More mystery quilts

We had our Log Cabin meeting today. We're starting a new Patchwork Party project today and each laid out fabrics and discussed what should be in and what out. I shopped my stash but don't really have enough to complete but will try to supplement my present selection rather than just going out and starting again. . .
Meanwhile Mavis brought her completed mystery top and Trish her complete black white and red one ready for the Quay Quilters' Show.

A finish!

In double quick time I've finished my "By Kentish Shores" quilt which I only started a couple of weeks ago. This is because it's for our group show that's coming up for which the challenge theme is Kent. I don't usually do challenges but there wasn't a size limit on this one so I thought I could do something useful like a cot or charity quilt. I was influenced by Judy Sisneros' "Ninepatch Pizzazz" but the responsibility for the very blurred effect of this quilt is mine. Perhaps I should call it blended to make me feel better but it would have been more successful if I had made more defined ninepatches as she does and used stronger colours in them. Next time I might stop to think or even read the text but no doubt the child recipient won't be too worried about these niceties.
I was pleased with the quilting pattern however which is a line drawing of the apple core pattern. Thanks to a book on Sashiko I've been able to draft this - I did read the instructions this time! As time was limited, it's quite large scale (based on 7" square) as I was handquilting in 1 ply knitting cotton but it would lend itself to machine quilting with a walking foot.

U3A P&Q Taster Day 02

In the afternoon we got out the rotary cutters and cut strips to make 9" rail fence blocks bordered to finish at 12" and then free cut stacked squares to make a more random version. The wonderful colours of the Cherrywood fabrics lend an arty look.

U3A Patchwork & Quilting Taster Day 01

We held a University of the Third Age day at my house this week. In a single day we traced a historical path beginning with English paper pieced hexagons, then drafted blocks and used templates to mark cutting lines. At lunchtime we watched the Quilts in Women's Lives video, much enjoyed.

Ninepatch medley

I am belatedly and at the last minute making a quilt for Quay Quilters show (coming up at the end of the month) on the theme of Kent. As there isn't a size limitation I thought I would like to make a cot quilt using these lovely nautical fabrics with Nine Patch Pizzazz as my inspiration. However, I haven't read the instructions and instead of making ordered ninepatches mine can be made up of nine fabrics and I've had to build up the quilt piece by piece so it has taken more than the day as promised.

Hamburg trip

I'm just back from a houseswapping trip to Hamburg where I visited the Art Gallery and the Museum of applied art (can't conjure up the German, Kunst und ???) where I came upon these beautiful tapestries from around 1900, the blue ones by Frida Hansen and the Breton women applepicking by Emile Bernard. Some colour inspiration, I felt.

Twisted Sisters

I have bought a set of Twisted Sisters patterns and templates really for a class in the autumn which will have a charity element to it. I have already made two tops from indigo Three Cats fabrics made in South Africa and the Crab and Winkles said they would like to have a go. So here are my indigo pieces, Marion's from pastel plains and checks probably for a baby in the family and Melanie's turquoise one. Pam and I combined to use 30's plains and patterns to make a quilt for Project Linus. This seemed lacklustre till the striped sashing and border was added but it's now quite jazzy. I seem to be driven by all sorts of duties and deadlines at the moment, some foolishly entered into and the tops are multiplying but the quilts are going nowhere. I sew sew sew but nothing gets finished.

Make a better fabric Workshop

The other workshop I did at Paducah was a 5-8pm one following on from Bethany and a suitably jolly end of the day class with Sylvia Woods where she showed us her way of using up all those odds and ends to make large piece, cut out a square and then use the leftovers. I had previously done similar things myself but her strategy was different. I think this is like doodling; everyone has their own intuitive method. This will remain as a sample till I get back to it.

Workshop with Bethany Reynolds

On the Friday of the Paducah Show I did an all day workshop with Bethany Reynolds of Stack'n'Whack fame, a welcome change of place. The subject was Checkerboard Tiles, an octagonal design with triangles at each corner to form a square. It was very interesting to see how diverse the different fabrics looked. I had shopped at Hancocks on the Tuesday and spent ages choosing only to discover the Kaffe Fassett paisley 24" repeat design I originally chose was half a metre short so I then hurriedly selected another print with large shapes and bought masses only to discover the repeat is only 6" so I have to fiddle to achieve sufficient variation. The good news however was that Bethany chose mine to use as a demonstration for cutting purposes - she joined the layers together with a microtack gun. Very clever. She was very calm and there was a good atmosphere and pace in the class.

Great to be in Paducah

Paducah is very different from other shows I've been to as it's a whole town exercise and I love to pace the streets and jump on buses to get to to see antique quilts at the Rotary, Eleanor Burns in her tent and traders in the Mall. I love the museum, the book sale and the shops that have sprung up around town oh and Caryl Bryer Fallert's incredible house and showroom too. I was lucky to meet up with Rosemary from the UK and four very kind and lovely American ladies, Paducah old hands, who invited me to join them for meals, took me on the round of open homes and gave me a lift to the airport which meant I caught an earlier plane. I thought Paducah had been much spruced up since my last visit in 2005 and I hope this improvement survives the present economic downtown. I hope to go back one year and while this year I felt I had to stay in the main hotel now I'm confident enough to stay elsewhere and still find my way round.

PADUCAH!

I have been very preoccupied with non-quilty things of late hence no blogging. However, I did after many concerns along the way manage to make it to the Executive Inn, Paducah, Kentucky, for a week. I was very pleased with my room which was very spacious with a king-size bed and a view over the river. The photo shows the sunrise which I saw every morning as I woke up at 10 to 5 because of the time difference. I also had a couple of chairs on my balcony from which to survey the scene. It was only when I took the photo from down below that I realised I was very lucky. More pics and workshop photos to come.