AMQF photo DVD is ready!

Just a quick note to let you know that it has been a lot of editing, sorting & work to finally get this ready to be posted to everyone that has pre-ordered. There is a big box of packages going out in  tomorrow’s mail!

Originally we were stating that this would be a photo CD BUT there were just too many high quality photos to fit on a CD & we found it really hard to choose which ones to leave out. So instead, we have created a DVD instead.

The AMQ Festival DVD will play as a DVD on your computer as well as on any DVD player and has 10 chapters of slideshows on it. One for each quilt category, plus a winners slideshow, Banquet Dinner and also candid shots of the vendor mall, quilt show & classrooms. It will take just over an hour to play through all the slideshows and you can stop/rewind or go back to the menu, just like a DVD anywhere you like.

If you haven’t  already ordered your DVD, you can still do so!

Visit the website to order & get your DVD in time to put under the Christmas Tree!

We would both like to wish everyone a happy, blessed Christmas &  look forward to an exciting New Year in 2011. Enjoy your quilting & be inspired with all that we learnt at Festival!

until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

AMQF Wrap Up

It's hard to believe it's almost 2 weeks since AMQF began - time certainly marches on! A huge thank you to everyone that participated in "Festival" and made the debut such a fantastic event. We certainly couldn't have done it without all the wonderful volunteers who gave their time so unselfishly; never has the saying "many hands make light work" rung truer. We will keep you updated on AMQF 2012 as we progress.

Lost & Found One of our students lost a bag containing 2 pieces of material, it was in Clare Fairless-Lewis's class. We also had a tote bag handed in - it was pink/black/floral with another bag inside, these were purchased from the Patchwork on Parade booth and handed in from Kim Brunner's class. If you have information on either of these items please email sharon@amqfestival.com.au

Merchandise

The AMQF merchandise has now been added to the website for purchase, please click the box above to see what is available.

Feedback Thanks to all those that have taken the time to give us feedback, this is very important if we are to improve and grow. If you are comfortable emailing your feedback please do so at info@amqfestival.com.au or alternatively you can post it, anonymously, to AMQF, 13 Harbour Drive, Gulfview Heights SA 5096.

Until next time, Sharon & Tracey

It’s all over…

Sharon & I would like to thank everyone that attended as a student, a teacher, a vendor, a visitor, a sponsor and ESPECIALLY all those that also volunteered & assisted in so many ways. We have had some amazing feedback from so many & truly the strongest comments are in appreciation of having so many volunteers. Without you it would not have happened as smoothly as it did!

The weather was absolutely perfect, the venue & surrounds  were amazing as well.

We still have much work to do, but we have slowed from 500mph to only 100mph now vbg.

AMQ Festival dates for next  time are:

28th September – 1st October 2012

Keep these free & put them in your diaries! We have some great plans already which we will unveil when confirmed.

I have tonight finally found some time to get some  photos  of the winning quilts on the website. One is missing, but I will get that tomorrow.  You can view them here 

Best of Show was the lovely Rachelle Denneny with Fancy Flutterbys

Rachelle won a Brother NV400 sewing machine donated by Sue’s Sewing World. She said it was the first sewing machine she has ever won! Next special event for Rachelle is when she will be flown to Houston to receive a top 7 award at that show for another quilt. Congratulations from all of us Rachelle – we are so very proud of you!

There will be merchandise available on the website once I get to put it up there for those that missed out. Limited stock only.

Also the Festival Photo CD will be able to be purchased/ordered once they are all on there.

All those that have preordered will receive their CD in the mail by mid December. Just have to give the photographer time to complete exams & then complete the huge job of editing & sorting 1000’s of photos into sections to go on the CD. Then they all have to be reproduced, labeled & packaged for everyone. There will be many extra shots of the vendor mall, classrooms and the banquet dinner.

Will keep on blogging to keep everyone informed on the progress of AMQ Festival 2012

until next time….

Tracey  & Sharon

Glorious weather forecast for Festival!

Only one more day left for me to get organised up here on Yorke Peninsula. The infamous ‘trailer’ is still not finished but is promised by lunchtime tomorrow so we can pack it…

Hopefully I can take photos of it when it is ready to pack!

Here is the weather forecast for Mawson Lakes! Couldn’t ask for better I don’t think. There are beautiful walking tracks, lovely cafes overlooking the water to fill in your time if you are not shopping or doing classes.

and the Mawson Lakes Hotel which we have booked out & have our Banquet Dinner! There are still seats available for this if you have not already booked.

Not long now…

Tracey & Sharon

Appointments for Electrical Tagging

I have had quite a few queries about the equipment tagging and have this information to share. The electrician will be at Mawson Lakes from 10.30am to 4.00pm on Friday 1st October. If you wish to have your equipment tagged, and it MUST be tagged to use at AMQF, please email sharon@amqfestival.com.au If you can't make it during these times you will need to make your own arrangements to get your equipment tagged. This is for ALL electrical equipment, including extension cords and it is something that is non negotiable!

Entry to quilt show & vendor mall

If you have partners or friends that are coming to festival and have not registered for classes, then please let them know that the most economical way to do this is by purchasing a ‘pass’ for $15 that will allow entry all four days of festival as many times as you like.

Class requirements lists

If you go to the online registration page you can still click on the class you registered for to go to the teacher page where all the class descriptions & requirement lists are. Please ensure you have all that you need to ensure an enjoyable & fulfilling time in your classes.

See you soon!

Sharon & Tracey

Electrical Equipment Must Be Tagged!

Blog posts may now become very disjointed as we think of topics that need to be addressed. All electrical equipment must be tagged before it can be used at Festival. This is an accepted practice but for those than are unaware of it, this is a gentle reminder. We will have an electrician onsite during set times Thursday and Friday so if you'd like to take advantage of his service please contact sharon@amqfestival.com.au ASAP.. The charge for this service is $4.40 per machine and you pay the electrician direct.

General Information

In your Registration Bag/Attendee Package you will find an information sheet which has local essential services listed. Keep this handy, It also contains contact numbers if you require further information - please be respectful of times when calling these info numbers.

I'm too frightened to add a countdown number here, I just know it's too close and we still have so much to do:-)

See you soon,

Sharon & Tracey

We are back online!

What a day of headaches & computer woes…

The infamous Turkish Hacker has been annoying 1000’s of websites since 2006 and this time it was my turn! A huge learning curve, assistance from our host server and lots of time that I don’t have means that www.amqfestival.com.au is now back working for you to finish signing up for classes.

