Trying to catch up with the blog before our AGM in July

This month the meeting was all about dying and other methods of creating an image on fabric.
Myself and Kate and Kathleen spoke about methods we had experimented with and took examples of work that we had created. In the confines of a church hall it is not easy to do workshops on this subject as it is messy and wet, and probably not to everyone's liking, but it can produce some startling results that can be incorporated into quilts and other pieces of work.

Next month is the AGM a time to review what we have done in the past year. Hope all the members have learnt something new to add to their skills but more importantly enjoyed the meetings

The April meeting was a fun evening with Heather Chalkley making fabric postcards.

Heather brought along her postcard collection to show us along with her anecdotes of when and why she received them. Yes they can be stamped and sent through the post! There were also some she had made herself to illustrate different techniques and finishes.

Heather also provided the kits to make the postcards and as we sewed them by hand the evening was a pleasant mix of chatter and craft.

These would also be a doddle to make on the machine and can be done with children or grandchildren so are very adaptable.

Next meeting May 24th
'American Feed sack and Depression Era Quilts' a talk by Janet Bottomley
Do come along and join us if you are in the area.

The March meeting was a sewing evening. Kate Smith introduced us to Inlaid Patchwork.
The work is done using either felt or wool material and was popular during the Victorian era. I have seen several quilts on display at the Bankfield Museum in Halifax, sewn by military gentlemen who used the woollen material that their uniforms were made from,

so I was intrigued to see how it is done.
We produced very simple designs as we only had a couple of hours for the project but I would be interested to try something more intricate in the future.
Below is a sample of the technique being worked and there are more pictures in the meeting review section.

Our numbers are growing, we welcomed another member to the group this month.

Because of this and the fact that some of our new members are also quite new to the craft of quilting we gave a quick introduction to the techniques of Trapunto, Shadow Trapunto and Shadow Quilting at the February meeting.
No photos. Sorry. But it was a pleasant evening of chat and hand sewing.

Show and tell gave us more quilts for York Special Care Baby Unit so I am collecting quite a pile now and hope we can deliver them later in the year.

We are also running a workshop in April, and will be using a wedge ruler to make a patchwork circle. This can be used to make a cushion or a tote bag. A big thank you to Crafty UK for their help with the wedge rulers.

This is what it is all about.

January came and went and saw us doing our bit for charity.

Again it was York Hospital Special Care baby Unit and this time we are making small quilts for them. Each small miracle that spends time in SCBU is given a small cover to shield them from the bright lights and strange noises that surround them. Whilst they lie cocooned in their incubator the cover is placed over the top and it later accompanies them home. A little bit of normal comfort in a strange and stressful situation, both for the baby and their parents.
Members used the time at the meeting to work on these quilts and I hope by the July meeting we will have a big pile for a special 'Show and Tell', that we can donate to the unit at a later date.
So keep up the good work everyone.

This month, February 22nd, we are trying our hand at Trapunto and Shadow Quilting. Another evening to craft and chat with like minded people.

December was Christmas Party Season and we had our usual faith supper which was very tasty.

We also made stars with Kate Smith. Baby wipes are for more than babies when gluing and sticking are involved.

Our Competition A Christmas Stocking Filler brought forth an assortment of entries and well done to the worthy winners.

And I hope everyone got something exciting for their Secret Santa. 

Merry Christmas

January

At the January meeting on the 25th of the month we will be making small Quilts for donating to York Hospital Special Care Baby Unit. 

Please bring everything you need including your sewing machine to begin to make a small quilt, approx 18 to 24 inches in dimension. We have some donations of material that you can use or you can supply your own. I know you can spare some from your stash. 

In the mean time.... 

Happy New Year

The November meeting had us making bird decorations with Liz and Myra.
Sewing the pelmet stiffening by hand proved hard work but the finished results were pretty. Luckily Myra had brought along some glue and glitter to go with our assortment of feathers, beads and other bling.

The next meeting is our Christmas Meeting.

A faith supper, Secret Santa, Kates star decoration, and the Christmas competition, a christmas stocking filler, should give a festive feel to the evening