Friday, September 03, 2010
Back from Festival
It is two weeks now since Sue and I returned from Birmingham and Carin returned to Stockholm via London. This annual visit really is becoming the social event of our year and we were not disappointed. Sue and I helped out and demonstrated on the Traditional Group stand over the three days and Carin busied herself going to one or two taster workshops and then spent a full day with Michele Hill of Australia.
Michele and I are writing buddies (both sharing the same publisher). Michele's second book, 'More William Morris Applique' is going to be launched in about four weeks time, when she returns home from her current tour of the UK and the Baltic States. You can keep up with her entertaining blog on http://www.williammorrisandmichele.blogspot.com/ and see where she has been and what inspires her fabulous work and books. It was great to meet her and her husband Larry and it was such a shame that we only had time to get together for a quick coffee in between her teaching engagements at the Festival. However, she was such a success, I am sure she will be back again another year with her William Morris inspired work.
When you sit and demonstrate at a Show like the Festival of Quilts, you seem to meet more people than if you are walking around. Firstly, I met Marcela Vassova from Prague who was over in the UK with some quilting friends looking after a Gallery of quilts from the Czech Republic. For some time I had known that someone from the Czech Republic visits my webiste on a regular basis and now I know who. Marcela was so enthusiastic about my work and it was a joy to meet up with her although neither of us could really understand what we were saying to each other. Who needs words when we talk about quilting?? Then there were the girls from the Aldwick Quilters, who I see on a regular basis down in Sussex each year, always full of fun and laughter. There was a large contingent from Region 16 (Scotland) who all wanted to talk to me about the Residential weekend being held at Stirling University next year on 17th-19th June. I have been honoured to be asked to teach at this weekend and from what I can tell, it is going to be such fun. You have to be a member of the Quilters' Guild to book but fuller details can be seen on the Guild website http://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/ . Of course there were new friends to make too and it is amazing how easy it is to chat to strangers when you sit and quilt at a table. I met some really lovely people which made going to the Show so worthwhile. Soon it was all over and on the Monday morning we had to go our separate ways, Carin on the train to London and Sue and I in the car back to Norfolk. Luckily the traffic was kind to us and we got home in good time but it still took us several days to get over all the talking we did.
Since being home, I have been invited to loan my silk christening gown (National Championship winner) to the Quilters Guild Museum for their exhibition entitled 'Celebrations' next year. Details of the exhibition plus others can be found on the museum website http://www.quiltmuseum.org.uk/ . I have been chatting via email with the museum curator Heather Audin, who is delightful and like me a great lover of costume and quilted clothing.
My exhibition 'A Little Love in Every Stitch' is continuing its journey around the UK and is currently at the Great North Quilt Show in Harrogate this weekend and will continue on to The Scottish Quilt Championships on 24 -26 September and then the Autumn Festivals in Malvern and Chilford. I was thrilled with the wonderful article and photos which appears in the latest edition of Fabrications magazine - Thank you Vicky you have done me proud!
Well, it is onwards and upwards with the book and it will be somewhat difficult to get back into the swing of things since I have had a few weeks off.
I am planning to go to Chilford over the weekend of 5 - 7 November just to have a last look at my exhibition before it is taken down and returned to me. I hope I may be able to meet up with some of you then.
My last planned workshop of this year will be a Traditional Hand Quilting workshop on Saturday 13th November at Creative Sewing at Hampton Court http://www.creativequilting.co.uk/ I understand that it is booking well and I look forward to meeting lots of new quilting friends when I am there. As I went to school just down the road from the Hall, I would love to think I might meet up with someone I knew from all that time ago.
Happy quilting,
Jacquie
Michele and I are writing buddies (both sharing the same publisher). Michele's second book, 'More William Morris Applique' is going to be launched in about four weeks time, when she returns home from her current tour of the UK and the Baltic States. You can keep up with her entertaining blog on http://www.williammorrisandmichele.blogspot.com/ and see where she has been and what inspires her fabulous work and books. It was great to meet her and her husband Larry and it was such a shame that we only had time to get together for a quick coffee in between her teaching engagements at the Festival. However, she was such a success, I am sure she will be back again another year with her William Morris inspired work.
When you sit and demonstrate at a Show like the Festival of Quilts, you seem to meet more people than if you are walking around. Firstly, I met Marcela Vassova from Prague who was over in the UK with some quilting friends looking after a Gallery of quilts from the Czech Republic. For some time I had known that someone from the Czech Republic visits my webiste on a regular basis and now I know who. Marcela was so enthusiastic about my work and it was a joy to meet up with her although neither of us could really understand what we were saying to each other. Who needs words when we talk about quilting?? Then there were the girls from the Aldwick Quilters, who I see on a regular basis down in Sussex each year, always full of fun and laughter. There was a large contingent from Region 16 (Scotland) who all wanted to talk to me about the Residential weekend being held at Stirling University next year on 17th-19th June. I have been honoured to be asked to teach at this weekend and from what I can tell, it is going to be such fun. You have to be a member of the Quilters' Guild to book but fuller details can be seen on the Guild website http://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/ . Of course there were new friends to make too and it is amazing how easy it is to chat to strangers when you sit and quilt at a table. I met some really lovely people which made going to the Show so worthwhile. Soon it was all over and on the Monday morning we had to go our separate ways, Carin on the train to London and Sue and I in the car back to Norfolk. Luckily the traffic was kind to us and we got home in good time but it still took us several days to get over all the talking we did.
Since being home, I have been invited to loan my silk christening gown (National Championship winner) to the Quilters Guild Museum for their exhibition entitled 'Celebrations' next year. Details of the exhibition plus others can be found on the museum website http://www.quiltmuseum.org.uk/ . I have been chatting via email with the museum curator Heather Audin, who is delightful and like me a great lover of costume and quilted clothing.
My exhibition 'A Little Love in Every Stitch' is continuing its journey around the UK and is currently at the Great North Quilt Show in Harrogate this weekend and will continue on to The Scottish Quilt Championships on 24 -26 September and then the Autumn Festivals in Malvern and Chilford. I was thrilled with the wonderful article and photos which appears in the latest edition of Fabrications magazine - Thank you Vicky you have done me proud!
Well, it is onwards and upwards with the book and it will be somewhat difficult to get back into the swing of things since I have had a few weeks off.
I am planning to go to Chilford over the weekend of 5 - 7 November just to have a last look at my exhibition before it is taken down and returned to me. I hope I may be able to meet up with some of you then.
My last planned workshop of this year will be a Traditional Hand Quilting workshop on Saturday 13th November at Creative Sewing at Hampton Court http://www.creativequilting.co.uk/ I understand that it is booking well and I look forward to meeting lots of new quilting friends when I am there. As I went to school just down the road from the Hall, I would love to think I might meet up with someone I knew from all that time ago.
Happy quilting,
Jacquie
