I had so much fun raiding my stash looking for interesting prints and taking trips to patchwork shops for fabric. I had fun making all the hexagons at night instead of watching TV. This quilt contains 168 hexagon flowers and 1040 cream joining hexagons making a total of 4232 hexagon pieces. All made out of cotton fabric. Design Source: Lenora Jenkins
Highly Commended Pieced - Large - Amateur
When I first found the pattern in a magazine, I liked the Art Deco look and the bold background colour. The Cleopatra's Fan block in this pattern has straight lines and is foundation pieced. I chose to hand quilt to give it a softer look and feel. My hands did not thank me for this decision but a girl has to do what she has to do, pain or no pain.
Design Source; Jo Avery, Today's Quilter Magazine
2nd Pieced - Large - Amateur
When I first found the pattern in a magazine, I liked the Art Deco look and the bold background colour. The Cleopatra's Fan block in this pattern has straight lines and is foundation pieced. I chose to hand quilt to give it a softer look and feel. My hands did not thank me for this decision but a girl has to do what she has to do, pain or no pain.
Design Source: Betsy Chutchian, Hope's Journey book of Classic blocks, Reproduction quilts
Best Beginner Quilter
This is the second quilt that I have ever completed. As such, I was hopeful that I would be able to see an improvement in my piecing and quilting, but on
reflection, it seems that I was overly optimistic!
In 2023, members of the Tasmanian Modern Quilt Group (TMQG) were
offered the opportunity to make a mystery quilt organised by Jane Norrish.
Initially I was a little hesitant about putting my name forward, due to my lack of experience, but decided that I would like to give it a go. Instructions were sent out to those participating each month for five months. As we cut and pieced squares, half square triangles and quarter square triangles, we had no idea what the final design was going to look like.
As always, I chose four rather bright fabrics and what I thought was an
interesting and aesthetically pleasing paua shell looking fabric for the
background. I am very pleased with how these fabrics look in the finished quilt, but can’t really claim any credit for that.
I didn’t have to make any decisions about design or colour placement for this quilt. Because I like the look and feel of minimal quilting, I decided to just quilt some straight lines, that picked up on the two colours in my
binding. I hadn’t sewn long, straight lines on a quilt before and found it challenging on my domestic machine hence, you may notice some of my lines are not really straight and some of my stitches are uneven.
I deliberately stitched on top of the green peeper in my binding, as I like the
effect that it gives, although I know it is not the usual method.
3rd Pieced - Large - Amateur
This is the quilt I had the most fun ever making! Usually a traditional quilter but for some reason this pattern captured my imagination!
I didn't try and match colours, just cut a pile of lights and darks and whacked them together. I did fussy cut some centres though so I call it my Wensleydale I Spy Quilt.
Foundation pieced and simple quilting on a sashiko sewing machine.
Design Source: Jen Kingwell, Recipes.
Retaining the Tradition 1st Pieced - Large - Adv/Prof
I fell in love with the pattern as soon as I saw it - Mary Gibbs 1812 (a Quiltmania pattern by Christopher Wilson-Tate and based on a quilt that he owns). I had Dutch Heritage fabrics purchased in Amsterdam in the 1990s that had been waiting for a special occasion and this seemed to be it. Many hours of English paper piecing followed, the pieces are well travelled and, needless to say, I did have to buy extra fabric (unfortunately this didn't require a trip to Amsterdam).
Design Source: Christopher Wilson-Tate, Quiltmania pattern "Mary Gibbs 1812 Quilt"
3rd Pieced - Large - Adv/Prof
The fabric was purchased on a whim at a Penguin Friendship Day with no plan in mind. I then found the pattern at St Helens. We had travelled down for the cancelled Friendship Day.. More fabric purchased to finish the quilt.
Design Source: Basic Grey Pattern
2nd Large - Pieced - Adv/Prof
Another project I fell victim to working on obsessively, after seeing the original at last year's Island Quilts. Mostly EPP (English paper piecing) with fabrics selected for fussy cutting, all from stash, without a particular theme, but stayed with original brown frame for centre panel. Preferring a centre design which allows the quilt to be used in any direction, I substituted my circular floral designs. At the time of photography and entry the top is not quilted, so I better get a move on.
