Carolyn Forster's Quilting-On-The-Go

Popped up the road yesterday to visit the Decorative Living Fair at Eridge Park, which is between Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough. It's aways nice to see these shows and get inspired.

I was especially keen to go as I saw that Viv of 'Hen's teeth' was going to be there.

Her stand was close to the entrance so I did not have to look very far for her! It was lovely to have chat with her. I have purchased from her Etsy site before, so it was a real treat to be able to see her lovely things in person, and then spend my pennies.

I was glad to have stopped by when I did, as when I passed her on my way out a while later, her stock was very much depleted. Hope it was a good day Viv!

Viv also teaches, it would be great to have her down this way to do some classes don't you think?

Then in another tent was 'Washerwoman'. This was a great surprise as I had not realised this lady would be there. She had a lovely selection of things and I was very taken by some Sanderson fabric. She also had a hexagon quilt that was unfinished and folded so you could only see the back. I asked to see it before I paid for my fabric, and it was love at first sight!!

The hexagons are tiny, about 1/2in from point to point, and the pattern was amazing.

No pictures here just yet, but this is the piece on her stand, that I did not buy:

It was small tray cloth perhaps 12in by 18in (?).

These lozenge hexagons were about 1/2in from top to bottom, and as well as the fussy cutting and design planning, some of them were cut into four pieces:

These were just painstakingly sewn beautiful pieces. Something that is a complete labour of love!

Having read so much about hexagon quilts ever since I started quilting in the early 1980's, and now with their popularity returning and becoming a 'fashionable stitch' again, I have looked for a hexagon quilt that really grabbed me as something special. And I am so pleased to have one! I promise pictures when the weather gets better.

I have also been stitching away, so will try to post about my stitching before I go to Kansas City, MI, USA for the trade fair next week.

In the meantime pop over and see Victoria, for  woman who gets things done!!!

Just love her 'Scrapping it Up' quilt, quilted in my favourite design of Baptist Fan!

There's a little bit of everything in this post!

I had a great day last weekend when I taught the Spools workshop at Natterjack Quilters.

One of the questions I was asked in the day was 'How many spools do most people get sewn in the day?'

Well I said then that I had not really ever been counting, but I can tell you now, no group had made a whole quilt top in the day. Until the Natterjacks did!

Here is the top:

And here are the lovely ladies:

They were sewing it from donated fabric and were aiming to complete it and the raise some money for Cancer Research and their local church. I think that is right, such a lovely group and great causes!

Around here the sewing has been a bit on the slow side. However, I am to catch up over the next fews weeks as we are away to France to ski, and I take some stitching to do too!

I will be working on these 'Rose Star One Patch' blocks from The Quilters Album of Patchwork Patterns by Jinny Beyer.

This is what I have done so far:

I plan on sewing about nine, but I will see how it goes, as they are very large. I should have put a ruler for scale in the shot!

For more quilty inspiration whilst I am away go take a look at what Jane has sewn this week from the Blue fabrics!

And a quilt I have long admired as Lori has been working on it is this. I just love this, and she has done such great job!

See you all after Easter!

Well if you are here for the tour, let's get down to business!

Each day a great blog author will be telling you why they think my new book is a good idea for you to have on your book shelf.

At the end of the tour if you have left a comment on my blog I will be doing a drawing  for this bundle of goodies:

Utility Quilting

Valdani Cotton Pearl no12

Bohin Betweens needles size 5

and

a bundle of Makower's latest fabric line.

I will send world wide, so everyone will get a chance!

Here is the list so you will know where to go each day:

21st February, Elizabeth at Broderie

22nd February, Lucy or Jen at Amitie Textiles or Amitie Girl

23rd February, Lori at Humble Quilts

24th February, Kathie at Inspired by Antique Quilts

27th February, Mary at Molly Flanders

28th February, Nicky at Mrs Sew and Sow

29th February, Jane at  Sew Create it

If you have left a comment with me  by the end , I will do the drawing on March 2nd!

It will be fun to travel around the world to visit with these inspiring quilters!

What will you be sewing while we travel?

I have been working on a Quilting-on-the-Go Spools quilt, but no pictures just yet! Sorry for the tease!

I do however have pictures of a quilt I have been hand piecing for a little while, 'Boxed in Diamonds' I think it is called:

It has been growing from the centre outwards, and I am so surprised at how big it has gotten in a short space of time!

 I was spurred on to finish this which has been on my floor all week.

It sort of makes me think about how the bits of colour are highlighted when the snow comes.

Rather than everything being white, you notice the colours you can see more.

After last weeks excitement of being talked about on a podcast, some of you might like to know that I will be talking in person next week on Mark Lipinski's radio show, 'Creative Mojo' !!!! Check it out over here.

I am going to be talking about the new Utility Quilting book. 

