Fun New Year’s meeting.

 This time of year it’s always difficult to predict the weather, so we weren’t sure how many would brave the mist this evening.  In the end there were over twenty people sharing food and fun.  The committee had prepared a quiz, which kept us amused for the first part of the evening.  Thank goodness there wasn’t a sports round!  

There was enough food to feed three times as many people, but we did our best! 

Then to show and tell.  I’m afraid I didn’t get photos of everything as I was on duty in the kitchen! 

This clever bag has lots of pockets.  I’d like to make one for myself! 

This quilt was made by the Talking Textiles group using orphan blocks quilt as you go.  It will be donated to Project Linus.  Thank you, Bunty for assembling it. 

This is a Jen Kingwell design which is mainly hand sewn.  Lynda made it and thoroughly enjoyed choosing the colours. 

These bags have been made from strips to carry rulers.  Great use of scraps. 

Hope to see everyone in February when the weather should be a little kinder. 

Apologies

 I can’t believe I haven’t posted on here since the Linus evening in July, and now we’re nearly into 2025!  Sincere apologies and my first resolution for next year - post every month!  

So what have we missed? August was Jane Corbett who shared her love of and expertise in vintage quilts.  Her talk was called Quilt Detective, and showed how much information can be gleaned from old quilts about their times and makers. 

September was Susie Duncan, who talked about her career in textiles and especially at Liberty of London.  (incidentally, I was lucky enough to visit Liberty’s shop in London, and the beautiful Tana lawn is an eye watering £29.95 a metre!). She was also very generous and we played a colour matching game which ended with everyone taking home two fat quarters!  She was hoping that people would use them to make something gorgeous in 2025, so get sewing! 

Susie held a workshop the next day which was well supported and enjoyed by all participants. 

Lynda Hill was booked for the October AGM meeting, but she rudely cancelled to go off on holiday!  Luckily the committee came up with a mini workshop to make a heart Christmas decoration, so after a very successful AGM (no fights or arguments!) people got crafty. One thing which came out of the AGM was that members missed having a January meeting.  So, the first meeting of 2025 will be on January 15th and will be a social one. 

Luckily, Lynda was able to give her talk ‘Remember the ladies’ which was about block names and how there are lots of blocks named after famous, and not so famous, men, but very few after women.  

I haven’t managed to share any show and tell photos this time, but here is a seasonal one for your delight.

 

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I wish you plenty of sewing time in 2025! 

Robot fun!

 Once a year, Piecemakers ask me to run a Project Linus evening.  I provide the fabric and instructions, and they sew.  I’m strict that we sew for exactly one hour, so it doesn’t become tiring.  In July, we made robots from a pattern by Don’t Look Now, which we bought ages ago.  I brought fabrics in orange, blue and green, and let them loose!  

This is my Blue Peter, to give them an idea of what kind of result I was hoping for.  There were several different robots to make, and everyone had great fun.  It took a bit longer than I had expected, so only one robot was completed in the hour.  Most people took theirs home to finish.  I’ll look forward to seeing them at the next meeting. Thank you to all.

We also had a members’ sales table, which was very successful.  Everyone likes a bargain! On the right of the photo is our new Quilters Guild representative.  It was lovely to meet her. 

This Linus quilt was made from a book kit.  It’s much better than a book, in my opinion. 

Ruth Wallet hasn’t been attending meetings recently, as her husband isn’t well, but she sent these three tops to be finished for Project Linus.  So thoughtful. 

The quilting on this piece is amazing. 

This picture was made at Roxanna’s Quilters Guild workshop.  Stunning. 

A quilt for someone who loves blues. 

These two quilts are jelly roll quilts made by the members of Vicki and Ann’s class. They wanted to donate them to Linus, but Vicki was worried that they were too big.  I was able to reassure her that as far as Linus quilts are concerned, big was better than small, and happily accepted them.  Coincidentally, a couple of weeks later I was contacted by Rosie from the Diana Service for Children with Life-limiting Conditions, and asked specifically for larger quilts!  I was happy to oblige, and if you pop over to www.linusleics.blogspot.com you can see Rosie with one of them.  Thank you very much, sewers. 

Finally, an apology.  I informed members of a forthcoming display of sewing machines (including a 1937 knee control Singer) at Lutterworth Museum.  Unfortunately this has been postponed until the middle of September, so check with me before you go. It will be worth the wait! 

Our own bag lady

 This month we were delighted that Jacquie was able to show us some of the bags she has made.  She thoroughly enjoys making different projects and has Curver boxes full of her creations.  

Here you can see how many bags she had!  She was honest in praising some pattern writers’ skills, and pointing out those who weren’t so clear!  She also told us which bags were useful, and which not so much. 

