Contemporary Quilt Group - 2015 Challenge

My copy of the CQ group journal has arrived and with it the details of this year's journal quilt challenge.  As a new member of this group I haven't taken part in the challenge in previous years but this year I am tempted.

The commitment is to make a quilt each month, 6" x 12", and to decide now whether they will all be landscape or portrait orientation.  My tendency is to start things with enthusiasm and trail off so I am giving themes and styles a lot of thought before I sign up.

When I did my annual new year tidy up in my sewing room I decided to use this wall hanging, made in 2008, to (almost) hid a multitude of sins in my room and so I could enjoy it again.  This is an early piece in my quilting life and full of a multitude of sins itself but I was pleased with it and still like it.  

Interestingly, I think if I was to remake it today I would do something very similar in idea, although it would definitely be hand quilted and have more stitchery than this has.  I know I was trying to do too many things with this piece, responding to a complicated idea rather than taking one part or theme to explore

This piece is, however, true to my likes, styles and techniques and I find it amusing that I have often concerned myself with finding my "style" when it's been there all the time!

So, back to the quilt challenge - watch this space!!

Perfect Day

What a fabulous day I had yesterday.  With quilting friends I travelled to York, primarily for an evening with author, Tracy Chevalier, but there were many other highlights.  Being with friends was wonderful, the sun was shining, the car roof was open.  We drove over the Humber Bridge and the river and riversides looked beautiful.  If you don't know the region, this is saying something as the water is often muddy and brown, the area is often draped in grey cloud.  Yesterday it was bright, green, sparkling blue, amazing.  We had a relaxed journey to York, chatting, stopping for coffee, for lunch… and the arrived in York and our first stop was at the Quilt Museum.  Three current exhibitions were all interesting and all different.  Details can be found here:  http://www.quiltmuseum.org.uk  no photography is permitted in the museum.  Then a little shopping in the museum shop (rude not to) and a sit and chat in the beautiful garden in front of St Anthony's Hall.

We then went in search of something to eat and a tapas bar nearby was recommended.  What a great meal and great service.  It turned out we were all "tapas virgins" but we are now "tapas addicts".  The waitress and then the chef even managed to cope with my dietary needs and still produce delicious food.  After our relaxed meal, and a lot more chatting, we took the short walk to Merchant Taylors' Hall and enjoyed canapés and sparkling wine in the sunshine, perfect.

The interior of the hall was also splendid and we looked at the quilts on display and settled into good seats for the lecture.

Tracy Chevalier, spoke to us about her life as an author and as a quilter.  Her recent book, The Last Runaway, lead to her involvement with the quilting world and she has curated an exhibition of quilts, Things We Do In Bed, which is currently on show in Danson House.  She was an interesting and enthusiastic speaker and we learned the similarities between the quilting and writing processes as well as enjoying a slide presentation of various historic quilts, comparing English Paper Piecing style, with Gees Bend and American red and white (and sometimes green) appliqué quilts.

After the lecture we decided a coffee would be a good idea before heading home and went into the Royal Oak, a 17th century inn nearby.  More chat, the coffee was good and then live music started.  A small group, Irish, or at least Irish-style, played in the adjoining bar, lulling us into staying for nearly an hour before deciding we really had to get home!

The final delight of the day, a full, bright moon guided us home.  As we crossed back over the Humber again the moon was reflected in the water, rippling out across the river.  Who would have thought the Humber could look romantic?

Thank you to my lovely friends, to the Quilters' Guild for organising a wonderful evening and to the sunshine.

Spring has Sprung

i

It has been an amazingly beautiful day today and I couldn't resist sharing some of the highlights of my garden at the moment.
While I was out I took these pictures of my Stitching for Texture project, as promised.