Online Registrations closing

Please note that online registrations will be extended to 6pm on Monday 20th September due to this problem on the website to allow for each & every registration to be printed & packed into their bags for you to collect on arrival. This is a mammoth job that needs to be done in the next week!

If you miss the deadline and still wish to attend "Festival" or register for extra classes, this can be done by coming to the Registration Desk where we will have forms available.

Banquet

The final numbers for the Banquet will be submitted on Monday 20th September so if you are thinking about attending now is the time to register to avoid disappointment.

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I would also like to mention & show my appreciation to the amazing Christine Abela from www.geckogully.com who has also spent a lot of time today assisting me in getting 2 of our websites back up & running as well. Christine  (also a sponsor of AMQ Festival) has done an amazing job of creating both Constantine Quilts & Patternpress (both sponsors of AMQ Festival) and has fixed all the hacked files in these two websites for us!

Now I have to go get my hair dyed from this grey before Festival as well! The Turkish Hacker is to be blamed vbg…

13 days to go…

Tracey & Sharon

Registrations closing!

Breaking news….

We are working  on it & going  greyer by  the second!! We have been hacked  by  a  Turkish hacker (?) so the website it  currently  unavailable. Please  be patient whilst we  sort  this out  & we will  let you know what is  happening as soon as we know.

We can hardly believe it!

The time since registrations opened in July has just flown with "Festival" only 2 weeks away today. The time has come to close them now, so that we can finalise everything and have your Registration Bags and Attendee Packages ready for collection on Friday 1st October.

Registrations will close at 6pm on Sunday 19th September and the ability to register online will be closed at this time. If you miss the deadline and still wish to attend "Festival" or register for extra classes, this can be done by coming to the Registration Desk where we will have forms available.

Congratulations to Rachelle Denneny

Rachelle has just received notification that she has won an award for her quilt entered at Houston - the organisers never reveal what you have won until the presentation ceremony but have told Rachelle she has won one of the top 7 awards. We are so happy for Rachelle and proud of her accomplishments, if you haven't booked into a class with Rachelle you only have 2 days to do it; her work is truly magnificent!

Quick Quarter Demos

Sue Van Riet of Sue's Sewing World has just announced she will be offering some fantastic Show Specials during "Festival". Check your Show Program for times if you're looking for a great deal on a new domestic sewing machine - you won't be disappointed.

Banquet

The final numbers for the Banquet will be submitted on Monday 20th September so if you are thinking about attending now is the time to register to avoid disappointment.

See you soon,

Sharon & Tracey

15 days to go..

I am writing to you  from the beautiful Mt Remarkable location in the mid north of South Australia. The event? My youngest DD’s  Yr 6 camp where I am in charge of the kitchen. This is my third Yr 6 camp as cook and will be my last, so I couldn’t not come again this year. It was also DD’s 12th birthday on the first day - yesterday, so the whole class celebrated with a big cake & fun activities last night.  Today I made the effort to go with them all to climb the mountain. 6.4 kms up/down means that I might not be able to walk very well later tonight & tomorrow! The weather turned bad but the views were magnificent!

You will  meet Sarah  on  the Constantine Quilts booth at Festival!

I’ve had some correspondence with one of our most experienced  quilters here in Australia who is also one of our two judges this year for the AMQA quilt show. She has offered this advice to share with everyone…

Dear Tracey,  

I was speaking to a beginner Longarm Quilter last night and discovered that she had only chosen beginner classes. 

As quilters of various abilities I thought all should be looking at attending classes which are the next step up from where they consider  themselves to be.  Even if your skills are not up to the more advanced techniques, attending classes that are more advanced can give direction to where the quilter would like to be and arm them with the techniques that can get them there.    This Festival is an opportunity for the quilter to grow and advance but more importantly it is an opportunity to invest in themselves and their businesses.

Susan Campbell, Rowdy  Flat  Quilting

How true this is!!

Thank  you Susan for sharing  this…

I’ve also had a phone call today (whilst climbing the mountain vbg) from a student getting excited  about coming to Festival.  I am sharing this as probably most would have the same question?

She was  wanting a  hard copy of the AMQ Festival Information  Book to have on hand with all the info. However, we are  printing  a huge number of Show Programs that will have a list with descriptions of all quilts entered into the AMQA Show 2010,  a list of  teachers & their classes, advertising, sponsor lists, vendors list & much more.

These will be in your registration bags plus they are available to the general public as they purchase their entry tickets.

Until next  time – which will be really soon now!

Tracey & Sharon

A Give-away for everyone!

I have just had a note from John Nielsen, our wonderful digitising teacher from New Zealand…

Dear Tracey & Sharon

I can't believe that it's only three weeks until we will all gather for the first AMQF in Adelaide!

Of course I am really looking forward to be part of your Quilt Festival, meeting lots of new quilters - and to see all your talented work.

As I lived 10 years in Christchurch I am also looking forward to do a bit of sight seeing in Adelaide and shall stay for some extra days - where I hope to get around and see as much as possible.

I am sure I have mentioned this already in my class description, but here is a reminder anyway!

It would be good if "my" students could bring along a USB stick - as I plan to copy and give away designs we make in class - or if there is any special requests.  Students can also bring photos or scans of shapes or design they wish to draw/trace.

As an IQ-man myself I shall bring my tablet, and if any of my students want to bring theirs too, that's fine as well - and we can check how well our designs transfer to IQ.

I have attached a *pdf file with some designs I have made in Art and Stitch as well as in Pre-Design Studio.  I have converted these to all "computer quilt formats" please feel free to download them all for sharing.  These are not "super-duper professional" made, but I think still quite acceptable - and I have used most with great success!

I am saying this - as I do not consider myself a "professional digitizer" but certainly with Art and Stitch it does get very easy for everyone to make your own designs.

Furthermore - if any of "my" students have any questions or requests please let them know they are quite welcome to email me direct.

*Notes re files:

Hibiscus is a True Font conversion to stitch file.  Ironwork is of an old Church door. Aust. Rabbit panto still needs some work re spacing, but might be OK if you flip one row and off set it!  The unit for the circular panto can as a panto be off-set etc and works well in 1 inch strips too - enjoy

Kind regards

John Nielsen

Quiltfairies at Baylys Beach, NZ

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REMINDER!

To everyone that has registered… if you wish to be able to purchase wholesale from those that offer this then you MUST advise Sharon of your current ABN so that we can provide easy identification to those vendors involved. This must be done prior to September 20th.