Design Source: Maggie Maguire's Garden by Lenora Jenkins
Highly Commended Pieced - Small - Amateur
This is the first quilt I have ever made. I have always thought that I would enjoy quilt making, but until the last few years it hasn't made it to the top of my list of things to try. I started by attending a few different workshops and completing (or partially completing!) the quilt blocks that were being taught.
I was shown how to do the traditional pinwheel block used in this quilt at a class at The Patch Works in Hobart. This is the resulting quilt - although it may have my own, unintended modifications! I am fan of bright colours and when I found some rainbow fat quarters, I decided that they were what I wanted to use in this quilt - even if it did mean the grain did not always run as would be optimal.
I prefer the look and texture of minimal quilting, so I decided to just outline each of the pinwheel pieces in the appropriate colour and then replicate the pinwheel shape in the centre of each block. I used black thread on the black background for this, because I did not want to detract from the overall
impact of the brightly coloured pinwheels by having a lot of coloured
quilting. I then decided to use a colourful variegated thread to highlight the black quilted pinwheels in five of the blocks - the centre and four corners.
After considering many options, I opted to bind the quilt with black fabric with a multicoloured peeper. I am aware that it is not usual to stitch on top of the peeper, But I like the effect of stitching on the multicoloured peeper with multicoloured thread and suspect that I will do so again in the future despite advice to the contrary!
I hope that the bright colours make people smile as they pass by, even if the workmanship is less than perfect.
1st Pieced - Small - Amateur
The crazy star blocks were started in a class with Griet Lombard at Quilt Symposium Wellington in 2009. They were relegated to the UFO cupboard and have been in storage for a number of years. They recently resurfaced and have been joined together with a bright sashing to make a small quilt. The technique involved cutting the fabric without measuring - hence the crazy shapes. Materials used are 100% cotton fabric, cotton batting.
This quilt started out to be "Lancaster" (Sue Daley Designs) but ended up as "Almost Lancaster". The pattern was bought after attending a trunk show with Sue Daley held in Adelaide years ago. I had lots of reproduction fabrics and happily made some clam shells and made the centre block. At that point it was put away and stayed put away except for the times when it was pulled out as a possible hand project to continue with and rejected because of the number of clamshells that still needed to be made.
2020 was the year for finishing off UFOs, so was 2021 and, of course, 2022. The decision was made that the scalloped second border (of the original pattern) was not my favourite and that there was a limit to the number of clamshells I was prepared to make - hence "Almost Lancaster".
BERNINA Best of Show Best Moveable Machine Quilting Award 1st Pieced - Small - Advanced/Professional
This quilt was an experiment in treating a pieced quilt as a wholecloth by using intricate and dense quilting designs in contrasting threads. Made using Lorena Uriarte's winding ways templates and Bethanne Nemesh's beaded binding technique.
Highly Commended Applique - Open
Making Caswell was an emotional roller coaster. This beautiful pattern was gifted to me, and I was excited to begin work on it. I scratched through the scrap box at Sippers and SewHers, and I was given lots of pretty little bits of fabric by my sewing friends to add to it.
Then covid hit.
It was completed in isolation, with just photos shared on Facebook to show my much-missed friends my progress.
It was completed just as covid lockdown was ending, and my darling friend, Caroline Wells, our group leader, was packing up our beloved sewing space to return to England to live close to her family.
My sewing was a comfort and a distraction during those difficult days. Many tears fell on this quilt. It is very special to me, as I worked on it during the best, and worst, of times.
Design Source: Corliss Searcy
Highly Commended Applique - Open Judge's Commendation - Jill Christian
A pattern I've had for years. I did the applique and embroidery on many of our mainland holiday trips and finally did the quilting just a couple of months ago. The applique pieces are all cut from a 5" charm pack which I bought when I got the green striped fabric in Dubbo, NSW. An enjoyable piece to work on.
Design Source: Sue Daly
Best Hand Quilting 2nd Applique - Open
I started these lovely pots of flowers quite a few years ago. My friend kindly informed me that the pots were too small to hold up the flowers. I carried on regardless. They have been languishing in my cupboard for a long time. Now it's their turn. I hand appliqued and hand quilted.
Design Source: Piece O Cake Designs
1st Combined Piecing & Applique - Open
This was a block of the month project by Sonia Spence from fabric and flowers - UK.
I was inspired to make this quilt as it was predominately hand sewing; (I usually machine sew).
