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I am a quilter living in Woodbridge, Suffolk who has made quilts since I was a teenager. I also ring bells! Both are great British traditions....I will try to feature some of my antique Welsh and Durham quilts, the quilts I make myself, my quilting activities and also some of my bellringing achievements. Plus as many photos as I can manage. NB: Double click on the photos to see greater detail, then use back button to return to the main page.













Thursday 25 June 2015

DVD on Hawaiian Quilts

I recently bought this book and DVD from the US. As it is a pattern, it escaped customs and excise taxes. I dont often order goods or fabrics from the States, as I prefer to support stores here in the UK. But...I made an exception in this case!


The booklet is accompanied by a DVD. Naturally, I shoved it in the DVD player connected to the TV. The television systems here are different to those in the States...I should have realised....anyhow, the DVD wouldn't play properly...it just stuttered with the audio and also with the visuals, making it unwatchable....

Luckily, there was a plan B....to play it on the computer. A bit of tinkering with the sound levels on my laptop and we were there! It worked....I am looking forward to viewing the whole of this.....not much that is really new to me, but nice to have lots of ideas. Also, it struck me that designing a Hawaiian quilt is very similar to designing a wholecloth quilt in many ways...


I also recently bought this vintage Hawaiian pattern, Silversword by Elizabeth Akana. I may want to modify this a bit......a different pattern from the one I made previously. I am also hoping to have a go with designing my own pattern.

Sunday 7 June 2015

Green Durham Quilt with Strippy Patterns

Here is a wholecloth quilt, which has been quilted with strippy patterns. The quilting is not elaborate, but is very attractive. I imagine that it must be a club quilt or one made by a church group. The patterns cover the cloth nicely but are not too intricate - ideal for a servicable quilt.


The quilting patterns include twists, fans, a four lobed pattern and a flower in a square pattern, arranged as if on a strippy quilt.


This quilt was much used in the past, which of course is to be expected as this was a utility quilt and not an heirloom!


The back is a white sateen, the quilting shows up nicely with the thick cotton wadding.


Another photo of the quilting.

I was interested to find this photo in Brenda Marchbanks book, Durham Quilting. It is a framed quilt with very similar strippy patterns in the plain centre.
This quilt was from a church group in Grangetown, Sunderland (1912) - I wonder if the green quilt might be from the same stable or area?