Melbourne, oh Melbourne

Last April I really wanted to go to AQC, or the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne. Except that I wasn't very well in April last year, so I decided to wait until this year instead. AQC consists of a whole lot of classes, a quilt exhibition, workshops and a retail hall, but for this year I decided just to attend for a day or two and see the quilts, do some half hour workshops and, ahem, shop a little. It was held at the most beautiful building, the Royal Exhibition Building.



Inside were exhibits including the Best of the Best from the state and territory guild shows around Australia. There were lots of New York Beauty quilts, which made me all clappy and cheery because I think New York Beauty has always been one of my favourite blocks. In fact I made a small New York Beauty Quilt about 10 years ago for a lovely friend's 40th birthday. It was hard so when I see New York Beauty quilts in shows, it makes me so happy and I have to admire the tenacity and skill of the quilt maker.









There were other quilts. Non-New York Beauty quilts. This one is a pattern by Kim McLean but I didn't check to see who had made it. I loved the fabrics used.





This quilt is by Gloria Loughman, and it reminds me of the mangroves in the Town Common of my hometown Townsville, and university geography camping trips to Hinchinbrook Island with the amazing mangroves at Nina Bay and in the Hinchinbrook Channel, and fishing with my dad in his tinnie on Trinity Inlet in Cairns.



Don't you just love how the triangles become the tree canopy?



And a trip to the Best of the Best wouldn't be the same without visiting Sarah Fielke's quilt "A Wing and a Prayer" because I'm actually making this quilt. I bought most of the fabrics at Patchwork on Central Park while I was in Melbourne , and I am starting the background squares tonight.





In my last post I alluded to it being the perfect combined weekend of football and quilting. That's because I invited the mister along, and promised him we could go to a St Kilda game.







And then it so happened that the next day was the St Kilda Members' Day at Moorabbin, so as we are both members we decided to trek out there.

They have a Heritage Museum at Moorabbin and there were some treasures there, I tell you. Treasures! Like Stewart Loewe's bronzed boots.



And a larger than lifesized photo of the man himself.



Sigh.

On our last day, we had brunch with Cam from Curlypops. Cam and I have been virtual friends for years and years and finally we got to meet. She is as lovely as I expected to be. Of course we both had bacon. It was a realtime, real-life #baconpalooza

Then Cam drove us to see Liz at Gleaners Inc. I hadn't seen Liz for yonks, so it was good to see her in her new shop. It was a complete coincidence that I was wearing a necklace that Liz made, and Cam a brooch.



And then we flew home. Perfect weekend of quilting and football and the weather was fantastic. And I'm so inspired after the quilts I saw.

But I'll have to leave the quilting for later on. Because right now I'm going to cook some dinner and THEN I'm going to get my Glee on.