Almost the end of term........

With only one more "official" meeting till the Group's summer break, preparations are ongoing for our exhibition in October.  While many members are making small items for Tombola prizes, others are finishing off work which they intend to exhibit.
Although we "officially" break up for a couple of the hottest months of the year here, there will be a group of members who have chosen to continue meeting on Tuesdays and additionally, Pam will be leading a further group of members in making small items and gifts for donating to charity, who will meet on Wednesdays beginning July 9.
Jan and Kath went round the group at this week's meeting asking for volunteers for various tasks to do with the exhibition, and they were pleased with the good response they received from members present.  Some husbands were volunteered too, to help hang the exhibits on the day and prepare the hall a couple of weeks before hand.

Asking for volunteers from Shirley, Sandy and Eleanor

Reviewing the list of jobs to be done

Despite the heat there are thoughts of the end of the year and many more seasonal hangings are being produced.

Pam tried out the automatic embroidery attachment at last on her new machine and produced this jolly little snowman  gift tag which was stitched out in-the-hoop.

While Ann continues the theme with seasonal wall hangings

Ann with her work in progress above and below

Pam has been teaching Gladys and Margaret how to make the table runners that have been popular with two or three other members, Margaret is also keeping with the seasonal theme.

Pam with Gladys

Margaret's table runner

Kath above, and Gwen below, are making items for the show and tombola,

and Yvonne, who still can't find her pattern detailing how she designed her quilt project, plows through another of it's components.  Judging by the huge pile of cut fabric and wadding she showed us today, she has plenty of time to come across it!

Pam is trying to get to grips with some tiny Japanese folded bags, but getting frustrated with poorly translated instructions.  Pam did manage to get one finished by the end of the session, but wants to iron out the construction wrinkles before I photograph it!

One or two members have been finishing off projects, there is another lovely example of  a Row-by-Row project, this one from Chris.

Christine has been working on this quilt on and off in between other projects for two years, and decided she really must finish it in time for the exhibition.

Christine has also made a start on a new asymmetrical quilt project, which she has been asked to teach, and intends leading a class once the exhibition is over. If you are interested in working along with Christine, please contact her.  The photo below shows the top section, giving you a taster of the project which has a country style to it with it's over-sized and simplified tree and flowers.  I look forward to seeing the next section Christine.

Chris is also finishing off projects started  a while ago.  The project below is from the Mystery quilt workshop.  Chris didn't like the effect of the border on the original project so she's removed that and now plans to add an applique dove to the centre medallion, before layering up the quilt and adding quilting to it, another quilt to be ready for the exhibition.

Chris is also working on a small kit project she found in the US when visiting her daughter, it reads Dogs have Owners, Cats have Staff!

HelenH worked at her cross stitch project, while HelenP who goes back to the UK for a couple of months continued with her mini log cabin project.

Sue is getting on well with her silk ribbon picture, helped by Elle, while Jacqueline's bobbin lace bookmark is growing in length

And a little later in the morning, I spotted Elle at Marilyn's cushion, adding a few stitches under Marilyn's guidance, but Elle was making it look very easy so I wonder if she's done this before.

Behind the scenes, Frank and I have been working on the hanging display for the exhibition, and I can say it's a tight squeeze to get everything in our new venue!  I'm meeting with Kath and Jan on Monday to discuss what we have so far, then it will be over to them to arrange where everything else will be displayed, on tables  or draped over various  props.  We have also made a flyer which will be available next week for anyone wishing to sell raffle tickets to friends and family.  Hopefully that helps explain why I am late with this week's blog again!

In case  you don't already know, you can get the blog automatically into your email inbox as soon I post it, by subscribing at the top right hand side of this page.  

Don't forget to pop over to our website after the weekend to see members' Gallery updates.  Pam and Ann have new table runners in their galleries, along with a small quilt for Pam, and Helen Hulm has a gallery page for her Row-by-Row project.  There will also be a new video from award winning quilter Sharon Schamber.  Sharon gives step by step detailed explanation on how to add curved binding to a quilt and the video is well worth a watch.

I think we have caught up again, so until next week thanks for stopping by.  Rachel

Smaller meeting this week......

A much smaller than usual group met this week with some members still entertaining visitors or away themselves.  We had a general discussion about our autumn exhibition, with most members agreeing to display some of their recent work.  Plans are moving ahead organizing the actual display and Jan and Kath are working on the "volunteer rota", allocating various responsibilities to group members.  Rozanne collected the raffle quilt and says she will probably have the hand quilting done in a couple of weeks.  After that we can retake photos of the quilt along with other draw prizes and start work on the flyers so that  members can begin selling raffle tickets which this year will be priced at €2.50 for a strip of 5 tickets.    The prizes this year include two patchwork quilts, made by group members, a king size crochet blanket donated to the group part finished and completed by a member of the group, two woven crochet blankets made and donated by group members along with various smaller prizes, some also made and donated by group members.
Part of the exhibition will feature quilts made during two workshops held in the past two years, one being the Row-by-Row quilts made in Christine Speller's workshop, more details of which can be seen HERE .  This week Cath brought her completed quilt in to show us.

Cath enjoyed the hand embellishing on her quilt so much, it took longer than she expected to finish as she kept adding more and more as she went on, like the forest of hearts hanging between the trees seen below.