Country Roads Quilters had a wonderfully inspiring workshop with Angela Daymond last week.  We looked at using machine and hand stitching to quilt projects and worked towards creating a fabric book of sample designs using a variety of techniques.  Angela managed to make FMQ easy and so my squiggles appear as my cover, I was even brave enough to add a few daisies.  Angela discussed scale for effect, using combinations of the same pattern in different sizes, such as on my cover, and also scaling up the designs for a full size quilt.  Not all of my pages are finished, as you can see, but I feel I have done enough on these designs and been inspired to make further books.  My next one will be a selection of "water" designs I think (but not until A.J., after Japan!)  Several members of Country Roads Quilters agreed that the quilting of a project is the part that provokes the most terror.  I think we now feel a lot more confident and willing to have more fun with our quilting too, so a big thank you to Angela.
A thank you to Tina too.  She gave me this book:

Some wonderful examples of a range of Japanese textile styles to enjoy, thank you Tina.  (Do pop over to Tina's blog for some wonderful textile creations).
If you were at the Quilters' Guild AGM and Conference in Dundee this past weekend I'm sure you had a wonderful time, and, if you listened carefully, you might have heard my name mentioned.  I have some very good news to share with you another day but now I'm going back into the sunshine.

Added 29 March:  I've just read the post Angela wrote about her workshop.  She has a photograph of me.  I was concentrating on my FMQ so hard that I didn't know she'd taken a picture!

Starting the New Year

Wow, what a wild and windy day I woke up to here in Lincolnshire and it seems to be even worse in Scotland and Wales, not a day to leave the house unless it was absolutely necessary.  The sky is a sort of grey/green tinge, really weird.
We made a good start to 2012 with a lovely walk at Gibraltar Point, it was windy then too but not cold or threatening.  Sam loved having the wind blow through his hair:

I went to visit GS Wills yesterday and he got a corn snake for Christmas.  He's called Speedy (I would have got a female and called her Maisie but that's a little corny, ouch).  He was quite lively and really beautifully patterned.  DH was happy to take a photo from a safe distance!

Today I can share the production line project that I teased you with before Christmas.  I must credit two people with the inspiration for this little shopping list holder.  Melanie Plummer taught a workshop on beach huts which I really enjoyed - it was when I used Angelina fibres for the first time.  Village Fabrics kindly allowed the pattern for an apron shaped list holder to be copied for the Dayspring Quilters' Day for International Quilt Day last year.  My little pieces have developed from these starting points.

Today I am looking at two exciting new projects.  The QGBI Region 9 BOM designed by Jacquie Harvey started on 1st January with the first block being emailed to members.  It's not to late to sign up, look at the QGBI website or Jacquie's own website. I have joined but I'm not going to start this project immediately, I have one or two (ha ha) other things to finish first!  Sharon B's TAST2012 project started on PinTangle yesterday, click on the button on the right to see what it's all about.  I'm hoping to build up a library of embroidery stitches to use in my quilting projects, this week's stitch is Fly Stitch and Sharon has lots of embroidered eye candy to inspire us.
Of course I also have a pile of works in progress....but let's be positive, I've tidied my sewing room so I can at least see what I'm doing and, drum roll, it's 2012 and this is the year I go to Japan with Nat and Bryan on the inaugural Japanese Textile Study Tour and I'm very excited about it.  What are your textile plans for 2012?

Susan Briscoe Weekend 1

You will remember that I have been rather excited about the QGBI Region 10 area weekend I attended on 22nd and 23rd October as the guest speaker was Susan Briscoe.  I wasn't disappointed.  On Saturday we had a lovely day with a mini workshop (quilt as you go, I'll share that soon), traders, bring and buy, a yummy faith lunch and lots of chat and then Susan's talk in the afternoon.  Called "Japanese Quilt Inspirations" it was right up my street and was a feast for the eyes.  My photos are a bit skewed as I didn't choose my seat very well but anyway I would urge you to get your local quilt group to book Susan so you can see them for yourselves.  You will also hear all the stories that accompany them and the story of Susan's quilting life and her connections with Japan.  I've included a few detail photos too so that you can appreciate the quality of Susan's work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Quilty Day Out

I have had a lovely day today joining over 60 quilting ladies at a Quilters' Guild Area Day held in Nottinghamshire.
After a good journey in early autumn sunshine we arrived at Epperstone and were greeted with a cup of tea, a name label and an invitation to hand over the quilts we'd brought with us for the show and tell.  It had been decided to display the quilts in exhibition-style and to celebrate the creative skills of local quilters.  The range of quilts was amazing and I would have happily given any one of them house room.  They made the hall look splendid and were a reminder of all the possibilities in this art-form of ours.

