More from Pour L'Amour du Fil...

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.

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!

Brigitte and Linda's books

Some more of my favourites - Dutch chintz from Den Haan & Wagenmakers

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...

The canal basin behind the convention centre

The Chateau of the Dukes of Brittany

It is a moated chateau

The old biscuit factory which made Beurre biscuits - now I remember munching my way through these!

and a few more quilts...

Brigitte Giblin's interpretation of Auntie Green's quilt - the pattern is in her new book

Quilts of Margaret Bounami

Inside Margaret Bounami's petite maison

Some blocks from one of Kathy Doughty's quilts...

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

A miniature houses quilt

Thanks for stopping by - have a good weekend!



 

I'm baaack....!

Oh my goodness it's now May! Time is flying far, far too fast...

Work has dominated my life lately, but in between all the marking and writing lectures plus prepping for a new cohort of students, I was able to squeeze in a visit to Nantes in France for the annual "Pour l'amour du fil" show. 
I do not know really why I haven't been before considering I did the journey by just three trains. The first from home to London, St. Pancras and then...

London St Pancras

to Gare de Nantes

via Paris, Gare de Nord

and stand outside the show... in less than 6 hours?

What's more I was even able to book a hotel room right by the entrance to the show. This is the view from my bedroom window!

Pour l'amour du fil
When I heard that Linda Koenig and Brigitte Giblin were going to be at the show promoting their new books and teaching workshops I decided that I just could not pass up the opportunity of "popping across" the Channel to have some "me" time especially as I also had no teaching during the days of the show. 

Inside the merchant's mall

The show is a little different from many in that whilst there is a merchant's mall, the displays were made up of "petite maisons" of quilts, knitting etc, of the designers promoting their new books, all published by Quiltmania - Linda Koenig, Reiko Kato, Brigitte Giblin, Kathi Campbell, Maggie Bonanomi and Kathy Doughty with each also running associated workshops. Each of the petite maisons were beautifully arranged with decor to reflect each of the designer's quilts, etc.

There was also a small display of quilted wall hangings from the French Quilt Association which were judged and another display of small quilts from the Nantes Quilt guild.

Linda Koenig's "petite maison"
I had met Linda during my trip to the USA last November through Theresa one of my friends who belongs to the same quilt group. Linda was invited to write a book for Quiltmania on making scrap quilts and she was there to promote her book and run a workshop on Scrappy Quilts.

Linda Koenig (seated)

Some of Linda's quilts which feature in her new book

Some more quilts

I love the colours in this quilt

Brigitte Giblin's "petite maison"
Brigitte's book is themed around her distinctive interpretation of antique quilts. I first met her when I was living in Australia when I did a workshop with her through my quilt guild.

Brigitte Giblin

Hexagon's are making a comeback!

I love this quilt another to add to my "to do" list

More hexagons - where did Brigitte get the giraffe fabric in the centre block?

I am amazed at how popular English paper piecing is becoming again. I taught myself to piece using this technique some 40 years ago and there are several patterns in Brigitte's new book which use the hexagon in different ways - but it's her use of colour and prints that I find so stimulating - we have such earthy, muddy colours in Europe, unlike the bright, sunny colours of Australia. I am certain it has to do with sunlight - even as I sit here writing my blog - the sky is the same leaden colour it has been for most of the past week.

Under Brigitte's tutorage I started a new applique project and have tried to move away from my usual leaden fabrics and mix it up a bit although I have to admit some of the fabrics included in her kit scared me, so I've made some substitutes. Pictures to follow when I've stitched some fabric down!


More stories and pictures from the show to come.


Thanks for stopping by!

Finish off February...?? some goodbyes and, a wonderful surprise...

Where on earth did February go... and half of March?? One minute it was here and the next gone. Life, or rather work, has been pretty busy - and this month was supposed to be a "down" time for me, so I can catch up!

I said good-bye to another cohort of students.

The class of F'09 Occupational Therapy students

They all look pretty happy to have survived the last three years, and, whilst there were some highs and lows, they were a very good bunch with three 1sts and a very high number of 2:1's, so they are high achievers and I look forward to hearing their progress in the years to come.

Incomplete blocks roll call
Well, not many of my blocks have been completed. My students often groan when I talk about setting SMART objectives for themselves and with their clients, maybe I should have taken a leaf out of my own book, just how SMART was I? Achievable? Realistic within the timeframe? Hmmm..., maybe I was being just a little too ambitious. But, over the last three weeks, I have finished three more blocks... and started a new quilt!

I have also been working on one of the Beyond the Cherry Tree blocks and a Baltimore Album block, so I am going to continue the theme to the end of March but, at this rate, I will most probably still be trying to get the roll call down well into April!

