols to one or two. I’ll start with fabric – my absolute favourite designer would have to be Anna Maria Horner. Her colour palette is my idea of perfection, pretty much anything she brings out I love. First and foremost it’s about the colour, or the combination of colours, but secondly it’s the drawings – Anna is an artist above anything else, and I love that she shares her work and her inspiration on her blog and on Instagram. I also love Denyse Schmidt – I love how she borrows from vintage fabrics and re-interprets them with a modern style and colour palette. And the simplicity and crispness of her quilts make them a stand out for me. Recently I’ve fallen in love with Carolyn Friedlander’s fabrics – Carolyn has a background in architecture and her fabric designs (and quilt designs) very much reflect this; they are very geometric and line-based, in soft but contrasting colours.
Sarah Fielke, an Australian quilter and designer, has been a big influence on me. I love her use of colour, and am a big fan of appliqué and hand quilting, both of which Sarah employs by the bucketload. One of my favourite quilts I’ve ever made is her Millefiori pattern, all hand quilted and appliquéd.
Jen Kingwell, another Aussie, is a big favourite too. As I’ve already mentioned, I’m part-way through making her Green Tea and Sweet Beans pattern, and have several other of her patterns lined up for next year (and beyond). Again I admire her use of colour and envy her ability to throw such eclectic mixes of fabrics together as if they always belonged that way.
What five things or people are inspiring you right now?
1. Antique quilts – People have been making quilts forever – I feel it connects us with the past and I see my quilts as part of my legacy. I love looking at antique quilts in books and online (there is a great catalogue on the Victoria and Albert Museum website), and one day I would like to tackle a reproduction of an epic antique quilt. I’m thinking I might start with the 1718 Coverlet, which is an English quilt, pieced and appliquéd, and recently reproduced and published with its own book.
2. Blue Elephant Stitches – I love Jolene’s quilts – they’re not fancy, they’re just simple, and beautiful.
3. Flossie Teacakes – Florence makes the most beautiful things, she always has some EPP on the go and invariably it involves Liberty. I also love the way she writes – I hope she’ll come out with a book one day! And she has a very cute puppy.
4. Make Something – I’ve followed Karen in Toronto since I rediscovered sewing a few years ago. She makes fabulous clothing (something I would love to do more!) as well as the occasional quilt.
5. Japanese modern quilters – they have a style that is all their own. I’ve recently discovered Patchwork Tsushin magazine, which is a treasure trove of incredible quilts (primarily what we would describe as modern). Unfortunately the magazine is only available in Japanese, but the photography is wonderful and the patterns have clear diagrams and measurements included. Japanese fabric designers are also worth seeking out for their modern fabrics – some of my favourites are Suzuko Koseki (who specialises in modernising retro motifs), Kumiko Fujita, Kei and Keiko Goke.
With this post we have another very talented guild member, Danielle. To start, tell us a little bit about yourself! What got you interested in quilting? When did you first find modern quilting?
It’s a little hard to say how long I’ve been quilting, it’s been something that has evolved over quite a few years. I grew up surrounded by craft, my Mum was a dressmaker and made all my sister’s and my clothes when we were little. She did a course at TAFE and was even proficient at making bras and undies although I don’t think she particularly enjoyed that part of the course and nobody in the family ever benefited from that. We did, however, have a wardrobe of beautiful dresses and other pretty things. My Nana (Mum’s mum) was also a prolific sewist, as well as a knitter, spinner and weaver. She taught me to knit when I was about seven, but before (and after) that I remember trying my hand at the spinning wheel, and my grandfather made me a mini version of her loom. Family holidays at their home in Cooma were very crafty, and it was there I learnt to appreciate the cosiness of sitting by the fire with a cuppa and my knitting. I’ve always been a Nana!! I knitted and cross-stitched my way through uni but it wasn’t until I had a proper job that I took a real interest in quilting (my Mum – and Nana – had by that stage made a definite shift from dressmaking to quilting) – I must have known that some income would be required to support this hobby! I started hand-piecing blocks (they were never sewn into a quilt), and made a couple of quilts for friends’ babies, always with help from Mum. It wasn’t until the first wave of more modern fabrics arrived (around 2009) that I became really swept away (this was around the time i discovered quilting blogs too!) and the sewing (and fabric collecting) frenzy began. I spent a lot of time lurking on modern quilting groups on Flickr, and participated in quite a few swaps and bees.
