Quilt Convention

I can't believe it's nearly a week since my last post. We had a great weekend in Melbourne - ate and spent far too much! Shout was great - very cool to see Aussie music icons like Glenn Shorrock, Colleen Hewitt, John Paul Young and Mark Holden. We sat three rows behind Alan Brough from Spicks and Specks. (Australian music trivia TV show)

The expo at the Quilt Convention was amazing. Along with hundreds of others, we arrived before the doors opened at 10.00 am on Friday. There was so much to see. It was nice to catch up with Gail at the Foothills Fabric and Threads stand and also Leonie and Deidre from The Quilted Crow.

About five years ago I went on a quilt shop hop through country Victoria with my Dad and we visited a lovely store in Castlemaine called Threadbear. At the expo, they had a new block of the month quilt on display called Ryland Manor. Having never done a block of the month I've been keen to start one for a while now. As soon as I saw this quilt I knew it was going to be this one. It has so many things I love - gorgeous reproduction fabrics including lots of shirtings, a house block, applique and medallion style borders. The lady below is Megan who designed the quilt.

It was hard to get a really good picture. Hopefully I'll have time to start on the centre block this weekend.

Downstairs there was a Quilt Show. My favourites were the quilts of award winning Australian quilter Judy Day. You were allowed to take photos so I will share some of these in each of my next few posts. I was in absolute awe at the tinyness of the hand quilting stitches.

This quilt is called Medallion Love Affair. The dahlia style block in the centre was inspired by a quilt made in Yorkshire, England about 1840 - 1860. The quilt features Broderie Perse and hexagons made over paper.