This week I had a sobering experience and I interpret it as a wake-up call. The daughter of a quilting friend who died 3 years ago contacted me. Audrey used to come to my home-based classes in the early days and was with me for many years. She was a great and enthusiastic fan of my work and was a capable and prolific needlewoman. She attempted most of the techniques that I demonstrated and went on to share them with her own quilting groups. She also helped with samples for some of my early books. Now that her husband is in a nursing home, the time has come for the family to clear out the house prior to selling it, and this is why I was contacted. The family have kept what was to be used and treasured and below is the ‘stuff’ that remains, after I have sorted and bagged it! I have agreed to try and sell it at the groups I attend to raise money for the Quilters’ Guild of the BI in Audrey’s memory.
Audrey’s ‘stuff’
Whilst sorting through her ‘stuff’, it quickly became evident that there was so much of myself passing before my eyes. There were folders of my workshop notes, some of my early patterns and trial samples that Audrey had made and all I could think about was that this was what my own daughters would have to face at some (hopefully very, very distant) future date. It has been quite an experience and it has made me determined to organise and catalogue what is important to me as ‘Dilys the quilt’. And I am equally determined to discard and streamline my own quilting paraphernalia. I think it may help to concentrate my mind and energy on what I really want to create.
Liberated Appliqué: I have managed to complete the fused appliqué sample that I demonstrated last week.
Liberated appliqué
I quilted along the cut lines with a herringbone stitch and doodled a flower design overlapping the centre square with free-motion machine stitching.
Quilting design
I don’t really think that it would be a good technique for making quilts that are used and laundered. But for spontaneous and speedy wall quilt construction, it is liberating as the title implies. The only downside is that the wadding can sometimes be seen between the cut edges where the fit isn’t precise enough. In this instance a layer of dark batting or a false layer of fabric could be used to solve that problem.
Floral wall hanging: The floral wall hanging has been developing very slowly indeed but here are the latest pics.
Floral wall hanging 1
Floral wall hanging 2
Floral wall hanging 3
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