Retreat Day 2

Another beautiful bright and productive day. I completed my duty sewing by foundation piecing elements of the Quay Quilters' group quilt and then picked up on a Fabric Fusion project I last worked on during a previous retreat. I've now completed all the blocks and am  joining rows and inbuilt border.

My QQ block pieces

My FF blocks

First two rows

Belinda's top finished at last and it's wonderful

Valerie's kites

Another child's quilt from Mandy

Isabel's blocks



Maggie's quilt top detail

Maggie's quilt layout

Retreat Day1

I set off bright and early yesterday for our quilt retreat. Today has started nice and sunny and yesterday was hot. We stopped for lunch at our usual place and on arrival at the centre tables were up and sewing machines buzzing in no time. Some projects were near to completion. For my part I decided to get my duty sewing out of the way firstly completing my Bonnie blocks only slightly hampered by one piece too few. Next up is QQ group quilt contribution.

Lunchtime view

Here we all are

Mandy's quilt for a baby relative

detail

Belinda's top from a Kaffe Fassett class on its third retreat. I think she will finish it
this time.

My Bonnie blocks

Carrie's quilt ready to trim and bind

Quay Quilters' night

It was a fun evening. I thought it would be chaos but as usual underestimated us as everyone set to and got on with what was needed to be done. I had a lovely evening cutting and cutting in a side room. I love cutting so came home happy with more to do. People were very generous wth their fabrics!
I went to both Tracy's and Maggie's workshops so feel I should finish my things too. I'll take Maggie's hexagons on retreat.

Ann's quilt made to teach French Braid

Valerie's quilt started in Maggie Kingston's "Twirling Stars" workshop

Valerie's hexagon star started in Tracy Aplin's
hand piecing workshop

Pauline showed a gadget to help
with resizing patterns including
photocopier settings.

Artwork in the school where we meet on a Fair Trade theme.

Show and Tell

Before our retreat we get together for a lunch, get to know you and show and tell. Here is a selection some of which may be repeats.

Mine now being bound



Valerie's to be quilted by Maggie

Maggie's hexagons

Marigold's split 9-Patch inspired by Maggie

Feathered stars

I've posted my feathered star and Trish's: here are the remaining two.

Mavis's

Fran's

Bag day

Bag pieces

Having completed my sewing and being on track with my U3A prep. I thought I would make the bag from my Helen Howes fair copse samples. I've cut out the lining, wadding, handle and binding pieces and sewn the two sides ready to go.
In the evening we were discussing Frank Gardner's "Blood & Sand" a book which we all decided had made a deep and lasting impression. I spotted the cushions Elaine had made using blocks taught by Margaret at the U3A and she showed me a quilt of Margaret's she had completed and loved to have on her bed.

Cushions

Soft and comfy tied quilt

Done my stint

Our goal for Friday was a complete feathered star. I'm pleased I've finished mine which took all day as I was sewing with friends and doing lots of chatting.

Feathered star for quilt centre

Usual Suspects

After quite a gap I got to spend a lovely day with the Usual Suspects. Judi has quilted the top I saw last time we met. Belinda showed us a vintage quilt she has been asked to repair by a friend and neighbour. The design is so effective but I'm not sure I would have the patience for so much repetitive sewing. And to show I have not been idle I have got round to piecing my feathered star elements. It will be finished for Friday.

Feathered Star



Judi's asymmetric quilt

Vintage Ocean Waves?

Mood Indigo

We had a wonderful talk at Quay by Delia Copeland on indigo. She was so passionate enthusiastic and knowledgeable; it was lovely to see not just her own work but masterpieces from four corners of the earth, China, Japan, India and last but definitely not least Africa.

Indigo examples

Meanwhile having got some YLI invisible thread from New Threads at Malvern I have finished my small mat bag. The stitches really are invisible. Just when I thought I would never do another hexagon. The mat is a very snug fit. I wanted to do French seams but had to relinquish that idea. These are a mixture of simple marks and zen chic. The base fabric is a very nice heavy Japanese navy (indigo??) fabric. The darkness or lightness of indigo comes not from the length of time in the vat but from the number of dips.

The terracotta side

The turquoise side

Back from Malvern

We had a lovely weekend in Malvern staying at an excellent B&B and walking through a mass of buttercups to the nearby pub for a nice meal. I took only a handful of pictures before the battery ran out and the spare one was flat too so I messed up there.
I didn't have a quilt there this year but will try to do so next year. Anyway here are the ones I did take.

My U3A colleague's theme (diamonds) quilt with lots of exquisite detail and with a
mathematical interpretation with a quote about fractals.

Oast member Patty Schroll's "Bullseye" quilt
hand quilted by eye.

I liked this one!

"Raid on my Fabric Stash" by Lesley Bywater; "2" strips from each fabric
in [her] stash machine pieced around a central block in a log cabin
variation".

This quilting life

The past few days have seen a succession of quilt related activities.
On Friday Trish had completed our Bonnies stint just to make sure it worked; now we have to do ours.

Trish's feathered star

On Saturday it was Tracy Aplin's talk at Oast. She is one of our own and the audience really warmed to her and her dazzling array of quilts. Afterwards there was a mammoth Show & Tell.



S & T: great autumn palette



S &T: wonderful of Katharine Guerrier design

S & T: Gillian's blue delft

On Sunday Ranald MacKechnie, a professional photographer who lives on our road and is chronicling  its inhabitants came to take me and quilts.

Ranald at work

On Monday I went to Tracy's handpiecing workshop and enjoyed seeing some of her work close up.

This is the design we used

Tracy showing her quilt

Students' work at workshop

Today it was  the U3A Open when we showed students' work and talked to some of the 1000 plus Canterbury members and visitors. We listened to various music groups on and off during the day and ended with a ukelele recital and lovely singing from the choir from Abba to John Rutter.

U3A student pieces

Sue and me with lovely beginner blocks all perfect

Margaret's lovely work laid out.