BOOKMARK PROJECT
You should all have received envelopes and instructions for our spring/Easter project. If you haven't please get in touch. Just in case you mislay the instructions I have coppied them below. Jane and Elaine have also usefully provided us with some ideas and a Youtube video. Also try searching onSame Energy (see below 22nd February) |
Hello again from the Montpellier Quilters Committee.
Following on from the success of our Christmas card project last year, we now invite you join us once more in a group make – just for fun and to keep our spirits up in these trying times.
We would love you to use your imagination, time and stash to make a Bookmark which will be sent to another member of our group, for which you will in turn receive a little treasure from someone.
We have great faith in the creative abilities of our lovely members, so we are confident that, if you choose to participate, we are sure to see many gorgeous bookmarks winging their way around Cheltenham in the near future. There are no set rules – anything goes. Be it patchwork, embroidery, braid or ribbon, or just painted card, enjoy this quick and easy make using whatever you have to hand.
Elaine and I have made a couple of examples and you can see these on the Montpellier Quilters website, Quilting in Quarantine page.
This is, of course, a completely voluntary activity, so join in or don’t – it’s entirely up to you.
We appreciate that not everyone is a reader, so if you would like to make a bookmark, but don’t want to receive one in return, then please go ahead, have fun and send one in; be assured it will not go to waste.
Just tick the box on the return slip below.
Happy bookmark-making!
Please sign and return this slip, with your bookmark in the addressed envelope provided.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
This bookmark was made by:
I do not wish to receive a bookmark
Following on from the success of our Christmas card project last year, we now invite you join us once more in a group make – just for fun and to keep our spirits up in these trying times.
We would love you to use your imagination, time and stash to make a Bookmark which will be sent to another member of our group, for which you will in turn receive a little treasure from someone.
We have great faith in the creative abilities of our lovely members, so we are confident that, if you choose to participate, we are sure to see many gorgeous bookmarks winging their way around Cheltenham in the near future. There are no set rules – anything goes. Be it patchwork, embroidery, braid or ribbon, or just painted card, enjoy this quick and easy make using whatever you have to hand.
Elaine and I have made a couple of examples and you can see these on the Montpellier Quilters website, Quilting in Quarantine page.
This is, of course, a completely voluntary activity, so join in or don’t – it’s entirely up to you.
We appreciate that not everyone is a reader, so if you would like to make a bookmark, but don’t want to receive one in return, then please go ahead, have fun and send one in; be assured it will not go to waste.
Just tick the box on the return slip below.
Happy bookmark-making!
Please sign and return this slip, with your bookmark in the addressed envelope provided.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
This bookmark was made by:
I do not wish to receive a bookmark
28th February
From Jane F
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Many years ago I visited a Churdown Quilters show where there were many items on the theme of "A Warning" - the poem by Jenny Josheph. Ever since then it has been in the back of my mind to make something on that theme. More recently Evelyn made her wonderful wall hanging "Gladys" from a pattern by Laura Heine and Hey Presto! An idea was born. |
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When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells And run my stick along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain And pick flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit. Jenny Joseph
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23rd February
22nd February
From Anne
2021 AGM
The MQ committee had a zoom meeting last week and decided we would have our 2021 AGM on Thrsday 25th at 7:30 (via Zoom). June will finalise the financial report at the beginning of March. I will send this out to you all by email along with more details of the AGM; we don't expect the AGM business will take very long so we are hoping to entertain you all with other activities...
Vikings
Kate is planning to make a quilt for friends with a bit of a Vikings theme, she asked me if I could suggest some suitable fabrics for her; I'm sorry to say I have drawn a blank on the request. Can anyone else help? Vikings, Norse, Celtic, The Sea, Ships but not too 'Novelty' ,it's for adults not a child. Please send ideas to the MQ email or to Kate direct if you have her personal email.
Thank you |
Wheel of Fortune
Julia has given me a lot of lovely quilting books, among them are a few old magazines (from the last century). I was thumbing through one , a1998 Australian Womens Weekly called Handmade when I found an article about Marion!!
I have turned it into a pdf which you might like to open and have a look at.
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Same Energy
"Same Energy is a visual search engine. You can use it to find beautiful art, photography, decoration ideas, or anything else.
We believe that image search should be visual, using only a minimum of words. And we believe it should integrate a rich visual understanding, capturing the artistic style and overall mood of an image, not just the objects in it."
I think some of you will like this new visual search engine called Same Energy.
