1. SHOWS
Australasian
Quilt Convention Report 
The AQC
was the first show we attended this year in Melbourne during February. Although I had mentioned before what a
tremendous success it was for the Organizers, the Exhibitors, the tutors, the
delegates and most importantly, those who visited had fun, I thought I would
bring you up to date with the Awards and next years event. The fourth Australasian Quilt Convention
& Expo brought together thousands of quilters from all around the country
and indeed, from overseas too.
Managing
Director of Expertise Events who organizes this event said "Every year the
reaction to AQC gets bigger and more encouraging. In fact, AQC is now so popular that it
has outgrown the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre where it has
resided since 2005. Next year from
February 26 to March 1, 2009, the convention moves to the Royal Exhibition Building, home of the very first exhibition ever held
in Australia."
I am so
happy re this announcement as this was where the first shows "Stitches" started
and I think there are only myself and two other remaining Exhibitors today who
were actually Exhibitors at the Exhibition Building all those years ago. Makes me feel old but also very
proud.
There was
so much to see and so much to do, but a dear friend, who has been an award
winner, told me to get myself off my stand and visit the special exhibition from
South
Africa, even if it was the only thing I could
get to see. I was so pleased she
insisted, I was very moved by the experience, witnessing the talent of so many
with so little experience, but a natural gift for expressing their way of life
through textiles. As I said, so
many exhibits and a wealth of inspiration, you MUST consider travelling to it in
2009 no matter what State you live in.
It's well worth the time, cost and effort. Fabulous.
National
Winners were announced at the Gala Dinner, again, hosted by Julia Zaetta, Editor
of Better Homes & Gardens, in her own inimitable, hilarious
fashion.
Congratulations
to the following, just in case you've not heard.
The
National Quilt Award Winner for 2007 was Mariya Waters from Victoria for
her stunning quilt, Renaissance Revival which was a winner at Houston
International Quilt Festival last year as well. I'm proud to say that one of our
Show Stand Display Quilts has been made by Mariya too, so next time have a
closer look at the Pale Green Trapunto by Machine quilt which Mariya has kindly
loaned me for my classes. I clapped
very hard when this award was announced and Mariya gave an excellent small
speech showing that besides her quilting talent, she has a quick wit and sense
of humour as well.
The Rajah
Award recognizes outstanding contribution by an individual to quilting in
Australia and this year's
winner was Faye Cunningham from Victoria. Faye has been quilting for over 27
years, is an accredited teacher, judge and valuer. Her quilting career has taken her across
Australia and around the world and is
well recognized for her encouragement, motivation and inspiration to those she
meets.
The
Shining Light goes to a quilter under the age of 18 as an encouragement award
for junior quilters. The 2008
recipient was 11 year old Annie Girdwood from Victoria whose list of achievements and
talents was enough to make all the adults present feel so inadequate and
breathless with this talented youngster.
No wonder the MC, Julia, asked Annie would she please marry her son whom
she was willing to be instrumental in making him wait.
For 2008,
a new award was presented by Expertise Events - the Lut-da Award
recognizing an individual who ahs contributed to the community through her
involvement in quilting. Lut-da is
an aboriginal word meaning "to give".
The inaugural winner of this award was Jan Preston, also from Victoria. Jan's selfless concern (Jan has Multiple
Sclerosis) for others and her willingness to donate her time and talents is what
makes her a worth recipient as she has provided quilts for Kosovo refugees, East
Timorese relief programs and other humane causes.
So, the
Victorians had a clean sweep, didn't they? Congratulations
everyone.
Newcastle
Craft & Quilt Fair
What a
roaring success this was for Newcastle as a first time show in this area for
Expertise Events? Was a three day
show from Feb 29 to March 2 and each day was packed to the hilt with happy
customer braving some "let the skies open" sort of rainfall. A few unfortunate Exhibitors had their
parked cars flooded on set up day when the storm water drains simply couldn't
cope with the rivers of water. I mean actually flooded!
The
weather improved and keen quilters, sewers and craftspeople flocked to the
show.