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Class requirements lists

It is your responsibility to read the class descriptions of those classes you have signed up for to ensure that you have any requirements with you. If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us or the teacher involved for clarification. Most teachers have a link on their information page to their website for you to contact them if you need.

Please bring a notepad & pen to ALL classes.

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Countdown to Festival – less than 3 Wks to go!

Domestic Machines are available to borrow…

Brother Sewing Machines in conjunction with Sue’s Sewing World, are providing sewing machines for Festival. So if you are sitting on the fence about doing a hands on class that requires a domestic machine then please don’t hesitate to contact us to arrange to have one of these wonderful machines available for you to use.

The classes that require you to have a machine are:

219
Introduction to Free Motion Quilting with Rachelle Denneny on DSM.
DSM-Hands on

320
Free Motion Quilting-Beyond the Basics with Rachelle Denneny. CB
DSM-Hands on

335
Fun With Inktense with Helen Stubbings. All-DSM Hands on

421
Trapunto by Machine with Rachelle Denneny. CB-DSM Hands On

453
Journal Cover with Sue van Riet

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The Gammill Statler get together is at the Mawson Lakes Hotel on Saturday night the 2nd of October.

Starts at 6.30 to 7.00.

Please RSVP By September 24th and number of people attending.

Reply to Libby at goldys53@yahoo.com

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We are thrilled to welcome Wonderfil Specialty Threads, Canada as a SILVER SPONSOR. Please ensure you show your appreciation by visiting them in the vendor mall over Festival.

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We also welcome Janome Australia educator to Festival - Julie Sallai.

She will be demonstrating the new Janome Horizon – A Quilter’s Dream on the Quick Quarters Spotlight Demonstrations stage in the Endeavour Centre where the quilt show & vendor mall are located.  This wil be everyday at 1.30pm

You can see this machine up close at the Country Chix booth in the vendor mall.

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We have planned some great Quick Quarter demonstrations but there is still room for more. If you have a product to share & promote then please download the application form & return it ASAP if you want to be included in the Show Program! We go to print this week so this would be a priority!

Festival is looking like the place to be! We now have quite a few groups organising get togethers at various times. If you would like this information to go out in our newsletter then please email me your details & it can be done!

Don’t forget you can download the AMQ Festival Information book & share it with your friends that are not online.

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Eye Candy to see…

I’ve been given some wonderful photos from Penny Roberts of her quilts to show you all! If you visit her teacher page you will be able to view a slideshow of photos of her 3D threader and what you can achieve with it. Here is a small sample…

Thread Dimensions, Adding Texture to Quilting

There is more to quilting than just patterns! Learn how you can creatively quilt with multiple threads on Gammill, APQS, A-1 and more! Make 3D Textures of dense outlining, fluffy soft fuzz, and loopies! How about Red Work on your longarm? Thrill your customers by learning how to blend color and add depth using multiple threads on Edge to Edge and Bread and Butter quilts!.

BONUS for attendees!!

We have negotiated with Sue van Riet of Sue’s Sewing World that her class to make a Journal Cover, that was just announced this week, is now only $50- for a 4 hour hands on session with new Brother Sewing Machines to use. These machines will be available at a fantastic price after the show if you happen to fall in love with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statler Owners invitation

Attention to all Gammill and Statler Gammill owners, we are trying to organise a get together on Saturday night of the festival.

We are looking at a dinner at a convenient venue.We need numbers, and any suggestions as to where to have it, or any other format you may wish. This a great opportunity to get to know each other and to learn more.Please email me  and as soon as possible as time is running out .

See you at the festival

Libby Goldsworthy

AMQA Members Get Together

PLEASE JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST

SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 7.30AM

The Committee Members would like to extend an invitation to all AMQA Members that will be attending the AMQ Festival to meet for breakfast at the Mawson Lakes Hotel Sunday 3rd October @ 7.30am. This is a great opportunity to meet us & other members from all over Australia for an informal get together. A buffet style breakfast is available at your own cost.

RSVP: 20th September 2010

Terry Elverd

AMQA President

E-mail: president@amqa.com.au

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We trust everyone has their travel & accommodation plans all made? We are so looking forward to seeing & meeting everyone at Festival, but there is still lots to do of course!

Don’t forget you can download the AMQ Festival Information book & share it with your friends that are not online.

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Class updates

We have another NEW class! This time we are thrilled to let you know that Brother Sewing Machines have offered machines to be used in our classroom by students. Sue van Riet from Sue’s Sewing World (who has also donated a Brother sewing machine for Best Of Show quilt) will be presenting a fantastic class that will inspire you to keep creating!

Journal cover - 4hrs Hands on with Brother sewing machines supplied in this classroom. Maximum 10 participants.

This book cover will enable the attendees to use the machine for stippling, decorative stitching circular work, crazy patchwork and attaching decorative trims. In the 4 hours we should be able to finish, or close to, so that they can take the project home without wondering how to do it. There is nothing for the customer to bring as it is all included in the kit.

Kit fee $38.50

Front Cover                                      Total cover

Sue van Riet has always had a love for sewing and craft, so she decided to share what she knew with others and in February 2007, the doors to Sue's Sewing World opened. A family businesss, Sue's Sewing World is run by Sue and her husband Richard, with the assistance of a part-time staff member and an experienced sewing machine technician. Sue also employs experienced and passionate teachers to run classes and workshops. They specialise in quilting, dressmaking, pattern drafting, heirloom sewing and machine embroidery, as well as specialist project classes. The staff also offer support and training on software for machine embroiderers.

Sue is one of our wonderful sponsors & will also be vending at the show. Please drop by her booth to say hello & thank you for all the effort she has gone to for Festival!

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We have also filled Keryn Emmerson’s class on Monday now.

428 - Creative Studio 3 in Stand Alone Mode with Keryn Emmerson.

There are two places left in this same class on Saturday due to students swapping days.

Last class notice for today… class 202 - Block to Block Custom Quilting with Pam Clarke has now also been filled to capacity!

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We are also thrilled to advise that Horn Australia Pty Ltd have offered an amazing prize for the Quilt Show! Valued at $899- this will be a fantastic addition to any studio.

Kimberley

• Australian made LARGE Horn lifter for larger sewing machines, with three positions
  – stored
  – flat bed sewing
  – free-arm sewing
• Back flap folds up for large projects. Ideal for quilting.
• Large additional work space to the right
• Australian made swivel trays and a large storage bin for your sewing accessories
• Storage for flat bed sewing insert. Sold separately.
• Adjustable shelves for easy storage.
• Room for storing an overlocker or for storage
• On castors, making it easy to move around
• Conditional one year warranty on materials and workmanship
• Lockable cabinet for child’s safety.
• Storage space or your overlocker.
• Cabinet has more depth than the standard range of sewing cabinets to assist with taller people and give more sewing space when the cabinet is opened.
• Handy storage for threads and accessories, all within arms reach!

