Belated - Dragonlies

 I was away directly after the Dragonflies Show in Deal and have been away again since then so this a belated catch up on some of the work shown by this very talented group.

Quilt by Monika Huelsebush

Tracy Aplin's pencil quilt in the foyer and for sale.

I think this was one of the group raffle quilts.

This one an arresting arrangement by Di Hawkins.

Quilt by Sally Quested

Detail of Maggie Breakspear's quilting

On the line

 I washed and hung the finished "OliveYou Cosmo" quilt on the line. I washed it because it had been glue basted. And I laid my Olive You "Fragmental" quilt on the bed.. It is faced not bound and Maggie quilted it for me.

Charity

 Retreater Carrie left loads of packs of fabric collections intended to make into quilts for children with physical difficulties helped by the Bluebells charity. I chose one, a strange choice as the fabrics are quite dull but there were a lot of different ones which I have made up into this top using the 45 degree joining method I learnt with the Zen Chic Cosmo quilt. I had never applied this technique to large scale use in the body of the quilt. It is very useful for using larger pieces of fabric.

The starting point - oblongs 10.5 or 15.5
by 15.5"

 I think the top measures 40 by 45"  and   there is enough fabric for  backing this   and a second  quilt in which I will use   the" waste"   trimmed  triangles.

Mandy, Carrie's dear friend and fellow retreater, will quilt them in her memory. I do have loads of wadding so I supply that for my tops.

Russell Barratt comes to Oast

 Everyone enjoyed Russell's talk. I'm not sure if it was deficient hearing aids or being in the wrong place but I couldn't hear very well. I did admire his quilts though. Self taught he used some very idiosyncratic mehods but they worked.

At the workshop next day I was impressed at the thoroughness of his approach with lots of samples and practice pieces. He was a very nice gentle man.

His work was mostly appliqued rather
than pieced surprisingly.

This one won the ustainable category
at Festival of Quilts

Student work - I can't recognise mine.
I didn't do well but I enjoyed the class.

Nearly finished

 A modified Zen Chic Pattern called "Fragmental" and using her Olive You and Even More Paper fabric lines.

How to make 36 six inch square blocks into an 82" sq. quilt.

I think I will face it rather than bind it.

My friend Maggie quilted it in a rather nice leafy pattern echoing the background fabric design.

I had to piece the backing but it turned well..

On and off the bed

 

Currently on the bed, a Kaffe Collective favourite.

The Feathered Star came out well but this quilt
is not a favourite

Made quilt as you go

This is a lovely British vintage quilt with lots of beautiful hand quilting.

Busy Busy Busy

 I have been sewing away but not taking many pictures it seems.

These are completed rows of my
Zen Chic "Fragmental Quilt"
made from the Zen Chic "Olive You"
and "Even More Paper" collections
which I couldn't resist.

There are only 36 six inch blocks but the quilt will end up 82" square
thanks to 5" sashing and 10" borders. Maggie will quilt it for me.

I was happy with the quilting in the
end. Simple can be the right option.
I enjoyed hand sewing the binding
in front of the TV.

Mirrored Mountains being held up at Oast.

And here is "Warm and Woolly" made from Woollies flannels looking especially good thanks to Maggie;s long arm quilting.

July

 Six of us met at Chartham Hatch to sew and share progress. I spray basted two quilts. The Mirrored Mountains one I need to do promptly as it's the chief sample for my Oast Quilters' "corner" (15 minute  demonstration) later this month.

Sandra asked for advice about bordering her lovely hand pieced stars.

Detail

Wimbledon is a bit of a distraction and trying to follow tennis whilst quilting probably means I don't do either job properly. 

Flannels are quite tricky and I'm a bit depressed about the quilting but I hope I feel better once it's not right in my face. I would have liked a Woolies binding but made do with a non flannel one in my stash as I didn't have and Woolie in the rust colour I wanted..

The backing proved very scant and I had to add trimmings to a couple of corners to eke it out.

On the go

 My quilting has been going in various directions.

Our 3 member Queen Beez quilt top is nearly done, just two seams to go. It's been such enjoyable straightforward scrappy sewing.

It's a Jen Kingwell pattern for hand piecing. we foundation pieced onto very fine bonded vilene.

Our Quay Quilters show is coming up in October and I've been making things for the sale table and the bag tombola.

Zip Pouch

One of several sewing machine tidies; these
are useful for workshops. Kaffe Fasset fabric.

Our holiday in Sussex is coming to a close but I brought an old quilt to put on the bed and photographed it outside. It was made with fabric designed by AIDS campaigner Mary  Fisher and demonstrates various simple rotary fussy cutting effects. It's hand quilted fishing net style and my technique has deteriorated since.

Ashamed that it doesn't have a label so that's a to do job. It's 15 years + old.

We visited Bignor Roman Villa and admired the simpler mosaic pattern in the "corridor".

Gone but not forgotten

I've just given this longish ago Checkerboard quilt to the girl who comes and cleans for me once a fortnight as she's just got married.  There were lovely wedding pictures.  As usual it was given no strings attached but I think it will prove useful on the arm or back of a sofa.

It is made from Cherrywood fabrics and it was a bit of a wrench to lose it but I thought it was better out in the world rather than occasional use in my home.

Last from the retreat

Colette was piecing this - lots of novelty fabrics

Sue was making this by request.

Debbie's from African wax prints

Detail of Colette's hexagons

Chris's minus border

Julie's beautiful Show & Tell

 

More from the retreat

 Yvette, a Linus organiser, was making Linus quilts to show what can be made from 5" squares.

Pink Hearts

Double Carpenter's star

She had other Linus projects too . . 

Made with stripes bordered on
two sides to make squares

This super one suitable for a boy was a made using a technique suggested by Heather.

Heather herself came to visit and show us her completed Jen Kingswell "Wensleydale" quilt.

Wensleydale

One of our members has sadly died fairly suddenly leaving tens of fabric collection packs to make children's quilts for a local charity. I have got one to make at home but others got to work on the retreat itself.

Simple but effective

This one makes good use of the fabric

Quilt a lot of sewing needed here

Great DNP

More squares