Desert To Sea Publication

by Jane Davidson “One of my most cherished childhood memories was growing up by the ocean on the east coast of Australia. The rocky outcrops that lead to the sea were brimming with ocean life caught in the rock pools when the tide subsided. This quilt uses the humble Dresden with a twist, to portray features of the brightly coloured starfish and anemones that inhabited the rock pools.”

by Jeannette Bruce “Both my love of creating scrap quilts as well as my desire to use some of my brightest solid fabrics inspired this quilt. I wanted to experiment using contrasting colours rather than using contrasting values within the quilt. I used the solid fabrics to feature “X”s and “O”s and used a black and white text fabric print as sashing. This combination gives the eye a chance to rest while the colours pop. The scalloped border as well as the black and white striped binding add to the fun and reminds me of an old fashioned, written “Love Letter.” The “X”s and “O”s contain the sentiments within them.”

by Jane Davidson “Every year the ladies dress up to celebrate the race that stops a nation – the Melbourne Cup. In the design of this quilt I tried to capture the atmosphere of the day where the field abounds with the colours of the jockey silks, the spring flowers, flowing champagne and the brightly adorned fashion enthusiasts. This is a fun and easy quilt using simple block construction and paper piecing.”

by Daniel Aeuckens “My fabric stash tends to weigh heavily towards a few colours – I have a lot of reds, pinks and greys, but far fewer blues or greens – and my quilts tend to be designed around a limited colour palette, perhaps three or four main colours at a time. For this quilt I really wanted to challenge myself to use the full effect of a rainbow spectrum, and to use both the background of the quilt to show this off, and a colour wheel to demonstrate how colours radiate around and back to the start. This quilt combines two of my favourite block patterns – the Dresden wheel, with a modern twist, and the subway tile – and employs the contrast of the low volume fabrics in the centre to make the wheel pop.”

by Charlotte Dumsney “I love the use of solids in modern quilts. Using simple piecing, the traditional flying geese block and paper piecing techniques, I have created hearts and arrows floating in a deep coral background.”

by Cathy Underhill “The discovery of a photograph of a wonderful antique quilt on Pinterest was the inspiration behind the creation of this quilt. The colours bring to mind retro style and days gone by, while the use of solid fabrics help bring the quilt to today’s modern quilters.”

by Jane Davidson “This quilt reflects the colours of the desert sands that sweep across our sunburnt land. As the rains fall on the desert, a tiny green plant awakens and bursts forth from the sandy soils. A combination of piecing and appliqué brings together a simple, modern, geometric pattern.”

by Betty Kerr “During 2006 and 2007 I lived in Singapore for 18 months. I got involved in a quilt group with ladies not only from Australia but also other parts of the world. It broadened my horizons immensely with the different styles of quilts I saw and discussed. I was seduced by Japanese textiles and the many styles of quilts made from these fabrics. I took the opportunity of attending the Tokyo Quilt show in this period of time and found the people lovely. Their personalities are beautiful and I was excited to have seen a geisha at night on her way to her place of work.”

by Lorena Uriarte “Tumbling block quilts have fascinated me since I first began my love affair with patchwork and quilting. My aim with Opal Essence was to combine the almost architectural landscape of this traditional quilt design with some floating bubbles in some of my favourite bright fabrics. I made the circles in three different sizes to add visual interest and so that I could include some of the smaller scraps. Appliquéing circle pieces onto the diamond shapes made this quilt a great portable project.”

by Rachealdaisy “My objective for this quilt was to create something fun, bold, bright, a little bit traditional but also a bit modern. Melon blocks fit the bill perfectly, add some ric-rac and yo-yos and we’ve got a party happening. I chose colours reminiscent of bright neon lights at night or yummy liquorice all-sorts. You’ve got to love the way those dark fabrics really make those bright citrus colours pop. This quilt is one that would look great in many different colours or themes. Black/white with red ric rac and red yo-yos would make a bold statement. Super stripes against a background of spots and dots, or how about dreamy pastel solids or a frenzy of fussy cut favourites. The possibilities are endless.”

Photographed at Mooloolaba Beach QLD