29/03/2009 by Kevin.

I was just sent these photos from the Quilters Guild AGM showing Anna’s work being displayed.  Thanks to Mary for the photos

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28/03/2009 by Erica.

It has just been announced at the Quilters Guild AGM that Anna is joint winner of the 2009 Sue Belton Award. This is a fantastic achievement although no surprise to those of us who know her and her wonderful standard of work. I am absolutely thrilled for her and for Loose Threads. We shall all have to go next year’s AGM to see her work on display.

The timing is good too as Anna had her op yesterday and is now recovering at the Royal Marsden - where she has been sewing a wallhanging to be hung at the hospital. Keving reports that she is doing well, I am sure she will feel even better when she finds out about this!

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28/03/2009 by Erica.

I haven’t blogged in a week or two and it is because I always talk about sewing and I haven’t done a awful lot - though I certainly have wanted to! For me sewing is both a challenge - creating a new design - and the best way I know of relaxing when it comes to the actual stitching. The trouble is, the second aspect relies on the first, which in turn relies on a certain amount of uninterrupted time and I haven’t had much of this. I am now very aware that term ends next Friday, so I must make some time this week to get a new project underway.

And I have another problem. I have got a quilt that is half quilted but I realised last week that I had not picked it up in the evening for nearly a fortnight. I thought about this and realised that I was not enjoying the quilting method and pattern that I had chosen and then I came up with a much better one! So what do I do now? I have quilted nearly half of the twenty-five blocks, and I do love the rayon thread that I am using - do I unpick it and start again? Or do I finish the perfectly adequate existing pattern? There is a Loose Threads meeting next week and this is a warning to all my friends there - you will be asked your opinion.

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27/03/2009 by Anna.

After coming up to the hospital yesterday, we stayed at a sort of B&B last night (at least without the Breakfast part). So now I am sitting here, with a drip connected to my left arm, and happily blanket stitching my latest creation.  This is going to be a wall hanging related to my time at the Royal Marsden.  The hanging will have the text “Cancer will change you” in the centre and will be surrounded by words of hope and support.   These will include phrases like “Pamper yourself”, “Keep a positive mind” and “Still party like there is no tomorrow”. it will also include a few names of those that have helped me through the whole experience.It is going well, perhaps too well, since I have almost finsihed the centre piece.  I am kicking myself that I didn;t bring the ironing board and iron up to do the next stage .  This was supposed to keep me going for the whole week!! 

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25/03/2009 by Liz.

It has been some time since last writing on the blog, fortunately there is more e-mailing between the Loosethreads group. I have managed to complete two wall hangings, average 38” by 25”, the blue cockerel using up scraps of indigo fabric, that should really have been thrown away. And the Arabic Blue Camel also using fabric dyed by me.Pakistan has been difficult to adjust to with respect to shopping, food and heat. However, I came prepared, packed all of my procion dyes, fabric for dyeing, wadding, sewing machine and cottons. There has been a trip to the Lahore Fortress, a couple to Dubai, good for stocking up on essential items from shopping list that one would not care to survive without. Then there is John, my 10 year old who still is chaperoned by mum when he has football, tennis, swimming and school pick up. So between cooking meals, and recovering from avoiding near death mishaps with Lahore traffic, I have time for my patchwork. I’m now working on my next project, a fantastic perspective of Lahore Traffic circling a round-about including donkey and horse carts.

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17/03/2009 by Kevin.

Not quite sure why these are involved in patchwork but …. I have just come across my wifes stanp collection.  No these have little relation to those issued by the post office. these are ink type stamps with patterns and shapes.  I suppose I can understand why wyou would occasionally need a pattern to make a shape on some fabric.  My wife doesn’t just have a few - I would expect that there is more than a hundred, with all different shapes.  I suspect my wife is not unusual in this and it is just another aspect where patchwork enthusiasts become obsessive collectors.

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16/03/2009 by Debbie.

Village Green Quilters are organising two days of workshops with Dawn Cameron-Dick at Tythings in Yateley for more details contact Hazel Ryder Tuesday 17th & Wednesday 18th March. Dawn will also be speaking to Village Green Quilters on Tuesday evening at 7.30 at Hedgecroft Yateley. Check out the website linked to Loose Threads for more information.

I am looking forward to this as I haven’t done a workshop for ages. This might be the time I actually get into applique…

Debbie

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16/03/2009 by Debbie.

Hooray, today I received a piece of work from Liz our long distance member in Pakistan. The post has been very unreliable but this was sent recorded delivery. Now I have all the pieces have to figure a way to bring them all together.

Debbie

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16/03/2009 by Anna.

Dont forget the regional day on the 25 April and the work shop the following day. i have booked the saturday to here the speakers Jenni Dobson and Eliza McClelland, but not the work shop.
The competition is ” Oriental Jewels” which fits in just right with my City and Guilds piece that i have just finished! how jammy. the only thing that might not be so jammy, is that i might have to miss the whole event, as still no date for my opperation.
The Region day is held at Colden Common Community Centre, Winchester. 10-4 , share a lunch,£ 10 members and £15 non-members. Details Jenny Chalmers 01329-231790

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16/03/2009 by Anna.

just reading the Quilter this morning and noticed that the Quilts and Roses exhibition is on again this year.  Last year myself and Kevin were visiting the garden centre and came across it by luck, my luck, not Kevin’s! this year the dates are 20th and 21st June which is a saturday and sunday.

its well worth a visit, there were some great quilts last year, its at the Squires garden Centre, Bagshot Lea, Farnham. 10.30-4.30 and 5.30 on the Saturday.

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