The first quilt Mum made for me is now over twenty years old and still lives on our couch – along with another she made for my 30th birthday – and I love to see my kids snuggled up under them now, one of the reasons I love quilting and making so much.
Do you do any other craft besides quilting?
I still love to knit, although this has been on the back burner in recent years. I used to make a lot of jumpers and cardigans, but now prefer to make things which are quicker to finish (and so I’ve made the same cowl pattern now seven times in a row, why not stick to a good thing?)
How has your style changed over the years?
My early efforts in quilting consisted of a lot of blanket stitch appliqué, my (very small!) fabric stash was quite cottagey, and probably the only fabric designer I knew by name was Debbie Mumm. Nowadays my style is much more eclectic, I like saturated colours but I also love to mix things up a bit – a repro 30s style flowery print can look quite at home next to a bold geometric black and white print. I’m learning a lot about what I do and don’t like, and which fabrics work together, through the online fabric shop that I run with my friend Jeannette Bruce, Polka Dot Tea.
I think I’m still finding my way in selecting fabrics and colours, I would love to have more time to be free to play and experiment – at the moment I just need to sew as fast as I can in the limited time available, there’s no time for standing back and gazing at the design wall, unfortunately! Hopefully there will be in the future. I don’t do any blanket stitch appliqué anymore (except on my son’s scout blanket!)
What are you currently working on?
Well, there is a large number of WIPs, I can’t deny it. But the main projects I’m working on are a few EPP (English paper pieced) quilts – I’m addicted to hexies, and I can see myself making at least one hexy quilt every year into infinity. I love hand sewing and I’m rarely sitting down doing nothing, there are always hexies to be stitched or basted, appliqué to be stitched, or hand quilting to do (and if not, there’s knitting). I am about 70 per cent through making Jen Kingwell’s Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt, which is a mixture of appliqué, hand and machine piecing, and I really must pick it up again. In terms of machine pieced quilts, I have a second Swoon quilt well underway, and a number of others in various states (farmer’s wife, granny squares, butterflies, to name a few) – I’m trying to get through a few in order to allow myself to start on some new projects.
Danielle’s current hexy project – 7/8″ Liberty hexies
What is your favourite part about quilting? What is your least favourite?
My favourite part is probably making the individual components of blocks – I really dislike sewing rows of blocks together, but by that stage I just want to get the thing finished so I don’t stop! And of course I love stitching hexies and appliqué.
Show us your sewing space! What’s the best thing you ever bought into it?
My sewing space is one of my biggest WIPs, but it should be finished soon, I hope. I’m lucky enough to have our converted garage as a studio, but I’m still in the process of getting it organised. My Dad made me a fantastic cutting bench with storage underneath. So currently my sewing space is the dining table – and my husband is very tolerant of my piles of fabric which tend to accumulate there (and yes, other places around the house too). I like to sew at the table though, it means I’m in amongst everyone and can still be with the kids.
Where else can we find you?
Hanging out on Instagram (@petitselefants), or in the shop (polkadottea.com). My blog (mespetitselefants.blogspot.com) is quite neglected these days but is a good record of a lot of my work.
Thanks Danielle for telling us about yourself. Can’t wait until the next post where we’ll learn about her inspirations and what technique she’d like to learn next.
Welcome to the second post to hear a bit more about Coral. Show us your sewing space! What’s the best thing you ever bought into it?
I’m lucky that I have my own room for my sewing space. The way I see it, if my husband gets a room for all his crap, I mean computer equipment, then I get a room too.
Without a doubt, my most important tool is my Janome MC6600P in a table so it’s flush with the top. Since getting this machine my quilting techniques have improved across the board. It was an investment in my continued growth as a quilter. I also love my Fiskars 60mm rotary cutter. I like it BIG if you know what I mean. 😉
My sewing area and my helper bulldogMy stashIt’s what I like to call “organised messy”
Where do you find your inspiration? Who are your quilt idols? What is inspiring you right now? Please tell us five things that are inspiring you right now
I’ve been pretty crafty all my life. I’m lucky to have been exposed to many talented and creative women over the years.
