Oast Quilters

 

Things are starting up again and on the 25th Oast Quilters held its first meeting since March 2020 and what a meeting it was as Moira Neal held us riveted  with her joyful witty quilts but an an illustrated account of the thought and detail of what goes into them.

 

This was followed by a bumper Show & Tell.

Janet K's magnificent Star Burst

I was very pleased to see these fussy four patches made by Sue M. in a workshop with me.

Bright modern quilts by Mary D.

Charity pieces by Canterbury Quilters

Wonderful bright scrappy quilt by Tracy A.

Someone completed these hexagons started by a late quilter.

Great row quilt

Unequal Nine Patch

Pretty Dresdens

Single  Nine Patch chain

Janet B's jacket

Successful scrap quilt

QQ and wash day

 Quay Quilters had our first face to face meeting for over a year. I enjoyed seeing Bid's quilt from the Jan Hassard  workshop - brighter than mine.

As I had used spray basting I washed my smaller quilts ready to donate to Linus. Unfortunately the windmills hand dyes ran but further washing and a colour catcher rectified the problem and they dried just in time to donate to Oast.

Patchwork inspiration

 We spent a day in Durham where we met at the university. I find it hard to connect with the person I was then - more than fifty years ago.

I used to walk through the cathedral on my way to lectures crossing Prebends bridge, up the cliff and through a passage into the close and a  tunnel into the cloisters and Bede;s chapel where I would pause for a brief prayer before out through the main door onto Palace Green.

The tiles reminded me of patchwork shapes - I imagine they date from the Victorian age. You would have to be quite clever to draft some of these patterns.

Border idea

Circular focus

County Durham

We were in number two sharing the (now divided into two storeys)
tall windows with our neighbour. A very nice pub is just next door.

 We have just returned from a short trip to County Durham staying in the delightful Reading Room Cottage in Barningham a quiet and picturesque estate village in beautiful countryside.

The Bowes Museum built to resemble a magnificent French chateau

The main pupose was to visit the Bowes Museum, built as such in the nineteenth century by John Bowes and Josephine his French wife to house and share their collections. Currently the museum is hosting an exhibition of quilts aquired since their last show of North Country quilts quite a few years ago.

Detail

A very effective
"strippy"

Another lovely frame
quilt

I did have a morning walking round Barnard Castle and checking out the antique dealers there one of which (Roberts) had shelves of quilts but nothing that caught my eye. I would really like an English frame quilt.

Shelves of quilts for sale

Getting shirty

 I popped in one or two Ilkley (home town of Jenni Smith)  charity shops and got a couple of (pink) shirts. I have loads of blue ones so these will add a welcome warm note. I'll cut them up but it's time to put my collection to use.

On the move

Travelling up North today I stopped in Cumber Park and took the opportunity to photograph the quilt I am currently utility stitching and the one that lives in the car.

The Give and Take quilt I am currently quilting. Note the black wadding.

The Car Quilt

Earlier I'd also stopped at the American Cemetery outside Cambridge where on this day the flag was at half mast.  

In the Sewing Space

Off to Hythe today (9th) for a workshop with Angie at the Sewing Space, hand sewing a Manx Log Cabin Cushion cover. The project materials were all supplied including a finger pincushion and a very fine 10 applique needle which once threaded (!) was lovely to sew with. It was a lovely relaxing morning, just four of us around the table. If I wasn't so slow at threading my needle I would have finished my piece. All I needed from my sewing kit was my thimble.

Everything I need.

I also collected my very generous raffle prize and as I had a voucher came away with a few useful fat quarters.

Been Busy

Quilt Sandwiches

 

At our group sewing day I sandwiched three quilts together using spray baste and sewed the borders for the Stars quilt and added them when I got home. I've also pieced the back and made a sleeve and the binding. At 85" square it's going to Maggie for longarming. Now I'm quilting the sandwiches. I have made a disastrous start on the windmill solids quilt but have reminded myself I can't win them all.

Borders added

Marion Drake

 At the weekend three of us went to hear a talk by Marion Drake. It was the third time I've heard her and each time the quilts are different but with the same love and appreciation of their beauty and respect for the women who made them.

I have been playing with the idea of equilateral triangles since realising Maggie has a cutting die.

Wow just check out the originality of that red and white border.

I have a set of 30's blocks like these

A wonderful frame quilt

Very large scale HST's.

Large scale crazy controlled by blocks.

A setting idea

Another setting idea