Continuous Lines

Newsletter for AMQA Inc members

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Newsletter No. 21

Continuous Lines

AMQA Newsletter No. 21

Editor’s Message

Hi Everyone,

Can you believe that it is December already? Are you on the home stretch for finishing up your quilts for the end of the year? Do you take time off and if so, how much?

I always feel a little frantic at this time of the year. I have the last few quilts to finish off and have lots of commitments to end of year concerts and award days at school. Having four children means that there is always someone wanting something at this time of year - usually my most precious commodity - time! This week I have had an injured child and a post-surgical doggy to take care of as well. The fun never ends at my place.

I have about four quilts left to go until I finish up for a break. I take January off most years. This year, I am really planning to get on with some quilting for me! I have about four quilt tops ready to quilt. I am really wanting to spend some time on them so that I can enter them in to the AMQA Show next September/October. The AMQA Show will be run by AMQA and held concurrently with the Australian Machine Quilting Festival in Adelaide. Keep these dates in your diary. September 28 to October 1, 2012.

Keep reading the newsletter as the quilt show categories are all listed. I just can’t wait to go to the show and see the quilts that will be entered. Please think about making a quilt for the show. There is a category this year for machine embroidered quilts, so if you have an embroidery machine or a client that has you quilt their machine embroidered quilts, take a look at this category and enter it if you can.

There is a Quilt Challenge being run at AMQ Festival. I hope you consider entering it. The challenge is sponsored by Lloyd Curzon Textiles, Dayview Textiles and AMQ Festival to raise money for Alzheimers Australia. More information follows in this newsletter. Keep an eye out for it as you read on…

I have booked my accommodation for Adelaide. I suggest that if you are attending AMQA Show and AMQ Festival, that you make your booking ASAP. It is a long weekend and accommodation will book out fast. Click here to see the special rate accommodation. The Adelaide Convention Centre is located right next to the main railway station, so you can also have easy access by public transport to the Show. Visit www.amqfestival.com.au for more information. I hope to see you there.

Michele Turner

editor@amqa.com.au

Member Article

By Tonia Brooks of Malanda Quilting and Sewing Supplies www.malandaquilting.com.au

A Blank Page (confessions of a newbie quilter)

Like most people when faced with a clean page and asked to write or draw something, we are immediately blank.  It’s like being asked to say something in another language, and so it is for the new quilter.

What to do? Draw a squiggle, write my name or attempt a straight line (one of the hardest things to do I may say!). All are valid responses I hear you say, but not especially helpful when that space happens to be fabric and your pen a needle.   No magic eraser can make needle punch marks disappear. It’s enough to make a grown woman cry.

I began the journey into quilting as a necessity, when after creating those first patched tops I needed to have them quilted.  I had followed the directions in the pattern and now I was faced with that most dreaded of sentences, Quilt as desired.  As desired, hmmm, I desired swirls, feathers and interesting background fillers.  But I wasn’t then familiar with the fact there were lovely people around that would do this for me.  So down to the library I went to indulge in some quilt research.   Here I struck a snag.  The ole, Quilt as desired. Books were filled with intricate designs but none actually told me how to approach the sewing bit.  Okay, so I had to get a bit more detailed here.  The local patchwork shop proved to be a saviour.  A book by Alex Anderson – Learn to Quilt.  This looked good.  Home I went and devoured the book.  Following every instruction I began the process of laying and pinning – Oh my aching back! – But hey, here I was undaunted, attempting a new skill.  This was the mantra that kept me going.

Out came the trusty sewing machine – throat size, small – and so I began.  Up and down, just like the book suggested, crosshatching.  Cross-eyed more like it!  No walking foot for me. I didn’t even own one.   But Oh! How hard it was.   But even I could see this was not going to stand up to my perfectionist nature for very long.  There had to be a better way.  There was a lot more research and practicing and finding of other ways to do bigger and bigger projects.  Not for me the stitch-in-the- ditch and she’s complete.  (Though of course we all must learn this skill as it forms so much basis of custom quilting).  I wanted those lovely designs that I saw on the most beautiful quilts in the book.  Did I mention I never walk before I run?  That’s right! My learning curves tend to go straight up!

After a few years it became apparent that though I loved the intimate approach that is quilting by domestic machine, my back and shoulders didn’t.   So to continue what I loved to do I had to find another way.  Roll out Long arm quilting machine research, another of my steep learning curves.  Where do you begin to find out about what you need in a long arm?  Who can explain to you the difference between cruise and normal mode?  What about tension? Weight, what about weight!  Are you saying I’m fat?  And what the heck are Edge-rider wheels!  It took 2 years of stop/start research, lots of questions and constant watching of the Aussie Dollar to make a decision.  Thanks to the patience of the machine dealers and the AMQA mentors I am now the proud owner of Sally the A1 Elite Long arm.  Every day she brings me joy.  I have progressed with her into new territories.  Learned wonderful new techniques from great teachers, who were both patient and kind, and understood when I asked probably the most obvious of questions.

It’s taken some time, but now, that ole quilt as desired, it’s no longer quite the same problem it was.  Now I just need another lifetime to quilt all the designs I want to.

