1950's Remake

Pat was given a pair of appliqued and embroidered

1950's chair back covers and she decided

she would like to remake them into something so they

could be used and enjoyed.

So, Pat came up with the idea of cushions.

They were cut down to size and the linen used

to make the backs along with some pink

gingham trim for the cushion pad pocket.

Also piping added.

Here you can see one the right way round and

one inside out, ready to finish.

Well done Pat your

'Make Do and Mend",

turned out beautiful.

Cushions to be proud of.

Gallery Day 15th March 2011

Gallery Days start off nice and slow and by tea time at 11am!

sometimes later!

as it was this week it was really mixed media creating.

Thank you ladies, for being so patient,

for me to get round,

as nearly everyone was beginning new projects.

Thank you also to Pat for making the tea.

This is just the morning session.

There's an afternoon creating one too!

See more at what goes on @The Gallery.

www.thegallerydereham.co.uk

Quilting Beginnings

This is the quilt sewn by the beginners in a few hours at the Weeting

Quilters meeting.

It was a wonderful meeting and all are welcome to help make,

donate fabrics and quilts for Ann's Legacy and in her words,

"To everyone who feels as compassionate about the situation of those forgotten people as I am, I give you my grateful thanks.

Visit

www.lfeline4chernobyl.org.uk

Weeting Quilting Group

I was invited along to Weeting Quilt Group on Monday.

They meet the second Monday of every month at Weeting Community Centre from 11.30am until 3pm. Everyone made me feel very welcome and we were all sewing almost straight away.

Even new ladies whom it was their first time were taken under several peoples wing

and showed how to choose fabric, cut sew and were soon machining strips together.

At lunch time we stopped for lunch of course but also 'Show and Tell'.

The reason I had been invited by Chris the organiser was to join in on a project started by Ann, Chris's dear friend who has just died from cancer, after just 12 weeks after being told.

She wanted to leave a legacy of quilts and quilt making for the victims of The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. It is 25 years after the event but the land will not be safe for

up to 600 years. Even though people are not living close to the area

the surrounding land is still contaminated.

The children have grown up and because they have had to eat the contaminated food and breathe the air they are having childbirth issues and their life expectancy and conditions mean many are placed in institutions for the rest of their lives.

Ann wanted to help a small local charity at Salters Lode to take warm quilts and

items when they go out to Belarus several times a year. So Chris is fulfilling her friends

wish and she showed us several of the quilts.

There will be a blog shortly so you can see the blog

and Anne's Legacy at work.

See Lifeline 4 Chernobyl a wonderful website

and so insightful

www.lifeline4chernobyl.org.uk

Fat Quarters

These are the fat quarters I was brought for Alveva Quilters

fabric box. We also have them as our raffle prizes so the box

needs regular stocking up.

Stewart helped me choose them from the different

fat quarter tubs around the hut.

It has to be a mixture so there is something for

everyone's taste.

So what is a fat quarter?

The best way to explain this is, you take a metre

or yard of fabric and when you divide it normally into the

four divisions across, these would be "long quarters'.

They are 25 cms wide by how ever long the fabric is

but when you cut the yard or metre in half

and then halve it fat ways you have four large rectangles or

what Quilters call "Fat Quarters".

See what I do with my fabrics on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Fabric Shopping

OOooo, every quilter loves to go fabric shopping,

especially when it is for someone else!

Chilford Quilt Exhibition was on at Linton

near Cambridge but I decided to go to

Shan's at The Scout Hut in Hunstanton.

This is just part of one wall of fabric!!

So much choice you always find something to

match or get started on.

Paper and Stitch Leaves

This morning I played on my sewing machine, using

some of my made paper.

Every Summer I make a batch of dyed fabric and made papers.

These, then keep me inspired and stocked

most of the Winter.

Here, I used my Autumn Sketchbook as inspiration.

The paper when stitch goes like leather.

You can use a good quality watercolour paper

and colour it with dye or paint to get a

similar effect.

Make sure you use a new needle in your machine.

See more paper and stitch on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Many hands make light work

Here are some of the group with their finished bags.

We all had a fun night and Rachel was on hand to

show us the tricks to a good bag.

I personally learnt how to make a good french seam

and 'how to have a flat bottom!"

(in bag terms that is!!!).

Thank you to everyone for such a lovely evening

and Thank you to Rachel for all her hard work

making Norfolk a greener place.

visit

www.notmorebloomingelves.co.uk

Bag Making

All around the hall small groups gathered around machines

making, chatting and sharing.

Bags were slowly coming together.

Thank you to Sylvia from Dereham for giving me

some curtains her friend had given her.

(There were about five bags made from them and more to come).

At my machine station was Sybil

cutting the bags out,

Jill pinning everything together

and me on the sewing machine.

They really kept me on my toes.

We did have a laugh and

too many handles!!!!

Visit

www.notmorebloomingelves.co.uk

Not More Blooming Elves

On Wednesday evening myself and some more quilters

from Alveva Quilters

went to help the Methwold Ladies Group

make some bags with Rachel,

the co-ordinator for

"No More Blooming Elves".

Rachel was wonderful motivating the group to make a fabric bag

and replace our plastic bags.

I was with Sybil and Jill.

Sybil cut the bag sides and handles out,

Jill pinned them and then it was down to me to

sew the up on the machine.

Visit their website

www.notmorebloomingelves.co.uk

Bolliwood Turrets

Jeanette is layering her Bolliwood Turrets so they are 3D.

If you look at the two pictures you will may just

spot the difference.....

The door decoration has been changed.

The small bells which are in the picture directly above

were a little too big and heavy for the piece.

So, Jeanette took them off and sewed the

sequins and beads on instead.

They really do the trick!

This is going to be an amazing finished piece.

See more India inspired work on my website.

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Textile Dream Tree

Pippa has now cut out her textile tree

and is working on the mixed media background.

Next week it is adding in the leaves and "Grounding",

the tree and then the adding

of all the wonderful objects to hang from the

branches.

Dreams and wishes as well as

pieces with special meaning.

I love these pieces where artists can explore their

creativity and learn techniques which they can

develop later in other pieces.

Pippa is really getting to grips with her

sewing machine which was on her

wish list to learn.

Keep watching!

See more mixed media pieces throughout this site

and at

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Wallhanging

Stella is making a wallhanging for her Grand Daughter's

birthday.

It has to be very contemporary and within certain

colour restraints due to the decoration in the intended's home.

It also contains Stella's Daughter's dress, so there

is going to be a heritage piece too!

(It is the white material with the black flowers).

All the fabrics were vintage or recycled so

it's clever aswell!

I always like quilts that follow the tradition

of patchwork and quilting.

See more quilts on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Embellished Needlecase

Stella made an embellished felt needlecase.

She had a very small one which had been made

for her by a Brownie over 20 years ago.

(See picture above)

It was a shame to put this aside so

it was sewn inside the new case.

A lovely item and keepsake.

It made us all smile:)

See more embellishments on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Gallery Day 8th March 2011

Carol is beginning a new wallhanging using a 1930's

window as inspiration.

She is using the "Stained Glass Window" patchwork technique.

Here it is all cut out and ready for the bias binding that goes

in between the pieces to make it look like a stained glass

window.

This will look very striking when it's finished.

Well done, Carol.

Visit more quilts on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk