Journal Quilts - theme Fruit & Vegetables.

Last month our Modern & Art quilt group continued with improv piecing by exploring log cabin and courthouse steps construction techniques. 

We chose a fruit or vegetable photograph and isolated colours which could be used for our journal quilts. Various methods of transferring a design of the fruit or veg to the quilt were also explored from using applique techniques and quilting patterns. 

These are our journal quilts from February.

 Assorted Gourds by Ann Edwards

Improv pieced log cabin blocks,  quilting and fabric colouring using inktense inspired by a photo taken at the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Volcano Peppers by Jon Massey

Improv pieced log cabin blocks. Colours and applique inspired by peppers.

Lost Gardens Triptych by Kim Fitzgerald

 Improve pieced log cabin blocks. Design colours inspired by a photo taken at the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Heritage Tomatoes by Sue Ives 

Colours inspired by heritage tomato varieties. Improv pieced log cabin blocks. Quilting pattern taken from a slice of a tomato.

Jamaican Breakfast by Wendy Harkness

Improv pieced log cabin blocks. Bread fruit and Ackee fruit applique design.

Ackee by Wendy Harkness

 Improv pieced log cabin blocks. Quilting pattern of ackee fruit.

Bev Mayo - The Pumpkin Patch

Improv pieced log cabin blocks and applique design of pumpkins

You can follow our progress and see more of our journal quilts on Pinterest

Happy Quilting

Bev

Contrasts

If you are in Oundle this weekend you should call in to the Yarrow Gallery to see the wonderful exhibition by the All Threaded Together textile artist group.

I called in yesterday and was blown away by the diversity of techniques, superb craftsmanship and inspirational textiles on display.

Here are a few to whet the appetite.

Sarah Showers - Fishing for Supper

Gill Austen-Smith - Shot of Lime

June Jessop - Silver Birch

June Jessop - Branches

Sarah Showers - Irises

Sabi Westoby - Rising Rooks

Diana Sharvill - Countless White Crosses

This exhibition is certainly worth a visit and I am so pleased that the All Threaded Together group chose to exhibit their beautiful textiles in this lovely gallery. 

I look forward to seeing more of their work in the future.

Happy Quilting

Bev

Snow Dyeing Update

This week I retrieved the bags of fabric from the garden where they had been since the snow storm. 

Having left them for a week I was fully expecting them to be very plain. However as the snow melted, the dyes mixed and produced some wonderful patterns.

Cobalt blue and marine violet.

lemon yellow and rust orange.

Cobalt blue and turquoise

Carmine red and marine violet.

The weather forecast for this weekend is possibly for more snow. If there is a good snowfall I may be found in the garden again, experimenting with some more colours.

Happy quilting

Bev

Journal Quilts, theme - Landscape

This year has seen the start of a few new projects.
 One being the Modern and Art Quilt group at Tudor Rose Patchwork. Each month we are exploring different techniques and producing a journal quilt. I mentioned this first in my New Year post. 

These are some of the journal quilts from the first session where we explored abstracting a landscape picture, free cutting and improv piecing.

Jon Massey - Colours of the Continent

Sue Ives - Fountain in snow

Gaye Capper - Pompeii

Ann Edwards - 

Kim Fitzgerald - Venice

Paula Tidman - Purple Heather on the Yorkshire Moors

Wendy Harkness - The Red House

 Wendy Harkness - Winter at Wood Farm

 You can keep up with our progress on Pinterest

Happy Quilting
Bev

Olympia Knitting and Stitching show

Today I had the privilege to help steward the Quilters Guild exhibition at the Spring Knitting and Stitching show at Olympia, London. 

  These are a few of the wonderful quilts from the exhibition commemorating WW1

Jacqui Coterill - Harbledown Great War Centenary Quilt

This wonderful quilt has been created from squares cut from military uniforms, interspersed with squares embroidered with the names of the men from Harbledown who fell during the Great War. The quilt has been embellished with  cap badges and buttons, medal ribbons and personal keepsakes such as silk handkerchiefs.

Irene MacWilliam - Shot at Dawn

Senga Bain - Returning Home

Judith Dexter - One Soldiers Story

and a wonderful group exhibition of journal quilts.

It was inspiring to see these beautiful quilts and to meet visitors to the exhibition and share their stories.

Bev 

Snow Business

The Beast from the East storm has brought snow and chaos to the country but after a walk I decided to make the most of the bad weather and experiment with snow dyeing. 

I soaked my fabric in a soda and salt solution, gave it a quick wring and crumpled into a plastic bag, then sprinkled procion dyes on the top. They will now stay in the garden until the snow thaws and I can see what effects have been produced. 

My dye combinations are 

Cobalt blue and marine violet.

Carmine red and marine violet.

Cobalt blue and turquoise

and lemon yellow and rust orange.

It will be exciting to see how they turn out.

The weather provided the excuse for several days of studio time and I used it to carry on with the New York Beauty blocks. These are developing over the year and I provide two pattern each month to the class at Tudor Rose Patchwork

Cherry made a lovely display of her New York Beauty blocks at the class this week. 

And Chris finished a cushion using a variation of Manx patchwork.

So now it is back to the studio to take more advantage of the Snow Time.

Happy Quilting

Bev