Melbourne Trunk Show AQA
Hello Dear Friends and Readers and a warm welcome to today’s post. I will share with you my trip to Melbourne last year. Here are some snippets from the day. As mentioned in a previous post of Great Granny Stars Hand Quilting Finish, I was invited to do a Trunk Show at the Australian Quilters Association (AQA) in Surrey Hills, Melbourne. Pamela Hammer contacted me after she had seen that quilt top on Instagram. That was in February, so I had four months to finish it.
Come June, I had finished hand quilting it, so I packed my suitcases and over we went. It is a good eight hour trip from Adelaide. Melbourne is a fantastic and very cosmopolitan city. There is no shortage of good restaurants of any cuisine one could desire, and it is a well known destination for fashion, shopping and live events including Aussie Rules Football. https://www.visitvictoria.com/
On the day of the trunk show I was met by a lovely group of experienced quilting ladies for a day of stitching and interesting conversation. All the ladies were working on varied, unique and beautiful projects. It was clear they they were all very accomplished stitchers. It was delightful to have the opportunity to see their works and chat about the projects they were working on as well.
My presentation began in the afternoon after lunch and went for one hour.
Before the trip I was briefly concerned about having enough pieces to share but that was unfounded. The time was easily filled and it was so good to have helpers to hold up all the quilts.
Vintage Trellis Quilt and Quilting Hydrangeas Vintage Trellis Charm Quilt Finish and Quilting Hydrangeas
I have been lucky enough to have some sewing mentors in my life, my Grandmother who was really imaginative in using what she had to improve her wardrobe or bedding. She began life as a milliner, and escaped war torn Europe after WW2. Sewing was very important I believe at that time. She always seemed to have a needle in her hand. I never saw her use a sewing machine actually.
My mother who didn’t sew a lot, but what she did was perfect! I remember that abandoned her sewing machine as it just wasn’t working for her.
That was when, at the age of twelve, I stepped in and fixed her machine and began sewing my own clothes, then later for my children. Later i found quilt making and have continued ever since. I am fortunate because I also have my Stepmother Marion, who came with us for the trip and who is an avid quilter, cross stitcher and embroiderer. I always admire her accuracy and dillagence. She has made many beautiful pieces for our family. She does a lot of charity quilts with Orange Tree Quilters
My last mentor is of course my dear husband who’s stitches will forever be hidden but which are so much more refined and beautiful than mine because they are on on peoples hearts!
This is The Spinner QuiltThe Spinner Quilt – Part 3
Pamela was also keen for me to bring some works in progress. The Spinner was one of those tops which is finished and backed but now in the process of being machine quilted. This quilt as most of my others focuses on using as many different scraps as possible and finished with Prairie Points. I use vintage and antique sewing machines, especially treadles for piecing and quilting.
As always, I gain delight by using up scraps of fabric and creating designs which are easily reproducible. Delving into the fabrics already acquired and avoiding the purchase of extra materials. I try to minimize extra rulers and equipment to make my quilt tops.
This quilt top being a good example its a Jacobs Ladder Reimagined. Another quilt top which is unfinished and requires quilting. This quilt top used a lot of 1 1/2” scrap squares and the diagonal setting is created from half square triangles. Scrappy Jacob’s Ladder Quilt Reimagined
A lap size hand pieced Orange Peel quilt which began life as a travel project. Whenever and wherever possible having a travel project on the go, is a way of using those snippets of time to continue the creative process. Using scraps of low volume fabrics for the background squares and floral prints for all the appliquéd Orange Peels is how the centre was created. The first border has appliquéd floral circles. The second border was made in a colour wash style with 5” charm squares.
Some years ago I made this quilt I call Susies Roses Romance Quilt. It is made using a very easy technique to create an “On Point” design. Using 5” squares. The fabrics mostly green, pink and burgundy roses. This was machine quilted on a Singer Vintage 201K Singer from 1948 (electric). The quilting is an all over Rosebud design. Susie’s Roses Romance Quilt and Free Pattern
Here is the quilt which was the reason for attending AQA which is the Great Granny Stars. Machine pieced and hand quilted. Pamela thought that the group might be interested in recreating this quilt. This is a big quilt measuring 88 1/2″ x 104 1/2″. Great Granny Stars Hand Quilting Finish
This quilt came along in the suitcases too. It is hand pieced and hand quilted Grandmother’s Flower Garden Quilt Like Grandma Used to Make
Another unfinished work I brought along was these blocks of Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks
Here is Hand Quilting Scrappy Thousand Pyramids which also made an appearance.
I realised that I had plenty of quilts to share after all! This one is great for any scraps! Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt -Vintage Inspired
All in all it was a fabulous trip. a good reminder of how many projects I have created. These are just a few that were present on the day. Not all of them finished of course! Here I am in Melbourne with a view of the Cathedral in the background.
Best wishes to you all from susie’s-scraps.com. And to all my friends in the USA I would like to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like,
Scrappy Diamonds Kaleidoscope Beauty Star Medallion Quilt – Part 3 Scrappy Housetop Log Cabin Variation Quilt Top Vintage Inspired
Happy stitching.
© Susan Stuklis 2024