Mark always has so much energy, I feel sure I will feel it from across the Pond! I need to focus on the time difference though, to make sure I am not in my PJ's when the big moment comes!

(And Nicky , that is all I have to say!)

At the end of February there will be more great stuff to hear about the book, but not from me. Yes, I am sorting a small Blog Tour, so you can hear what some other people have to say about the book!

Hang in  there!

In the meantime go over to Barbara's blog to see how she is getting on with stitching the Court House Step quilt from the book! Great Job Barbara!

Jill at 'The Patchwork Dog and Basket' in Lewes generously shared  her collection of antique quilts in a lovely display in the vaults of the Needlemakers where her great shop is. This display was part of the arts festival held around Lewes.

Here is a taste of what we saw.

1930's stars:

1930' Periwinkle:

Hexgons' from the late 1800's:

Hexagons from the early 1800's!

A view of the room:

I'll show more another time! Thanks Jill!

Kathie mentioned in her post yesterday (2nd June), a tumbler quilt template that I have in the Kaleidoscope Hexagon pattern that I sell. And in doing so we discovered that I have not got the pattern on my website yet! Sorry, things will be updated in the Summer!

I mentioned the pattern for the quilt in a previous blog post here.

This is the quilt that I made from the pieces left over form the quilt, I used to sew this tumbler quilt:

The pattern is available from me in the UK at £10-95, and in the US direct from Landauer. at $18-95. The pattern book includes the rotary cutting templates!

Phew! Two posts in one day is a bit of a record!

Thanks Kathie for pointing this out!

There have been a couple of quilts that people are sewing on-line that I have enjoyed looking at, and this week I have sewn exploratory blocks, not to make the whole quilt, but just to see how I feel now that I have had a go!

This first one is from a quilt in the Tokyo Quilt show this year. You can see it here. Bad skirt blog also has a tutorial, but I just based my blocks on a 2in grid, so it is slightly bigger!

I also liked this variation, as I shuffled the bits around before sewing it together!

The other block I have seen a lot of lately is the Union Jack! I even saw some sewing patterns for sale for this at Quilt Market!

I made mine from 'Lily's Quilts' website tutorial here.

Thanks Girls for the great tutorials!

And last but not least, take a look at this exhibition in the US if you are remotely drawn to hexagon quilts. Many of you know I sew mine really large, I mean with big shapes to make them grow fast, but I still love looking at the intricate ones!

Click here, and scroll down to see all of the quilts!

Have a good weekend!

I stitched this tryout block from the Jinny Beyer book of Blocks . The pattern pieces were in the QNM for Feb/March 2011 I think.

I made it by hand, as I often find this quicker for a one off. I love it, but I think it needs to be bigger. This one measures 12" accross the middle. It is called 'The Gay Comos'.

For some hints and tips on how simple it is to hand piece, check out the Minnock and Simpson blog as Laurie is hand piecing some 8 point stars. How relaxing is that in front of a good film!

It is a bit like the blocks from the George II quilt from the V and A show last year. I know they were round, but this has that same sort of intracy about it.

Those of you who admired the quilt might like to know that Marta, a Spainish quilter has started to draught the blocks, and has the pattern to download. Check out her site here! I have a copy of the pattern with all the best intentions….!

It will be great to see how she gets on, and if others have a go!

Sorry to those of you who I missed when we cancelled the workshop last Wednesday because of the snow.

I am trying to get the pictures off the camera, but the technology is not happening at the moment, so my pictures of snow and antique blocks that I got in the US will have to wait a day or two.

In the meantime my friend Jennifer sent me some pictures from the Take and Teach that I did at the Quilt Market in Houston.

In full flow!

The funniest thing was that these two ladies at the front were from Holland! I had read about one, Isabeau in Quiltmania, and the other had a blog that I look at! It was so great to meet them!

Go and see what Meester has to say about the show! It was also funny as Jennifer who was helping me has connections to Holland and had been over there in the Summer. What a small world!

For a good account of what shop owners get up to, read what Anna has to say over at The Eternalmakers blog!

Having seen the pictures on Meesters blog about the book signing of the 'A History of Dutch Quilts' at Festval I finally ordered my own copy. It is just lovely, so inspiring! The quilts and the fabrics are great, simlpe shapes and beautiful fabrics. If you need to add something to your Chrismas list, I suggest that this is it! I got mine here.

My Take and Teach at Quilt Market in Houston this year is based on my new Kaliedoscope Hexagon pattern. But don't worry we are not sewing the whole quilt, just having a taster with a pincushion!

So if you are over there register and come along! It is on Monday 1st November, class 501.

And for those of you, closer to home I am starting a regular class ain Bells Yew Green, Tunbridge Wells in January 2011.

Email me for details! It's a Monday morning, 9-15am to 12-15pm