Starting the new year with a bang!

If anyone was feeling a bit low after Christmas and all the cold weather we've been having recently, this month's speaker was guaranteed to restore your enthusiasm. Anja Townrow has been to Lutterworth before, and is always an inspiring yet remarkably down-to-earth speaker. Her quilts are outstanding, but she's happy to point out the places where she had to add some applique to cover a bodge! It's hard to believe, but very heart warming!

When I asked her permission to take her photo, she said, 'What, with this hair?' I was able to assure her that the hair she had brought with her was indeed what I wanted for the photo, so here she (and it) is.

People were thrilled to be able to see her work at close quarters. It certainly repays careful study.

Anja had done us proud and displayed lots of beautiful quilts for us to admire.

Here is Ann having a rootle in the Project Linus rummage box. Thank you to all who have bought items from the box. This time, I collected £8.30 in donations!

I started off show and tell with my mystery quilt from a pattern by Bonnie Hunter. I started it in August to have it on my son's bed for Christmas.

I also showed another Bonnie Hunter pattern, I spy a 4 patch, which I have made up for Linus. It's a very versatile pattern, and if you want to see Bonnie's free patterns, click here.

Several people seemed to have taken advantage of the awful weather recently to do some sewing for Linus. Di made up two quilts from orphan blocks. Thisa one was sashed in bright pink to give it a very cheerful look.

Paula completed this one which was made up of squares and half square triangles.

Ruth made several quilts, mainly from scraps - my favourite kind! This one was particularly bright and child-friendly. If you would like to see these quilts in close up, click here to go to the Leicestershire Project Linus site.

Andrea had made up two quilts using jelly rolls. They are both the same pattern, although the colours give them quite different feels. This one is sophisticated and masculine.

This one is earthy and warm.

Ann brought her completed 'Sizzling Strips' quilt. It certainly sizzles with her fabulous choice of colours!



The final quilt was one completed after a workshop with Sandie Lush. The workmanship is outstanding, although it doesn't photograph well! The designs were completed individually and then joined to give the impression of a wholecloth quilt.

You can see this clearly from the back!

Piecemakers continues to have a lively programme of workshops and outings. Anja kindly gave us a workshop on the day after her talk. I'll look forward to seeing the fruits of that. Linda Rudkin will be showing us all about Flower Pounding on Saturday 15th May. 'Patchwork Schoolhouse' will take place at Threads and Patches on Saturday 29th May. The cost for this will be £50, which includes 10 mini demonstrations/workshops, instruction sheets/kits, refreshments and a full lunch. This is exclusively for our group, so be sure to book your place quickly. Quilts in the Garden at Trentham will take place on Saturday 10th April. The long awaited "Hidden Histories, Untold Stories" exhibition at the V&A is starting in March, and there will be a trip to visit on Saturday 26th June. A booking sheet for this will be at the February meeting. This is a chance to see quilts which have been stored in the V&A for hundreds of years, and will be a once in a lifetime experience. make sure you don't miss it!