BLOG 332

BLOG 332

Progress has been made in many different directions this week. I carried on working on the rainbow colours just because I enjoyed it so much … And perhaps because it was strewn across the floor and restricted movement in the loft room! In the end I aimed to make each rectangle 4” wide so I could at least construct vertical rows easily enough, just based on colour placement. The vertical rows were easy to join together too as there was no seam matching to be done. All in all this has been a very liberating project thus far!

                Bits n Pieces

               Sewing

              Sewn

            Pressed

I pinned it on my craft room wall so that I saw it every time I went in. That helped me to make the decision to add more colour over the wall hanging somehow, in a bid to spread and mix the colours across the surface. Iron-on bias binding was used to define circles of varying sizes. This now awaits the magic of machine quilting to add texture.

              Embellished

Before Christmas, Roger‘s name was pulled out of a hat as the winner of a raffle (I bought his ticket!) to make money for the Linus quilt project. The quilt is a beautiful log cabin quilt, barn-raising style, made by Fiona Macaulay Davies. I asked him to write an acceptance speech for me to read out and this is what he wrote.

I should say why I am so delighted to have won this marvellous quilt. Via Dilys I have had the most enjoyable association with the quilting world for the past 32 years. In the past I have shared our home with over the 80+ ladies a week who came to Dilys’s quilting classes. Lucky boy some might say! Throughout this time I have transported quilts, posted quilts, folded quilts, hung quilts, stored quilts and looked at quilts I must have seen hundreds of them …. But I have never actually owned one! …etc

It was very humbling for me to read that out. We have a home filled with quilts, there is one on every bed we are likely to sleep in, one on the chair in the computer room where he spends lots of time, many to snuggle into in most rooms. BUT because I have never said ‘I made this quilt for you’ he says he has never owned a quilt! How sad.

             Roger’s quilt

So having received this quilt, I decided to make some more quilts for the cause. This is what it is all about according to their website.

 Project Linus UK is a volunteer organisation. We aim to provide a sense of security and comfort to sick and traumatised babies, children and teenagers through the provision of new home made patchwork quilts and knitted/crocheted blankets, and give volunteers across the UK the opportunity to contribute to their local community.

 I found some left-overs from another quilt project to make a start with a 9-patch block.

            Left-overs

                9-patch block

             Many blocks

           Quilt centre

The Llangollen based Quiltfest takes place during February. There are exhibits in the Royal International Pavilion from 10am to 4pm, Wednesday 8^th to Sunday 19^th of February. Free make-and-take workshops will take place during the exhibition so if you fancy having a go at anything, tap Quiltfest 2017 into Google and take a look at the schedule. I will be doing Positive and Negative applique (sample below) on 15^th Feb.

And in the Museum and Art gallery, from Wednesday 1^st to Tuesday 28^th February 10am to 4pm there is a challenge inspired by the Wrexham Tailor’s quilt which will also be on display.

             Pos/neg appliqué