Whats On - quilts and Textiles in NZ

Auckland Patchworkers Quiltfest 2011. A Nautical Calico Christmas. It is this weekend 4,5,6th November at North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Friday 10-5, sat 10-5, sunday 10-4pm. Merchants , show etc. Free parking.
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Fabricabrac
5th November
St Anne's Hall, Newtown

Fabrics, buttons, beads, lace, scissor sharpening, Mary Potter Hospice stall selling donated fabrics.
www.fabricabrac.co.nz
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Wine Country Quilts 2012 exhibition. 23-25th march 2012. Pukeora Estate, Waipukurau Open 10-4pm daily. $5 entry. You can enter the exhibition if you live on the east Coast from Hicks Bay to Cape Palliser.
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Other stuff that has arrived
Fibre and Fleece exhibition Opotiki. 6-8th July 2012.Anyone can enter the exhibition and fashion show, $20 entry. Lots of categories but everything has to be 90% natural materials (wool, cotton, stone, fur etc). For further information or to get an entry form contact Opotiki Information centre infocentre@odc.govt.nz or 073153031
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The Great Kiwi Icon Challenge.
Create a wall hanging of kiwi icons.
A2 sized quilt, feltwork, embroidery or other textile. Must be original. Entries to your local Bernina shop by 15th January. Forms at Bernina shops.
2 entries will be chosen by each Bernina shop to go forward to the main competition. Prizes are sewing machines for Best of show and Most humorous.
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Mini Symposium
Patches of Tasman
www.patchesoftasman.co.nz/

I really enjoy the mini symposium  as it is much easier to keep track of friends as they are so much smaller than the main symposium.

There are lots of classes by NZ tutors. Dates are 12th - 16th April 2012

There is also a competition 'Patches of Tasman'. Maximum size is 1m in any direction. See the website for details of how to enter.
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Costumes
If you would like to see some of the costumes the Costume Construction class at Drama school made this year, they are up on display in the foyer of the drama school this week and next week along with the models made by the student designers. We also made costumes for 'Love's Labours Lost' which is the graduation show for the 3rd year actors. On till friday. $5 for students and $25 for adults.
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Exhibition
Beneath the Southern Skies
http://fiberartcalls.blogspot.com/2011/07/beneath-southern-sky.html
Beneath the Southern Sky
Deadline: 25 January 2012 (ONLINE)

Beneath the Southern Sky
A traveling exhibition of contemporary textile art
Curator: Brenda Gael Smith
Confirmed venues:
Craft and Sewing Show, Auckland: 15-18 March 2012
Australasian Quilt Convention: 12-15 April 2012
Textile Art Festival: 9-11 June 2012

Size is 40X100cm banner shape.

cherry blossom in NZ

Check out the incredibly blue sky behind the blossom. We get beautiful days at this time of year interspersed with horribly cold days like yesterday. In Japan the cherry blossom was incredible but the sky was usually grey in the background which I only realised when I took these photos.

I got my latest copy of new Zealand quilter and I'm very excited because one of my quilts is on the cover. It is very different from the dyed and painted quilts that I usually make - this one is made of lace doileys.

Arohanui

In between making costumes for the two plays which are coming up for Toi Whakaari, I have also been helping out a bit with the costumes for a show called Arohanui. It is a Maori musical with dancing, singing, traditional martial arts and poi. It is a great show, I really recommend it and I really enjoyed the chance to see the final tech rehearsal, dress rehearsal and opening night as it gave me a chance to see how changes to the lighting made a real difference to the mood of the show.

I don't have any photos of the costumes which I was helping with,  but here is a Youtube 'taster' from the rehearsals and if you get a chance to see this show I encourage you to go and take any visitors you have staying, with you.

Arohanui  and Youtube clip

There is one more show in Wellington then it moves to Auckland for a week.