Just the start

of my birthday celebrations.

Yesterday we went to Coventry to see a quilt exhibition at Coventry Cathedral.  But first we had lunch at The Golden Cross.  I had Seabass with crushed potatoes, wilted spinach and cauliflower puree.  And a large glass of Merlot.

Then a short stroll to the Cathedral to see the exhibition of Alexandra Kingswell's absolutely beautiful Seeking the Light exhibtion.  It's on until the end of August so you have a couple of weeks to go and see it.

It wasn't the easiest of spaces to take photos.  I did manage some and some close ups.

After this, we wandered up to the Coventry Canal Basin to see if it had changed since the last time we were there.  It had been improved.

A statue of James Brindley.

Thanks for being here today.
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

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

The West Country Quilt & Textile Show

Last Saturday I spent the day at The West Country Quilt & Textile Show with Traverse who had an exhibition there.  I had a wander around the show and these are the quilts that jumped out at me.  Most of these were in exhibition galleries rather than competition quilts.

Shenge Fish Market by Isabel Hollis

On To Glory by Judy Fairless

Red Sails in the Sunset by Penny Cole

The Sentinels: Silent Witness by Anne Beare

All That Remains by Gillian Cooper

Yellow Starflowers by Elinor Sigler

Birchington Breakwaters by Margaret Ramsey

Haven Brow at Sunset by Amelia Leigh

Processional Way by Judith Barker

And finally part of a beautiful mixed media zigzag book by Hilary Beattie.

I'm almost tempted to make a quilt myself and enter it into next year's show:  August 20th-22nd.

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