Latest Festive Offerings

At our last meeting everone brought their entries for the Christmas Challenge - miniquilts which will be displayed at the United Reformed Church in Wombourne over the Christmas period. 

Don't they look super?

Eleanor Marsden Rainbow Quilt Evening

Last Wednesday we had an evening with the hugely prolific quilter Eleanor Marsden. She was most entertaining with her humorous stories of quilt competitions, inspirational subject matter and witty asides.

Particularly fascinating was her mathematical methods for working out her quilts. She used to be a maths teacher and still loves patterning and sequences but applies this more through her sewing these days.

We were all astonished by her presentation of her rainbow inspired quilts. There were so many and they were all exquisite. Thank you Eleanor for a marvellous evening. Here are some pictures to remind us of the fabulous display.

 Fireworks

 Stained glass window

Inspired by the Rose Window at Chartres - a translucent quilt

Margaret Davidson's Log Cabin Workshop

This Saturday at Bradmore Community Centre we looked at the Log Cabin and how it can easily be constructed using only hand piecing very easily.

This is how Margaret's workroom looks - just a wooden board and basket:

Here we are. Peace, perfect  piece!!!! Not a machine in sight, and no talking either!

Our log cabin and courthouse steps blocks almost finished:

Lovely Workshop with Crazy Mary

There were lots of lovely sari silk, threads and sequins to choose from -

work in progress:

Here are two of Mary's creations:

By the end of the evening there was some really lovely pieces awaiting further stitch:

Thanks Mary for an inspiring experience!

Orphan Blocks September 3rd 2014

Tonight our dynamic member Janet Bevan talked and demonstrated how she has utilized some of her unused blocks left over from quilt projects. Above is her beautiful kantha stitched drawstring bag. 

A weighted pin cushion

Various bags and pouches

Deep discussion

Place mats

Carol has added embroidery to hers!

July and August News

Here are just three of the wonderful prizewinning quilts Margaret Davidson showed us at a recent evening.

 "Positive and Negative" - Winner of both the large quilt category and Best in Show at the first Festival of Quilts at Lords Cricket Ground:

 "Stepping Back" - won a special award at the Scottish Quilt Championships:

 "Scorching Hot" : won first for use of colour at Quilts UK and a special award at the AQS show in Paducah

On another note:

Jan Allston from Region 2 was delighted to receive our parcel of hearts on Thursday, and has asked me to pass on her thanks to you for supporting the Guild, and especially to Margaret Davidson for her contribution of 21 hearts!  She has now received over 2,000 donations, including some really fabulous creations, so do buy a ticket when you go to the show.

ALSO SEE OUR NEW CALENDAR OF EVENTS - click the tab at the top of this page! There's some exciting things coming up so consider bringing some firends!

June News

We had a great turn-out at the last session, despite the torrential rain, and we were not disappointed in the topic of the evening.  Sadie came to us a few years ago with her Redwork skills and was again well received on this occasion.

Sadie, from Cornerhouse Crafts, gave us a little history of Redwork, and some amazing eye-candy in the form of redwork designs incorporated into wall hangings, bags, banners, mats, small quilts and so on. She is a self confessed Non-Embroiderer, but her work is so beautiful, utilising a very small range of embroidery stitches.

As usual, some of us got interested in the stuff she was not programmed to talk about, but she was generous in helping us to have a go ourselves.  I’m talking about Suffolk Puffs. This caused some hilarity at one end of the workroom as a member kept repeating the name over and over…. Some of us just had to find out HOW Sadie managed to get hers to a half inch finished diameter.  How small is that?  Small!!! If you’ve never tried Suffolk puffs before, have a go….

Carol Thomas gave a rundown on some of the speakers she has planned for the forthcoming programme, with additional workshops for us to have a go at something different.  It promises to be an exciting programme.

There’s still time to sign up for the Zigzags workshop which is to take place on 12^thJuly at Bradmore Small Hall.  The day kicks off at 10am, and will be finished by 4pmas usual.  If you are still keen to come along, please contact Carol Thomas or Gill Biel, and of course you can sign up at the next quilters meeting.