My Mom is an amazing seamstress. She made countless Halloween costumes and Barbie clothes for me and my sister Pearl (yes our names are ocean themed). Every year we would make a different homemade Christmas ornament to send to family members. When I was a senior in high school (year 12) I wanted a gold dress for prom. So she made me one out of gold lamé. She always encouraged my sister and I to do what we loved, regardless of what it was, and still does to this day.
Halloween. I was Peter Pan NOT Robin HoodProm 2000. The suit and the date were rentals
My Grandma Mary Jean first exposed me to quilting, but also fostered a sense of curiosity and play in me, and all her other grandkids, from a young age. I remember making marble runs and Lincoln log houses with her. I was luck enough to live with her and my Grandpa during the summers during my undergraduate. Even though I was in my late teens/early 20s and was of course thinking only of myself, I treasured that time we had to get to know each other. For her 80th birthday in 2011 I made a memory quilt from all our family photos for her. It’s one of my favourite quilts that I’ve made. We recently collaborated on a wedding quilt for my sister and her husband. Grandma pieced the top and I quilted it.
My brother in law, my sister, my Grandma Mary Jean and me presenting the wedding quilt
My Grandma Lois was super creative and dabbled in probably every craft known to man. You know that saying about “she who dies with the biggest stash wins”? Well, too late, because Grandma Lois won. When we were kids we used to spend several weeks each summer at her house. She always had amazing stuff for us to do. We got to dig in the garden, paint fences and bird houses, make those awful puffy paint t-shirts that were super popular at the time. Grandma Lois loved Victorian décor and pink, but she also loved to go to the hardware store and get her hands dirty. I inherited her Ginger scissors and pinking sheers. It means a lot to me to use tools that she used. Grandma Lois passed away in 2011. I made a quilt in her memory with her favourite pinks, roses and lace. Making it was very cathartic for me.
Grandma’s Roses quilt at the Braidwood Exhibition
My Nan was born and raised in Manly in Sydney. She was a war bride and moved to the USA in 1945. Although she wasn’t related by blood, she was an old family friend who took care of my sister and I from the time we were six weeks old. She taught us how to knit cotton washcloths, do printed and (eek!) counted cross-stitch. More importantly she made us finish our homework before we could watch Days of Our Lives. Before I came to Australia she gave me the priceless advice of “Don’t let those Aussie boys lead you down the garden path.” I use scarves she knitted for me all winter long. Nan passed away earlier this year just shy of her 91st birthday. I plan to make a quilt named “I Still Call Australia Home” in her memory.
Nan and me on her 80th birthday in 2004
I’ve been lucky to have many, many more special and inspiring women in my life. And I think of them while I’m creating.
Thanks Coral for sharing this with us. Remember you can find Coral on Twitter andThreadbias and maybe soon making an appearance on Instagram.
Our next members spotlight is the talented and award winning Coral. Tell us a little bit about yourself! What got you interested in quilting?
Hi, I’m Coral. I’m originally from Northern California, but have lived in Australia for nearly 10 years now and call it home.
Me with my quilt at the Under 35s Quilt Comp in Sydney earlier this year.
I was first exposed to quilts by my Grandma, who took it up as a hobby after retiring. She made quilts for all her grandkids’ high school graduations. I made my first quilt in 2006 when I was living by myself in Las Vegas for a few months. I called my Grandma for help with the extreme basics, like what “WOF” stood for. It’s more than a bit crooked, but I still love it.
A woven strip quilt from McCall’s QuickQuilts magazine.
After that I made a few small quilts and projects, but I really caught the bug in 2010, when I decided to make a wedding quilt for my best friend. I had found a simple nine patch pattern and went to my local quilt shop for a “your choice” class to get help. After that, I was hooked. I made a nearly king size quilt, and the process also helped me make it through some tough times at work. I knew then I was a quilter.
The Promise of Spring made in 2010
When did you first find modern quilting? And, do you do any other craft besides quilting?
I first found modern quilting when I started browsing some blogs. I LOVE quilt magazines, but in 2010, not many had caught the modern bug – especially in Australia. Through various blogs I found out about the Modern Quilt Guild. To be honest, the explanation of a modern quilt on the MQG site at the time turned me off – I like using regular blocks and I love prints. Nevertheless, I made my first “modern” style quilt in 2011 for a baby gift.
