Leanne

email:Leanne@aussiequickquilt.com

Proprietor Aussie Quick Quilt
Aussie 8 Hour Quilt

History:-
Digitising and Teaching Computerized Embroidery since 1995
Teaching all aspects of Quilting since 1999
12 years Special Ed Teachers Assistant
Commissioned Quilter since 2001
Winner Australian Textile Art Competition 2004
3 years Waterless and Fatfree Cookware Sales and Teaching
2 years Small Business Trainer and Assessor

Qualifications:-
Cert IV in Education Support
Cert IV in Small Business
TAE 40110 Training and Assessing in Small Business
Working with Children Qld Blue Card # 46488/4
Child Safe and Safe Space Certificates NSW
U3A Tutor
Regional Arts Development Fund Approved Tutor
Published Quilt Designer
Experienced Tour Guide
Proud Teacher to more than 2000 inspired Aussie 8 Hr Quilt Workshop Attendees
all the way to Champion of Show for those who are that way inclined

Meet Leanne from Aussie Quick Quilt

Although Leanne had been sewing, knitting and crocheting her way through school, convincing teachers to let her crochet in class so long as she taught them how to do it, she never attempted quilting as it seemed a tad absurd to “cut up perfectly good material only to sew it back together after it had been jumbled up”, she laughs.

Then her mother went to visit Leanne’s sister living in Malta with a request that she make a quilt for her return out of her mother’s stash.
“I had no idea what to do, where to start and especially how to finish a quilt, and especially, I had no idea quilts were supposed to take forever to finish.. if ever.”

“I found a quilting magazine, decided on a Churn Dash Square, Hand Tea Dyed a heap of material finally creating a ‘Desert sand up into the night sky’ design.
I was mad on Egyptians. By the time I had finished there were Appliques, Prairie Points, Grandma’s Fans, and many more.”

“Not knowing this was supposed to be a lot more painful, and only having six children under the age of 14 to take care of, I finished it in five weeks, in time for mum’s return… She was gob-smacked.”

This was Leanne’s inaugural experience, which led to a 5 foot by 6 foot mosaic 1200 x 2½ inch squares of Worf from Star Trek.

“I had a few issues when making Worf but after speaking to Loraine Carthew (an amazing quilter, and so helpful) I finally designed and created a 4 foot x 5 foot mosaic 2000 x 1½ inch squares quilt of Spock, also from Star Trek, in only 4 months.”

After years of teaching Computerized Embroidery, Leanne was asked to run classes for Quilting.
To everyone’s amazement, the ladies discovered their first class was going to teach them how to make a quilt in just one day!!!

“I felt I had to inspire them to FINISH their first exercise quickly so they wouldn’t lose interest.” Leanne remembers.
“These were my embroidery students so we had a lot of panels to work with around the 6 to 8 inch square size and we had a hoot.”

After a lot of convincing from her husband, Leanne finally took the plunge and took her Aussie Quick Quilt workshop to Dalby to see how the country folk would appreciate her unique methodology.
“We had a stall in the U3A Senior Citizens inaugural markets, got quite a good response, so booked the hall and trialled a small group of 5 to make sure we could run this as a travelling show.” Leanne said.

“Ralf’s healthy cooked lunch was really appreciated winning a few hearts along the way, so we decided we had the right formula… and most importantly, the ladies had such a ball, they booked another Aussie 8 Hr Quilt before afternoon Tea was finished.

We have now run hundreds of Aussie 8 Hr Quilt Workshops all over Queensland and NSW (driving up to 1900 kilometers to the next town on the list) with many more booked for the future."

Aussie 8 Hr Quilt workshops are run for communities, not only as a social event, but as a health and well-being experience that delivers a marvellous sense of achievement for the participants.
“This helps battle depression and feelings of isolation and loss, as reflected by our invitation to attend
the Inglewood Show and the Roma Health and Well-being Expo by the Community Health Services,
only to be surpassed by Cunnamulla Regional Council fully funding 6 workshops for their constituents
and another 10 funded 50% by a Carers Group.”

The all-inclusive cost includes the Quilt top, Back, and Batting (all top quality Quilters Cotton), use of all equipment, Cooked Lunch, Morning and Afternoon Tea and Tuition ensures the least amount of stress for the attendees and the maximum enjoyment from an incredibly affordable investment.

Every attendee from 9 to 90, from people who have never sewn, to a man who had only sewn wheat sacks, to the winner of the Royal Melbourne Show Quilting Competition has successfully completed an Aussie 8 Hr Quilt as can be seen on our website, with everyone commenting on how much fun they had, along with how much they learned.

It seems this is one exception to the ‘If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is’ rule as the first 13 months produced 154 amazing smiles as you can see on the mobile website, now over 6000, and over 220 new quilts to be made in our next tour alone. Workshops are now being run in, or organised for, Thallon, Augathella, Cunnamulla, Eulo, Mitchell, Boulia, Mt Isa, Taroom, and Gregory near Burketown, with requests for more in Hughenden, Bundaberg, Mackay, Longreach and now most of the other States are sending requests, with FUNshops and Retreats booked and completed in Sydney, Newcastle, Walgett and NSW Country.

With the addition of our 'Aussie 8 Hr Quilt, the Movie', and now our Aussie Bargello, Aussie Mania, Aussie Kaleidoscope, Aussie Path, Aussie Lonestar and Aussie Starmish movies, we ship quilt packs with the Video Workshop to anyone in the world who would like to join us from the comfort of their own sewing room, and now via our Zoom Webinars... AQQinars.

“and speaking of the World... Our 2 week Quilting Tours of New Zealand South Island (we don't just visit quilt Shops, we make a unique quilt on tour), which are fully booked, are so much fun half of the group books right onto our next one as we return. Now we are being inundated with bookings for our popular Canada/USA and Hawaii Tours. Seems our formula works for everyone with rave reviews growing Daily.”

“I am so lucky to have such an accommodating and supporting husband who also handles all the Management, Cooking, Movie Production, and Website issues, and our daughter Emily who loves travelling all over the country, and now the World, meeting such lovely, friendly people, and who has just released her own range of Aussie Quick Quilts, had a 5 page spread in Australian Patchwork & Quilting, and been sponsored by Janome as they recognize she is the face of modern Traditional Quilting.”

"With all our new and proven systems, I am excited to show John Wayne 'COURAGE' which I made as a surprise for Emily (a HUGE John Wayne fan). He is 72 x 60 inches has 2,800 squares all from fabric hand cut with Ralf's ingenious viewer cutting tool, from panels representing John Wayne movies, and took a total of 100 hours start to finish."