Phoenix Quilters' Quilt Show 02

And here are the remaining pictures I took at the show.

Maggie Pitt's Dresden Plate made from a kit. I love the checks.

Sandra Hall: Provencal Dreams made with fabrics bought in Provencal markets.

Carol Chandler: Passacaglia

Detail of fussy cutting

Sue Clayson: A Touch of Gold made in a class at Kathy's Patch

Detail

Mercy King: Stars
made  in a class with Tracy Aplin

Detail

The raffle quilts: I didn't win

Phoenix Quilters' Show 01

Last Saturday I went to a quilt show in Deal. Phoenix hold it every two years. Each time it is bigger  and better than before as members grow in their quiltmaking.

Sue Clayson: Sew as you to
From an in house workshop and good for using up scraps

Sandra Hall: Mirror Squares
Kaffe Fassett fabrics from Lady Sew & Sew where she saw the original quilt.

Detail

Shirley Fogg: Hidden Wells from a workshop with Marion Fox

Dorothy's delight by Glynis Perrin
Made for her SIL because she deserved it!

Excellent border idea

Sandra Hall: New York Beauty Mk2

New Departure

I have been investigating buying a Bernina for my main machine or some time. A couple of friends have ones from the 700 series but I have opted for the 570 as it is a manageable size and does or should do everything I want a machine to do - a pivot function being very important to me.
I traded in my Pfaff Creative Expression 4. I had already sold my Horn Cabinet and at Festival I ordered a SewEzi Grande table with an insert for my new machine. I set everything up in the living room. I studied the first 100 pages of the instruction book and practised the buttons and bells.
Having completed my Bonnies Jelly Rolls rings top and then sewed the spares into another top I have now sewn the quarter square triangles into 12 blocks and I still have strips and misshaped scraps to deal with! They went together beautifully. But now I am practising the other stitch patterns I am having problems, specially with alphabets and with managing certain screens. I can't manage the bobbin race at all. I need some help!!!

Pieces ready to sew

Modern Quilts 02

I think I got carried away with picture taking in this section. Here is my second and final batch:

Ursula Becker: Red Coral Reef

Helen Howes: Hep Cat/Button Down
Helen, along with Heather Hasthorpe, has done a lot to get the Modern Quilt
Specialist Group off the ground through Facebook, newsletters, free patterns and
tutor packs

Chris English: Solid Crumb blocks Large
I did a class with Chris at FOQ: crumb quilting very much his thing.

Hilary Jackson: Improv. 9-Patch

Detail of centre

Rebecca Bell: Now you see me now . .

Detail
An example of a traditional design reworked in modern fabrics (mainly Alison Glass)..
Grey is the new black (and white). 

Modern Quilts 01

The Modern Quilt section is a recent addition to the FOQ competition. And this year they were well represented. I liked the fact they were displayed in a less frequented area so I could walk round with fewer distractions. I am most inspired by improvisational work. I do love so many of these quilt designs and patterns although in my own work I'm not a fan of  the commonly chosen white background fabric. Probably because I'm messy!  .

Jill Dawson: Falling away
An established pattern is broken up with elements floating off into negative space.

Judith Lyons: Scrap Heap Challenge
I like the blue background which makes the relatively small number  of improv.
blocks part of a sizeable piece., an alternative approach to the previous photo.

Sarah Hibbert: Happenstance
I just love this one,  the colours and choice of fabric especially and the deceptive
 appearance of higgledy to nevertheless achieve a satisfying whole..
The Drunkard's Path motif  has taken on a whole new life in the hands of
modern quilters as have clamshells.
.

Traute Munsterberg: Field Connection
This is one that could just as easily fit into the Contemporary section. Again,
 I am drawn to the improv. elements. The setting is an important element in the design.
One for the ideas file.

Wendy Kennard: Tessellations IV
For me this would have been a candidate for the winning slot as while definitely modern it didn't rely on  commonly used motifs and patterns. More out of the box and the straight line quilting was interrupted by deigns which echoed  the piecing while not being a direct copy..

Detail

Kym Armstrong: Winter Forest Trees
I saw a pattern for this on one of the stands. Perhaps written by the maker of this quilt??
I like the fabric choices.

FOQ18 Group Quilts

The group quilts section includes artistic collaborations and quilts made from contributions from members of a quilt group  often to raise money for charity so covers quite a large range, whether preplanned or combined into a whole once gathered in.
These are the photos I took.

This one by  the Liberty Stamp swap entitled "Rosemary turns 80" is a true group friendship
quilt. I liked the setting whereby the pieced or unpieced blocks can be seen as the features,

I think this won second prize and was an artistic collaboration whereby separate sections of a picture are divided up to be constructed by different members to form a satisfying whole. I loved the colours and subject matter: obviously the La Flor y nata del Patchwork group used common fabrics to make Retorno Al Paraiso Birds

Detail

Another friendship piece: Julie's Quilt by Julie
 and  her friends

Another true group quilt: The Power of More by the London MQG. I assume 
this a playful setting of improv. blocks made by members. 

I loved even the title of this super piece: Staggered by the Quines who Quilt! Such an effective
 background. But who will get to have it??

Sewing Day

Design by Pam and Nicky Lintott

We were a very reduced group of six who gathered for our sewing day but there was plenty of lunch and lots of sewing. I was a bit more organised than usual and joined my border sections and added them to the centre top before going home.
This is our Bonnies quilt for this year, a departure from our usual practice as it was a rotary cut jelly roll quilt and we took our machines to meet ups. No drawing round templates!
I had bought this BaliPop and background to go with it a long time ago so I was pleased to find a suitable project at long last. It's going to be a summer coverlet. We've had a hot summer this year so the cool colours will work well and no need for wadding.
I will cut down two borders to 6" and may do the other two to 4" - will try it on the bed first.
And Judy O had projects to share with us.

Judy was working on this delicate project at our last retreat and now it is assembled and quilted,
So pretty!

.

And this is from my Stack and whackery squares workshop

1718 Coverlet challenge

This was the winner by Denise Gooch, beautifully made with many personal touches

This year was a rare chance to view the 1718 coverlet from the Guild's collection and to mark the occasion there was a special challenge section for quilts made in the spirit of the original.
The spur was the anniversary of its making and the display of the original at FOQ. the last time on public view for at least a decade.
I imagine makers drew on the  book Susan Briscoe wrote for the guild.

I think this one by Maria Thompson was highly commended.

Andrea Hall

Deborah McGuire

Elizabeth Yout

Tiffany Baxter

Nathanaelle Tessol