Editors Note - Here is some of Tonia’s Quilting. Her longarm was delivered in November 2010 and I think she is doing great. Here is some of her latest work. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Flori MacKay Quilt 008

Ascot Lane Embossed Quilt

 

AMQA Quilt Show 2012

The categories have been finalised for AMQA Show 2012 and are listed below. You can enter online by clicking here. If you wish to download an entry form, click here.

AMQA Inc will again be holding a judged quilt show in conjunction with AMQ Festival in Adelaide in 2012.

The dates will be 28th Sept-1st Oct 2012 and it will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, North Tce, Adelaide, South Australia.

AMQA Inc. SHOW 2012
In conjunction with
AUSTRALIAN MACHINE QUILTING FESTIVAL
Terms & Conditions of Entry

Quilt competition entries must be postmarked no later than Tuesday 31st July, 2012. Acceptance letters will go out on or about August 31st, 2012 by e-mail. If no e-mail address is available, please give us the e-mail address of a friend or relative that is nearby and might be able to accept the letter for you. Instructions for delivery will be included in this email. Postage costs to send & return your quilts to AMQA Show 2012 are the responsibility of the entrant.

AMQA Inc. individual members must submit a separate entry form and a $7.50 entry fee per quilt. Cheques should be made payable to AMQA Inc. or we would prefer you Internet Bank your fees and confirm the details on the entry form as listed.

All other entrants must submit a separate entry form and a $15 entry fee per quilt. Cheques should be made payable to AMQA Inc. or we would prefer you Internet Bank your fees and confirm the details on the entry form as listed.

Any entrant wishing to join AMQA Inc. as a new member prior to entering the AMQA Inc. Show 2012 is encouraged to do so at the rates as detailed on the website www.amqa.com.au and will then only incur the half price entry fees.

Entries must have been completed within the previous five years from date of entry, and not have been previously entered into an AMQA Show.

A photo of the complete quilt and another of the detail of the quilting must be provided with each entry. Please write your name, address and name of quilt & indicate the top of quilt on the reverse of the photograph. Please have more photos of the quilting detail available for e-mail, if required by the coordinator to confirm entry into the correct category.

All entries must be machine quilted. Quilting may be done on any type of machine including, but not limited to, domestic sewing machine, longarm, midarm or shortarm.

Enter the category that best fits the style and size of the quilt. If you have a question or concern about the categories, please tick the box on the entry form and an AMQA Inc. representative will contact you to provide assistance.

No quilt will be disqualified if it is inadvertently placed in the wrong category. AMQA Inc. will review the entries several times before they are brought into the judging room. If an error occurs AMQA Inc. will contact the entrant to apprise her/him of the error and work together to correct it prior to judging.

A false backing is grounds for immediate disqualification. You must not put a second backing on your quilt to hide tension flaws or messy quilting.

A 10cm deep rod pocket/hanging sleeve must be attached to the top of your quilt and a label detailing your name, contact details including address and telephone along with the date of completion.

AMQ Festival’s insurance liability is limited to public liability only. By signing the entry form you are agreeing to display your quilt with this knowledge and accept that you may wish to personally insure your own quilts. AMQA Inc. & AMQ Festival will do everything in its power to safeguard entries. However, transporting your quilt to/from ANY show is a risk and that risk is often limited. Transportation companies do not pay claims for quilt loss or damage without a certified appraisal. No matter what the value, consider carrying your own quilt insurance AND having your quilt appraised by a certified appraiser; especially if the quilt is irreplaceable.

AMQA Inc. awards all prizes to the ENTRANT. The entrant may share any prize at his/her discretion. When an entry is machine quilted or pieced by someone other than the entrant, two ribbons will be awarded.

Quilts accepted into AMQA Inc. Show 2012 must be available from September 10th through to October 10th 2012. AMQA Inc. & AMQ Festival reserves the right to photograph any or all entries for publication and for other appropriate purposes.

All decisions of the judges are final. AMQA Inc. reserves the right to reject any entry, including those that fail to follow the AMQA Inc. Show 2012 rules.

AMQA Inc. & AMQ Festival will not be responsible for any damage, or loss suffered by any person or organization due to infringement of copyright.

Categories
Note: Perimeter is determined by totalling the measurements of ALL sides. Please measure your quilts once completed to ensure correct measurements as this is needed for category choice and exhibition planning.

