Jelly Roll Workshop: Quay Quilters' work

Jelly Roll Workshop: choice of patterns

Jelly Roll Workshop

Yesterday I went to a Jelly Roll workshop taught by Jo of Puddleducks, Sevenoaks.
www.puddleducksquilts.co.uk
She visited us at Quay Quilters, Faversham and brought some delicious fabrics with her. I succumbed but don't feel a bit sorry. In the present climate building a bigger stash doesn't seem too bad an option. We had a choice of patterns to make. I'm very pleased with my bright batiks on a navy background; several people had the same roll and it was fascinating to see the different effects. The construction method was a bit tedious compared with the other patterns involving drawing diagonal pencil lines and sewing pieces at right angles but I think this pattern suited my fabrics best.

Quay Quilters meeting

I attended my first Quay Quilters' meeting in Faversham since I got back from Mexico. The last meeting had been cancelled because of snow and then the place where we meet had been shut for half term so it was quite a busy evening. Ann demonstrated Sharon Schamber's method of quilt basting which involves sitting at a table and working on small sections at a time. If you google it you might find a video demo on the web. She also showed a bag she had made. New member, Helen, had made a little bag with folded "flowers", Vanessa had made a lovely quilt in soft colours for her sister and a smaller one from the offcuts. Pauline's son had made a large Mars bars but my photo is too dark.

KIWI QUILT 01

I realise that I have been posting about things seen in Mexico and the doings of my quilt buddies AND I went to yet another of my groups last night, Quay Quilters, Faversham where I took yet more photos but will delay these in order to show I haven't been idle since I got back from my hols.
While away we learnt Alan's NZ cousin faces a long spell of medical treatment. I'd already got fabrics and fixed on a pattern for a 50th birthday quilt for her(Oct 08!) and when I got back felt this was my first priority. She lives in New Zealand and when staying with her I got some local fabrics which she exclaimed over and back in UK I got more from Kiwiana on the net, same price but less postage.
I used a Maple Islands quilt pattern but my own sizing based on units of 1.75 inches so my squares are cut 2.25 and oblongs 5.75 by 7.5 inches. It was quite complicated to plan especially as I wanted to dot red and orange squares amongst the yellow which is where four blocks overlap. For each feature fabric I cut the oblong and four squares. Three squares went in the quilt and fourth was cut in half and used to construct a miniature fabric placement guide.

Getting back in the swim

The week after I got back I got together with two groups of quilting friends, the first a lunch party for five of us to plan a sewing getaway weekend locally next March. Our lists comprise a supermarket's worth of goodies before we even start on the stitching equipment! Melanie showed her beautiful quilt, nearly complete, decorated with 3-D flowers. Meanwhile the Log Cabin group was hosted by Alison who produced her completed UFO's including an Advent calendar and Mavis back from visiting a friend in the Gambia brought a collection of African offcuts to show us.

Mexican ragbag!

Here are my remaining inspirational photos: the colours of a painting in a hotel courtyard, Gazpacho divorciado, an embroidery in the Campeche Cultural centre and bags for sale on the Isla Mujeres just off Cancun.

Colour Inspiration: a sense of place

I often think our use of colour is related to our surroundings. Kaffe Fasset talked about how he fell in love with grey and other muted shades after moving from California to Britain. I enjoyed the strong colour contrasts outdoors in Mexico, and the terracotta shades of pottery and chillis and the sinister jade of a Mayan mask. Finally me taking a break by the pool in my muted colours!

Mexico Patchwork inspiration 04

Here are the last images, a wicker chair back, a garage's iron gate and a Deco grille, all sources of quilting patterns.

Mexico: Patchwork Pattern Inspiration 03

These are tile "quilts" at Medio Mundo, our hotel in Merida and a table top in an Italian coffee shop in Campeche.