Lunch date

Those of us going on quilt retreat next week met at my house for lunch. We showed and told. I have to make a label for Judi's baby quilt: "Made with love by an Uvulati quilter". Nancy of  http://nancynearphiladelphia.blogspot.co.uk/ pointed out I hadn't included my membership of this transatlantic group on my sidebar, an omission I speedily rectified. Belinda is getting on well with her projects and actually finished the binding on her white stars quilt that day.

Finished on the day

Judi's challenge A4 piece

Judi's charity quilt

The spiderwebs have a lovely border

Dear Jane Day

Sally with a small quilt

Today I attended a "Dear Jane" workshop where we learnt techniques to aid us in making the 4.5" blocks that originate in a 1863 quilt made "in time of war" by Jane Stickle. We tackled some complex piecing and techniques new to many of us. Sally brought her own wonderful version of the quilt but also lots of vintage blocks and other items to show us - very in depth in terms of information and techniques. I asked if I could post pictures on my blog.
It was good to hand piece for a change but we still managed to take up lots of space even though we didn't have our machines with us.

Sally Stott's "Dear Jane"

Vintage blocks

One of our projects

Another project for the day

The first task of the day

Class work

C&W

Crab and Winkle met last night and Marion asked for help with pricing sales table quilts. It's always hard to balance what a quilt is really worth and what people are prepared to pay. Other quilts came out to view too. Maggie is getting on amazingly well with her longarm machine.

Mary 's quilt longarmed by Maggie

Maggie's quilt for her daughter

On the bed

Isla's quilt is installed on her bed and she put her hand on the appliqued version of it..

I is for Isla

Quilt on Bryn's bed

Finished binding the quilt while on babysitting duty. Alan took a photograph. Also while there I saw an old friend on my grandson's bed.


It was a busy day as I went to Quay Quilters in the evening where Bid showed the quilt top she's made while attending our classes and Jane showed the top she's made to showcase fabric from her Australian trip.

Bid's sampler quilt

Jane's travels downunder

Isla's Quilt

I was baby sitting today and took the quilt I have been binding with me. Two family members laid claim - which one is it for?

And Percy came too.

Our raffle quilt

Crab & Winkle met to sort out tombola items and price up things for the sales table. It's strange how tasks quite boring in themselves can be quite enjoyable when done as a group. Maggie has quilted our first prize raffle quilt on her new longarm and it's perfect. The courthouse steps one has been handquilted by Pam. Marion has sewn on bindings and now I'm to do the labels. Maggie also showed us a practice piece she has done for herself, custom quilted and with complicated feathered designs turning corners and with in the ditch quilting , very difficult on a longarm machine. Percy the cat was banished for most of the day but managed a sneak peak from the day bed.

Second prize couthouse steps raffle quilt



Maggie's practice quilt



And Percy came too.

All present and correct

Tunic and leggings

Today I've completed my quota of Little people - 7 sets of 10 different ones. I got quicker as I went along. My last two were tunic and leggings girl and one in two piece swimsuit. I sewed the last stitch as the Archers closing theme tune rang out this evening. I've listened to this radio serial all my adult life and my husband has listened since childhood!

At the beach

Quilt Show BOM

No little people today. I hand quilted Isla's quilt when the Usual Suspects met at Belinda's for chat and laughter. Tracy has assembled the Quilt Show BOM top from blocks made by all of us. She was the last to start and the first to finish - an incentive to the rest of us! The man in the background is a tree cutter.

Pinafore

Pinafore & T-shirt

I've completed 8 (keeping one back for myself) little girls in pinafore and T-shirt and have done most of the strip piecing and pre-sewing of a demure little person who nevertheless didn't look in the mirror before setting out so has got threads on her clothes. I just had to finish the one just to see what she looked like.

Girls so far

Female of the species

Here is the first of the girls wearing a sundress. I have delved into my mother's fabric drawer and the dress is made from vintage dress material probably manufactured somewhere in my home county of Lancashire. Not any more! I realiose I've got camera shadow on the photo - will take a better one later.
I'm feeling a bit smug as I've polished 2 24" prison baby quilts  from Isla's leftovers. I'm pleased with the decorative stitch used actually on the binding which lies flat, not always the case when machine sewn down.

"creeping like a snail"

"unwillingly to school"

Here is the last of the boys, the schoolboy wearing the primary school unform of red sweatshirt and grey trousers. His face was too pale at first and hard to distinguish but I've fixed it!

Pale Face

5 sets of 7 boys plus spares

Between boys and girls I'm taking a wee break to make a 24" prison baby quilt using squares from Isla's quilt fabrics and a unifying embossed gingham.

3 rows complete

Junior Soccer Player

The latest addition is a junior soccer player. I think he's a boy from Brazil!
I shall make one more boy and then it's the turn of the girls - much prettier. I've been keeping my figures simple and using strip piecing rather than lots of small fiddly pieces. I think the essence of this project is multifariousness rather than detail.

Brit boy's first day at the beach

The latest addition

This young chap is on holiday in Spain and it's his first day on the beach. He's still very pale!

End of year

Well it is the end of year for the   U3A  Patchwork Class, anyway. The lovely students gave Margaret, the tutor, and myself, assistant tutor, a bunch of flowers and a very special egg each. They have been a lovely group and the good news is three have signed up for Quay Quilters in Faversham. We always need new members and these ladies are a very welcome addition, one even becoming secretary.
I demonstrated Secret Gardens and continuous bias binding and will try to take photos of my samples before I put them away or complete them.
The Show & Tell had an end of term feel with some larger completed or nearly so projects. Margaret and I are already coming up with ideas for the autumn.

Helen's making a  quilt for her latest grandchild.

Bid's birdy doorstop

Bid's throw made from Welsh Mill woollens backed with fleece.

Quilt made from blocks demonstrated during the year

Isabel's table runner

Quilt made from self quilted units

Joyful "anything goes" quilt.

Lalita's bag

Suburban boy out to play in new blue jeans.

The little people are proliferating. I made a lot of farm boys as I had not read the instructions properly. Now I have been making suburban boy in blue jeans out to play. I managed to trim one down 1/4 inch less than I should so have to remake a section.. It is sewing, sewing, sewing and then suddenly one is joining sewn sections together and all is done.