Pam is still in Christmas mode and practiced free motion quilting on her new sewing machine on this little seasonal wall hanging

I didn't ask Marilyn what project she is working on, but this bobbin lace always looks so complicated.  It amazes me that she can concentrate and get the design right with so much going on around her each week.  I know I couldn't!

Elle has been busy hand quilting her batik applique blocks, and is confident she will finish this quilt ready to show it at the exhibition. 

Gladys and Margaret take time for  break while working on their current projects

and Elizabeth and Simone catch up while knitting

We have seen topsy-turvy dolls from other group members in knitting yarn, but Eleanor made this doll for her daughter many years ago from fabric.  Eleanor says it was so well loved and played with it's now quite fragile and in need of repair.  Eleanor intends deconstructing it all, giving it a good wash and then if necessary will replace worn parts before reconstructing it again.  It will certainly last many more years after this repair I would think.

The happy doll above, and her sad counterpart below

Elle is seen here working on her Vintage Tiles Revisited quilt panels.  A couple of posts ago I mentioned Kath was also working on this quilt, but her project has come to a halt as she searches out additional fabric of which she has run short.

Jacqueline has almost completed her bobbin lace bookmark, under Marilyn's guidance and help

Sue is making progress with the silk ribbon picture which she began at a workshop held by Elle a few months ago.

Carol is in the process of making her version of a bargello-style quilt with sashing strips separating the columns of colours, and Pam is beginning another quilting project using cotton patchwork fabrics and denim, even though she said she wouldn't make another denim quilt after making one some time ago for her son in law.  Obviously Pam has forgotten what she said before about how hard it was to work with denim!

Yvonne and Helen are working on their hand stitched projects, they look really hard at work here, but this is unusual, as there is usually more chatting than stitching at their table!  Below, Gwen is quietly concentrating on her latest knitting project.

That's about it this week, but if you head over to our website, you will be able to see the latest members' gallery updates for Ann showing a drawstring bag made for her friends daughter, some machine embroidery from Tricia, and some of the journal quilts I have made as part of an online workshop with Ineke Berlyn.  There should be at least five little quilts here, but I am woefully behind with only three made so far.  The intention is to make an A4-sized quilt for each month, beginning last January, and as I'm so far behind I am picking the ones I consider easiest to do first and not working in order like Yvonne who is up to date with hers and is no doubt working on June's quilt as I write!  

Thanks for stopping by, see you next time, Rachel

More completed projects......

It seems that despite having to cancel the meeting the previous week, group members have still found time to complete more projects and at this week's meeting there was a diverse display of work. 

 Linda has made this lovely dress for her new grand-daughter and was well on the way to finishing another one during this week's session.  Linda also showed us this delightful knitted all-in-one outfit, made from gorgeously soft yarn,  it will certainly keep it's occupant lovely and snug on cold outings.

Helen Hulme remembered at last to bring in her completed Row-by-Row project, only a couple more to be finished now, no pressure  girls!!

Ann here enjoying a chat with Helen, and showed us her finished table runner,

and "Quirky" wall hanging, which is made up of block designs from her Row-by-Row quilt.

Christine is working to a Christmas theme at the moment, making several small hangings seen below, a couple finished and others works in progress

Group member Carol brought her sister in to meet us this week, and while she's been on holiday has co-opted her into knitting a teddy for a prize in the Tombola at our exhibition.  I wonder if she managed to finish it before going back to Scotland. 

Eloise made this her last visit for  few weeks, she is off to the UK for a family visit and Vanessa joined us again after a few busy weeks with visitors, preventing her from coming to meetings.

Marilyn's deadline for finishing her quilt looms, but she's confident the target will be met.

Gladys is making progress with her quilt blocks, while Margaret chats to Elsje, and Shirley rejoins us after her month in the UK.

It was good to see Sandy back with us, here seen working on a crochet blanket she is donating as a prize in our exhibition raffle 

Cath spent the morning making this lovely table runner, I love the colour combination Cath.

Louise is back with us again after having family out to visit, and expressed a desire to learn how to free-motion machine quilt, so next week will be coming to the meeting armed with fabric and her machine for a lesson.  Louise has been practicing at home but would like some extra hints and tips to help her along the way.

Chris has quilted the sections of her Row-by-Row quilt, the next stage is joining these sections, then finally adding the binding.  I'm looking forward to seeing the finished quilt.

Elsje says the wool from Morocco which she is using for the knitted jacket she is working on is proving to be quite difficult to work with.  It seems many of the processes in making regular commercial yarn  have been left out and the wool is quite "un-processed" and thick.  Added to which the pattern Elsje is using calls for much finer yarn and needles, so she is having to make many adjustments as she progresses.  Not a simple project!

Helen is having  a few minutes break from her gold-work embroidery, and below Jacqueline looks well after returning from her Caribbean holiday where she says she had great fun.

Jacqueline has almost finished the bookmark she has been working on with help from Marilyn.

I think that's us caught up.  I have a valid reason for being late with this week's update for once!   I was at our sister group Diversity's meeting on Wednesday, needed Thursday to recover from the two meetings and did this by working on a small whole-cloth project, which I'm using to practice my quilting technique, and once I got started I didn't want to stop.  Although I didn't do this on Tuesday, here is a quick peak at a part of it.

Thanks for stopping by, do pop over to our website to have a look at the latest gallery updates and  "Stitching Corner" features Linda this week.  See you next time, Rachel

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