Oast Open Day 2011

This rather blurry photo is of this year's U3A quilt at Oast Quilters
show and tell TODAY (I'm up to date at last!).
 When I saw the member who does work with the Teenage Cancer Trust was there I realised I could hand it over there and then. However she must have left very promptly as she had gone when I looked for her so I shall hang on to the quilt for a while longer. It measures 53.5 by 62.5 inches, a good size.
There were lots of lovely Show & Tell items some dating from the outset of Oast which is celebrating its 25th anniversary but my camera wasn't at the ready till I caught up with these two contemporary items by Nancy A. whose quilts I love.

Nancy A's quilts

The morning speaker was Sue Pritchard who curated the Quilts at the V&A show last year. We learned it had attracted 140,700+  visitors putting it in the top echelons of  exhibitions. This will help to put our craft and art on the map and encourage other museums to unearth their textile treasures.

In the afternoon Frances Pickering a very well known textile artist and maker of books, spoke. Her sketch books and little book artefacts were exquisite. If only I could make something like that. She is to teach two one day workshops. Strangely just as I can imagine my fingers rippling over the keys of a grand piano or the voice of Barbara Streisand emerging from my throat I could almost picture charming "books" spilling out fired by my creative vision. Perhaps if the chance to do a two day workshop crops up I''ll give it a go. In my dreams.

Frances Pickering's book works

Francis Pickering's sketchbooks