Please take a moment to visit our sponsor page on the website to thank & acknowledge all of these wonderful companies!

Until next time…counting down now!

cheers

Tracey & Sharon

Accommodation options

Mawson Lakes Hotel is now fully booked!!  Over the past few days we have received emails from those wanting accommodation and have managed to secure a corporate rate at Quest Apartments at Mawson Lakes - the phone number is 08 70710100 and the only accommodation they have available is listed below.  To secure this rate you’ll need to mention Australian Machine Quilting Festival and book ASAP!

*        Studio Apartment    $161                     
Our spacious studio rooms easily accommodate up to two guests in a King size bed, (or two singles), and offer ensuite bathroom with complimentary Quest toiletries, reverse cycle air conditioning/heating, in-room safe, iron & iron board, kitchenette with tea/coffee making facilities, microwave, toaster, bar fridge, cook top and two person dining suite. Make yourself at home with a work desk with Broadband Internet Access, direct dial telephone
with voicemail, DVD player, LCD television connected to Foxtel digital
service, and the convenience of complimentary onsite car parking, guest laundry facilities and gymnasium. Rates include up to two guests in the apartment and daily housekeeping service (excl Sundays & Public Holidays). Maximum occupancy is two guests.
*        One Bedroom Apartment    $174   
Our one bedroom fully equipped apartments are spacious and stylish,
accommodating two guests in a King size bed (or two singles). The one bedroom apartment features an ensuite bathroom with complimentary Quest toiletries, separate lounge area with reverse cycle air conditioning/heating, in-room safe, along with iron & ironing board. Master bedroom includes LCD television with DVD player for extra guest convenience. Attend to business in your apartment with a work desk with Broadband Internet Access. A fully equipped kitchen provides oven and cook-top, fridge, tea/coffee making facilities, fully equipped laundry facilities, microwave and toaster. Your home comforts have been catered for with direct
dial telephone with voicemail, DVD/Stereo with Ipod dock, LCD television connected to Foxtel digital service, and the convenience of complimentary onsite car parking and gymnasium.

Further to the above there are 2 Hotel/Motels in the area and if you have a car they are within a 5 minute trip.  We don’t have an arrangement in place with the following but I suggest you ask if they offer a Corporate Rate.

Pavlos Motor Inn - 859 Main North Road, Pooraka  (08) 82606655

Country Comfort - 574 Main North Rd Gepps Cross SA 5094  (08) 8349 4999

HTH,

Sharon & Tracey

Banquet & Accommodation

The Banquet Dinner will be held on Sunday 3rd October and places are filling fast. Final numbers must be finalised in the next few weeks. If you are thinking about attending the Banquet or taking a friend or partner please complete the booking process as soon as you can. The bookings are processed through the website via the online registration form. The menu can be viewed in the AMQF Information Book which is a downloadable PDF file and can be found here This Information Book is a precursor to the Show Program and I'm sure you'll find it of interest. We have a great night planned for the Banquet, the program will include;

• AMQA Inc Quilt Show Presentation
• An interesting fun time with Kimmy Brunner, our dinner speaker
• A free gift for every person attending
• Lucky door prizes

Accommodation at the Mawson Lakes is now completely booked! We have a few other options in the area and if you need accommodation please contact us via email and we'll do all we can to assist you.

We are certainly in countdown mode now and working extremely hard to make this the best experience for everyone that has shown their confidence in us!

Cheers,

Sharon & Tracey

More classes for everyone…

Yes, we have listened and we are pleased to offer you repeat classes at times that hopefully will fit into your schedules!

Firstly:

Class 152 - Do the Zentangle ® and create beautiful background fillers for your quilts with Jane Monk is now also available on Friday 3-5pm

AND

Class 238 -  A1 Tech Talk with Stewart Plank. for all A1 owners is now being offered on Saturday 1.30 -3.30pm

We hope that all those that asked can now fit these in with Jane &  Stewart.

Helen Stubbings has  recently posted this on her blog,  thought  you  might  like  to see what she is  planning for Festival…

Be your own Virtuoso

As stated in my last post I have been busy working up a new version of my Very Own Virtuoso class. I hear so often ‘I cant draw to save myself’ , ‘I could never draw or design anything like that!’. Well, although I believe anyone can learn to draw, this class has been developed for those of you who don’t have the confidence to start…. cos, maybe you can’t draw, but you can trace!

As a designer I see potential designs and inspiration everywhere I go and always have my camera or sketchpad at hand… travelling around the world each country has its own design elements and architectural styles also – now I haven’t been to many  countries but where I have been I have snapped happily – one day I hope to get to many more and add to my photo and design stash! – but I have more than enough to work from for myself and to share with you all.

So, how do I start?  Well I enlarge and print my photos, just in black and white from a photocopier or printer – not as a photo…

Then pick out the main individual design features and use a black sharpie to outline… there you have it, the first design element…

then with the help of rulers, grids, tracing paper and time the options are endless….

I have hundreds of these!!!

and hundreds more in my photo albums…..

View Full Album

now, can someone give me hundreds more spare hours so i can stitch and colour or appliqué all of these ideas into quilts!

If you come to any of my design classes you are able to use my design element package already done for you to make a wholecloth design on the day – you will then know exactly how to start your own portfolio… imagine that, your very own design portfolio.. and you said you couldn’t draw! Before you know it you will be designing your very own original elements and adding to the architectural styles of the world.

happy inspirations, hope I may be able to share and help you with your designing process one day at a class somewhere..

hugs, Helen – back to drawing for me now…

All I can say is WOW – this is inspirational! Come & join in on the journey with everyone else in Helen’s class.

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Important information for Students

We'd like to share some information that may be of interest to our students and attendees at Festival. All registered students and those that have purchased an Attendee package will need to go to the registration desk to collect their bags containing the information that will be required throughout Festival.

The hours of operation for the Registration Desk will be provided at a later date along with a timetable/program for the weekend's activities.