There are various methods used during the making, including foundation paper piecing, hand piecing,
machine and hand applique and machine quilting.
The majority of fabrics used were what I had in the stash. Some fabric from previous projects.
Several neutrals and green purchased to complete the quilt.
I quilted as you go to assemble the quilt blocks.
Getting the instructions each month motivated me to keep up with the process.
I started in January 2022 and completed the quilt in February this year.
2nd Combined Piecing & Applique - OpenThis quilt was such fun to make!
I loved collecting all the little buttons and embellishments and finding all the pretty little fabric scraps.
Design Source: Libby Richardson
Highly Commended Other Techniques - Open
I have admired this style of quilting for many years so when the opportunity arose I took a course with Judy from Easy Sew Hobart.
Judy encouraged me to use my own ideas and I enjoyed learning many new techniques.
Pieces from my daughter's christening gown and my Mother's stash of lace and ribbons were included so it is sentimental.
I am so pleased with the result.
I had so much help from friends especially Athleen Lonergan, Pam Johnson, Yvonne Roberts and Judy.
Special thanks to my placement assistant Amy Howe
The quilt has been made longer and wider to allow the quilt to drape to the floor.
Techniques
. Pleating
. Applique both hand & machine
. Embroidery both machine & Hand
. Quilting on domestic Bernina 750
. Pintucking and Duel Needle
. Candlewicking
. Freemotion Quilting Bernina 750
Fabric
Cotton
Pellon
Ribbons
Lace
1st Other Techniques - Open
A project from my UFO box, red-work embroidery designs collated from many artists, but most notably Bronwyn Hayes, Riscos & Rabiscos online and found in my very old embroidery books. Using my stash of recycled flour bag calico, the stash of red-work panels built up at quilter morning coffees over the previous two decades. I was finally "empowered" to put it all together after making Jenny Kingwell's Wandering Wife quilt, the design of which blends blocks of many sizes. From chaos comes order - after a fashion.
Highly Commended Other Techniques - Open
Pattern by Helen Godden, hand painted with Lumiere from Jacquard and free motion quilted on a domestic sewing machine, it has two layers of wool batting for extra loft and definition.
This was a BOM with segments of the Mandala. released each month through a private Facebook page set up by Helen to Support everyone from all over the world who were participating, it was great to see how each quilt progressed and how different they were due to colour selection and quilting techniques used.
I have used a more natural colour pallet with of course some artistic license mixed in.
Started in February 2021 and finished in August 2023, it took me quite a lot longer than the traditional 12 months due to work commitments and the demands of our small farm.
It has been a great journey seeing this quilt grow and come to life with the colours of the reef and all the bright amazing fish and sea creatures.
BERNINA Amateur Encouragement Award 1st Commercially Quilted - Large - Open
I made this quilt to learn all the different techniques. It took a lot of hours to do and I used all cotton fabrics mostly bright colours. Design Source: Jacqueline de Jonge
3rd Commercially Quilted - Large - Open
Completed this quilt with our quilt group ladies. It is constructed by using triangles shapes in light & dark shades to give the 3D look. Quilt turned out larger in size than I had imagined. Design Source: Ruth Ann Berry Quilted by Danelle Griffin
Best Commercial Quilting Award - quilted by Michelle de Groot 2nd Commercially Quilted - Large - Open
The honeycomb abstractions quilt is a vibrant play on backyard honeycomb surrounded by colours, bees, flowers and joy. I used all cotton fabrics from the range Michael Miller Fairy Frost and I have a love for hexagons. Design Source: Violet Craft
Highly Commended Commercially Quilted - Large - Open
Two special bundles of fabric, saved for many years, finally come together to make a quilt saluting Samburu, a Kenyan National Park.
Matching 60° triangles are tricky but the special ruler finally earned its place in my quilt ruler stack!
Quilted by Sarah Fraser.
1st Commercially Quilted - Small - Open
Yet another quilt I have made using English Paper Piecing. I chose to work with all Japanese type fabrics which I fussy cut to make the flowers. Quilted by Danelle Griffin.
