Welcome to Wednesday

In this week's issue you'll read all about the 2011 Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne, and all the reasons why you shouldn't miss this truly fabulous quilting event. Blueberries will have a stall there, and there's still plenty of time to book tickets as the event is a month away.

You'll also learn a bit about another Blueberries tutor, Brigitte Giblin, be dazzled by Material Girl with more gorgeous fabrics, and you'll hear the poignant tale of the Big Oyster in Taree on the NSW mid north coast, a Big Thing that started its life with so much promise, but was dealt a series of unfortunate blows by Fate. Read on to see why.

Tutor Profile

Getting to know a bit about the teacher

Name:  Brigitte Giblin

How long have you been quilting and what got you started?
I’ve been quilting for about 36 years now, having started with a couple of pretty horrible items. These included a brightly coloured parrot, machine appliquéd onto a white background (used as a bedspread in the mid ‘70s) as well as a black dress with patchwork border which I wore to a wedding! I made my first proper "block" from a patchwork magazine while holidaying in Hobart in 1979.

What inspires your creative ideas and/or projects?
I’m inspired mostly by historic quilts. I try to simplify the design whilst retaining the feel and integrity of the original quilt.

What’s your favourite colour and design style?
I love quirky, naïve fabrics (lots of pinks and greens) and quilts which retain a whimsical feel rather than those which are too stylised.

What have you learnt from your students as a tutor?
My students often take my concept for a quilt in a completely different direction which is very rewarding.
 

Click here to view details on Brigitte's upcoming classes at Blueberries.

Visit Brigitte's website at www.brigittegiblinquilts.com

Material Girl

Jackie's tips, hints, advice and info on fabrics and products

Name:  Faith

Moda owner Mark Dunn may not make quilts, but he certainly appreciates them. Twice yearly he selects an antique quilt from this substantial collection and reproduces its fabrics for his Howard Marcus lines. The proceeds from these fabrics, known as “Collections for a Cause” benefit charities that touch Moda customers and employees, including support for breast cancer, juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer’s and more.

Inspiration for this beautiful range entitled “Faith” is from an 1840 – 1860 quilt that was found in Massachusetts. The gorgeous brown and pink tones make it a dead set winner, especially for a lovely autumnal mood. This range is already selling fast, so don't miss out!

Click here to order "Faith".

April in Melbourne

The 2011 Australasian Quilt Convention

In exactly a month, thousands of feverishly excited quilting aficionados from all over Australia, New Zealand and beyond, will descend en masse on Melbourne for this year’s Australasian Quilt Convention. I hope that city has its seatbelt fastened, because it’s going to need it.

The Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens will be the epicentre of all this quilting activity and will host dozens of stalls as well as classes by some of the best known and most experienced quilters from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US. This includes our own Kay Haerland, whose ‘Creating Realistic Landscape Quilts’ class was one of the first to sell out. Are we surprised? Not at all.

The love, creativity and madness will flow freely, rather like the cocktails served at the Welcome Cocktail Party on the first day. The Convention runs over four days, from 14 to 17 April, so there’ll be plenty of time to check all the stores, demonstrations and fabulous new products. The highlight is the gala dinner on Saturday 16 April, when a series of quilting awards are presented, including the most coveted National Quilt Award.

In short, this event is not to be missed by any serious quilter. Blueberries will be keeping the spirit alive at Stall 21, manned by Jackie, so come along and say hi and check out the demonstrations being held throughout the four days.

Click here for the Australasian Quilt Convention’s site.

Big 'n' Bizarre

A road trip of Australia’s fiberglass monuments

The Big Oyster

It’s been unkindly referred to as “a giant set of dinosaur dentures”, and a “clam shell with teeth”, but this enormous mollusk was created by an entrepreneurial pair of brothers already well experienced in the art of Big Things. Hungarian businessmen Louis and Attila Mokany had already given NSW the Big Merino in Goulburn in 1985 and Ballina’s original Big Prawn in 1989, so building a 20m high x 27m wide oyster on the Pacific Highway in Taree must have seemed like the logical next step.

Intended as an eye-grabbing testament to the Manning River region’s thriving local oyster industry, the Big Oyster was officially unveiled by then Premier Nick Greiner in 1990, amid much fanfare and display. Comprising 30 tonnes of steel and 70 tonnes of reinforced fiberglass cement, the structure housed a restaurant, gift shop, fresh seafood display, craft shops and an educational display on the local industry. Unfortunately, its most impressive feature, a giant illuminated pearl intended to beam a huge searchlight across the night skies, was never completed. The project went over budget and its creators were unable to pay Glenn Industries, the company manufacturing the pearl. Perhaps this missing jewel was symbolic of the rapid decline in the Big Oyster’s fortunes.

In 1995, only five years after its triumphant (but pearl-less) opening, the Big Oyster was closed down, having never been completely accepted by the local population.  Over the next couple of years it did its time as a bakery, art society, adult education centre and driving school, each incarnation more embarrassing than the one before it. Then in 2000, came the ultimate in humiliation and shame – it was turned into a used car yard.

And so it’s been for the last 11 years, selling ordinary, run-of-the-mill used cars (apart from their specially designed Big Oyster number plate frames). Lately there’s been rumours of the Oyster's upstairs observation deck being turned into a motor museum, which kind of makes sense, given its panoramic views of the Pacific Highway. Sadly though, none of this could ever compensate the Big Oyster for the loss of that once imagined but never-realised giant pearl searchlight. The pearl of its dreams.

And the last word...

"Quilt till you wilt!"