First Finish and a quilt for a dog!

Here is my first finish of 2015 completed on 8th January and named "Charlie's Trip Around the World"; I've made quite a few of these all started with six fat quarters as in the workshop with  Inger Milburn when I used a rotary cutter for the first time, a revelation. This example dates from a U3A workshop day some time ago.
Here too is Mavis's quilt which she brought for me to photograph today. She made it to put on the bed for the dog to lie on but because of loud protests she is considering giving to her grandson instead. I love it as it makes me think of certain old American quilts which included lots of bits and pieces to use them up just as Mavis has done here.

IKEA inspiration

Quay Quilters Wednesday 28thQQ

QQ raffle quilt hand and machine quilted

Label made by Trish

Melinda's clamshell basket

Trish's magnificent quilt

Usual Suspects Tuesday 20th

Everyone met at my house. Marks and Spensers soup replaced the planned Chinese (no Chinese open at lunchtime midweek understandably when I think about it). We enjoyed Judy's choice to which we added cheese and icecream from the stores so were quite full. Lovely Show & Tell especially Tracy's quilt for FOQ still in progress and saving till then but another one she is about to quilt and two from Maggie and Valerie's effective overlapping stars and I received some advice about the Little People quilt border, now done.

Valerie's top in "raspberry ripple colours".

One of two duvet covers to be made by Maggie

And another one

Tracy's sandwich made from Maggie's Fair Trade
blue and liberty squares.

Little People quilt top from a transatlantic swap

Plaid border from stash

Oast events Saturday & Monday

Show & Tell

The Oast meeting was "corners" when we circulate around four demonstrations and are given a complete set of handouts for all eight or so offered. Everyone agreed this year's batch was excellent. The Show & Tell was on a small scale after the bonanza one at the December AGM but I think one person had made this set of charity quilts held up in the photograph.
On Sunday and Monday Carolyn Forster was doing a Drunkards Path workshop using  her set of templates. I went to the Monday one.I am not a fan of curves but I enjoy Carolyn's workshops because they are very thorough pointing you in various directions to explore and she herself had completed a sizeable number of good sized quilts as well as collecting vintage examples and fragments so it was a visual feast. At the end we laid out the class efforts and again lots to look at.

Admiring our work, mine for Linus front right lilac and aqua.

Ardingly 23rd January

The Ardingly show went at a much easier pace partly because we set off later, lunched and then visited the show. I bought needed items and enjoyed the quilt displays which were excellent and varied. The work of mother and daughter Mary and Karen Milne is closer to what I do but I have always admired the work of Christine Restall, especially her "pear quilts" some of which were displayed but I like her free form strippy pieces too.

Bits & Pieces by Mary Milne

Detail of raw edge piece by Christine Restall.

Pinwheels aplenty by Karen Milne, a
technique I first saw demonstrated by
Eleanor Burns.

Farnham Sunday 18th

Tessallations

There have been lots of quilty happenings. On Sunday 25th we went to Farnham. I loved the demonstrations but the shopping was a bit overcrowded for me but I did buy my usual pile of past issues of quilt magazines which will keep me going for ages. I spotted a tessellations quilt on one of the group stands and took a picture as that is what the U3A are doing at the moment.

Two quilts and a plethora of bags

Fran's baby quilt

Add caption

Rosemary's

Doreen's

?

Grace's

Maureen's

?

with side and fron fasteners

Lovely stripes

At Bonnies Fran showed a baby quilt she is making for her daughter's colleague. At U3A grace showed a quilt she made using the heart wreaths we did and with the cut out out stars in the alternate blocks. I think nearly everyone has completed a bag and the result showed so much variety and creative use of fabric.


Grace's Quilt

   







 

Marking crosses

This is how I line up when adding the last section of my cross blocks. I mark the 1/4" seam line and draw lines in a continuation of the seams on the first section as shown.

Cut square into quarters and add internal sashing

Marking top and bottom sewn sections; the cross over sections are
reference points.

All sewn together

Trimmed block

First meeting of 2014

Bid's bag

Bid's runner

Quay Quilters met and as is traditional started the term with a charity project, Avril's scissor cases to raise money for the Pilgrims Hospice at our quilt show in July. Bid who is in the U3A group with me brought her runner and the bag (in Liberty fabrics) to show.

Current activity

At the moment I am making crosses blocks from a Keepsake "Glimma" kit. I realised soon on that I wanted my crosses although wonky to still look like a cross so I mark when adding my final section to get the cross pieces lining up. I started with the plain squares and now have the treat of using patterned ones. I shall make my quilt slightly larger and I did buy two kits. The remaining fabrics will be added to my other "jansdotters" for another project. The kit is acclimatising me to this new fabric departure.


The first batch

Making good progress

Bonnie Quilts

Mavis's for her son and wife, purple by request.

Fran will keep this one. Note the corner Dresden plates.

This is Trish's and she master minded and drafted this project.

That lovely quiet time at the turn of the year has come to an end  but it's now good to be out and about meeting up with quilting friends. I was startled that the others have got their blocks together though Trish hasn't added her corners yet. Crumbs these quilts really are impressive. Next day it was the 3 M's and Maggie has finished her "Jill" quilt. I like the grey blue background.











Maggie's version of the quilt Jill made before she
left us. It uses a jelly roll to make the petals.

Tessellated pinwheels

This is going to be the U3A's next and last project for this term. For the later sessions we will be doing "bits". I found a couple of cushions I made earlier taught by Cathy Northcutt who, with permission, used Lynne Edwards' handouts. I also made a Linus quilt with bigger pieces taught by Maggie Kingston. I also have Martha Thompson's "Square Dance" book to help me and an article in a magazine.

This is the cushion I took to class today. I added the extra border
to fit the cushion pad.



This is what the fabric quantities I gave the class will yield.

36" square quilt for Linus made with Maggie Kingston.

Happy New Year

I just managed to stay up to
see in the New Year (on TV)
though there were fireworks
outside as well.

Brace of pheasants about to braise
 for New Year lunch : very
successful. Pheasant pie to follow!

Bag with a recycling theme

Zipped pocket

This is green

 

Another one from same batch of leftovers

I have been feasting but also from time to time getting on with bagmaking and these are complete; others remain at various stages as class illustrations for Monday's U3A session when we will add handles, ties and pockets all secured by the binding.