Dongara and Geraldton Workshops

I have just spent a couple of days teaching in Dongara and Geraldton in Western Australia. It was a quick trip to both places this time. I have been before and really enjoyed seeing a parts of Australia that I don't see very often. The country hospitality is always welcoming and friendly

Classes were fun and full of laughter.

Shirley had finished her version of Breaking the Drought from my last visit. Didn't she do a great job.

Here are some of the Geraldton ladies with their Cutout Magics.  This is a very fun workshop and I think there are going to be some really interesting quilts resulting from this workshop

Festival of Quilts Bookings Open

So thrilled that my two workshops came close to filling on the first day of registration.

At the end of day two Creative Beading is now full and Crystallisation (above) only has a few places left. That is pretty exciting sitting here on the other side of the world.

You can check out all the workshops at the FOQ site and thanks to those of you who have booked places already.

Here is another Breaking the Drought quilt completed from a workshop. Donna has chosen great colours and her embellishments are terrific.

Breaking the Drought in Perth

No not quite although Jenny did say it started to rain just as she finished quilting it. Jenny did my Breaking the Drought workshop in Perth last year at Ocean Keys Sewing Centre.


I will be returning there this year in May for more workshops so contact them if you are interested.

Contagious

Looks like I have started a flow. I always ask students to send a photo of their finished quilts but only ever get a few. Having posted a few this week has prompted some more.
Heather from Geraldton in West Australia has sent me her version of Breaking the Drought - very different and so interesting and bold. I love it.

Margaret in the UK has sent me a link to her art quilt group. Margaret brought her quilt all the way out here on her holiday earlier this year to show me the finished work . I was honoured that she used up her valuable luggage allowance for me.

I will be in the UK October 2010 if anyone is interested in a workshop but I only have a few days still available. Contact me directly if you want more information.

Breaking the Drought on Holiday

When I taught Breaking the Drought at the Bramble Patch in the UK last year, Margaret told me she would be in Australia in February and would come to see me at the AQC

I was thrilled that she brought her quilt all the way with her to show me. Isn't is wonderful. I was especially amazed at the french knot embroidery around these shapes.

These shapes have been embossed onto velvet and the stitched on. Isn't she clever.

I will be in the UK next year again so if you are interested in a workshop please let me know as I am already booked in Durham and a few other places.

Class in the UK

I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching at The Bramble Patch in the UK in September (1st and 2nd). I will be teaching my Breaking the Drought quilt which was originally commissioned by Janome as a showcase for the wonderful 6500/6600. It was used in their advertising and was also a Houston Finalist.

The workshop is an opportunity for beginners and intermediate quilters to really play around with their machines (any brands) and learn to use some of those strange stitches they have never touched, try bobbin work, raw edge applique and other techniques. Free motion quilting is also explored. The piecing is simple and it is a really fun quilt to make and very freeing and satisfying.

It is definitely one of my most popular workshops and I love seeing the variations that my students come up with.

For those of you in Australia who are interested - I am teaching this workshop at Quiltlove and Berry Patchwork in the next few months and all information can be found on my website in the Workshops Section.

So if you are in the UK and would like a little piece of Australiana - please come to the Bramble Patch for a wonderful workshop.

Subscribing to Blogs

I am one of (apparently) 50 million blogs currently on the net - I wonder who counts them? I spend far too much time scrolling through them and going from link to link and getting inspired, amused, amazed and often overwhelmed by like minded souls and their work. I have recently started using Blogger Reader to let me know when my favourites have been updated but was still a bit confused about how to use RSS Readers.

This You Tube Video has made it all a bit clearer to me so thought you might find it useful too.

Hope you subscribe to mine after you watch it.

Off to teach Breaking the Drought in the chilly Blue Mountains this weekend.


I am really looking forward to a few days in the crisp mountain air and I know Peter is looking forward to two days of trawling through the book stores up there too.

Workshop Results

Yesterday we had the second workshop for Breaking the Drought. I was so thrilled to see the results of the first class. Most of the day was spend learning and practicing machine quilting and everyone seemed really happy with their quilts.

Here are some of completed tops. There are some more to be completed and I think everyone really enjoyed the workshop.

They were all different but so great.

Liz

Bernadette

Charmaine

Heather

As a postscript - I just received this email which absolutely made my day.

As one of the members of your Saturday class at Peg's pieces, I wanted to tell you what an enjoyable class it was. All the 'girls' there said they had learnt so much in the way of new techniques, and I totally agree. Thanks Lisa for a great couple of days.

If you are interested in where I will be teaching this next please check my website.