1. INNOVATIVE CUSTOM Large: Minimum of 240”, maximum of 480” perimeter. Heirloom/Show quilts have been specifically designed as quilt show entries and/or not intended to be used as functional bed quilts. Fibers, fringe, crystals and embellishments of any other kind are permitted.
2. INNOVATIVE CUSTOM Small: Minimum 60”, maximum 240” perimeter. Heirloom/Show quilts have been specifically designed as quilt show entries and/or not intended to be used as functional quilts. Fibers, fringe, crystals and embellishments of any other kind are permitted.
3. WHOLECLOTH: Minimum of 100” perimeter, maximum of 480” perimeter. The entry must be a single piece of fabric or minimally pieced from the same fabric to increase size only. The Wholecloth piece should be designed to highlight the many quilting techniques of today’s machine quilters, including, meandering or background quilting, straight lines, feathers, continuous line and non-continuous line designs. The quilting must be the dominant feature of the Wholecloth and the quilting should encompass the entire quilt. Painting or other embellishments are not permitted in this category.
4. TRADITIONAL CUSTOM LARGE: Minimum of 240” perimeter, maximum of 480” perimeter. This category is for those functional bed quilts that we do for ourselves or for our customers that are meant for daily use but have been machine quilted with high quality custom quilting techniques. No embellishments, metallic threads or thread painting of any kind are permitted in this category.
5. TRADITIONAL CUSTOM SMALL: Minimum 60”, maximum 240” perimeter. This category is for those functional quilts that we do for ourselves or for our customers that are meant for daily use but have been machine quilted with high quality custom quilting techniques. No embellishments, metallic threads or thread painting of any kind are permitted in this category.
6. THREAD ART /PICTORIAL: Minimum of 100” perimeter, maximum of 280” perimeter. Involving thread play and/or a mixture of mediums and embellishments.  All embellishments must be firmly attached and quilt must be able to be hung conventionally and with minimal care required.  All quilts entered in this category must be the original design of the quilt maker and not made under the direction of another person in a workshop/course situation. 
7. MACHINE EMBROIDERY: Minimum of 240” perimeter and maximum of 480” perimeter. The quilt must incorporate machine executed embroidered blocks or machine embroidered appliqués or motifs as a significant design element. Hand embroidery, while beautiful, is not allowed in this category. Specialty threads and embellishments are allowed. The quilt will be judged equally on the quilting and machine embroidery.
8. EDGE-TO-EDGE: Minimum of 240” perimeter, maximum of 480” perimeter. An all-over-the-quilt pattern which is continuous-line derived from a pantograph or freehand quilting. The quilting design must cover the quilt completely from one edge to the other. Painting on fabric is permitted in this category.

AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED
Best of Show
Runner up Best of Show
1st, 2nd and 3rd in each category if applicable (as per above)

Novice Award – This is an additional award given to a quilter who has begun quilting since October 2010, either on a Domestic Sewing Machine, Short or Long arm and have NOT entered any other exhibition.  This award is applicable to a quilt entered into any of the above categories. Please indicate on entry form if you wish to be considered for this award.
Note about quilts that are machine quilted with a Computerized Quilting System (CQS): Any quilt that is machine quilted with a CQS may be entered into the categories except for the edge to edge category. Utilization of a CQS is not a guarantee of perfection since stitch quality, stitch length, design choice and proper design placement are important factors for ALL machine quilters.

Achievements in Longarm Quilting

Congratulations to Judy Simcock whose quilt won the Award for Excellence in Embroidery and Embellishment at Vic Quilters Showcase in Melbourne recently.

Well done Judy!

Judy Simcock full

 

Judy Simcock detail

If you would like your achievements shared in this newsletter, please email your photos to editor@amqa.com.au so that they can go into the newsletter.

PLEASE NOTE:- It is up to members to share their news and winnings as the AMQA Committee cannot possibly know which members have placed quilts into shows and won awards, unless you tell us that you have. We will gladly share your achievements and celebrate with you here.

 

Alzheimers Quilt Challenge

AMQ Festival is running a challenge to raise money for Alzheimers Australia. This is what they are doing…

Quilt Challenge Theme “Memory”

Let your imagination run wild and think of a special memory that you have and then transfer that vision into fabric. A memory that is special to you, a childhood memory of a ride on a carousel, a place that you’ve visited, a person that holds special memories, a favourite quilt block the list is endless and remember how blessed we are to have our memories and be able to participate in this initiative.

Each entry is to be accompanied by a story of the memory no longer than 250 words.

All quilts are to be donated and auctioned with full proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association. The top thirty finalists will be selected for display at AMQ Festival 2012 with the top 10 being auctioned at the Banquet dinner at Festival. The remaining 20 quilts will be up for silent auction at Festival; all others will be auctioned online within 30 days.

Please be involved in this challenge, it is for a very good cause. If you really just can’t spare the time to enter, you may make a donation anyway, or even bid on your favourite quilt. Go here for more information and I suggest you bookmark the page, or like it on Facebook, or subscribe to the blog so you can go and bid on a quilt later on. You can also donate some extra $$$ as you enter if you wish.


Some Housekeeping…

AMQA Web Site

Find a Machine Quilter Page

Please have a look at your information on the ‘Find a machine Quilter’ page and check to see that it is current and valid. Some of you may have changed address, telephone number or e-mail address so please take a minute to check your listing. If you have a link, please make sure you take a minute to check that it is correct and your website is accurate and up to date. Sometimes we forget to update things on our web sites and any link to an invalid address or to incorrect information compromises the professional image of AMQA.

If you would like a web link attached to your name, please contact the Web Diva webdiva@amaq.com.au and give her the corrections to be made.

We hope that you take the time to check your information and notify us of any changes required. Thank You!

Upcoming Events

Christmas Day and New Year - The AMQA Committee hopes that you have a lovely break and take some time to spend with your family. Please stay safe in your travels. We would love to see you raring to go in 2012.

If you would like to know about quilty goings on, then please check the Upcoming Events listing on the left of the AMQA Home Page.

Position Vacant

Committee Members - we would love to invite members to join the committee. Your commitment is to be available for once a month voice linkup via SKYPE and help out on the committee. Please email the secretary, Tonia Brooks, for more information. The next meeting is December 15, 2011.

