Book wraps workshop

Saturday March 9^th 10am to 4pm

Bookwraps Making Day at Village Hall, Walcot

At Festival of Quilts 8^th - 11^th August,you will have a chance to win a gorgeous Bookwrap creations.

Before that we'd like your help to create these fabric covers or wraps for notebooks, diaries, address books etc which are easy to make and can be made using very little fabric. They can be patched,decorated, quilted, stamped, embroidered in any way you choose and will help us raise funds for the Quilt Museum in York.

They are a brilliant way of using those UFOs in your cupboard or a safe way of experimenting with techniques you fancy trying, very little is wasted even if it goes wrong!

There is no requirement to include a notebook when you send your Bookwrap to us, but we do ask that you make the Bookwrap for a standard sized notebook. eg. A6, A5

 There will be patterns to use, some fabrics and ribbons and threads to play with ; examples to look at and demonstrations, if you'd like one. Tea and coffee will be provided along with cake, but please bring a packed lunch.

You will need to bring a sewing machine and your usual sewing kit, mat and rotary cutter, some fabrics, wadding/ pelmet vilene and threads. The minimum you need is 15” x 8” of 2 different fabrics (one will be the lining) wadding and some yarn or buttons for a fastening  This makes 1 A6 size Bookwrap – you can probably make 3 in a day! Or a larger piece for an A5 cover.

Can I still help if I can't make the 9^th March?  Yes of course. Make a Bookwrap at home – you can find a pattern in the Winter edition of the Quilter magazine or use your own ideas. You can also find ideas and patters on our Bookwrap Gems website http://bookwrapgems.wordpress.com

 Once finished put a slip of paper in the Bookwrap with your name on it and send it to:

Bookwrap Gems, 103 Desborough Road, Rothwell, Northants NN14 6JQ

Hope to see some of you on March 9^th.

Sarah Showers

PS. There will also be an opportunity to sew for Project Linus.  All materials will be provided, and all help appreciated!
Lynda Hill

 

Celtic letters workshop cancelled.

Just to let you know that the workshop with Alison Bramley has been cancelled due to lack of numbers.  Ruth will be issuing refunds for all those who have paid.  Shame.

January meeting

The weather here in South Leicestershire has been awful, and with the temperature gauge at -3C I wasn't sure how many people would brave the icy roads, not to mention the icy car park, but we quilters are made of stern stuff, and the hall was full!  We even had several new members, which is always lovely!  Sarah Showers had brought the Quilters Guild Contemporary Quilt Collection, in a suitcase!  The A3 quilts were on the theme of 'Childhood' and were fascinating.

As you can see, all the quilts were completely different, some pictorial and others very abstract.

Some people had lovely memories, of holidays, deckchairs, books, tv programmes, but others had a tough time, notably the girl who was sent to boarding school at five and three quarters and had a miserable time.  

Everyone enjoyed being able to inspect the quilts at such close quarters and discuss them.  With white gloves being provided we could also turn them over and stroke them, which isn't usually possible!

Sarah also made a plea for people to come to a workshop to make some book covers or book wraps for the Quilter's Guild Tombola at the Festival of Quilts in August.  The covers can be made from any technique and are really easy and fun to make.  The workshop will be on 9th March at the Walcote hall, so please come along if you can.  The money raised will go towards the Quilt Museum in York, a very worthy cause.

Lots of people had brought the last two blocks from the Mystery Quilt, and the next set of instructions for 'The Big House' was eagerly collected.  

Muriel and Liz had a Jelly Roll Race.  They did the method where you join the strips into a long string, take the two ends and join the halves together, then take the two ends again and join the two sets of two strips etc, until you have a rectangle.  (It's easier to see than explain!)  Liz had concertinaed her strips, while Muriel had rolled hers which tangled up and slowed her down, despite the services of Nik and Gill.

So the winner was Liz, who made the top in one hour!  Way to go, Liz!

June had some special raffle prizes (as usual) in a box decorated with crystal beads.  Very suitable for such a frosty night.

I started off show and tell with my Flutterwheels challenge quilt which has been two years in the making.  It's an homage to the Sundial Quilt in the V&A, and made in reproduction fabrics.  I love it.

I have been making another mystery quilt posted by Bonnie Hunter.  It's called Easy Street, and if you want to make it, the instructions are on her blog for free!  Click here here  and then click on 'Easy Street' on the top bar if you fancy it.  I have made half the blocks she suggests, as her quilts are always very big.

