Thanks for the support!

The fabulous SCQuilters Retreat is fast approaching, so we'd like to take this opportunity to thank the many sponsors who make the event a reality. Many of them sponsor us regularly and we hope you'll support them too!

Appleyard Cottage

Baghdad Quilting Supplies

Bargain Box

BeBe Bold

Bella Patchwork

Bluebell A1 Quilting

Blush & Willow

Busy Thimbles

Clair's Fabrics

Clover

Colour Streams

Craft Collections

Crazy Patchwork Lady

Cynthia's Ark

Diana Chalk

Elna Sewing & Jan's Patch

Fabric at the Right Price

Foofaraw Australia

Keep Quilting - the Rule Steady Lady

Kookaburra Cottage

KoolKat Quilting

J T Leutenegger Pty Ltd

Marion Prime

Material Obsession

Minky Bear and Me Fabrics

My Patch Quilting

Professional Quilting Service

Punch with Judy

Quilters Blessing Patchwork

Sew Simple

Simpson & Scarlett

Studio Mio

Stuff n Bears

The Remnant Warehouse

Threadbear Quilting & Patchwork

Treasured Textiles Australia

Wabi-Sabi Designs


Thanks, everyone!

Retreat is coming to Canberra...

Our latest update from Jan on the SCQ 2015 Retreat committee really whets our appetites!

This retreat is about remembering 1915, not in a sad way but focussing on how it was for the womenfolk, how they taught each other skills and were ingenious at making do and creating a social life. It's not so much re-enacting as reactivating this sharing of knowledge and fun, in 2015 style.

The venue, Hotel Realm Canberra is definitely 2015. Two enormous ballrooms will be at our disposal, one for eating meals and one for socialising. You can stay at the hotel at a discounted rate but other accommodation  is available elsewhere, if you prefer.

To encourage us to learn from each other, there will be no traditional workshops with external tutors and extra fees. This year we have called on our own members already attending to share their knowledge by running either demonstrations or “have a go” tables. There will be a published timetable of what's on, so you won't miss a thing!

  

Fun activities include:

• Michelle Law demonstrating how to make a simple skirt – we can all sew the most complex blocks and yet some of us are totally intimidated by the mere thought of whipping up a simple skirt for ourselves. So if you think you can’t make a skirt, come and surprise yourself.
• Bernadette Brickley demonstrating sock knitting, which had quite a following at previous retreats. Bernadette has many tips and tricks and simple patterns that a novice can easily pick up.
• Wendy Watkins, professional quilter of Honey Pot Quilting,  giving a talk on how to prepare a quilt for professional quilting so you can get the best result possible and avoid extra costs.
• Wyn Roper giving a talk on Quilts of Valor. Come and hear about the project, see what people have made and maybe get inspired to make a charity quilt at home.
• Jenny Bowker talking about Modern Quilting. If you're looking for a change of direction in your own quilt making, or want to attract and inspire new quilters who may think that quilting is just traditional fabrics and methods, this is a talk and slide show not to be missed.

Others are still in the panning stages but will include crochet, needle turn applique and English Paper Piecing (EPP). The organisers are happy to receive suggestions.

Of course, no retreat would be complete without the "siggy swap", a great way to meet new people. Put your name down, make your signature squares and swap away!

 

Then there are Challenges. Your first challenge is to make your own name badge. Very generous sponsors are donating prizes, so it's time to get started!

 

The second challenge is to use the block that has been especially designed for this retreat by our own Heather Hanneman. Heather took inspiration from the Rising Sun badge which is appropriate for the era as well as 2015. Instructions for the block are on the website. This challenge is open to everyone in Southern Cross Quilters, not just those attending the retreat.

 

The third Challenge is “Accessorise like a 1915 Quilter” Challenge. There is still plenty of time to consult Prof Google or your library or even just your imagination, and to produce something that depicts you as a quilter with accoutrements for your craft back in 1915.

 

Participating in any or all of the challenges is not compulsory, but there are some great prizes. 

  

There has been a lot of interest in the Monday shop hop, although it's not part of the official retreat. The Shop Hop came about because we realised that people travel from far and wide to come to Retreat and we all love to check out the local quilt shops. For some, it's been a way to fill in time until their travel times. In the past, there have been 2 or 3 coachloads of SCQuilter Retreaters heading off to the shops.

 

This time we are offering only one shopping bus. We're also offering a Tourist Trap bus, for those who would like to visit our national institutions with someone with local knowledge. A third bus is the Snow Bus, since, for some SCQuilters, Canberra is as close as they get to where it snows. While you may see some snow on the Brindabella ranges at Retreat time, if you want a closer experience, we have organised a coach to take you to the snow, via a quilt shop (so you don’t totally miss out on shopping), and via the Bredbo Christmas Barn so you can pick up a bauble or fairy or two.

 

 To take part in this wonderful retreat you must be a SCQuilter and have completed the EOI and Registration forms. You don't have to pay the registration immediately – see the web site for details.

 

Oh and when is the Retreat exactly?

July 31st - August 2nd 2015

Time to plan a little fun...

Yes, it's SCQuilters Retreat time again!

Registrations are now open for the Canberra Retreat.

Our theme this time is “Remembering 1915”.

It's being held at Hotel Realm, a 5-star hotel on National Circuit, Barton on Friday 31st July – Sunday 2 August 2015.  Places are filling fast so it's time to get your bookings in! 
So to tempt those SCQuilters who are still undecided ………

1. Send your EOI and payment in and receive a registration pack straight to your email address.

2. The registration email you will receive will be requesting information pertaining to the actual retreat only. 
This time, registration emails will request information only about the actual retreat.
Other items that have traditionally been included in the registration process will follow later once they are finalised. For example, apparel and merchandise ordering will be separate to registration, and bus shop hop information will come later. As has always been the case, these items are a separate cost and additional to the retreat cost so splitting them up may make some options more affordable. 3. The cost of registration is $390 per person.

BUT….
An earlybird discount is being offered, if full payment is received and cleared by 28th February 2015. Earlybird registration is $350pp.

Payment in instalments is still available at $390pp, made in 3 instalments: the first of $100 by 28 February 2015, then a further $145 by 30 April ($245 total) and then the final $145 by 30 June ($390 total), end of financial year. We hope these payment options will suit everyone and mean more SCQuilters can attend.
There will be no workshops to pay for at the Retreat. Instead, there will be many choices of demonstrations, information sessions, and come-and-try groups that attendees can participate in, to share in learning a new skill or trying an old skill. In the past, these skills would have been learnt from someone who as already skilled”.
In some cases, the subject will be a very new take on the ways learnt in 1915, or a totally new phenomenon reflecting the ways of 2015.

More information on these activities will be announced in the coming months, as the subjects and teachers are finalised. These teachers are fellow SCQuilters, as the philosophy of this retreat is learning from one another, as people did in a hundred years ago.
For those who have already sent in their EOI, you can expect your registration email by the end of next week – thank you for your patience.

If you want to register but haven't yet sent an EOI, do that first. Go here to complete your EOI and send it along with your EOI payment of $20.

If you're not yet a SCQuilter, now's the time to join! Go to https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/scquilters/info and follow the prompts to join.
 We're looking forward to hosting you in Canberra in 2015 and hope you can come for a weekend of fun!