The striped and flower fabrics were from my Grandma Mary Jean’s 80th birthday party
When I moved to Canberra and heard that a MQG was starting, I was more interested in checking out the group dynamic than adhering to a prescriptive style. I’ve found the group to be so welcoming. It adds a lot of joy to my quiltmaking to share it with people who understand and are passionate about the craft.
At the moment, I also do crochet (I love amigurumi), embroidery and cross-stitch. But quilting is definitely my creative passion and escape.
Amigurumi Elephant I made this year for a co-worker’s new baby
How has your style changed over the years?
That’s a tough question. I’ve definitely evolved in the complexity of my piecing, as well as machine quilting. I suppose maybe my “taste” level has improved. I’m still pretty attracted to “twee” prints and themes. I’ve definitely started to be influenced by the more modern style of Canberra MQG members, but I think I will still remain a more “contemporary” style quilter.
My biggest accomplishment is my Star of India quilt. It’s a Jinny Beyer pattern I started at a class at Rosemont Patchwork in Tuggeranong. The star fabrics are almost all from my stash. It took me nine months to piece it and nine months to quilt it (with other projects in between of course). I felt like this was my “thesis” quilt to go from a beginning quilter to an intermediate. I’m very proud that it won 1st prize in Contemporary Quilts at the Royal Canberra Show and 2nd in Bed Quilts (Non-Professional) at the Canberra Quilters Exhibition. It will also be showing at the Australian Machine Quilters Association Show in Adelaide in October. It then goes on permanent display in my guest room, which is being designed around the quilt.
Me with my quilt Star of India at the exhibition
What are you currently working on?
I just finished a quilt top with “hexagons” made up of 60 degree triangles. I was inspired by the bee fabric and I’m quite pleased by how it’s turned out, even though it wasn’t quite what I was expecting due to some maths errors. It’s off being quilted by Gone Aussie Quilting.
Bee’s Knees “hexagon” quilt
At the moment I’m working on a blue and white mini quilt for the Braidwood Quilt Event challenge. I was inspired by a buzzsaw block I found in a quilt magazine. I had a lovely 5” roll of various blues from PolkaDotTea fabrics on hand. I like using modern style fabrics on traditional blocks. I’m also keen to quilt some killer feathers. I love to quilt feathers!
Buzzsaw blocks
What is your favourite part about quilting? What is your least favourite?
My favorite is definitely the quilting. I’ve worked very hard over the last four years to become a strong machine quilter. I was so pleased to see this hard work rewarded with the award for Excellence in Machine Quilting (Domestic) for my Star of India quilt at the Canberra Quilters Exhibition.
Close up of the feathered quilting on Star of India
My least favourite would have to be trimming the threads on the back of the quilt top before basting. It’s so tedious and you never can quite get them all. But it does prevent those nasty strays from showing through after quilting, so I always do it anyway.
Is there a technique on your list to learn this year? How do you like to learn new techniques?
I’m going to knuckle down and vanquish half square triangles. I can never get the darn points to match, but I’m going to figure it out. I have a UFO with Ocean Waves blocks. There are 32 HSTs in each block, so that should be good practice. I’ve also got my eye on some machine appliqué patterns and would like to work on my technique there.
Ocean Waves block
I’m a visual learner so I love tutorials and books with lots of images. Videos are great too. Nothing beats a class with a hands-on teacher though. I find I learn so much in classes – much more than merely the topic of the class.
Where can we find you?
I’m mainly on Twitter. I can be verbose (as exhibited here), so Twitter keeps me concise. I love the interactions on Twitter as well. I keep thinking I need to get on Instagram since it seems like EVERYONE is on it, but I haven’t made the jump just yet. I probably need to get it figured out before QuiltCon.
I also keep track of all my projects on Threadbias.
That’s the end of part one for Coral. Keep an eye out for the second part where we hear about Coral’s inspirations and see a fantastic halloween costume
Welcome to the second part of the members spotlight on Amira. So Amira what are you currently working on?
