Weekend Show and Tell

I've just unpacked my goodies from the weekend and thought I'd share them with you (virtually-speaking, of course).  The haul shown above is from Images of Egypt and there are exciting things to be creative with, including a couple of their amazing £1 offcut bags.

On Friday I attended the Springfields Quilt Show and was impressed with how this small show is developing. The quality of stalls, workshops and displays was much higher than on previous visits.  The catering is still poor but I had time out of the show to visit a local café. The best thing, though, as ever, was the time spent meeting fellow quilters both around the show and on stands.

This quilt, by Kathy Unwin, caught my attention, it really appealed to me for many reasons.

Here's a detail and the label:

I was delighted that Katie Chaplin, of Japan Crafts, was attending the show and had a lovely chat with her as well as selecting some gorgeous fabrics:

I was caught by a member of Country Roads Quilters who said she was "amazed" to find me looking at Japanese fabric!!!

This is not Japanese but it is indigo.

A length of vintage indigo-dyed fabric from a Hmong pleated skirt.  I was also tempted by this quilt hanger, made from wood recycled from looms by Burmese refugees. The carving is traditional but not an original piece.  I spent a long time talking to Beryl Lee on the Karenni Student Development Programme stand, do take a look at www.ksdp.org.uk (website currently being upgraded but it has a link to their Facebook page).

On Saturday I had a change of pace, spending the day with Angela Daymond at Fenland Textile Studio. I trialled a dyeing idea for her and now have this piece to do something creative with, preferably before Festival of Quilts!  It's dyed with logwood and weld.

There was also a surprise waiting for me at the studio, this stunning baby:

Some research is needed, and some dusting, but isn't she cute?

I hope it was a good weekend for you.  To top it off I think Summer has arrived, we had wonderful weather from Thursday onwards. And, in case you think I ran short of food while doing all this textile stuff, here's dessert from The Black Horse at Gosberton Risegate last night:

Shopping

Here are some of the goodies I brought home from the Springfields Quilt Show

 This Liberty lawn and furry fabric are going to be a summer case for my MacBook Air

 This piece of London map printed 80% linen was an impulse buy....

it may become a cushion

 These five FQs were a "special" and will probably become a bag

 I went somewhat crazy at the Images of Egypt stand, lots of potential here

And, of course, I had to buy a basket to hold all my goodies.

Springfields Quilt Show 2013

Ros did sterling work yesterday as driver in charge of my wheelchair and we hardly crashed into anything.  We both thoroughly enjoyed the Spring Quilt Show at Springfields in Spalding, the first show organised by Grosvenor at this venue.  I hope it become a regular fixture in their calendar.  A date has been published for next year:  30 - 31 May 2014.  It wasn't a massive show but it was big enough, we were there all day and saw everything, shopped and did a great workshop with Linda Turner.  Just right I thought.  The catering was varied and good value, the lighting was fine and there was plenty of room to enjoy the quilts on display.  I spoke to a couple of traders who were a bit disappointed with sales yesterday so I hope they have a better day today and are willing to come back to Spalding next year.  If I had a criticism it would be that the quilts weren't hung as professionally as I would expect, some were very crowded together (for example in the first picture below) and some were "ruched" up.  I thought you'd like to share the day, so here goes:

Linda Turner had an exhibition of some of her wonderful quilts, mainly landscapes.  Apologies for the angle of some of my photographs and, as ever, if you appear in one of my pictures but would prefer not to be on my blog, please email me and I'll remove the photograph.

This quilt, "Reflections" uses the technique we learned in our one hour workshop with Linda, using Markel Paintsticks on fabric to create landscapes.

 Brushing the oil paint onto the fabric using a torn edge of paper as a stencil line.

 An example of Linda's work - I'll share mine when I've finished the stitching.

I was impressed with the work of two other quilters in particular, the incredible appliqué and quilting of Liz Jones and the beautifully textured, embellished work of Sally Holman:

 Sally Holman and Janet Cook, "Streak of Lightning"

 Liz Jones, "Shadowland"

 Liz Jones, "Feathered to the Nines"

 Liz Jones, "Tudor Rose"

 Some of Sally Holman's lovely work inspired by the coastline of Norfolk:

To finish my report from the Springfields Quilt Show, this lovely homage to Jane Austen, made by Bee Barford for the South West Quilters' Chairman's Challenge 2013, "As the saying goes..."  

The quilt is titled, "It is a Truth Universally Acknowledged, That a Single Man in Possession of a Good Fortune, Must Be in Want of a Wife", inspired by Austen's coverlet at her home in Chawton, Hampshire.  The central swans were made by Bee, who has only been quilting for two years, in Russian tape lace.

Today I'm having a quiet day, watching the webcam of the Peregrine falcon chicks on the spire of Norwich Cathedral, one of four left to fledge:  http://upp.hawkandowl.org/norwich-peregrines/live-peregrine-web-cam-2013/