Number 300

Well, here we are at post number 300. And it's just over two years since I first started blogging on 10th March 2008. When I pressed the 'Publish Post' button on that first offering I had no idea if I was writing a personal diary that would be read only by myself, or if I would be starting something that would become huge. I'm glad to say that neither of those things happened!

Through blogging I've met a large number of people, some of whom have become good friends. Luckily, not too many of you comment on any one of my posts, as I've discovered that I'm not too good at keeping up with replying! But those comments are hugely enjoyed and appreciated, and it's great to be able to talk to Christopher about my friends in America, Australia, Tasmania (I know it's not really a different country, but it sounds so exotic), Hawaii (ditto), Japan, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and, of course, the UK.

I've taken part in swaps, and BOMs, and I'm taking part in my first virtual bee. I've been lucky enough to discover some wonderfully generous people who are happy to share their designs. I've learnt a lot, enjoyed being able to share what I've made or places I've visited, and look forward to continuing blogging and getting to know you even better.

I still haven't decided what to put in my prize package, so I hope that Jo in Tas will be able to wait until I make up my mind. Yes, Jo's the winner. So if you let me have your address Jo, that will push me into getting my act together. Thank you to everyone who commented, I wish that you could all have won, but c'est la vie.

Now, if you haven't stopped reading now that I've announced the winner!!! I'm after some help. I've decided that I need a new, top of the range(ish) machine. Sewing has become such a huge part of my life in retirement that it seems daft not to have a really good machine and thankfully DH agrees. So, if anyone has a recommendation, or a decommendation (if that's a word, and the spellchecker doesn't think it is, but you know what I mean) please let me know.

PINK!!!

From March 2010

I've been wanting to make this table runner for some time, to practise my needle turn applique and finally got around to it. The PINK didn't look half as vibrant (garish, shocking, loud, bold, noisy, PINK) in the shop, but against the other colours it positively shouts "Look at me, I'm PINK!" Hey ho, it's done, and I've learnt to check colours against each other a bit more.

From March 2010

I had great fun trying out different ways to applique though. First I tried freezer paper on the back and gluing the fabric turnings, then cutting a hole in the back of the under fabric to pull the paper out. It looked great until I tried pulling the paper out - stuck fast, no way was it coming out without a fight. So, some stretched edges later and a few paper scraps still stuck inside; I decided to try it without paper. Hopeless, crinkles and folds all over the place. Eventually I hit upon using freezer paper underneath and gluing just the points; then ironing the shape, and removing the freezer paper before it dried too much. Perfect. The points stayed in place and the creased edges were just right to turn under.

From March 2010

The bag was just a way of using up some scraps and practising machine quilting, flowers on the colours, leaves on the plain. I'm pleased with the way it turned out, so may make some more, perhaps to try and sell at the exhibition.

This is post number 299, so I'll pick a winner soon and announce it on my next post. I've still not decided what to put in the give-away, so the winner may have a bit of a wait!

Trumpet fanfare please!

My Angels Story Quilt is finished, labelled and hung. I actually finished it last week, but have been waiting for Christopher's help to get it hung. This has been a long term project, over the last year, and I'm delighted to have got it finished. It's quite girly, but I like it a lot. This will be hung at the church for our festival in May, but I'm not sure yet whether I will have it for sale or not. Christopher thinks not. I can't imagine that anyone would want to buy it at the price I would have to put on it anyway, so it's probably safe either way.

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I'm just about to start quilting Tail Feathers, a BOM that I've just finished. That's about the same size, and I have no idea where I'm going to put it. I think I'll just have to rotate it with An Angels Story.

Fabric... fabric ... yet more fabric!

Unusually for me, I managed to buy some fabric while we were away. I usually stand bewildered in the shop and come away empty handed, unless I am buying for a specific project. But this time the gods were with me, and I was able to spend some money!

At the quilt exhibition I bought an 'archive pack' of fabric, two each of the sixteen fabrics in the collection, each piece about 14.5 x 20cm.

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My sister-in-law bought me the commemorative panel which was designed and printed especially to celebrate the exhibition.

