June Speaker

Our Speaker for the June meeting is Gail Lawther. Her talk is entitled "A Trip Around the World.

She began working full-time in fabric and thread about 20 years ago and can't imagine a better way to earn her living. She designs and stitches quilts for books and patterns and also creates larger pieces on commission.
She travels all round the UK and further afield, giving talks about her quilts and teaching workshops and several times each year she does residential workshops in different places.

May Meeting

Immediately after Judi Mendelsohn's talk "Not being a Championship Quilter" at our May Meeting, one of our members said "That was the best speaker I've heard!"  That sentiment was endorsed by other members.  Judi was a very entertaining speaker explaining her quilting journey.

Each quilt she showed us had its own story.  At the first Festival of Quilts Judi and a friend had entered a quilt worked by two people and after judging they were thrilled to be awarded first place.  Having 'phoned her friend with the news and celebrated with fellow stallholders the organisers informed her that a mistake had been made and they were not  winners!  - hence "Not being a Championship Quilter.  We could only guess at their feelings on that day and sympathise with them.

Details of some of Judi's quilts

May Speaker

Our speaker for the May meeting is Judi Mendelssohn.  Her talk is entitled "Not being a Championship Quilter.

Judi started patchwork in the 1980's, although she had sewn as a teenager at school.  She was an executive on the committee of the Quilters' Guild from 1991 to 1995.  She also owned a patchwork shop in South Wales called Joseph's Coat which she ran for several years and was assistant editor of (British) Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

Currently she teaches workshops around the country and runs Patchwork and Quilting Tours, taking groups of people on patchwork tours to various places and countries. 




Please take time to look at the workshops that we have available this year.  Images for the workshops for Katharine Guerrier, Lynne Edwards and Carolyn Gibbs can be found in the posts on the 19th April and Gail Lawther on the 24th February.  

Don't forget to bring your show and tell for the meeting and your scrap for the Leukaemia Research Shop in Lutterworth.

Lynne Edwards Workshop Images

Katharine Guerrier Workshop

Patchwork Postcards and Pinboard Quilts.

Learn to manage composition with shapes and colours on a miniature scale of 6½" x 4½" Piecing techniques include curved seams, strips and prairie points. Each 'postcard' is interlined with 'stitch 'n' tear', backed with handmade paper, then machine quilted ready to frame or mount onto a small canvas. A miniature 'Art Quilt'. They are also ideal for individual greetings cards. In a one day workshop you will have time to make several finished postcards to explore the principles of abstract shapes, line, form and colour. Another option is to make a 'Pinboard Quilt' a small quilt using similar techniques which is finished with wadding and quilted by machine. Lots of samples to inspire you on the day.

Additional Requirements.

• sewing machine with the quarter inch foot if possible.
• Fine pins. One or two sheet of A4 tracing paper.

Fabrics.

About half a metre of Stitch ‘n’ Tear and Half a metre of Bondaweb.

Small pieces of fabric in bright colours in the marbled batiks, Moda marbles (or similar) or hand dyed. If you want to work with patterned fabrics, small scale prints are better as these will fit into the scale you will be working on. Choose fabrics with a fairly high thread count (In other words not loosely woven, the batiks are good for this) Quarters or smaller pieces will be sufficient: about 6 - 7 different colours minimum in a variety of values.

A sheet of hand made paper, available from Art shops, or I can supply pieces.

Machine quilting thread in variegated colours to go with your fabrics.

For the Pinboard Quilt you will need a piece of wadding about 15" Square and a square of backing fabric the same size.

Small bits of embroidery or interesting fabrics such those printed with motifs can be incorporated in these quilts, so if you have anything like this bring it along.

April Meeting

The April meeting is our practical evening.  There are three projects.  Two of which are pictured below the third project is a needle case, designed by Viv.  You can either do one or two of the projects or you can bring your own project.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Scissor or key fob with Jo Turner

Post it Cover with Jean Waterfield

March Meeting

Through her enthusiasm for batik fabrics, Roxanna our March Speaker from Hannah's Room reminded me of something I read a few years ago:

Does anyone expect stamp collectors to use their stamps to post anything?

Does anyone expect coin collectors to spend their coins to buy anything?

Then why shouldn't we fabric enthusiasts enjoy collecting and owning fabulous fabrics?

Roxanna explained with video clips the process of producing  batiks.  In addition, through samples passed around, we were able to follow each stage.  Few of us know how many processes are involved.  The skills displayed especially in the printing were impressive.  Roxanna had real enthusiasm and empathy for the fabric she buys and sells.

Kathy Francis