On behalf
of the organizers, may I let you know that next year there WILL be more gates
open and more staff and more room for parking and better eating facilities and
and and! Just DO come again. We all expected a good show as the area
is very crafty but no-one expected quite the constant numbers of visitors. Good on you and thank you.
Brisbane
Stitches & Craft Show 
This is
the next show we are attending commencing Wed. 30th April until
Sunday 4th May.
We'll be
on Stand 1100 in the first far left hand side aisle, backing onto where we were
last year.
My daily workshop is
at 10.45am in Workshop F
How to Use the New
Specialty Rulers
Judy explains
how to use some of the new rulers to perfect your patchwork by using just the
right tool for a specific need, making patchwork quicker, easier and certainly
more fun.
This
workshop has been very well received at both AQC and Newcastle and, of course,
I add lots of tips and tricks and you always get more than what's on the
agenda.
If there's
anything in particular you want brought to the Show, as usual, kindly let me
know before Anzac Day, 25th April.
Don't
forget your Show
Coupons too.
Just a
reminder also, Punch with Judy will not be attending
either the Gold Coast Show nor the Townsville Show in April,
however, for those wishing to attend, here are the dates.
Gold Coast
Craft & Quilt Fair 3 - 6 April, Townsville Craft & Quilt Fair 17 -
20 April.
I'm quite
sure both shows will be well worth visiting, just save some of your coin to
visit Punch with Judy's stand at the Brissy Stitches!!!
During the
time those shows are held, we are holding two Retreats at home, so just can't
fit everything in!
2. RETREATS
We've just held our first Digitizing & Customizing Retreat and it was
a huge success. We were very happy with it. Leaenda Ingram was our
tutor and the students were more than happy with what the program
contained. They all used Generations Software and had three days of
concentrated work with same, but also enjoyed some really exciting different
ways of sewing things. I was particularly impressed with "In the Hoop"
sewing, where you completely sew the item within the hoop. The students
made an eyeglass case, fully lined, embroidered, satin-stitched around all
edges, ALL within the one hooping. Intrigued? If you wish to do this
Retreat in 2009, then watch the Newsletters or email me.
One student wrote to me afterwards
with this comment:
As a student of
digitise-wise, I would recommend it to any Generations user or digitise-wise
student The face to face teaching enhances the correspondence course. The
Retreat is a perfect way to be around other creative people and have fun whilst
learning new techniques and shortcuts.
Thanks once again for a
wonderful learning experience, Jane
APRIL RETREATS
If you have put your name down for
either of these, now is the time to confirm your attendance please and
pay your $100.00 deposit if you've not already done so. Balance may be
paid at the Retreat.
Machine Embroidery
Retreat
will be held from 12th - 14th April, 2008.
If you own a computerized machine
embroidery machine, this is a must! Everyone learns so much whilst having a
great time with other fellow enthusiasts. Reports from students who've attended
this class claim they learnt more than any periodical classes held in shops. Of
course you would, three days of concentrated learning can't be
equalled.
Machine Embroidery
Techniques Retreat will be held from 16th - 18th
April, 2008. Wow, didn't this one cause an impact when we held it last year!
This is for those who don't own a computerized machine. So many techniques, so
much machine knowledge to be gained, this possesses a wealth of information for
our passion of sewing.
Patchwork, the Just
Curves Way with Sandra Chandler from
USA will be
held from 19th - 21st June,  2008.
Full details of this
class have now been finalized and it's going to be quite an eye-opener and full
of surprises.
Included will be
Drunkard's Path with extensive variations such as horizontally and vertically
subdividing the arcs; Dresden Plate, the Just Curves way eliminates all applique and creates
blocks much more quickly and consistently.
Each blade is sewn into a separate background piece and each blade is
sewn into the ring. Even the centre circle is inserted, not appliqued. All with no pinning of seams! Seems impossible but true!! Plus, the Friendship Knot like you've
never seen before and a fabulous variation of the Hexagon/Orange Peel design as
I showed in a previous Newsletter.
Don't
forget the two Retreats in September either. Details on my website, but the Fun with
Embellishments Retreat is taking shape very nicely and will be loads of
guaranteed inspiration.
Full particulars are now on my website.
4. WHAT'S NEW
So many
new products for you to peruse under the heading What's New on my
website.
