Tekapo - Capturing Memories

I'm on a roll with finishes at the moment.

I asked my long arm quilter to do some very simple quilting on my Symposium piece while she was quilting a couple of other quilts for me recently.  

Then I added some facings because the quilt is only 27" x 27" and I didn't want  binding that could appear bulky on such a small piece.  

I love the backing because it looks like deep blue water.  

I've called my quilt "Tekapo" because as soon as I saw the design I thought of Lake Tekapo in the South Island of New Zealand.  I've stayed there twice and I love the special colour of that lake.  I made sure that my lake was the colour I remember and I changed my background from grey to blue as well.    

    

So now I have a finished quilt and very fond memories of a great class with Veruschka Zarate - Pride and Joy Quilting.  If you ever get a chance to take a class with Veruschka then I recommend that you grab it.  She is such a a lovely person and she shared so much of her quilting knowledge with us.  

You can read my earlier post about the class I took at Symposium here. 

Her "Dignity" quilt has been juried in to QuiltCon in February 2025 so I'm sure you're going to hear a lot more about Veruschka then.  You can see it here https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A27Nc8UHP/

Symposium recap - my class with Pride and Joy Quilting

I'm home from Symposium and I'm so glad that I decided to go.  I really would have had FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) if I'd stayed at home.  

Here's what I've made:

I took a 3 day class with Veruschka Zarate of Pride and Joy Quilting and it was great.  We worked on the New Zealand image from her Capturing Memories Landscape Quilt Pattern Series. This is one flat quilt designed to look like two Polaroids laid on top of each other.  You can't see the quilt underneath because it's doesn't exist!

Veruschka developed the idea of creating scenes for the locations she teaches in - so there's a Sydney quilt because she taught at the Bernina Academy in Sydney before she came to New Zealand, and there's a Scotland scene because she's going there next. 

Here's a link to a California scene because the New Zealand one hasn't been uploaded to her website yet - but it will be very soon.  

There were only 9 people in the class so we had 2 tables each and plenty of room to spread out.  There were 18 people in the previous 2 day class so that must have been very cramped. We paid more because it was 3 days, but we had more room and an extra day to really lock in all that Veruschka taught us.  

At Symposium we can hire brand new machines from Bernina NZ and they sell them off at reduced prices after Symposium

This is how far I got after 3 days.

I've worked on my piece on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday since I got home, and the top is now finished.  

I think I'll machine quilt this one myself because it's only 27" x 27".

Veruschka shared so much about her quilting processes - from designing the images, to choosing the fabrics and threads, to quilting it on her long arm and even the backing.  It was great to just work away on our own pieces and listen to all of her useful information at the same time.  

Her amazing "Girl With A Pearl Earring" quilt hung on the wall at the back of our classroom so we all got to examine it close up. I see that the PDF pattern costs NZD 64, but I'm sure it's worth every cent because Veruschka's patterns are written to a very high standard.  

The Girl with the Pearl Earing by Veruschka Zarate

During one of the lunch breaks some of the other overseas tutors came to visit:

Veruschka Zarate (@prideandjoyquilting), Rachelle Denneny (@rachelledennenydesigns)
 Jemima Flint (@talesofcloth), Luke Haynes (@entropies), Nicole Leth (@myaffirmationproject)

Overall, it was a great class and I'm very glad that I went to Symposium.  Thank you Helen for allowing me to stay at your house. 

Quilt Symposium 2024

This time next week I'll be at Quilt Symposium 2024 in Cambridge, New Zealand (near Hamilton in the Waikato). Our Symposiums happen every two or three years and are big five day events for quilters.  It includes five days of classes, exhibitions, giant vendors mall, gala dinners, prizes, entertainment...everything!

My decision to go was a bit of a last minute one once my annual work conference was over and I actually felt that I could think about the rest of 2024.  The programme came out and I could see that there were still spaces in a class with an American tutor, Veruschka Zarate of Pride and Joy Quilting. She had designed a unique New Zealand piece and would be teaching it at the Symposium.  So I thought why not! 