There was a lot to keep us occupied once the day got underway.  Jenni Dobson gave a demonstration on how to produce a perfect binding, with perfect mitres.  There was a table where we could try our hand at mono-printing -

and there was a trader, the Guild stall (with lots of exciting new products available) and a sales tables with secondhand books, magazines and bargain bundles of fabric.
Two speakers had been invited for the meeting.  Before a "faith" buffet lunch Greta Fitchett made us very peckish with her talk, "Don't Count the Calories".  Firstly she showed us some journal quilts depicting foods of various kinds and then showed how this developed into the creation of a whole series of realistic looking, larger than life, cakes and chocolates.

 

In a complete contrast to those fabric confections Gillian Clarke was welcomed to speak to us after lunch.  She had brought a wonderful collection of her hand pieced, hand appliqued and hand quilted wallhangings and quilts based on illustrations in medieval manuscripts including the local  Luttrell Psalter.  There were quilts representing the months of the year, the story of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage to Compostela de Santiago 
and Gillian explained how she created her designs by taking elements from various sources, by adding floral borders and by using the curlicues of the calligraphy as quilting designs.

Gillian also showed us a wholecloth quilt.  White with dragons, interwined lovers' knots, flowers, with a binding and backing in a glorious bright red.  The quilt looked wonderful from both sides.  However, in the top right hand corner of the white side was a red, pink and orange dye bleed.  The quilt had been exhibited and suffered from a leak in the ceiling above.  Surely someone as experienced as Gillian would have pre-washed her fabrics when combining red and white?  Indeed she had.  The stain was from the thread she had used for the quilting!  I don't think I would have been quite as calm as she was but maybe she's got used to it now and it's a good story - we can't really consider pre-washing our thread, can we?
To top off a well organised and stimulating day I had to quickly silence my mobile during Greta's talk (how shameful but fortunately few people heard it).  Checking at lunch time I found it had been my DS phoning and we have now arranged to get together with him and his fiancee for lunch tomorrow, I'm very excited.

Mother:  (answering phone), Hello?
Son:  Hello Mother dear, how are you?
Mother:  Not so well darling, I feel quite weak, I haven't eaten for 38 days.
Son:  My goodness Mother, why not, what on earth is wrong?
Mother:  Well, I didn't want to risk having my mouth full when you phoned.

Boom boom!!

Finally, here's a couple of photos of one of the most praised quilts on show today, this crazy quilt that was a celebration of love and associated memories:

Sewing All Day

This morning "Crafty Time Out" met at my house (good excuse for posher biscuits) and although there were only a few of us we had a lovely time, sitting stitching, chatting and having a nice cup of tea (and biscuits).
This afternoon I headed to Sibsey to meet with my friend Tina.  We are starting a quilting group in the village and needed to discuss our plans for the day.  It's very exciting, I hope lots of people come along and can be involved right from the beginning with the way the group is going to run.  The first meeting is on 20th September and we're having a trader (oooh, fabric buying), a raffle and a gentle show and tell.  We'll also be chatting, sewing, planning and we'll need to decide on a name for our group.  If you're local and want more details, send me an email please.
Tina was telling me about "Wonderfil" thread which is now sold by the Quilters' Guild.  It has received some very good reports and favourable comparisons with my beloved Aurifil apparently.  I'm going to give some a try and I'll get back to you - mainly as it will be easier to get hold of than Aurifil and buying it will benefit the QGBI.  Have any of you lovely people used this thread yet?  What do you think?
Apart from all that lovely sewing-related stuff it's been a dull and miserable day, weather-wise, here in Lincolnshire so it's time for winter food.  I've got a slow cooker full of savoury mince and I'm making Yorkshire pudding to have with it, plus French beans from the garden which are still going strong.  Sounds warming eh?  When we've eaten I'll be back with a needle in my hand working on the little blocks for the bag I'm making - Southern Belle from Monkey Buttons.  Life's pretty good really and tomorrow I'm having a day with DD :) so that's be a good day too, we're going to have a browse in John Lewis among other things.

