Quilt Retreat

This is the first day of a five day retreat meeting up with old friends and lots of sewing. I did my shopping at Ikea, local quilt shop, family store and butchers before arriving and now am all set to sew. I've brought my not quite bound Dollymaids quilt to sleep under and duly admire along with other retreaters' work brought to show and complete.

My Dollymaids quilt

detail of Mandy Parks' quilting on Heather's quilt

Heather proud maker of this stunning modern quilt.

Julie made the top 10 years ago and has just quilted it on her longarm.

Pat's quilt ready to tack

Usual Suspects get together

Sheila's cushion

Backing a retired shirt front?

A U3A member who can't attend the last sessions sent me pictures of her cushion front and back.The Usual Suspects got together today to share a delicious lunch and sew while it alternately shone and poured outside. I am sewing the binding on my Dollymaids quilt I quilted this weekend. I might add a spot more quilting. I'll take a photo shortly.

Belinda's 1930's twirling hexagons started in Maggie's workshop.

Detail of quilting.

Belinda's current project: Liberty hexagons

Detail

Tracy with a Lori Holt designed cover for
her Featherweight christened "Pearl" as it's
white.

Tessellations last word

4. Remove the squares

5. Slightly turn the remaining pieces.

6. Pinwheels appear

7. You can add the squares you removed to the back of your
cushion

3. Cut out on the drawn lines including the border

 This is the sort of  template used for this technique - you need
 to make sure the lines fall at the same point on the squares.

2.Template aligned with seams and drawn round - include the
 border in this process.

1.Squares and border ready for the
template.

Quay Quilters' catch up

Jean with a pinwheel/churndash  achieved by a very clever
cutting method

Mary with a quilt for a baby.

Close up

U3A Show & Tell

Denise's quilt

The group

Margaret's cushion covers

There was quite a lot to look at. Everyone has enjoyed  the tessellations project - not the most useful or applicable but fascinating. Denise was inspired by the fabric packs to use one of her own, Japanese in style. Lesley had made a quilt as well as her cushion top and Margaret brought in various styles of cushion finishes and I brought in one unfinished and two tops to show straight line and star quilting.

All together now

The Usual Suspects and friends met for a day of lunch and stitching and brought ongoing projects to work on and show.

Becky with her version of "Jill's Quilt"

Ingrid is finishing one of Jill's quilts.

Joy's dramatic foundation pieced WIP.

Detail

Becky's again laid out and adding borders

Marigold's BB1 named after the retreat centre we go to.

Marigold's BB2;
both her projects are made from Liberty fabrics.

My lotta Lottas crosses from an Ashley Newcombe kit - it took me the best
part of  the day to arrange these especially as I had no spares.

Tessellations; steps along the way

Here are squares sewn together and bordered, marked out, the surplus set to one side and the remainders turned into place and pinned.

Drawing round the template on the sewn squares and border

Gail's, drawn and cut edge waste pieces removed

Janet Mc.'s with surplus squares and edge pieces removed

U3A current project

Here is Sheila pinning her arrangement - we had just been talking about
combining autumn colours with blues . . .

Denise's in blue

Yesterday's class had a different arrangement of tables grouped together, industry and chat as members drew out the pinwheel squares on their sewn pieces and cut them out with scissors. No sewing machines! I was impressed by how much got done in the time. There were several pinned out arrangements by the close. One wonderful aspect of quilting in a group is enjoying everyone else's fabric choices.

Lesley's dots and stripes

Maureen Y's in Christmassy fabrics

U3A doings

Georgie's quilt

Janet's Hearth Wreath Strippy

Cut out stars on the back in an effective arrangement

Margaret's beautiful bag made from soft velour
with lovely machine stitching and beaded
embellishment

I received a lovely picture from a member of the class who has been holed up by a period of illness; it was great she was able to continue sewing during this time as it can be such a comfort. Also Janet Mc. brought in a quilt she had constructed by making four heart wreath runner pieces and joining them QAYG and adding the cut out stars to the back. A granddaughter has already claimed it for her own.

Fellow instructor,  Margaret, brought in her latest project.