Next update...end of school term

The end of July brought the end of school term and the chance to give the baby quilts to Hannah's teachers. They were both delighted with them so I feel quite pleased that I had the chance to do something for both teachers.



I enjoyed doing the prairie points on them both, it adds a bit extra to an otherwise quite simple design. I used some pieces from the layer cake and jelly roll that I bought in Exeter for the right hand one, and have lots from both leftover to be able to make another couple at least.

Because I'd enjoyed the prairie points, I volunteered to teach some techniques to Plym at out "4 corners" meeting, which is an opportunity to see something new from some of the group. I demonstrated simple individual prairie points, how to do continuous ones, bi-coloured ones and then how to add them in construction seams as well as on borders. I had great fun showing what I'd tried out, even though some of the techniques weren't new, and not original, I hope the rest of the group that came to my table liked it as much as I did!

Now end of July only meant one thing this year...holiday coming up :-D

Exeter Spring Quilt Festival

We got there way too early after a clear journey up. I think we were the 5th car in the car park! I'd taken a list to remind me what to buy, but forgot to take my camera so couldn't get any shots of the exhibition. This turned out to be a big shame as there were some great quilts on show. I particularly liked a 3-D poppy on a bed sized quilt, the collection of women's suffrage quilts in green white and violet, and the collection made by a group on the theme of "book titles". I've stored that idea away for a possible group challenge next year. They were 12" square, so not too big for even a beginner. I liked the entry for Moby Dick, a 3-D whale fluke with beads strung off it to look like water.

I needed to pick up a pre-ordered bolt of wadding from Lady Sew & Sew, and also bought a mini bolt of jade marble and a roll of pink and chocolate swirl from them. The jade thread is for a quilt I'm planning with the fabric from the BQL Secret Santa swap. I was given 10 pieces. I thought they were FQs but they seem bigger, possibly quarter metres? Anyway they're chocolate and pink, so the jade will give a nice vibrant contrast.



The creamy batik is for the backing of the two baby quilts. I've forgotten which stall I bought it from though.

Also for the baby quilts is this Moda Layer Cake and Jelly Roll. The range is called "Fig and Plum", and I've used 12 pieces from each of them, so plenty left for stashing and other projects. The other things in the photo are a pack of 99 4" squares from Susan Briscoe. All of them are different, and I'm thinking of doing a hand pieced Japanese folded patchwork piece with them. I'm pondering between all muslin backgrounds or varying between white and red.



The final pic is a metre of so of a lime green and chocolate piece. It was an impulse buy from the batik stall, and I've no idea why I bought it! I'm thinking of including it in my bag for the {top secret} with my quilt group on Tuesday.



Finally, but not photographed I bought Valori Wells' Vibrant New York Beauty book. This is to give me more practice in making curved paper pieced blocks ready for making a proper start on the mariner's compass quilt.

Off now to carry on with the Carol Doak March BOM and the baby quilt for Mrs M at school.