Zig Zag

I completed my Zig Zag 16" blocks the week after the retreat and laid out the twelve I need for my modest size quilt only to find I had made 13 so I bordered the extra one to finish at 24" square, just the right size for a prison baby quilt and I can try out a quilted swirl on it too. Meanwhile Judi has made her own very organised version at a workshop with her other group and brought it to Quay to show us. A beautiful Bali Pop!

Quay Quilters 02: miniature theme

The meeting was on a theme of miniatures: Annie had made a small landscape in Patricia Archbold's workshop for Oast Quilters and Valerie a small piece for the March BQL challenge while Karen was the evening's presenter and showed us miniature quilts done by herself and friend Jill, She cleverly used powerpoint so we could all see the small quilts enlarged and the quilts themselves were laid out to display. The sashiko piece was phenomenal looking as good on the back as on the front.

Quay Quilters' Show & Tell

Here is Jean's subtle ninepatch. Valerie had finished her quilt top from the workshop the weekend before while Mags showed the sampler quilt still in the making from our beginner classes. I hope all these will be in our July quilt show.

Weekend retreat: what we did 02

I was using a bright batik jelly roll to make buzz saw blocks after a workshop with Jo of Puddleducks at Quay Quilters. These are the first four. In the end I had thirteen. Valerie was making masses of half square triangles and small star blocks for the Quilt Show BOM and Mellony finished one bedroom patchwork curtain and completed all the rows for the other. All this despite many breaks for food and chat.

Weekend Retreat: what we did 01

Judi was so productive this post is devoted to her work. At my behest she brought two large quilts she has made to show us. I had been worrying about whether we would have enough large pieces for our group show so these were a very reassuring sight. She used a fancy stitch and variegated thread for the quilting on the Jewel Box design. Then we swapped 4" squares to prepare for a workshop with Katherine Guerrier and Judi combined hers to make half square triangles. Then she worked on Bento Box blocks and finally on a wonky log cabin piece from a Janice Gunner workshop. The lovely lilac fabrics came from Valerie in a swap arrangement.

Weekend retreat house

Five quilting friends joined together for a great quilting weekend retreat though one of us could only stay for Friday dinner. It was a perfect venue, room to sew looking onto the huge garden through a wide bay window, with lots of mod cons, very clean and comfy beds. We each provided a meal plus lots of sweet treats, alcoholic and non beverages. We lived very well.

Kiwi Quilt 03 - cutting the blocks

Having shown the completed top and the planning stage these are the blocks, one placed upright, the other horizontal so that if you are cutting directional fabrics you need to think about this at the cutting stage. I arranged my rectangles into three piles, vertical, horizontal and then those which didn't matter. For each block unit I cut a 11 x 5.75 rectangle subcut into a 7.5 by 5.75 rectangle and then four 2.25 squares. Three were to complete the unit and the fourth was used to help plan the quilt (see earlier post 26th February 09). Then I needed 3 yellow/orange/red squares for contrast also 2.25. Two units are needed for each block. My block finishes at 10.5 with small squares measuring 1.75 but the original uses 2" finished squares and a 12" finished block. The pattern is Hot Shot by Debbie Bowles at Maple Island Quilts. The original icludes variations and different looks too.
http://www.mapleislandquilts.com

Kiwi Quilt 02: Border

I've added a pieced border to the Kiwi Quilt. I added it along with the 0.5 inch inner red border and used larger corner squares with a little flipped over triangle square to complete the look in an easy and straightforward way. I've pieced the backing, a soft stretchy Laura Ashley brushed cotton mainly burgundy with gold flowers. You can see the reverse side here. I'll use Hobbs Polydown for the wadding.

Jelly Roll Workshop: Quay Quilters' work

Jelly Roll Workshop: choice of patterns

Jelly Roll Workshop

Yesterday I went to a Jelly Roll workshop taught by Jo of Puddleducks, Sevenoaks.
www.puddleducksquilts.co.uk
She visited us at Quay Quilters, Faversham and brought some delicious fabrics with her. I succumbed but don't feel a bit sorry. In the present climate building a bigger stash doesn't seem too bad an option. We had a choice of patterns to make. I'm very pleased with my bright batiks on a navy background; several people had the same roll and it was fascinating to see the different effects. The construction method was a bit tedious compared with the other patterns involving drawing diagonal pencil lines and sewing pieces at right angles but I think this pattern suited my fabrics best.