Quilters' Guild Cathedral visit

 

Region 2 organised a wonderful day out at Canterbury Cathedral. I was able to walk there as everything was provided though like everyone else I had a tin of implements. We heard from the archivist who showed us slides of fragments with clear designs that were over a thousand years old. There were medieval seal pouches which could be made now to accommodate leads.

Then an account of the Black Prince’s quilted garment worn under his armour. This was displayed above his tomb from his death until the 1950s when it was taken down and restored by the Royal School of Needlework and is displayed in the crypt while a replica hangs above the tomb.

The head of the volunteer Holy Stitchers talked about their work repairing and making textiles for use in the Cathedral. 

Then Jacquie spoke about the history of quilting illustrated by dressed up vintage Stieff teddy bears. They were passed round and cuddled. Some growled!

 

Later history was illustrated by Jacquie’s beautifully worked sample pieces.

We had a generous buffet sandwich lunch in the refectory and on to work on lap quilting a departure from the usual hoop quilting I do. We were quilting beautiful cotton sateen fabric imported from Turkey. 

Jacquie designed this based on patterns from the Cathedral.

I stepped outside to a fresh bright colourful day and walked home.
Such a lovely day of chat, learning and sewing.

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Board & Ruler Bags

Boards and rulers can be unwieldy to carry to classes so years ago I made a bag for them using instructions in Patchwork and Quilting Magazine; now I'm making four more to sell at our charity quilt show.

The B/W fabric is a atypical Malaysian
sarong and the binding fabric was bought 
in Sarawak 25 years ago.

Made from ancient cheate fabric which
I think must have been bought from
someone's stash.

The final one from fabric from Vanessa's
stash still in the making

Quay Quilters

Having got home from Belinda's it was just time for tea (a small helping) made by Alan and then off to Quay Quilters where the beginners showed their homework and Mags her leaf block for the raffle quilt and Avril demonstrated a bag with a very clever (and complicated) construction.

Avril

Mags

Beginners' class with Grandmothers' Fans

Wednesday Sewing

 We had a lovely Usual Suspects day at Belinda's. She laid on a lovely lunch for us and a zero G&T beforehand.

Lots to share,

Maggie has finished the Raffle Quilt top and is all set to quilt it

Penny Jeffries, fabric designer and screen printer, lives nearby and left the fat quarter pack of lovely Blostma and Bloom collection I'd ordered for me to pick up.

Tracy  made a quilt top using it.

I completed the binding on a B/W board & ruler bag. At least one more to come.

Friday sewing

Mary and I (in specs.) pinning the
appliqued frames.

And all three

 

The Queen Beez, Maggie and we two Marys got together to start to assemble our raffle quilt. Mary and I joined the four sides of the pieced sections (made by me and Maggie) which were then appliqued onto the beautiful applique centre made mostly by Belinda and finished by Mary (not me). My appliquing wasn't going well that day so I took a back seat on that section leaving the two expert stitchers at work.

Laid out ready to join sections

Mary ordered wadding leaving Maggie to add borders and longarm quilt it. Judi has bought the backing and some of us will attach and sew down binding.

Bright 1930's style fabrics

 Mary is binding Belinda's donated   top which Maggie quilted; we   already have a buyer for this one.

 

I will bind another of Belinda's donations which will be our second raffle quilt. I was so pleased I have a suitable Jan Mullen fabric to complement those in the quilt.

I have completed a board/ruler bag to go for sale at the show and have started a second B/W one.

Tuesday Lower Hardres Sewing Day

 Ten of us met to sew and for the all important Show & Tell. I took mine too but haven't shown them here as they've featured on recent pages. I spent my whole day cutting out units for a Revelations quilts design.

Detail of quilt below

Belinda's top started in a Houston class,  quilted by Maggie and Mary I. to bind.

Belinda's top started in a Jan Hassard class,  quilted by Maggie and Judi to bind.

Detail

Maggie's magnificent fussy cut and minutely pieced medallion quilt.

Detail

Detail

Maggie's on going hexagons

Lynne is getting to grips with her long arm machine

Lynn's braid quilt is the right dimensions for Quilts for Care Leavers

Belinda's hand pieced top quilted by Maggie and me to bind and this to be our second  raffle quilt bound by me. I'll check out binding choices when I meet with Maggie and Mary on Friday..

Getting back into the swing of things

 Lots of washing, ironing, shopping, cooking, cleaning, hair cut and admin. this last week and also back at Quay Quilters after missing the last meeting when I was away.

There was a pincushion challenge which I omitted to photograph then Show & Tell. 

Colin's super applique block for our
group quilt

John's origami piece. Exquisite

Mary has made lovely baby quilts
for young family friends.
So nicely made.

For a little boy who will grow up by the sea

 

I am usually the photographer for the WhatsApp group so absentees see our projects so my quilts don't generally feature but this time someone asked for my phone. I'm pleased as it's good to see them held up.

Sarong back

Then our talk was Ann on the varieties of ninepatches using her QQ beginners' sampler quilt (from 1997- I was class of 95) as illustration. Trip down memory lane plus lots of potential uses.

The completed quilt

Second set of blocks still to be made up

The current crop of beginners were making Grandmother's Fan with Mary I's guidance. We'll see the results next time.

Away and Back

View from our balcony

We spent the last two weeks of March on holiday in Madeira, our last and 15th time share year. It started off with rain and wind but ended gloriously sunny. 

I took my Africana squares to bind by day and put on the bed at night and took it home done.

The back is a sarong from Malaysia 1999/2000

Also as in previous years  I took photos of flowers with a view to printing them onto fabric. This time I made sure to take landscape and portrait views as required by the pattern I have in mind. There is so much "in mind" that may never get done.