2008 Kenniff Country Quilters Annual Quilt Show

Another one of Robyn's - Wholecloth Quilt.

A Machine Embroidery Hanging - Kimono by Robyn

Another of Robyn's quilts - Australiana

Robyn's Attic Windows she made after a trip to Canada

Gay's quilt - Shining Star

Friendship Block "Stepping Stones for Barbara" pieced and quilted by Gay.

Robyn's Challenge - Dorothea McKellar
Gay's Challenge - Dust Storm to Thunderstorm

Four quilts by the High School girls. Congratulations to them





The Kenniff Country Quilters Annual Quilt Show was held recently and Piecemakers Chairman, Jan Ross officially opened it. This display was held in the Maranoa Library and Art Centre and Jan said she was very impressed with the various techniques the quilters used to make this show so successful. Also four quilts were included made by students from Mitchell State High School and the Challenge for the show was 'Kenniff or Country' and there are several photos above from this show including photos from Piecemakers members as some of whom belong to Kenniff Country Quilters as well as Piecemakers.

Clontarf Workshop

On 27th & 28th September, 2008 Donna Davis will be conducting a weekend workshop at QCWA Hall Clontarf. Donna, who describes herself as "Poet Extraordinaire" will be teaching the creation of wonderful "Post Cards" and all the techniques involved. Other items are covers for Binders and Notebooks and small Wallhangings. We are anticipating a unique weekend with the combination of patchwork and poetry. The cost is $60.00 for the weekend and this includes Tuition, Smokos and Lunch each day. Anyone interested in participating is asked to phone Joy Mackenzie 4939 2914. The photos include several postcards, small hangings, an unfinished binder cover and then a finished binder cover and notebook cover.

Mariya Water's presentation 'Life and Times with Quilts

On the Sunday night of the long weekend in June Mariya gave a power point presentation of her 'Life and Times with Quilts' followed by a display of some of her award winning quilts. This presentation was so interesting as Mariya travelled with us her life as a quilter in various places around the world. She now lives in Melbourne and still enjoys creating and making quilts for exhibitions and her family. We all felt so privileged to share this part of her life with her. Some stayed for supper after all supplied by the Moggill Branch Caterers. By the end of the 3 days everyone felt inspired and were looking forward to using these new skills. ( P.S. One member attending the workshop has already made a wallhanging using the Floriani tearaway that is water-soluable). Some photos of portions of the quilts and a group having supper after the lecture also a photo of our Treasurer Joy, Mariya and our Chairman Jan.

Turned Edge Applique by Machine - Size 60cm X 70cm

Machine applique using a new modern method by turning the edges of the applique shapes over a semi soluable stabiliser. When the work is washed the stabliser virtually disappears. The stitching is a very fine zig zag stitch that if far easier than satin stitch and leaves the block with the soft turned edges similar to hand applique. The photos above are work in progress and Mariya's sample. Immediately above are 2 of Mariya's samples using the same method.

Mariya Water's Workshop on the long weekend in June

This very interesting workshop was held in the new Ruth Fairfax House and several of the country girls stayed in the wonderful facilities of CWA's very own new building. Mariya is a dedicated quilter and lives in Melbourne and has won many professional and popular awards in Australia and U.S.A. Her 'Renaissance Revival' quilt (which I understand from a current Quilt Magazine has recently won Australia's National Quilt Award (sponsored by Bernina). This quilt is currently travelling around Australia with the Craft & Quilt Fair and will be in Brisbane later in the year. I was fortunate enough to view it at the Gold Coast Craft & Quilt Fair early in the year.

On the Sunday evening Mariya gave us a power point presentation of some of her quilts together with some of her prize winning quilts for us to see, study and touch.

Decorative Thread Workshop - Finished size 45cm X 55cm

The first day was spent working on a design using decorative threads using bobbin drawing, machine couching and echo machine quilting techniques. There were 2 patterns - Dandelions and Fish. The fabric used was either hand painted or batik styled fabric. The photos are of Mariya's samples and work in progress by some of the girls participating.

Ridgeland Branch Workshop

Earlier in the year Lynne (a Piecemaker's tutor) travelled to Ridgeland to conduct a Bargello Workshop for the Ridgeland members. Ridgeland is about 28 Klms from Rockhampton and consists of a School, CWA, Community Hall and Showground. Members for the workshop came from the surrounding properties and others who are now retirees from Rockhampton and other towns.

The photos above are of some of the half finished Bargello's and the other Lynne's teaching quilt.

Later I hope I will be able to post some of the finished articles.

Country Patchwork Daytripping

The Flyer said "Bring a hat and a chair". An invitation to an outback garden day, no, nothing like it. Come to the first open day for a new patchwork shop "Cow paddocks Patchwork Crafts n Coffee". Julie Latcham, a young enthusiastic patchworker and teacher on a property near Dulacca in Southern Queensland has set up shop in a Donga beside her house, where she also teaches a variety of workshops, has a mail order service (a must for isolated patchworkers) and fabric clubs.
Eleven members from the Mitchell Kenniff Country Quilters set off early for the 3 hour drive. We didn't fill the cars up with quilts for show and tell because we would need the space for our purchases. Some of us needed a fabric fix.
Even Julie was surprised at the response expecting about 50 people. Over 100 patchworkers from the Miles, Chinchilla, Condamine, Dulacca, Wallumbilla, Taroom, Wandoan, Glenmorgan, Mitchell and Charlewille areas as well as one from Barcaldine made the journey. It was a wonderful day with demonstrations of new products, competitions, lucky draws, informative presentations by a prize winning quilter and professional machine quilter both from the Glenmorgan district, inspirational show and tell and great food supplied by the local Dulacca Kindergarten and Playgroup mothers.
Being able to swap ideas and information with other quilting groups was part of the experience as well.
There is no need to tell you that Julie's shop was greatly depleted of stock when everyone left, however, I'm sure that her very diverse range of fabrics, patterns, threads and notions would quickly be replenished.
Our long trip home was full of chatter about the great time we had and how we will definitely make the effort to go next year as this will now be an annual event. We all agreed that those fold up chairs take up a lot of room in our car boot.
Written by Gary Burey.

Gary is a member of Amby QCWA and Piecemakers and also a member of Kenniff Country Quilters - Mitchell.