Quilting like a mad thing

Wow, it's been a mad few days. I've discovered that having too many quilts waiting (more than 10) is bad. It makes me very uncomfortable. For some reason that is the point where things feel out of control to me. So since my last post I have quilted 6 customer quilts. I feel much better now, if utterly exhausted. It's a little concerning that I still have as many to do (to say nothing of three of my own) but it feels manageable now.

To give me a bit of a break from the longarm I've been putting together a sample quilt. I managed to cut it out in about half an hour while I was waiting for a class at the shop on Thursday, and it is now ready for quilting. It's made from the "Turning Twenty - Just got better" book, and it is even quicker than the "Turning Twenty Again" which I love. Tet, who has been helping sell patterns at my talks, felt it was time for me to get samples from the other books. I have to admit he is right, but somehow it hadn't seemed urgent until someone else pointed it out. Strange how these things work isn't it. So here is the first of my samples from the other books. I am really pleased with it. The fabrics for the center of the quilt were pretty much the first 20 fat quarters I pulled from the batik display that the shop. I say pretty much as I did put one back, but other than that I just grabbed the 10 darkest and 10 of the lightest. It's a good illustration of how forgiving this pattern is. I don't think you could quite walk into the shop blindfolded, pick fabric and be guaranteed a good quilt, but I suspect even that would work out fairly often.

Also I can finally show you my Hever challenge quilt. I wasn't overly inspired by the fabrics but after they had sat on my desk for a few months I realised they reminded me of one of my screen savers. So that is what I did with them. I would like to try a similar design with circles instead of rectangles, but that is going to be such a pain to stitch, I keep putting it off.

Dreams can come true

As you do when you are preparing to do something new and somewhat unknown, I was dreaming about teaching at Patchwork Corner yesterday morning. OK perhaps a little sad but it was quite cool too. If we could just get rid of the roads and expand the shop to the one in my dream... but that isn't the bit that came true. I dreamed about thread (yes yes, really sad I know) and lo and behold one of my students asked exactly the right question for the answer I had rehearsed in my dream. Although I think I did it better in my dream. Of all the things to come true I don't think this would have been my highest priority, heck the huge shop with a whole room dedicated to threads would have been more exciting, but still quite fun. I guess the brain does know what it is doing with rehearsing things in your sleep.

I think the class went well. Th reason it was concerning me is that I had no idea what I would end up teaching. I had prepared several things but I had to go and ask what the class wanted. As it turned out they had all brought things along with them. That made things a lot easier even if it did mean teaching different things to each person. They seem like a nice bunch and I am very much looking forward to seeing them regularly. One bonus of a regular group is getting to see people actually finish things, and I benefited from this in the very first session. One of the ladies in this calls took my speed quilt workshop and brought that along to show me finished. It looked really good and people found it hard to believe how quickly she had made it. She thinks it took about 12 hours including all the cutting. Not bad.

We also concluded I should get shares in June Taylor for showing people the Shapecut tool. I love mine and wouldn't be without it so I am always surprised how many people have never tried it. It is a special 'ruler' for cutting strips. It's hard to explain without showing you but trust me if you do a lot of strip cutting for piecing, you want one.

I thought it was time to show you my challenge fabrics, well the camera was to hand and I needed a break from quilting.
The terms of the challenge are that I have to use all of these and the threads to make a quilt. I can add more to it but I have to use all of these. I was wondering if I can do some kind graduated change from brown to purple, but I think that is going to need to be a very big quilt given that a lot of these are quite similar shades. I also considered something pictorial, but there isn't enough variation in value for the ideas that came to mind. Still I have a year so I don't need to rush into it. It's going to be an interesting problem to solve.

Hever Castle Quilt Show

If you haven't been to the Hever show you are really missing out on a
treat. It isn't the biggest show in the country but it has to be one of
the friendliest. This year there were over 100 competition quilts and
six exhibitions of quilts. There is a good range of styles so most
people should find something that interests them.

