Quick Classes at FOQ

I attended two one hour quick classes, one with Ann Jermey on Colourful Squares shown first, then come samples from Jenny Dukes' Prairie Points Class, Jenny in playful mood wearing a PP trimmed hat and finally my sample of colourful squares - a light/dark exercise but based on colour too. Jenny's PP workshop was particularly good value - we worked in paper and learned how to make continuous prairie points in one or two colours and what was new to me in graduated sizes. Ann's technique of sewing the rows and the rows too all linked ready to sew was very clever - I must try following her instructions. It would be good for Irish Chain.

Famous (quilty) faces at FOQ

Here are pictures of Amy Butler at her presentation, Andrew Salmon at the Flower Power event wearing the jacket he was given and dared to proceed across the show floor wearing, Ricky Tims playing the piano at his "evening with" and Marti Michell at her lecture.

Festival of Quilts NEC 2008

I have been on my travels hence the gap in posts. First stop was the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. I have been to all of these and stay for the duration. This time I was on my own quiltingwise though Alan joined me on Thursday as a non-participant (he explored Birmingham) and I helped a bit on the Traditional Quilt Group Stand, a first and a different slant on the proceedings. I got to know fellow members and chatted to lots of visitors. I shall definitely volunteer again next year. I was worried about missing too much of the show but I planned and organised my time quite efficiently and saw my preferred sections quite thoroughly and got round all the galleries. The galleries are a special feature - white walled rooms with proper gallery lighting to showcase the work of invited quilters or groups. This year Ricky Tims was featured and Susan Brandeis. My favourite, though, was Inge Heuber.
I can't show the quilts, unfortunately, not even one as I didn't enter. One day, perhaps but here are general views giving some idea of the galleries.

Snowball swap blocks

I took part in a batik "snowballs block swap online; half were to be black centres with batik corners and the rest vice versa. I swapped a lot but made more and ended up with 104 which turned out to be just enough for 4 tops. Here 18 batik ninepatches have been added to 17 black snowballs and a border added. I used a special red batik from Houston - I shared the end of a bolt with Judi. Now I am retired I am less inclined to hoard special fabric and used some even though I do not intend to keep this quilt - either for sale or charity (if it doesn't sell). I am planning a teenage group charity project for next year so any sales help towards costs!

Still on the subject of mystery quilts

Yesterday I went sewing in the Log Cabin and Alison produced her scappy version of the Smail's Trail mystery we did some time ago. She and Pat bought half yards and split them in two. I felt the instructions I worked out were only partially mysterious though I did my best to obscure the outcome but the quilts were great.

More lunching quilters

Here are three more in a larger size - the quilts, not the quilters! The effect of he different colours and shadings was just fascinating.

Quilters who lunch

Today I went to the annual lunch of a friendly quilt group - they have been making the mystery quilt I planned and brought them to show and tell. Some had finished before the final clue and devised their own arrangement which made interesting viewing. I loved seeing all the different fabrics.
As well as an utterly delicious lunch made by our hostess and family another member brought party favours - strawberry bonbons and a scented sachet, all very daintily made and presented.

Finish and Pincushions: little & large

This is my first major 08 finish, my largest version of the mystery quilt I planned for Quay Quilters. It's in Moda fabrics, mainly "Chocolat", and the diagonally printed border stripe was a precious find but was tricky to line up at the corners. I added a hanging sleeve and label ready for its display at Hever, the Quilters' Guild Region Two show in September.
The pincushions are Marion's and we were all given a ring and a pattern for each of the sizes.
The next sewing day will be our first dyeing day using Procion dyes rather than Dylon dye pots and we talked about preparations.

Crab & Winkle projects

Marion had completed two Linus Quilts, Pam was working on Hidden Wells, Mary was making a trains and buses hanging for a present and Maggie was adding borders to the mystery quilts. We all chipped in with advice!

Crab & Winkle's new venue

One of our members, Maggie, has had a specially planned workroom extension built on the side of her house. Work is still going on elsewhere but the workroom is now usable. We christened it today meeting for a day of working on our own projects and it was lovely to sit gathered round a big table with light on on three sides, baskets of beautifully organised fabric and surrounded by quiet arable fields. We left later than usual reluctant to depart.

