Quilt Symposium Manawatu Exhibition

I love a good quilt exhibition and the one at the Convention centre in Palmerston North had something for everyone.  As I crossed the street to the centre I knew I was in the right place when I saw the car dressed in a patchwork cover. 

This way to the quilt show

The five local quilt clubs have all worked together to run and organise the symposium, and they also ran a club challenge to show something special about the local areas we live in.  The clubs took part in a random draw to choose what colour they could work with, as well as black and white.  Turquoise for Rangetiki Quilters,  green for Cotton On Quilters, yellow for my own club, Town and Country Quilters,  red for Rose City Quilters, and purple for Foxy Quilters.  The three winners from each club hung together in the foyer to welcome guests to the exhibition.

Club challenges

A beautiful red and white medallion quilt caught my eye as I entered the hall.  “They are Bees not Flies” was made by Jenny Hall and features English paper piecing, appliqué and foundation piecing.  Full of life and stitched in beautiful rich reds, this quilt was a delight to study and admire all that intricate work.

They are Bees not Flies, by Jenny Hall

“Sparrows in my Garden” was stitched by the very talented Griet Lombard, who is a member of my quilt club, Town and Country Quilters.  Griet does the most exquisite work, and her quilt honours the sparrows who visit her garden.  Made with cottons, silks and synthetics, the crazy patch quilt was constructed using piecing, appliqué, embroidery and quilting, and showcased some vintage doilies and handkerchiefs.  This lovely work of art took my vote for Viewers Choice.

 

Sparrows in my Garden, by Griet Lombard

Jill Bowman had a wonderful African Safari holiday and what better way to remember it than to make a quilt.  She had her photos printed onto fabric, and surrounded them with African and complementary fabrics.  What a wonderful idea.

African Album, by  Jill Bowman

“I Never Promised you a Rose Garden”, by Sheryl Anicich has a lovely rose patterned fabric as the background, set with wonderfully intricate circular pieced  blocks.  Sheryl wrote that she got a bit carried away making her circular blocks, then had to find some way to showcase them in her own design.  She did a great job – this is a wonderfully feminine looking quilt. 

I Never Promised you a Rose Garden, by Sheryl Anicich

“Aotearoa  Blooms”, an original design by Nancy Neilson, was inspired by her love of New Zealand flowers and Barcelona tile designs.  The flower patterns were inspired by pictures in old calendars and Forest and Bird magazines.

Aotearoa Blooms, by Nancy Neilson

Another New Zealand plant is the Harakeke flax.  Helen Beaven had one in her garden and observed the changes in the colours as the buds developed into flowers, and then seed pods.  This is an original whole cloth design, stencilled with paint sticks, trapuntoed and quilted in a swirly pattern.

Harakeke, by  Helen Beaven

This is just a small taste of some of the lovely quilts in the exhibition.  I’ll show some more next time.