Webdiva -  we need to have someone to keep tabs on our website. Duties will include but not limited to updating memberships on the website, adding photographs, general maintenance etc. The website is run on Joomla so if you have an interest or experience in web design, please get in touch with a committee member. Thank you.

Coming Up Next Time…

We NEED more pictures - please share your triumphs and quilts that you are extra proud of - don't be shy. Email them to me please! editor@amqa.com.au

Submission Deadline is January 15, 2012, so do it NOW!

Your 2011-12 Committee and Contact Details

President: Terry Elverd, WA president@amqa.com.au
Vice President: Raylee Bielenberg, ACT vp@amqa.com.au
Secretary: Tonia Brooks, Qld secretary@amqa.com.au
Treasurer: Gayle Dayman, SA treasurer@amqa.com.au

Membership Secretary: Gayle Dayman, SA membership@amqa.com.au

Minute Secretary: Val Towill, SA minutes@amqa.com.au
Web Diva: POSITION VACANT webdiva@amqa.com.au

Editor: Michele Turner, NSW editor@amqa.com.au


Committee Members:

Julie Nixon, SA committee1@amqa.com.au

Val Towill, SA committee2@amqa.com.au

Vicki Jenkin, VIC committee4@amqa.com.au

AMQF Liaison/General Committee Member

Tracey Browning, SA webdiva@amqa.com.au

AMQA Corporate Members

Our Corporate Members are:-

Lorien Quilting

Lorien Quilting - Australian publisher of machine quilting patterns by local and international designers.
We carry block designs and motifs, pattern sets and a huge range of pantographs for all sizes of quilting machine. Our pattern clubs are a must for adding variety to your pattern stash while saving big bucks!
Visit our website for discounts www.lorienquilting.com
We would like to give a special thank you to Hermione of Lorien Quilting for allowing AMQA to use her design "Fantasia" on the background of the new AMQA website.


Monday, October 17, 2011

Newsletter No. 20


Editor’s Message
Hello AMQA Members,
I am acknowledging that it has been a while since the last newsletter and a lot has gone on ‘behind the scenes’ since then.
Our website was hacked and Tracey Browning and many other committee members worked very hard to get it back online. The website had to be re-built virtually from scratch and this took many (wo)man hours. I think the new website is a lot more streamlined and serves us well. Take a look at the zoom feature on the photos - it looks great. You can also now renew your membership online and forget the hassles of visiting the mailbox to post your form in. If you are paperwork challenged - such as myself - then it will be much easier to renew online.
There have been rumblings of poor communication from the committee. I admit that I have part responsibility in this manner. I have faced some health issues and have a large family to look after, therefore the time that I can donate to AMQA has not been available to me. If you are a volunteer worker in any capacity - despite your best intentions - your volunteer work cannot overtake other facets of your life. For me, that is raising my family and earning a living. The AMQA Committee welcomes any member who would like to help out.
We are all members of this organisation and there is a forum available to us to make suggestions and have a say as to how you would like things to be. Our Members Only Yahoo Group is always available to comment in - whether the comment be good or bad.
The committee will make decisions with only the best of intentions to AMQA Inc. We cannot know how members wish to proceed if nobody says anything.
There will be an AMQA-run Show next year, to be held alongside the AMQ Festival. This is very much like the manner in which our State Guilds run their show alongside a Quilt and Craft Expo. The Guild runs the Quilt Show and another company (eg - Expertise Events ) runs the Quilt Craft Expo. AMQA benefits having the Show alongside the Festival, as it will draw in many people to see our quilts and find out about our organisation. We had an increase in membership after last years Show as well. The committee is finalising categories for the Show and we are looking forward to presenting them to you shortly.
There is a lot of important information in this newsletter. Please grab a cuppa and sit down and take a good read through. As always, I welcome any contribution for the newsletter.
Any photos or exciting news to share? Email me and I will put them in the newsletter.
Kindly,
Michele Turner

AMQA AGM 2011
AGM Sept 2011 Report

The AGM for AMQA was held on Sept 7th 2011, with all committee members present via Skype. Although disappointing there were no other (general) members present nor proxy votes submitted for this meeting, there was a positive tone set by all those present.

Terry Elverd presented her President's Report & all positions on the committee were declared vacant. Re-election of Offices was then held with the following results:

President Terry Elverd
Vice President Raylee Bielenberg
Secretary Tonia Brooks
Treasurer/Membership Secretary Gayle Dayman
Minute Secretary Val Towill
Web Diva Position Vacant
Newsletter Editor Michele Turner
AMQF Liason/General Committee Tracey Browning
General Committee Julie Nixon
Vicki Jenkin (new committee member)

All were congratulated on their positions & were also thanked for their previous year's service to AMQA. Treasurer's Report was presented by Gayle Dayman with total account balance of $7060.29
Membership Fees remain unchanged - these have not been changed since they were originally set when AMQA first began in 2008.

The AGM was declared closed at 3:05 pm Qld time.

AMQA General Meeting Report
The general meeting was held prior to AGM on September 7

There was much discussion with the organising of Categories & Conditions for quilt entries to AMQA Exhibition 2012. Please note there will be some changes made (from the 2010 quilt show) therefore helping to improve and clarify areas that may have previously been unclear.