Highly Commended Modern - AmateurI wanted to make a quilt for my teenage son. He helped select and plan the colours and placement of the triangles. He likes a minimalistic look so this is reflected in the quilting. It has double the thickness of batting to add weight which he also appreciated. It was a delight working on a creative project together. Design Source: Brigitte Heitland, "Contrasting" 2017
1st Modern - Amateur
For many years I have been intrigued by optical illusions and particularly the work of M.C. Escher Each of these blocks has been designed to be an optical illusion. The central block I saw in a copy of Scientific American and the other blocks are my own creations or adapted from an Esher book to suit being able to render them in fabric rather than as a drawing.
Highly Commended Modern - Amateur
After first reading through this pattern I was intimidated by the seam accuracy required and the corner blocks. The pattern then stayed forgotten until I saw the rainbow version made by Tula Pink with her new solid range. Eventually I summoned up the courage to try the first row based on this version. After sewing all the yellow strips together, the blocks ended up being about the right size, so I kept going. This quilt has definitely been a skill builder, and there was some unpicking and replacement blocks required, but I enjoyed the process. The quilt required over 160 width of fabric strips to be cut and then sewn back together by machine. It has been quilted on my domestic machine. Design Source: Interwoven by Lo & Behold Stitchery and the layout is by Tula Pink
Highly Commended Modern - Advanced/Professional
For my elder daughter's 50th birthday and named as such by her. I was thinking of challenges met, mountains climbed (literally and metaphorically), order and chaos, life journeys and arrivals. Covid brought her home from UK. From orchestral percussionist to human geographer with a canoeing expedition to study seaweed cultivation in waters of the Indonesian archipelago, she has packed a lot into her fifty years.
Highly Commended Pictorial - Amateur
Designed by Brenda Yirsa, I received this project some time ago as a kit. As it had all its batik fabrics included, it was a great one to undertake during Lockdown. The applique consists of 135 pieces which all had to be traced and cut out individually. Oh what fun keeping them all appropriately sorted!
The pieces were then assembled and attached as raw edge applique. The free motion quilting was done on my domestic Janome machine. Design Source: Brenda Yirsa, Bigfork Bay Cotton Company
1st Pictorial Amateur
While scrolling on Pinterest this quilt caught my eye and I was ready to try this new technique. The pattern consists of more than 200 pieces, all traced on interfacing, numbered, cut out and ironed to one of the 24 fabrics. After lots of pinning and matching of marks, you start to assemble the pieces. During this process you make sure there are no cats or kids around otherwise you would be heading for disaster.
After you complete this quilt you will never be afraid of a curved piece again and straight lines will be sooo boring.
I enjoy the look of this quilt, it makes me happy! Design Source: Ruth de Vos
"Me Three" is the story of three women from Tasmania's past.
For centuries women have been powerless as a result of domestic violence, sexual abuse, mutilation and isolation.
Margaret Miller, transported in 1841, convict, violently beaten by husband.
Mathinna, Aboriginal, adopted by Governor and Lady Franklin, then abandoned, left between two worlds, sexually abused.
Loola Kow You, arranged marriage at 16, sailed from China to a foreign land, limited mobility, trapped, isolated.
These women were powerless to change their lives in a male dominated society.
In the present day, at last, after 150 years, the "Me Too" movement is about taking back control and is dedicated to creating pathways for healing, justice, action and leadership.
Best Use of Mixed Media Highly Commended Pictorial - Advanced/Professional
There is an art to everything and art in everything. My work took inspiration from a tractor driver's canvas of ploughed fields just north of Oatlands. Impressed by the precision and whimsy of concentric circles circling stands of trees I abstracted the patterns, textures and colours to depict an autumn landscape
Hand-painted cotton fabrics improv pieced together with raw edge appliqued trees and bushes. This was oversewn and embellished with free motion and program machine stitching, couched yarns and hand embroidery.
2nd Art Quilt - Advanced/Professional
ancient pathway focuses on the tessellated pavement at Pirates Bay on Tasmania's east coast. The pavement is a rare and ancient landform only accessible at low tide. It is a marine flat rock platform divided by fractures, resulting in pavement like blocks resembling Roman mosaic floors.