Being in the grounds of an historic building there are a lot of people
around who wouldn't travel to a quilt show. I think this provides a
great opportunity to show what we do to a wider audience. Certainly some
of those who wandered in 'by accident' seemed very impressed and
surprised by what was on display. Having both the challenge quilts and
the bed quilts visible from the door is a great plan. I feel it
reassures people who are not familiar some of the new directions
quilting has gone that they are indeed looking at quilts, but at the
same time illustrates that quilt aren't just something to put on the
bed.

The challenge section is open to guild members from all regions, and seems to
attract a good number of entries each year. The theme this year was
'Oriental Expressions'. Unfortunately I didn't manage to catch the
winner of the category so I can't show you her quilt, but here are the
other award winners in this category. The top three quilts receive a
money award, a rosette and a certificate. The winner is also awarded the
Hever Challenge Cup.

The winner was Anne Moncrieff with a piece called Masks, machine pieced,
hand quilted. Inspired by Japanese and Chinese Opera, clothing and
flowers.

Second place, and my favourite, Heather Downie, Haiku. A spring haiku, a
painting by Jakuchu and a pack of Japanese fabrics from California
inspired the design. Machine pieced and quilted.

Third place went to Bento, by Laura Cochran. Bento Lunchboxes are
delightful examples to the artistic approach to daily life in Japan.
This crazy Bento showcases both types of Japanese fabrics; bright silks
and subdued cottons.



Three quilts in the category receive Judges Choice, one chosen by each
judge. The award is a bundle of fabrics and threads, a rosette and a
certificate.

Three Little Maids by Cherie Lumsden, I fell in love with the fabrics
but only had limited amounts, so it was an exercise in use of fabrics.

Lynne Pretty received the award for The Silk Route. Inspired by
merchants unrolling lengths of silk, it tells the story of the silk moth
to fabric and its journey from East to West. Commercial, hand painted
silks.

Finally Mariko, by Ferret. There are so many iconic oriental masks and
faces. To my eyes the geisha is the most beautiful. Thanks Mary, without
you this wouldn't be here.

You may be able to see in the photographs of us receiving our awards
that we were each given a different colour bundle of fabrics.
Unfortunately Cherie and I both liked the same bundle and I was lucky
enough to get it. We narrowly avoided a fight, well at least we made it
a civilised fight. Cherie has challenged me to make a quilt using all of
the fabrics and thread that are in the bundle, I can add to it but I
can't take anything away. It's going to be tricky as the fabrics are
blues, purples, greens and sort of yellow brown. Still I like a
challenge and will see what I can come up with. You will be able to see
the result of this challenge at the Hever show next year. They have
kindly agreed to display the finished quilts, so that will make sure we
get it done.


This is Robin's entry for the challenge, Shikami. Inspired by a kyogen
theatre mask. This demonic spirit represents the expression of masculine rage. This is a small quilt, about A4, so the mask is approximately life sized.

Something else I really like about this show, is that the overall winner is chosen by the visitors. Even better this year two quilts I wanted to get awards did. The Sentinels by Irene Dunlop is a very striking collection of beach landscapes. It is wonderful how much detail and realism she has managed to achieve with very few fabrics. I would love to own this, or better yet have the eye for making it that she obviously has. Her statement reads, there they stand, protecting our shores from the encroaching sea.

The winner, taking home a large glass rose bowl, is Jean Wilkinson, with
An African Safari. Images of Africa, made for my niece who lives outside
Durban. Some of the pictures taken from Pat Parker and Jenny
Williamson's book. It's a wonderful quilt, and I am afraid my photographs
don't come close to doing it justice, and I love the fact that Jean
takes a lot of care to credit where the designs come from, only
crediting herself after she has covered the others. Though just between
you and me, now I know which she drew herself I am quite sure she could
have done them all if she had chosen to. She really is very talented at
capturing the 'essence of thing' which is essential for this style of
applique.

