01/05/2009 by Anna.

It’s good to be out and about after my operation, there’s so much going on in the patch-world, but first yet me tell you that at the region day last weekend I won the competition! How fab is that, and today my cheque from the Sue Belton award came in the post, so I am a happy bunny.But let me tell you about some of the events coming up in May:-

• Quilt Exhibition as part of the farnham arts festival, May 15th and 16th 10am-5pm at St Andrews Chuch, upper Church Lane, Farnham, Gu9 7pw. free admission.
• Pinewood Quilters are having a ploughmans lunch on the 21 May 12 noon to 2.30 at the WI Hut Hartley Wintney RG27 8DL tickets £5.00 Bring and Buy and Show and tell. profits to step by step and a womens Refuge. To reserve a place phone Lyn 01252 624705 or Carole 01252 842859. Wish I could make it but I have my C&G.
• Next something that I can make, a Garden and Patchwork open day 2.00-5.00 on Sunday 31 May. 57 Ramsbury Drive, Earley. In aid of Douglas House Hospice for young people. £5.00 per head which will include tea/coffee and freash scones and cakes. You can email if you would like to go philip.markham@btinternet.com 
• Just seen another event for May at Henley on thames RG9 2AQ 25-31 May “Quadriga on Thames” an exhibition of stitched textiles inspired by the river Thames, at the old Fire Station Gallery, sun 1-4 other days 10-4 Admission free. Contact Delia Salter d.e.salter@reading.ac.uk

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24/04/2009 by Erica.

Barbara Weeks came to Hexagon Quilters last week and gave a talk on colouring fabric, followed by a workshop on her mosaic technique the next day.  I nearly didn’t go to the workshop as it was school holidays and I was not sure that it would be for me anyway.  Well sometimes when you try something that you are ambivalent about it does just click, and this is one technique that I will definitely be developing in my own way.  Barbara is an excellent teacher giving wise advice on choice of image and teechnique to suit each individual student.  I have finished the piece that I started that day - almost the only sewing I have done this week (picture will be on the site soon).  And I am brimming over with new ideas.  Usual story though - so many ideas, so little time.

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16/04/2009 by Anna.

6-7 June. Quilts in the village, WI Hall, Green Lane, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, RG27 8DL, Log Cabin Quilters 10th Exhibition Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm. Entrance £2.00.  Trader Natures treads, Demos, sales, refreshments, raffle.

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09/04/2009 by Erica.

I am just back from a few days with my Mum who lives in Wales.  It is always a lovely break for me and my boys and when I look back I find that a lot of my quilts have a welsh connection of some kind.  One of my City & Guilds pieces was inspired by a windy day at Aberaeron, another wallhanging used stone walls from a welsh castle as a starting point.  At other times I have simply been able to plan a quilt in my mind or solve a textile problem, I think because I am away from home and the everyday cares of running a household.  Not that I don’t help out at my Mum’s - I wouldn’t get away with that! - and I still have the children to look after.  But the lack of responsibilities definitely helps my creativity and I am back with several ideas and keen to get started on new projects.  Is this me or is it a female problem?  I don’t really know.

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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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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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