Creative Colourwheel - Convenor's Challenge 2011

Here are the details of the 2011 Challenge as published in the December YTFG Magazine SCRAP SALAD
Deadline – at Headquarters by close of business Friday 10th June, 2011.

1. Purchase an artists canvas block 4” x 6” (10 x 15 cm or postcard size) for each participating student from Club funds. These cost around $1.50 each from Hot Dollar / Top Bargains or Spotlight stores. Any club with insufficient funds should apply to the Committee for partial funding.
2. Each student will either paint or cover in fabric (including edges) in their appointed Club colour then creatively embellish coloured block using shades/tints of that colour.
3. A random draw was conducted and these are the colours appointed for Clubs to work with.

Red Wagga Wagga, Distance and Lones

Blue Lismore, Newcastle

Green Milton/Ulladulla, North District (Metropolitan)

Yellow Concord West, Dubbo

Purple Engadine, Grafton

Orange Parkes, Wollongong

4. Use anything you would normally use on a quilt or stitched piece. This could include patchwork, beads, buttons, charms, couching, knitting, felting, found objects, mixed media, SMALL 3D objects as well as traditional stitching. All objects have to be securely stitched to the block. If in doubt, check with YTFG Convenor please.
5. Please make sure your work can be displayed any way up as the display may need to be arranged differently depending on the location.
6. Blocks will become the property of the YTFG and be used for displays / exhibitions at various venues for at least 12 months.
7. Pieces will be numbered on the reverse when received at HQ and at the end of that time a lucky draw will be run and pieces sent out to winning students.
8. Students attending Clubs should hand their finished blocks to Leaders in time to send in a box together to Concord West by the due date. Late entries will need to be posted by the individual students at their cost.
9. Lone or unattached members and Distance Course members should post their entries to the Guild, PO box 109 Concord West 2138 marked “Attention YTFG Convenor” in a padded postbag or deliver in person to 76 Queen Street Concord West by the due date.

NB: I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO YOUR EMBELLISHMENT ON A PIECE OF FABRIC OR OTHER BACKGROUND AND THEN GLUE/STITCH IT TO THE BLOCKS AS IT IS QUITE DIFFICULT TO STITCH DIRECTLY ON THE BLOCKS DUE TO THE WIDE WOODEN FRAMES.

Here is my block finished, and the process I used to create it. Concord West has been allocated yellow, and I decided to use the "make your own fabric" project from the December magazine for the background. However I used net instead of calico, so first I painted my canvas block in yellow acrylic craft paint. You may choose to make yours another way, it's completely up to you what technique and method you use. You must make sure the work is securely attached to the block before you send it to us.


Here is the painted block sitting on the piece of net with 1 inch margins marked all around to allow for covering the sides. Decoration must stay within this area.


After fusing some Vleisofix to the net using a scrap of paper under and over the net, I laid chopped up fabrics, threads and ribbons on top and ironed them on carefully



Next I added decorations, sequins, stitching, charms etc on top of the base fabric, being careful to keep them within the marked area and mostly surrounding the centre on the top of the block


My finished block after the base fabric was folded and glued around the back of the block. I also added a few final sequins to the centre of the block by stitching through all the layers to hold the centre tight. Lastly I will add a label to cover the back of the block with my name, date and my club so that the winner of the block will know who made it !

Students enter work in Alstonville Show 2010

Judy Santarossa, Lismore Club Leader, sent in a photo of Charlotte and Olivia with their entries in the Alstonville Show. Their wallhangings featuring Mr Shuffles (the little elephant from Taronga Zoo Park Sydney) earned 1st and 2nd prizes in the section. Congratulations girls, well deserved prizes as the elephants are so colourful and well stitched. Looking forward to seeing more photos of work entered in agricultural Shows in 2011.

New Clubs opening in 2011

Some great news, 2 new Leaders have been appointed and new Clubs will start in Dubbo (country) and Engadine (southern Sydney suburb) in 2011. Sadly due to the resignation of 2 Leaders and no successors being available we will have to close Nepean (western Sydney) and possibly Grafton (northern country) clubs. Welcome to our new Members and their Leaders, we hope you'll enjoy leaning to stitch and improving your skills with the YTFG.

STOP PRESS: Heard by phone Wednesday 24th Nov. that the local Embroiderers' Guild group in Grafton is hoping to organise a Leader to continue to run a Club in Grafton, possibly meeting each school holidays. Such GREAT news, hope this works out.

October School Holidays workshop

On Thursday 7th october 10 students were guided by Marcelle Sandeman (a former Newcastle Club Leader) in a fabric Christmas Gift Tag project at Guild Headquarters. 4 of the children had only recently attended their first workshop but by the end of the day's session had successfully added French Knots and Stem stitch to their tags. Learning to stitch in a hoop wasn't easy, and there were some long periods when you could have heard a needle drop, but everyone managed really well on the day. All projects were completed and taken home at the end of the day. Well done and thankyou Marcelle for your patience. Thankyou also to our helpers Diana, Sue, and Christine.

Winter 2010 workshop, Stained Glass Window Crazy Patch bag

On Thursday 15th July at Guild Headquarters Carolyn Pearce led 14 eager students in making a medieval inspired Stained Glass Window Crazy Patch Bag. 5 adult helpers were on hand including our stalwart Fred and soon pieces of pre-fused coloured fabric were cut out and had been fused to the black bag pieces by the adults. Next the children had to select suitable stitches - some students were veterans of several workshops, most had a little knowledge but then 2 small girls had never threaded a needle before and one had only ever tried sewing on a button. Carolyn took all this in her stride and demonstrated the techniques to eager eyes.



A quick break for lunch followed although some students cut their lunch short to hurry back and get on with the decoration of their bags. With a sewing machine set up in the back room at the Guild for the purpose, most of the bags were stitched up and handles added by the end of the day. 3 bags were left for Mums or Nanna to stitch up as their family had a sewing machine.



2 boys completed the requirements for their Scout Sewing Badge on the day, many thanks to Fred for his patience. You'll certainly agree that the kids looked like they were having a great time !

Free Project Sheet - Stitched Birthday card Page 1

To print this page out full size, left click on the photo, then go to print preview and adjust margins to smallest possible before printing. Scroll down for page 2.

We hope you enjoy stitching your birthday card !

Updating the Group Banner

Back in 2007 the Clubs supplied a blue and orange stitched name patch and a rectangular patch of members' work to add to a Group banner. In this our 15th birthday year we decided to update the banner to display at our Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair Feature Display in June 2010.
Guildford, Muswellbrook, Southern Suburbs and Wollondilly Clubs have unfortunately closed while Concord West, Grafton, and Lismore District have begun. 2 of those clubs were able to send along names and patches of work and Grafton sent their name to be added to the banner. Christine unpicked the stitches on the closed clubs and moved them to the back of the banner, replacing them with the new patches in time for the set up day at Darling Harbour.
Below are Lismore's patches and the little explanation sent along, isn't the work fantastic? The Banner certainly looks even better than before, and was a big drawcard at the Show.