Christmas Cheer

Christmas Break Up  2012 – Tuesday 27th November

Around 56 members got together to celebrate the end of year Christmas break up.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly.

Our day was organized by our wonderful event co-ordinator, Ineke.  Thank you Ineke for all the work you put into the day and thank you also to your many helpers.

Ineke – still smiling!

Something very, very funny??

To start the ball rolling our very own Toowoomba Quilters Choir struck up a note with “Silent Night”.

Then there was a mad stampede into the kitchen for morning tea.

And here is why……. yum, yum.

Our tables were beautifully decorated with work by members and the walls were clad in wonderful Christmas quilts and other items.

Our wonderful kitchen convenors, Lyn L and Leanne who had a very, very busy day and did such an excellent job in keeping the food coming.

Members dressed up all Christmassy for the day.

Lyle was resplendent in her outfit with these really cool shoes to match!

…and Vicky looked very Christmassy in this tartan number.

Then it was lunch time.

After lunch we had a very special visitor.

 

Santa aka Sheila D.

Santa gave out gifts from the secret santa.  To receive a gift, the member was asked to bring along a handmade gift to swap.

The members sat in a circle and Sheila K read out a Christmas story using the words ‘left’ and ‘right’ (a lot).  The parcels were to-ing and fro-ing for quite sometime before each participating member received their gift

Secret santa gift table.

Sheila reading us a story.

Sheila & Ineke doing their old lady skit.

Wishing all the readers of this blog and members of Toowoomba Quilters a very Merry Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year.

Great Community Work

Our community quilting has gone ahead in leaps and bounds in 2012 under the guidance of Lyle.

Our community quilting members meet every 3rd Saturday and have put together many, many quilts this year, some of which have already been donated to needy people, and some which are in ‘storage’ for use down the track. 

 

Here is Lyle helping to put together this striking strip quilt.

Some of our ladies have been busy sewing together some special bags which will be donated to local hospital, St Vincent’s, for patients who are undergoing treatment for breast cancer.  The breast care nurse at St. Vincent’s is going to be thrilled with these!

Many of our members have been touched in one way or another by breast cancer and we enjoy giving our time to this most worthy project.

From Lyle:

I would like to thank all those involved during the year including the Sew Creative Group in Gatton for the tops they sent up and MK's Sewable group for the quilts they helped put together. 

Without the wadding that the club provided and the quilting provided by Andrew, Kathy & Geoff, Lyn C, Fay & Angela and some members, we would not have achieved this record result.

We have 42 quilts in the Cupboard and 3 quilt as you go strippy quilts to complete for November. So grand total of 45.

15 kids quilts - 15 double or larger quilts - 12 single of large lap quilts.  + 3 quilt as you go.

Congratulations to all. We have sent quilts this year too:-

26 - St. George Flood relief

3  - Quilts for Valour - Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan

1 - Care Flight Raffle

1 - Camellia Show - Hospice Raffle

2 -Westmar Kindergarten Raffle.

1 - Foster Child

& then there are the members who silently make and donate quilts to the hospital, Mitchell Flood relief, Lions Club etc.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Melbourne Cup Festivities

First Tuesday in November and our members turned up in their glad rags to enjoy the Melbourne Cup with their quilting friends.

  Ineke and her helper Dot did a great job in organizing the day with sweeps and prizes for best dressed, best hats, etc.

Ineke and Dot with ‘customer’ Maureen at the sweeps

Member and guest checking out the draw.

The members provided a delicious luncheon which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Ladies in hats – from L-R, Linda W, Lyle, June and Lyn L.

The fillies parading in their hats.

There was also some show and tell on the walls as well as some inventive hats.

Heather has done a wonderful job with her yellow creation.  Fascinators seemed to be popular this year.

Tricia made her fascinator out of one of her hexagon flowers, a sequin motif and some netting.  All stitched so she is able to rescue her hexagon for her quilt.

Dianne C used a $2 party hat decorated with fabric flowers.  She was very excited to have used her Olfa circle cutter for the first time since she purchased it some 6 years ago!!

On the walls:

This beautiful Christmas Advent calendar is made by  Marleen for her little granddaughter.