The Special Awards for Prize Categories was decided upon & these are:
Best of Show, Best of Show Runner-Up, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Prizes in all Categories plus a Novice Award.
More details on these will be announced at a later date with other news as the event approaches.
Sponsorship is being sought from many areas of our industry and it is hoped there will be more come aboard as this event approaches, as without this sponsorship it would not be possible for the Quilt Show to take place.

All entries (forms & quilts) will be sent to Julie Nixon, Sth Aust. There has been an Agreement set up between AMQA & AMQF to stipulate areas of responsibility (for both parties) in regard to the organisation of the Quilt Show & Festival.
The agreement states that AMQA will be responsible for organising such things as judges, volunteers, quilt entries, prizes & ribbons, award presentations (plus many other areas). AMQA will be financially responsible for these expenses.
AMQA shall also receive all entry fees & forms for this event. AMQF is to provide floor/hanging space & quilt frames, public liability & volunteer insurance, assist with marketing & provide the judging venue all at their expense, plus other responsibilities.
AMQF will also publish a Catalogue & Show Program which will include all Categories & Conditions for AMQA Quilt Exhibition.
Both parties will also provide logo's & promotions for the other party in all advertising for both the Quilt Show and Festival.

Membership Report by Gayle - current membership is at 82 members plus 2 corporate members and this continues to grow.

There was no other general business presented so the meeting was declared closed at 2:40 pm Qld time. The next meeting is set for Wed 19th October, 2011.

Just in closing, the Committee is confident that the only way to have a successful Exhibition is to combine with another event which has vendors & classes just like all the state guilds currently do. With the minimal support the AMQA shows have had in the past being held as a 'stand alone' show, we feel that going in this direction would not be in our best interests.
Combining the AMQA Quilt Show & AMQ Festival in 2010 was proven to be a winning formula, so moving forward with yet another combined event such as this is hoped to be nothing but successful. There was a great deal of positive feedback received after the 2010 event, so much so that vendors, teachers & visitors were contacting the organisers with a promise to return in 2012. There was much enthusiasm from those who attended with promises to return for the next Festival which made the event a rousing success.
As an organisation we should be doing all we can to support AMQF. It is promoting our industry and giving opportunities for education that we would otherwise not have, or have to travel overseas for. It also gives us opportunity to gather with like-minded people in this somewhat isolated industry.
Member Article
No submissions by members were made.
AMQA Quilt Show 2012
Stay tuned for important announcements about the AMQA Show 2012. The entry categories are being finalised and we are actively seeking sponsorship for prizes.
Please contact the Secretary, Tonia, if you have a contact for sponsorship or would like to sponsor a category yourself.
Feature Article - Blogs and Websites
By Michele Turner
Do you blog? Do you read blogs? A blog is a great way to have a website for your business to have and promote yourself and show off your work. You can set up a blog for free at www.wordpress.com or www.blogspot.com .
If you don’t have a website and think that it is all too hard, then click on the links above to see how simple it is. For a small fee, you can even get a domain name - for example www. yourbusinessname.com rather than a blog web address, e.g.   www. yourbusinessname.wordpress.com. It would make your blog/website look a lot more professional.
You can add different pages to your blog and have a page for your contact details/price list, an about page where you can write a little bit about yourself. You can select from a range of themes or formats so that your blog is more individualised. It helps to update your blog regularly and ask your clients if you can put pictures of their quilts on your blog. They can let their friends see their quilt on your blog if you send them a link. This is a great way for potential clients to see your work.
Your AMQA Individual Membership allows you a link of your website in the ‘Find a Quilter’ section of the www.amqa.com.au website. You are missing out on a great opportunity to have a potential client see your work if you do not have a link on that listing.
I would love to add your blog on to the AMQA Blog blogroll so that it is displayed on the AMQA Blog. Please email me your link editor@amqa.com.au when you have set up your new blog or if you have an existing blog.
Achievements in Longarm Quilting
Have you won an award lately??? Please send a photo and details so you can share your achievements here.
Congratulations to Pam Hill who has won First Place in the Wallhanging Category at MQX West in the USA this month. Your quilt is gorgeous. Pam has posted photos for AMQA Members to view in the Yahoo Group photo section. Please click on the link below (or cut and paste if that does not work). Make sure you taker a look - it is worth it.
Welcome New Members
Welcome our newest members of AMQA Inc.
  • Harmina Wood of Frankston, Vic
  • Wendy Johnson of East Lismore, NSW
  • Stephen Johnson of East Lismore, NSW
  • Joanne Ault of Rochester, Vic
  • Robyn Welsh of Port Pirie, SA
  • Steve Welsh of Port Pirie, SA
  • Lesley Roth of Mapleton, Qld
  • Kim Kennett-Tribe of Lapstone, NSW
  • Lee Vause of Langwarrin, Vic
  • Vanita Roychoudhry of Werrington County, NSW
  • Patricia Cartner of Clontarf, Qld
  • Lyn Crump of Withcott, Qld
Some Housekeeping…
AMQA Web Site
Find a Machine Quilter Page
Please have a look at your information on the ‘Find a machine Quilter’ page and check to see that it is current and valid. Some of you may have changed address, telephone number or e-mail address so please take a minute to check your listing. If you have a link, please make sure you take a minute to check that it is correct and your website is accurate and up to date. Sometimes we forget to update things on our web sites and any link to an invalid address or to incorrect information compromises the professional image of AMQA.
If you would like a web link attached to your name, please contact the Web Diva and give her the corrections to be made.
We hope that you take the time to check your information and notify us of any changes required. Thank You!
Behind the Scenes
Website News
You may have noticed that our website was hacked and not available for a period of time in July/August. Despite repeated requests to the business that built our website (at considerable expense) they did not respond to fix this issue. Subsequently, the website had to be rebuilt from scratch. This was a good opportunity to overhaul the website and make it more current.
The photo galleries were upgraded and you can now hover over the photos to see the detail that we all love to see. There is an online joining or renewal form, to make it easier and faster to renew your membership. The links/resources in the membership section has been updated and there are a lot more contacts for supplies there now. Please take some time to check out the new website if you have not already done so.
Our website is a valuable asset for AMQA Inc. We have had at least 42 000 page hits this year so far and over 300 000 hits on our website. You can agree that we really need a good website to provide information for those seeking a quilter as well as ourselves.
Of course, re-building the website took quite some time. Each committee member helped with the editing and format, however the majority of the work was done by Tracey Browning at no charge to AMQA. This was a considerable cost saving for the AMQA Inc as it would have cost at least two thousand dollars for this service to have been provided had we outsourced it. Thank you, Tracey.
Tracey has set up the website so it is relatively simple to edit. We are seeking a web diva to take over maintaining the website. Please see the positions vacant below or email a committee member (links to emails are below).
Upcoming Events
AMQA General Meeting - October 19, 2011 via Skype. Please contact the secretary for details.
Position Vacant
Webdiva - we need to have someone to keep tabs on our website. Duties will include but not limited to updating memberships on the website, adding photographs, general maintenance etc. The website is run on Joomla so if you have an interest or experience in web design, please get in touch with a committee member. Thank you.
Coming Up Next Time…
We NEED more pictures - please share your triumphs and quilts that you are extra proud of - don't be shy. Email them to me please! editor@amqa.com.au
Submission Deadline is October 31, 2011, so do it NOW!
Your 2011-12 Committee and Contact Details
President: Terry Elverd, WA president@amqa.com.au
Vice President: Raylee Bielenberg, ACT vp@amqa.com.au
Secretary: Tonia Brooks, Qld secretary@amqa.com.au
Treasurer: Gayle Dayman, SA treasurer@amqa.com.au
Membership Secretary: Gayle Dayman, SA membership@amqa.com.au
Minute Secretary: Val Towill, SA minutes@amqa.com.au
Web Diva: POSITION VACANT webdiva@amqa.com.au
Newsletter Editor: Michele Turner, NSW editor@amqa.com.au

