May bag for BQL

I have just finished tonight my May bag in our challenge organised by BQL (the yahoo group British Quilters List). The pattern was with bow tie blocks, in 3D, and an insulating wadding, which means that you can take your bag shopping for frozen food, or take a picnic.

I wonder if I will use it for that purpose or be too worried to get it dirty.

I enjoyed making it, and am reducing my stash a bit.

I had ordered some little labels to say that it was handmade by me, and put my first one in that bag. I think it does finish it well.

Malvern, 2

Here are more photos taken at the Malvern Patchwork and Quilting show, May 2008.






















And a detail from the bottom part...












This one reminded me of my first quilt, but of course it is better...

A sampler quilt...

More photos to come...soon.

Malvern 2008-1

Last Friday, 16 May, I had my very nice and awaited trip to see the Malvern Quilt show. I was not disappointed by the display of quilts, and the number of shops demonstrating and selling their products.

I was pleased to notice that the price of fabric has gone down with time. We are still more expensive than the US, but where I used to pay £10 a metre, there were not many fabrics at that price any more. I think £8 was more the norm, and it went down to £3 in some places. All the better for my purse.

I carried with me my last BQL bag, which I had to borrow back from my daughter, and used it to recognise other members of the group.
First I met Susan Briscoe on her stand, with her books and japanese fabric. She had a quilt on show, here on the left.

She is very busy at the moment, preparing her latest book, and she was waiting for the visit of a professional photographer.





I wandered and took lots of photos, and as I was about to leave, tired at the end of the day I met Susan Anderson, who had come with her husband to the show. She had a quilt up and I believe she must have had a lot of fun making it, with all these men checking her out...

It is very nice to meet someone from the group, there wasn't many of us on Thursday, but I know quite a few went to the show over the 4 days it ran.



And last but not least I can show you the winner quilt of the show, beautiful work, lots of hand applique, very nice quilting. It might be by Liz Jones, but I need to confirm this.
It was difficult to photograph as there was a lot of passage in front of it, as well as a busy shop just next.

I regret now that I didn't buy the official program, it would give me all the names of the artists, but I thought I didn't need it and that it would clutter my house afterwards. Regrets...

Charity presentation

On Wednesday 14 May 2008, we, the members of the Golden Lion Quilters, presented our cushions to Shirley Garman who is the regional group contact for Breakthrough Breat Cancer in North Wiltshire.








The charity was created in 1991, to provide specific breast cancer research. In 1994 the charity had received enough money to fulfill its first aim and create a centre in London. They have now opened centres in Edinburgh, Manchester and a second in London.
In England 44500 women are diagnosed every year, and they can all visit these centres, as well as ordinary hospitals for help and treatment.





And so we made these cushions which will be given to June Thorpe, and she will sell them in a quilt show, to people who know how much work went into making them.
If you want to organise your own fundraising event you can contact Shirley Garman on 01793 538 475, in England.


Here are Shirley on the left with our own Glenys Timms.




And from left to right, Glenys Thomas, Janet, Shirley Garman, Glenys Timms, Frances our president.

It was amazing to learn that our group made 40 cushions altogether.

Cushions for charity

As a member of the Golden Lion Quilters in Swindon, Wiltshire, I am expected to present some cushions on Wednesday 14 May to be given to the Breast Cancer Association. A lady will attend our meeting, collect the cushions and sell them for the benefit of the charity.





I had to decide what to do, and chose to use orphan blocks, and reduce my number of UFOs.



The first one was a workshop on sewing round seams with the machine. I don't really like the colors any more.

They are all closed with a zip.

The second one is the result of a swap of blocks. Again not really my colors, but I hope somebody will love them.
I put the block on point and added the triangles in the corners.

















And then full of energy I went back to the shops to buy 2 more cushion pads and zips to use some cushion fabric I had won, but didn't particularly like.













I don't think I really enjoy working like this for charities, because a few years ago we made some bags for a charity, and some members discovered that they were sold for next to nothing.
On one side I understand that the charity wants the money to serve its purpose, but on the other side we spend time and money to make something nice that is not sold for its value. It made me feel that it would have been better to give them the money directly.
I suppose another reason is that people don't expect to pay much in a charity shop, even for new things.
As a result I have done my bit this year, but I wasn't as keen as previously. I hope these cushions will be sold for a good price, that is a reflection of the time and effort put in making them.

April Bag

I have finally finished my bag for April in the BQL challenge. Just to remind you, we have to make a bag a month with a pattern that we are given, and the aim is to reduce the use of plastic bags.

I took the March bag with me on holidays, and really enjoyed using my own work.

This one was made for Daughter 2, and she chose the main fabric: pink with ladies. She took it to school this morning with great pleasure.

The bag is quilted in free motion, and the bottom with straight lines. The handles are padded and overstitched.

Here is a difficult shot of the inside with the pocket. I wanted to take advantage of the sun, quite rare at the moment, but it was windy as well.

So the lining is purple and pink, to help find things at the bottom.