Temptations

From grubs to kimono | The Japan Times Online

Here's some temptation for a wet Saturday! Read the article above. Then have a look at Nat and Bryan's blog
I am hoping to join the trip next year...got to save the pennies and the yen but what a fantastic opportunity, priceless really.

Here's another opportunity of a very different kind...

Jacquie Harvey has designed a wonderful BOM which shares her wonderful handstitching techniques. It's open to everybody, worldwide, and starts in January 2012. The best way to join in is to be a Quilters' Guild member and join by email as it will only cost £10, that's in total, for the whole year's patterns and support from Jacquie. Non-members and those without email can also join but it will cost a little more. Application forms and more details are on Jacquie's website,  where you can also see more of her stunning work.  You can also contact Ros Peedle at QGBI Region 9 ros.peedle@live.co.uk
for more information.
That's enough temptation for one post.  My DH is on a jolly with his brother, it's raining and I've had to put the splint back on my knee after seeing the doctor yesterday - torn ligaments!  So, all things considered, I think it's a sewing day.  Have a great weekend.

My Weekend - But No Photos

I managed to forget my camera so have no photographs to show you but here's a progress report anyway.

On Friday I went to my quilting group, Mustard Seed Quilters, and finished my swap quilt for the BritQuilt Swap.  It has to be in the post on 1st July so that was a bit close for comfort but it met with approval at my group so I do hope my partner is going to like it.  I'll post about it and the one I receive in the swap all together when I have my camera.

On Saturday I went to a Quilters' Guild fun day in North Walsham.  There were lots of people there and the usual attractions - Barbara from Sew Creative was the trader, there was bring and buy, lots of quilting magazines going for 50p each, a good raffle and Steve from The Sewing Machine Centre was there (which was my main downfall!)  As well as the opportunity to eat cake and chat with quilting friends there were two lovely workshops.  Margaret Currie taught us how to make fabric flowers and brooches and then Heather Hasthorpe taught us how to fold an origami box, first in paper and then in fabric.  Photos will follow.  I was also very honoured when a fellow quilter asked me to show her how to do sashiko stitching and she made a lovely start to her sample piece.  I got the last of the cherry blossoms made and stitched to my Mount Fuji quiltlet so it just needs backing and binding but there's no sewing going on here today.  For those of you used to higher temperatures this will sound pathetic but we in the south of England are currently baking with temperatures of 32C and it's getting more and more humid and stormy, not a day for picking up a needle.  A little gentle weeding in the shade and a lot of sitting down with a cooling drink is what I'm up to today.  What are you doing?

In The Top Three

Excellent news,go here and read all about the Unfolding the Quilts project, it's through to the top three.  More votes will be needed from 2 September, please, and thank you to everyone who voted in this round.

Last Chance to Vote

You have just under an hour to vote for the "Unfolding the Quilts" project - click on the blue button to the right.