She was also generous at sharing the tips and methods she used to make the bags. She certainly gave us all plenty to think about, and I expect we will have some bags coming to show and tell next month! 

The raffle had some scrumptious prizes.  Sadly, I didn’t win one. 

Show and tell this time was a bonanza for Project Linus.  This one was made by Chris using up 2.5” squares.  I love the green binding. 

Ruth can’t come to meetings at the moment, as her husband is poorly, but she sent a pile of Linus quilts instead.  This is simple but stylish. 

This one is a stunning colourway. 

Blocks on point always look interesting. 

 This quilt has leopards in all the squares - ideal for an animal lover. 

And finally Pam’s efforts at the Vendulka Battais workshop.   Beautiful colours and impressive hand embroidery. 

Linda Chevell

 In April, we were delighted to welcome Linda Chevell as our speaker.  She is relatively local, and some of us met her at Market Bosworth, last year.  She’s a committed Modern Quilter, and it was lovely to see her work. 

This quilt is stunning! (Can you see the duck in the centre?). The quilting on it is amazing. 

Linda will be holding a workshop to teach how to make this portholes quilt.  It’s a great technique, which can be developed into different designs.  The workshop is fully booked and eagerly anticipated. 

Vicki and I had participated in a Mystery Improv Challenge which Linda led.  It was a steep learning curve for both of us, but a very different way of working. 

 As you can see, Vicki climbed further up the curve than me, but I learned a lot.  

Caroline made this clever design for a relative who wanted something art deco.  I’m sure they will be thrilled.

Lesley thoroughly enjoyed the recent workshop with Vendulka Battais, and made her work into this pair of cushions. 

Janet made this lovely Patchwork of the Crosses quilt.  She said she would have liked to have made it bigger, but tired of all the EPP! 

Di made this colourful scrappy quilt for an old lady suffering from dementia.  I’m sure it will be a ray of sunshine for her. 

Vicki used up some orphan drunkard’s path blocks to make this great bag. 

The bag is beautifully quilted.  

This beautiful Lone Star quilt was made by a new quilter.  She was very brave to choose the plain yellow for the centre, as plain colours can be unforgiving if the centre matches aren’t exact.  Great result though. 

Vendulka Battais

Our speaker for March was Vendulka Battais, a talented quilter from Romania.  She started her sewing journey by making clothes with her mum, but once she discovered patchwork, she was hooked! She talked about how she picked her quilts, and how her husband drew on the back, and that was where she quilted from. After the quilting was finished, she painted them.  Absolutely fascinating and so inspiring. She brought plenty of quilts to inspire us, including her best of show from the Festival of Quilts. 

Here is her beautiful mandala style quilt. 

The next day she held a workshop, showing how to create curves in patchwork.  People could make a cushion or book cover with their piece. 

There was a lovely atmosphere at the meeting, and several people who had braved the dark and winter weather were delighted they had come! 

Starting 2024 in style!

 Our first meeting of 2024 was excellent!  It was lovely to see old and new members on a wet and miserable night to see Mark Francis.  He was a contestant on the Great British Sewing Bee in 2019, and the experience altered his career plan - for the better!  He brought along his husband Clive, who is also a sewer, and several of the items he made on the programme.  He kindly said that we could try them on, and I was hoping someone would try the outfit made from hi-vis garments, sequins and all, but no takers!  Mark kept us enthralled by his talk, and we look forward to seeing him at the FOQ and other events in the future. 

Here he is on his promotional stand, with the garments he brought with him ready to display.

And here he is with Clive (in the Boys Sew Too t-shirt, with his arm round Julie’s sister Lynne, who came along as a visitor. 

Despite the fact that we haven’t met since November the show and tell was modest -at least in quantity. 

Chris made this stunning quilt, which is a Philippa Naylor design.  She said it has been 3 years in the making, having spent most of that period in time-out in a cupboard!  We’re so glad she persevered with it. 

 

This beautiful Hawaiian applique cushion was made at our recent workshop evening.  The maker wasn’t very keen on hand sewing, but thought she’d give this technique a try.  She was delighted to find she loved it, and now has a new skill. 

This is another completed workshop design.  It’s Flower Garden, and brings hope of blooms to come. 

This beauty was made by EPP from Liberty fabrics.  Delightful. 

Paula made this quilt at a local class.  Her fabric choices are fabulous, and reflect the quilt’s name, which is Dazzle! 

Di made this charming scrap quilt for Project Linus.  The colours are great, and I love the zigzag quilting. 

Don’t forget your show and tell next month, as we welcome Vendulka Battais as our speaker and workshop leader.