It never fails to amaze me how I find myself meeting up with quilters from around the world. Valerie, second from the left, and I attend the Dear Jane retreats in Shipshewana, Indiana. She was working during the show as a French/English interpreter and she arranged a meeting in the foyer of my hotel of many quilters whom I have met through the Reproduction Fabrics community list. It was great to put some faces to names from Australia, Norway and Holland.
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| From left to right - Randi, Valerie, Bev Bannard, Wil, Jette, Linda Collins and me! |
A little bit of learning...
As well as Brigitte's workshop, I also signed up for Linda's workshop on making scrappy quilts, which meant I would have to use a sewing machine and piece(!) and, what's more, piece without having a drawn pencil line on the fabric to guide my 1/4" seam along! This was scary stuff, especially as the blocks were no larger than 4". I just cannot piece without a "safety net", and even my French co-participants were nervous of the no pencil line rule - it must be a European thing!
Hey, my blocks went together without any foundation paper, pencil lines or pins and I have points that match and a 1/4" salvedge all round!!! The secret may lie in the fact that I may need to use a finer needle in my sewing machine, but also I finally learnt how to piece using the chaining method, which I already part do, but not to hold all the sections together. I need more practice!
A little bit of shopping...
It was all far too tempting. I had to hold back because I would have to pull whatever I bought through the Paris Metro system and London Underground - this makes you think twice, but then there are always taxis!
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| Brigitte and Linda's books |
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| Some more of my favourites - Dutch chintz from Den Haan & Wagenmakers |
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From La Petite Echelle in Tours
I loved the toile on the right and then I added three bundles of fat 1/8ths
I have some ideas, just need the time to act on them! |
I did buy some more bits and pieces, including shock, horrow some Kaffe Fassett fabrics - I just liked the colours... and a kit to make a small bag from Brigitte Giblin, but first I have to make "hundreds" of 1/2" hexagons - a train commute project!
A little bit of sight-seeing...
As a child, my family used to have summer camping trips to Brittany, so I have been to
Nantes a few times. It was strange to see at the railway station, trains going to Royan, St. Nazaire, La Baule and Le Croisic so it all brought back many happy memories for me, especially Le Croisic and the harbour there. But I really do not remember much about Nantes - maybe it was a town we passed through en route...
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| The canal basin behind the convention centre |
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| The Chateau of the Dukes of Brittany |
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| It is a moated chateau |
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| The old biscuit factory which made Beurre biscuits - now I remember munching my way through these! |
and a few more quilts...
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| Brigitte Giblin's interpretation of Auntie Green's quilt - the pattern is in her new book |
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| Quilts of Margaret Bounami |
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| Inside Margaret Bounami's petite maison |
Some blocks from one of Kathy Doughty's quilts...
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I have three of these fabrics in the above block in my stash.
Would I have ever thought of combining them? No.
I need to be challenging myself more |
Some wall hangings from the exhibit by the French Quilting Association
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A miniature houses quilt
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Thanks for stopping by - have a good weekend!
What a wonderful trip, Fiona! Your pictures are beautiful. I love the fabrics you bought and I could really get inspired by those books. If I had a home the size of that chateau (and someone to do the housework for me and someone else to take care of the grounds) I could have a really nice sewing space as well as one for painting. I hope the weather was as nice as it looks.
ReplyDeleteLucky you going to Nantes to the quilt exhibition. Lucky you with all those wonderful fabrics to drool over and lucky you for having the books as well to drool over. I have serious envy issues to deal with now! Debbie in Newcastle, Australia
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