Mawson Lakes is a new development and all the facilities that you would require are within a very short walking distance and in your Registration Bag you will find information relating to Restaurants/Eateries, Supermarkets, Doctor/Dentist Surgeries, Hairdressers, Banks & ATM's, Transport etc. There will be onsite catering consisting of pastries, sandwiches, wraps, cake, fruit and drinks and there are cafes and take away places within 3 minutes of Endeavour College.

Intelliquilter Classes

It is strongly suggested that if you are wanting to take your IQ to classes that you ensure that your battery is fully charged; there will be powerpoints available. Having previously taken Helen's classes it is not a requirement to take your IQ - you will be supplied with comprehensive handouts and sometimes having your IQ with you can be a distraction, JMO!

Vendors

A few of the vendors that will be attending Festival are wholesalers and as such can only sell to registered businesses. If you have a registered business it would be greatly appreciated if you could email a copy of your Business Registration/ABN details. Once we receive this information we will create your name badges which in turn will allow the vendors to easily identify you. Without this information you will be unable to purchase wholesale.

Business Listing

One of the benefits offered to those purchasing an Attendee Package was a one line listing to be printed in the Show Program. To clarify this - it is a ONE LINE LISTING. It is up to you how you'd like this to appear - it could be your name, address, phone number OR Business Name, web address etc. Please note that the font used will be the same for all listings. Please email this information ASAP.

There will be another new class released shortly - a class for those using a DSM. Stay tuned for further updates & information.

Cheers

Sharon & Tracey

AMQF Information book now available!

It has been frantic both at Sharon’s house & mine these past few weeks! It will only get busier now that we have only 6 weeks to go!

With amendments & additions happening all the time, we have finally got our AMQF Information book available for everyone to download and share with your non-internet friends. This has been a lot of work and hopefully will not change now, except for extra advertising up until Festival itself. It includes class descriptions, quilt show information, vendor listing & much more…

We would be thrilled if everyone was willing to download & print this book and provide it to your local guilds, local shops and friends that do not have internet access. We will also be printing these to provide to our local shops here in Adelaide & for those that have requested them so far, but to spread the word we need everyone’s help?

Class change:

We would also like to advise you that the following class has been changed to a 2 hr class.

Very own Virtuoso with Helen Stubbings

2 hrs

Say you cannot design? Learn how to use your photographs of architecture all around you to make your very own wholecloth or quilting designs – you don’t have to be able to draw, just trace and flip.

In this short class Helen will demonstrate her design method showing step by step how you can use your own photos to ‘cheat’ and get your own package of classic design elements. You will then use Helen’s element package to design your own 20” wholecloth design. Helen will then demonstrate her simple Colourqué® technique so that you can continue to colour your piece after the class.

Please visit the website to view further information & the requirements list.

Travel information

We have been advised that it would be approx $30 by taxi from the airport to Endeavour College at Mawson Lakes. There are also buses & trains that will deliver you there as well. There is more information & maps on the website on how to get to Mawson Lakes that is located only 12kms north of the city. There will be quite a number of you that are flying in on various days. We encourage you to use the comments section on this post on our blog to post when you might be arriving to determine if you can meet up with others to share a taxi out to Mawson Lakes!

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Do the Zentangle® … would you like to??

What is this – you might ask?

Well if you visit the blog of our newest teacher you will be blown away by this drawing technique.

Jane has been drawing with pencil and ink since she was a child. When she started quilting in 2002, she realised her love of drawing could be combined with her love of quilting and she purchased her own long-arm quilting machine in 2007. Jane’s customers love her freehand quilting style and she has won a number of awards for this style of quilting. Jane also designs and draws a lot of her own quilting patterns and background fillers for specific use in quilts. The development of Zentangle by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas was a fantastic catalyst for Jane to create background fillers from her drawing and use everyday life and items for their inspiration.

Do the Zentangle ® and create beautiful background fillers for your quilts - Basic starter class

You may have noticed that Zentangles are taking the world by storm. Zentangle® is an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity as well as improving your dexterity and pen control. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well being, even if you thought you couldn’t draw ... you really can, one stroke at a time!I have taken Zentangles one step into the world of quilting where I use this method of drawing to discover new designs for background fillers. Inspiration is everywhere we look, even in the fabric we are quilting. So come along to this hands-on class where I will teach you how to draw simple, beautiful Zentangles and then how to adapt these patterns into background fillers for your quilting.

Anything is Possible One Stroke at a Time

Registration is now open for this class….don’t miss out!

The opportunity to sponsor our bags is now closed, however there is still time to get an advertisement in our Show Program that will be available for all attendees and visitors during the 4 days of Festival. Please visit the website to view your options on marketing your products or services to a target market of machine quilters.

Don’t forget the Quick Quarters spotlight demonstrations as well. Demonstrate your product to the general public on the stage to show everyone the benefits of owning it! Download application form here.

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

New Class available!

We are thrilled to introduce to you a new class…

Penny Roberts is the owner of Penny Quilt LLC a professional machine quilting business that has thrilled hundreds of quilters since 2002. Her quilt friends lovingly refer to her as “The Quilt Whisperer,” a title she is proud to hold. Penny has been an Elite Beta Tester for the Statler Stitcher and a Certified Creative Studio Trainer since 2007. She continually strives to find innovative ways to improve her quilting talents and skills by pushing her abilities to the creative edge. She has designed the “3D Threader” for use on Gammill, APQS, A-1 and other long arm machines because she wanted to offer you the opportunity to stretch your creativity in texture quilting. With this new tool, the 3D Threader, she has won a 3rd place ribbon in the Thread Challenge Category at the 2010 Machine Quilter’s Showcase.

3D Threader is her website where you can see more information.

Class 251:Thread Dimensions, Adding Texture to Quilting

There is more to quilting than just patterns! Learn how you can creatively quilt with multiple threads on Gammill, APQS, A-1 and more! Make 3D Textures of dense outlining, fluffy soft fuzz, and loopies! How about Red Work on your longarm? Thrill your customers by learning how to blend color and add depth using multiple threads on Edge to Edge and Bread and Butter quilts!

Group Discounts

We would also like to encourage local groups to attend Festival to come shopping & see all the amazing quilts that have been entered from around the world into AMQAS 2010. We are thrilled with the quality & number of entries that we have received. Now we just have to fit them all in.

There will be a discount if you have a minimum of 10 people coming to Festival together. Buy a minimum of 10 daily tickets for $5- each. To obtain this, ONE person needs to come to the ticket desk & purchase all the tickets in one transaction then distribute them to their friends to come in. As long as there is a minimum of 10 purchased at one time then there is no upper limit. ie: purchase 15 or 20 or a busload for only $5- each ticket in one transaction.