The Kaleidoscope house group is embarking a project involving faces so I tried Same Energy to look for ideas and inspiration. My Initial search was simply 'faces' and that reveal hundreds of mainly photogaphic images which weren't very helpful, however when I typed in 'textile faces' there was lots to inspire me, by clicking on the images closest to those you are looking for you can very quickly refine your search, I got the page you see on the right within seconds - fantastic. You can keep your favourite images in a personal collection, below are three images I have kept. |
Try it.
Because the website is still in its Beta testing stage it has a few bugs in it. I'm sorry to report it isn't working this morning, but it was yesterday so fingers crossed. There are men and women in Toronto working on this for me! |
Faces
If anyone else, (apart from the Kaleidoscope group) is interested in making a face Alex Anderson hosted a free online course last autumn which can be found on YouTube.
Below is the first in the series, the rest are easy to find., I think there are seven of them.
Below is the first in the series, the rest are easy to find., I think there are seven of them.
Sometimes when I am posting a YouTube video on the Weebly website it has difficulty and on this PC here where I am adding stuff the video I have just posted (in this case Alex Anderson) comes up as a different YouTube video, Always one I have posted further down the page. I think this is to do with my PC rather than anything else. The correct video comes up on my Ipad. I have no idea if this happens to anyone else, I hope not and if it does I apologise. I have spent hours trying to work out what is going wrong, but I can't seem to fix it.
Lillyella
While you are idling your time on your computer or tablet take a look at Lillyella, It's a blog website written by Nicole Young who seems to specialise in paper pieced birds and insects, there are other thing too. Spend a few minutes there looking around.
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14th February
From Anne
Here is a wonderful article about a knitwear designer who does 'visible mending'. To someone who can just about knit a scarf in stocking stitch I am in complete awe!
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The Quilt Show
The Quilt Show is moving to a new website and lots of their usual content is unavailable for a week or so. However to make up for this they are allowing non-subscription members to watch some free shows. If you have never seen a Quilt Show before do try it; just click on the Quilt Show logo to watch Cindy Needham use vintage linens in her quiltmaking.
This might not be available for very long... |
Missouri Star Quilt Company YouTube
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Take a look at The Missouri Star Quilt Company's website; on YouTube Jenny Doan has all those fabulous turorials for making clever quilts but there is also lots of educational material on their website. I have featured 'The Final Stitch before on Q in Q, but Natalie has now added to the list. Click on the button below.
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9th February
From Anne
I have recieved two photos of MQ Christmas cards this week, It's great to see them, it was such a lovely idea.
I will put them both in the gallery on the Christmas Cards page.
I will put them both in the gallery on the Christmas Cards page.
Oakshott Fabrics
Oakshot Fabric's warehouse in Brockworth is now closed, I know we will all miss their open days and the friendly personal service provided by Michael and Rose who are moving to Cornwall and have sent their fabric on ahead.
Do not despair!
It's easy to order online and the service will still be friendly and efficient.
I am told by Julia that we will all be able to call in when we are on our Cornish holidays (anyone remember holidays?). The new warehouse is apparently very conveniently located just off the A30, I'm sure there will be a warm welcome for us.
Do not despair!
It's easy to order online and the service will still be friendly and efficient.
I am told by Julia that we will all be able to call in when we are on our Cornish holidays (anyone remember holidays?). The new warehouse is apparently very conveniently located just off the A30, I'm sure there will be a warm welcome for us.
They have a lovely Valentines project on offer.
Click on the picture on the left for details of fabric and the picture on the right for the pattern.
Click on the picture on the left for details of fabric and the picture on the right for the pattern.
6th February
From Anne
MAKE! Craft Britain
An episode of MAKE! Craft Britain was repeated on BBC 4 this week (see below). I loved the lampshades they made; give it a try.
All episodes available on BBC IPlayer.
All episodes available on BBC IPlayer.
This film is a tale of two workshops. On the edge of the Yorkshire moors embroiderer Marna Lunt welcomes a mixed group of students to her two-day course making embroidered lampshades. Ex-copper Tony is a complete beginner, while textiles student Catherine has been sewing all her life. Under Marna's instruction, they quickly master the basic stitches and learn how to draw inspiration from the colours and sounds of the moors.
