Dirty Rainbow...

I've got an idea for a quilt (just one? Well, no, actually I have about twelve ideas spinning around in my head at any one time!) This is one that has been bubbling away for a while, all about negative space - one of the modern quilt design key elements. I can see the design, but I couldn't see the colours until HelenH started putting together a dirty rainbow pack of Oakshott fabrics:

Isn't it delicious! I shall put this together with some cream/beige and show you some more pictures later in the week.

Triumphant Return

Well we have returned from the Festival of Quilts; in triumph in the case of HH, with her second "Judge's Choice" award in two years with this exquisite silk tree miniature called "Another Fair Copse". I watched Helen construct and quilt this piece while I was teaching a class on foundation paper piecing at her workshop and, apart from the breeze moving the tiny silk strips about at inopportune moments, it was all made in an amazingly short period of time.

As you can see the award is almost as big as the quilt!

My miniature had the distinction of being smaller than just one of the blocks on the "Ebb Tide" quilt that I had entered into the Modern category. It finished at under 8 inches square and includes 81 individual blocks! But then I am known for being a bit o.t.t. about miniatures.

I made this design  originally as a 3 foot square wall hanging (much bigger blocks) for Michael Oakshott to show off his new range Longshott cottons. Click on the photo below to go to the Oakshot Fabrics website

Almost There!

Well, we are nearly ready to go to the Festival of Quilts 2018: sleepless nights, frantic finishing of quilts, preparing free patterns, chasing tickets, arranging rotas, and sorting out of private lives (yes, we do actually have lives outside Festival, although at the moment it is difficult to remember that) are almost done. Today we have hung up the last of our display quilts to drop its creases before packing.

This little beauty is called RATTLE and is made in OAKSHOTT's fabulous cottons with a large dash of batik. Come and see us on the Modern Quilt Group's desk of the Quilters' Guild stand right by the front doors at the NEC where we will be giving away free patterns and postcards and talk, talk, talking to everyone about Modern Quilting.

Now all I have to do is combat that 3am sudden wakefulness "what have I forgotten to pack?" and get on the road (very early in the am) to go and set up. At least we shouldn't have last year's challenges with the weather; desperation to get unloaded undercover before all the quilts got wet!

Oakshott Galore!

That lovely Michael Oakshott has been at it again. Every now and then he has a clearout and sends us a box or two of oddments - it's like being a kid at Christmas!

Being swamped by a veritable mountain of fabric is a little daunting, but by sorting into colour heaps we managed to reduce chaos to a rather delicious order. This lot is destined for student packs, samples for Michael and generally drooling over.