Amongst the most satisfying and worthwhile projects with which I’ve been involved has been the distance learning programme run by QGBI to train future quilt judges. This has been a well-received course of study and successive student groups have been increasingly international in composition.
A list of judges available for booking is available from the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles.
Watch for my latest article in The Quilter (magazine of the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles, aka QGBI) appearing in the Winter 2013 issue. This is about flax, the plant form which linen is produced. It’s a short version based on a much longer article which appeared in the Staffordshire History Journal, no. 56, 2012 and a revised version of this can now be found in the Interests section of this website, though without some of the copyright protected illustrations in the original.
The Quilter’s Guide to Pictorial Quilts I am also delighted to be a contributor to Maggi McCormick Gordon’s book. Published by Collins and Brown, the book’s excellent photography & colour printing features work by, amongst others, C. June Barnes, Diana Brockway, Hollis Chatelain, Gillian Clarke, Ann Israel, Jennie Lewis and Patricia McLaughlin.
US visitors note that this title has a different cover.
Quilting Masterclass by Katharine Guerrier for Quarto Publishing features the work of 50 international quilters. I am delighted to have my quilt Regeneration, Mount St Helens included amongst this exciting gallery of work. Besides author descriptions about each work, many quilts are used to explain different techniques, making the book informational as well as inspirational.
US visitors note that this title has a different cover.
Quick and Easy Quilts, pub. Hamlyn, a division of Octopus, has been remaindered.
ISBN10: 0 600 61535 9 – Find on Amazon
It all began with a gift to the West Bridgford Patchwork Group (Nottingham) of a box of carefully prepared hexagons-over-papers. We decided one way to use some would be for each member to work a crazy block and to include some hexagons in it. I’ve never considered myself to be even an average embroiderer & am not a fan of hexagons but as the worse job was already done on them, I was happy to participate.
Photo 1. shows my effort. For visual unity, we had agreed to include patches of fabric from our group collection & I had pounced on the scrap with the dragon, photo 2. To my surprise, I enjoyed the process of decorating the block with embroidery more than I expected, though some of it was unpicked a few times as it was uneven! I found it hard to maintain a consistent size of stitch, tending to increase the size of the pattern as I worked along the row. What did become fun was finding lots of variations and combinations of stitch patterns to try, photo 3.
When all the blocks were gathered in, we drew lots to see who would win them. There seemed to be enough enthusiasm – and still lots of fabric in our group collection of exotic scraps – so we later embarked on another crazy block. My effort is in photo 4.
Meanwhile after the first block, I had found myself feeling rather lost without it to pick up and embellish during the evening! So when I acquired a rather superior bear (named Allen, my maiden surname) as an early Christmas gift that year, I decided he could not spend Christmas naked – cue a crazy waistcoat (vest) for him. It took a few attempts to cut a suitable pattern but them I was off, photo 5!
The fabrics I used were scraps from men’s ties, sent to me long before by my French quilting penpal, Therese Lauze. Their light yellows seemed perfectly suited to my bear’s fur and as they included accents of muted blue and grey, I confined my stitching to this limited palette, photo 6. It was a great chance to work with a long-hoarded collection of silk threads, photo 7. I sewed the fabric scraps to a calico (muslin) base then lined the final garment with a little slubbed silk left over from my elder daughter’s wedding dress!
Yet once again, completing the project left a hole in my sewing life so the autumn found me making a chicken bumble pin cushion as a birthday gift for a friend, photo 8. It was a great opportunity to use another hoard of scraps, this time kimono silks whose colours also could benefit from my silk thread collection, photo 9. The project pattern was taken from Judith Baker Montano ‘s book, The Crazy Quilt Handbook (C&T Publishing, 2001, p.51) and is both simple and fun to complete.
The next project also used kimono scraps to make a needle case for Christmas for another friend – but it seems I sent it off without taking any pictures! This project was inspired by J Marsha Michler’s book, Magic Crazy Patchwork, (David & Charles, 2004) which I treated myself to at a quilters’ area day because it includes inspirational sketches of just how much variation is possible with a relatively limited number of basic embroidery stitches.
I have used it again to stimulate my decoration of another crazy block for the West Bridgford Patchwork Group, photo 10. The central motif was composed of tiny polished and drilled amethyst gems given to me towards decorating the block by Kay Anderson, along with the pewter-look leaves and two tiny carved soapstone(?) bunnies, photo 11. This was my first attempt at using ribbon as well as thread and I am delighted with the rich effects it produces, photo 12.
Did I ever expect to become a fan of crazy patchwork? No, I didn’t – but I thought my experience might inspire others to have a go. But be warned, it can be strangely addictive – crazy, but true!
It was a total surprise to receive these little quilts on my 60th birthday! With a birthday in January, my friends decided it was impossible to make a group quilt in time, so the suggestion came that each person could make a small quilt finishing to the size of a plastic cutting ruler (24 x 6in or 18 x 6in). I hope you enjoy looking at all the different ideas & techniques as much as I do.
In January 2007 when I reached my 60th birthday, I was stunned and delighted to receive a collection of little quilts from many of my quilting friends. The form of the project was to make a quilt the size & shape of a plastic cutting ruler – as you will see, some people had 24″ & some 18″ rulers! A member of the group had been involved with a similar project elsewhere. This proved to be a good idea allowing everyone freedom to use design ideas and techniques without concern over whether the final works would sit well together.
It was suggested that they would be useful (as well as decorative) when I go on teaching or speaking trips to illustrate various techniques & indeed have so far received a very warm reception everywhere they have been shown. In case you are wondering, there is a perfect space between two doors in my home where I can hang them, one at a time. It is fun to switch them about to suit my mood or the season.
Everyone who contributed to this collection has chosen colours or themes that they thought would appeal to me but I can also see something of themselves in there too. Please visit the Gallery, Sixtieth Birthday Quilts to enjoy them for yourself!
Making Kimono and Japanese Clothes has been released with a smart new cover as a paperback. This book features patterns and instructions for both men’s and women’s wear, besides a little history about the kimono and suggestions for techniques to create uniquely personal garments.
ISBN10: 1 906 38815 6 – Find on Amazon
ISBN13: 978 1906 388 157