Too hot for blogging

What a difference a week has made to the weather. Last weekend we were freezing cold in waterproofs dodging the showers and this weekend we are sitting in the shade because the sun is too hot.

A weekend at home but not a lot of sewing done, lots of sitting about in the shade and reading a good book. I did venture in when it got too hot and did a bit of machine quilting on the Nantucket quilt but I didn't take a close up shot. I have quilted with a fancy machine embroidery stitch over the seam line between the blocks to hide where the points don't meet quite right. When got a close look I think I must have put it together without wearing my glasses. Oh well, no one's perfect.

On Friday afternoon we got on with the Rosalie Quinlan project and the Alice dolls are coming on slowly, although Irene had just about finished. Here is Alice sunbathing naked because I haven't made her clothes yet!I did pick out some fabrics to make a cushion from the Rosalie Quinlan Gift book, so that's the next project.

Alice and the Herring Queen

The weekend started in an industrious mood on Friday with the start of The fat Quarters Club. We got the first of our 6 exclusive patterns from Melly and me and Rosalie Quinlan. Meet the lovely Alice. Work started straight away on making up Alice from the gingham, calico and wool felt, all provided in the kit with the pattern. Margaret has also been industrious with another Rosalie Quinlan design for a block of the month Baltimore type quilt pattern. Here is the quilt top finished. This has been quite a challenge for Margaret but it has turned out well. I am looking forward to seeing it finished.

Saturday saw us back up in the borders to celebrate my Dad's birthday

which coincided with the Eyemouth Herring Queen festival.

The Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival was started to celebrate the end of the First World War and aims to symbolise the ideals as well as the everyday things associated with the life of a fishing community. For a long period up to 2001, the Herring Queen was selected by popular vote in the local High School but this year marked the change to a process whereby a panel of local Townspeople make the selection after nominees were interviewed.

The sunshine poked out between the clouds just in time for the Queen to make her entrance at St Abbsbefore climbing aboard the Eyemouth lifeboat to be escorted by some of the local fishing fleet back to Eyemouth for the start of a week of festivities. The festival has obviously moved with the times and Health and safety were very much at the fore front as the Queen and her maids were piped out of the harbour on the boat all wearing life jackets.

They soon arrived in Eyemouth where the parade began. Here in Scotland even Superman wears a kilt!!

And as I do love bunting I couldn't resist a picture of this fishing boat decked up for the occasion.

Quilt Show Success

This weekend saw The Fat Quarters first quilt exhibition and very successful it was too. Everything at the show had been made by quilters who attend classes or groups at The Fat Quarters and Blackhall Mill community centre made an ideal venue. All proceeds from the weekend have been shared between two charities The Great North Air Ambulance and St Oswald's Hospice Children's services.
First prize in the raffle was, of course, a quilt, made with blocks donated by people doing workshops at the Pins and Needles show at Newcastle Arena. Here it is.
The Sunday workshop was given by Jennie Rayment and was full to bursting point. The girls all worked hard to learn Jennie's fantastic textured effects. To quote from Jennie's book, " she manipulates, tucks ,pleats, folds, twiddles and stuffs her fabric shapes to produce some fascinating and innovative designs" Her creations are fast, fun and appealing and can be used for all kinds of items from cushions, quilts, wall hangings and of course fashion garments..
We all bought her books which she signed for us - hoping to be able to carry on the techniques at home, but they will definitely make entertaining reading.
I felt very proud to see my quilt hanging alongside lots of other lovely quilts in the show and my Jenny not only worked hard in the kitchen all weekend but had some of her work on display too Apologies for not giving you all a mention by name, and I hope you don't mind me showing off your work here. The standard of work was very high but there was a wide variety of other things too not just quilts.
However the highlight of the weekend was Saturday's " Evening with Jennie Rayment". Jennie entertained us with hilarious stories of her life and her career as the Muslin Mistress. We laughed til we cried. Her fabulous work was held up for all to see as were her clothing creations which were modeled with style by the Muslin Mistress herself.

Quilt show is coming

QUILTS AT THE MILL

At Blackhall Mill Community Centre, Blackhall Mill.

The Fat Quarters 1^st Quilt Exhibition

Saturday 12^th July and Sunday 13^th July

2008

10 am – 4 pm

Workshops, demonstrations and much more

FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST

JENNI RAYMENT

Saturday 12^th July, 8pm onwards

‘An evening with Jenni Rayment’

@ Cronniwell Pub, Hamsterley

Tickets £5

NOT TO BE MISSED

Sunday 13^th July, 10am – 3.30pm

‘Workshop with Jenni Rayment’

Cost £40 includes fabric

Tel; 01207 565728 DETAILS

Time to shake out those quilts and hang them up for the Fat Quarters first quilt show. The count down has begun. It is quite daunting to think other people are going to be able to admire your work in public. I suppose its just show and tell on a bigger scale. Looking forward to seeing and hearing Jennie Rayment too. The Muslin Mistress is internationally known for her "Nipping and Tucking" technique of fabric manipulation and surface texture.

Now is the time to confess that I had never been to a quilt show before yesterday. So my long suffering DH and I set off to Belsay Hall for an exhibition of quilts presented by the Quilters Guild Northumberland and Durham branch. Set in the faded grandeur of Belsay Hall, the quilts really shone. There were all sorts of designs, fabrics, patterns and colours on show. From the traditional Durham whole cloth quilts to very modern designs. My favourites were two very different quilts by Susan Lax , "Birds, Butterflies and Baltimore Bouquets" and "Lindisfarne Castle" and Moira Bagnell's bed quilt inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh designs in silver.
I was also inspired to do more machine quilting by the free machine quilting done on silk by a number of quilters from a workshop by Elizabeth Spannring. Sorry there are no pictures I was scared off by the notices saying photography was for personal use only.

After all that my efforts this week are poor by comparison but here they are anyway.

Happy Birthday Helen! I made this little Garden Journal from Anni Downs "A Gardeners Journal" book for Helen's birthday, glad you liked it. My back stitch technique is improving, this time I stitched through a thin layer of wadding as well as the calico and it looks much neater than usual.

and work continues on the Nantucket quilt for the other Helen, my DS.



Happy Quilting.