Quay Quilters meeting

I attended my first Quay Quilters' meeting in Faversham since I got back from Mexico. The last meeting had been cancelled because of snow and then the place where we meet had been shut for half term so it was quite a busy evening. Ann demonstrated Sharon Schamber's method of quilt basting which involves sitting at a table and working on small sections at a time. If you google it you might find a video demo on the web. She also showed a bag she had made. New member, Helen, had made a little bag with folded "flowers", Vanessa had made a lovely quilt in soft colours for her sister and a smaller one from the offcuts. Pauline's son had made a large Mars bars but my photo is too dark.

KIWI QUILT 01

I realise that I have been posting about things seen in Mexico and the doings of my quilt buddies AND I went to yet another of my groups last night, Quay Quilters, Faversham where I took yet more photos but will delay these in order to show I haven't been idle since I got back from my hols.
While away we learnt Alan's NZ cousin faces a long spell of medical treatment. I'd already got fabrics and fixed on a pattern for a 50th birthday quilt for her(Oct 08!) and when I got back felt this was my first priority. She lives in New Zealand and when staying with her I got some local fabrics which she exclaimed over and back in UK I got more from Kiwiana on the net, same price but less postage.
I used a Maple Islands quilt pattern but my own sizing based on units of 1.75 inches so my squares are cut 2.25 and oblongs 5.75 by 7.5 inches. It was quite complicated to plan especially as I wanted to dot red and orange squares amongst the yellow which is where four blocks overlap. For each feature fabric I cut the oblong and four squares. Three squares went in the quilt and fourth was cut in half and used to construct a miniature fabric placement guide.

Getting back in the swim

The week after I got back I got together with two groups of quilting friends, the first a lunch party for five of us to plan a sewing getaway weekend locally next March. Our lists comprise a supermarket's worth of goodies before we even start on the stitching equipment! Melanie showed her beautiful quilt, nearly complete, decorated with 3-D flowers. Meanwhile the Log Cabin group was hosted by Alison who produced her completed UFO's including an Advent calendar and Mavis back from visiting a friend in the Gambia brought a collection of African offcuts to show us.

Mexican ragbag!

Here are my remaining inspirational photos: the colours of a painting in a hotel courtyard, Gazpacho divorciado, an embroidery in the Campeche Cultural centre and bags for sale on the Isla Mujeres just off Cancun.

Colour Inspiration: a sense of place

I often think our use of colour is related to our surroundings. Kaffe Fasset talked about how he fell in love with grey and other muted shades after moving from California to Britain. I enjoyed the strong colour contrasts outdoors in Mexico, and the terracotta shades of pottery and chillis and the sinister jade of a Mayan mask. Finally me taking a break by the pool in my muted colours!

Mexico Patchwork inspiration 04

Here are the last images, a wicker chair back, a garage's iron gate and a Deco grille, all sources of quilting patterns.

Mexico: Patchwork Pattern Inspiration 03

These are tile "quilts" at Medio Mundo, our hotel in Merida and a table top in an Italian coffee shop in Campeche.

Mexico Patchwork Pattern Inspiration 02

Here are some more pattern ideas from a tangram puzzle to Mayan stonework at Uxmal.

Mexico- Patchwork Pattern Inspiration 01

These are ecclesiastical sources; the squares within squares are to be found in Merida Cathedral, the spools in Campeche Cathedral and the tiled church front is that of Ex-Templo de San Jose built in 1756 by Jesuits in Campeche. I find the blue/white/yellow squares on point give a slightly disorienting look although they are regulr. It must be to do with the nature of the colour contrasts, I think.

Crab & Winkle quilt group meeting

It was our evening meeting my first full day after getting back and three of us had bags with our current work enclosed. Mine I haven't photographed yet. Maggie's was a delightful calendar quilt incorporating the outlines of the hands and feet of her little twin granddaughters. A lot to look at and smile at. Mary's was also for a young girl relative, subtle pink stars done freely using the Jan Mullen cutting method in her Stargazy pattern. As hostess, Pam, didn't need a bag and laid out the rows of her mystery quilt which we had all done together. The others can be seen on the post for 26th April 08 and more again on that for 27th April 08.

Back from Mexico: Patchworks

Last time in Merida I saw an interesting patchwork hanging up in a handicrafts shop pieced from different fabrics. This time I saw lots of examples but despite visiting lots of fabric shops saw nothing like the thicker rich fabrics used in these pieces.
All the patchworks photos were taken in shops with permission and I bought something in each as a token "payment".

I only got back to the airport at 8.30 am UK time but this was 2.30am Mexican time after an early awaking the previous day and I can't sleep on planes - I have to be horizontal! So I went to bed when I got home and am now writing this in the early hours. It's good being retired being able to let ones body clock take time to sort itself out.

I think after my absence from blogging while away I've been dropped by the Stash Quilts ring. Hopefully I'll get reinstated. There are more Mexican photos to come.

The sewing machine was in the Franciscan church in Valladolid, a beautiful town. I thought a sort of shrine to the sewing machine albeit old and rusty was very appropriate for a quilter visitor.