Committee Members:
Julie Nixon, SA
committee1@amqa.com.au
Val Towill, SA committee2@amqa.com.au
Vicki Jenkin, VIC committee4@amqa.com.au
AMQF Liaison/General Committee Member
Tracey Browning, SA webdiva@amqa.com.au
AMQA Corporate Members
Our Corporate Members are:-
Lorien Quilting - Australian publisher of machine quilting patterns by local and international designers.
We carry block designs and motifs, pattern sets and a huge range of pantographs for all sizes of quilting machine. Our pattern clubs are a must for adding variety to your pattern stash while saving big bucks!
Visit our website for discounts www.lorienquilting.com
We would like to give a special thank you to Hermione of Lorien Quilting for allowing AMQA to use her design "Fantasia" on the background of the new AMQA website.
Widebacks Australia
Widebacks Australia is an Australian owned company which specialises in top quality 108" (275cm) wide backing fabrics including well known names such as Moda, Benartex, RJR, P&B, South Sea Imports and Marcus Fabrics. Widebacks Australia only sells top quality fabric and Brenda, the proprietor, feels confident that you will be delighted with the look and feel of them. They will certainly enhance your quilts and add value too.
Many colours are available from White on White to Jet Black, with every colour in between, including a selection of Batiks. The fabrics are all 100% cotton. Also available is a range of 108" wide Flannel in solid colours, Reproduction Civil War & 30's prints too.
Visit Widebacks online at www.widebacks.com.au

Monday, June 13, 2011

Newsletter No.19


Editor’s Message

It is a cold dreary day as I am compiling this newsletter. I have a small black poodle on my lap keeping me warm, but my fingers are still cold. It is perfect weather for hot chocolate and snuggling under a quilt. This brings me to think about how many quilts I have made and who they are keeping warm. I am sad that one of my clients has passed away this year and sad for another who made a warm flannel quilt last year for a mother in law who passed away last week. We are very lucky that the quilting we do has the ability to touch the lives of others and that we share a small part in their family heritage by quilting their quilts.

That is the personal side of quilting that it is easy to lose focus on sometimes, especially when thinking about deadlines, advertising, websites and schedules. It is easy to get carried away worrying about things like that, even though they are important. I urge you to take a moment to reflect on all of the good things you have done this year and how you have positively impacted people as a result of your quilting. You may feel a little warmer on the inside.