Please let all your friends know of this offer & encourage your local guilds to bring a bus or car convoy to Festival! There will be lots of shopping, quilts to see & demonstrations to view on the stage.

Keep watch for some more exciting news next week!

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Classes Reopened!!

Classes Tracey and I, along with our DH's Paul and Tony, spent a few hours at Endeavour College today working on the logistics for "Festival" and checking the class configuration against the student lists. We have now made a few changes which will enable more students in some of the classes. This has resulted in opening a few of the classes that had previously been closed. If you were one of those that had missed out go to the website and check if the particular class you were interested in is one of those that have been reopened. Classes have been filling rapidly, as the early closure of some has indicated, please book asap to avoid disappointment.

Sponsorship Opportunity The chance to have your business promoted on the registration bags is rapidly drawing to a close. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain great exposure for the very small outlay of $200 including GST. This offer will end on August 3rd!

Valuation of Quilts If you have a quilt/s that you would like to have valued, the Valuation Panel from the Quilters' Guild of SA Inc are offering this service. The cost of valuation for SA Guild members is $16.50, $27.50 for members of affiliated groups and $33.00 for non-members. If you are interested in taking advantage of this offer please contact Heather Ford, Valuation Panel Coordinator via email. Please note that this is a service being offered by the Guild and not AMQF - all coordination is to be done between those wishing to have their quilts valued and the Valuation Panel.

Accommodation The accommodation at Mawson Lakes Hotel is almost at capacity. If you are thinking about attending Festival and haven't booked your accommodation please do so asap.

Remember to mention AMQF for your discount!

Stay tuned for updates,

Sharon & Tracey

New Class available!

Hi everyone.

I am thrilled to advise that our lovely Keryn Emmerson has agreed to teach a repeat of her FULL class 228 on Monday.

Class 428 Creative Studio 3 in Stand Alone Mode with Keryn Emmerson is now open for registrations and being run 11-1pm on Monday 4th October.

Thank you also to those volunteers that are letting our coordinator know what times you have available now that you have booked classes!

Don't forget to let all your quilt group buddies know that Festival is for all machine quilters! There are many classes available for domestic machine quilters as well.

Quilt entries are coming in! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enter your quilts and be in the running for some really nice prizes, get the exposure for your work/business and the feelgood feeling of seeing your quilt on display.

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Classes & Volunteers

Class registrations have just reached 665 and as Tracey mentioned in her last post some of them had reached capacity. Due to some re-organisation of classrooms and machines we have been able to offer these classes again. If you are considering attending Festival please register asap to avoid disappointment.

We are very excited and a little overwhelmed at the response we have had and this has prompted us to put out the call for more volunteers.

If you have any spare time and would like to offer your services we would love to have you help us. There are many positions available from Thursday, judging day, through to pack up on the Monday. We have had over 40 offers from volunteers but are calling for more.

Val Towill, Bluegum Quilts, has very kindly offered to act as the Volunteer Coordinator and she can be contacted via email. Many people offered their services before the class registrations and as such didn't know when they'd be available. If you have previously registered to volunteer it would be appreciated if you could contact Val and let her know what days/times you are available.

Until next time,

Sharon & Tracey

Update on class availability…

We are thrilled to let you know that we are able to re-open the two full classes with Kim Brunner (142 & 440) to allow a limited number of extra students in them. There were so many that missed out that we have negotiated a different classroom that will allow room for more people in there. It has theatre seating, screens  & Kim’s classes will have full video camera/laptop/data projector to enable everyone the perfect view of what she is teaching.

Class 228 - Creative Studio 3 in Stand Alone Mode with Keryn Emmerson is now FULL.

There are other classes that are getting close to full as well, so if you are still thinking about classes we suggest that you don’t wait  too long to avoid disappointment. 

Don’t forget the AMQAS 2010 entry forms for all your wonderful quilts  are due at the end of July!

We are thrilled to advise that Sue’s Sewing World has generously donated a Brother NV400 sewing machine. This machine is priced at $1199.00 and will be presented to the winner of the Best of Show quilt!! Well worth getting organised to enter some of your quilts isn’t it??

There are many opportunities for sponsors to get involved still. Please visit our Marketing Opportunities page to see more details on this.  If you would like to add your sponsorship to any of the AMQA Quilt show categories  then please  email president@amqa.com.au to discuss this further.

Until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Class full already!

Just a quick note to encourage everyone to book your classes if you really want them? Already our first class is FULL…

Kim Brunner’s Friday class – It’s more than just Edge to Edge -  is FULL.

Her Twirly Whirly Feathers is very close as well.

Could we ask all of you to let your local guilds know that Festival is celebrating ALL machine quilting and as such there are many classes suitable for domestic machine quilters as well? We have two multi award winning domestic machine quilting teachers at Festival  and they don’t want to miss out on these classes!

The majority of registrations have  gone very smoothly, so thank you for reading and following the instructions on the online registration page. There were a few of you that have forgotten to DEDUCT the delivery fee when you chose to pay by Internet Transfer. We will refund this fee to you in an envelope with your registration package to collect at Festival. There are also some that have mistakenly purchased classes or registration more than once?  Please be patient whilst we get through the list & contact you to sort all that out.

Until next time….

Tracey & Sharon

Registrations are OPEN!

You can now visit the website and choose the classes you would like to attend. Please ensure you choose carefully.

Please  remember you are responsible for your own schedule.

 

It has been LOTS of work for both Sharon & I, so I do hope that you are thrilled with all the choices we are able to offer. The ability to educate ourselves on this scale at the one place has been a dream for both of us. The promotion & exposure the machine quilting industry is already receiving and will continue to receive from this event, will be ongoing & positive.

We also greatly appreciate that the Australian Machine Quilting Association Inc has agreed to run their AMQA Show 2010 in conjunction with Festival. We hope that everyone considers entering a quilt to make this a ‘show’ to showcase your work & be proud of it.

None of this would be  possible without  some  amazing  sponsors! So please show your appreciation of their support by thanking them  & visiting them when you can. The list of sponsors is still growing and can always be found on our sponsor page.

until next time….

Tracey & Sharon

Registration time is almost here!

Registration opens in less than 12 hours - good luck with getting in to your classes of choice. Remember to choose carefully and ensure you coordinate the times & days so that you don't find yourselves booked into two classes at the same time.

Over the past few months we have featured quite a few of our teachers and this post will expand on a few more.