Nik went for the full size, and her greens are much gentler than mine.  A stunning quilt.  She'll be able to quilt it on her long arm - can't wait to see it finished!

I wasn't the last to finish my Flutterwheels quilt, as Bunty has recently finished hers.  (Stephanie is the last apparently!)  The earthy colours look gorgeous.

Bunty has also finished this quilt which has been waiting for a while to be quilted.  It's beautiful, but I hate her because she says she has no more UFOs!  What kind of quilter has no UFOs?  A very organised, talented and clever one!

Ruth saw this cute design in a magazine, and fell for it.  She hasn't got a child in mind as a recipient, but I'm sure there will be one coming along soon to enjoy it!

Paula found these Mile a Minute blocks in the Linus box and has bordered and made them up.  The wide border really sets the blocks off, and the yellow binding is a masterstroke.

This is Ruth's jelly roll quilt.  It was a Christmas theme, and looks very warming.

This lovely quilt is bound for a charity (I've forgotten which one! Sorry!)  Liz quilted it beautifully with feathers. Dorothy is so proud of it, she's still stroking it!

Di brought this quilt she made for her brother in law to prove that she can make big quilts.  She came under some flak for taking the quilt over the coldest weather of the year!  I hope they don't freeze to death without it!

And here is something gorgeous which Di has made.  It's a kit she bought from Brenda Walker, and has some cute sheep on it.  She says it was a joy to make, and such a useful size.

The meeting finished in good time, and nobody got stuck and needed a push.  Phew!

Mystery quilt

Here is a message from Andrea, Bunty and Ruth:

"Hi All,

We hope you had a good Christmas and New Year and are now raring to get back to your sewing!  We hope you have enjoyed making up your Letter Home and Hearts blocks but please, if you have any problems, do ring either of us so we can try and help.  We have some interesting techniques coming up in the next few months and hope you will enjoy them.   Please bring along any completed blocks to the meeting on 16th for a show and tell with everyone"

 

Trip to Duxford

Ruth has alerted me to the fact that an outing has been arranged to go to the Quilt Show at Duxford in March for members of various groups.

The outing is arranged for Sunday 10th March.
There will be pick ups in Lutterworth George Street at 9 o'clock, North Kilworth's White Lion at 9.10, Market Harborough bus station at 9.30 and Desborough at 9.45.
The cost will be adults £6/seniors £5 plus £12 for coach & driver's tip.
The coach will be leaving Duxford at 4.30.
Men are invited to join us.  Contact Ruth if you would like to book a place. 

Round Robin

Poor Di has started the new year off with a broken computer so I have been asked to put the information which would have been in the Round Robin onto the blog.
Wadding

Until the January meeting Lynda Hill has the polyester& Ruth Wallett the 80/20 wadding. Please contact them if you want some brought ready cut.  From then on Jill Doyle will hold both waddings so ring her on Tel: 01788 338014. It is much easier than cutting lengths cut at the meetings.  The prices are £6 a yard for 90” wide 80/20 & £5.50 for 120” polyester.

Mystery Quilt

We hope you have enjoyed making your two blocks over the last two months & hope you will bring them along for show & tell.
Workshop
The first workshop of 2013 is on Thursday 21^st February. Award winning quilt maker Alison Bramley will show us her method of working with silk fabric to make a Celtic letter. She will bring a pattern for your chosen letter & also has silks to purchase at cost price. If you’ve tried & given up on working with silk then do come along. The booking form will be at the January meeting.
Our first meeting of 2013 will be on Wednesday 16^th January.
We have hired the collection of almost 50 small quilts for you to look at. They were made by members of the Contemporary Quilt Group on the theme of “Childhood Memories”.
Sarah Showers is a member of the group & will be telling us a little more about them.
Muriel Goldschmidt is also bringing examples, books & ideas of the sort of projects that can be made using the very popular jelly rolls. If you have already bought a jelly roll but not used it here is a chance to see some examples & maybe encourage you to buy one or use the one lurking in your stash.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions of £20 are due in January but can be paid over two months if that suits you better. Please put the cash or cheque (payable to Piecemaker Quilters) in an envelope with your name, address, telephone number & e-mail address if you have one on the outside & drop it into the box on her table.  This information is only used for the committee to keep in touch with members & will not be shared with anyone else.
The 2013 programme will be ready to collect at the February meeting.