Out & About: the Festival of Quilts

My quilt in the competition category - top left

Somewhat unsurprisingly, one of my weekends away this summer was to the Festival of Quilts.  As usual, it was great fun.  Unusually for me, I had finally entered a quilt in the art quilt category.  It was really interesting to see how different it looked to when it was hung at home, with better light.  It seemed rather washed out as opposed to delicate!

Dislocation exhibition

I also had a piece in the CQ exhibition ‘Dislocation’.  I was really pleased that it was selected.  I don’t think I’ve shown it in detail on the blog yet as I only finished it the day before the summer holidays started.

Yvonne Kervinen 'Urban Landscape'

There was some great artwork on show.  I really liked the work of Gabi Mett and Judith Mundwiler, who shared a gallery.  For some reason, I didn’t take any photos of their work, but you can check it out online here and here.  The EQA exhibition is always interesting and this time was no exception.  Here is a link to some gallery shots, as no photos were allowed.

Cecilia Gonzalez Desedamas 'The Difference'

The photos here are of some of the pieces I liked in the competition quilts.  They are a bit random as I was just enjoying wandering and contemplating rather than ‘working’. 

Brigitte Kopp 'Gebarmutter'

Margaret Ramsay 'Nautical Dawn'

Finally, the best thing about the Festival of Quilts for me is meeting up with old friends and making new ones.  In the second category, I met with Linda Seward who was promoting her new book, ‘The Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting’.  She was lovely in real life but I have a bone to pick with her.  All weekend I admired her beautiful scarf, thinking what great taste she had.  Unfortunately towards the end of the weekend I discovered she had bought it at the show as there was a stall, Pappumama, selling them and so one of them just had to find its way into my bag... It is rather beautiful!

 

Nice scarf!

Out & About: Good things from the Festival of Quilts

Going to the Festival of Quilts has many attractions.  Firstly, of course, there are the quilts.  Then there is the joy of meeting up with other quilters you have met in the past, such as Ruth Singer or Olga Prins, who explained to me that I had misunderstood her technique in an article I had written last year about the European Art Quilts, which she runs and which, excitingly, is going to have another exhibition soon.  Her actual way of getting colour onto fabric is even more involved and fascinating.  In addition to stitchers you already know, it is great to discover new people.  This time, I met with Mary Fisher, Mandy Pattullo and Lucie Summers, all of whom I’m hoping to write about soon for Popular Patchwork.  They were all really inspirational. 

Another (unspoken) benefit for me is a couple of days off from being ‘mum’ and I enjoy that freedom to be me rather than having to parent and remember to be good!

Finally, there is the huge attraction of all the traders, with their multi-coloured, tempting wares.  What did I succumb to this year?

Some of my students use these dye based paints and I loved the intensity of colour they gave, so I really want to try them for myself.

 

I bought this jelly roll for an article I’m writing for Popular Patchwork and have in fact stitched it already.  It is now awaiting quilting.

 

These fat quarters are for use on my hexagon quilt, which is progressing rather slower than I first thought (isn’t that always the case?!)

I want to find some more ways of adding imagery to my fabrics and thought that these could be a good way of adding details.

 

I’m making a quilt as a wedding present for our niece, Lucy and these 10in squares from the Cotton Patch are now part of the plan.

 

This fabric was bought to be the backing of some linen cushion covers and I’ve run them up already.

Finally, I was sorely tempted and unable to resist temptation I bought some goodies from 21^st Century Yarns.  I would like to try something a bit different to my normal with them and get back to some hand stitching.

That’s lots of plans... we’ll see how they develop!