Mosman Night Owls: Contemproary Techniques Workshop with Nic Bridges

Every year, Mosman Night Owls arrange for a tutor to come and teach us a special workshop. In the past, we've had workshops with a wide variety of tutors including The Thimble Lady, Luixin Newman, textile artist Marjorie Coleman, formerly from WA but now living in Queensland, and Blue Mountains textile artist Gillian Hand.

This year's special workshop was with Nic Bridges, a comtemporary quilter and teacher from Woolongong. And, how did that go? .... W-E-E-E-ELL, let me tell you ...

It was complete madness! No plan ... no clear objectives for what they were going to make ... no clue what the finished product was going to look like ... just free and spontaneous work, making it up as they went along!!!

Cutting with rotary cutters and NO RULERS!!!

Free machine quilting WITHOUT MARKING!!!

Using any old thread that took their fancy. Sewing FROM THE BACK with the most inappropriate thread in the bobbin. Which they wrapped BY HAND!!!

And, the things that they did with Vlysofix!

Worst of all, as my fellow Night Owls broke each and every Rule of Proper Patchwork, faithfully handed down from generation to generation, they didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, they seemed to be ... dare I say it ... enjoying themselves. GASP!

It wasn't a sight for the faint hearted. Mosman Night Owls used to have some of the nicest ladies in patchwork as members, but, alas, not any more. I fully expect the Quilt Police to raid our next meeting and letter cancelling our group membership in The Quilters Guild to be in the Post forthwith.

I think that these pictures speak for themselves! This one is ?#W1? ...