QuiltNSW Events & Activities

Calendar

See the QuiltNSW Calendar for a comprehensive listing of QuiltNSW activities and events.

Community Quilts

Since 1983 Community Quilts has been making and donating quilts on behalf of QuiltNSW. It is a voluntary project where members meet to sew quilts for the community and to date over 3,300 quilts have been donated. Our aim is to encourage a more homely atmosphere for others.

On-going commitments are to Royal Far West Children’s Home in Manly and to foster children in NSW. Quilts are also donated to various nursing homes, several refuges such as Street Kids and Baptist Church Inner City Refuge and for raffles to raise money for community organisations.

All quilt tops are made prior to meetings and the quilts are pinned and machine quilted on sewing days which are held monthly. No hand sewing is done due to the ‘utility’ style of the quilts. The quilts require only basic, straight line quilting so no expert knowledge is required. Pinners and machine quilters are warmly welcomed on sewing days.

Members who are unable to attend sewing days but would like to participate in Community Quilts are encouraged to take quilts home to machine quilt. They are single size and not difficult to handle on a domestic machine.
Roslyn Moules, Community Quilts Co-ordinator, may be contacted through the QuiltNSW office.

External Events

QuiltNSW has information booths at various events throughout the year. We are open to having a presence at events, including our Quilt Hoop Display installation – if you are interested in having us at your event, please contact Margy Syrett through the QuiltNSW office (by emailing office@quiltnsw.com).

Friday Showcase

Friday showcase is an informal but informative meeting is held in the QuiltNSW office (Level 5, 276 Pitt Street Sydney) on the first Friday of most months. A QuiltNSW member is invited to speak about his or her quilting experiences and show their quilts. Many of the quilts that are displayed at the showcase are then hung in the office for a month.

We welcome QuiltNSW members and non-members to Friday Showcase. There is a small charge of $5.00 for members and $10 for non-members. This covers the presenter’s out-of-pocket expenses, (as most presenters have to catch a cab into the city laden with all their quilts!) and morning tea.

If you cannot attend the showcase, come to the office and see a wonderful display of quilts.

The presentation of quilts is from 10.00am– 11.30am. Afterwards you are more than welcome to enjoy the library or sit and sew with your friends. The schedule for 2019 is as follows:

2019

1 February Brigette Giblin
1 March Linda Butcher
5 April Lorraine Parker
3 May Maree Gerbhardt
5 July Brenda Gael Smith
2 August Issabella Klompe
6 September Maureen Teagher
4 October Margie Syrett
2 November Member Show and Tell

NB There is no Friday Showcase in January, June and December.

Meetings

QuiltNSW meetings are held at Burwood RSL, 96 Shaftsbury Avenue, Burwood. There is plenty of parking at the RSL club and the venue is walking distance from the Burwood Railway Station.

Doors open at 9.30am. The day starts at 10am with an informative demonstration by a QuiltNSW member and shopping with our guest retailer. Library books are also available for loan. Show and Tell commences at followed by a short business meeting and lunch at the club. The meeting resumes at 1pm with a guest speaker and guest member group. Finally the lucky door prizes, block of the month and special notices and we are finished by 3pm. There is plenty of time for socialising and hand sewing is always welcome. Come along and be involved with QuiltNSW – Visitors are most welcome. Please let us know if you are attending a general meeting for the first time.

2019 Meeting Dates

16 February General Meeting Burwood RSL (visitors welcome)
9.30am -3pm
Guest Speaker: Jenny Bowker
Demonstration by Martha Birch
Shop: The Quilting Patch
Saturday 16 March – Away meeting – Berry Uniting Church Hall, 77 Albert St, Berry
11 am
Guest Speaker: Denise Griffiths & Red Berry Quilters
Shop: Berry Quilt & Co
Saturday 18 May – General Meeting – Burwood RSL 96 Shaftsbury Avenue Burwood.
9.30am – 3pm
Guest Speaker: TBC
Shop: TBC

Country and Away Meetings

Every two years, QuiltNSW travels from the city to the country for a country meeting. This is a great opportunity to meet QuiltNSW members around the state as we visit member groups along the way. In 2019, our country meeting will be held in Berry and surrounds on Saturday 16 March 2019.

A wonderful schedule of events has been organised for members to make a weekend of it – details published in the latest edition of The Template. Bookings Open ! There are a number of accommodation options available – please understand that you need to organise the members you will share with yourself – we cannot do that for you. Each individual must make a deposit by deadline of 14 December 2018 to reserve your accommodation. Balance will be due 17 February 2019 and needs to be online.

Pop Up Sewing Days

An opportunity for members to stitch together while working on their own project. These ‘days’ are often held in fabric stores all over Sydney and surrounds, on random days of the week and usually start around 10am. Numbers are limited so it is essential that your reserve your place by contacting the office. Morning Tea and a lucky door prize are usually included. Not only are these days a lovely way to spend your time but they are a FREE event for individual financial members only.

2018 scheduled pop-up sewing days are listed in our calendar.

Quilt Study Group

The Quilt Study Group exists to promote interest and research into quilting, particularly in New South Wales and is a sub-committee of QuiltNSW. Members are committed to the study of quilts past and present with this study encompassing the social and historical context in which the quilts were made as well as designs, techniques and materials used in both vintage and contemporary quilts.

Unless otherwise indicated, talks organised by the Quilt Study Group commence at 2.00pm – 4.30 pm at Glover Cottages, 124 Kent Street, Millers Point, Sydney. QuiltNSW members $5.00 and non-QuiltNSW members $10.00 per visit. Afternoon tea is provided.

Upcoming Talks
2019

• 9 March 2019 – Dr Annette Gero will give a talk titled “War and Pieced – Extraordinary Geometric Masterpieces and Appliquéd Quilts made from Military Fabrics” at The Glover Cottages. The talk coincides with her military quilt exhibition at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery (16 Feb – 28 April 2019).

• 13 July 2019 – Anita Brown – Modern Quilt Movement

• 7 September 2019 – Chris Timmins – How to get young people quilting

Enquiries or bookings, email office@quiltnsw.com.

Sunday Sew-In

The Sunday Sew-in events are a day of sewing (machine and hand) – like a mini-retreat. Bring usual sewing supplies (and machine if desired with powerboard/extension cord), project, lunch and a cup … and quilting questions or tips to shares. We’ll provide irons/ironing boards, morning tea and scrap fabric and instructions for block of the quarter.

The next Sunday Sew-in and first for 2019 is Sunday 3 February – Epping Creative Centre – 26 Stanley Road, Epping. If you are interested in coming along to the Sunday Sew In – please register your interest here.