Dear Jane Wrap Up

What a glorious weekend it was at the AQA Dear Jane Show. It was great to meet so many of you and put faces to names and have a chat. So many new projects are being started and loads of orphan blocks are off to new homes.
The show was wonderfully run and the volunteers were fantastic, thanks lady's for all the cups of coffee, chats and giving me a hand....and to those of you I have converted into giving a bit of vintage a go...i'm warning you, it's addictive....

The people's choice award for the show went to Angela Davis from WA for her 'Liberty Jane'. Done over 12 years with collected snippets of Liberty, each with its own story, this quilt stuck a chord with me. Not only that I am a sucker for Liberty, but I am a sucker for a bit of fabric that has a history that is then placed into a new project.
Congratulations Angela, your quilt is truly beautiful and i'm so sorry my photos don't do it justice. You really need to see this one in real life to pick up on the subtle movement of colours through the Liberty prints.
Update....better photo has arrived, check the colours....Thanks Angela!

'Liberty Jane' with Angela Davis (R) and Me (L)

Angela Davis - Liberty Jane

Other highlights for me were seeing Shirley Lodingtons Mr's Billing's quilt. Shirley is a MACHINE when it comes to hand piecing and quilting and is truly inspirational! What I would call a 'Hard Core' quilter. Thanks for telling me about your quilting process, it's making me want to step up a gear.

Shirley Lodington - Mrs Billings

For all of you who stopped by and told me about projects you have started with fabrics you have collected off me, I thank you for sharing. I love knowing that my parts of my stash are off giving you such joy, especially when you find that perfect print.

Speaking of the perfect print, one of my wacky mid-century geometrics has made it into the AQA's latest project, the re-creation of the quilt found here in Australia that was made by Elizabeth Smith. Made in the late 1830's, this quilt has now been drawn up into a pattern that you can get through the AQA. The quilt is now in the collection of the NGV. To know more of the history head over here.

The Original Elizabeth Smith Quilt - Photo courtesy of www.sewmanyquiltstoolittletime.blogspot.com.au

All in all, a great show. Thank you to everyone who helped out and visited.

AQA Dear Jane Show

This coming weekend the studio will be closed (feb 9th and 10th) as I will be trading at the Australian Quilters Association Dear Jane Show. Its on from the 8th to the 10th from 10am to 4pm.

Its going to be a pretty amazing show. Dear Jane is such a feat and accomplishment, but the best bit is you can enter ones that aren't completed too. Dear Jane is like the ball breaker of all quilts if you ask me. I know that personally I would not be even mentally able to even start this one. I love to look at them and totally admire the hard work and precision that is needed to pull this quilt together, but just know I would never be able to get my head around this one. Maybe one day, when I get over my smash and grab way of putting my quilts together....

I have been busy packing scrap bags of 1800s, Turn of the Century, 1920s, 30-40s, 50s and 60-70s prints. 100 grams or about 1 yard in each of scrappy goodness. Loads of feed sacks...full unopened ones as well, vintage fat quarters and over 1000 orphan blocks, embroidered ones as well. Loads of vintage quilt goodness. Also plenty of new vintage prints on the bolt.

We look forward to seeing you.