Despite the cold weather (I had to scrape the ice off my car before I left home at 7pm!) there was a good turn out at January's meeting, and people were not disappointed! Sarah Hadfield had an easy style and was quite down to earth, and had brought lots of stunning quilts!
Here she is, with some of her work behind her. She showed slides of some of her quilts, which was certainly easier than trying to see them held up! I must say, it was probably the first time it was easier to see the slides, than the quilts! Most of her quilts were less than 12" square, and some of them were considerably less!
Here are a couple of log cabin quilts. Sarah uses lots of striped borders, as she finds she has lots of tiny scraps which she likes to use up. What a clever -and thrifty- idea!
Everyone enjoyed being able to examine the piecing and quiting in Sarah's work close to.
Then to show and tell. Lots of people seemed to have had some sewing time over the festive period, judging by the numbers of quilts which were shown. This one is mine for Project Linus. It is specifically for an 8 year old girl with cancer, who likes pink and purple. The border has pink and purple mermaids on it, which should go down well.
Beverly had finished this lovely cot quilt for her new grandson. The turquoise and brown fabrics in this quilt look so soft and cuddly.
Doreen was making this Japanese folded design for her daughter. The colours are stunning, 
both front and back! Apparently it's "not big enough", so she will be enlarging it. Good luck with that!
Di had bought a charm pack, and was going to make a runner for the bottom of her bed. She made half of it, and decided it wouldn't be nearly big enough, so made it up into a wall-hanging. The colour gradation on this one is lovely.
Ruth had been sewing for Linus, since her return from Australia. Here is a simple cot quilt in pastel colours. 
Here she is, with some of her work behind her. She showed slides of some of her quilts, which was certainly easier than trying to see them held up! I must say, it was probably the first time it was easier to see the slides, than the quilts! Most of her quilts were less than 12" square, and some of them were considerably less!Here are a couple of log cabin quilts. Sarah uses lots of striped borders, as she finds she has lots of tiny scraps which she likes to use up. What a clever -and thrifty- idea! Everyone enjoyed being able to examine the piecing and quiting in Sarah's work close to.Then to show and tell. Lots of people seemed to have had some sewing time over the festive period, judging by the numbers of quilts which were shown. This one is mine for Project Linus. It is specifically for an 8 year old girl with cancer, who likes pink and purple. The border has pink and purple mermaids on it, which should go down well.
Beverly had finished this lovely cot quilt for her new grandson. The turquoise and brown fabrics in this quilt look so soft and cuddly.Doreen was making this Japanese folded design for her daughter. The colours are stunning, both front and back! Apparently it's "not big enough", so she will be enlarging it. Good luck with that!Di had bought a charm pack, and was going to make a runner for the bottom of her bed. She made half of it, and decided it wouldn't be nearly big enough, so made it up into a wall-hanging. The colour gradation on this one is lovely.Ruth had been sewing for Linus, since her return from Australia. Here is a simple cot quilt in pastel colours. And here it is again, with bright 'I-spy' squares. Look at the beautiful machine quilting!
This is much the same design in a prem quilt, again with bright and cheerful colours.
At a sewing meeting recently, Di bemoaned the fact that she had finished what she had brought with her, and 'had nothing to do'. Lynda gave her a bag of Linus scraps to save her from boredom, and she has made this gorgeous quilt from them! Thank you so much, Di.
Stephanie had been to a Ferret workshop, entitled 'Quilt in a Day', and except for sewing the binding on, that's exactly what it turned out to be! 
This is much the same design in a prem quilt, again with bright and cheerful colours.At a sewing meeting recently, Di bemoaned the fact that she had finished what she had brought with her, and 'had nothing to do'. Lynda gave her a bag of Linus scraps to save her from boredom, and she has made this gorgeous quilt from them! Thank you so much, Di.Stephanie had been to a Ferret workshop, entitled 'Quilt in a Day', and except for sewing the binding on, that's exactly what it turned out to be! 
Stephanie had aslo made this baby blanket. She had bought a metre of fleece and then appliqued these cute aeroplanes on it. The smoke from the tail spells the baby's name and the date! 
This is a blast from the past! It's blocks made at a 'Sizzling strips' workshop I taught a while ago. The blocks have been assembled in a stunning light/dark arrangement. Don't they look lucious?
