Exhibition - sharing "Midsomer Quilting" Newsletter

I don't do any advertising on my blog as a rule, but I could not let this pass by :

Below is a part of "Midsomer Quilting" newsletter re their forthcoming exhibition of "Man-Made",

 please read, it will become clear 😀.

MIDSOMER QUILTING NEWSLETTER You can do us a huge favour - please This newsletter has come out a week earlier than I intended (as the lockdown restrictions ease) and it’s only a third of its recent length because of today’s wonderful newspaper headline. Galleries to Re-open So our Man-Made exhibition can go ahead in August! But now it’s too late to get publicity in the magazines and the rest of the media.  We’ve been holding off giving the exhibition the full-blooded publicity that we think it deserves, because of uncertainty about the corona virus and its restrictions.  When can it open?  Can you help us to ‘get it out there’ through your personal contacts? Groups? Blogs? Facebook? Newsletters? Twitter? Instagram? You’ve probably read most of the next few paragraphs before, but I’m reprinting it all in case it’s of use to help you spread the word. The exhibition will take place at the shop in Chilcompton - MidsomerQ.com - every day from August 7th until August 31st.  Admission is free. I’m pretty certain that this is the first time an entire exhibition has been devoted exclusively to the work of males of all abilities. Nothing that has been offered has been turned down. The few shows that I’ve read about in the States exhibit the work of professionals quilters or at the very least, highly rated individuals – everything is ‘juried’ and faultless. But our show is different. Yes, it will also show the work of professionals of the highest international standard (one of whom has twice won the Vistors’ Choice award at Houston). But as well as these quilts there will also be outstanding quilts made by ‘amateurs’.  There will be the highly impressive work of children.  Nicholas Ball, author of Inspiring Improv, is contributing quilts. Others are arriving from prize-winner quilters in Canada and the USA.

Contributors’ ages run from eight to 78 - like the one above (there may be older ones, but if so they’re keeping shtum). There are quilts made by prisoners. Two quilters who were widowed 18 months ago and have since taken up the needle - having never threaded one before.  Then there’s a vast quilt made by The Tent Makers of Cairo (that one is 624 times larger than smallest ones on show). Why are we doing this?  We have long been aware of the many men who beaver away, creating beautiful quilts in their spare rooms, unsure of their own ability, and with no one to share their enthusiasm. As a result, we are staging this three-week long exhibition to showcase, exclusively, man-made quilts. Ninety-three quilts covering the whole range of ability. What do the contributors have in common?  They all have a direct link to MQ themselves or were introduced to us by our customers Paducah I had two emails this week from male quilters. Both had entered quilts in the massive quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky. It was due to open on Friday, September 5th, but has just been cancelled, and they emailed to offer their quilts for our show in August.  (Quite an honour!) Chris chkippy@icloud.com https://midsomerq.com/

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

Midsummer

Happy Midsummer to all in the north part of the Globe; I always feel little sad because it means that from now on we will be loosing a little bit of the daylight every day, and specially as we have been looking forward to this summer so much!

We have had lots of rain during the past week, very welcome, our little garden has much fresher look and lots of colour coming through.

I am now working on the second part of the Manor House quilt,

I like the fabrics I am using, but some of them seem to appear "swallowed up" by the grey background, so I have decided to stitch a row of chain stitch, using an embroidery thread, around the outlines of the vases, 

to give them more definite shape.

It seems to work quite well, I think.....

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

the last bonus FNwF,

again back at Cheryll's, who always manages to get some of us together, thank you for that, Cheryll!

So, here we are, another week and we will be officially in summer. Spring is usually my favourite time of year, but this year we have missed out on so much of it, although we watched the small steps in the tiny space of our back garden, but no open fields or woods, where we would normally enjoy the arrival of spring...something to look forward to next year........

There was a point during the last few weeks when my brain needed to focus on something totally new, to move forward.

When I came across "Manor House" quilt by Dawn Heese, it seemed just 

like the right project to get into. The original pattern was designed for wool applique, but I much prefer to work with fabrics.

I am not overly keen on dark fabrics, but here it works so well, and not being able to visit a real shop, I spent some time online trying to find the one for the background, one which would work for me - and here it is - from "Winter Garden" range by Lewis & Irene.

At first glance it looks like the whole main part of the quilt is made in one piece, but actually there are 4 very wide parts, joined together.

I started to work on part 3, the actual Manor House, as this is probably the most important section,

and also it is a while since I stitched an applique house and I was looking forward to doing it.

For the main part of the house I used one of Moda Grunge fabrics, which has that nice "aged" look, and another one for the roofs.

So, that was my project for Friday night, 

 to finish this part.

I am using some fabrics, which I would not normally consider as being "me", but I am trying to go with the spirit of the quilt, and I think they work well.

At last we have been having some decent rain during the last few days, which the garden is just lapping up, and everything is looking much fresher, and also the water buts have been replenished.

I wish you a very good week, and be careful out there, it is not over yet!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

still here........

Today has been a first day in weeks I have spent indoors;

all through the lock down we had wonderful weather, at times too warm to do any sewing. In our part of the world, the month of May was the sunniest month on record.

We are now slowly coming out of the lock down, despite many scientists warning against it.

At last we were able to see our grandchildren for the first time since early March, and our children could visit us in our garden. Normal? No, long way from it, but even these small steps are very welcome.

We spent weeks living outside in our small patch of a garden, which has slowly woken up, and despite the very dry weather, it has somehow survived. It is much cooler today, and we have seen the first rain in weeks.

I spent the time mostly reading, doing some baking, and being very thankful that we have a small outside space all to ourselves to hide in, away from all those horrid statistics and numbers.

I worked on another 10in block;

So this a lock down block no 5. 

I think I will finish with these, for now anyway. 

I will just put them away for a while, may be they will come useful sometime.

There is also few more circles on the "Circle Play" top.

Last week some new fabrics arrived by post, and I have been playing with something new,

but that is for another post.

------------------------------------

And this is something for our Australian friends - 1976 Holden Kingswood ("the car that got Australia moving, mate").

It is good few years since our son returned from his year long trip to Australia, working his way around; travelling and sometimes living in this car, clockwise from Perth to Melbourne. When he took a flight back home, the car started a long sea journey to UK. He just could not part with it. Since then the car lived in front of various houses (including ours) and garages, but at last during the last 2 years was being lovingly restored (the parts being ordered online from Australia); even the leather upholstery is new. It was entered in this May's Mendip Rally, but of course that was cancelled;
another day...........

Someone in Perth might recognise this car 😀 

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

FNwF- 8th May

Another week gone and it was back to Cheryll's for the second FNwF this month; thank you for inviting us again, Cheryll, you get us thinking about our friends around the world, crafting away.

I must come clean - there was no clever "needle" stuff going on here. Friday was a perfect day here, warm without being too hot, with just a light breeze. DH and I lit the BBQ for two and spend the evening chilling out outside; it was the first real summer evening this year. I finished reading another book, second one that week.

But during the week I did finish the block I was working on last week,

and I made another one. 

I am not sure where this is going, 

but for now I am just enjoying making them.

It is the bluebell time over here, but this year we are not able to drive anywhere to see them,

so I recycled pictures from previous years, also to use as a new header.

You can at least see what I am talking about, in case you haven't seen this wonderful display before. It is rather special time in England at this time of year.

There is more and more colour coming through in our little patch -

foxgloves and spring irises,

and the first clematis blossom.

Keep well and healthy!

It will be over one day...............

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020