Oast Day

Maggie in the middle, Mary I on the left and me, another Mary, on the right.

The Oast meeting lasted all day with friend Maggie in the morning and Ruth Singer in the afternoon. Our Queen Beez group quilt masterminded by Maggie and inspired by Petra Prins was on display so it was a chance to photograph all three of us in front of it. The Judges Merit rosette was won at Sandown. On the other side of the stage was Maggie's wonderful Medieval Alphabet quilt based on an Eileen Campbell pattern but with many blocks of her own design including one depicting herself and her husband.

Maggie's Medieval Alphabet Quilt

Detail

From the sublime to the ridiculous I finally finished a  Wool felt applique piece which was a kit in a Houston workshop. It's nothing I would have chosen to make but I'm like a bear with a sore head if I don't have any hand sewing to do in the evening, now my present condition.

Detail

Father Christmas applique panel

Block making

I've made the tangled star blocks for my Bonnie Stint, Snails Trails still to go and as I'm in charge I need to prepare the ones for next time too.
And from Sisters:

Heather Davidson inspired by Carolyn Friedlander

Barbara sanders

Still remembering Sisters

One of several made frpm Tula Pink's 100 blocks book

detail

Detail of clever quilting

Block pictures for the U3A

Trish's

Mavis's

Fran's

Here are pictures of schoolhouse blocks made by friends and also some other ways to arrange half square triangles. The arrangements work because of value (light/dark) contrasts. If making school house blocks for a child why not put a face in the window or a cat or dog peeping out. What if a fish was swimming along  or a bug crawling up the glass!! Our houses are shown against a light daytime background but you could have a night sky. You could use the same two fabrics for everything except the sky, narrow strips and windows and door or go very scrappy.

Barn Raising

Square in square

Star

Envelope star

Straight furrows

U3A learning blocks

There are blocks involving single shapes for the novice patchworkers and more complex ones for other members of the class.Several variations of the Half square triangle block are shown on my post for 3rd September..

Examples of the six sset two blocks

House block to start with.

Six set one blocks: half square triangle block for a start

U3A: templates

The 2015-16 session of the U3A was on Monday 14th. There are 27 of us with Margaret and I sharing the teaching. We both teach for the love of it as is the U3A way and we enjoy working together. We have 8 new participants so we are started with a recap, show and tell and splitting into two groups to do 1/4" seams and rotary cutting with Margaret and chain piecing and Templates with me.I'm demonstrating templates using the Boy's Nonsense block, first drafting on graph paper, then singling out the different elements and cutting round them roughly and sticking to cardboard;  old cereal boxes are ideal. Then I cut the shapes out exactly and label them minus seams. You can place these on the fabric and draw round to mark the sewing line and use the brass wheel to add the seam allowance or use the wheel to make + templates with seam allowance.
I do point out you can make exact size templates with freezer paper and iron them onto the fabric, cut out with seam allowance and sew along the edge of the paper. Also rulers are a latter day form of template, usefully multi-sized. Rotary cutters and rulers are generally our first choice but if you can make templates you can make anything.Ruth McDowall's work is a wonderful example of this.

Boy's Nonsense block made for a Laurel
Burch swap

Block drafted on graph paper though
normally the lines would be in pencil

Individual shapes cut out roughly and stuck onto graph paper

Minus shape cut out, then drawn around with brass 1/4" wheel tp make plus
seam allowance template with rounded corners.

Normally the plus size is used to draw round on the fabric
but you can if wished draw the sewing line using the
minus  template and use the wheel to denote the cutting line.

Church Hougham

Every three years the tiny village of Church Hougham on a windy hill top between Dover and Folkestone holds a weekend Village Festival. It's very friendly event a short walk from one end to the other with things to see and do along the way. Wendy leads quiltig and crafting th village and the ladies are very prollific; the 12th century church of St Lawrence is packed with qults, more are in a marquee and a few more in the old schoolhouse where teas are served.

At the base of the tower

Wonderfully scrappy

In the steps of Jennie Rayment

Amazing Lady of Salott with a Hidden Wells in the background

Honey Bee

One side of the marquee

Bonnie Bonanza

We are all up to date, even Trish who has had to catch up after doing wedding sewing. so there were lots on blocks on show on Friday. Trish's are  blue, Fran's grey/blue/black and Mavis's pink.

Inner City Epp

Epp

Clamshells, unpopular technique

Two from Fran

Inner city

Interlaced star

Blue clamshells

EPP

Letha's Fan, a hard one

Wreath

Pineapple

House block

Stained glass

Honey Bee

Carnival Ride