I have a quilty friend who lives in Cambridge so I'm going to stay with her.   I won't be there for the full five days, just Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  

The start of Spring always reminds me of the previous Symposiums I've been to:

2017 in Christchurch.

I had a quilt in the exhibition there and attended classes with Jen Kingwell, Chris Jurd and Deborah Louie. 

Vibrant Curiosities in Christchurch 2017

The start of my Glitter in Green quilt 

Glitter in Green - designed by Jen Kingwell

2019 in Auckland. 

I attended classes with Margaret Sampson-George and Wendy Whellum. 

The class with Margaret Sampson-George was so much fun, but I haven't finished my piece from that class. 

Dodecagon class with Margaret Sampson-George

So much inspiration in Margaret Sampson-George's class

Hand piecing with Wendy Whellum

2022 in Lower Hutt

I entered the quilt that I had started with Wendy Whellum at the last symposium into the exhibition, taught some classes myself and attended a class with Lorena Uriate. 

Neptune and the Mermaid - designed by Wendy Whellum

Me teaching Millefiori Quilts

Kawandi taught by Lorena Uriate

So you can see that Symposium is pretty full on.  But it's going to be great and I'm looking forward to it. Will I see you there? 

Quilt Symposium - Kawandi Class

My Kawandi is finished!

I took a one day Kawandi class with Lorena Uriarte at Quilt Symposium 2022.  We learnt to make Kawandi and here is mine.  

Kawandi are meant to be scrappy, but I used a charm pack of Koi Pond by Ruby Star Society.  I knew the colours would all work together and I'm pleased with how it turned out.  

But the process used up the fabric more quickly than I anticipated, so I ran out of Koi Pond fabrics before it was finished.  I had a Ruby Star Society panel in my stash, so I bravely cut in to it and put these lovely ladies in the centre.  

Lorena recommended Aurifil 12wt for Kawandi and I had a few spools in my stash to choose from. I chose a variegated one and I'm very happy with the outcome. 

Here's the back - I like it as much as the front.  The night before the class I quickly grabbed a fat quarter for my backing and it's worked out really well.  This is an Anna Maria Horner print, again from my stash.  

So, I've made a Kawandi piece.  I struggled a bit with sewing without a hoop, and without line markings, so I succumbed and started using masking tape to keep my lines parallel.  However, my masking tape was only 1/4", so my lines are quite close together and the whole piece took longer than I expected.  But I'm pleased with it and I learnt a new skill.  

I'll be taking it to Capital Quilters tomorrow for our Symposium Show and Tell.  

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Quilt Symposium - the shopping!

A key part of any NZ Symposium is the Merchant Mall.  More than 20 businesses set up their stalls in the college gymnasium.  The Merchant Mall was open all day from before classes started in the morning, until after classes finished in the afternoon. People taking classes had a 90 minute lunch break so they could go to the Merchant Mall (again) or go and look at the exhibitions.  

Here's what I came home with.  

Day 1 and 2 below:

• Dazzle threads from Wonderfil - the ones with the sparkle in them.    
• 2 metre precuts of some woven strips and Denise Schmidt fabrics (from Jet from Greytown).
• Kindred Sketches embroidery panel by Kathy Doughty (from Annie's Country Quilt Store in Ashburton).
• Some soft pastel fat quarters for mum to make a baby quilt for someone (from Busy Bee in Wellington).

Day 3 and 4:

• Quilt Recipes by Jen Kingwell (from Minerva in Wellington). After listening to Jen's lunchtime lecture I was so inspired, so I just had to buy her book.
• The remaining items are all from Annie's Country Quilt Store in Ashburton:
• Pin Pals book and Bitty Bowlers patterns 
• Little Poppins Bags pattern and hard ware.  Again, after seeing these bags in real life, I feel I need to make one for myself.  
• Tapestry fabric that's so real you'd swear it is a tapestry.

