Fun short courses

A few of the OQG's members attended two short courses presented by Ina Meyer.   

Fabric flowers

Create depth with inktense pencils.

Proud Mariana Beherens with her flowers.

Gerda Cronjé's blue flowers

Teacher Ina left and Nelia Venter right

Gerda Cronjé left and Malinda Coetzer

Ina Meyer demonstrating the 3d effect created
with the use of the inktense pencils.

So, what are the inktense pencils, you ask?

Inktense pencils are watercolor pencils that transform into bright and transparent, ink-like color that will be permanent after it dries.  They can be used dry or blended with water and can also be used with wax or oil based colored pencils and blended with a solvent. Once the color is dry, it is fixed and can be worked over the top of it because it is permanent. They are also great for using on fabric such as silk and cotton.

Outreach: Anglo Boer War Museum

The Oranje Quilters Guild have made use of the exhibition facilities of the Anglo Boer War Museum over a number of years.  The excellent security of the museum is of utmost importance to the Guild especially when housing and exhibiting the Travelling Exhibition's unique and valuable quilts.

 

The museum furnished a space specifically dedicated for this purpose in 2023 with adequate lighting.  By marketing the event widely, they have established themselves as excellent partners of the Guild.

In 2015, Iessie Steenberg of the OQG initiate the offer to help the museum with any needlework they might need from time to time.  A few ladies turned up at an arranged date to help stitch protective covers for the various hoods the museum have in storage to protect the precious items from rubbing against each other and thus damaging the fragile fabric.  It was part of the standard clothing for women to protect them against the harsh South African sun.

This year the museum again made available some fabric and a few ladies of the Guild got to stitching under the direction of Gerda Cronjé, the committee member tasked with organizing the Travelling Exhibition.

The invitation send out to the members of the OQG

This time protective covers were made for various clothing items owned by the museum like children's clothes, dresses, etc.  When items are removed from storage, they rub against each other creating degeneration of the textiles.  The OQG ladies thus provide a priceless contribution towards the conservation of the precious collection of clothes dating from the Anglo Boer War and the concentration camps dating back to the 1890's.

Dané Swanepoel in charge of Publications, Marketing and Public Relations
for the museum, welcomed the ladies.

Christa Gouws (chairperson of the OQG) left and Gerda Cronjé
the convenor for the day.

The teatime goodies.

The ladies who stitched up a storm from left to right:
Gerda Cronjé, Mara Swanepoel, Michelle Lorandi (seated in front), Helene von Maltitz,
Ritha Swanepoel, Rina Venter, Sonja Mostert and Margaret Strydom with Christa Gouws
behind the camera.  Magda du Plessis left earlier.

First General Meeting 2024-2

The first general meeting of 2024 was packed full of miscellaneous demo's as well as the Voices in Cloth presentation and kept the audience spellbound for the entire time.

Elsa Viviers and Christene von Wielligh welcomed all members and guests.

OQG Chairperson Christa Gouws

Gerda Cronjé, the OQG Bloemshow co-ordinator, gave quilters some tips and pointers
what judges specifically look at during judging.

Leanne Stewart, the Chairperson of the Voices in Cloth
quilt festival to be held in Pietermaritzburg from 4 to 9 July 2024.

OQG Secretary Esta Knoetze

OQG committee member Nelia Venter in charge of Retreats.

Vendors for the day included Annamarie Wessels, the local Elna dealer,

Quiltalk and

Lemon Tree Fabrix

Some of the attendees

One of our members, Doretha Jacobs, presented an interesting talk about the processing of wool.
From receiving the soiled wool, spinning, coloring, etc. until the final product.

Skeins of wool

A cushion made with 100% wool.

Attendees listening intently.

Ansulet from Clover and Stitch presented her interesting technique of print and quilt.

A good quality photo is broken up into individual squares with the seam
allowances added all the way around, printed on cotton fabric, cut out and stitched into a quilt.

These cheetahs were done using her technique.

After all the speeches and demo's, all had some refreshments.

The beautiful, folded paper proteas used as decoration.