Hello Everyone!

I'm feeling much better today. So much so that I have been to the plot for a harvest and a much needed tidy up, and this afternoon have been weeding the overgrown asparagus bed.
I haven't taken any pictures as yet, but will do so when I walk the dogs later on.

I "turned the corner" when a friend suggested that I should see my osteopath about my vertigo. I wasn't happy with the doctor's diagnosis, and the drugs were getting nowhere, so I had a natter with the osteo who said he was sure he could help. He did some things which if I had got BPPV as the doctor diagnosed would have made me sick all over the place....but it didn't. He did various other tests and decided that it was spondylosis in my neck, along with a reduced blood flow in the main arteries running up the side of the neck (which was causing the dizziness). 3/4 of an hour of cranial manipulation, and some intensive massage in the upper chest and back and neck region and I left the surgery feeling as though a big dark cloud had gone away. I even found myself whistling and singing later that afternoon.

That was on Monday afternoon. I took it fairly easy yesterday, catching up with much needed housework, but nothing could stop me going to my plot today! Got my fix!!!

Just in case the photo didn't come out on my previous post!

It is finished at last!

It'll be delivered to her next weekend. She still hasn't a clue about what it is like....so please keep the surprise for me if you know her....! Thanks!

At the Ardingly Show last weekend, the 2nd Feb 2007, there was a section devoted to the quilts of Carolyn Forster. This lady has written a really easy to follow book called "Quilting on the Go". It is a very detailed explanation of the quilting block by block method where you have done most of the quilting before you assemble the blocks into a quilt.

Usually when you see quilts made this way it is obvious what has been done, and the seams are pretty prominent on the back. With these I had to look hard to see that it was actually made and quilted block-by-block. Very skilfully done!

There are suggestions for how to take these blocks with you to quilt on the train, or in a waiting room. What a very good idea! I do enjoy frame quilting, but I can see a place for this in my repertoire too.

Time to quilt at last!

As it's raining today and I can't get out into the garden, I can spend time at my passion.....hand quilting.
You can't really see the frame I'm using, but it is a copy of the type used by the Durham quilters (among others) and is easy to make and use. It was my Anniversary present this year (35 years!) and I am thrilled with it.
We bought some carpenter's adjustable trestles for support as I wasn't keen on their usual method of balancing it on boxes!
The frame is set up in my sewing room. As it is over 10 ft long it rather fills the space. There is no way I can get to my sewing machine until this is finished....so I have to get on with it. I have done about 18" of 92"...so this will take most of the winter! It is promised for the end of January so I need to get a move on! 

Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK

Here is a series of pictures of the quilt that my friends and I liked the best. It got no comments from the judges, and no prize at all!!!! I find we never agree with the overall winner.....and actually this year I couldn't even find which one did win overall. They don't do resettes at this show, so it is difficult to see who does get a mention.
Anyway, the reason why we liked it so much was that it is a hexagon quilt with a difference. Normally I loathe hexagn quilts, but I really loved this.


It was made by a group of quilters....The Clandon Group of The Guildford Quilters. It is called "Liberty Floral Wreath", and is totally made from Liberty Tana Lawn. ("Colour blended to create larger flowers, background bleached, hand piecedand quilted in chainstitch using embroidery thread".) You can have it for £575.
The quilters were Doreen Plumridge (designer), P Bennet, V Oatridge, J Ellis, J Coombes, G Jones and S Beauman.
The blurb says "Our group love of traditional design, together with our love of liberty, no "brainwork" involved, whilst we discussed further quilts.
We voted for it as our visitors choice!
I didn't reduce the pixels size of these so that you can click on the pictures and enlarge it to get a better idea of its beauty. 

More from the festival of Quilts

These wonderful little Swedish Dolls' Beds with their linen sheets, and their handmade patchwork quilts were a complete delight. They are the passion of a Swedish lady who was at the show sharing an exhibition space with Asa Wettre (Old Swedish Quilts author).
The name of the quilter is Magdalena Ljung.
Apparently she has over 100 of these antique dolls beds and has made little handmade quilts for almost all of them.
I lusted after them all!

As before you can click on any of these to get the detail....!

There are 26 in total so will attempt to lad them all!

 

More little Swedish doll beds

More.....!

 

And more

 

Still more!

 

Yes.....more!

 

Last one!

Weren't they lovely? 

More hexagon quilts

This one wasn't a patch (forgive the pun!) on the other one, but still delightful.....! Actually, it was very good I just couldn't resist the pun.

I am not normally a fan of hexagon quilts, but this one had something extra! I liked the way the colours are arranged, and think it must be a real picture on the bed!

It was done by Pauline Hartley from Slough, UK. It is called "Grannie Pollie's Garden".
Fabric used - Liberty Tana Lawn. Entirely hand stitched (Patchwork and quilting) with cotton thread.