Day 5 - the final day

• Fat quarters from Annie's Country Quilt Store, Jet and Bowerbird (from Tamahere near Hamilton.)
• The Sue Spargo wool felt pack, Double Zip Wristlet pattern and zips and Tula Pink ribbons are all from Bowerbird.

I don't think I went too crazy on the shopping.  It was spread over five days, and there were so many tempting things on offer.  

I haven't used any of these things yet because I've got work to catch up on after spending a week at Symposium, but they are all lovely additions to my stash.

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Quilt Symposium 2022

What a week that was! I walked a million miles, I met a thousand people, I shopped til I dropped, and I was inspired to try new quilting techniques.

Yes, Symposium is over and it was great.  Here's a photo of me teaching my Millefiori class.

Our committee decorated the school foyer so everyone felt at home as soon as they arrived for registration.  

My fiesta flags were hung behind the stage that we used for Happy Hours. I showed some close ups in a blog post during the week, but here's a link in case you missed it.  

This giant fishy flag with feathers is my favourite.  It was very messy to make, but it looks great.  The feathers are from Spotlight in New Zealand.  

We had a lot of fun at Happy Hours.  There were raffles, and plenty of Blocks of Symposium were given away to people who had entered the draw by making a block.  Many friendships were renewed, and new friends were made.  

Block of Symposium

There's a load more photos on our Instagram and Facebook accounts, so pop over there and take a look if you're interested.  https://www.facebook.com/quiltsymposium2022

There's been no announcement of future dates or venues yet, but I'll be sure to let you all know as soon as I know something.  It was a wonderful week and I'll report back with more updates in future posts - I'm still recovering!

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Quilt Symposium 2022

I haven't had a lot of time for quilting lately.  I've been busy organising my work conference, learning a new system for cricket registrations, and managing the communications for the Quilt Symposium 2022.  

The quilters in New Zealand get together every two or three years for a Quilt Symposium.  This time Capital Quilters are hosting the Symposium in Lower Hutt.  We've been busy booking tutors, setting up the rules the exhibition and arranging social functions.  You can read all about it here on our website:

https://www.quiltsymposium2022.co.nz/

Everyone admires our Block of the Month programme at Capital Quilters, so we decided to run Block of Symposium.  I've made 6 bears paw blocks and they are my entries into the draws.  We're hoping to get lots of blocks and will give away sets of blocks to lucky entrants.  

If you're in the Wellington region between 5-9 October I really encourage you to come and see the exhibitions at the Lower Hutt Events Centre (where Capital Quilters' exhibition was held in 2020 and 2018) and the Hutt Arts Society - just a short walk away.  I'll let you in on a secret - one of my new quilts has been accepted in to the exhibition!

There's also going to be a fantastic Merchants Mall at Sacred Heart College.  Anyone can visit the Merchants Mall - you don't need to be registered for Symposium.  

So start making plans now if you're a kiwi quilter.  We also have info about transport, parking and accommodation on our website.  

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

I'm teaching at Quilt Symposium 2022

 

Yes, the Lecture and Class information has been published, and I'm teaching at Symposium in October 2022.   You can find all the details on the Sympoisum website here. 

I'll be teaching Raindrops are Falling on my Head (2 day class):

Dancing Cheek to Cheek as a one day class:

Finish your Millefiori Quilt workshop (one day class):

This class is for all the people who have started a Millefiori Quilt,
 but need help forming a plan to finish it.

and finally, Social media for quilters and quilt guilds.  

So, I'm going to be a busy lady because there's also the opening and closing ceremonies, happy hours, fancy dinners and lectures to attend.  And so many people to meet! 

Usually we have international tutors at symposium, but due to all the COVID-19 uncertainty, we're only having Australian and New Zealand tutors this year.  However, there's still 45 different tutors attending and a wide variety of classes to choose from.  

So dive in, read the Lectures and Classes Information Ebook, and if you can't come to Lower Hutt for Symposium, just dream about what classes you would do if you could attend. 

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter