A Speaker - at last!

 At our November meeting we were delighted to welcome Pat Archibald as our speaker!  Her visit had been planned so long ago, and it felt good to see her. 

She brought some of her fabulous quilts for us to see, and used slides for her talk, which was about finding inspiration.  After the last couple of years we could all do with some motivation! 

Here is a selection of her work. 

She was all set for a workshop the next day, which was inspired by Celtic knot work. Meanwhile, the show and tell was plentiful. 

Here is an amazing applique quilt.  I don’t know the story of it, but wish I did! 

This scrappy pink quilt is perfectly complimented by the flowery border. 

Pink and brown go together so well. 

I know this is Gwyneth’s work.  She is making a Harry Potter themed quilt for each of her granddaughters and this is part of the Hermione one.  

The diagonal bars on this quilt add a great sense of movement. 

A beautiful fairytale quilt.  

Elephants for a new baby. 

More pink and brown in a very pleasing design. (as I always say, any quilt can be enhanced by a bit of lime green!) 

This is great use of a feature fabric which has been framed to make it enough for a quilt. 

This is Gwyneth’s other Harry Potter quilt, it’s the hero in the centre.  Stunning. 

And the final quilt, another pretty pink one!  There will be no meeting in December, so I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a healthy New Year!  See you in 2022! 

Getting back to it!

 We are all being cautious, but are keen to see friends and participate in the skill we all enjoy.  While physical health is paramount, mental health also has to be considered! 

So in October we got together for our AGM and 21st birthday party!  Some new members were surprised at how quickly we dealt with the AGM.  Twenty minutes is enough for a review of recent meetings and activities, looking at the finances, considering next year and a chance for members to have their say!  Then on to the celebrations.  Chris T had tracked down some amazing cupcakes decorated with sewing implements! Beautiful and delicious! 

Chris H had prepared two quizzes and a guess the block. Here are some of the blocks she had prepared.  She donated them to Linus after we had finished. 

Here we are, nicely spaced out. 

Everyone went home with a prize, so that was good. Caroline has volunteered to organise the raffle, and her first offering was these witches’ hats.  

The show and tell was as impressive as ever. 

An attractive quilt made from squares. 

A scrap quilt made from 2.5”;squares, but in a great arrangement. 

This golden quilt is beautifully embroidered. 

A very useful runner. 

Medallion quilts are some of my favourites. 

Another golden beauty. 

This was made up from Linus hexagon hedgehog kits made by various people.  A fun quilt. 

Is this an orphan quilt?  If so, it’s been beautifully organised. 

Another scrap quilt.  I love the green! 

Is this Magic Tile?  If so, it looks great made with various cheerful fabrics. 

Pink cats.  This will delight a cat lover! 

This is a pastel masterpiece.  The pink cornerstones really add plenty of interest. 

The November  meeting will be a talk from talented quilter, Pat Archibald.  I’m looking forward to it! 

First indoor meeting!

 In September, we held our first indoor meeting and it was a huge success!  Everyone who came 29 people) felt very safe, and what is more to the point, had a great time. 

People enjoyed getting together, and lots of people had a go at the EPP diamonds project. 

Hexagons are a common EPP project, but diamonds were new to lots of us.  

One of Lynda’s lockdown projects was to use the diamonds to make a quilt, but most people were happy to make a small mat! 

Show and tell was excellent, and it was clear that some people had used lockdown to finish off UFOs - way to go! Here is one of the Piecemakers strippy quilts put together in an imaginative way. 

Great use of drunkards path blocks. 

Some four season churn dash blocks from a Mary Mayne workshop. 

This is a Cowslip designs pattern, but the maker got a bit ‘daisied out’ so did her own thing in the border. 

Vicky made this fabulous quilt for her grandson.  Shows what happens when you give a young person the chance to choose their own pattern! 

Here is another ‘Hope Stars’ quilt.  I love the batik border. 

Another BOM quilt, with a dark background.  Stunning. 

One member was so disappointed not to do Jenny Raiments ‘Scrappy, sappy do’ workshop, that she bought the pattern and made it herself!  

A great use of toning fabrics. 

Another BOM, this time in a 9-patch arrangement.  

Here is another Piecemakers strippy quilt, our of the drawer and finished! 

This is a beautifully balanced medallion quilt.  I love the yellow and blue. 

Gaynor has been working on the EPP apple care quilt for quite a while, and was both delighted and relieved to finally finish it! 

This quilt is a surprisingly simple design which looks fabulous due to fabric selection.

 And last but not least, a reminder that Christmas comes round every year, and it’s never too soon to get ready!  

Our next meeting will be the AGM and 21st birthday party, complete with games and cake!  See you there! 

Latest news

 I don’t have any photos about the August meeting of Piecemakers, because I couldn’t go due to a family meet up.  It looks like that applied to quite a few people, as only a handful of people made it on the day!  This is a clear message that things are starting to open up, and people are more and more willing to meet up, if the situation is safe.  

So, September will see our first indoor meeting of 2021!  The committee are keen to make everything as safe as possible, with social distancing, and mask wearing for those who would like it.  You can come for the social, or there will be an opportunity to try something new, English Paper Piecing diamonds, to make a small mat or coaster.  

You will need to bring two strips of fabric 20” x 2.5” in contrasting colours, your usual sewing kit including some matching thread. The EPP papers will be provided for you. 

You can make either the star or propeller design, both of which make useful mats or decorations for bags etc. Don’t forget your mug, as the refreshments will be available as usual. See you there!