Placeholder Content Image

Record-busting quilt convention heads Down Under

<p dir="ltr">For the first time, the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest quilt convention will be heading to Brisbane in a three-day event showcasing the best quilts from around the country and the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Australasian Quilt Convention runs from May 26 to May 29 and features exhibitions of quilts that are award-winning, never-before-seen and even some made especially for the convention’s yearly challenge.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a83866f9-7fff-ea0a-66f9-f06262c4d46d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Thirty finalists from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa from this year’s challenge, themed ‘Going Green’, will be on display at the convention, with the winners announced during Wednesday night’s cocktail party.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/quilt-show1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A variety of quilts will be exhibited at the convention’s Quilt Show. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">There will also be daily classes, where top quilters will take you through how to make everything from tote bags and cushions to framed quilts and adorable animals, and free seminars where you can pick up tips to improve your patchwork, sewing and other crafty skills.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a4f17f5a-7fff-02ac-f10b-2a529d161bbb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Along with plenty of things to see and do, you can also take something home with you from the Expo floor, with patterns, kits, and even quilting machines available to purchase.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/quilt-show2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Daily classes, run by top quilters, will take you through how to make all sorts of pieces. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">To book your tickets to the event, hosted at Brisbane’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, head <a href="https://aqc.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b1c436f-7fff-189a-710a-28476493efa0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Art

Placeholder Content Image

Funeral-goers adorn pews with late grandma’s handmade quilts

<p>A family from Nebraska in the US have honoured their late grandmother in the most beautiful way. Margaret Hubl, who passed away last July at the age of 89, was an avid quiltmaker, crafting over 100 throughout her life and gifting them to her family and friends. As a tribute to her memory, those closest to her brought Margaret’s gorgeous creations to her funeral, adorning the church pews with the colourful blankets.</p> <p>“Never did I imagine how many there were,” Margaret’s granddaughter Christina Tollman told <a href="http://www.today.com/news/family-honors-grandma-s-memory-displaying-all-her-quilts-her-t108586" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">TODAY</span></strong></a>. “We covered almost every single pew in that church. I never knew how many she actually made.</p> <p>“She wanted us to have something to wrap up and keep warm in when we went away to school. This is the love that Grandma made for each of us. This is what she made for each of us to wrap up in when we hurt… When we miss her.”</p> <p>It became a tradition in the family for Margaret to gift her grandchildren quilts on their wedding day. So dedicated was she to this tradition that she even prepared three for her remaining unmarried grandchildren – just so they wouldn’t miss out.</p> <p>“I actually have three cousins that are not married, and the day of her funeral was the day that they got to see their quilts for the first time,” Christina said. That was really kind of a neat moment.”</p> <p>See the beautiful tribute in the gallery above and tell us in the comments, what traditions do you have in your family?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/elderly-woman-gets-arrested-for-bucket-list/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Dutch woman in her 90s ticks “getting arrested” off bucket list</em></span></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/elderly-man-dancing-in-street/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Sweet elderly man dancing in the street will make your day</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/02/bride-asks-92-year-old-grandmother-to-be-her-bridesmaid/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Bride asks 92-year-old grandmother to be her bridesmaid</strong></em></span></a></p>

Retirement Life

Placeholder Content Image

Handmade quilts draped at creators funeral in her honour

<p>Janet White from New York, lived a fulfilling and long life. She was a passionate gardener and ran a dairy farm for a few decades in her life. In the 60s she travelled with her husband Bill to Hong Kong and to the Soviet Union.</p> <p>Out of all her various accomplishments, one she was renowned for was her quilt making. Janet made over 100 quilts for her children, grandchildren, friends and community members. Before she passed, she also made four more for her unmarried grandchildren to be gifted to them on their wedding days.</p> <p>Janet passed away at the age of 84 but at her funeral, her family draped her quilts over the church pews to honour her with a personal symbol of who she was. Her granddaughter posted a photo of the quilts online and it has gone viral. </p> <p>Online readers were touched by Janet’s legacy and the way her family chose to remember her. “I'm getting a little choked up reading this. The description of the life your grandmother lived seems magnificent and extravagant and it really makes me want to branch out and truly live life. The fact that a mere description of what she did can evoke such an emotional response from a total stranger is absolutely unique. My condolences for your grandmother OP," one user wrote.</p> <p>Janet’s care and love has certainly made an impact on those who knew her and those who hear her story. </p> <p><strong>Image credit: tits_mcgheee via Pinterest</strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/02/150-year-old-wedding-dress-found-at-drycleaners/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>150-year-old wedding dress found at drycleaners</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/02/mum-finds-letters-from-late-daughter/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Grieving mum finds letters from her late daughter</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/02/rose-osborne-who-is-the-storyteller-in-your-family/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Who is the storyteller in your family?</strong></em></span></a></p>

Retirement Life

Placeholder Content Image

Partners of war veterans share their unique stories from the home front through quilting

<p>Although they didn’t fight on the frontline, the partners of war veterans faced their own challenges on the home front. In order to honour these forgotten stories, the Partners of Veterans Association is threading these stories together in a quilt to mark the centenary of the Anzac. Each block has been made by a partner of a war veteran and tells their unique story. The quilt will be displayed in museums around Queensland and the ABC in Brisbane’s South Bank.</p><p>Jan English’s husband fought in Vietnam and during the time would write many letters to her.</p><p>“He wrote to me before he got back and said ‘save me a date when I get back’,” she told ABC Brisbane. “He didn't care if I had a boyfriend or what but he still wanted a date. We started going out as soon as he got back and married a year after.”</p><p>Jan has decided to use one of her husband’s handwritten letters in her block. She says while he shared many things over letters, once he returned he rarely spoke about his experiences.</p><p>“Sometimes he'd have a few drinks and have a few chats. The children used to love hearing his stories... but as most of them do, they bottle it up.”</p><p>One of the organisers of the quilt project, Anna Douglas, said the experience of telling their story has brought many partners together.</p><p>“As we've put the quilt together we've seen many stories that we thought maybe were only specific to that person but they've come out in different blocks with someone else through that image which is amazing to see," she said. “The quilt has made it very obvious that there are common threads.”</p><p>Mrs Douglas's husband, Wayne, who served in the infantry for 22 years, believe projects like the quilt are important.</p><p>“I know the focus has always been on the veterans, so any support in the community — any funding generally — goes to the veterans,” he said. “But the children and the partners bear as much of the brunt of the problems that spin out of it.</p><p>“[The quilt] is giving them a focus to come together and share experiences... the quilt is symbolic of all of them coming together.”</p><p><em>Image credit: ABC Brisbane: Blythe Moore&nbsp;</em></p><p><strong>Related links:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/02/cyclone-brought-town-together/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Cyclone Lam brought the tiny town of Milingimbi together</strong></em></span></a></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/02/flow-beekeeping-device/" target="_blank">The Australian beekeeping invention that’s making millions</a><br></strong></em></span></p><p><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/03/sydney-storm-photos/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Amazing photos from Sydney’s massive storm</strong></em></span></a></p>

News

Our Partners