Australasian Quilt Convention Melbourne 2011

Best of the Best

Quilt guilds around the country have wonderful shows each year with many fabulous quilts on display. Here's a chance to see a selection of the best quilts from the far corners of the region. The display includes the Best of Show quilt from each Australian state guild - these will be judged at AQC for the National Quilt Award and the winner will be announced at the Gala Dinner.

The Australian National
Quilt Award is sponsored by:

AP&Q AQC Challenge

You will be challenged, amused and inspired by the finalists' original designs in the third annual AP&Q APC Challenge. 30 wonderful quilts exploring the theme 'Seven Deadly Sins' will be competing for cash prizes totalling $7500.

Depictions range from austere to wildly sumptuous explorations of the theme. Winners will be announced at the Welcome Cocktail Party held on Wednesday, April 13. Come and be tempted by these 30 wonderful designs to be seen first at the Australasian Quilt Convention.

Sponsored by:

Teach Me

This year our tutors are from around Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Here's a great chance to see pieces by leading quilters, whose work you may not have seen before, and also some new ones by your favourite locals.

Australia Wide Two

Ozquilt Network Incorporated was founded in 1998 as an Australia-wide group of quiltmakers interested in promoting contemporary quilts as art. Through its newsletter, website and exhibitions, the group aims to raise awareness of contemporary art quiltmaking.

Defining the quilt as “a stitched layered textile” allows for freedom in approach whilst maintaining the basics of quilt construction. As a result, the quilts in Ozquilt Network Inc.'s Australia Wide Two Exhibition range from the more traditionally based to edgy, free interpretations. Click here for more information on Ozquilt Network Incorporated.

Above: Portal by Susan Mathews, Black Water by Judy Hooworth, Ribbon Rock Ediacara Suite - Alvena Hall, Fungus by Carolyn Sullivan - from Australia Wide Two exhibition

Quilts by Ruth de Vos

Ruth de Vos is an art quilter from Western Australia who has won many awards at the QuiltWest show since 2005 and had quilts included in many exhibitions. Ruth's work is held in private collections and also in the WA Museum (history collection). Australian flora has featured extensively in her work and is perhaps the theme Ruth is best known for, but recently her attention has focused on the theme of childhood as her children provide endless inspiration.

Rajah Winner 2010 - Barbara Macey

Winner of the Rajah Award in 2010, Barbara Macey is one of Australia's leading textile artists with a career spanning four decades. She is known for bold geometric works as well as her tireless efforts as founder of the Ozquilt Network Inc and the driving force behind the website and newsletter. As well as a quilter Barbara is an author, historian, judge and photographer and - most importantly - a mentor.

1000 Quilts for Peace

During 2009 and 2010 at Craft & Quilt Fairs across the country the 1000 Quilts for Peace project has been quietly taking place. The project aims to create quilts for victims of domestic violence and the theme relates to the Japanese story of Sadako. It's not too late to create a quilt for this worthy cause - and there are sewing machines to be won. Read the story and find out how you can enter at www.1000cranesforpeace.com.au

The Thread Studio Pocket Challenge

Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it, … come and see lots of very creative pockets in this display. Pockets used to be separate items of clothing before someone got the clever idea of stitching them into garments. Anyway, they make a nice small project to experiment with some textile art techniques. See it first at AQC.

Here is a picture for you by Ruth de Vos

Presented by The Thread Studio

Golden Afternoons by Ruth de Vos

Elements

The new exhibition by tACTile, the Canberra-based group of quiltmakers who challenge themselves by working towards exhibiting together every two years, is entitled Elements.

Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller and Trevor and Beth Reid planned the latest exhibition during a time of extreme weather challenges in Australia. At that particular moment, as so often happens, our country was battling major floods in one part of the country and extensive bushfires in others.

The group agreed to work with this inspiration individually, and to look at one or more of the elements, earth, air, fire and water.

Going Green

From the UK come the British entries from the Transatlantic Quilt Challenge 2010 themed Going Green. They feature a diverse range of techniques and interpretations of the theme, illustrating that it is much more than just a colour. See it only at AQC.

Queensland Quilters Challenge 2011

Taking their inspiration from one particular fabric, the Queensland Quilters have produced many and varied quilts with that fabric included.

One Step Further

This exhibition from Victorian Quilters comprises contemporary art quilts in an open, juried exhibition. At AQC this year, we enjoy a selection of the entries.