Postcards

Here are a few postcards developed from the printing/drawing fun session we had a while ago.  Just some simple hand stitching, machining and beading.  Good fun.

 

 

 

Pulling ideas together

I was really inspired by Janet Bottomley's Liberated Quilting workshop and driven to see how the techniques would develop on a larger scale. I made the Diamond Jubilee in asterisk squares and even got the T-Shirt. I went on to make the pointed stars in some very challenging colours which I am calling Commonwealth. I mused over Sandra's workshop products that we created using wax crayons, acrylic paints and then embellished with fabric pens. I could not find a way to pull them all together so I dyed them with reactive dyes and created my Raspberry Delight. It was all great fun and I learnt so much pulling the Liberated Quilts together whilst incorporating the other techniques that we have explored so far. Can't wait for the next meeting.

Treasure

Treasure is the theme of the challenge for the group decided on at last week's meeting.  It came from someone saying they would love to work on something related to the Staffordshire Hoard (the picture shows a piece from the hoard, a fitting for the hilt of a sword, made from gold and set with garnets).  Fairly speedily we swooped on the theme of treasure (having decided that a broad theme that could be interpreted in various ways would be the most likely to inspire us).  So: challenge details as follows:

• interpret the them in any way you choose
• any size from postcard upwards
• as many or as few pieces as you like
• flat or 3D
• any techniques
• deadline is the last meeting of the year, which is on the 8th December

All these things have been kept deliberately as open as possible to enable people to join in in any way they like.

Also at the meeting we decided that sharing and learning were our priorities, though which of these came first varied from one person to another: some wanted to get on with making whilst others wanted time to explore new techniques.  The upshot of the discussion was that meetings would be more flexible: with time for people to come and sew and share ideas but with the opportunity, as an optional activity, for people to have the chance to learn new techniques/try out new approaches and materials.  Hopefully this will cater both for people who are suffering from technique overload as a result of doing City and Guilds recently as well as those who are relative newcomers to contemporary quilting.

One are that came to the fore was the need to have a new approach to the "Show and Tell" sections of meetings, including not just finished items but also works in progress,  either as a means of sharing with people the ways in which things happen for each of us, or asking for advice when we get stuck: again what we share is also optional - if anyone feels the need to eep their work under wraps until it's finished that's OK too.

This has been a long post - sorry - I'll conclude with the dates of future meetings: all Saturdays, all at Clifford Village Hall:  July 7th (sorry about the distance between meetings here, but the hall is undergoing renovation work on the date we'd originally booked); August 4th; October 20th; December 12th.  Hope to see you there!

Hello from Sandra

Hi there - thought I'd better introduce myself.  I'm Sandra and I am the convenor of this group (for those who don't know me!).  I did my first patchwork (a maxi-skirt in large hexagons, pieced over paper) in 1971, continued with it intermittently until the mid 1980s when I learnt how to do it properly.  When I had to retire prematurely from teaching through ill health (ME/CFS) in 1993, it was a lifesaver: even when I couldn't do much else (at the time I couldn't even knit because my hand-muscles gave out) I could always do a bit of hand-stitching and it really helped to be able to play with colour and design.  A few years later I was once again able to sit at the sewing-machine again and I was off, eventually taking City and Guilds with Christine Shaw at Askham Bryan College and some time later starting a business dyeing fabrics for dyers and quilters, which lasted for about three years before I had to give it up (good at dyeing, hopeless at running a business especially the finances!)

Nowadays I'm properly retired and spend a lot of time sewing and the remainder of it procrastinating. I joined Contemporary Quilt in 2008 and really enjoy it especially the companionship of like-minded people.  I'm based in Leeds and am also a member of Alwoodley Quilters, as well as occasionally attending CQ groups in Manchester and Cheshire.

As well as quilting I read a lot and do the occasional bit of drawing and painting (not very good but I learn a lot from doing it!)

HELLO

Hi val trying out my first ever blog, before I start on my C&G folder I am a little behind and folders go to tutor next month so it's all go. Will be able to attend CQ14 when this is over at the end of 2012

Mug Rugs

Here's a photo of some mug rugs I made after the workshop with Janet Bottomley a couple of sessions ago.  They have been passed on to Region 13 for the 'Stitch a Gift' tombola at FoQ.

HELLO

Hi Everyone.  Carol here.  This is my first time posting anything on a blog, so hope it goes ok.  Just joined CQ and received invitation to CQ Yahoo Group today, so hope to learn a lot.  Been out taking photos of bluebells in a friend's wood today with my  husband, so maybe a small piece of work will develop from these.  I will post a photo when I get them off my camera!

Have a good weekend everyone, off to collect my soon to be 21 year old daughter from a train shortly.

Introductions

Hello all
My name is Chris Beavers and I dabble in quilting and would do more if I could organise my time better!

Thank you to Sandra for sending me this link as I have been unable to attend any of our CQ Fourteen meetings because of other commitments but am hoping to in the future.

There is mention of a challenge - will details be posted here as and when you get time?

Just a short post today as it is Embroiderers' Guild day and I still have paperwork to do for the upcoming exhibition which must be ready by 10.00 a.m.
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Hello

Just testing the link and it works! Well done Sandra. Now we can all share our ideas, views and work whenever the mood takes us!

I'm not going to be doing much for the challenge at the moment as my current challenge is to find somewhere to live! Spent yesterday afternoon in the attic with my dear daughter and apart from the dust, we got rid of loads of stuff that I know I'm not going to use. There is the fabric mountain of course, but I'm afraid at the moment that has to stay!

Perhaps I'll get to meet up with some people at FOQ, but if not I hope to see everyone at the December meeting.

Penny

WELCOME

OK so having gone on a huge learning curve (gradually I am learning to be more technologically competent) we finally have a CQ Fourteen blog.  Any members of the Quilters Guild Region 14 who are also members of Contemporary Quilt are entitled to be members, as are those who have expressed an interest in coming to the meetings (even if you have not made it yet!):  just contact me and I will send you an invitation.

The intention of the blog is to provide a virtual meeting place for members outside of the meetings, so that people can share what they are doing and keep in touch (especially important for those who can't get to all the meetings).  Anyone who's a group member can post.

The picture shows what my working conditions are like: Django the cat likes to be in on the action! (The quilt is my February journal quilt made from liberated blocks as in Janet's February workshop.