Cathie
The quilting journey of the Aussie Quilt started when Tina brought back a copy of Quilt Mania from one of her trips to England. This excellent magazine featured a Patchwork Studio design using Aboriginal style fabrics.
The magazine was passed around the table and this quilt caught the attention of several group members. Before the afternoon was over an order for the Australian Aboriginal fabrics was placed online at www.ozquilts.com.au, a very efficient supplier, and we had the fabric the next week.
At our next gathering we divided up the fabric. Some ladies were drawn to the reds, others sticking to the earthy tones or the greens. I made my version first and the pattern was so simple that the quilt came together amazingly quickly. How very satisfying. Before long we were all on the floor pinning my version for quilting.
Tina commented wistfully that it would have made a wonderful Christmas present for her son who was living in England. Leslie agreed and added it was a shame because she was off to England the next week and would have taken the quilt over for Tina. I raved on how quickly the quilt had come together and finally we agreed to have a quilting day and help Tina make the quilt.
The next week we all caught the most violent of bugs and all had to have a day off. We gathered (for medicinal purposes, of course) at Tina’s early in the morning with sewing machines, cutting boards and irons. Leslie and Tina sliced fabric furiously, Greta, Annette and Bronwen sewed kilometres, Vicki and Lynn ironed every crinkle out of our lives, Ros made cups of tea and I was mostly a runner.
Tina’s house is split level so it was fun viewing and reviewing from a higher vantage point while the runners rearranged blocks so that the design was perfectly settled and the serpents flowed through the quilt here and there. The blocks were completed before we allowed ourselves the luxury of a splendid lunch and wine on the balcony.
All afternoon the piecing continued until it was finally completed. Then we pinned the quilt for quilting. Totally exhausted we all were but delighted with the day’s effort. Annette took the quilt home to machine quilt and I added the binding and it was hand stitched into place at the next gathering and went off to England with Leslie that week. Job done! What closure!
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Tina
Vicki was then inspired to make her version and that was taken to South Africa for a friend’s sixtieth birthday.
Vicki
Do you have a special quilt story? We would love to hear from you!
Congratulations – what a beautiful piece of work! I am particularly impressed by the way the women in your group bonded together to help someone else out. I have never belonged to a quliting group, but a friend of mine who does has often spoken of the comfort the sessions bring to her. They obviously get the creative juices flowing too, because the quilts she has made for my son and daughter are truly gorgeous and are among my most treasured gifts. Who knows, maybe I’ll catch the bug one day. I fear once I have, though, I may be buried in a ton of fabric. Good luck with the next venture. Jules
Hello Julie
Thank you for your kind comments. Being part of a quilting group there is always inspiration for that threatening ton of fabric. Just do it! Ask one friend and your group will just happen. You will have an incredible quilting group in no time. Having said that I hope you don’t live in some incredibly isolated place with no neighbours for miles and miles. Well keep writing and be part of ours. Cheers Cathie
These ladies are a most dynamic group and their enthusiasm creates a synergy with truly sensational results.
I was present when Cathie first caught the quilting bug and have observed her passion (some would say obsession)grow and attract other like-minded devotees.
The skills and creativity (plus therapy) just flow through the fun and laughter while numerous friends and relatives, as well as charities, benefit by receiving one of these magical quilts-each with its special story like the Aussie quilt…and look at them finding their way all around the world! Amazing!
May this new phase of the quilting tradition continue to flourish under this guild of creative experts.
Well done ladies.
Hello Di
Thank you for your lovely comments. Must write the story of your animal skins quilt one day. That was rather amazing.
Cheers Cathie
Hello Sandra,
Thanks for your compliment.This wonderful pattern is found in QuiltMania no 60 and the address is http://www.quiltmania.com
Last week our group pinned another edition of this pattern using the aboriginal inspired fabrics and again it looks totally different. It really is a most satisfying quilt to made. Happy sewing and let’s see your version soon. Cheers Cathie