Wednesday 24 February

There was a great crowd of ladies this morning. Amazing what a few rainy days and a drop in ambient temperature can lead to. So it was good to see some come for the first time this year and also to welcome Susan from WA and Kath back to Mackay again to practice living in a house until the caravan beckons again. Julie brought her hexagon quilt with her which has grown like Topsy since we last saw it - we think she may be obsessed with tiny little hexagons.

Unfortunately, the stand-in photographer didn't manage to save any images today, despite making people walk to the stage and hold the quilt still and straight for some considerable time. Can everyone bring their quilts back again next week? Please?

Karen has an even brighter version of the jungle animal quilt from the pattern she and Beth shared. It is for grandson, Henry, for his second birthday. The back is a mix match of bright fabrics with a very cute animal print border which was not any where near large enough for the backing, even though it was the perfect fabric. This is apparently the story of Karen's life.

Fay brought a quilt that she made for her number one grandson in 1995. Said child is now 6 foot 5 inches and required the quilt to be mended. It was not as bright and colourful as it used to be, but certainly much loved.

Fay also has finished hand quilting one of the small quilts she concocts from her fabric stash for various young relatives . But we spied a more modern piece of fabric in this one. Appears Fay ended up in Lincraft and fell in love with some little birdies sitting in trees.

Maybe photos shall follow one day. Sorry!

Wednesday 17 February

We have lots of photos of smiling quilters today under very trying circumstances. It really was hot and muggy. Thanks to those ladies who braved the heat and brought their pretty articles to show and tell.

Brenda has made this quilt for her husband who wanted to know why the dog had a quilt before him. 

Di has made these  gorgeous shabby chic bags raiding her lace stash from dressmaking many years ago.

A close-up of the bag backs.

Di was the lucky winner of the Queensland Quilters raffle quilt.
She was very pleased to show it off today after it has arrived from  Brisbane.

Linda has finished this baby quilt but is waiting for the baby to be born so the name and date can be recorded on the back.

Marlena's daughter has five friends who are all expecting babies in the next few months. So this is first of a few baby quilts she will be making. There is space at the top of this one for the new one's name.

Another of the  baby presents. This cute little bib has a dummy holder attached to the bib with a hair clip so when the dummy spitting happens it won't hit the floor. Great invention Marlena.

Michele's Going Away Blocks

It is our tradition that if a long-standing member leaves the club, each member makes her a block that she can incorporate into a quilt to remember us by. Michele had just bought herself an X-Block ruler, so we all made 9-patches in brown and cream to match a common square of brown fabric.

After 4 years and many reinventions, this is Michele's finished quilt. It was supposed to be for a single bed, but it has grown a little and now reaches the floor. Of course, when new blocks needed to be made, despite much searching, phoning and internet enquiries, the original brown centre fabric could not be sourced. Necessity is the mother of invention they say and the finished design is quite stunning. It was worth waiting for Michele.

Front of X-Block quilt

Back of quilt incorporating all those little
triangles that had to be trimmed from the 9-patches

Wednesday 10 February

After some welcome rain, things were much cooler at patchwork this week. Thank goodness says everyone. But we still crowded the tables right in front of open doorways to maximise the breeze. It was the first committee meeting for the year and so we are very quickly getting into the swing of things once again.

Despite the heat, there were still a few large quilts being quilted, embroidered or having binding applied today. And Show and Tell proved that some people had been very busy over the holidays.

We seem to have misplaced the Badge Draw things and so there was no draw today. However, the monthly raffle was won by Phillipa who is off to Mackay Sewing Centre to spend her voucher.

The Saturday Sew-In is on this Saturday at the Senior Citizens. Just rock up to sew, do hand work or just chat. Or ring Diane if you need more detailed instructions.

Deane spent the holidays finishing the things she had been working on all year. This cute little dalmation quilt with the 3D tails and tongues is waiting for someone special to be born.

Deane wanted to practice this  pattern  of wedges she saw in an AP&Q magazine. We were a bit concerned that the chair cover she had made for her husband had already worn out, but these covers are for her brother.

Deane always likes to have an appliqué project on to go and this was last year's bright and colourful one which goes into the 'hope chest'.

This is what Brenda did with the fabric she was allocated to make a quilt for Breastscreen. It is very modern and dramatic.

Not sure whether Faye made the rain come by making this quilt or whether she was just hoping for some as she sewed. It is, as usual, made entirely from scraps and not one piece of fabric was purchased in completing it. Faye machine quilted it herself with her longarm machine .

Anne has made the first bag to go on the Bag Stall at the Craft Fair. Well done Anne.

Kay made this beauty as a wedding present for a nephew and called it Building the Blocks of a Happy Marriage. Just squint a little to see the intricate pattern. Kay free machine quilted this herself  by putting the quilting pattern on tear away and has done a wonderful job.

Wednesday 3 February 2016

Our first Wednesday back for Bucasia Beach Quilters, it was extremely hot but that didn't stop members coming to show us how prolific their activities had been over the break. Let's hope we can keep up the enthusiasm. The camera lady was away, so we were very fortunate to have Robyn take some IPhone photos for us.

Kate surrounded this stunning appliqué centre with some contrasting warm and cool radiant squares.

