Modern Quilt Guild Swap

Several months ago, I signed up to participate in a swap at the London Modern Quilt Guild.  Our swap partners were from the Ancaster Modern Quilt Guild and we were given some information about our swap partners and their preferences.  The quilts were to be no bigger than 24" X 24". We handed our quilts in at the July meeting and they were to be distributed at the August meeting when the Ancaster Guild members would be visiting.

You may remember the quilt that I made--my husband thought it was a hat...

I was not able to be at the August meeting as I was away on vacation so Christine brought my quilt to me a couple of weeks after I got back.

My swap partner's name is Nicole and she wrote me this lovely note that came with my quilt:

I had mentioned that I liked liberated quilts, such as those made by Gwen Marston.  I love my liberated log cabin quilt, Nicole!  The colours are wonderful and the quilting is divine!  Thanks so much for swapping with me.   Christine told me that Nicole knew that the quilt I made for her was not a hat!

(I'm not sure what Kristin and Nicole were looking at while this picture was taken!)

If I get another chance to participate in a swap, I think I will jump in with both feet!

Liberated Baskets Workshop

Today, I taught a liberated baskets workshop for a group of 8 quilters from the London Friendship Quilters' Guild. My friend, Christine, was there to help out as well. We started with a short discussion about Liberated Quilting and Christine and I talked about attending the Beaver Island Quilt Retreats where we were converted to liberated quilt making by Gwen Marston. (This is a quilt that Christine, Carol and I made for Gwen and gave to her at the final BIQR in 2013.--note the centre of the quilt is a liberated string basket!)

 

 

We started by learning how to make a simple liberated basket with a machine appliqued bias handle. 

 

Here is Maureen with her basket:

 

 

You can't tell from the picture, but Anne made all of her baskets mini sized. 

 

 

This is Lynsey's basket:

 

 

Striped fabrics are fun for the handles.

 

 

 

After everyone had made one basket, we got back together to talk about the endless possibilities for liberated basket blocks.  I showed lots of pictures of quilts from Gwen Marston's books of Gwen's and other quilters' basket quilts. Then, the magic happened.  Everyone got it!  Dozens of interesting and creative baskets emerged from the sewing machines around the room.

 

A flower pot basket by Anne:

 

 

 

A two handled purse by Pam:

 

 

Mary's Oriental Fabric purse:

 

 

Anne's double handled basket:

 

 

Lorraine's aqua basket on a wild background:

 

At the end of the day, we talked about how to put the blocks together--the blocks were not made all the same size. Each quilter had a chance to show off their blocks.

 

Anne's mini baskets--note that one fell over! She also made a pile of three baskets.

 

 

Lynsey's baskets (she is thinking of embroidering some flowers on the middle white piece.): 

 

Pam's baskets (the top left one is a clutch with a little bow on the top edge.):

 

Christine's blue Civil War fabric baskets:

 

 

Edith's Easter Baskets:

 

 

Susan's baskets (I love the orange handle on the blue basket!):

 

Lorraine's baskets (Love the stripes!)

 

 

Mary's Oriental Purses with fun handles:

 

 

 

Maureen used Wonder Under and machine blanket stitch for her handles. 

 

 

These are my baskets.  I am making a liberated basket sampler. 

 

 

I have another block started but not done yet.  This one will have flowers of some sort on the ends of the stems and I will likely add some leaves as well.

 

 

It was a great day. I was pleased that everyone went outside their usual style and embraced liberated quilt making for the day.

 

 



Pink and Brown Charity Block

Each month, all 16 members of the Elgin Piecemakers make blocks in predetermined colours. Some members are known to make their blocks at the last minute before the meeting, but I like to get my blocks done ahead of time.

September's colours are pink and brown so I dug through my stash and found some pink and brown civil war fabrics.  I have been making mostly liberated blocks this year, inspired by Gwen Marston's  Beaver Island quilt retreats that I have attended the last three years. 

This month's block is made from four Kathy's Blocks.  Kathy is a long time BIQR quilter and she invented this block by accident one year and it became an inspiration for many quilts made by several of the people who have attended Gwen's classes and who have read Gwen's Liberated Quiltmaking II book.





Here is my block...

 

 

I have also been working on my wonky house block but you will have to wait to see my progress until Sunday when I will post pictures and link to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching. 

BIQR 2013: Gwen's Show and Tell

One of the highlights of BIQR for me is Gwen's lecture/show and tell on Wednesday morning. This year, our theme was "Looking Forward" and Gwen picked some of her favourite quilts to show us.

Someone once told her that the borders should be in scale with the piecing. She obviously disagreed!

Simple piecing with a few rogue blocks.

Lots of baskets...love the handles!

Red baskets with dancing handles.

More applique, completed while travelling. The quadrants are not all the same.

 

Another wonderful two colour quilt.

 

 

Gwen's first liberated star quilt.

 

 

A more recent liberated star quilt. I love how the on point setting pops the starts out into the border.

 

 

Gwen's favourite quilt showcasing of the people, animals and things that bring meaning to her life.

 

 

Gwen is a big fan of string quilts.

 

 

Gwen gave us a mini lesson on how she makes string blocks without foundations.

 

 

 

Creative hands

 

 

Amazing hand quilting. She did a mini lesson on hand quilting too.

 

 

 

A look at Gwen's quilting frame posts.

 

 

 

These hands have done a lot of this!

 

 

Gwen always leaves the quilts out for us to look at them more closely. 

So much inspiration!











The Fashions of BIQR

 

 

 

At each Beaver Island Quilt Retreat, there are shirts available for sale and this year was no exception. Here is this year's shirt, modelled by Gwen!

 

Here is Gwen again, wearing last year's liberated medallion shirt while she looks through the quilt blocks given to her by all of the quilters at this year's retreat for her birthday. The block I made her is on the right.   Here is a picture of all of the blocks.

 

 

 

 

One of Gwen's grandsons embellished her crocs with long grass he found at the beach. You can see from the design that he is already liberated, just like his grandmother!

 



Here is the BIQR 2010 shirt.

 

 

This is Gwen sitting in front of one quilter's design wall...we call this picture: 

Gwen...the Statue of Liberated!

 

Barb recently celebrated her 65th birthday with a liberated tattoo!

 

This shirt says it all!

 

This one even includes the English translation...

 

Some quilter's jewellery!

 

Deb's sketch

(Her jewellery matched her quilt...)

 

 

The shirt below belongs to me...more than one person at the retreat wondered if I had ever tried to snap some of the snaps!

 

A fun jacket...

 

and another one.

 

All quilters need comfy shoes!

 

 

How about these ones? (ignore the photographer's finger in the lower right corner....)

 

Here is a picture of Gwen's Birthday cake:

 

 Enjoyed by all!