More Cutouts

 

Sandi in Geraldton has sent me a couple more photos of nearly finished Cutout Magic  quilts. We had talked about trying the technique with triangles instead of squares and so the challenge was set. Looks really interesting doesn't it?

 

 I do have some great photos to share of Perth but seem to have mislaid the gizmo that transfers photos from my camera to Macbook Air (one of the few negative aspects of this otherwise terrific computer - no camera disk slot). Will show you some great street art when I get another.

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

New Zealand Quilt Symposium

 

I am very excited to be teaching at my first NZ Symposium in Queenstown next month. It will be a great opportunity to catch up with student from my first trip a few years ago as well as lots of new friends.

I have checked with the organisers and although my Breaking the Drought workshop is full (yay!) there are still places in Crystallisation (above) and Cutout Magic.

These are both really exciting and different workshops which have been very popular in Australia as well as the UK so I hope some of you might be interested in joining in the fun.

I have reposted some images of previous workshops and results to give you a better idea of what we get up to.

Cutout Magic

A week or two ago I taught my Cutout Magic workshop to a lovely group of ladies in Kiama. I was amazed today to get this photo of Ann's completed (and quilted) quilt. She really enjoyed the workshop and it was a race to get it finished in time for her new granddaughters arrival. Kate had the grace to arrive the day after it was finished.

Welcome to my Finnish readers

I am getting a lot of new visitors today from Finland which is wonderful. I think it is because I have sent one of my DVDs for Cutout Magic to a new friend in Finland. I am always amazed at the power of the internet.

Here is another Cutout Magic top finished in one of my classes by Maxine who had so much fun in the workshop she returned last week to do Aurora. Can't wait to see what she does with her quilt as I think she might be a new beading convert.

To my new visitors - if you are also interested in a workshop please contact me as I have some free time in Europe after the Festival of Quilts and have never been to Finland and would love an excuse to come.

Cutout Workshop in the Studio

Yesterday was the latest studio workshop here. I love doing these as the groups are small and friendly and best of all I get to sleep in my own bed at the end of the day.

This was Cutout Magic and the ladies seemed to really enjoy themselves and each of them created something unique.
Maxine enjoyed herself so much she has booked into the next one
- Aurora on March 6th.

Val and Judy went very organic with their cutouts

Michelle has done a really interesting fern design which really had interesting optical effects as it grew.

We had fun - and a really nice lunch made by Peter too.
Can't wait to see the finished quilts. I know Cath has finished her hearts already and some of the others weren't too far off.

Cutout Magic

Isn't this a wonderful version by Adele Preen who followed the DVD to make her own version. She wrote that she had adapted the size and also did blanket stitch around the shapes as it is to be a bed quilt and get more handling than a wall hanging.

Didn't she do a fabulous job?

Now that the magazine is no longer available in stores you can always buy them from me with the DVD. I also have fabric kits available.

It Has Arrived!

I am very excited to announce that my latest DVD has arrived. It is with Quilters Companion November Issue and shows you how to make my latest project CUTOUT MAGIC which I have featured recently in workshops on the blog.

You can order a kit and the magazine from the website in your choice of colours and I can't wait to see hundreds of variations of this simple design all over the place.

Please let me know what you think of the DVD - as you may remember, we filmed it a few months ago in my new studio which was a lot of fun.

Last Workshop of the Year

I have just taught my last workshop of the year.

It has been a very full year of workshops and next year is already looking just as exciting but there are still some dates available - mainly in the beginning and end of the year. I taught Cutout Magic to Fairholme Quilters in Sydney and they have already posted photos on their blog which is really terrific. Some of these photos are from the blog (with permission) but there are lots more on the blog to check out. Jill did a great job of official photographer and blog mistress. Such a great idea to have a blog for your group isn't it?

Jo's fern design above really complemented her background fabric and she actually finished the top in the workshop.

Bev's fishes are so cute. She was going to add an extra fin but then her fish looked like a Christmas Tree so she didn't!

This is Dawn's design


I was so impressed at their entusiasm and creativity although for a while it was really really quiet while they got into the thinking side of it. Evidently it was the quietest the group had ever been but that all changed once the results of their thoughts started appearing .

Jane even wrote to show me her finished top which she just had to get done the next day as she enjoyed it so much.

You too will be able to create your own Cutout Magic - even without me - very very soon. Watch this space!

Another Cutout Magic

I have just finished quilting this sample for my upcoming trip to NZ where I am teaching Cutout Magic in Auckland and Napier.

I started quilting this one during the filming of my DVD a few weeks ago. It is the first completed top I have done on my new Bernina 820 and it all went without a hitch. Spirals like this often have great problems with tension but I was really pleased especially as I had a light thread in the bobbin and dark blue on front.

DVD Filming

Yesterday I filmed another DVD for Quilters Companion Magazine. This time we did it a bit differently and the crew came to my new studio. I was a bit nervous trying to work out how we could fit three cameras, autocue, makeup and production staff in but we managed it. It was a bit tight but a lot of fun.

We were doing my Cutout Magic Project and the DVD will be accompanying the Nov issue of Quilters Companion Magazine.

One interesting thing was that I had to do the sewing standing up and of course as one foot was on the foot pedal I kept overbalancing.

It was a long day but I hope the dvd will look ok - always a very scary thing to do - exposing yourself to the world.

On a Roll

Today I finished the other sample of Cutout Magic that I showed you before my surgery. It has been all ready to quilt for 6 weeks but I couldn't decide how to do it. I have been procrastinating about which design to use and have been consulting my copy of Dijanne Cevaal's 72 Ways not to Stipple which has wonderful ideas for machine quilting. She has now published a sequel with 72 More Ways. Should get one of them too.

Then - just as fate would have it Melody Johnson published a free booklet on machine quilting designs and the first one in the book was just what I needed.

I quilted this with Wonderfil Mirage variagated thread top and bottom which worked really well.This is a 30wt Rayon - great sheen and colours. I used the red wine shade.

Quilting time - 2 hours start to finish. The quilt is about 38in x 38in.

This is a workshop sample and I am really looking forward to these classes as they are always so inspiring for me as well. Check out my website to see where I will be. If you are interested in holding a workshop yourself please contact me.

Cutout Magic

I am working on some more class samples and this is one for Cutout Magic.
I will be doing the quilting once I am housebound.

I'm Back

Sorry for the absence. It is not that I haven't done anything - quite the opposite. We have been at the Brisbane Quilt and Craft Show last week and then a bit of teaching on the Gold Coast and then finally home. On top of that I managed to catch a bug that is going around much to the amusement of those around me. For three days of the show I was unable to speak louder than a whisper - very frustrating.

Anyway my class yesterday was on Cutout Magic at Patchwork Pantry and we had a great time.











I think there will be some great quilts coming out of this workshop.
I am also teaching this workshop at Be Creative By the Sea at Coffs Harbour next April if you are interested.

Cutout Magic

A while ago I showed you some experiments with the expanded square concept. I have played further and have now developed a project/workshop using this technique and have called it Cutout Magic. This technique allows an amazing range of designs to be created and no two quilts will ever be the same.


I am already booked to teach it at Patchwork Pantry on Queensland's beautiful Gold Coast along with Seaside Village (below) on 28 & 29 October.

Contact them if you are interested in either of these one day workshops.


If you would like further information on these workshops for your own group or store please contact me.