Please do consider entering the theme category next year, it is a lovely
show and a good day out. The water maze is fun and doesn't require you
to get wet, I didn't get to try the yew maze, it is very narrow and the
people ahead of us were trying to get a pushchair in so we gave it a
miss. If you are in the area, they are on the look out for stewards and
helpers for putting the show up. It is work, but it is a lot of fun. You
even get free tea at the morning break. So do consider offering your
help to keep this great show alive and growing.

Finally, thank you very much to all the quilters who have kindly allowed me to use these images of them and their quilts. Without them there wouldn't have been a show at all, and without their permission I could not have illustrated this posting. I am very grateful that quilters are so generous.

Hever Castle Quilt Show

Well the quilts are up and the moles are mostly down. I think we only scared one today. Imaging emerging into a marquee full of women, poor beast. Here is a picture I took last year of the castle. You can see one of the mazes here as well. It really is an amazing place to visit.

I wish I had taken my camera with me today. I went down quite early so the morning mist was still covering the countryside. I saw so many amazing landscapes on the way. I was told that the mist on the lake is well worth seeing as well so I might try and get there fairly early on Sunday when I go to collect our quilts.

Unfortunately Mariko didn't behave well when hung. I am going to have to figure out more ways to quilt faces without them looking aged. Although I am not sure that more quilting would have helped much in this case.

Busy and feeling crummy

Well I suppose I can't complain, I didn't get a cold while I was finishing off for the NEC so as timing goes it could have been worse. Still it isn't what I wanted, I will be off to Hever early tomorrow to help hang the quilts and deliver a couple at the same time, so I am really hoping I will feel better by then.

As you can imagine the cold has slowed me up a bit, but I have still been making good use of my time. I have been worried about keeping 'Nude with Rope' rolled up. She is too long for me to roll her from the top down and I am sure rolling side to side is doing no good at all. While I was quilting yesterday I realised the, I missed her being on the wall where I could see her when I worked (she lived there until she was quilted) and that I had a set of stick on brackets I wasn't using. I had tried to stick the brackets to the bedroom walls but they aren't flat enough. A couple of minutes work and she is back in place, and probably a lot better off for it.

I don't think I can claim it is the most elegant hanging system, but the rod to the left is usually hidden behind my blocking board so it isn't too bad. The really nice thing is the brackets are easy to take down again as they are just stuck to the wall with special strips. They aren't cheap but it beats filling the wall with holes. Hmm filling with holes doesn't sound quite right does it but I guess you will know what I mean.

Carrying on the decorative theme I also hung up 'Guide Me'. It is hiding the quilt pile for me. Always an improvement. Although it won't be there long, I have to send it to the Edinburgh show before the end of the week and I guess I will have to find another quilt to take it's place. Still I did take this picture of it which is the best I have managed so far. I guess the lighting in here is good for it, so before it goes I may try and get one of the whole thing. It won't be easy it goes floor to ceiling and I can't get more than four feet back to take the picture, but I have to try.

Lastly here is a picture of the quilt I am currently working on. This picture was taken a day or two ago so things have moved on a bit since then, but given the show is this weekend I think you can wait to see the finished version. The Hever show is a lovely one to take the family to, there are two mazes at the castle and lots of gardens. I haven't looked around the castle itself so I can't comment on that, but I know there was more than enough in the grounds to keep us busy for the day. If you take a camera there are lots of potential quilt inspirations. I have a pattern for a quilt I drew up after last years show but I haven't had time to make it yet. Maybe I should think about it for next year.

When I am working on pictorial quilts I take a lot of photographs of them. I find I can't see the picture after a while and taking a picture makes it clear to me again. This one was taken just after I put her nose in. It didn't look anything like a nose when I first stepped back but I was quite happy with it when I saw it in the photograph. As you can also see I don't work on finishing one are before going to the next. I find I get bored when I try to do that so I often jump around a bit. The only rule I do have is to work from the back forward. I can only do an area if everything behind it is done. Even so there is a lot you can get away with. As you can see the parasol handle is in but I haven't finished her clothes, which are behind it. This piece is called 'Mariko' it is loosely named after the very kind lady who emailed me the entry form so I could actually enter this show.