Currently I have just finished two quilt tops which I am currently quilting on. One is the Modern Medallion, which the pattern is by Crystal, a member of this guild as well. I have enjoyed making this quilt with all the improve style patchwork. Although I did find a bit of struggle here and there, I love the process of learning. Secondly is the “Swoon” quilt, pattern by Camille Roskelley. I am having fun doing free motion quilting on this one so far!
What is your favourite part about quilting? What is your least favourite?
I love piecing / patchwork and the quilting itself. I invest a great amount of time into freemotion quilting as I enjoy this part so much. My least favourite would be basting. I don’t have a large area for basting but find this part is critical to get good results when I start to quilt, so I have to spend a lot of time and redo this part.
Making small projects but with lots of free motion quilting is my favourite of all because basically it eliminates the time spent on basting!
Is there a technique on your list to learn this year? How do you like to learn new techniques?
I would love to learn how to do more curve piecing. I need to improve my skill doing this. Another thing on the list is hand quilting. I really admire Sarah Fielke’s work, and I consider her being a modern quilter as well with all her strong choices of fabrics and the free mind of quit designs.
Here is a modern quilt I made with an inspiration from Sarah Fileke’s fabulous needle turn technique.
Show us your sewing space! What’s the best thing you ever bought into it?
Here is my current sewing space. I love every bit of it. The best thing would be the Janome Horizon which I invested in last year. This machine has definitely helped me bring free-motion quilting to another level.
Hi, I am Amira, Malaysian who is currently in Australia for the last 2.5 years. I am a postgraduate student doing Physics at the Australian National University here in Canberra, Australia.
What got you interested in quilting?
How did I get caught in this quilting world? I could say, I have always been sewing all my life. Ever since I was a little girl, I would hand sew a lot of Barbies clothes and would make small items such as coin purses. I owe the talent and interest to my mum who also has sewing as her main hobby. We aren’t exposed to quilting in Malaysia as the weather is 24/7 365 days very warm already. So there was no need to snuggle into quilts. When I came here to Australia a few years back, I knew the first thing I have to own is a sewing machine. So, I bought a sewing machine from the local quilt store. Browsing through the store there, I knew I wanted to learn how to do patchwork and quilts! With limited time for quilting classes during the day, I decide to learn through the net and magazines. And it never stops till now. I also mainly start patchwork and quilting because there are so many gorgeous fabrics out there these days!!
How has your style changed over the years?
Since I have not been quilting for long yet (~3 years), I am still in search for my own style that I love. In the meantime, I am enjoying learning all sorts of technique and style. I am also not limiting myself to modern style of quilting and rather open about the title modern quilter. I would love to learn more about modern quilting and hence I am here in the modern quilt guild!
When did you first find modern quilting and who are your quilt idols?
Modern quilting came to me when I found Jacquie Gering’s blog http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/ which I fall in love with in an instant. I bought the book “Quilting Modern” not long after that. I made a baby quilt and table mats with a bit of inspiration from the book. Of course, it is then I get to know Katie Pederson the co-author of the book. Not long after that, I also found Elizabeth Hartman. I also bought her book the Modern Patchwork. I love her style of patchwork and quilting. Although she uses repeated blocks, the end results maintain its simplicity and I would say remains modern. I love repeated blocks and believe I myself have made more quilts with repeated blocks.
I also love the modern quilting trends which I believe started with Angela Walter’s gorgeous freemotion work. I love to do freemotion myself with my domestic machine. I love that Angela lets herself free with freemotion and yet produces incredible jaw dropping quilting results.
Where do you find your inspiration and what is inspiring you right now?
I find inspiration from everywhere. I see quilts wherever I go. Don’t we all? 😛
There are also bucket loads of talented quilters on Instagram, too many to list down. Every one of them is wonderful.
Here are five other things inspiring me: Spring. Buildings photos. Tiles designs. Textures in nature. Seeing other people’s quilt design – currently loving QDAD group in facebook.
Do you do any other craft besides quilting?
Other than quilting, I have also started to crochet and knit. Often crochet and knitting projects are going at a very slow rate due to more sewing time and very limited “free time”.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the first part of the members spotlight on Amira. Stay tuned for the second part where we’ll learn more about Amira including what she is working on now
Canberra Modern Quilt Guild 