New faces...."old" faces

It was surprising to see so many members turn up for the meeting today in the miserable wet conditions, it made us all think about friends and family back in England coping with this sort of weather regularly!  It was a lovely surprise too, to see Linda and welcome her back after her long stay in the UK.  Linda says she hopes to be with us more regularly again, during school holiday breaks in the UK, when she won't need to be at work.

Ann chatting to Linda with Christine 

Welcome back to Heather for her short visit, and Marie who is here hopefully until May, and welcome to a new visitor Chris, who would like to join the Group.  Chris came along with Sue who hasn't been to meetings for a few weeks as she's been feeling under the weather, good to know Sue feeling better.  Sue spent this week's session teaching Chris the art of paper quilling used in card making.

Sue's card

Chris' card

Sandy chatted with Margaret and Sheila, no doubt bringing Heather up to date with what she's missed since her last visit,

and there was much intrigue when Chris explained how she had made a piece of crochet work that caught the girls' attention as they hadn't seen this particular stitch before.

Elsewhere in the hall Michele explained to Ana Maria how she makes her fabric postcards.

Ana Maria joined the Group a few weeks ago, after being introduced by Jan who teaches her patchwork as part a group of Spanish ladies in her home town of Periana for 2 hrs one evening a week.  Ana Maria wanted to spend more time learning techniques so Jan suggested she came along to our Group, where Ana Maria has embarked on her first project making a patchwork shopping bag.  As well as taking up patchwork Ana Maria enjoys making crochet items.

HelenH who joined the Group just over two years ago, had never done any patchwork or quilting before, but was smitten with it after making her first quilt in an applique workshop and now attends many if not most of the workshops that are held in the Group to perfect her skills.  Up to now she has managed on a low-end basic sewing machine which has served her well, but she has now decided it's time to invest in a more specialised quilting machine that also offers lots of embroidery stitches.  Helen has been asking various Group members what machines they use, and after seeing the lovely stitching produced by Kath on her work, decided she would like to investigate further.  Kath brought her machine in today and put the machine through it's paces to an impressed Helen.

Kath and Helen with the impressive Husqvarna 

Helen brought along her finished Mystery quilt to show us,

and Ann brought along a small padded etui she has made for a friend

and her finished chopkey cushion cover from last week's workshop. 

It was good to see HelenB too today, who worked on her exquisite, intricate gold-work embroidery, which she designs herself.

Diane is working on a quilt project  for one of her grand-children.  Diane is making it in warm flannel fabrics and is considering backing it with fleece in place of regular wadding and cotton fabric backing, so that it will withstand lots of loving use and regular laundry.

Diane is adapting the design from Keepsake Quilting, to include butterflies and Scottie dogs

Diane also brought in her cushion panel from last week's workshop, to show Jan her progress.

MargaretW worked on two drawstring bags 

and showed her matching scissor keeper.

Although Jill's friend Sharon has returned to the UK, before she went she managed to complete the quilt top for the Mystery project and sent me a photo.  We're looking forward to seeing it layered up and quilted next Sharon!

Finally this week, elsewhere in the hall, members of the Diversity Group were getting messy and enjoying their "play-day", learning techniques with transfer paints, dyes and crayons.  

Helen getting set up to start the "play"  session.  

See you again next week, happy stitching! Rachel