I'll group
them together for you here.
Announcing
we now have several books and rulers from Eleanor Burns' company "Quilt in a Day". You kept asking for these, so we've
accommodated. Most popular request
was for her Flying Geese
rulers plus her Squaring Up
Ruler, Triangles in
a Square, Mini Ruler
Set, Fussy Cut
Trio Rulers, Kaleidoscope
Ruler & Scallops,
Vines & Waves Template, since she's been
demonstrating these on TV segments.
Also
introducing Toolless from
France. Toolless is a pre-printed 100% Cotton
designed for Log Cabin and its variations.
I was intrigued with these when I first saw them whilst attending a
Retail Show in France and I’ve finally received my
stock. They are so accurate and
provide a sturdy background for the flip and sew method of this ever popular
patchwork block.
 The Boondoggle
Rulers and patterns are proving popular as our several new items from
Phillips Fiber Art. Their new size Circle-A-Round
Tool may well be their best seller and I just love their new Drunkard's
Path book.
Quiltsmart's
new packaging is just fabulous.
Shop owners, it's a great way to hang sell their packs, which makes it so
much easier for the shopper to browse through.
Presentation
is very important and can make or break a product we all know, but Quiltsmart
have excelled with the new Snuggler Packs and
Classic
Packs. They've introduced some
Fun Packs too for the beginner.
 Hatched in Africa
have several new Machine Embroidery CDs for you to consider but my favourites
from these new releases are Fantasy Fish
and Fantasy
Butterflies because they are sewn on Angelina Fiber and
represent fun variations and allows you to experiment with Angelina
"fabric".
In my last
Newsletter I introduced the Sewline
range of markers and glue pen and these are continuing to be our current best
seller.
We now
have the Bohin
Mechanical Chalk Pencil Set which is different to other chalk pencils in
that it is made of Natural Chalk and not a wax-based chalk. This means it will wash out easily and
completely, even after ironing.
Still on
markers, the Karisma
Mechanical Pencil comes in a choice of four colours and is a fine 0.9mm
lead. The lead is manufactured
using the latest ceramic technology making it very strong - will not break
easily. Of course it is water
erasable and refills available.
 Just love the new patterns from By Annie, in
particular, the Travelling
Set and the Laptop
Computer Case.
Fabulous.
Yet
another wonderful new bag pattern from StudioKat Designs
who keep coming up with amazing bag ideas.
The
Trifecta is another great addition to the range.
Clover has
several new products too which I will add during the week and announce in my
next Newsletter. The main one of
interest is their new Smocking packages.
4. MADE IN
AUSTRALIA
 Rowena Charlton has released a new CD showing how
exciting it can be to sew Motifs in
Circles and have matching Borders.
These are fun and much more versatile than you think.
5. CLUBS/GUILDS DISCOUNTS
Your club, guild or sewing group could be saving a huge discount
on each and every purchase when the group is registered. Why not consider it for your group? One order, one payment, one delivery
address. Email me now and I can
reply with an application form requesting membership. You may either pass these savings on to
your members or use as a fundraiser for your designated
charity.
6. SPECIALS
There are
some great specials on selected Yazzii Bags though
a few are now nearly sold out, so may I suggest you check them out before you
miss out?
The Echidna Polyester
Thread has been discontinued and I'm down now to a very sketch range of
colours left. If you wish to take
"pot luck" and have me send you a selection, you may have 12 for $40.00 if you
mention this offer in the Additional Comments section of your Order as it is for
Newsletter readers only and won't show as such dollar value on your website
order.
A reminder
to anyone who has received a Thread Certificate from Echidna that Punch with
Judy is a participating dealer and you may trade in your "any brand of old
thread that has only been very partly used, but all new Hemmingworth
Threads for the discounted price of $4.45 and $4.95 for metallics". This is a great offer to get rid of any
threads you don't like using as much as others. Hemmingworth is normally $8.95 and $9.95
for metallics, so the offer is half normal retail.
