Machines for hire for Mystery Classes!

Our last newsletter provided the news that we now have Bernina machines in all our Domestic Sewing machine classes for you to use instead of bringing your own. Now we have even MORE great news!

A very special thank you to Otto Windler, of Otto & Penny's Sewing Centre for making a limited number of machines available to hire for the Jenny Doan Mystery Classes.

Machine:  Bernina 350 SE Special
Cost: $30 per 3hr class

Please complete the form online to request to hire one of these machines. There are only 30 machines available to hire. The machines will be allocated in order of receipt of application.

Whilst we do recommend that you bring your own sewing machine for the Mystery Classes to ensure that you enjoy this class and get the most from it, we also understand that not everyone has a smaller machine suitable to travel with to attend these classesOur Bronze Sponsor - Bernina - has generously offered these machines for Wednesday to hire. Along with this opportunity they have provided these new machines at a very special Festival price for purchase at the end of Festival.

Normally $1999- these will be available for only $1540- (Saving of $459 on RRP)

Please contact Otto to purchase one of these amazing machines before they are all gone! Check out all the features by clicking on the picture above which is exactly how they will look!

Another alternative option is to pre-order and pay for the following machine to collect, use and then take home as your workshop machine in the future! These machines are NOT available for hire - only for purchase.

The Bernette Seville 3 features can be found here.

RRP $249.00   special pre order buy $199.00 including ¼” foot

If you have any questions over the next 3 weeks for us then can you please NOT contact Tracey? Use the website to contact Sharon to answer any queries. Tracey is flitting off to UK & Europe until the 19th July and would appreciate a quiet phone whilst away. Emails are OK and will be checked sporadically (that means – when I get free wifi to do so!).

Stayed tuned for further updates from Sharon!

We are also delighted to let you know that Jenny Doan’s Mystery Class #2 has been filled and Mystery Class #3 is NOW OPEN!
There are still some seats left in Mystery Class #1, so don’t miss out on these…

Until next time…

Tracey and Sharon

Teacher Profile

Jamie Wallen (USA)
I'm so excited to do the profile on Jamie Wallen as he was a huge influence and help to me when I started free motion quilting.  At the time I started quilting there were not the online tools available that there are today and I will be forever grateful to Jamie for sharing his incredible talents via his DVD series.  We are so lucky to have Jamie come to Australia to teach at AMQF and if you haven't booked a class with him yet I'd strongly advise you not to miss this chance.  Jamie's method of teaching is so calm and easy to follow that anyone can learn to do it.  He demonstrates so clearly and his easy to follow instructions are just what is needed to get those creative juices flowing and putting thread to fabric. 

Jamie is generous to a fault with his knowledge and this is evident in all the free tutorials he posts on YouTube - if you haven't watched these yet follow this link to his channel and sit back with a cuppa and be wowed......if that's a word!
Please check out the classes that Jamie is offering at festival this year.       

Kerrie-Anne Riles (Aus)
Kerrie-Anne lives on the Central Coast of NSW working from her studio, Studio by the Lake, situated on Tuggerah Lake in Gorokan.  Kerrie-Anne has been quilting for about thirty years and has been Art quilting for 10 of those.  Her love of Art quilts began when she did a City and Guilds course for a year in England.   Kerrie-Anne previously quilted for customers but finds she no longer has the time in between teaching and working on her gorgeous quilts.  She related a story to us, when she was teaching a technique where her students were learning to blow ink through a straw onto fabric and one of the students sucked instead of blew; she spent the rest of the class trying to hide her dark blue mouth and lips......luckily the ink was non-toxic.  

Kerrie-Anne's inspiration comes from her own original photos; she tends to do mostly flowers, animals and birds which can be quite challenging to have them sit still to have their photo taken.  To check out what Kerrie-Anne has on offer at AMQF this year please click on this link.
 
Quilt Challenge Quilts                        

We thought you might like a sneak peak at some of the lovely quilts that have been received for the Alzheimer's Benefit Quilt Challenge.  Thanks so much to those that have participated in this great initiative to raise money for Alzheimer's research.   We've extended the close of entry date until July 25th so if you haven't yet completed your quilt you still have time.


Have a great weekend everyone, until next time.......keep quilting!

Sharon & Tracey

112 days to go!

Yes the countdown is on in earnest now for AMQ Festival 2014.

We are delighted to let you know that the wonderful Otto Windler from Otto & Penny’s Sewing Centre, will be providing Bernina sewing machines in 2 classrooms this year. So for those who have booked in or were considering booking hands on classes with the following teachers – you will not need to bring your own machine.

Pam Holland

Helen Stubbings

Rachelle Denneny

Carla Barrett

Michelle Bouchier

Lee Vause

Patti Hempen

We will ensure that all the necessary feet will be available on the day for each class.

It will be hard not to want to purchase one of these special machines once you have stitched with it in your classes….

thank you Otto!

Teacher Profiles

Carla Barrett is a quilting and mixed media teacher, artist and designer

Carla Barrett lives in the Northern California foothills east of San Francisco near where the California Gold rush started. She has been machine quilting for over 10 years now. “After my kids became older, I thought briefly about applying for law school. Instead, I bought myself a longarm machine and started quilting for customers. I am so much happier working from home and creating!”

Carla's favourite style of quilting is textural, freehand custom quilting, combined with more exacting design patterns for added interest. She loves all types of quilts - traditional, art quilts and modern quilts.