Michele Turner

editor@amqa.com.au

AMQA Quilt Challenge 2011

A total of ten quilts were received for the AMQA Quilt Challenge, As an organiser, I was disappointed with the low participation rate. I understand that everyone is busy, however a lot of work has gone into organising the challenge and if the participation rate remains low, the AMQA may decide to place this energy and funding elsewhere. This would be a shame, as the Challenge is a wonderful opportunity to push yourself with a quality piece of work which will be displayed at a national event and published in a national magazine. Not to mention some great prize money.

The quilts we received were all very good, and it was still difficult to judge some of the places. Well done, ladies! Here are the award winning quilts.

Wholecloth Hand Guided

1st Place - Pam Hill with ‘Peppermint Twist’


2nd Place - Raylee Bielenberg with ‘Linda in Pink’


Wholecloth Computerised

1st Place - Heather Shanks with ‘Behind the Picket Fence’


2nd Place - Sharon French with ‘So Much Fuchsia’



Pieced Hand Guided

1st Place - Karen Terrens with ‘Purple Haze’



2nd Place - Carolynne Diesler with ‘My Dilemma’




Pieced Computerised

1st Place - Heather Shanks with ‘Royal High Tea’




These quilts are so lovely. Aren't they an inspiration?

Design Inspiration Guessing Competition

There were a few interesting guesses for the design inspiration for the AMQA Challenge Pieced Pattern, however nobody was correct.

Drumroll please.....The correct answer was.....the square window from Playschool on ABC.

Feature Article - Finding Time to Piece

by Michele Turner

Are you mostly a piecer, or mostly a quilter? Maybe a bit of both? For myself, I make quilts with the intention to quilt them in a certain style or method. I make the quilts for the quilting, not for the fabrics or because I love patchwork. I just want something to quilt.

Having said that, I still enjoy sitting at my sewing machine passing fabric under the needle. It is relaxing. I have never been good with colour and fabric choices, so I trust my local quilt store owner to choose them for me (she has great taste and knows what I like). I obviously have great plans to make lots of quilts - the evidence is sitting in my fabric cupboard and in boxes around the place. But who has time to piece?

As professional quilters, I am sure many of us put our own quilts aside to make way for our clients. Who doesn’t like getting paid? Who doesn’t like helping out other people? We are human after all. But our quilts never get quilted. Our quilts never even get pieced! But what stops us? Time? Inclination? Incentive? Time??

In the last month, I have finished off one quilt top and 80% pieced another. For me, this is pretty impressive, especially as I have been rather unwell lately. The quilt top I finished off was all cut out and partially constructed, and the other was cut out from scratch. I tried to analyse why I was so productive this last month and not quite so productive in the months prior.

The standout thing that I did was to have my sewing machine permanently set up in one place. Sounds simple, yes? Well, I will admit that I did get a second machine to keep at home, as the machine I like to piece on is the one I take to patchwork class (yes, I go to class one day a week, which has lots of benefits for me and my business - maybe I will discuss this another day) each week, and I was constantly dragging it out of the case to set up and then packing it back away again. I am not at all suggesting that anyone gets a new machine, but this was a big problem for me. The difference was having one set up and available to use on a whim. I was able to grab even five minute intervals to sew and they all added up.

Keeping my sewing area clutter free is another thing that added to my productivity. I only had one project out at a time (imagine that!) Not having to clear things off my sewing space meant I could just pick up my pieces from the current project and sew. It sounds very simple, but I have found that I am a messy worker and unintentionally put things down in random places when I am done with them. This has two effects - it takes away from the things I plan to do because I see the mess and try to avoid going to it. Secondly, I ‘lose’ my cutter/scissors/pins and waste time looking for them. Both these things mean that I lose sewing time, which means nothing gets done. It is an effort to put things back in their place, but one small effort I can see the benefit in doing. I just hope I can sustain my ‘new’ habit.

Lastly, I prioritised having sewing time for myself. I am also an avid knitter - an activity I prefer to do in my down time while watching TV. Maybe it helped that TV has not been very interesting to me lately, but I decided to watch what I truly wanted to watch, and sew for some of the other times that I would just have sat there mindlessly. I tend not to quilt in the evenings, so to me, this is personal time. Time for me to engage in my hobbies. I get to decide what I do and I decided to sew. It was that simple.

These three things combined made my piecing time more accessible, efficient and enjoyable. I did reap the rewards by doing more patchwork than I had in the months prior. Now I just have to find time to quilt my things.....

Achievements in Longarm Quilting

Craft & Quilt Fair/Quilt West


At this years Craft & Quilt Fair/Quilt West in Perth we had a very talented AMQA Member - Jo Northcott. Jo has taken out the following categories with her entries.

> Best Longarm Quilting

> 1st Place Applique

> Runner up Best of Show

Jo Northcott wrote about her quilt...Funny story about this quilt. It was a UFO. I sewed the borders on last Sunday night, started quilting it on Monday. Quilts had to be in by 8.30pm Wednesday - delivered at 8.00pm Wednesday night. I worked until 2 in the morning Monday and very late again on Tuesday. I know, I'm crazy and very tired!

Jo.

Congratulations Jo, well done!

Behind the Scenes

Committee Meeting Report April/May 2011

Hello Members

The April meeting started well with the announcement of three new members joining AMQA, one of whom has kindly volunteered to become our new Secretary. Tonia Brooks from Malanda has stepped into this position, replacing Susanne Hughes, who will still remain on the committee. Thank you Susanne for all the work you have done for AMQA. Tonia owns Malanda Quilting & Sewing Supplies and has recently taken on Longarm Quilting with the purchase of an A1 quilting machine. We hope you will enjoy your time on the committee.

There was also much discussion on the upcoming AMQA Challenge to be held at the Quilt & Craft Expo at RoseHill Gardens, Sydney in mid-June. There is a Pieced & Wholecloth section for both manual and computerised quilting with prize money being allocated for all sections. It is hoped there will be some stunning work on show for everyone to admire. Just think girls, free advertising!!

Are you going to attend Sharon Schambers’ classes at Kadina, SA in August this year? This is Sharon’s second visit & although I myself will not be going, I did attend during her last visit 2 years ago & thoroughly enjoyed myself. She is a very talented lady & I thought it was well worth the time to attend her classes. Once again there will be a $30:00 rebate offered to those members who attend Sharon’s classes and can be claimed off your yearly subscription to AMQA. There are new membership forms being designed so it will be easier to claim this rebate. Make sure you check this out when you renew your membership later in the year.

Are you terribly busy at the moment? Silly question for some of you, I know!! If you happen to have some time on your hands and willing to do some charity quilting, please go to the Charity Quilts page on the AMQA website and chose one of the organisations listed to help them out. You will need to contact them yourselves, I’m sure your assistance will be most appreciated. They are also in need of orphan blocks to make some quilt tops, every little block will help I’m sure.

There are some committee members who have designated jobs to attend to for the benefit of AMQA members. These all take time as we are so often busy with our quilting businesses and family life. Such tasks include monitoring and tidying up the AMQA website, organising a mentor program, keeping track of and listing new members and of course, taking care of the books, plus the organising of special events , exhibitions and compiling this newsletter too! If you are waiting on someone to respond to any requests, whatever they may be, please be considerate of the precious time that these people have available. All of the committee volunteer their time and effort, so please be patient with us as we are all human and often have other life emergencies to attend to. The best way to contact any of us is through the AMQA Website via email or through the Yahoo members’ list, so please utilise them should you wish to get in touch with us.

Cheers

Val Towill

Minute Secretary, AMQA Committee

Upcoming Events

NSW Quilters’ Guild Show - Darling Harbour - Sydney

Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour

June 22-26 2011

For more information, please visit http://www.quiltersguildnsw.com/

We would love to hear of any local quilt shows or events near you! Please email your details to Raylee and we will include it in the newsletter and on the AMQA website.

Position Vacant

Webdiva - we need a new Webdiva, so please contact Tracey Browning commitee4@amqa.com.au to discuss how you may help.

Coming Up Next Time…

Quilting on the Internet - we all seem to spend a lot of time online (well, I do, anyway). Do you have a web presence? Do you blog? Please let me know what you have found effective in terms of customer contact, marketing etc. I will also talk about how to set up a simple website for your business...I would love some input for this article from you all, and I will include links to your websites (or not) as you wish.

We NEED more pictures - please share your triumphs and quilts that you are extra proud of - don't be shy. Email them to me please! editor@amqa.com.au

Submission Deadline is June 30, 2011, so do it NOW!

Your 2010-11 Committee and Contact Details

President: Terry Elverd, WA president@amqa.com.au
Vice President: Raylee Bielenberg, ACT vp@amqa.com.au
Secretary: Susanne Hughes, Qld secretary@amqa.com.au
Treasurer: Gayle Dayman, SA treasurer@amqa.com.au

Membership Secretary: Gayle Dayman, SA membership@amqa.com.au

Minute Secretary: Val Towill, SA minutes@amqa.com.au
Web Diva: VACANT webdiva@amqa.com.au

Editor: Michele Turner, NSW editor@amqa.com.au


Committee Members:
Julie Nixon, SA
committee1@amqa.com.au

Val Towill, SA committee2@amqa.com.au
Tracey Browning, SA committee4@amqa.com.au

AMQA Corporate Members

Our Corporate Members are:-

Lorien Quilting

Lorien Quilting - Australian publisher of machine quilting patterns by local and international designers.
We carry block designs and motifs, pattern sets and a huge range of pantographs for all sizes of quilting machine. Our pattern clubs are a must for adding variety to your pattern stash while saving big bucks!
Visit our website for discounts www.lorienquilting.com
We would like to give a special thank you to Hermione of Lorien Quilting for allowing AMQA to use her design "Fantasia" on the background of the new AMQA website.

Widebacks Australia

Widebacks Australia is an Australian owned company which specialises in top quality 108" (275cm) wide backing fabrics including well known names such as Moda, Benartex, RJR, P&B, South Sea Imports and Marcus Fabrics. Widebacks Australia only sells top quality fabric and Brenda, the proprietor, feels confident that you will be delighted with the look and feel of them. They will certainly enhance your quilts and add value too.

Many colours are available from White on White to Jet Black, with every colour in between, including a selection of Batiks. The fabrics are all 100% cotton. Also available is a range of 108" wide Flannel in solid colours, Reproduction Civil War & 30's prints too.

Visit Widebacks online at www.widebacks.com.au