Hexie Quilt Finished

It was on my frame for 12 days but I was at the Queensland Quilt show for 6 of those days, but it is now finished.  10 bobbins used so almost 2000m of thread.  Each of the hexagons were SID, most of the inside pieces were also SID but I did give some of them wavy lines or outlined patterns within the fabric.

Now onto the next quilt a signature quilt in rows with a lovely stained glass applique rose in the centre.  I 'll look at it for a while.  I have some housekeeping to catch up on.

A modern Hexie Quilt

This hexie quilt has more than 300 pieced hexagons through out it.  I am up to my fourth set of pins to pin each hexie as I quilt the background first.  I am using  Glide Cleopatra thread, love the sheen on the batik fabric.  Quilting a feathered meander across the top, but only on the background fabric.  It looks like it is continuous but once I come to a print hexie I stop the feathers.  One meander goes left to right, the next one goes right to left.  I chalked where the spine would be before I started and once it was on the frame  found I needed to chalk the boundaries of  the feathers so I didn't get carried away with the bubble fill I am using behind the feathers.  Am almost finished the background then I will start on the actual hexagons.  Still toying with ideas on them.  Possibly will do the same pattern in every diamond no matter what size, different pattern for trapezium etc to fill them up.  Hexagons have 2 1/2" sides.  and I only found 2 papers in the whole quilt!

Judging a Quilt Show

I am a quilt collector for this years Queensland Quilt Show.  So this morning at 6.30 am I set off with thirty quilts from my local area in my car.  Once at our Meeting venue nearly 300 quilts were unloaded from the respective cars by the other quilt collectors.  Sorted into their categories, and the fun began.  Fun ... exhaustion.... we did stop for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, but were constantly on the go for the rest of the day.
Putting large quilts into small bags after the judges have finished with them is not an easy feat.  Not is putting tiny quilts into bagsmany sizes too large for them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and now know what goes on behind the scenes of a quilt show..

A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM SOME VERY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS!!!!!

After 11  & 1/2 hours I was eventually back at my home ready for a nice cold drink.
Now to do the same road trip next week when we hang all the quilts!
There are some great quilts so if you are in Brisbane from next Wednesday make sure you head to the quilt show.

Bathurst Motor Race and the Ironing

35+ degrees outside under the terrace but the ironing goes on!

8 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of jean shorts, 2 pairs of work trousers -  all caught up and with one lap still to go of Bathurst.

Definitely made the ugly job of ironing easier to see such a great race.

Next year will be better.  Think I will cheer for the Mercs!

Serious Quilter

I found it funny that a quilter would prepare themselves for a day of classes in the following manner.  It was 8.30am, and they may have been special cans, but three!

It gave me a laugh.  One cup of coffee for breakfast and another if I was lucky in the 30 minute break between classes.

AMQA Festival

I have just spent four days in classes at the Australian Machine Quilting Association Festival in Adelaide.

I went to the Festival to take classes with overseas tutors - Ricky Tims,  Cindy Needham, Megan Best, Renee Haddadin, Myrna Ficken and Sherry Rogers-Harrison.  I also had classes with local tutors Vicki Jenkins and Michele Turner as well as Teachers angel for two of Anita Ellis's classes.  So I was very busy.

I had entered my Spring Diamond quilt in the Large Traditional Custom Quilt category.  What is a quilt show if there are no quilts to look at. I enter my quilts to share - not to show off.  As I had a busy class schedule I was not going to go to the presentation evening, but decided to drag my husband along.

I was busily writing down the winners on the back of my class list as they announced them.  When I heard my own name, a tiny expletive came out before I hastily moved to the stage to receive my ribbon.  I was shocked, as my quilt was hanging with many other better known quilters work.  That third place ribbon is already proudly hanging on my ribbon quilt!  This is the first time I have received any judges comments from a show and mine were all excellent - couple of spots has tension issues. Was the only comment, and I won't mention that grammatical error either!

The same quilt was also published this week in Down Under Magazines #154.  I put it on my bed last night and slept under it. That is what quilts are really for!