Local Quilt Shows

For one week in July we were lucky enough to have three quilt shows mounted by local groups here in Kent UK - I went to all of them!
Here is Barn Owls, Whitstable, second prize raffle quilt, a lovely Japanese folded design, then a Chinese lantern quilt from Hearty Quilters, Maidstone and finally from Bears Paw, Burham,Karen Cuthbert's very snazzy friendship quilt. I hope the makers don't mind this selection - I've tried to select patterns that are in the public domain - but if they do let me know and I'll remove the image.

Machine Quilting

I'm quilting along the main seams of the quilt, horizontally, vertically and some diagonals using my lovely Singer hand turned 99K. I can be really accurate and it does a lovely straight stitch, seemingly no need for walking foot or dropped feed dogs. My Quay quilt was also quilted on this machine. On that quilt and this one I'll do the finer quilting by hand.

Houston Stars blocks

Here are the blocks for the Houston Stars quilt - mine have a Christmas theme_- on my new Cheryl Ann design wall which I am thrilled with. It has really helped me complete the last few blocks for this quilt. The blocks are to be quilted individually then joined. Some rejected blocks will be used for backs and I've cut up various Christmas scraps - lots of ugly fabrics or ones I shan't use - for the backs. I used the design wall to lay them out mirror image fashion though the end result will be hideous rather than designed but at least I'm cutting and using rather than buying more.

Braiding

I have been making the final braided fillers for my Houston Stars quilt, designed by Gwenfai Rees Griffiths and featured in the British Patchwork and quilting magazine. I'm very pleased with the effect. The strips of scraps from the quilt didn't look very promising but the braid mounted up quite quickly and I was amazed at the transformation when the sewn braids were cut and trimmed. I love the pleasant surprises of patchwork when everything magically comes right and lots of different fabrics look good together. The photos show the different stages from cut strips (1.75 inches by 5.25 inches) to the completed braid, the trimmed version and placement on the top.

Carnival Ride swap blocks

At the same time as I was was making the Quay quilt featuring the Carnival Ride block I was taking part in an internet friendship block swap (Pick'n'Mix an offshoot of the British Quilt List). There were 19 of us and every three weeks it would be the turn of one member to specify what she would like to receive in the way of blocks. At the end of the year it was time to complete a quilt and exhibit it at the Quilters' Guild Region 2 Show at Hever Castle - more about this later. This was in 2002 or so and my blocks have still to be made up. As we went along however I made lots of extra blocks, often giving the recipient a choice and I also made their block in my colours (mine was a water theme). The Quay Quilt was a useful source of block ideas and for Brigid I made a Carnival Ride block in her choice of colours - blue and sage green. The extra ones are shown here.
Extra Autumn blocks , a topic requested by three members, appear in my quilt for this year's group exhibit at Hever, still to be quilted. Eek! I have managed to sandwich it though since posting a photo of the top on Wednesday 4th June.

Carnival Ride Finale: Samples

The samples show the sewing sequence. Note that half the small star pieces are joined to the diagonal line of the background piece and half to the horizontal/vertical line. The cushion illustrates the clockwise drafting, the completed block the anti clockwise. This isn't quite the end - more examples tomorrow - nothing if not thorough!

Carnival Ride 05: basic shapes

The drafting generates just 4 templates, a large star point, a small one and a background piece and a mirror image background. It's important to be consistent in how you lay them out, that the star points are aligned to form the pattern (cut 8 of each) and that you have four background pieces cut one way and four with the tenplate other way up.

If you prefer you can foundation piece using 8 triangles - one corner square as shown divided diagonally and with a seam allowance drawn all round.

Carnival Ride 04: drafting the small star points

If you worked round in a clockwise direction to draft the large star points you now work in an anti-clockwise direction to draft the small star points, putting your ruler on a centre side and alternate diagonal point to draw four of them and on a diagonal point and alternate centre side for the the other four.
The block is now fully drafted.

Carnival Ride 03: more drafting

Still working in the same direction, here clockwise, place your ruler on the marked diagonal star point and the alternate centre side and draw a line stopping when you meet another drawn line. You will now have 8 large star shapes, four pointing to the centre sides and four pointing to the diagonal.