7. STITCHES SUBSCRIBER
OFFERS
Subscribe to
Australian Stitches via our website and then you're eligible to receive all
the monthly specials Punch with Judy offers within each issue. The current offer is for a Tilt'able
Ergonomic Sewing Table or a Serger Tilt for your Overlocker at a great
discounted price of $90.00 plus $10.00 postage anywhere in Australia.
There's
always four current Issue Offers on my website which allows you plenty of time
to consider, even though the magazine states a closing date of one month only
for each offer. You recoup your
subs fee in no time at all, plus you have all that wonderful reading and
knowledge shared.
8. FREE PROJECTS
In this
section we have wonderful FREE Projects for you. I simply want to remind you of this and
that for the current CD Carry
Case, we now have in stock the plastic inserts. This project is a very practical useful
item, ideal for taking your Machine Embroidery designs to classes or for your
musical CDs for travelling. It also
makes a wonderful gift.
9.
DAMAGED & DISCONTINUED
The last
group of these I offered went so quickly, so this time, email me
"fast".
The original Rule Steady
300mm I've been using as my demonstration model at the shows has now been
replaced with the 350mm one.
Therefore, I'm offering you my one that has one corner broken off (when a
customer knocked it off the shelf) which would be easily glued back to
perfection. Normally $55.00, this
one only $30.00 plus postage or I'm happy to bring to a show for collection.
Also have
one Brandy's Product that needs gluing as well. The 1" Shapes
Fabric Marking Template has 8 co-coordinated shapes and it suffered a clean
break across one end. This is
indeed a handy template set, yours for only $15 plus $2 p/h, way below
RRP.
10. TIPS & TUTORIALS
For anyone
who has The Sewing Revolution products, we now have all the tutorials on our
website to help you with their versatility. You can print them and use them side by
side as your work. There are
several available and we thank TSR Company for allowing us to offer these to
you.
I've also
added some great tutorials from Quilt in a Day. Eleanor Burns demonstrates some of her
products teaching you how to use them in her own imitable fashion. Eleanor is an absolute icon in
USA and has recently celebrated her
25th Anniversary in the quilting industry.
There are
3 tutorials there now and we'll add the Flying Geese ones later this
week.
11. DID
YOU KNOW?
Did you
know that riddles keep our
mind open and active for hours sometimes?
Ever have one that stumps you and you have to think about it for days or
even take to pen and paper just to work it out? The grandma one following did that to
me, but here's a quick little one that you should get
easily.
Can you name three
consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday or Sunday?
Did you
know that most of us were
taught to sew by our mothers or grandmothers? Well, here's something to get your mind
boggling.
If we had a sewing
bee, what would be the least number of chairs for us all to get together if
there were four mothers, two grandmothers and four
daughters?
Answer? See the Made in Australia
segment above; don't click anywhere, just read.
Did you
know that the computer
industry has been compared with the car industry? Yes, we all own a computer, so here's
something to make you laugh out loud.
For
all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers
have enhanced our lives, read on.
At a recent
computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry
with the auto industry and stated:
If GM had kept up with technology like the
computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles
to the gallon.
In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a
press release stating:
If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we
would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:
1. For no
reason whatsoever, your car would crash . . . . . . . . twice a day.
2. Every
time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new
car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You
would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off
the car, restart it and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some
reason you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a manoeuvre
such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in
which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a
car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as
easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6. The oil,
water temperature and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a
single 'This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation' warning light.
7. The
airbag system would ask 'Are you sure?' before deploying.
8. Occasionally,
for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in
until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold
of the radio antenna.
9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would
have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would
operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You'd have to press the
'Start' button to turn the engine off.
So, are you smiling, laughing or shaking your
head?
11. GOLDEN OLDIES
I like to
tell you about some of my favourite products that I personally use and want to
share their attributes, as one sewer to another. Here's another.
Audrey's
Iron Shoe. I have one of these
Teflon Iron Shields over one of my irons in my sewing room and use it when I'm
not sure of the compatibility between heat and the fabric being ironed. It has saved scorching, sticking and
shine to fabrics many a time and I simply wouldn't be without it. It does give a build up of oxidation on
the sole of the iron though, so correct cleaning 2 or 3 times a year is
essential. I'm guilty of not
adhering to this, so I know that unless you follow the manufacturers clear
instructions on the packaging, the iron does seem to get a little corroded
depending upon the chemicals in the water you use. However, the sole may be cleaned with a
wax-based product such as a simple candle.
