Advert Challenge Quilts & Wanganui Quilt Show

Last weekend I was a merchant at the Wanganui Quilt Show. What a lovely weekend it was, with beautiful weather and lots of people about. As part of the exhibition Cotton On Quilters had an Open Challenge to anyone in NZ for a quilt "Inspired by a Magazine Advert". I made 2 entries as I found this a fun challenge. As long as the advert was not from a quilting magazine it was acceptable. The quilts could not be square or rectangular. I went through the NZ House and Garden magazine and found heaps of ideas. I made one quilt, didn't like it so started another and then had an idea to finish the first one, so ended up sending both. I didn't win but it was fun to enter.
Here are my entries -
This first one entitle "Elements" was based on an advert which had coloured ovals inside ovals, so I had a play with it. I machine quilted the entire background first and then fused the appliqued ovals over this. I decided to machine satin stitch in black around each one to define the colours and add a little punch. It didn't quite work so I put aside, did the other and then thought about adding the fabric beads for embellishment which I feel it needed. The fabric beads are strips of fabric about 1" wide by 3" long which are rolled around a wooden satay stick and sealed with a strip of Vliesofix fused into place.

Here is the next one -
This is based on an advert for the Rhododendron Festival in New Plymouth. The ad had a lovely lime green backrground and flowers over it. I decided to put all my lime green fabrics in a pile and cut and stitch randomly. I did not rotary cut these or measure them, I scissor cut and sewed together and then joined the blocks, eyeballing sizes. I only used the rotary cutter when I got to the inner black and white border. This was a very relaxing (and freeing) way to sew. I drafted all the flowers to shapes I like and fused them into place then free motion quilted and appliqued through all 3 layers to attach them just using a straight stitch, as if in a drawing.

Here are some shots of my stall

Thanks Cotton On Quilters for inviting me to be a merchant and share your exhibiton with you. I had a lovely time, sold lots and met lots of people.
Dianne

More New Fabrics and Magazines

I have just seen that it was a month since I last blogged. I am so sorry for the delay but lots of things have happened, in particular the earthquake in Christchurch. As secretary for Rose City Quilters I, and the committee, have been preparing kits and quilts to make and send down for distribution. Members are so generous, with both their time and supplies so we will have lots of quilts going down.
I have finished my entries for Remarkable Symposium and both were accepted (yay) but cannot show you until after Symposium. I will post pictures of both straight after, end of April.
On the "What's New" front - well we have had some lovely fabrics and some more magazines in - check out below -
These first 2 fabrics are a new range for me and they are a fantastic price - only NZ$15 per metre. The fabric has a lovely soft feel to it as well. Great marble/tonal shading in these. More colours to arrive.

Then there are the following , these black and cream geometric designs are very interesting. NZ$22 per metre. Slightly different from black and whites, a little more toned down with the cream in them.

Do you know that I carry some extra wide backing fabrics and very reasonable prices. The following are all 2.4m - 2.5m wide and are only NZ$20.80 per metre. Means you don't have to join your backing and they look great on the back. The print designs means it can hide your quilting, if you are not happy with it.

Here are some of the colours - a pinky beige, a brown, a blue, a green and a cream on cream for those lighter coloured quilts

I have been waiting for this lovely book - Cloth Doll Workshop

The new issues of Yarn and Embellish have arrived in from Australia. My favourite is the Embellish magazine as it has so many different and interesting articles covering lots of subjects - felting, embellishing, dyeing, stamping on fabric etc. At only NZ$15 this is a good read.

We'd love to hear from you or see you at the shop. I am at the Wanganui Cotton On Quilters exhibition this weekend 19/20 March at the Racecourse in Wanganui in the merchant Mall but the shop will still be open on Saturday morning. If you are coming to Wanganui an added attraction is the Wanganui Artists are having an Open Studio weekend, check it out as well.
Dianne

Quilts for Christchurch

I want to let Christchurch people know that our hearts and thoughts are with you at this time. Such a devastating earthquake this time. As secretary of Rose City Quilters in Palmerston North I and the committee have organised quilts for Christchurch once again. After the last earthquake we sent down around 300 quilts for distribution. Members have been donating quilts,finished and unfinished, and we have had one work day already. Kits to make up quilts and quilts for quilting have been handed out to members and many are being returned ready to go. I am a collection point for these items if you wish to donate anything.
Dianne