Friday 12 August 2016

Festival of Quilts 2016

I am very lucky to live near the NEC, the home of the Festival of Quilts. For the first 9 years of its existence I was a Quilt Angel, for some of those years a Team Leader. I enjoyed opening the packages, logging the Competition quilts, being part of hanging the quilts and getting the show ready for the judges and then the visitors. Now I enjoy being a visitor and seeing all the lovely quilts, galleries, personalities and looking round all the stalls. A little bit of Retail Therapy too!

Thursday was First Day of the Show and I took my sister. We always enjoy our day out together, marvelling at the quilts and marking our favourites in the catalogue.

Today, Friday, I went with my neighbour who is just beginning her quilting journey.  We bought basic equipment and looked at quilts as I pointed out some of the standard blocks. I enjoyed this as she was a great pupil, lots of questions and interest.

I also took lots of photos.

I was very excited to see 2 quilts made by my New Zealand quilter friend Jennie.
Firstly, "Labour of Love".  Well named as it took Jennie 4 years to hand sew this quilt.

 
 
 
She also showed her quilt called "Melinda", a quilt for her Grandma, Melinda, who had breast cancer. Jennie said" Despite surgery and being "patched up" she was still beautiful in body and spirit. The background is pieced in blues and greens to represent water as at times a cancer diagnosis can feel like drowning.
 


I had seen this quilt in NZ, didn't know it was being entered in the Show, so it gave me a lovely feeling to see it and know who made it!

Another NZ Quilter is Juliet who blogs as 'The Tartankiwi'.  She gave the heads up about the quilt she had entered in the FOQ this year, called "Hunted".  Lovely to see the actual quilt, Juliet!

 
 
 
So many other quilts I loved, so here are a few of the ones which caught my eye:
"Bullrushes" by Hilary Beattie
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Walled Garden, Broughton Castle" by Australian quilter Dorothy Clee:

 
 
"Never Again" by Anne Hill:  This was a wool applique quilt.
 
 
"I want to live here" by Laura Armiraglio:
 
 


"Rainbow Lorikeet" by Helen Godden:
 


Lots more, but I need to finish here and get to bed, ready for tomorrow, my last day at the Show, looking at everything I haven't yet seen.
 
 

 
 

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