How? Stand your hot iron on
some waste fabric, melt some wax onto
the iron then clean off with a dry cloth.
It's a good idea to actually do this before you even fit your Teflon Iron
Shield for the first time.
Why do I
like this brand over others on the market?
It fits all irons, has a stronger spring than others, has a reinforced
toe, safe for ALL fabrics including silk or velvet, safe for children to use and
even better for husbands who have to iron!
Judy's
Tip: I mentioned above "one of my irons in my sewing room". I don't find any Teflon Iron Shoe or any
Teflon Based Iron is any good for transfers of any description since they don't
seem to allow the iron to be quite hot enough. Never use a Teflon Sole Iron for Photo
Transfers or for Heat Iron-On Transfer Pencils.
Here's a
lovely story to finish off on, get out your tissues though. I loved this, having spent the first
years of married life in a small town that did have a local switchboard who
connected every phone call you wished to make.
When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones
in our neighbourhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall.
The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the
telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to
it.
Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an
amazing person. Her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did
not know. Information Please could supply
anyone's number and the correct time.
My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day
while my mother was visiting a neighbour. Amusing myself at the tool bench in
the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but
there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give
sympathy.
I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally
arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the
parlour and dragged it to the landing climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in
the parlour and held it to my ear. "Information, please" I said into the
mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into
my ear.
"Information."
"I hurt my finger..." I wailed into the
phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.
"Isn't your
mother home?" came the question.
"Nobody's home
but me," I blubbered.
"Are you bleeding?" the voice asked.
"No," I
replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it
hurts."
"Can you open the icebox?" she asked.
I
said I could.
"Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your
finger," said the voice.
After that, I called "Information Please" for
everything. I asked her for help with my geography and she told me where
Philadelphia was.
She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the
park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.
Then, there was the
time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, "Information Please," and told her
the sad story. She listened and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a
child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so
beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers
on the bottom of a cage?"
She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said
quietly, "Wayne
always remember that there are other worlds to sing in."
Somehow I felt
better.
Another day I was on the telephone, "Information
Please."
"Information," said in the now familiar voice.
"How do I spell fix?" I asked.
All this took place in a
small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was
nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my
friend very much. "Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home
and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table
in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood
conversations never really left me.
Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity
I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how
patient, understanding and kind she was to have spent her time on a little
boy.
A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in
Seattle I had about
a half-hour or so between planes.. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my
sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialled
my hometown Operator and said, "Information Please."
Miraculously, I heard
the small, clear voice I knew so well.
"Information."
I hadn't planned
this, but I heard myself saying, "Could you please tell me how to spell
fix?"
There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your
finger must have healed by now."
I laughed, "So
it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to
me during that time?"
"I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your call
meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your
calls."
I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked
if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.
"Please do",
she said. "Just ask for Sally."
Three months later I was back in
Seattle a different
voice answered "Information." I asked for Sally.
"Are you a friend?" she
said.
"Yes, a very old friend," I answered.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you
this," she said. "Sally had been working part-time the last few years because
she was sick. She died five weeks ago."
Before I could hang up she said,
"Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne?"
"Yes." I answered.
"Well, Sally left a message for you. She
wrote it down in case you called.
Let me read it to you."
The note said,
"Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean."
I
thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
Never underestimate the
impression you may make on others.
Whose life have you touched today?
Till next time,
Judy
|
Judy Hall
Punch with Judy
P.O. Box 62
THE ROCK (near Wagga)
N.S.W. AUSTRALIA.
2655
|
| 
n South Korea to Jess Park and Rowan, our
son. All are well and Hunter weighed in at a healthy 3.46kg
(7.6lbs). Very proud Dad was present and even cut the cord! Here's a
photo taken not long after birth, though Hunter has changed a little already as
I have received new photos today now that he's 7 days old.
Cute little button, hey? Rowan has a Korean
based recruiting company with an office in Seoul though now runs his portion of
the business from Australia and will return home in April.
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