The blurb says "I love flowers and my garden and growing things. This quilt has many flowers and has "grown" over a period of 10 years. Like the garden it has taken patience and given its rewards."
This was an antique one on the Kaffe Fasset stand. There were a lot of antique quilts on his stand to show where he got his inspiration from. This too is a much more imaginative use of hexagons than one normally sees...really pretty. 

I went to the National Patchwork Championships at Sandown Park Racecourse today. Here are some of the quilts I saw...
This one was called "Quattrecentro" and was made byBarbara and Sylvia Richards from Italy. The show guide says that "This applique quilt, our first joint project, pays homage to the Italian Renaissance. It includes profile portraits, gold embossing, haraldic motifs, using cut-back velvets, shot organza and silk. It is machine quilted."
I loved it. There was a whole section of the show devoted to 23 of their quilts.











This next one was particularly interesting to me. When we visited St Marco Cathedral in Venice in 1996 I was stunned by the beauty of the mosaic floors....which have to be seen to be believed. This quilt by Barbara Richards really captured the floors for me. When I saw it I knew it was St Marco's floor without even reading the show guide.

 

This was another one from the same group of quilts. It was called "Garden of the Spirit- Four Haiku (2004)" and it was by Barbara Richards, from Italy. She says it is "A meditative garden, essential in its elements as a Japanese Haiku poem."
This one was from the section entitled "South West Challenge 2006" and this quilt entitled "Art Deco Revisited" by Anja Townrow, was "adapted from a George Barbier watercolour".

This one was in the section called "Baltimore Beauties". The title is "Little Orchard" by Susan Campbell from Canterbury in Kent. It was her first quilt!!!! and uses designs by Elly Sienkowicz and some of her own.

These two pictures show some detail from the quilt.

This was another Baltimore Quilt....this time "Hearts and Flwers" by Sue Davis, High Whickham, Buckhinghamshire. The designs were taken from "Baltimore Bouquets" by Mimi Dietrich. It was beautifully hand appliqued and hand quilted. 

Here is a detail from it. 

This is another Baltimore entry. Called "My Sun Kissed Blue Baltimore" by Elaine Vickers of Margate, Kent. She says "Firstly I printed sixteen different panels, of my own design, using chemicals, sunshine and cardboard shapes. I used the technique as described by Dorothy Stapleton to print them. These are bordered by sixteen different blue fabrics. I used a quilt-as-you-go method to assemble it, and it is hand appliqued and hand quilted." 

And here is another. I particularly liked the sashing.  

And a detail from it !

This one is "Thanksgiving" by Liz Jones , Leominster, Herefordshire. She says "The colours and textures of my batik stash were the inspiration for this album style quilt. The fabrics were cut to enhance the character and shape of each fruit. Free machine quilting and #100 slk thread were used."

I thought it was stunning and if I'd done it I'd be VERY proud! 

This was one of the school quilts. It was called "Butterflies" and was made by the Butterfly Class, Windlesham Village Infant School, Windlesham.
The guide says "Elaborating on their class name, children painted onto fabric which they folded over, pressed down and opened to reveal butterflies! Felt bodies were added using buttonhole stitch and sequins attached for decoration to a dyed and painted background. Aged 6 to 7."
It was delightful. 

This stunner impressed the judges a lot! It was called "Devoted to You" by Hazel Ryder, Yardley, Hampshire. She says "This quilt is designed to look as if it is constructed from old quilts. A central medallion is surrounded by strippy panels and "repairs". I used hand dyed fabrics with machine and hand stitching to enhance traditional Welsh quilting patterns, reflecting their heritage through shape and colour whilst looking to the future."
My photos don't really do it justice. The hearts down the left hand side were done using a chenille technique.....very effective!
 

"My New York Beauty" by Diana Cousins from Finch Hampstead, Berkshire. She says "My quilt was inspired by the book "Radiant New York Beauties" by Valori Wells. I collected the fabrics over a number of months and supplementd them with my own hand dyes. There was no color plan. I just made the blocks in two sizes using fabrics that went together and hoped for a pleasing effect. I think it worked!"
And so do I!!!!!! 

In the Pink by Sally Holden from Sheringham in Norfolk.
Stunning! 

And here is a close up. 

"In a spin" by Annie Summerhayes, Tonbridge, Kent. She says "hepurchase of the unusual striped fabric made the Dresden Plate seem appropriate, combined with the corded and stuffed panels to make a laced quilt. The two layers developed by buttoning the top to the base which has machine pieced borders. It is hand quilted. Thanks to Sylvia Crichter for her advice and support."
 

This is called "Abacus" by Vivienne Coles from London. She says "This quilt was made for the final part f my City and Guilds Part 2. The theme is Hong Kong Waterfront - Centre of Power/Finance - hence the name "Abacus". The fabrics are hand dyed using Procion/transfer dyes. I used applique and hand and machine quilting. I used techniques described by Linda Kemsball in her book entitled "Colour Moves" which I found inspirational."
 

Called "Nostalgia", by Sally Bramold, Camberley Hampshire. 

"Venice- Water and Glass" by Greta Fitchett, Derby, Derbyshire.
Loved it!