Harrison Hot Springs 2015 Wrap up

 My last post was the bird quilt with the gaping blue hole that I was deciding what to do with.

This was my view for most of my retreat with participants with their machines and projects on the walls for inspiration and some visiting and consulting of others around the room.

 Several months ago I saw a post on Pinkadot Quilts. It was this particular post that caught my eye Colour My World.  She has a Free Pieced Tutuorial here; it is on her sidebar. I decided to play on some paper to give me an idea of what angles to cut my fabric.  I decided an eraser doesn't work on fabric!

 From there I went to cutting my large piece of blue background fabric on my blue cutting board and spreading the cuts to see how it looked.

 I covered a bulletin board with black flannel to use as a portable design wall.  At first I tried lying various green fabrics that I used to frame the birds but decided it was too busy.

 This is how the piece finished out.  First I sewed the top black pieces to the blue rectangle. Then when I was ready to sew the trunk I carefully added the smaller blue vertical rectangle and framed bird piece that I had lined up and cut the angle for the trunk.  Handling lots of bias was a bit tricky.  Then I sewed in the trunk piece.

 Here is a closer look at just the centre piece.  I'm very pleased how it turned out.  I did use different widths on my branches from 1" to 1 1/2".  I tapered my trunk from 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" at the base.

 Going around the room this is Val's I spy quilt.

 The green tape on this one shows how she sewed four similar units and then rotated them and added the centre square.

 This is Kim's striking bargello.

 Our newsletter editor brought her daughter along, I think she is 15 or 17 and a very enthusiastic new quilter.

 Here Lynne is giving her some ideas how to machine quilt her piece.

 Cathy's memory quilt for a friend who lost a favourite pet.

 Another work in progress by Wendy.

 I forgot my scrappy heart swap, but had the extras in my bag, I laid them out with filler fabrics to sew them together.  This was one of about four layouts I played around with.

 Busy room but loosing participants on Sunday.  26 stayed over until Monday afternoon.

 Daisy's block wine coasters and hexagon table toppers.

 Lorna's work in progress.

 Pink and ready to be machine quilted by Cathy.

 1" strips for a background for Cher...will have even more added.  I will eventually have a galloping horse and train appliqued.

 Sewing rows together by Sandi B.

 A BOM that Donna Mae liked but didn't win so she had her friendship group make her blocks so she could have a quilt.  Designed by Rita it is based on a nine patch.

 Beckie's Jen Kingwell quilt.  She still has some applique to finish but it is amazing.

 Cher's quilt being pinned.

 Betty is working on this Op-Art inspired piece.

 My 2013 bird swap quilt, I took the turquoise headed bird on the lower right out and moved it over 8" and then added borders to the left and right.  I also added one more to the top.

 My mini heart blocks together as a little wall hanging.

So ends another retreat, lots of fun, some good finishes and a lack of sleep.

Harrison Hot Springs 2015 Retreat

Friday morning I drove out to our annual guild retreat in Harrison Hot Springs.  I stopped along the way at Hamel's Fabrics in Chilliwack.  This shop has been in various locations since 1956; this is the most recent venue set amongst farms.

 I love driving up and seeing what seasonal display is on the porch.  Hamel's Fabric was featured in the latest Quilt Sampler magazine which I finally managed to get my hands on a copy!

 Lovely Crabapple Studios designs are popular here.

 I bought this pattern several years ago, love the crescent moon and star pumpkin...

 ...and the crow and stars one.

 Early arrivals setting up.  This year we had 40 participants in the large room, they also included a second design, ironing, breakfast room.  We then had a buffet set up for dinners in a third ballroom adjacent to each other.

 Starting to fill up.

 My number one project was to put these birds together in a small wall hanging.  It was an on line Mary Lou Weidman swap I received in July 2014.

 Starting to build from the bottom up.

 My table mate Wendy is working on a quilt for her grand daughter's tenth birthday next year.

 Cathy got this Cogs top together.

 Beckie has been working on Chrissie Down Under for 5 years, she got the top done, but I missed getting a picture.

 A completed square quilt to the left by Tricia, and a work in progress by Lorna.

 Celeste is working on a pumpkin table runner.

 Thinking of going in a slightly different direction...

Maybe some blue with something else...will think on it for awhile.

Playing with fabric is fun and trying new techniques out in your head can be challenging.  Need to draw a few things out and then cut the fabric.  What will be in the space?

Bird Dance

Pretty colours for the next three bird blocks arrived yesterday!


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Fraser Valley Quilters' Quilt present Marianne Parsons.

Today Marianne Parsons showed her journey as a quilter today. I took these photos with my iPad so I apologize on the quality despite being in the first row.

Marianne works with both new and recycled fabrics and does some amazing work. I recall seeing this piece made in 1995 before when she was at our guild. It has various techniques including 3-D aspects to it and is still s favourite of mine.


This is a very large quilt that she painted the centre of with sun print paints.


This was a piece that Marianne collaborated with several other Quilter's across Canada. She had them creat blocks depicting their part of Canada, she as for un-squared blocks but got them squared. She then rough cut them so they would flow together. She used Crayola Crayons to add movement between the blocks.


This piece started as a jacket that she used bleach on, it turned a rusty pink after starting as the grey colour. Multiple techniques were used in the finished piece. Marianne is on the left in blue.


This was a challenge amongst a group of Quilter's. She used the Re for Real Women. The first gal has her hair in curlers made from drinking straws. The second gal's hair is made from polyester fabric cut in triangles and the edges pasted thru a candle flame to help curl it. The last gal's hair is also finished with the candle flame and has a hat with a leaf from what are called silk flowers although really polyester.


A use of multiple techniques to make this piece. The cabbages were made with crayons.


Old recycled polyester damask tablecloths dyed pink. Not her usual colour palette.


Sumac leaves made from fabric a fellow quilter who dyed his own fabric. The cat was made from various fibres and fabrics all recycled.


Square stones with leaves and other images from nature including feathers and dragonflies.


Some commercial fabrics, rubber stamping she designed, along with stencils. She faced the leaves and cut out the backs to make smaller and smaller images.


Sheer fabric with a paper layer and various techniques to make this quilt.


Various techniques to make apple blossoms on a commercial fabric background.


Originally a commission piece made to cover a large electrical box, she liked the design so much she made me for herself. The leaves all have burnt edges and are stitched on using the stem and veins. Echo skeleton leaves around the border.


A new piece using multiple techniques once again.


I got up onto the stage and got a few closer looks at several pieces.


An old denim shirt with dye discharge and thread painting amongst other techniques.


A closer view of the leaf quilt.


After the lecture I did ask Marianne if it was alright for me to post these pictures and she said yes. She is a part of the Fibre Arts Network and Fabrications who currently have a display at the Peachland Museum in B.C. until November 2014.

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