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You could be forgiven for thinking that a UFO* had kidnapped me and kept me hostage for the past few months but in reality it has been the WIPS* that have held me hostage. (see definitions below)

Since I last wrote a newsletter (in April) I have been very occupied quilting for other people and promoting the Aurifil thread range at wholesale trade fairs, local guild events and retreats and I've even been the guest speaker at club days. Unfortunately both my part-time assistants left me earlier in the year, one to travel around Australia and the other to take up a permanent job with more hours, so I did not have much free time to plan a newsletter.  I do apologise for neglecting this section of the website. 

 So what has been happening at Always Quilting in the past few months.

The first big change that I am very happy to announce is that I now have 2 great new assistants, Judy & Heather, to help with the thread packing, commission quilt making and the general tasks that come up every week . This is once again allowing me time to work on the website and newsletter so do log on regularly to see what has changed.

Secondly, the good news is that I have been working hard promoting the threads and more shops have added Aurifil to their stock range. It is getting easier for you to shop in person at your local store however, if you don't see your favourite shop in this list it is time for you to suggest that they talk to me about stocking Aurifil.  Of course you are always welcome to shop directly from Always Quilting if you can not find the Aurifil thread type or spool size locally.

Aurifil Retail Outlets (listed alphabetically by state)

Addicted to Fabric, Canberra, ACT Blueberries, Wyong, NSW Marcelle's Patchwork Cottage, Parkes, NSW Patchwork on Pittwater, Warriewood, NSW Patchwork Orange, Orange, NSW Patchwork Plus, Miranda, NSW The Cottage Quiltworks, Bilgola, NSW Cooroy Drapery, Cooroy, Qld Patchwork Paradise, Rockhampton, Qld The Patchwork Tree, Alderley, Qld Barossa Quilt & Craft Cottage, Angaston, SA  Jenny's Sewing Centre, Angaston, SA Amitie, East Bentliegh, Vic Brojayla Patches, Boort, Vic Magic Patch Quilting, Tyabb, Vic, Patchwork House, Hawthorn, Vic Patchwork on Central Park, East Malvern, Vic Patchwork on Stonleigh, Wodonga, Vic Patchwork Unlimited, Ascot Vale, Vic Periwinkle Patchwork, Dennington, Vic Quilter's Barn, Lock, Vic Duralyn Patchwork, Duranillin, WA  Materialise, Nedlands, WA Patch and Paint for Pleasure, Narrogin, WA _________________________________________________________________ In New Zealand you will now find Aurifil at: The Country Yard, Whangarei , Nth Island Wright Fabrics Ltd, Morrinsville, Nth Island

 

Thirdly, I have been on the look out for new & exciting items for the shop. I've found some great quilt labels, added more quilt hangers and quilting & embroidery books. 

I've also increased the backing fabrics range and I recently added the NEW  "eco - friendly" Bamboo batting to the batting stock. Many of these items are already listed on the online store but please send an email if you are looking for an item that you think I might have, but can't find in the store catalogue. Click on the link below to go to the Online store.

 Always Quilting Aurifil Threads and More store catalogue 

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* Do you know any other patchwork & Quilting Acronyms?  I would love to hear from you.

UFO ... unfinished objects

WIPS ... works in progress

WOMBAT - Waste of money, batting and time

NESY - Not even started yet

STABLE - Stash accumulation beyond life expectancy

FQ - fat quarter

LQS - local quilt shop

WISP - work in some progress

PIGS-Projects in Grocery Sacks

As I was writing this newsletter I heard of another one that seemed very appropriate for me <G>:

Phd - projects half done

 

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Part of the pleasure in having a market stand at quilt and craft events is the opportunity that it gives me to meet people who have produced some wonderful work using AURIfil threads.

In July, I met Pam Igo at the Geelong Patchwork Retreat and she had brought along a brilliant sashiko quilt that she had stitched with Cotton Mako Ne 12.

Pam had taken a class with Judy Turner to learn how to draft & machine stitch Sashiko designs and this was the result!

Pam Igo's Sashiko Quilt. Pam used a variegated Cotton mako Ne 12 (colour No 3920) in both the needle and the bobbin to machine stitch these sashiko designs	A close up of one of the blocks. Pam drafted the designs in a class with Judy Turner	A close view of another design. Pam said that the designs were easy to stitch with Cotton mako Ne 12, the thickest thread in the Cotton Mako range. Her secret was to use a bigger needle, loosen the tension, extend the stitch length and STITCH SLOWLY	An another block design.

And then, still in July, I met Elizabeth May at the Victorian Lace Guild.  Elizabeth has only been making bobbin lace for a short time, but you will agree that she is well on the way to becoming an expert judging by this recent project.

Elizabeth worked with Cotton Mako Ne 50, using a design from "building Torchon Patterns"  by B Cook.  She said that she reduced the design by 30% to allow for the finer thread.

 

 

 

 

 

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         The Threaded Needle ….. hints & tips

This time I thought I would write about making backings for quilts.

These days you can buy wide cotton fabrics that make wonderful backings for quilts with out the need to piece together yardage to make a large enough piece of fabric to fit the quilt.

http://www.alwaysquilting.com.au/ThreadsOnline/backing_fabric_F.htm

However there are times when the most appropriate fabric for the backing of a quilt just has to be pieced from matching yardage. When this is the case you need to make the backing bigger than the quilt top and make sure that the edges are "square" so that the grain runs straight. This is particularly important if you are outsourcing the the quilting stage to a Longarm quilter. A backing that is bigger than the quilt has an allowance for it to be used as the support base for the quilt & the batting when it is attached to the take up rollers on the machine table and helps to prevent the quilt from being stressed out of shape.

You will find some handy hints for piecing yardage together to make a backing on this page:

http://www.alwaysquilting.com.au/making_a_quilt_back.htm

Sometime you don't actually have sufficient fabric in one piece to make the backing. I describe backings where you need to add in a second fabric "Art Backings" and always recommend that you resist the temptation to simply add the extra around the edges like a border. It is very difficult to centre a quilt on a backing that has a "border" so the finished result will usually look as if you ran out of fabric!  Where as, with a little more planning, an dvery little extra stitching you can end up with a great "Art Back" for your quilt. I have some handy hints for a simple piecing here:

http://www.alwaysquilting.com.au/the_art_back.htm

For more inspiration to inspire you to create great "Art Backs" of your own design check out the photos of these backings made by my friends.

Colette's Quilt - ABC Applique	Gail's Quilt - a play in light & dark	Julie's Quilt - Autumn leaves
Colette's Quilt backing A narrow panel was inserted approximately 3/4 the way down the length of the backing. It has been tied together by the clever addition of squares and rectangles of the main backing fabric.	Gail's quilt backing The original backing was only a little too small in both directions so Gail divided it diagonally and inserted a new piece of fabric to make it larger. You will note that she pieced the insert fabric from left overs from the quilt top to create a link between the quilt and back	Julie's qult back Here two larger pieces of different fabric have been joined together with a narrow band. Once again a link has been established between the quilt and the back. This time by appliqueing a leaf motif onto the joiner.

 

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