Over for another year

Festival of Quilts is over for another year.

Here I am talking about Explosion Books

I went around all the exhibitions which were excellent.  I also looked at the competiton quilts.  Most years I have taken photos of things that have jumped out at me but this year I came away with having only taken two photos. 

2nd prize Art Quilt by Leah Higgins

'Navigating History' by Lesley Hall

I went to the show with a list of things to buy and I was really good.  I like buying threads from Paintbox Threads (left) and Maytime-Valdani.  The latter retailers are Australian and FOQ is the only show they do in the UK.

At Barnyarns I bought machine needles, Janome bobbins, rotary cutter blades and machine threads.

I also bought 5 metres of Quilters Calico from Lady Sew and Sew.  So well done me!

Until ....

I bought this quilt by Leah Higgins.

This photograph is from where it was hanging in her stand at the show.  I've yet to decide where it will hang at home.  It's called What Lies Beneath.

Roll on next year: Festival of Quilts 2025

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

What's happening this week?

The Festival of Quilts

Yeah

The best show at the NEC in my opinion.

It starts on Thursday and ends on Sunday afternoon.  There's still time to buy your ticket.

If you come to the Show at the weekend pop into the Creative Textiles Studio and say hello.

I'll be there demonstrating Explosion Books from 1.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Hope to see you there
Bernice

Festival of Quilts 2023

Festival of Quilts is over for another year. I didn't take many photos this time.  In the past I've taken lots of photos and then don't look at them, particularly those I take for inspiration because it's a risk that you end up making a very poor copy.  However I did take a few.

Steph Redfern

I loved this idea from Laura Kemshall for displaying sketchbooks.

Laura Kemshall

As it was the show's 20th Anniversary there was a gallery of winners quilts from over the years.   'Flight' won first prize in the Art Quilt category in 2013.

Jill Exell

This was the prize winner in this year's Modern Quilt category.

Vendulka Battais

Outside the Creative Textiles Studio was this beautiful tribute to the wonderful Christine Chester.

Christine Chester

I worked a half day in the Creative Textiles Studio for each of the four days - on three of which I showed my fabric books.  And talked and talked and talked!

I was so encouraged by all the lovely comments I received about my work.

The show is an amazing opportunity for retail therapy.  The majority of stands have massive stocks of patchwork fabric but probably 20% sell haberdashery and other items.  The only thing I really needed was some iron-on interfacing and maybe some machine threads.  The show offer made buying 3 reels of cotton cheaper so guess what!

Lady Sew & Sew sell the most amazing fine soft calico.  I still have some left from last year but I'm saving the postage if I bought some more.  (It's amazing how you convince yourself you are saving money!)

And then!  There were Paintbox Threads, Perle from Little L's and the beautiful Valdani threads.  The Valdani threads are from a wholesaler in Australia and the FOQ is their only retail outlet, so of course I have to stock up.  There are some stockists in the UK apparently!

Next year's Festival of Quilts is Thursday 1st August to Sunday 4th August.  Put it in your diary NOW.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

FOQ Preview

It's almost time for the Festival of Quilts 2023.  It starts on Thursday but there's still time to get tickets.

In the Creative Textiles Studio, I will be showing and talking about my fabric books on the afternoons of Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  I'm working at the Sales Table on Friday morning.

If you are a regular reader you will already know about my fabric books.  Here's a taster of what I will be showing.  Watch on YouTube if you need subtitles.

If you do come to the show do please introduce yourself.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice

4 days this summer

During the past few weeks I have been watching lots of sport on the television.  The Commonwealth Games and then the European Championships!  I've also read lots of books on my Kindle and played Solitaire - especially when it was too hot to do anything else.

But there's been a flurry of activity over the past few days, starting with my birthday last Wednesday.  Actually when I think about it I spent the day doing much of what I've described above - watching sport, playing Solitaire and reading.  However the flurry started with going out to dinner to celebrate.  I had the most enormous fish platter at a local Portuguese restaurant.

 

After eating all that lot, it was just as well that the next 4 days included a lot of walking.  I had volunteered to help at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC.

I stewarded in the Celebrating the Creative Textiles Studio on Thursday morning and Friday morning.  On Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons I demonstrated how to make stitched books.

Photo by Lesley J Darnell

On Saturday and Sunday I went to the Show an hour or so before my demo time so I could walk round the show.

I'm not a fan of traditional patchwork quilts but I do like some of the quilts in the modern, contemporary and art categories.  I used to take lots of photos of the work that appealed to me but this year only 3 pieces stood out to me.

Modern: Streets where we lived by Megan Arnold

Contemporary: Fracture lines by Kathy Collins

Art: Desolation by Anna Woodhead

 

Now I need to get back to the ideas that are germinating from the four days at Summer School.

 

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Thermofax printing

Last week I spent Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon demonstrating printing on fabric with Thermofax screens and thickened dye, at the Festival of Quilts.  You can find out more about Thermofax screens at screens4printing.

I used a scraper or a sponge roller to push the dye through the screen.

I also used stencils.

I built up layers over layers - not waiting for anything to dry.

My aim was to cover all of the white fabric.

On Friday I bought a new screen.  I also started on a new piece of white fabric.

The wet dye always looks much darker than when the whole piece is washed out and ironed.

And here are the two pieces of fabric washed out.  This is a metre.

And this was a half metre

Now to think what I might make with it all.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Festival of Quilts

Last weekend I went to the Festival of Quilts.  I am very fortunate that the show is only a 25 minute bus ride away.  I have a bus pass so the journey is free and I don't have to pay the extortionate amount that is charged for parking.   I was also very fortunate to be given a ticket for the show in return for an hour's stewarding on Leah Higgin's gallery.  Surrounded by breakdown printing!!

I spent much longer at the show than I would normally and I think I still managed to miss bits because photos come up on my Facebook newsfeed of textiles I don't remember seeing.  In this post you will only see photos of things that caught my eye.

Connecting threads, fading borders by Annelies Ghyselen

Plot 105: 52 weeks by Alice Fox

Several pieces by Eszter Bornemisza

I think this piece may have been the most popular exhibit in the show.  It's certainly the one I've see most on my Facebook newsfeed.

Breakdown by Sue Hotchkiss

Binic Boat Stack by Deborah Sexton

Summer Time by Janet Bevan

Twelve by Natalia Davydenko

Three Poems by Stephanie Redfern

shallow water by hanne ladegaard

Fractured Circles by Robyn Fahy

Blue Mesh by Lucie Summers

Venice by Janice Gunner

Fading ii by Christine Chester

And after spending more than an hour in Leah's gallery I did not take one photo of her work.  What was I thinking!!!!??!!

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice