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AMQA Members Newsletter - July 2013
Hello and welcome one and all, I was going to say ladies but I am
informed there are a couple of fellows who are members too. This is my first
newsletter for the AMQA so here goes. This is your newsletter and I am
keen for members to send in articles and photos of their get togethers, show
and tell , exhibitions, and any other items you think would be of general
interest for fellow quilters.
Message from the President – Raylee Bielenberg
Greetings to my fellow quilters,
It’s freezing here in Canberra and yes I am almost
wishing for spring to come. The wind has been quite bitter the past week and my
heater has not stopped for a while now.
The 2013 MembersChallenge has been reopened; we hope those who wanted to enter but found
themselves too busy will be able to enter this time. The timing for the
challenge will be the same now in each alternate year, around October. We hope this will aid in your year planning
and enable as many members as possible to take on the challenge.
For newer members a little background info. In the year between the AMQA Inc. Quilt
Shows, we hold a Members Challenge. This
has 2 sections, a whole cloth quilt and a pieced quilt. Everyone makes the same pieced design and the
challenge is in how you quilt it. The
quilts are not large, 40” square for the whole cloth and the pieced design is a
tiny bit larger this year. These challenges are a great way for you to use
those techniques you’ve seen or read about and want to try- but in a smaller
project.
I would like to encourage you all to consider an entry or
2 in this year’s challenge now that it has been re-opened or in the next
challenge in 2015. More details will be released regarding the 2015 challenge
next year.
Planning is under
way for the AMQA Inc. show for 2014, with reviews being made to improve
various aspects of the show. If you have
any feedback or ideas about the show or for AMQA Inc. in general please do not
hesitate to email them to one of the committee via the email contacts available
on the AMQA Inc. website.
We have a wonderful
new newsletter editor who has collated an array of photos for you to peruse
and I would also like to encourage you to share your knowledge and experiences
by writing an article for our newsletter.
We’d love to hear your stories and/or opinions about all things quilting
related. Please send them to Barbara for inclusion; I look forward to reading
your articles. Email for the newsletter is on the AMQA Inc. website.
The first state show with sponsorship support from AMQA
Inc. was the recently held Tasmanian Quilting Guild -Island Quilts Show. AMQA
Inc. is sponsoring an award that goes to the quilter and we really
appreciate TQG for working with us to begin this award. More information and
photos can be found further in this newsletter. The next state show with
sponsorship and a similar award is the Queensland Quilt Show.
The AGM is
scheduled for the 9th August 2013. The notifications have been
sent and you should have access to nomination forms and Proxy forms. I encourage everyone to participate via the
Skype link up. You will need to send a contact request to me at <thomasnraylee> before the day of the
AGM.
There have been a number of committee roles unfilled this
year so please consider joining the committee to help with the operation of our
Association. We are aiming to improve the Association and could really use your
input.
Happy Quilting
Member in the Spotlight – Hermione Agee – Lorien Quilting
I was living in America and my
then-husband's grandmother was a real Southern grandma quilter. I went to a
quilting bee at her house - a group of Louisiana ladies all hand quilting the
one quilt around a hanging frame - it was wonderful and I was hooked
I had always been a sewer and a maker of
things and it wasn't until quite some time after my mother died that I
discovered bits and pieces of things she had patch worked when she was in her
20's and 30's so I'm carrying on a family tradition of my own without knowing
it.
>What would
you say was your speciality (if you had one?)
Now I design long arm quilting patterns,
specifically edge to edge patterns.
>What part of the process of making a quilt do you enjoy the most?)
I like the whole process really - working
out the idea and choosing the fabric is the most exciting, piecing is the most
productive, quilting is when it really comes to life and binding is the most
satisfying.
>Tell us a
bit about your business and services, how can customers find you?
I have a website where I sell
my patterns, joint patterns I have designed with other designers and
postcard-sized promotional cards to help machine quilters get more customers
and easier quilts to quilt. I also have a long arm machine but I don't do much
quilting for others these days, just a little bit of edge to edge work here and
there.