Cats in various positions enjoying themselves, by Glenda.  Quilt entitled “A Cat’s Life”

The “June & Jan Challenge Quilt” by June P and her sister-in-law, Jan.  Jan’s quilt is apparently much more subdued in colour.

“Leaf Flowers” made by Dianne C from fabrics totally from her stash.

Marleen did this charming applique quilt called “Fruits of our Labour” started in a workshop with Dianne Johnston in 1997 at ‘Quilt Experience’ in Toowoomba.

A close up of the sentiment in the centre of the quilt.  How true!

We are all looking forward now to our Christmas break up party which this year will be on Tuesday 27th November.

Presentations

At our meeting this Saturday we were delighted to be able to present a cheque to the Hear ‘n Say Centre in Toowoomba.

The funds were proceeds from our beautiful 2012 raffle quilt.

Michelle Ryan from Brisbane represented the Hear ‘n Say centre and was presented with the cheque by our President, Fay.

Fay (L ) Michelle (R )

Our excited winner of the raffle quilt was Bev from Toowoomba.

She was a little camera shy but we coaxed her out and Fay presented her with her new quilt and a certificate of valuation.

Congratulations, Bev.

After the presentations, our members showed some quilts and then enjoyed an afternoon tea.

A sampler quilt by Fay called “Rambling Rose”.  Fay designed her quilt using EQ6

A Stack and Whack quilt by Fay which she says came together more by good luck than good management!

A scrappy quilt also made by Fay in the year 2004 using both dress and patchwork fabrics.

Angela Langdon’s bargello quilt called “Moggie’s Paradise” was started in a workshop with Lyn Crump.  The quilt features many fabric of things Angela’s cat enjoys in her garden – leaves, flowers, vines and even a snail and a mouse!

We often marvel at how sometimes the quilter’s outfit matches her quilt.

Here is Lynn R-S showing you an example of this.

Retreat 2012

 

Our annual retreat was held at Perseverance Dam over the weekend of 12, 13, 14th October.  Dot C was the main organizer and she did a fantastic job.  Here she is handing out a prize from her basket.  Everyone who attended had a jolly good time and got some sewing done in between talking and eating!!

Chris D with her fairly old block of the month which she is finally tackling.  Good for you Chris, this first cat block looks fabulous.

Chriss J helps put together some special bags for breast cancer patients.

Fay put this quilt top together in an interesting way with strips.

Ena finished the top of her spectacular disappearing nine patch quilt. Well done Ena!

Genell made good progress on this pretty design.

Linda W, Chris D, Kathy Adams and Lynn R-S enjoying their time together at retreat

This is a ‘male’ quilt Lynn R-S put together.  What is she saying here???  Looks good!

Marilyn C with her delightful Christmas table runner which she got together in double quick time.

Vicki did some lovely freehand free motion quilting on her bright Chinese coins quilt.  Who loves purple???

Next year’s retreat is already booked and something club members look very much forward to each October.

Winners!

Viewers' Choice
 Each visitor to the Exhibition was invited to vote for a favourite item on display.

This year, the most votes were for Kathy Adams' quilt, A Year in my Garden.

A Year in my Garden by Kathy Adams

Close up of detail in Kathy's quilt

 Second place went to Robyn Ginn for her quilt, Hope from Crazy Boxes.

Hope from Crazy Boxes by Robyn Ginn

Close up of detail in Robyn's quilt

Raffle Prizes

On Saturday our raffles were drawn and the lucky winners contacted by phone.  Here is Angela with the three baskets of goodies, standing in front of the raffle quilt.

Angela with raffle prizes

The winners.
Raffle quilt: Beverley Matchett, ticket 1932
1st prize basket: V Shingles, yellow ticket D29
2nd prize basket: Trinity Keenan, green ticket C77
3rd prize basket: Glenda Tolley, red ticket A71

The raffle quilt will be on display at the Craft & Quilt Fair in Brisbane later this month. It is planned to formally present the quilt to Beverley and a cheque for $3500 (proceeds of the raffle) to Toowoomba Hear & Say Centre on Saturday 3 November 2012.

Congratulations and Thanks

Congratulations to all of the prize winners and thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to make our 2012 Exhibition such a successful and wonderful experience.