My roll call now stands at:-
1 Maltaville Quilt block
3 Beyond the Cherry Tree blocks
2 Everything old is new again blocks
3 DAR Baltimore Album blocks
2 Sundial blocks

So here are the finished Maltaville Blocks...

Block A2

Block E3

This block was signed by Mrs Lucy Waterbury. She was the wife of a woollen manufacturer living in Malta Hills.

Block F4

This block came with me on my trip around the USA, but it just didn't get started. I did the first leaf over Christmas, but soon got bored with it - only one fabric, so this block tried my patience!

A surprise...!
I have been collecting the patterns for the Just Takes 2 project which Brenda Papadakis and Gay Bomer have been collaborating on since the start of the year. I am not though a keen fan of red and white quilts, but instead I had plans to do the project in blue and white.

Look what the postman brought to my door three weeks ago?

My wonderful friend Brenda sent me some of her blue fabric all the way from Texas. I am so overwhelmed and sooo lucky to have such a wonderful and generous friend!  Its a lovely blue background with a light blue dot, so it is not too harsh on the eye.

So, I have made a start on this quilt but this project is going to be quite challenging for me. As many of my friends know only too well... I loathe piecing! It never goes right for me and so I get frustrated and fed up. I have tried and tried to get to grips with piecing, but over the years my dismal attempts have resulted in a number of pieced UFO's which have been stuffed into various bags and hidden in drawers and cupboards upstairs in my back bedroom, ne'er to be seen again!

Whilst I had promised myself that I would not start anything new until after I finished my  block roll call, what with all of this wonderful fabric well... I just had to dabble and visited my LQS and bought some white background - Markower Spectrum. It is a good white but not too stark so that the light blue spots blend in well. 

And... ta dah! I have finished my first block - yes, I know it is applique, but as soon as I can clear a space on my dining-room table(!) I'll set up my sewing machine and try to work slowly and pin well whilst piecing my first block!!

Block 6

I have just noticed that the bottom right heart needs some tidying up, so I'll get that done and then it is finished!

Have a good stitching week!

Happy Waitangi Day and a Diamond Anniversary

Firstly, Happy Waitangi Day to all New Zealanders, my adopted country where I spent seven years and still have so very many happy memories - Kia ora!

flags.co.nz

and secondly, today is the diamond anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. There will be major celebrations throughout the UK and Commonwealth in June with street parties and the lighting of beacons amongst other things - it's going to be a busy summer what with the Olympics and Paralympics as well!

A Challenge for February!

I am going to theme this month - "Finish off February"!

Hanging from the armrest of my chair is a large book bag in which I keep all my current projects - applique blocks I am working on - in their respective plastic bags or zipper pouch, so that when I'm watching the television I can just dip my hand in and pull out a project. Well, I was having a clear up last Saturday morning(!) putting projects in the bag when I just couldn't squeeze any more in, so I resolved that night that I have to clear the book bag of all my ongoing projects by the end of February, before I start anymore blocks hence... "Finish off February"

The role call:-
4 Maltaville blocks
4 Beyond the Cherry Tree blocks
2 Everything old is new again blocks
3 DAR Baltimore Album blocks
2 Sundial blocks

They are all in their various stages of completion or in some cases at the start... so there's my challenge. The reward? An empty book bag and the start of some new blocks.

Well, it has had some effect because here are the first two completed blocks!

Beyond the Cherry Trees
Would you believe that all I had to complete on this block were the little circles in the centre of each flower and then press it? What on earth was I waiting for??

Maltaville Album Quilt

This block has been living in my bag, on and off, since last August! It's been to Birmingham and back, across the Atlantic and back, up the east coast of the USA and has made countless trips to and from work! I don't know what it was about this block, I just couldn't summons up the interest in it. Maybe it was all those indentations on the leaves or my prevarications as to which fabric to use for the centre flower, but now it is finished... yeah!

Block C8

Onwards and upwards... hopefully with this weekend's predicted snow, I'll be able to get even more done!

Maltaville quilt blocks

I have had very little time to stitch recently, so only a short entry. These three blocks from the Maltaville Album Quilt were finished over Christmas and New Year and I finally pressed them last night.

Block E6

Block A6

Block E7

Each of the blocks in the quilt were signed, but unfortunately, my camera was not particularly good at the time I saw the quilt in the Smithsonian, but Block E6 is signed Maria Box and Block E7 Charity E Lewis. I've just noticed that I didn't embroider the bird's red beak onto Block E7 - oh well, hey ho!

Have a good stitching week.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wishing you all the happiest, healthiest and prosperous

New Year!