She also loves to combine quilting with other mediums - including freeform beading, water solubles with fibres, illustration, and of course mixing quilting with her computer tablet PC and software. In Carla's Quilt Whisperer quilting design class, she has a creative exercise helping students to find their own inspiration, since inspiration is found all around us. Personally she finds inspiration visually in the environment, or in historical design found in museums, in nature, furniture design, at the grocery store, or even pulled from a fabric design, out of a magazine, or discovered while searching online.

Carla started teaching machine quilting in 2008, and started teaching online quilting design classes in 2009. Prior to that, she taught paper and rubber stamp art classes in the 1990’s

“I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Australia, so I am very excited to be teaching at the AMQ Festival this year”. While visiting Adelaide, she wants to see native animals, visit Kangaroo Island, and spend a few days in Sydney seeing the sights. “I also have plans for a future trip to AU with my family in a few years. My husband and I plan to one day travel to AU by sailboat, where we can get to know the people and country better- and at a slower pace”. Carla’s must-see list: Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Norfolk Island, Tasmania, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Whitsunday Islands, and Uluru/Ayers Rock to name just a few locations…. mmm not sure if she will fit all that into one trip!!

Carla’s classes are: (click on the table below to view images for all her classes & be totally inspired!)

REGISTER NOW!

Volunteers

How can I become a volunteer?

As you know, all events need lots of volunteers in order to operate smoothly.  AMQ Festival is no exception.  Anyone may now sign up to volunteer. If YOU would like to be a volunteer, please let us know as soon as possible so that you may have first choice of jobs.

Thank YOU to all those that already have signed up. Sharon is still looking for more volunteers to be involved in all the fun in many areas

There are many opportunities to volunteer including:

• Judging assistance

• Scribes

• Quilt hanging and taking down for the show

• White glove host/hostess

• Reception assistance

• Door greeters

• Classroom assistance

• Demos

• Quilt award presentations

• Speaker assistance

• Passing quilts to owners who are present at take down

• Packing and shipping of quilts at take down

Teacher's Angel Volunteers

AMQF has an exciting way for you to volunteer this year. Our teachers need your help to greet the students, check off names, hand out and collect evaluation forms and class handouts and help when/if the need arises. These treasured helpers are our Teacher's Angels.

If you are interested in gaining some fabulous hands-on experience as a volunteer, contact us at  volunteer@amqfestival.com.au  to be added to our volunteer list or preferably complete the online volunteer form here.

For every 2 hours you volunteer, you are eligible to enter your name into the exclusive, volunteer only, door prize drawings. We do several drawings throughout the day, and then all the names go back into the "pot" for the GRAND PRIZE, given away at the end of the show. You do not need to be present to win. Some lucky winner will walk away with a basket of goodies!

June Update

The weeks are passing by rapidly and I apologise for the amount of time between our blogs!  We are both working hard and certainly not resting on our laurels.  The classes have been filling steadily over the past 6 weeks and having said that there are still vacancies for some of them so please don't leave it too late and be disappointed.

Alzheimer's Benefit Quilt Challenge
The response to this initiative has been amazing and we can't thank everyone enough for being involved.  In 2012 we sold 57 kits and received 28 completed quilts that went to auction and this year we have sold 84 kits!   To date we have received 5 completed quilts, if you haven't finished your quilt please remember you have until the 30th June to get it to us ready for judging.  Apart from being involved with this great charity there are 3 fabulous prizes up for grabs!

• First Prize:  $300 cash plus a bursary to attend AMQF 2014.  The bursary includes a Festival Package, ticket to Banquet dinner, up to 8 hrs of classes and a Fabric Pack. Value $1100.

• Second Prize:  $200 cash plus a bursary to attend AMQF 2014.  Bursary includes a Registration bag, ticket to Banquet dinner, up to 8 hrs of classes and a Fabric Pack. Value $800.

• Third Prize:  $100 cash plus AMQF 2014 registration bag, up to 4hrs of classes and a Fabric Pack.  Value $500. 

AMQA Inc Quilt Show 
The Quilt Show is a very exciting part of Festival and the more entries received the bigger and better the exhibition will be.  The Quilt Show is open to almost every type of quilt and going by the last two shows we will see some stunning work.  Don't be shy or think that your quilt isn't worthy of being shown, everyone starts somewhere!  Quilt competition entries must be postmarked no later than Thursday 31st July, 2014.  For further information about the Quilt Show please click here.

Web Based Business Promotion
The WBBP is being offered again to all those that have a online store/services/workshops/retreats etc.  It is a fabulous way to get noticed for a minimal outlay and pitching to a target audience.  What do you need to do to take advantage of this wonderful advertising opportunity?  

• The cost is $110 (GST Inc)
• You need to supply us with 500 business cards
• These cards will be collated and placed in Business Card Folders
• All Registrants will receive a folder in their Registration Bag
• Extra folders will be offered to the public for a minimum fee
• A link will be placed on the AMQF website and will remain active until 30th September 2015
• The opportunity to provide a flyer, discount voucher, samples or product included in the Registration/ Festival Packages. 

This is a great opportunity to get your business noticed!  The response in 2012 was excellent and the feedback has been very positive.  If you'd like to participate please contact Sharon for further information or visit the Sponsorship page.

We want to offer this promotion to as many businesses as possible so if you have a favourite online store that you would like to promote then please send us an email with their details.  If they take this offer up then you will go into a draw for a gorgeous bundle of Moda fabric. 

Until next time.....keep quilting!

Sharon and Tracey