Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair 2012 - Part 2

I've attended most of the craft shows around Sydney in the last few years. I've even pottered up to Newcastle for some. One of the best things about them is that I often come away knowing more than I came with.  That's why one of the things I'm most excited about today at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair is the workshops, seminars and tutorials. Learning is such an important part of the show, the organizers have a web page to help you schedule. I recommend that you attend at least one workshop or seminar during the show. They usually well worth the money and often free!

Last year, I went and learned to screen print. A few years back, I learned about converting a jelly roll into a Dresden plate which I put into action this year with some Good Folks.  I've learned all sorts of tips and tricks that make crafting easier.

Your learning opportunities come in a few categories. First, there are the free workshops.  These are usually short half hour to one hour talks presented by stallholders. Let me be up front with you. They are trying to sell you something, but don't let that scare you off. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in those sessions and you don't have to buy anything. You can sit, watch their talk and then walk away guilt free. I love these free talks and I'm pretty sure they are what launched me towards quilting many moons ago. There are many topics, of course, but I regularly found myself in the quilting sessions. I'd say these seminars are best for someone who is just getting into a hobby or someone who is looking for tips and tricks to make their hobby a little more fun.

So which ones should you see? Here's my picks for this year. Marked in blue are some of the presentations that I've seen before. I've really enjoyed these.. I've come away learning something new each time. The others I've included are new to me, but I think they'll offer quite a few opportunities for learning. Even if you aren't thinking of buying a longarm machine (I'm not), wouldn't it be good to go and learn about them so you can better communicate with longarm quilters for collaborative projects?

• 10:00 AM  Projects for Fat Quarters, Jelly Rolls and Bali Pops, Gai Taylor, Just Patchwork
• 10:30 AM Traditional Double Wedding Ring Quilt Made Easy, Heather Bartsch, Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage
• 11:00 AM Scrap Buster Quilt-As-You-Go Projects, Julie Wallace, Quilter's Barn
• 12:00 PM Creative Use of Colour, Kathy Doughty, Material Obsession and Reece Scannell
• 01:00 PM Patchwork Made Easy, Julie Wallace, Quilter's Barn
• 01:30 PM How to Buy a Longarm Quilting Machine, Hans Martini, Know-How Sewing Essentials
• 01:30 PM Wide Widths - What are They Good For?, Brenda Wade, Widebacks Australia
• 03:00 PM Show and Tell with Saffron Craig, Saffron Craig

It looks like a big list, but I really have whittled it down! 

Or if you don't want to sit in a seminar room, it sounds like the nifty notions sessions this year should offer a few quick crafting tips. Again these sessions are designed to sell you something, but you aren't under any obligation. Go watch, learn and take the techniques home to try them in your own time. Or if you find yourself inspired, stop by the stands and pick up the supplies there and there. My picks for the nifty notion talks would be:

• 01:00 PM Scalloped borders. [Something I've wanted to try]
• 01:30 PM  Heat-fused Batting. [No idea what this is, I'm curious]
• 03:00 PM QuiltSmart. [I've done quite a few lonestar projects with Quiltsmart. I love this stuff.]

Another opportunity for learning at the show is hands-on workshops. Generally you pay a small fee for the materials, but the course is far less than it would otherwise be. For these workshops, I recommend you get into the show early and register. They fill up quickly. 

A few of Jenny King's crochet sessions have piqued my interest this year. I've always wanted to try Tunisian crochet. The flower collar looks great too. The real gem though would probably be star stitch crochet. If you're a crocheter who wants to try something different, I'd say give this a go. I picked up a star crochet book in Japan last year. I love the look and varied applications of this stitch. 

• 11:30 AM Star Crochet with Jenny King

There are quite a few other crafting sessions on this year. I'm eyeing up fabric printing with your own hand carved stamps and another Tunisian crochet class. I'm also curious about chicken scratch embroidery and beginner sashiko. 

• 11:00 AM Fabric Printing with Hand Carved Stamps, Lisa Walton, Dyed and Gone to Heaven
• 11:00 AM Chicken Scratch Embroidery Revival, Catherine Sudholz, Catharina's Country Collection
• 1:00 PM Learning Tunisian Crochet,  Jenny Inglis, Kaalund Yarns
• 2:00 PM Beginner Sashiko, Sue Howie, Indigo Niche   

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed just writing it all up. I know I won't make it to even a fraction of what I've picked out, but it's nice to have so many opportunities. Have you been to a craft fair presentation that you really enjoyed?  Maybe you're reading this late and want to suggest a course you've just attended?  Maybe I'll see you there?