Two new members.......

I'll start this week by wishing a warm welcome to two new members who joined us this week, Vanessa and Louise.  Both have a background in stitching over the years and enjoyed meeting like minded ladies.  I think they were both surprised at the diversity of techniques and the talent displayed by existing members, and both Louise and Vanessa were  fired up with enthusiasm to try out new projects.  Indeed I heard Vanessa talking about buying a new sewing machine!
It was good to see HelenB back as well, with her lovely gold-work embroidery

and HelenP too, who spent the day filing her samples from recent Diversity "play-days".  Very organised Helen!

Although Jan hasn't quite finished her quilt for  her latest grandson George, she brought it along to be photographed before it wings it's way off to it's new owner.  The quilt is based around the children's  story book character "Gruffalo, who sits in the centre of the quilt, surrounded by his friends.  

a realistic looking Gruffalo!

Jan also brought in her Mystery Quilt, now looking like a quilt again.  Jan used directional fabrics in one of the borders, which did not work in the original layout.  This was a mistake on my part because when I designed the quilt for the project  unfortunately I hadn't thought about directional fabrics and their importance.  Lesson learned now though!!!  Others who took part in the workshop managed to work around their fabrics, but Jan's just wouldn't comply!  So unbeknown to me, she took the quilt apart and intended making table runners from it, and when she told me I was disappointed for her and she says the look on my face prompted her to rethink the idea.  Now a few weeks after leaving it aside for awhile, she has put it back together again using a different border style, and intends finishing it off.  It's worth it Jan, you put a lot of work into it and it will look super when you have finished it!

New member Louise, brought in a crochet blanket she has been working on, and MargaretW showed us a little sunbonnet she has made for her granddaughter from a free pattern she found in the Daily Mail recently.  Margaret added little blue stars in the hat to complement the yarns in the bonnet brim.

When there are no workshops running, those ladies that bring in their sewing machines to work with appear to have adopted one end of the hall, and this week it was a hive of activity.  Jill worked on a bargello project after missing Christine's workshop recently.  Carol has started another drunkards path quilt, this time for her grandaughter, in stunning oranges, fiery reds and black.   Pam, who must stitch in her sleep the amount of work she produces, brought a completed quilted bargello wall hanging to show us, and some pillow cases she is working on, two of which are adaptations of the Owl  Workshop she attended  recently and are very pretty,

and ChristineSp continued working on her double wedding ring project from a workshop she recently attended taught by Jenny.

Before coming to the meeting this week, Jan and Kath called in our old meeting hall to collect odds and ends left behind in storage.  They came back with various boxes and bags, amongst which were dozens of magazines we have collected over the years, and bags of off-cuts of fabrics left over from members' projects.  It couldn't all be kept so many members were happy to take magazines home to scour for new project ideas and others found "just the right bit" of fabric for future work.  

Helen and Carole sorted through the magazines, and

Gwen and Tricia  sorted through a jar of odds and ends of threads and fibres from the old hall, while MargaretW continued quilting her Hungry Caterpillar quilt,

and Sandy and Rozanne chatted over their knitting

Next week, HelenP will be stepping in here for me again, as I am away in the UK for two or three weeks visiting family, so I will look forward to catching up with you all then.  Have  a good week.

                                                                                                                       Rachel