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All of the fabric is made by Liberty, is 100% cotton and feels like silk.

I'd like to make something which incorporates both the panel and the fabrics - any ideas?

On Thursday I popped into The Wandering Line, a relatively new quilt shop in Purley. They have a wonderfully laid out and stocked shop, and it was far too easy for me to spend yet more money. Again, I haven't really any plans for this fabric, but shall just enjoy looking at it for a while until I make up my mind to cut into it.

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A give-away

I've just realised that I'm coming up to 300 posts. So anyone who comments on this or the next three posts (numbers 296, 297, 298 and 299) will be entered into a draw. I've no idea what I'll include, apart from a set of postcards from the quilt exhibition.

Modern quilts

As well as all the quilts from the past there were quite a few modern quilts in the exhibition, some of which had been especially commissioned. These were interesting, thought provoking, beautifully made but for me, apart from one, they didn't have the emotional impact of the older quilts. I loved the randomness of quilts that had been slowly put together as fabric became available; the imperfections and 'ordinariness' of some of the quilts, that had clearly been made by people just like me; the homeliness of the quilts that had been made out of necessity. The modern quilts just didn't have that pull.

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Grayson Perry's 'Right to Life' was made in 1993, during the American abortion debate. The more you looked at this one the more disturbing it became.

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This is a pair of quilts by Jo Budd, the top one is called Winter/Male and the lower one is entitled Summer/Female. They are absolutely huge and made with hand dyed and distressed fabrics.

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I loved this one. It's called Liberty Jack, made by Janey Forgan. She's used a range of Liberty cottons to make a quilt that questions what it is to be British.

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This is part of a quilt called At the End of the Day by Natasha Kerr; she's used a family photograph. It's a complex quilt, with many layers of meaning, that you really need to see to appreciate.

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This was the quilt that moved me the most, and I'm cross that I didn't get a photograph of it, or take photographs of details from it, but we were coming to the end of our time and the exhibition was due to close and we still had several quilts to see. So this is a photograph taken from a postcard. The quilt was made by inmates of Wandsworth Prison and each hexagon depicts an aspect of prison life, from a scream to friendship. I wish I could show you more.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of the quilts from the exhibition, though this is by no means all of them. If you live within reach it's well worth making the effort to get there to see them for yourself.

Tomorrow I'll show you the fabric that I bought, and start to pick your brains for ideas of what to make!

More quilts

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I loved this quilt, made in the mid-eighteenth century, from assorted fabrics, including ribbons. It's completely scrappy, with no apparent design or thought as to the placement of the dominant triangles.

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This is much later, about 1930, but definitely my sort of quilt. Lots of the points are chopped off, it's not square and yet so charming. It's a real between-the-wars quilt, made of a mix of dress fabrics and wool suiting fabric. There's love in this quilt.

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This coverlet is supposed to have been on Nelson's bed on board the Victory at the battle of Trafalgar.

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This quilt was made in about 1857 and has a huge variety of objects and animals applique on it. The two figures near the centre are supposed to be from a statue of a Greek slave - I thought they looked more like women with vacuum cleaners (similar enough I suppose)!

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A gorgeous crazy patchwork quilt made in silks and velvets around 1892 - 1895, and appears to have been a collaborative effort.

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Isn't this wonderful? It is a portrait of soldier wounded at the Battle of Inkerman in 1854. Soldiers were encouraged to make quilts as both a leisure activity and as occupational therapy.

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This is an example of just such a quilt, made around 1863-77. The quilt is bedsized, and made from military wool. The hexagons are no larger than about half an inch! It's a staggering piece of work.

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This was made from tailor's broadcloth with silk embroidery, by John Monro, a master tailor, in about 1830-1850. The names of famous men and women is embroidered in the border.

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A Welsh quilt from about 1860.

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A most beautiful embroidered box from about 1660.

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These two wonderful appliques showing rural life are from a quilt dated 1820.

I only wish I'd had time to take more photographs of the older quilts, but I just ran out of time.

Tomorrow, I'll post the last of my photographs, showing some of the modern quilts in the exhibition.