This cheery little Garden Tea Party was appliquéd by Faye

Cathy made these cute little owls.

Normally made into a fabric book, Cathy turned this pattern into an alphabet rug.

This is Beth's quilt for the camper van. She did have one, but it wasn't large enough to cope with husband's blanket stealing. This Jacob's Ladder variation (It didn't turn out exactly as the pattern suggested!) is large enough to cover both of them now.

Beth has made another cute and bold animal quilt.
What child wouldn't love this bright quilt with the jungle animals?

Margaret's final quilt for show and tell before she heads to a town where she will be needing
quilts draped over her legs. But we suspect these fairy teddies are not for her.

Remember all the yo-yo animals? Appears Di is letting them have a comeback.
You have to admit that this sausage dog is a cutie.

A casserole carrier made by Di

A collection of bags Di has made for the traders stall at the Craft Fair

Spinning Wheel.
The October BOMB blocks won by Kaye and pieced into this colourful quilt.

Doreen has been making sewing accessories from hexagons.

An upmarket pincushion with crystal legs from Marlena

Marlena made this drawstring playmat from a panel.
All the little matchbox cars will have roads to drive on when it is spread out.

End of Year Breakup Luncheon

It was another lovely occasion at Ocean International Hotel for sewing friends to share together good food and good fun and good wishes and a fitting end to another year.

Thank you to our president for her hosting and thank goodness she had her little red bell to ring! We hope that broken arm heals quickly, Marilyn.

Thank you to Jan for organising the meal tickets and all the other tickets. Thank you to Julie for the prizes and activities. Thank you to Elaine for the decorations, gifts and sewn prizes - her sewing machine must have been going overtime. Thank you to all the others who helped in any way to make the breakup such a success. 

We have possibly managed to capture everyone in these general photos of the seating arrangements. Maybe any blurring is due movement  and/or excitement and not due to dodgy IPhone photo techniques.

Some of the beautiful table decorations and place setting gifts made by Elaine.

Some lucky winners!  Our "bag lady" Marlena won a bag in the pass the parcel competition. Iris was very pleased to win the raffle. Margaret won the lucky door prize and was relieved to find it was a little notebook and bright fat quarter after being told it was probably some embroidery!

And some of the lucky spot prize winners, Helen, Anne, Kaye, and Cheryl. There seemed to be so many winners but these are all the photos we could find. Congratulations to these ladies and the others we missed photographing.

The annual exchange of fat quarters was again wonderful fun. Florals, geometrics, moderns, orientals, abstracts, from places as diverse as Houston, Adelaide, Dalby and even Mackay - every fabric was unique. Now we have until the first meeting in March to incorporate our present into a project. Hmmmm. We have to actually cut the fabric and not just look at how pretty it is??!!!

And we even had some Show and Tell. Di has just finished quilting these two tops pieced by Margaret from the breast cancer fabric donated by Phillipa. The quilts will be given to Breastscreen for them to use as fundraisers. Margaret said the first one went together like a dream but the second one was a little more contrary. The first has been quilted with butterflies and swirls and the second has large heart shaped leaves winding all over. So appropriate for quilts for Breastscreen.

So this is the end until 2016. Thank you to everyone for a wonderful quilting year. Merry Christmas to all and may all your presents be soft and foldable.

Wednesday 2 December 2015

It was our last meeting in the hall for 2015 and possibly just as well as the fans were spinning at full speed today reminding us that summer in Mackay is not really the time for draping large quantities of fabric over the legs while stitching. And it seems there were quite a few ladies who were at home hiding in their air-conditioned sewing rooms!

Morning Tea today was a preview of Christmas delights with dainty smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches, shortbread, parmesan and thyme cookies with beetroot relish, decadent chocolate and nut brownies, salted caramels and even watermelon Christmas trees among the delicacies to sample. (Yes, those ladies at home in the air-con really missed out!)

A reminder that meetings will resume in the hall on Wednesday 3 February 2016.

Next year will see lessons in a sampler quilt given by Joan. If you need a brush up on basic patchworking techniques, or you have never learnt all the tricky little patchwork hints, or you just want to have a go at a few different blocks, make plans to put this on your New Year resolution list. 

Beth used a layer cake to make this quilt. She quilted it herself using Faye's long arm machine. It is a "hope chest" item for her daughter. 

And this one is for Beth's daughter-in-law. It is made from the coordinating jelly roll to the layer cake above.  Di quilted this one for Beth in a lovely open swirl and dragonfly pattern which you may or may not be able to see in the photo.

Anne has made this from the leftovers of the piece she made from the leftovers of the wedding present table runner.  Even the backing and the wadding has been patched together as she has used every scrap. Waste not want not, Anne!

The Christmas Star BomB (Block Of the Month Bonanza) blocks that came in today. The last BomB for the year.  A simple positive /negative machine applique pattern that has a lot of punch. And learning to draft a 4-point star was all part of the 'extending ourselves' process. These were won by Deane who will no doubt make a very festive table runner from them.

The last Badge Draw of the year was won by a fairly new member, Jan, proving you don't have to be in the club for 5 years before you ever win a badge draw. Among some sewing tool goodies in the prize was the cutest ever little doggie retractable tape measure.