Meanwhile, on a Sunday morning in London, six students take up their scalpels for a crash course in paper-cutting. Teacher/practitioner Christine Green explains the long heritage of this new craft craze, teaches them the basics of designing, cutting and finishing, and gets them going on their 3D cards. They are all complete beginners. Richard and Mark draw inspiration from their local park, Crystal Palace, while newlyweds Eri and Jamie make cards that celebrate their one-year 'paper' anniversary.
In both workshops, the students get completely absorbed by the process and the room falls almost silent in quiet concentration and creative 'flow'. Both teachers give 'how to' demonstrations that are easy to follow so that viewers at home can try their hand at these crafts too.
Harnessing the breadth of the craft community through social media, and especially BBC's Get Creative page, MAKE! also features jaw-dropping images of beautiful handmade crafts sent in by viewers
Men who sew
Here is an interesting article from The Guardian and a jolly good excuse to put a photo of George Clooney on the page...
Sew Magazine
I discovered Sew Magazine's website this week.
There are hundreds of wonderful free sewing patterns that can be downloaded if you simply register with them. It's worth a half hour's browsing. |
Liberty of London
The Liberty store in Regents Street is undergoing restoration.
This short and beautiful video shows the care taken with one of their windows. |
Quilting Is Stitched Into The Fabric of Newfoundland's History
And finally here is a great little video about a woman in Newfoundland who make 20 - 25 quilts a year!
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2nd February
From June
Remember I mentioned just after the start of lockdown last year I had a plan to do a 'Mountainscape' on a roman blind for the window in the sitting room. Well, I have cut out the pieces and I am starting to work on piecing the design and then going to re-use the components of the existing blind. (see pic) |
I enjoyed a lazy Saturday morning watching Shannon Brinkley Scrappy Applique Trunk Show -Not sure how long this link will be available - amazing idea for scraps of fabric. |
Keep busy and warm,
June
From Vanessa
I think I have probably mentioned before that we have been displaying our finished projects in our front window to cheer all the walkers and riders going past. This has resulted in some unexpected benefits through this last year. Lots of people have commented and a few have posted thank you notes through our door, which has been lovely. A couple of weeks ago we had one such note from a lady a couple of streets away, someone who we would probably not have met in normal times. We have been corresponding since then and although she is not a quilter or a crafter she has a great interest in such things. On Sunday she dropped off a parcel at our door which contained a quilt she had bought in China. It is absolutely fascinating and I thought you might like to see it. In her note she says
"On a sightseeing trip in the 90’s I visited Xian where the Terracotta Warriors live. Outside the area were stalls including one selling quilts. What I found surprising is that although there were piles and piles of quilts of different sizes, they were all of the same design/fabric and colours – identical. Mine – and I would suspect all – are lined with newspaper.
It is indeed lined with newspaper, is very lumpy and the workmanship is variable to say the least. On the back are various stuffed bugs which make it even lumpier. We feel very privileged to have been able to see this quilt, something that would not have happened without lockdown, so some good has come from it.
Take care, stay safe
Vanessa
Smile
31st January
From Anne
I hope the daily smile has helped to keep spirits up, January always seems a long month and particularly so this year.
From now on I will post a occasional smile so do keep checking in.
From now on I will post a occasional smile so do keep checking in.
We have recieved an email request for help from an MQ member. Please respond if you think you can help.
Hello Anne and whoever receives this,
Firstly, I’d like to say how much I miss coming to your bi-weekly meetings. I was not able to go each session before, but I sure do miss them now! I have been a member for a few years and really enjoying quilting more and more. Your workshops have been amazing and some of the ladies there are soo talented, something I aspire to...
I am writing to ask if anyone can give me recommendations for a sewing machine which is particularly suited for quilting and patchwork. I have a 23 year old Bernina which I really love but feel I need an upgrade. Can anyone advise me or point me in a direction? I have been sewing lots of baby quilts for my kids friends w babies this last year which I really love doing.
Thank for you time.
I posted about this Block of the Month in November and thought I would remind you now it is about to start.
We know that many of you are excited about the start of the My Hometown Block of the Month. We've had a fantastic response with so many of you signing up for this fun project! The first block will be sent out via email on Monday, February 1st, with the remaining blocks being sent out on the first Monday of the month through August 2021.As a special surprise for you we're releasing the cutting instructions a couple days early so that you can cut your fabrics over the weekend and be ready for Block 1 when it is emailed out on Monday. If you don't get cutting right away, don't worry - you have all month to make this block and that is plenty of time. This project is not a race - I hope you enjoy yourself and maybe learn a few things along the way!
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