a brilliant weekend and tonight the GWSMQG

At the risk of sounding boring and harping on about how fabulous the Ulladulla Quilters Gathering was, I’ll let these photos convince you:

We arrived to this splendid view at our accommodation at Burrill Lake. One of the few times I’ve thought the real thing was better than the “pamphlet”. It was warm, bright and comfy. We’ve already made sure we can book it again for next years retreat. Can you believe the retreat has been running for 17 years already?

It was difficult to leave this view, and the three of us agreed it was lucky we didn’t live here or nothing would ever get done, we’d probably never get off the couch…

But there were quilts to be made! I’m so thrilled with my choice of Lessa Siegele’s Ring Cycle quilt class. Lessa is a very generous teacher, she is full of tips and tricks, not only to help you with the class quilt but handy tips to make general piecing fly.

Her Ring Cycle quilt is even more spectacular in real life than in the photos I’d seen. Over 270 mini 9 patch blocks. It was love at first sight!

I’d picked up this fabulous fabric at the Hunters Hill Quilt Show recently and I could see the possibilities immediately. Can you tell I’m into bright colours at the moment!

I was really excited once I worked out I could insert some pieced hexagons into the centres of my Ring Cycle quilt. So here is what I think is a great beginning for a new quilt. Not a quick quilt, this will be another slow burner.

Of course everyone has a different quilt in mind, it’s great to see how others interpret the pattern.

So what were the other 3 classes doing? I always like to take a look around the workshops and see what everyone else is doing…

Judy Hooworth was as usual making a big impact with colour with her group. I overheard some women comment that they’re ready to become Judy groupies and they’re planning their next class with her already. She has so much colour and design theory knowledge that you could probably attend her class every year and still learn lots.

Faye Packham, was getting her class straight into it with the clever Antique Nine Patch and Cross quilts. Faye has amazing patience and gently coaxed some of the newer quilters. It was incredible to see how much this group got done in 2 days and how different this pattern looked in all the different fabric choices.

Our final day started with the awesome view, some furious sewing in the middle and ended with a {thankfully} uneventful drive back to Sydney.

I’m now looking forward to seeing what others have been up to at the inaugural Greater Western Sydney Modern Quilters Guild meeting this evening. If you are in the vicinity why don’t you pop in and say hi! The group is being organised by Amy and Sheridan with help from Dolores. Should be fun. There’s fabric, friends and food. What more could you want??

Quilt retreat time, oh yeah!

It’s that time of the year when I start getting excited about the annual Quilters’ Gathering in Ulladulla organised by Marilyn’s Craft Corner.

I’ve received my paper work listing the class schedule and as usual it’s hard to make up my mind what to do. I had really hoped to be able to get away for 4 days this year and do two classes but unfortunately I have other commitments (again). But still, a weekend away with quilty friends with nothing to do but sew is a huge treat.

24 blocks so far: Little Apples Hexagons and Stars, Lorena Uriarte

Last year I did a great Hexagons and Stars class with Catherine Butterworth. That was the start of my Little Apples Hexagon and Stars quilt (above). I’ve been so focused on building a new house and finishing A Symbol Recomposed that I now really need to finish my Little Apples quilt to take for Show and Tell. That’s one of my favourite parts of the retreat, catching up with everyone and seeing the quilts finished.

Catherine Butterworth’s Jolly Stars image from Quiltsmith

This year Catherine is teaching a workshop using the Marti Michell Template Set D called Jolly Stars. Catherine is a fantastic teacher and I feel I’ve got the hang of these awesome templates now so I’ve decided to go for something else…

I’m really interested in doing Leesa Siegele’s Ring Cycles class. I’ve seen some beautiful examples of this quilt on the net and I reckon I could get rid of a few scraps making up my 42 9-patch blocks (3.5” big) to take along to class. It’s the kind of quilt I probably wouldn’t get around to make on my own so a workshop will give me a good solid start.

 

Leesa Siegele’ Ring Cycle images from http://www.wattlerange.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=664

Other fabulous workshops are on offer from the award winning Merelyn Pearce. Merelyn will teach needle-turn applique techniques. I look forward to checking out her class. Another great thing about the retreat is that you are all in a big function centre and can mingle with the other classes. See if there’s something you’d like to try next time.