Clare Fairless-Lewis will be teaching 3 classes and on reading what she has to offer has made me realise what I'll be missing out on. Clare's first class is Fun & Funky Fillers -one thing that is very important for all quilters to have in their arsenal are "fillers" - almost all quilts have spaces that need filling. The second class Clare is offering is Time Efficient Traditional Based Quilting showing how to completely finish a quilt top without marking or having to turn to do the borders - what a bonus!! Saving the best til last - in fact the very last class at Festival will be Clare's "Fairless Fancy Quilts". This class is for the time-poor quilter - it'll teach you to whip up an eyecatching quilt that will be the envy of all!

Michele Turner will be teaching all the skills required to make your own wholecloth quilts from scratch. Michele has won award both here in Australia and at two of the major machine quilting shows in America. She will be sharing her method for designing, marking and creating a wholecloth quilt including cut-away trapunto, motifs and background fillers.

Sharon Parkinson will be sharing all the tips she has learnt in her years of machine quilting in her Basics for Beginners and Beyond Class. She will be sharing ways she has discovered to make the life of a machine quilter much easier, more pleasurable and as stress free as possible. You will gain comprehensive tips to help you from the initial call from a customer right up until you remove the completed quilt from the machine and beyond. Sharon's second class, A Feather in Your Cap is sure to have you drawing feathers like a professional in a few short hours. Once you have mastered this skill there'll be no stopping you.

Belinda Betts will be teaching a class on the use of rulers and templates, an area which scares many machine quilters! Belinda will have many different types and designs of templates and go through their uses and applications. She is a very accomplished award winning quilter and has a gift of knowing where and when to use a particular ruler - her quilting is testament to this skill.

Good luck with your class registrations! Whichever classes you choose you will have a fantastic time and expand your knowledge as machine quilters which is what "Festival" is all about.

Sharon & Tracey

Not long now…

Just a reminder to everyone that online class registrations will be available early on Monday 12th July!!

Here is a sneak preview of some information that you will need to read…

How to Register for Classes

There are two ways to register for classes.

• You can register online below (This is the fastest and preferred method)
  OR
• You can print the class registration form when it is available and mail it in with your payment. Class Registration Form can be mailed to:Australian Machine Quilting Festival, Student Registration, 13 Harbour Drive, Gulfview Heights, SA, 5096. Make cheques payable to AMQ Festival Pty Ltd.
• A complete class book (Class descriptions, teacher bios, Special Events, etc) will be available for download as soon as it is ready.

Registration opens July 12, 2010 at 9:00am.
Online Registration closes September 17, 2010.
Mail-in Registrations must be postmarked before September 1, 2010.

Watch class times carefully! You are responsible for your own schedule!

Schedules, tickets (Banquet Dinner and/or Day Passes), badges, etc.will not be mailed in advance. Students need to check-in at the Student registration desk when you arrive.

Fees:

• Class Registration fee is $60.00. (This is a $110.00 value)
  • This fee will be payable by all students nominating for classes. This fee not only helps towards teachers fees and expenses, staff time, supplies and equipment but also offers benefits to students. These benefits include 4 days admission into the show and vendor mall, and also a fabulous tote bag complete with goodies including magazines from Meander Publishing.
• Attendee Package is $100-. This is a $230.00 value & is optional & includes the Registration fee with more benefits
  • In addition to the above, the Attendee Package includes a Commemorative Badge, at least 3 full patterns, 3m of wide backing fabric, a listing in the show catalogue and a few other surprises.
• Banquet Fee is for our Sunday evening banquet, awards presentations & special guest speaker - Kim Brunner. Please visit our Special Events page to view the menu & timetable.
• Festival Photo CD - this will be a fantastic professional CD of photos of the quilt show and the festival itself. Great inspirational quilting shots to inspire you with your own quilting at your fingertips.
• Class fees are listed with the class descriptions and payable at time of registration. All fees are GST inclusive.
• A Kit fee & Handout fee may be listed for some classes. This fee is payable directly to the instructor before the class starts.

Online Registration Instructions:  PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY !

• View the class description by clicking on the class number and a new browser window will open to review the details.
• Choose your classes by placing a number one (1) in the box. You can add all your classes at once in the form then click the Add Me button below. This will take you to the shopping cart to see what you have ordered. You can press the back button to return to the registration page to add more classes or to add class registration fees, banquet dinner etc Once all your classes have been added to the "Shopping Cart", proceed to "Go To Payments" to enter your billing and shipping information. Then "Continue"
• Choose your method of payment and then press Continue..
• Methods of payment are
  • Internet Banking (our preferred option) Please manually deduct the 'delivery fee' then perform your internet transfer -to do this you will need to open a new browser (leaving the AMQF window open), go to your banking website & perform this transaction. You will be allocated a reference number from your bank. THEN complete the AMQF transaction by placing the reference # and date of deposit on the next page of the cart. Your position in your classes is NOT confirmed until payment is received in our account.
  • Credit card using Paypal. There is a processing fee added to your total when choosing this option. This is the 'delivery fee' in your shopping cart which is the actual 'fee' that Paypal charges us to use this service.
  • Print & mail order with a cheque minus the 'delivery fee'.

After your payment information is entered, click on "Continue". The final page is "Order Receipt". You will receive an email showing your registered classes. Please print this for your records.

Class enrolments: Classes will be processed on a “First Come” basis. On-site class enrolments will be available for classes that are not filled. The class registration fee will still apply.

Waiting List: We will maintain a waiting list of 10% of the maximum allowed in a class.

_______________________________________________________

We would also like to remind everyone to prepare their quilt show entries and get them in by July 31st. We love seeing quilts & the quilting on them in all genres, so download the entry forms and get them in to AMQA before the due date. There will be some great prizes along with the thrill of seeing your own quilt hanging as well as on the Festival CD to remember the event.

until next time…

Tracey & Sharon

Class Registration & Advertising Opportunities

Class Registrations

Class Registrations will go live on the website on July 12th, how exciting is that??? We will also have a Program of Events available in PDF form for download direct from the website at this time. Our plan is to send a hard copy of the Program to various groups so that we can get the information to as many people as possible. If you are in a sewing group, or know of anyone that may be interested it would be a great help if you could share this information with them.

Program of Events The Program of Events is the basis for the Show Program that will be included in your Registration Bags and also available at "Festival". We would like to offer everyone the opportunity to advertise in the program, it is an excellent chance to target a specific audience with your new products and/or services. You can supply an advert in colour for the online show program, however, the printed program will be in Black & White, please keep this in mind when designing your advertisement; the program will be A4 in size. The cost of advertising in the Program is as follows;

• Single line listing $30
• 1/4 Page $75
• 1/2 Page $150
• Full Page $250

The advertisement must be supplied in a completed format, ie PDF - NO artwork will be undertaken by AMQF. Please register your interest for advertising, by 31st July, via email.