Paula had also been rummaging in the Linus boxes, and taken a set of blue blocks. Look how cleverly she's put them together!
Then to cheer herself up on a dreary winter day, she made up this zinger with pink sweetie fabric and lime green! What a combination! 
Lynda ran a bag workshop last week, and Liz, Jane, Alison and Betty are showing the fruits of their labours. (Betty wasn't actually so industrious that she made two, the other one was made by her daughter, a first time quilter!)
Paula had also been rummaging in the Linus boxes, and taken a set of blue blocks. Look how cleverly she's put them together!Then to cheer herself up on a dreary winter day, she made up this zinger with pink sweetie fabric and lime green! What a combination! Lynda ran a bag workshop last week, and Liz, Jane, Alison and Betty are showing the fruits of their labours. (Betty wasn't actually so industrious that she made two, the other one was made by her daughter, a first time quilter!)Betty is indeed industrious, and showed three more quilts! This one was to showcase some feature fabrics brought on a trip downunder. What a clever idea.
These are hexagons made without papers, a technique she was generous enough to thank Paula for showing her.
And last but not least, a stunning Baltimore quilt she assembled using quilt as you go! Fabulous!The next meeting will be a Techniques Workshop, so look out for examples and requirements lists soon.
Andrew Carpenter, the photographer from the 'Lutterworth mail' came and took a photo, so look out for it in next week's copy. The AGM itself was ably conducted by Paula, and since there were no contentious issues, was over in a short time. Then it was a chance to eat, drink, look and spend!
Apart from the Linus rummage box and sales table, we were lucky to have local trader Ruth who brught some of her stock with her. She has lots of lovely Christmas and children's fabrics, which most people couldn't resist. Then onto the show and tell.
Bunty was also in Christmas mood, with this attractive hanging with little bells on it. very sophisticated colours there.
Bunty had been to a workshop with Ferret, which was optimistically titled 'quilt in a day'. She managed to make this quilt in the day, only having the binding to sew on at home! 
And it's fully reversable! Two different looks for the price (and time) of one!
Doreen had been tempted by these cute farm motifs, and cleverly used them for a quilt border. How good is that? 
She was (justifyably) very proud of this little quilt. She calls it 'Man' and is the first completely original design she has ever made. She said it came to her one night when she couldn't sleep. Can you see the one with the heart? He's the one for her!
then there was the deciding on colour combinations,
then there was the sewing of a quarter inch seam,
not to mention the times when you forgot what you were doing and had to have a little prompt!
Everyone made some beautiful fabric choices. There was the sophisticated, pastel pink and soft green,
the carefully considered, with green for the fields and blues and browns for the mountains, 
the co-ordinated, in pinks and burgundies, 
and the scrappy, in 'I need to use up these fabrics'!
Here she is, with a few of her quilts in front of her. She mainly uses silk for her piecing, with the majority of her fabric coming from silk ties which she buys from charity shops. She started piecing over papers, and fussy cuts the fabric to make intricate, tesellating shapes, reminiscent of the kaleidoscopes we all had as children. 
Once she had finished speaking, everyone was eager to examine her work more closely. It certainly repaid close scrutiny! 
This yellowy quilt made me think of Victorian fireplace tiles. Since the fabrics were all silk, the colours were glorious and jewel-like.
Show and tell wasn't quite up to this standard, but still inspiring. Gwyneth had designed and made this charming quilt for a friend's expected first grandchild. A sampler quilt with a difference.
Gaynor had been to a summer school and come back with lots of lovely things. This mini-quilt was made in some of the V&A fabrics, and while I think it's gorgeous, she thinks it's too busy.
Bags are obviously very popular, as Tilly had brought hers too! This one was also in rectangles, and embellished suitably.
Tilly had also made this lovely seaside inspired landscape. She had even added a real pearl caught in a net! 
Paula has had a busy summer finishing quilts for Project Linus. First this cute cot quilt with cheerful ducks on it. Then she managed to get a couple of panels in a sale.
This one is Double Wedding Ring, another traditional design. 
Paula's final quilt had been made from orphan stack and whack blocks, put together with a stunning centrepiece. 
The last quilt in the show is another Linus, beautifully made and machine embroidered. A perfect cot quilt for a baby. many thanks for your hard work and imagination, ladies.