A finish and a start

The back

Here is a picture of my now complete Cutting the Cake quilt from Kimberley Einmo's workshop at Houston. The straight line quilting while not very close lines seemed interminable. I'm pleased with the bright binding and the Luke Haines brushed cotton back. I'll take a vertical picture of it on retreat next week.

The big stitches are my tacking of the quilt sandwich, not one of the alternatives! I've got as far as cross stitches in
the centres of the four patches.

On my return I'm down to do alternative hand quilting stitches at Quay. Fortunately I've located my previous samples but the sample quilt was sold last summer so now I've embarked on a fresh one. I'll keep it as an ongoing project as needed.

Get Together Sewing Day

We were a slightly smaller group this month but we still had plenty to eat and things to show.

I am thrilled that Jenny is going great guns with Stack and Whackery quilts.
I love seeing how the different fabric choices pan out.

detail

Wonderful quilt by Judy O with fantastic quilting.

Judi's piece from her workshop with Kate Dowty at Torquay.

Bold piece by Judi from the Stuart Hillard workshop at Torquay.

Joy has been making this for a long time but the result is worth it.

Detail

Mary with  a table runner destined for a friend

Judi's blocks in  a lovely colour combination for a baby quilt.

Torre Abbey

Back to Torquay and Torre Abbey next door to the centre where there was an exhibition of quilts from the Quilters' Guild collection both old and new, as the Guild seeks to collect or commission works by significant quilters. Deirdre Amsden, Dinah Travis, Pauline Burbidge and Sara Impey were represented here.

Mosaic Quilt while the one to the right is a colourwash by Deirdre Amsden and to the left a text quilt by Sara Impey.

Detail

This is an earlyish  piece by Pauline Burbidge: I like her quilts from this time.

A Canadian Red Cross quilt sent over in the war.

Another favourite

Frame quilt

Flower Block

Again there are different ways of piecing the flower block: here's what I did:

The piecing resembles Log Cabin as you can only attach one piece at a time.

Piecing Block 15: Pinwheel Twirl 2

Block 15 Pinwheel Twirl 2

You could make this with all HST's but I chose to combine pairs together into a QST "goose" but that affected the piecing which couldn't be done in rows.

Pieces laid out

Sewn units laid out

Nearly done

Piecing Basket block 31

There are different ways of drafting this one. I used two large HST's for the basket and background corner and two smaller HST's for the basket base.

Laying out some pieces

Nearly done

Just the triangle to add

Completed block 31 shown with Block 8

More Bonnie blocks

Block 19: Simple Star

Block 20: Card Trick

Block 23

Block 8

New Bonnies Project

The five Bonnies have embarked on a new pattern, Fran's choice. It's by Jackie Taylor of White Cottage Crafts. Two 6" blocks done, 44 to go.

Blocks 10 and 14,  Double Star 1 and Pinwheel Twirl

Double star laid out. The central star is 3" and the squares finish at 3/4".

Lytes Cary

On the way home we stopped for a picnic lunch at a National Trust property, Lytes Cary, an old medieval but restored  manor house in a lovely peaceful setting. We had stopped there on the way to Torquay too when I noted an old 18th century quilt in the bedroom. So coming back I nipped up with my camera to take some pictures (allowed if no flash).
The shapes and arrangement are quite unusual. Some shapes which one would expect to be composed of several patches were in fact made from a single piece of fabric.

General view

At the side - note the plethora of arrangements.

Note single fabric with just one seam top left.

Another example

An

Beautiful spring flowers in the garden

More Inspiration at the Guild AGM

This morning I attended two lectures Firstly by the amazing one of a kind Sandie Lush and next Kate Dowty who has also carved her own path from the outset.

Sandie's quilt of knitting

Sandie is known for amazing hand quilting and the patterns she has created for others to use. Considering the quality of her work her output is remarkable. I've just included one picture and not a typical one as wholecloth is hard to show properly. Jen Jones wanted quilts inspired by the Welsh quilts in her collection. Sandie is known for quilts representing knitted garments. For  this one she turned the tables and knitted a quilt and the quilted it with thick thread. I was amazed at how many of her intricate pieces have been made as gifts for others.

By Kate Dowty, woven bias strips

Kate Dowty with her quilt

Another one of Kate's