Highly Commended Art Quilt - Advanced/Professional
I'm attracted to the patterns in nature and am currently working with the linear qualities of the landscape. I'm visually thrilled by the changing seasons here in the Tamar Valley which daily presents a different picture - the whiteout of foggy mornings or, as in this work, the brilliant colours of leaves changing on the vine. I dye the fabric and improv piece the blocks of colours together but these initial compositions are just the starting point. I'm a stitcher at heart and enjoy trying to manipulate and suggest perspectives, and create distance and movement through the overstitching and quilting
2nd Tiny Quilt - Open
This tiny quilt uses a technique of machine applique that I learnt at a Rachelle Denneny workshop. I designed my own Mandala and then took elements from it and arranged them as "breakaway" pieces including a couple of "centres" attempting to escape completely out over the border...little trouble makers! The machine applique uses monofilament thread. The free motion quilting was done on a Janome domestic machine and is my own design.
1st Tiny Quilt - Open
This was a placemat challenge using the improv cutting and piecing technique.
3rd Tiny Quilt - Open
The Blue Tree Project was set up to support people suffering with mental health problems. Dead trees have been painted a vibrant blue all over the country to draw attention to mental health issues, particularly suicide. My father killed himself at age 46. It happened many decades ago, but his death still makes me very sad. Perhaps if the Blue Tree Project had been around then we may have had him with us for many more years.
Highly Commended Tiny Quilt - Open
This wall hanging connects two textile artists, one living in Victoria and one in Tasmania. Marlene Houlden from Melbourne visited me at my gallery in St Marys and presented me with two pieces of handmade felt, one which she had ecoprinted and one for me to eco print. I made mine darker using eucalyptus and banksia from our property plus rusty cans, to contrast with her results using her own foraged eucalyptus leaves. I then handstitched it together, adding couched naturally dyed yarn and some embroidery. I wanted the handmade felt to shine so I kept the stitching quite minimal. A visual and a literal connection!
Judge's Commendation - Suzanne MacDonald
A scrappy quilt created to show the anxiety of children as the Covid pandemic overwhelmed their horizon and changed their families and communities. Scraps were machine pieced for the background and the applique design. Primary and bright colours also reflect the world of young children.
Best Use of Colour 1st Pictorial - Advanced/Professional
I created this portrait of Marilyn Monroe because I enjoy creating portraits.
It also served as a challenge to create a portrait of someone with interesting hair. I had to determine how I was going to represent all the curls using fabric. I decided to use small pieces of batik fabric in various whites and greys, that were curved and then placed them on the background fabric until I achieved a curled effect. I then quilted her hair using a swirl design to also add to the curl effect.
I wanted to create a grey scale image and then decided to make her lips a bright red/pink colour to represent the fact that she always wore this colour of lipstick, it is also an iconic image of her look.
I have used all commercial fabrics both solids and batiks. I only had stark white fabric for the face and didn't want it to be so bright white so I dyed the fabric minimally with tea to take it from white to a slight off white.
I have used a jewelled brooch as her earring in a grey to continue the grey scale theme. I have also used some jewelled trim for the strap of her dress.
It is all raw edge applique fused to the background and then quilted. I used the same swirl design quilting in the background as in the hair, but on a smaller scale.
I used a satin stitch on some areas of the face to give a slight dimensional effect. The face was quilted using mono poly thread on the front and embroidery thread on the back. The hair and background were quilted using embroidery thread both on the front and back of the quilt. Design Source: Public domain photograph
1st Art Quilt - Advanced/Professional
Pieced from hand dyed kona cotton this quilt experiments with using heavy quilting thread to blur the seamlines to give a new take on a modern bars quilt.
1st Student Quilts - Primary
I made this quilt because I live at Teralina/Eaglehawk Neck. The Mangana, or black cockatoo, is my spirit animal. The scene is based off an actual scene I can see when I walk outside my house. Another reason I chose to make a quilt featuring a Mangana is that they lift my spirits whenever I see them flying overhead or resting in our trees. I believe they are beautiful, loving and wonderful creatures and we are lucky to have them. I hand-painted the sunset and I was inspired by the colours around my home. Briony Alderslade gave me advice on how best to put my ideas into my quilt and guided me with quilting techniques.
Highly Commended Student Quilts - Primary
I made this quilt since I love cats and music. All the cats in Cat Rock band are cats I've known. There is Mini (lead singer), Blondie (electric guitar), and Mango (on the drums). Frangipani Fabrics helped with the design and sewing techniques.
2nd Student Quilts - Primary
My Nana lives to quilt and I've always watched her. Sewing is something we do together. I wanted to do a geometric rabbit design because I like rabbits. The colours fit with the colours of my friend's rabbit. Designed in collaboration with Frangipani Fabrics staff who helped with design and sewing techniques.
2nd Student Quilts - Secondary
I made my quilt, Forest, using a variety of different techniques including needle-turn applique, machine applique, free motion quilting and even dying my own fabrics for the project. Since I made the quilt for myself, I considered what I like and enjoy when creating it. I personally think that green is a lovely colour, and one of my favourites, so when designing and planning my quilt I took that into consideration. Whilst brainstorming ideas I also noted that I adore cats, so I combined the two ideas and Forest was created. I worked on my quilt at home and at my sewing classes which are at Frangipani Fabrics. Briony and Kate both helped me work out which techniques I should use and described how to undertake them.
BERNINA Student Award 1st Student Quilts - Secondary
I made this quilt for my family over a year, and used the detailed stitching as a chance to process thoughts about my Aunt being diagnosed with terminal cancer. I love the Australian native flora embroideries, and stitching pictures of the natural environment. My skills progressed as I sewed. The colour palette is muted and earthy. I used embroidery patterns of my own design, combined with kits from Corrine Lappiere, Stitched up Kits and Harvest Goods Co. I also incorporated handprinted fabric of my own design and created a collage.
Highly Commended Student Quilts - Secondary
I made this quilt about Piyura Kitina/Tasmanian native hens. There is walk I go on with my cousin and we see a lot of them on the way. We love their red eyes and their adorable chicks. This quilt is dedicated to my cousin Bella. Frangipani Fabrics provided help with design and techniques.
1st Student Quilts - Matriculation
The story of Lake Pedder, a place once regarded as one of the most aesthetically beautiful and biodiverse places in Tasmania, being dammed and flooded only to be used as another hydroelectric plant is one I have always been fascinated with. In addition to the relentless efforts of the Franklin campaign, to preserve the lake and river in what is considered one of the most significant environmental campaigns in Australia's history, the story of Lake Pedder and the Franklin River is one that has been deeply cemented into Tasmanian history.
In my quilt have chosen to depict two plants native to Lake Pedder, which now are endangered and at a high risk of extinction due to the flooding of the lake. These being the Centrolepis Pedderensis and Liparophyllum Gunnii. I have also depicted an embroidery of Bob Brown from when he was seen leading the Franklin blockade in 1982 in my quilt. Throughout the entirety of Tasmania's history of environmental conservation, Bob Brown has been at the forefront of it all, protesting and fighting across Tasmania and Australia for the conservation of areas such as Lake Pedder and currently the Tarkine/Takayna.
I think the mystery surrounding the lake for me was one of my largest motivations to create this quilt. I believe having never had the chance to see the lake in its original form, a place that is held extremely dearly by many Tasmanians, has driven my desire to learn and discover more about its story. The process of sewing this quilt and concurrently learning more about Lake Pedder has been an amazing experience for me and I believe learning about these stories, especially in today's capitalistic society is incredibly important. I hope that through my quilt I may inspire someone else to also look into Tasmania's history of environmental conservation, and into the many places of beauty and biodiversity that have been lost to our capitalist ways.
2nd Student Quilts - Matriculation
I made this quilt as part of the 'Inspired by Nature' project for that term and for myself. During the designing process, I wanted the quilt to be representative of my favourite childhood season, autumn. Due to the nostalgic sentiment, I collaged memories I have from autumn such as stars, moths, lily pads, fish, beetles, a spiderweb and of course, falling autumn leaves. The design reminded me of illustrations from my favourite children's books filled with magical trees and talking creatures. Due to this storybook quality, I have sewn blue stripes in the quilting process as an homage to those beloved storybooks. Some elements look unfinished and personally, I think it alludes to the childlike qualities of the quilt. My Design and Technology (textiles) teacher Helen gave us (my textiles class) guidance on how a quilt was constructed and different embellishment techniques such as (dyeing, applique, embroidery and fabric painting). This was part of our 'Inspired by Nature' project that focused on embellishment technique.
Highly Commended Student Quilts - Matriculation
I made this quilt as a school project, it had to be something to do with nature and I love walking in Mt Field and so I choose to depict it in my quilt. My teacher helped me learn the techniques but the quilt is my own work.