>Tell us about any awards you won?
Do you have a favourite award/quilt?
I have been lucky enough to receive some
awards for my quilts. All of them have been for quilts that I have used my own
patterns on but in a different way from normal edge to edge - some more
complicated (like colouring the elements of an edge to edge pattern after
quilting) but some quite simple (like doing each row in a different coloured
thread on plain fabric). Even though pantographs can be the "bread and
butter" of our businesses there is much more you can do with them.
>Any tips for
persons wanting to start a quilting business?
Yes! Be confident, be kind to yourself, meet
other quilters, take classes, immerse yourself in quilts, listen, love your
job, breath and practise, practise, practise.
>Any tips for
quilters in general?
As above - whether you're in business or
not, be the best quilter you can be. Just try it. Have a go. Even if it goes wrong
you'll learn something.
Hermione Agee. Lorien Quilting Phone (03) 9754 4916 Email hermione@lorienquilting.com
Continuous quilting patterns: http:// www.lorienquilting.com
Continuous quilting patterns: http:// www.lorienquilting.com
Thanks Hermoine for being our ‘Member
in the Spotlight’ for July. Hermione has also sent the plan for her wonderful
wall hanging for quilts which I will put in the next newsletter, also more
pictures of Hermione’s work which I will add depending on space, but I am sure
they are all able to be viewed on Hermione’s website listed above or on
facebook.
Update on Membership – Gayle Dayman
Since October last year, we have had 18 new members, with another
application for a Corporate membership from Judi Cogliati of Wynnum QLD. Together
with 53 members who have renewed we have a total of 71 individual members and 2
Corporate members. All these members have their contact details on our website
under “Find a Quilter”. Corporate members have their logo and link on our
website.
By being a member of AMQA you are then allowed to display or add AMQA
logo to any advertising.
Members are also entitled to mentoring, but as the committee is short on
numbers again we are looking for someone to help in this area.
Member Get Togethers
In SA we have a very informal get together of all those that own an
IntelliQuilter, twice a year. We gather at our hostess’s home, with our
IntelliQuilter tablet, any Show & Tell quilts and quilt tops that we need
some advice with.
Usually in the morning we have something like Tracey Browning demo-ing
all the latest features of the IQ and reminding us to Archive regularly to
different USBs.
Or with some patterns we go through them step by step to help everyone
understand how they are built.
And we were lucky enough to see all Tracey’s latest imports that she has
brought back from the USA.
As we meet in a LAer’s home, we are able to demo some of the features
actually on a LA machine. This is a huge help for any newbies.
Then after our pooled lunch, we get down to some serious networking and
problem solving. Many discuss and show some of their latest patterns they
have designed and how they have achieved them. Even business problems are
discussed for some consensus as to how to tackle them.
Then we have Show & Tell, with more descriptions on what patterns
were used etc. When the quilt tops come out for advice, they usually get
several ideas from which to choose from on how to quilt them. Before we
finish for the day we set the place and date for the next IQ GTG.
NOTE: Please consider putting in a report if you have any Get
Togethers, as this is your newsletter!!
Exhibition Reports / Photos
1st Prize - Commercially
Machine Quilted Category
Made by Robyn Harris from a Pam Furness pattern
Quilted by Jan Forster of Red Shed Quilting
More photos can be viewed at:
www.quiltersguildnsw.com/quiltshow/
Sydney Quilt show 2013 – Belinda Betts – Eucalypt Ridge Quilting
Last
month my friend and I went to the Sydney Quilt Show to have a look at the
quilts and the shopping. I could only get away for a day, so it was going to be
a full day. The quilts were fabulous. The Best of Show was pieced and quilted
by hand and quite extraordinary. It was a double wedding ring quilt, with
floral applique around the outside, and the colours used in the rings worked so
well. The hand quilting was tiny and exquisite and just lovely.
Once
we got past the entrance to the quilts, there were rows and rows of quilts.
Lots of space between the rows to take pics and to be able to step back and see
the whole quilt which was nice. The range of quilts and quilting was huge, with
lots of designs going onto my bucket list.
The
Excellence in Longarm Quilting Award went to Adri van der Zel for her quilt.
The background fills and use of different designs to add movement and depth to
the designs was quite lovely.
Lots
and lots of machine quilting was there, and there were some really lovely uses
of both computerised and freehand designs.
After
we wandered around the quilts, we went shopping. Lots of the usual shops were
there, along with some new ones. There were a couple of cake decorating shops,
lots of beads and scrapbooking and fabric shops too. Lots of wool and woollen
products - jumpers, hats etc. There seemed to be a lot of Japanese shops with
fabrics, tools and little kits and bags, threads, patterns. Cross stitch shops
selling fabrics and kits.
I did manage to bring home some goodies to enhance my stash, along
with lots of photos of inspirational quilts.
Belinda Betts –
Eucalypt Ridge Quilting
Thanks Belinda for your ‘report’ from the Sydney Show
Tasmania – June 2013
‘Starry Geese’
Quilted by Ineke
Moeys of
Ineke Moeys
Quilting Service
Made by Judy Mason
Prize sponsored by AMQA
Inc.
of $300.00
Helen Stubbings won best of show with her little hexagon quilt that was
quilted by Tracey Browning. It was lovely and fitted well in the
Traditional category.
I did
notice a resurgence of hand quilted quilts which was lovely to see. Some
of the art quilts were spectacular.
There has also
been a growing number of young entrants in the junior categories and this is
great.
The Best of Show
quilts touring the major shows were amazing. It is great to be able to
see these quilts at close quarters after only seeing them in magazines.
There is a lot
of amazing quilting done by longarm quilters Australia wide that never ever
sees the light of day at a show. I hope that we can convince
some of our customers to show their beautiful amazing quilts and some
spectacular quilting skills, while increasing the competition bar a little at
the same time
Jane Monk From Jane Monk Studio
Thanks Jane for your ‘report’ re the Tasmanian
Show.
AMQA Inc. Members Challenge 2013 – Raylee Bielenberg
Good News!! The members challenge has been
reopened. The new entry date and date for delivery and judging are in the
revised Challenge instructions. Please read the instructions carefully
and decide if you’d like to have a go. The challenge is for you to show
off your skills or try a new style, have fun and challenge yourself. The pieced design this year is a Lemoyne Star and I am really
interested to see how others quilt this. Please note the picture of the
design does not depict the colour requirements for this year’s challenge,
please read the instructions for this information. This is the only picture I
could find which shows the design. Also for the size required for our
challenge the cutting instruction are there for you. The link to a
webpage is for piecing instructions only. Cash prizes are awarded for each
category and a ribbon for your quilt. The challenge consists of a pieced
design and a Whole cloth quilt. You can make either or both.
Let your quilting imagination run wild and show us what you can do!
Entry closes 15th September 2013, quilts delivered by 1st
October 2013.
Calamity Corner
This section is for remedies, solutions and fix ups. Share your
hints, tips and how to’s.
Basting for Fullness – thank you Vanita Roychoudhry
Items of Interest
Brother Launches International Quilting Contest
The 13th Annual Brother International
Quilting Contest is a creative initiative from Brother Japan for the Asia
Pacific region designed to encourage participants to be inspired and create an
Eco themed quilt. Brother International Australia will award a brand new
Dreamweaver VQ3000 valued at $4,499 to the entry judged best.
A competition package; including application form, conditions of entry,
copyright compliance and awards will be available for download on Brother
Australia website (www.brother.com.au)
from July 1 when applications will open. Applications will close on September
30.
That is all for
this time, don’t forget the AGM on
the 9th August 2013 with Skype link up, you will need to send a
request to Raylee, <thomasnraylee> before the AGM.
Don’t forget this is your newsletter, please email me
items of interest for the next newsletter. If you have any photos please get
the owner’s permission before we put them in the newsletter.
Next newsletter we will have an article on disclaimers
for professional quilters.
Until the next newsletter,
Barbara Cutmore
Secretary /Newsletter Editor
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