My Quilt Show shock!

In my last post I shared my disappointment at the state of my quilt. So you can imagine my shock (and horror to start with!), of discovering that the quilt had received Best of Show at the Quilters' Guild of South Australia's annual show. I am still stunned but very grateful to the judges for what must have been a difficult task. My main supporter stands proudly beside it....thank you Larry X

I look at that quilt now and wonder how in the heck I actually got time to do it all. A lot of hand stitching was done "on the road" and even beading on flights interstate! I am in awe of all quilters and their quilts no matter what shape or size....but I do thank everyone for your support and kind words of encouragement.
I would like to share a few shots from the show....permission granted for some shots and apologies to others - but I do hope you don't mind the little close-ups that I got....enjoy:

 Lovely to see "our" beautiful Rachelle Denneny's award winning quilt once again - took out that incredible prize in Houston last year....look at all those ribbons!

And Dani's quilt below from a class two years ago and quilted by Tracey Browning and gained first place in its category. Congratulations Dani!

And love the colours in this Prairie Star....and a male quilter to boot!

I loved Chris McIndoe's stunning Japanese style applique.......and a 1st place winner and a
1st time blue ribbon as well....good on you Chris. It is beautiful!

And Rachelle Denneny shines again with this stunner 'Orchids of the Orient'. Her applique is unbelievable and the machine quilting breathtaking as always...and we love you as well Rachelle..............

 And she is as gorgeous on the inside as the outside..........

And below from my wonderful friend Faye......love, love the colours and it is soooooo big!

Another fun friend Kitty who made this stunner below.......

 The detail in Kathy Brown's quilts is always captivating. She has done a series of textural quilts with the theme of endangered bird species....and she nearly always gains 'Viewers Choice" Her work leaves me always wondering how she did it. (and it gained 1st place in its category of course!)

And some more of Rachelle's intricate machine quilting....and on a domestic machine!

The challenge this year was "Triptych" and this is the winner from Karlyn....congratulations

 above and below:

Mary Williams has found her niche with the use of multiple threads on her art quilts....this was her triptych

And finally Country Bumpkin had a stand and I just adore this smocked dress made in the Adelaide collection fabrics......maybe if the new grand baby is a girl they might loan it to me permanently??!!

Have a good week X

Slowing down

Oh my I am starting to get tired - must be getting close to the end of the year!  I have two more interstate workshops to go and then time for some new creativity - especially for the new grandbaby coming soon! A few memories to share from the past couple of weeks.....

 The wonderful Lorraine Carthew treated me to lunch while I was demonstrating at the Queensland Quilt Show......and check out the chairs we were sitting on below! (Thanks Lorraine X)

My thanks to all of you who came and said hello and even brought your quilts to show me.............isn't this just gorgeous? This is from the second More William Morris in Applique book book and so lovely with that embroidery detail.....

  And above.....I  had the wonderful honour of handing over a $500 prize to Glen Jacklin-Newham who received a 1st place in her category at the Queensland Quilt Show. Glen is the very first person in the whole wide world to receive  the New Morris Meadows range of fabrics as her prize - congratulations Glen - your quilt is beautiful

These are some images from the Bacchus Marsh Quilters - above is Margaret's stunning William Morris Sampler and all done by hand! And below the "Happy Campers"

Now to some "not so good news" This quilt that I have been working on for our exhibition is in a sad state of affairs! ......

I put in two long 15 hour days trying to finish it. I had planned to applique vines, leaves and birds in the border but time did not allow that. So I cut it back and added binding and then stupidly decided it needed a border. SO I set to and did a "quilt as you go" border and ruined it! Despite blocking it, it is still bulging in the centre so I decided to withdraw it from the exhibition. One of the committee members would not allow that so I am going to be terribly embarrassed to see it hanging so badly in a few days! When I get it back I am going to unpick it all - a lesson to be learned! Today I had to call Jocelyne Leath on another matter and I shared my story - seems like I should have quilted those borders before I attached them to the quilt centre! Check out Jocelyn's beautiful quilts by clicking on her name while you are here.

So for comfort I am going to share that beautiful story about the fairy brooms in the periwinkles.............thanks Alison for your 'therapy! You can see those brooms in that last shot - enjoy and have a good week XX (and I promise I am getting to all the emails and the posting of things that I promised to do!)

But there's more!!

I am sorry....I'm just showing off now but the wildflowers are so worth sharing!! Before the pictures I do have to share this lovely bit of an email that I received last night from a friend in Melbourne.......she was referring to the periwinkle plant I mentioned previously......

"Did you ever used to watch "Keeping Up Appearances" and enjoy Mrs Hyacinth Bouquet boasting about her "Royal Doulton hand painted periwinkle porcelain"  !!?

.. .. and next time you see a periwinkle take the flower apart and inside you'll find what ordinary folk would call a stamen or some such but I personally know they are fairies' brooms !!  Have a look and you will see !!!"

 Isn't that just lovely :-)

We leave Western Australia tomorrow evening - home about midnight (partly due to the time difference!), and then I fly out the next morning for the Queensland Quilt Show. Look forward to seeing some of you there.....and thankyou everyone in WA for having us - we love your state! I am sure her Royal Highness will also be impressed!