WESTALEE RULER FOOT BLOCK CHALLENGE

As you may know, Punch with Judy has conducted Online Classes for the WESTALEE RULER FOOT, winner of the Best New Product for 2015, voted for by the public. Our first course has finished and the second course has commenced. New students are welcome to join up until Christmas.

The course runs for 7 months with Lessons via Videos and support through our Westalee Yahoo Group. A very comprehensive course and we have a lot of fun whilst educating and inspiring students both as raw beginners and some more experienced. I invite you to join us.

At the close of the first course, when students were completing their Quilt-As-You-Go Quilt, Bill West of Westalee Design challenged the students to design a 12" Block using the 7 templates used in the course. Bill and Leonie West were looking for individuality in creating a design showing that they'd learnt the concept of free-motion quilting using the Westalee Ruler Foot and associated templates - all on a domestic sewing machine.
The prize to be a GOLD Ruler Foot, well, gold-plated, not solid gold! Leonie West, the inventor of the Westalee Ruler Foot, wears hers on a gold chain as a necklace.

I received many Challenge Blocks and am very proud to have helped teach so many (hundreds and hundreds of students) the new art of free-motion quilting. It has been such a rewarding year all round and I am indeed thankful for the support students have given all year. We had challenges ourselves, but we had fun on a great learning curve.

The winning block has been chosen and I'm pleased to add that two Runner-Ups were chosen as well, though everyone deserved recognition.

LYNETTE (Bub) CURRAN from Hughendon, outback Qld. 

was selected by the judges panel with her "Spider Web Block".

CONGRATULATIONS Bub, a GOLD WESTALEE RULER FOOT for your Bernina will be sent to you as your prize, compliments of Westalee Design Rulers. (I may add too that Bub's Bernina is not one of the new series, but actually, in machine terms, quite old)

Bub said she used the double spine, both clamshells, spinning wheel and the spin-e-fex (all from the Student's Template Pack exclusive for Students) for this gumnut and leaves with the spider web block.

Leonie said she chose Bub's Block as the winning entry because of its originality, great use of the templates showing excellent creativity of thinking outside the square. Completely different to any of the lesson blocks, confirming that Bub had grasped the concept of free-motion quilting submitting something other than variations of Leonie's own blocks.

Little add-lib: Bub had to leave emailing me because she had to make lunch for her Flying Doctor Clinic the next day. For our International readers, ask Mrs.Google about the Flying Doctor Service in Australia. A National Icon! 

Bub also finished her lessons' quilt during the course, so thought I would share it with you.

There can only ever be ONE Winner, but many students finished their quilts and submitted beautiful work during the year showing they had also mastered the art of quilting with the Ruler Foot and Templates on a domestic sewing machine. A few of the Challenge Blocks submitted were superbly sewn and very inspirational. Judging was tough!

So, we chose TWO Runner-Ups, both of whom will receive a NEW Template, from Leonie's designing talents, not yet released to the public - so they will feel very honoured. Amazingly coincidental, they both also sew on a Bernina.

LIZ AITKEN from Sydney, NSW, take a bow, your work all year has been exceptional and the assistance you've offered to other students has been very generous.

Liz said "I used the Circles on Quilts Spinning Wheel 22 for the centre, representing a flower as the living heart of the family, the Spin-e-fex Curly Q 11.5 for the tendrils representing all the people connected to the family. I used the straight edge of the 12 inch arc for the central rays of the flower."

Here is Liz's finished quilt from the course as well.

JUDITH KENNEDY from Virginia, USA had been playing around with Zentangles and said that she "was mesmerized by the love of these designs and this was certainly reflected in my block".

Judith said "The zentangles were done with the straight side of the 12" arc ruler (comes with the Ruler Foot package); needle down on one line with ruler against the foot, place the ruler edge on the line at the next intersection and that gives a 1/4" space. Repeat until you get dizzy or have completed a zentangle. Then stitch over the curve created by the lines to get out of the maze. These were just squares and triangles, I want to try doing it in curvy areas."

Judith is another student who has been very helpful to others during the year whilst making her own quilt shown here. I will add that the reverse side is bright orange and looks superb too.

I hope that I have encouraged many to maybe consider joining our Online Course because if these girls can do so well, then you can too! Keep in mind that all these students had never done free motion quilting before using templates on their domestic sewing machine. I shall show more finished work by students in my next Blog.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THREE ABOVE 

 plus all the others who submitted a Challenge Block, decisions are always hard.