This is what the QGBI say about it:

In a world of smartphones, laptops and e-readers, quilting might seem like an outdated tradition, but the art form is thriving thanks to the efforts The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles and the recently opened Quilt Museum and Gallery in York. Displaying the Guild’s collection of more than 800 historic and contemporary quilts to the public for the first time, the Museum and Gallery opened in 2008 and is supported by a large team of eager and passionate volunteers.
National Lottery funding has enabled the museum to employ a full-time education officer and part-time volunteer organiser and offer an extensive volunteer programme, recruiting and training up to 80 people at a time. The volunteers, who come from a variety of backgrounds, help out through stewarding and assisting with exhibition changeovers, education workshops, conservation, displays and administration. “The volunteers benefit in many ways,” says The Guild’s Chief Executive Liz Whitehouse. “They learn about the collection, can practice their sewing skills and make new friends.”
The quilts on display at the museum are both a work of art and a fascinating slice of domestic history. “We have some on display that have a real story attached,” Liz says, “like the quilts made by the Canadian Red Cross for displaced British people in the Second World War, or the quilt made for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee that the maker had to give to the landlord in lieu of rent.” These sit alongside bold pieces of contemporary quilting.
The dedication of the volunteers has been crucial in helping the museum to set up a successful education programme that has so far reached over 7,000 people, teaching practical sewing skills and the history, art and craft of patchwork and quilting. The museum works with both children and adults including young mothers, people recovering from mental health issues and elderly people in care homes. “Quilting is very therapeutic,” says Liz. “People have always been interested in making things. Now that so many things are done on a computer, quilting gives you an opportunity to use a different mindset and use your hands to make something beautiful.” 

Brooch Swap

I've been taking part in a lovely little swap organised by Susie at Flowerpress

I posted off this kanzashi brooch (with a few extra goodies) at the weekend to my swap partner who is in Australia, I hope she likes it.

Today I received this lovely butterfly brooch from Cath at Chunkychooky.  I photographed it in the garden as I thought it looked so incredibly realistic.

Thanks Cath, it's lovely and so right to wear at this time of year in the northern hemisphere.
Susie has set up a Flickr group for us all to post photos of our brooches so pop over there to see what else was made, there's an amazing selection of techniques and so much talent on show.  Thanks Susie, it was great fun.....what's next?
PS Please don't forget to vote for the Quilters' Guild "Unfolding the Quilts" project, I've added a button on the right that takes you straight to the voting site and lots more information - overseas votes count too :)

Meet Two Quilters: Christine Porter and Susan Denton

Happy 2nd Blogiversary to me!  I'll be drawing the winner of my giveaway tomorrow so you have time to enter if you haven't already.  Click back to the original giveaway post here, or enter at the end of this post full of yumminess.  Good luck, now sit back and enjoy some wonderful quilts.
Two of the lectures I attended at the Quilters' Guild conference last weekend were particularly inspiring.  Christine Porter (who will probably be familiar with from The Quilt Show spoke on tessellations and patterns in pavements and illustrated her talk with some pictures of stunning tiled floors in cathedrals here in England and others in Italy.  She has published a book about these, "Viva Venezia"  She had two of her quilts with her so that we could get a closer look.  This lovely one of irises was criticised by the quilt police for focussing too much on green!

This is her floor tiles sampler quilt, with a close-up of one of the blocks, isn't it wonderful?

The work of the other quilter who I found especially inspiring was already known to me as I had seen some of Susan Denton's work at Festival of Quilts last year.  A self-taught quilter, Susan obviously enjoys the process of combining colour, fabric and shape.  She has developed a lot of bargello style pieces, such as Musk Melons From Samarkand below and has now moved into wonderful landscape quilts with large hand quilting adorning them.  It was a delight to listen to her describe her quilting journey, closely related to her life journey and to her travels.  Oreiginally from Australia, she lives in beautiful Penwith in Cornwall and much of her current work is inspired by the landscape there.  I'll let the quilts speak for themselves:

Towednack Treasure

and detail

Treasure

Burren

and detail

Musk Melons From Samarkand

Green, Greener, Greenest

and details

Auvergne Potager

and detail

 St Ives Harbour 2

and details

I hope you enjoyed all those wonderful quilts and that your computer coped with this photo heavy post.  Don't forget to enter my 2nd blogiversary giveaway:

The dress code at the QGBI Gala Dinner was black and white.  
What is your favourite combination of colours and why?

To see what you can win, click back to the original giveaway post here.  Good luck.