Great Australian Quilts

Great Australian Quilts is a one-off magazine that highlights five award-winning Australian quilters to showcase their projects. Each project illustrates the quilters' unique style and technique, inviting readers an inside look into the different tips and experiences that they have to share in their quilt-making process. Great Australian Quilts gives readers the chance to practice these artisans work with the sample projects available in the magazine.

From the editor

Great Australian Quilts • No.12 2021

Quilty TREASURES • “We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love … and then we return home.”

Diary Dates • These dates were correct at the time of printing. However, due to the pandemic, dates and/or times may have been changed. Please contact the organisers to find out more.

Australia’s Best Quilts

Starry Starry BRIGHT • All the glitter and glory of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge make this an amazing quilt that would also be an impressive wallhanging.

REBECCA HASTINGS • Sydney, New South Wales

Metung • Moira lives in a small town in the East Gippsland area of Victoria that is protected Aboriginal land. The town is called Metung, which is a Tatungooloong Aboriginal word that means river bend. This quilt is named for that protected land.

MOIRA DE CARVALHO • East Gippsland, Victoria

What's up? • While Susan-Claire was thinking of Australia, these emu characters kept popping up! So here they are looking around to see What’s Up? Because the necks are long and narrow, they lend themselves to 2½in-wide strips. Also gum leaves and nuts simply say Australia, so putting them all together created this fun pieced quilt.

SUSAN-CLAIRE MAYFIELD • Otaki, New Zealand

AUSTRALIAN-DESIGNED Fabric Ranges • It’s always exciting to see new fabric ranges by talented Australian designers. Sadly, the pandemic has seen a cutback in ranges, but here are a few of our favourites. Each range has numerous prints — we share a few to showcase the range. The fabrics will be available from all good patchwork shops across Australia and the fabrics can be purchased wholesale via the website, details of which are included.

Wattle Stars • This quilt is inspired by the Southern Cross and wattle blossoms. Improv piecing, jute trim, wonky stars and improv-foundation-pieced New York Beauty arcs combine to make a quirky, textural throw.

JESS WHEELAHAN • Sydney, New South Wales

AN INITIATIVE OF THE AUSTRALIAN QUILTERS' ASSOCIATION (AQA) • This exhibition aims to promote quilting as an art form by inviting quilters from all around Australia to exhibit original works demonstrating their interpretation of a given theme. AQIPP is a juried, judged and sponsored exhibition with awards generously donated by sponsors.

Waratah • This art piece is inspired by Australian flora, and is created using Japanese and Batik fabrics.

GAILE JACKSON • South Australia

FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN QUILTING BOOKS • Reading books is a great way to learn a new skill or brush up on an existing one. Or, as is the case with these books, it’s a way of finding new ideas to make and create. The following books are by Australian authors who love to share their knowledge with others.

Wrapped in HAPPINESS • The colours in this quilt echo the boldness and strength of Australia. This modern quilt harks back to the roots of traditional quilting – informal measuring tools and fabrics that are on hand.

JAN ROWE • Western Australia

Outback COLOURS • Caroline has long been known for her Australian textile art pieces. This wallhanging was made by her some time ago, and originally appeared in an early issue of Quilters Companion....