Quilting Tools with Anita Ellis!
These are a few of my favourite things … or in other words, quilting tools I use every day and wouldn’t be without. There are myriad gadgets and must-haves that the manufacturers of quilting notions insist you cannot do without. You could really spend up big, or you can spend smart and buy the things […]
Mid & Long Arm Machines with Anita Ellis
Do I need a longarm quilting machine? This is such a big decision, literally. Longarm quilting set-ups are big on space requirements and costly to purchase. Often these are the only things that are considered, but there is so much more to think about. As always, I am not going to advise you to buy […]
Block Masterclass Series: Dresden Plate
The Dresden Plate owes its name to the German city of Dresden, where porcelain plates decorated with elaborate flowers, fruits and foliage designs were produced. These plates became the inspiration for the Dresden Plate quilt block. During the 1920s and ‘30s, these blocks were some of the most popular designs. The Dresden Plate pattern combines […]
In the Studio with Catherine Butterworth
A life-long involvement in fabric retailing and sewing has given Catherine Butterworth the background for creating award-winning quilts in both traditional and modern styles Words by Michael O’Neile Photographs by Peter and Julie Butterworth Ohioan-born Catherine Butterworth first visited Australia as an exchange secondary student in 1971, returning to Sydney a few years later […]
Block Masterclass Series: Double Wedding Ring
Although patterns and designs reminiscent of the Double Wedding Ring (DWR) go back hundreds of years, it wasn’t until the 1920s that the first pattern was printed in America. In the following decade, and in keeping with the ‘make-do’ ethos of the day, many DWR quilts were made using small scraps and feedsack prints. They […]
Setting up your sewing workspace with Anita Ellis
We have all coveted the beautiful places that people create for their sewing adventures. I can swoon over these just as much as the next quilter. But we all know this is not necessarily realistic. For one, we all create differently. I am a messy thing whose focus remains totally on the task in hand, […]
Know Your Product: Sewing Furnitures
Many of us don’t have the appropriate storage for all of our sewing accessories, nor — and even more importantly — a dedicated workspace for sewing. Do you sew at the kitchen or dining table, setting up and packing down around family meals? Not only is it frustrating, it can be unmotivating! But if you […]
Gallery: Queensland Quilters
Queensland Quilters Inc holds its annual quilt show in October. The 2018 show was one of the largest quilt shows in Australia, with more than 600 quilts hung across 19 categories and a prize pool of over $25,000. The theme for 2018 was Medallions. You can find all 2018 winners at: www.qldquilters.com/2018-quilt-show Save the date: […]
How Did She Do That? 5000 Trees by Cindy Watkins
Words by Casey Ioannou Photographs by Cindy Watkins Textile artist Cindy Watkins has always been intrigued by the magic of nature and has had a fascination with trees from a young age. “One of my earliest memories is going with my dad into the forest when I was very young,” Cindy recalls. “It was like […]
In the Seams: Log Cabin Barn Raising
This quilt is a Log Cabin Barn Raising pattern made with silk and cotton fabrics. It is machine-pieced with strip/string piecing. It also features embroidery and burgundy and gold-embroidered ships wheel in the corner of each block. The quilt has been machine-quilted. The earliest known versions of this pattern appear in Great Britain on the […]