Another year has started in the White Rose Quilters Calendar. You can find this years programme on the Programme of  Events page. We hope members will enjoy what we have planned for the year 2026-2027.

We started out the year with a talk from Yorkbreastfriends, a charity set up to support anyone having treatment for breast cancer at York Hospital.

The link to a sewing group is that anyone undergoing surgery, receives a heart shaped cushion, and if needed a drain bag donated by supporters of the charity. These are made at a monthly sewing session in York which anyone can volunteer to help at.

The topic was personal to some members of the group who have had treatment for breast cancer and was appreciated by others who, whilst not being personally affected themselves, know of friends and family who have had a cancer diagnosis..

 July meeting and AGM

Tonight we had to get the business side of the meeting over before we could begin to stitch.

The election of officers and the accounts were swiftly approved by the members and we can now go forward to another year with a healthy bank balance.

That done Mary Whitehouse was able to begin to show us her version of Slow Stitching. 

This gentle hand stitching way of recycling old scraps of material to produce a new piece of fabric was very relaxing. Repetitive sewing movements produce endorphins in the brain to give a feeling of well being.

The finished piece can be made into several different things including mug rugs, book covers and fabric containers.

Hope to see lots of things at the September Show and Tell

 The June meeting took place on a very warm night but we were pleased to welcome Chris from The Cone Exchange in Harrogate.

His talk was about how the Cone Exchange came into being because of a small boy visiting Taylors Tea Factory, a waste Cone and  500 Christmas Angels (see more in Meetings review)

An enjoyable and interesting run through the charities past and present ideas for repurposing "waste" ensued.

A visit to the Cone Exchange shop in Harrogate which stocks lots of recycled crafting material and employs disabled young people in its cafe, is a very worthwhile way to supplement your stash at a reasonable price.

 

May 2026

Another change to the programme I'm afraid. Things seem to have got a bit muddled this year.

Tonight we had a go at weaving material. An interesting way of making your own fabric for a bag or a book cover.

More photos on the Meetings Review pages.

April 2026

This months meeting was a talk on English Paper Piecing by Hilary Spilsbury.

The talk was full of tips on how to do this hand sewing technique without getting frustrated. Hilary's work is stunning as you can see from th photo below.

She has even inspired me to hunt down the hexagon quilt that I started many years ago and have never finished, and give it another go.

 The March meeting was making bottle top pincushions

These cute pin cushions can be decorated with embroidery and beads and are an ideal size to take to a workshop

 

A change to our published programme in February as unfortunately our speaker had to cancel. 

Instead Lis Tate gave her talk on Seminole patchwork which she was due to give in March.

Seminole Patchwork was specially designed to be made on the sewing machine by the Seminole Indians of Florida. Traditionally it was used in their clothing and is still used to make patchwork waistcoats but can also be used in other items.

I produces intricate strips of patchwork patterns which can be incorporated into quilts and bags.

The process is time consuming and fiddly but is well worth the effort for the results it produces. I can recommend the book Basic Seminole Patchwork by Cheryl Greider Bradkin if you want to have a go for yourself.

 We have had 2 meetings since the last blog post.

December was our Christmas festivities with mince pies, and a Christmas raffle. 

We also made some Christmas coasters featuring baby polar bears. Everyone went home with a prize and a coaster.

January's meeting saw us examining some handling items from the Quilters Guild Collection and learning how to be quilt detectives. What do you look for in a quilted item that will tell you more about the type of patchwork. its age, the types of fabric, and its provenance.

November's meeting was an interesting talk on Eco-printing.

CarolAnn Allan explained how she uses the plants in her large garden to dye silk, cotton and threads which she then uses in her patchwork. The results were brighter than I had expected from natural dyes. 

Perhaps we should have a dyeing workshop next Spring?