Our next meeting is a Sit and Sew, and I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to also bring something that you are currently working on, or something you’ve hidden away for such a long time, or UFO’s that you don’t know how to move forward as it would be good to have round the table conversation as well.  

Next meeting is on 18^th June, 7.30pm start.

Looking forward to seeing you soon

Carole A

A note from the intrepid Carole Auden.

Wombourne Quilters Newsletter

May 1st,  2014.

 

Hello everyone.  This intrepid traveller has returned and felt the full force of jet lag.  If anyone asks me what day it is, I still don’t know, and this might well be a prelude to bad grammar, poor spelling, errors of content in this newsletter.  Mind you, it might be a permanent affliction!

I managed to stagger round Uttoxeterracecourse for the Quilt and Stitch village 2014 show, and was okay doing a workshop that I booked on my return.  The ladies who arrange the bookings must have thought I was a bit brain dead, because I got the date and time of the session wrong, twice, whilst trying to confirm the session with them.  Never mind, it all adds to my own memories.

This nicely leads me on to the Special Theme Quilt Category of the show, that of the centenary of WW1, and how memories were portrayed in fabric and stitch.  Special congratulations must go to Jan Bevan for her spectacular wall hanging “WW1 Centenary”, and those of you who went and saw this quilt would probably, like me, have spent some time admiring it. Congratulations, Janet, a well deserved win.

Our next meeting is 7^th May, and we’re having another go at making buttons.  This was so popular  a session the last time Lorraine came to us, but some of you unfortunately missed it and asked for it to be repeated.  I look forward to seeing you on the 7^th.

Its that month again, where we have the AGM and look at the previous year’s achievements.  Please remember to bring something to munch on, but more importantly, please remember to come to the meeting as your views on your Quilting Group are so important. As a reminder, the date is 21^st May.

Its good to be back.

 

Carole A

 

April News

I hope those of you who came to see the miniature quilts collection were as delighted as I was.  The skill and workmanship on the smaller ones were truly inspiring.  We saw the results of a couple of round robin style challenges which gave the committee an idea for a similar project for the coming months.

Hearts tombola for the Festival of Quilts- we shall be sending a parcel of our work off during July, so please bring any contributions (needlebooks, pincushions, brooches, or anything) by the first meeting in July.  This is the link to the website http://loveheartstombola.wix.com/loveheartstombola#

Ugly fabric challenge - we do hope that you are working on your piece for the challenge (which mine certainly is!).  As we discussed, the finished items will be displayed at the Summer Party on 16 July, so please bring them along, or if you are unable to be with us that evening, perhaps you could hand them in earlier.     

Upcoming events:

The Quilt and Stitch Village show takes place at Uttoxeter on 25 to 27 April, and be warned that the motorcycle event at the Staffordshire County Ground is on again on the Saturday and Sunday, probably leading to long delays on the A518 from Stafford.  It's probably best to avoid that and use the A51 instead.

There will be an Exhibition of Quilts and Crafts from the students of Quilters Quest, Bridgnorth
to be held on Friday 25th and Saturday 26 April at St. Nicholas Church and Village Hall, Oldbury (B4363) Oldbury, post code WV16 5EH  10 until 4 each day with admission at £2.50.  There will be sales, refreshments and demos in the hall.

The Quilters' Guild Staffordshire area day will take place on 'our' patch this year on Saturday 27 September from 10.30am to 4pm.  Please put the date in your diary as we are hoping for a good turnout.  The speaker is Christine Porter with a new talk, and there will be traders, various activities and opportunities to meet quilters from other local groups.  It will take place at the Community Centre in Swindon and the cost is £6 for Guild members, and £9 for non-members. 

At the next meeting (17 April) our speaker will be Judy Fairless - see her gallery online here     http://www.judyfairless.co.uk/Gallery/gallery.html

There will be a charge for entry of £2 members and £5 non-members.