Tricia showed us a delicate embroidered rose which has been made using organza and water soluble film. The design is stitched out "in-the-hoop" on her sewing machine then she carefully cuts around all the individual petal parts, before gently rinsing in water to remove the soluble film. Leaving a tiny residual amount of the film in the fabric means that when it's dry the petals can be molded into shape giving a very realistic shaped flower. Tricia also showed us a spectacle case with embroidered detail, this too was stitched "in-the-hoop". Tricia's sewing machine has an embroidery attachment and is linked to a computer where designs are stored and can be modified if desired and then "sent" to the machine for stitching out onto hooped fabric.
Marilyn spent the session working on two more of the embroidered flower panels for a quilt she is making.
Elle is working on two quilts at the same time, both include stylized flower motifs. Elle is working the quilt below from a book by Sharon Pederson - The Rose of Sharon Block Book, and is hand appliqueing all the blocks using the needle-turn technique.
The second quilt Elle is working on is a design by Lecien and is called Vintage Tiles Revisited. Elle is using lovely batik fabrics for both projects, but using different background fabrics for the two quilts.
When Kath saw a couple of Elle's appliqued blocks a few weeks ago, she decided she would like to make the same project too. Kath is tackling hers differently, in that she is working the applique motifs by machine, using the fused raw-edge method and working machine blanket stitch around the motifs to anchor them to the background.
On a more traditional theme, Jenny is parceling up the large quilt which a former neighbour of hers, commissioned Jenny to finish, and sending it off to Holland where Gerda now lives. Jenny has made an embroidered label for the back of the work, detailing where and who made the quilt.
Pam is stitching her way through "works-in-progress", and this week showed us her scrappy quilt finished along with two table runners.
The back of Pam's quilt using up leftover fabric from the quilt top
Pam has sparked interest in these table runners and now Ann and Christine are making one too.
On her visits to Spain and group meetings over the last couple of years, Charlotte has been meticulously hand stitching miniature log cabin blocks. These were for the border around a central set of log cabin blocks she put together by machine at home on the Isle of Man. Charlotte brought the quilt with her his week to show us the completed project. Charlotte has used many of the fabric leftovers from making the quilt top, for the backing.
Tricia is at the quilting stage on her Japanese-themed wall hanging above, and spent the session layering up the top with wadding and backing and then laboriously tacking stabilizing lines of tacking over the work before she begins free-motion quilting the piece.
The spectacle case made by Tricia "in-the-hoop" on her sewing machine
Above Carol is admiring Chris' Row-by-Row project which is now at the quilting stage, and was intrigued with how the "seminole" row was made. and below, Cath is adding the binding to her Row-by-Row quilt, both quilts which I hope will feature here in a week or two. No pressure ladies!!! Cath has been adding lots of hand embroidered detail to her quilt, and says it's been a fun project to work on. I understand teacher Christine has another project up her sleeve for the autumn, but the design and technique is a secret at the moment! I look forward to seeing what it will be, as I am sure are her "students".
Above, Sheila has started another baby jacket which she is knitting for charity, and Gladys works on her quilt blocks, while below, Margaret begins another square for her father's blanket
Ann has finished the drawstring bag she started recently, and she is giving it to her daughter's friend She says it just needs two tassels adding before it is sent off.
Millie popped in again for a knit and natter with Margaret and Charlotte, while Eloise below, is trying to remember the details of how she intended to construct a quilt she designed and began some time ago!
It seems there is a trend to work with huge balls of yarn lately. Elsje is working with Pure wool from Morocco and is adapting a pattern to use this yarn
That's all the news this week. Be sure to check out the Group Website to see the latest member gallery updates.
Before I close, on behalf of the Group, I must take this opportunity to thank Cath who has been tirelessly working behind the scenes sending off information and photos to various magazines and newspapers both here and in the UK to advertise our forthcoming exhibition in October. We hope these will generate lots of interest and bring visitors to La Viñuela in the Autumn. Do please spread the word amongst friends and neighbours, the dates are 11 and 12 October 2014, and a banner will appear on the website with this information after the coming weekend's Sew&Sews update.
Thanks for stopping by and reading about what our busy members have been up to, hope to see you again next week. Rachel
Hi Rachel, Your group does wonderful work, but I am especially taken with the Vintage Tiles Revisited quilt blocks. I am partial though, as I designed the quilt. I'm looking forward to seeing more photos. Dorothy
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