Book Launch

Tomorrow my friend and Author Margaret Rowe will be launching the latest book in her Australian Quilt Challenge series of novels, "The Amelia Challenge".  I think this is my favorite book so far, although I did have to sort of stop myself from reading the closing chapter!

I'd best explain.

In the Amelia Challenge we again meet with the group of five friends as they manage their very different lives, and come together to enjoy the joy of quilting.  Each year their guild issues a challenge to all guild members to make a quilt based on a set of rules, or inspired by a different story.  In past novels in the series we have learned about the Rajah Quilt and how the convict women being transported to Australia learned to sew, we've learned about early pioneers, and now we learn a little more about our architectural heritage in the Amelia Challenge.

Without giving too much of the plot away the challenge for the group of friends is to construct a quilt inspired by a building or architectural object.  Margaret's meticulous research allows her to tell us amazing stories about buildings that are a familiar part of our surroundings.

The cornice detail in my formal dining room.

The funniest thing is the series of co-incidence that we discovered when Margret and I met and had lunch a month or so ago and discussed her book launch.  It was the first time Margaret had visited my home, and she was very surprised to discover that our formal dining room features an unusual cornice of gum leaves, the very design she had found in a historic building and commented on in her novel.

The next surprise was when I was able to show Margaret the amazing poster I bought during my recent holiday in Venice.  Jim and I had arrived in Venice at the end of a wonderful cruise around the Med. and naturally we set about to see all the famous sites we had only heard about.  St Marks Cathedral was on the list and we were so amazed by the beauty and splendor of this building.  As a quilter I saw inspiration for quilts everywhere, and the floor was a million quilt possibilities.  I took lots of (forbidden) photos, and then wandered into the gift shop where we found a poster showing the entire plan of those floor designs.   You can imagine how thrilled I was.  Now I plan to make several quilts, using an assortment of techniques from those floor designs!

Tomorrow's book launch will be fantastic.  Margaret is a terrific speaker, and I really look forward to sharing some of my snaps (not photoshoped yet) and that amazing floor plan of St Marks.

Can you come?

The event kicks off at 11.45am and finishes at 1.30pm.  We will be service some food and we'd love to see you there.

Venue:  Classroom of Michelle's Sewing Basket, 2/54 Wantirna Rd, Ringwood VIC 3134