Registration Bags

The Registration Bag is a lovely laptop style conference bag and will be given to every registered student. There is an advertising option available to you for the price of $220 (inc GST) to have your logo printed on the bags. There is only room for 10 logos to be printed on the bag and at this stage 3 people have taken advantage of this offer, 7 available . This is a great way to advertise as the bags will be carried by students throughout "Festival" and in use long after. Please contact Sharon for further information.

Bag Inclusions

You may wish to have a flyer, business card and/or discount voucher added to the bag to reach students to encourage them to shop with you. The cost of this option is $50 (inc GST) and you would need to provide us with the inclusions no later than 10th September.

Another opportunity you may like to consider is to include product in the Registration Bags and/or Attendee Packages. This can be organised at no cost to you except to supply sufficient product to be included in either every Registration Bag or just the Attendee Packages. This is ideal for those that have products with their business name on them or sample sized items that are useful and also advertise your products. Sample spools of thread, rulers, patterns, tape measures, gadgets etc would be a fantastic addition to the bags. We have three pattern designers that have taken advantage of this opportunity and are donating a pattern, each valued around $15, to be included in every Attendee Package.

Attendee Package

The Attendee Package was released on May 28th and the response has been incredible. These packages include;

• Registration Fee
• Entry to Quilt Show & Vendor Mall (4 days)
• Conference Bag including pad, pen, magazines, vouchers patterns and much, much more
• AMQF Commemorative Badge
• 3 metres of wide backing fabric
• Listing in Show Catalogue

Cost is $100.00 (inc GST) , value is over $230.00. There are still packages available for purchase, to register your interest please email

Quick Quarter Spotlight Demonstrations

"Quick Quarters" will be making their debut at AMQF. Quick Quarters will be a 15 minute timeslot in which you can showcase any product, service, technique etc that you wish to get out into the quilting community. These timeslots will be available throughout the weekend commencing at 10am and concluding at 5pm Saturday and Sunday and 3pm on Monday. Quick Quarters will cost $30 per demo and will take place on the main stage in the Vendor Mall and Quilt Show area and held every 30 mintues. The program of demonstrations will be published in the Show Program that all attendees will receive at the door or in their registration bags. You can download the registration form for Quick Quarters from the website now.

Commemorative Badge Sponsor - $500 (one only available)

For purchasing this sponsorship you will receive,

• Your company logo on the onsite signage
• PA announcements recognising your company as the sponsor of the badges
• Company name and logo in the Program stating your level of sponsorship
• Listing on the AMQF website and blog, including company name & logo with a link to your website
• 1/2 Page Advertisement in the Show Program (sponsorship needs to be confirmed before 31 July 2010)

Until next time......93 days and counting,

Sharon & Tracey

AMQF in Sydney

The journey begins.......... Tracey, Sarah (Tracey's daughter) and I drove to Sydney last Thursday June 10th, leaving South Australia at 6am in wet, foggy conditions. It was a long way but the drive was an easy one, particularly for Sarah and me, as we only had to keep Tracey awake by continually feeding her and topping her up with coffee.

We arrived at Jugiong, NSW around 7pm and spent the night, leaving the next morning around 8am. We headed for the Goulburn Bakery for a tasty egg and bacon roll with coffee. What a fantastic bakery - reasonable prices and a very welcoming open fire - if you're ever passing I'd recommend a quick exit off the freeway to indulge.We arrived at our destination around noon so that AMQF could have its first public outing, at the Quilt & Craft Expo. The Expo was held over 2 days in the beautiful Grand Pavilion at Rosehill Gardens, Sydney, NSW.

The response from those attending the Show was very encouraging and we'd like to thank everyone that stopped by to say hello, pick up leaflets and get more information on coming to South Australia for "Festival" in October. It was lovely catching up with "old" friends and meeting new ones and sharing the excitement that is AMQF.

Just before we left for Sydney confirmation was received that Anne Bright will be coming to teach at Festival and will also have a booth in the Vendor Mall. Anne owns and operates Anne Bright Designs and produces her incredibly large range of patterns in both digital and paper format, visit http://annebright.com/ Anne is an extremely enthusiastic dynamo and I'm sure she never sleeps, she is very creative and her ideas for designs seem positively endless. A full list of Anne's classes are available on the website http://amqfestival.com.au/

The initial response to the Attendee Packages has been fantastic and we'd like to answer a few of the questions we have received about the package inclusions.

• Firstly, the package includes the $60.00 Registration Fee. This fee will be payable by all students nominating for classes. This fee not only helps towards teachers fees and expenses, staff time, supplies and equipment but also offers benefits to students. These benefits include 4 days admission into the show and vendor mall, and also a fabulous tote bag complete with goodies including magazines from Meander Publishing.

• In addition to the above, the Attendee Package includes a Commemorative Badge, at least 3 full patterns, 3m of wide backing fabric, a listing in the show catalogue and a few other surprises.
• The value of the Attendee Package exceeds $230 - at $100 the package is fantastic value!

• There are a limited number of the packages available, to avoid disappointment please register your interest by contacting Sharon.

A list of our Sponsors is listed on both this blog and the website. We are very appreciative of all those that have offered sponsorship in various forms as it would be impossible for us to host an event such as AMQF without such generosity, please support their businesses whenever you can.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to be involved with AMQF in the capacity of a sponsor please don't hesitate to contact us. There are many levels of sponsorship available and we would be as happy as clams to have as much involvement in this area as possible - it can only enhance "Festival". For further information please email Sponsorship.

Tracey is as busy as a beaver at the moment collating all the information to enable online registrations. Her bedside reading during our recent stint in Sydney was a manual on a new computer program she has to know to be able to upload all the information - glad it's her and not me or it'd never happen:-)

Class registrations are due to open in mid-July with a Registration Progam being available at this time on the website; a hard copy will be available mid-August. If you know of a group that may be interested in receiving this information please forward any details to Sharon Due to printing and postage costs as well as saving the environment the preferred method of sharing this information if at all possible is via the website. Having said that, we fully understand that not everybody has this "tool" available to them.

Once again, if you have any questions, concerns or queries please don't hesitate to contact us.

Until next time......."quilt on"!!!

Sharon & Tracey