My retreat

 I was finishing off leftover projects, two were sets of setting blocks that I opted not to use in the end and another leftover HSTs. 

I made, sashed and joined these cross blocks originally cut out for
the Fish Quilt. It is narrow and long but meets 
Quilts 4 Care Leavers specifications very neatly so that is the plan.

More crosses originally intended for the Bondoon Quilt .
While away I added the borders. mitring the corners.

Yet another was of extra leftover Tilda HSTs now square in squares for a baby quilt though the arrangement went a bit off piste.

I added a binding to the Kasbah quilt and then put it on my bed in the hotel. It was a delight to open the door to my room. More hand sewing to do when I have time.

This was started in a Mandy Munroe workshop

And I pieced and bordered the Westminster blocks I made as part of sharing Maria Spiller's workshop when she had to cancel at the last minute because of illness in the house.

The pink came from Purple Stitches, an end of bolt.
This may be a splash of colour on a hospice bed.

My major piece was sashing and bordering my OZ quilt though lack of fabric meant I didn't finish till I got home.

So I think I was quite productive and now have quite a pile of quilting to get through.

Top pictured with borders at our Lower Hardres Day

Detail of Bondoon Quilt

Further from the retreat

 Some attendees were completing UFOs left by a dear member who sadly died last year and whose presence we all miss.

Wonderful strip pieced hexagons finished by Colette

I think this is one of Isabel's completed by Chris

In addition some impressive Show & Tell:

T

This looks like one of Carrie's

We all liked Chris's HST pattern

Julie's also using HSTs

Julie was repairing this loved to death quilt made for her
niece by appliquing hexagons over tears and stains.

Just lovely top by Julie

I think this Night and Day top (Quilt in a Day) was started by
Isabel and completed by Mandy.

Detail of Julie's top

4 HST panels by Chris to hang side by side

Retreat projects

 Lots of people were making charity quilts, many with framed panel pictures in bright pleasing coordinated fabrics 

Made by Yvette

Carrie?

Debbie's DNP

Mandy made lots

Elizabeth Hartman Unicorn made for Linus by Yvette

or other quilts intended for little people made by, in order,  Kathy, Yvette (I think) and Julie.

Kathy's Teddy Bear top

The back

Using card templates and chalk or soap to mark.

 

I have been hand quilting my Letterbox Quilt since coming home so haven't done much on "Green Tea & Sweet Peas" though I have got applique blocks ready to go and more Drunkard's Path blocks, these with inserts.

However having finished the third row of Baptists' Fan quilting it's time to swap to hand piecing as we Bonnie makers meet next Thursday.

As soon as I got back from Madeira on a Friday I put on a wash and repacked my case for a quilting retreat at Highfield Park in Hampshire. We were very pleased with the accommodation and especially with the lovely meals but they are changing their arrangements so we  have to look elsewhere.

Three of us paid visits to Village Fabrics in Wallington and Purple Stitches near Basingstoke, both very different but well stocked with lovely fabrics.

Village Fabrics, Wallingford

Holiday Stitching

 I brought my Brandon Mably fish fabric quilt with me to Madeira so I could finish sewing down the binding while here.

I got Alan to take a picture of me standing by it below our balcony in the garden.

A fellow sewer saw me and offered to hold up one end. She made lots of clothes from interesting fabrics from different parts of the world including the blouse she was wearing and her husband's shirts. She also used her stitching skills in her work as a plastic surgeon (reconstructive not cosmetic).

I've also finished just one of the Drunkard's Path blocks. A lot more to do.

And the Madeiran environs provide plenty of inspiration too. Check out these clamshells.

Oast Quilters 4th March

 We had a lovely talk from Penny Bicknell about different sorts of Group quilts from early Round Robins to block swaps and artistic colllaborations and joint efforts with her mother where Penny did the cutting and finishing with her mother hand piecing the blocks, three of which shown here. My sort of quilt.

The smaller space where we met as the school hall wasn't heated made for a jollier atmosphere. As usual the Show and Tell was one of the best bits. Sorry I can't remember names.

I think , Trudi's

A project set by Liz C. - Julia's/

Canterbury Quilters group quilt
poses by Janet Clare jointed
template

Started from a mystery magazine project but
then redesigned

This one from Maria Spiller's
workshop has inspired me to cut my
crosses up rather than leaving them 
as I was planning.

Lovely large quilt

I got rid of magazines, all my remaing programme secretary bumpf and two quilts for older boys to Linus.

Tablecloth Quilt

Mad March Hare

On and off the bed

 

This quilt a long held UFO was finished in 2021. Many of the blocks were swapped with American quilters and the teal and brown fabric to go with it was bought in a long ago JEMS sale. The owners retired long ago. I will pass it along but meanwhile Maggie (Priory Lane Quilting) has done a good job of the quilting and it covers us up nicely.

Shortly destined for the For sale pile

This favoured "Stepping Stones" piece mostly designed by Jackie Taylor of White Cottage took its place this week. Definitely a "keeper".

However we've had a cold snap and now I've added another one on top. I thought I didn't like this started in a Jan Hassard class but now I'm so relieved Isobel and Sophie didn't decide to buy it. I like looking at the big stitch quilting I added.