Retreating once more

. This was started in a Jean Ball workshop using dressmaking
fabrics bought at a village fete. Hand quilted.

Got back from the Conference on Monday and on Sunday back at the retreat for five days of sewing. I have brought mostly UFO's to progress them further but not to finish as they're quite complex. And at Conference I was asked to make a "trees" quilt for the TQG  Into The Woods suitcase collection as they need more and I haven't really had enough time to sort it out. Carrie and I are here a day early and Carrie's quilt top is pinned up awaiting a pieced backing and she's attached the binding to a large quilt Mandy Parks has quilted for her. The main party arrives tomorrow.

Holding up Carrie's quilt

Laid out on the table tennis table

Conference Last Day

I did some stewarding on the last day but as well as a short Linus session managed to fit in a talk by local contemporary quilter, Chris Dixon. Her first piece, however, was a lovely hand quilted wholecloth made with the guidance of Lilian Hedley.

Detail of hand quilting and squarediamonds: don't let Lilian Hedley hear you talk about cross hatching!

The whole weekend was a happy and convivial time and at the end the local organising team lined up to receive our thanks and congratulations.

Displays

The Quilters' Guild has within it specialist groups. I'm in the TQG, traditional, and MQG, modern, I used to be in the longest established BQSG, the British Quilt Study Group for interest in our quilting heritage. Each group has a stand at conference and here are a couple of photographs.

Here is Helen Howes manning the modern stand and next is the BQSG with a wholecloth quilt as backdrop.

And here is the contemporary stand, probably the largest and most active of the groups.

Baltic Jaunt

The Millennium footbridge framing the solid bulk of the Baltic

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On Sunday we went along the quayside and crossed the Millennium Bridge to the Baltic Flour Mills, now  modern art gallery spaces. I resolved to find something related to my quilt making on each floor. Apologies to the artists but I find installation art quite hard to appreciate. Sofia Stevi's show did comprise paintings, and I liked the colour combinations. I have lots of photos of paintings taken with the intention of using the colours as a springboard for fabric choices but never followed through. 

By Sofia Stevi painted onto cotton fabric!

Patchwork curtains in one of the rooms of  Jasmina  Cibics's "This machine builds nations" installations.

Tumbling blocks on one of Serena Korda's "Missing Time"
installation ceramics. The dish relates to those dishes
designed to catch far off sound whether of approaching
enemy aircraft or  the music of the spheres.

The view looking down from the Baltic

Conference lectures

At conference I've enjoyed so many lectures such as a talk on fabric manufacture by Cindy an owner of Riley Blake and one on improv. quilting by Janet Bottomley (the quilt world is full of Janets and Jans) who is coming to  Oast next year. The delightful Margaret Boe gave a very amusing talk structured on quilts reflecting months of the year.

Riley Blake tlk

Quatrefoil pattern made by Cindy

Lori Holt pattern and  her Riley Blake fabrics

From Margaret Boe's talk

Margaret Boe's summer beach huts

Susan Briscoe's Sashiko talk with illustrations from her Japan contacts

Susan Briscoe's talk

The sampler to be completed before becoming
accredited Sashiko teacher Japanese style.

Improvisational quilts by Janet Bottomley

Quilters' Guild Conference Civic Centre Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The venue

We're staying five nights here in Newcastle though the Conference is only five days as we want to fit in other venues. Thursday was a lovely when we walked round Durham where we met at the university. I also got to the Laing Art Gallery in a break and thought the Sean Scully exhibition could have been a quilt show (though a very clever quilter). When the conference ends this lunchtime we'll go along the Quay and over the iconic Millennium bridge to the Baltic gallery.
 The reproduction of the 1718 silk coverlet was on display and I made one of the pink hourglass blocks.

The coverlet

Detail 

Sean Scully exhibition gallery

Painting by Sean Scully

Last from the April Retreat

Detail of Julie's

Miriam's ber

Jackie's

Detail

Heather's siblings together quilt

Detail

Miriam's seaside hanging

Carrie's

Detail

Cathy's wedding ring in progress

Cathy's: detail

Yvette;s minions

Kathy's tumblers

Ka

Julie's

More retreat projects and a piece of cake!

Julie's Hunter's Star

Yvette's from a schnibbles book. made entirely while we were there.

Detail

Afternoon cake

I think this was Debbie's and it's made from a lovely jelly roll

Isabels second of a pair of small quilts for two sisters.

More from the retreaters

As time went on projects appeared thick and fast.

This is a baby quilt made by Isabel

Instantly recognisable as one of Heather's

Detail

Quilted by Mandy

Margaret;s graphic red and white

Sue's bunting

Applique designed by Michelle Hill  bought by Miriam in Australia after the death of the person who made it.

From Carrie

Thelma's