Monday, July 28, 2014

Quilters' Circle - 28th July, 2014

Spring was in the air today, as four quilters gathered at the Sussex Neighbourhood House.

Debbie brought along a feast of show and tell for us today. First is a bag for holding take-along projects:
It is lined with 1930s fabrics, has pockets inside, and a drawstring closure. I'm afraid I didn't ask who designed it, though! The panels are stitched together with blanket stitch. One side is embellished with hexagons:

And another with a vase of yo-yo flowers:

Next there are a couple of projects from the book A Gardener's Journal, by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched. This is the Gardening Friends Wall Hanging:

And the Sunglasses Case:

Next is the Tea for Three table runner (designed by Sue Daley):
It features embroidered octagons surrounded by English paper piecing. Here's a close-up of one panel, so that you can see Debbie's lovely embroidery:
Gorgeous!

Debbie's final show and tell project is a set of small quilts, which can be strung together as bunting for Christmas decorations. There are two different sets of designs mixed together in these photos, both from Patchworks Unlimited. One is their Mini Nativity (set of 7), and the other is Christmas Symbols (8 in the set).

The nativity scene block has a personal touch added by Debbie's daughter (who was about 5 at the time). She felt that the people should have faces, so drew them in herself:
When it happened Debbie was less than impressed, but now the smiling faces have become charming remembrances of that little girl who is no longer little. And it made us all smile, too!

Glennys has started work on the very last block of her My Blue Heaven quilt (designed by Therese Hylton):
This little bird needs a few additions before he is complete, but he is looking very sweet so far. He is only one small piece of the final block, but the end is in sight.

Marie worked on these cute little hexagons:
Notice the very appropriate sewing-related fabrics. Marie will be making a sewing bag from them.

Vireya assembled another section of her Flower Ball quilt (designed by Geta Grama), and laid out the completed parts for a progress shot:
It has grown a bit since the last time we saw it. It will be too big to fit on a table soon!

Our next meeting will be in two weeks, on 11th August. See you again then!

Monday, July 14, 2014

Quilters' Circle - 14th July, 2014

Happy Bastille Day, and what I think we can officially call the middle of winter!

Everyone worked on EPP (English paper piecing) projects today.

Glennys covered some more shapes, then showed us the bits she has made so far:
She also showed us some ideas she has for extending this project beyond the small one she was originally planning. Proof that EPP can be addictive!

Marie brought along this piece to show us. It is going to be a bag for carrying quilts around, and is assembled using crazy-patch style blocks she made some time ago:

Marie also showed us this šúpolienka, or corn-husk doll, brought back from Slovakia for her:
Isn't she lovely! She is doing some traditional Slovakian embroidery.

Today Marie prepared more hexagons for her EPP project:
Notice how all the fabrics feature sewing themes. What will they become? We will have to wait and see.

Vireya stitched together another flower for her version of Geta Grama's Flower Ball design:
Then she laid out all the pieces she has assembled so far:
It is starting to develop the ball shape.

Our next meeting will be in two weeks, on 28th July. See you again then!