Festival of Quilts 2010

After a quite long period of absence I'm back. It feels like I have been on a tour of the UK, holidaying in Devon for two weeks before visiting relatives in Cheltenham, over to Nottingham for a teaching session and up to Manchester for (sadly) a funeral. After going home for a few days I then left everyone again for the NEC in Birmingham for Festival of Quilts, so this was my home for three nights.

I had such a great but exhausting time and was privileged enough to work with over a hundred children in the children's workshop area. If you helped as well, thank you, especially Karen and Heather who where there the whole time as well. 

Festival is special for me as well as it is the chance to catch up with old friends and friends from overseas who come each year. Anna, Yvonne I hope you caught your flight and made it home to Sweden safely. I have been lucky enough to attend every show since it started at the NEC, I won't forget this year though as my son won a prize. talk about feeling like a proud mum, I wanted to make a badge that said "mother of award winning quilter". Luke was staying with Granny and Grandad so they had to drive him up to receive his prize and certificate at the Gala Dinner. This is him getting his prize and below his quilt.

I am proud to say that apart from helping/supervising when he used the rotary cutter it is all his own work. The pinwheel blocks where made from an old London A-Z (we used to live in London) and black fabric. I want to say a massive thank you to Ferret for encouraging him to continue quilting and to free machine quilt at the Quilters Guild AGM earlier this year.

I don't have any individual permission to publish photos of work but thought that this collage of images would be OK,

On Thursday evening I had a meal with friends before rushing over to the Hilton for the prize giving. I went there again Friday for the international fashion show. It was a very organised evening, great food and even better entertainment from the fashion show. Everyone must have spent hours and hours making their costumes, Ferret's work was fantastic as ever with Phoenix appliqued and quilted onto the back of a leather jacket. DS loved the suit of amour she made for Tet when he visited the show on Saturday.

One thing that made me stop and think was the display of bonnets from the Roses from the Heart project. This was started back in 2005 by Christina Henri and invites people from all over the world to make a bonnet to honour all the convict women from Britain and Ireland that where transported to Australia from 1788 - 1853.

I have been matched to a lady called Isabella Gartland who sailed on the ship "Elizabeth" in 1828. I found out that she was 28, single and a kitchen maid before being deported for vagrancy. I think that Christina needs to collect 25,566 and already had over 18,000. Once they are all made they will be displayed permanently together. If you want to find out more the website is www.christinahenri.com.au/

I have just realised how long this post has turned into so I'll post tomorrow to show you the work that the talented children achieved each day at FoQ