12/02/2010 by Anna.

As a member of Hexagon Quilters it gives me great pleasure to tell you all about their 20th anniversary exhibition, which takes place on the 10th and 11th April 2010. 10am-4.00pm at Highdown School and sixth form centre, Surley Row, Emmer Green, Reading,RG4 8LR.

Another great show will be at the V&A from 20th March to 4 July. www.vam.ac.uk/quilts

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03/02/2010 by Anna.

Heather Quilters “Cargoes” Exhibition is 24th-25th April 2010 Sat 10am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm.

Admission £2.00, accompanied husbands and childen are free. Collingwood College, Kingston Rd, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 4AE.

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29/10/2009 by Anna.

The first one on now to the 15 Nov is called Quilty Secrets. At the gallery, Winchester Discovery Centre, Jewry Street, SO23 8SB. Free entry Fri-Mon 9am-7pm Sat 9am-5pm,Sun 10am-4pm.

24th-28th is the Stitch Witches exhibition called Moving on 10am-4pm at the Farmham maltings.01252 726234

Last but not least is my City and Guilds exhibition 27th-28th at Fleet Library 9.30am-4pm

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15/10/2009 by Erica.

At the beginning of the year I took a one day workshop with Jan Hassard to learn her technique for curved log cabin and below you can see (I hope) the quilt that I made.  It is nice if you like that sort of thing but I really know no that I don’t!  This was a last try to see if I could not just learn to love log cabin - but I can’t.  But the really important lesson with this was that I no longer have any desire to follow someone else’s pattern.  I finished this quite quickly because it was very easy to do - if tedious stitching all those blocks - but I didn’t have to think about it.  But lack of brain engagement resulted in a lack of much pride in the finished piece, other than the technical aspects ie accurate piecing and reasonably good quilting.  So now its definitely the design-from-scratch route for me, and workshops are strictly technique based rather than projects.

PS This quilt has been made some months and not stored properly before the photo was taken (see how much I love it?) but I have only just got to grips with publishing photos.

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15/10/2009 by Erica.

This was an idea from Liz.  She made a bowl and sent it to the rest of the group (she is still living abroad) with patterns to make smaller ones decreasing in size.   Each bowl represents a freedom of some kind - Liz started with hers expressing Freedom of Expression in Cambodia.  A group project actually finished!

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23/09/2009 by Anna.

Just to let you know we still have places left on the regional day on 3rd Oct 09 at John Hanson community school, floral way, Andover, SP10 3PB . the speakers are Dilys Fonks and Christine porter, it starts at 10.00 and the cost is £10.00 to members of the guild and £15.00 to non members, you are welcome to turn up on the day, dont forget to bring lunch.

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17/07/2009 by Erica.

I went to Quilts UK at Sandown a couple of weeks ago, lovely show, I like having quilts and traders all together and being able to get outside for some fresh air with lunch.  But I saw more evidence of a trend that I do not like very much at all: pieced quilt tops quilted with an all-over pattern on a long-arm machine.

I have nothing against long-arm quilters, only these awful overall patterns that bear no relation to the piecing.  Why spend all that time carefully choosing fabrics and colours and making perfect points for a perfect pattern and then completely ignore the lot by having a random pattern superimposed?  Quilting should enhance the piecing and even really bad quilting does that far better than these patterns, however good the stitching is. Is it a lack of time for the piecers?  Well by all means have the piece long-arm quilted but put in a little extra thought (and money I suppose) and have a quilting pattern that uses the piecing design and really suits the top.  But better still quilt it yourself, by hand or machine.  Practice really does make perfect and besides hand quilting is the best therapy ever for calming down after a stressful day.  (If itdoesn’t feel that way you, try taking a class or two to hone your technique.)

We all call ourselves quilters - please can we all justify that title by more care with the actual quilting?

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06/06/2009 by Erica.

I have been quiet lately because I have not done much sewing - family life takes over sometimes as does the admin of sewing - I seem to have spent a lot of time at committee meetings for quilting groups!  I have done some spending though, including a new (to me) kind of wadding - half cotton, half wool.  I got it from the Cotton Patch, who brand it, but not sure where it is produced ie which country.  I love wool wadding for all kinds of quilting but it is expensive, especially with the current exchange rate.  With raw wool prices so low in this country I have never quite understood why we cannot produce it here, although there may be an issue with the breeds farmer use here.  Anyway, I hope to layer up a curved log cabin quilt in the next few days so I will report back on how it performs.

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15/05/2009 by Anna.

Dont forget the Quilts and Roses exhibition on 20th & 21st June at Squires Garden centre, Badshot Lea.

Farnham Quilters are having a Midsummer Marathon on the 8th June from 10.00am to 9.00pm, thats a monday making a Pineapple blossom Quilt, so pop in and find out how is done, for more info phone Doris Dove 01252 617090 or look at www.farnhamquilers.org.uk

 Earier that week on the 5th June there will be an open day at 26 Sole Farm Road, Bookham, KT23 3DJ 1.30- 4.30. Cost £1.00. Quilts on Show. Embellisher to try and Chat and advice. Contact Jan Godding 01372 453801 or email jan.surrey@virgin.netso she doesnt run out of cake.

its a busy week on the 6th-7th June Quilts in the Village, Log Cabin Quilter hold there 10th exhibition at the WI hall, Green lane, Hartly Wintey, Hampshire, RG27 8DL 10-5 sat, 10-4 sun Admission £2.00

 The National Quilt Championships are on the 19th-21st June. Sandown exhibition center, Sanddown Park, Esher, Surrey. 10-5 Admission £5.50.

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15/05/2009 by Anna.

Thank you Farnham Quilters for having Loosethreads to talk and show our quilts, we couldn’t have timed it better as you were celebrating your birthday with wine and cake and made us fell very welcome.

What a lovely evening we hope to have inspired some of you to start a project, form a small group or even hold an exhibition.

There were some ladeis who wished to contact me, you can email Anna@loosethreads.co.uk

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