Judy Hooworth is teaching a Collage and Colour class. I’ve done a workshop with Judy before, she is a very skilled teacher and the worthy recipient of the 2012 Rajah Award for her contribution to quilting in Australia. This is the class I’d do if I had extra time.

But there’s loads more, I’m sure by the end of the weekend I’ll be looking forward to next year for the chance to learn from Jennifer Cornish, Beth and Trevor Reid and Faye Packam too.

Do you like going to quilt retreats? Is it odd to want to run away from your gorgeous family, talk about new fabric releases and notions and sew like a banshee once a year?

Fine fabric, friends and food = FUN!

This weekend I attended the Quilters Gathering at Ulladulla. I first went to one a few years ago and had such a wonderful time I was keen to go again. Life often gets in the way of doing what we really want to do and then there’s the guilt of starting yet another patchwork project.

But an important lesson I took way from this weekend (apart from all the fabulous construction techniques) was that I enjoy focusing on the journey not the destination! I love learning new ways of doing things, playing with new fabric and making new friends. If I have a finished quilt at the end it’s a bonus that my family appreciates.

My workshop was the Hexagon Stars with Catherine Butterworth, a Marti Michelle educator. Catherine is a great teacher and lots of fun. Her instructions are clear and she’s so generous with all her tips and hints. I feel that after 2 days I have all the knowledge necessary to explore and construct my own beautiful blocks using the template set. As an aside I had purchased the book (Six is for Hexagons by Marti Michelle) and templates last summer but was a little overwhelmed to try it, the workshop definitely helped but I’m sure you could work it out if you can read the instructions from cover to cover. That’s all I needed to do - RTFM!

Her teaching quilt was gorgeous, full of fussy cut treasures, interlocked and leading the eye over the quilt surface, like a tapestry.

This is just a quick snapshot I took showing the different fabrics she chose to fussy cut.

Whilst the heavy dark tones didn’t really do it for me I could see that this technique leads to wonderful results. And it’s all machine pieced!! No piecing over papers, stitches all neatly tucked away. It’s pretty cool.

 

Here are my blocks:

I kept my first block simple, a big hexagon and radiating triangles set in with diamonds.

I used the Little Apples Layer Cake by Moda. I picked it up because it was such a bargain but had no idea what to do with it… the fabrics are so stinking CUTE!

I followed instructions and the whole block came together beautifully.

 

This is the second one I did using the more complex construction technique of “inset Y seams”. Usually these would send chills down my spine and I’d revert to hand sewing but with accurate pieces and “engineered corners” it also went together beautifully.

Except for my picking up one Hula Hoop girl and stitching her in upside down, OOPS!

 

I was getting pretty confident by block number 3.

I played around with different points on the radiating triangles.

Loving the Little Apples fabric by now… not loving the fabric stash I picked to coordinate.

Did I mention there’s a quilt shop down the road? 30% discount for attendants? Handy!

 

Ok, this one was a bit of a stretch. Diamonds made from 4 pieces of fabric means I had to really look at the grain lines carefully. Lots of cutting, simple edge to edge sewing and carefully pressing.

I don’t want this quilt to be too cute so just used the Dotted Lines from the Little Apples fabric. I think it looks like stitching…

 

 

This isn’t saying table runner or wall quilt to me… I think it’s gotta be another bed quilt.

Looking forward to receiving a little bit of yardage to play some more.

 

 

Other workshops were being taught by Beth and Trevor Reid, Lessa Siegele, Jane MacDonald, Michele Hill, Jenny Bowker, Gail Simpson and Bernie Varkevisser. At show and tell after dinner on Friday we saw all the stunning teaching quilts and last year’s finished projects. Very inspiring.

If you’d like to go to the Gathering next year, put it in your diary for August 17/ 18! If you love patchwork and quilting you wont regret it. The venue was outstanding, they kept us well fed and watered. The company was entertaining and the workshops all looked amazing. Can’t wait to go back!