Branching out.................

I had so much fun yesterday. Tish and I toddled our way down to the Ailsa Craig Quilt Festival featuring The Quilts of Great Britain.

It is a long drive so of course to break up the drive we were FORCED to stop at a couple of quilt stores!

I have a very busy day so I will post those pictures later today.

We arrived at the Festival just in time for lunch which was yummy - and extremely busy. Even though it was busy when we arrived, the line when we left was HUGE.  Then we were off to our workshop. I had always wanted to take a workshop at this Festival, but in the past they were day long and well it just never worked out.

Anyway we were up for something different and we got different.   I just LOVED LOVED LOVED the class and you'll see why.

The instructor was Angela Daymond. Her company is called Fenland Textile Studio.   Here is the link to her blog.    Shoot - now that I see the textiles that she dyes - some of them were for sale at the teacher table and I did NOT buy any. DRAT DRAT DRAT!!!!!!

Class sample - made by Angela - The class was called Bird on a Branch

Another sample

And another sample

I took my Husqvarna Designer I even though I knew we were going to do some free motion. The machine was like a well behaved child. It did exactly what I asked it to do.  Sometimes it is naughty!  But not yesterday.

Working on the piece

My finished piece  (I know you are thinking - that's just applique - well yes it is, but we used paper for part of the project and it was all raw edge.  I do not do that normally. The fact that it was so freeing was so much fun!!!!!!!!

Our finished pieces

It was an awesome class.  I am NOT a good student. Why?  I think because I am a quilt technician and while there are no quilt police, there are certain ways that I prefer to do things.  However this class - there was NOTHING like what I do.  And I LOVED it.  It was pretty freeing and the best part - we all finished our piece!!!!!    I was as much excited about that as I was about the class.

The finished pieces!    That is Angela with the red hair second from the left. She is a lovely woman - I will just have to travel to England to take another class from her!!!

OK - so we asked for directions to get to the workshop location. Both of us listened, but when we got in the car we looked at each other.  What did they????   Gosh - we were worse than men!   I heard - turn right on the next road - you are then on the RIGHT road.  So I figured we would just see the sign.   Nope - we are NOT seeing any signs.  We had to turn around and ask for more directions!

Turns out there were TWO signs to point out the location. However we were looking at the second sign in this picture with the Sewing Machine Service on it and there just happened to be a road crew at this intersection which diverted our attention from the first sign.    So YUP - we missed both signs, but we arrived just in time for the class.

Missed sign!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful flowers on the lunch table

After the workshop, we headed back to the Festival.  I was so blown away by the quilts.  There were contemporary art quilts, there were traditional quilts, hand quilted and  machine quilted, old fabric and new fabrics, embellishments and oh my - it was so much to take in.

Now I am NOT going to be posting any pictures of the show and here is the reason.

There have been lots of discussions about copyright lately  and I do NOT have written permission to post those pictures.   

Speaking of copyright, I was supposed to be at a meeting last night to discuss copyright. Well I did not get home until quite late. However I am happy to report that I did my part and at 7:30 when the meeting was taking place, Tish and I had our own conversation about copyright!!!!


We also saw another teacher  (Paula Doyle) from Great Britain who was demonstrating her technique of making miniatures. Here is a picture of her little sample. She has a book which the vendors could NOT keep in stock.

Paula Doyle miniature sample

Here is a Youtube video about the technique   and here is the link to Paula's website.



Oh my - it was such an exciting day.  I am so inspired, but I can't even get close to my sewing machine until Monday as I have a packed weekend with classes, conference calls and much more craziness.

And I have some VERY exciting news which I cannot share with you yet, but as soon as I am allowed - you will be the first to know.  It is exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  


On that note - have a great day and I hope to tell you about the other part of our trip later today.


Next year, the Ailsa Criag Quilt Festival will be hosting The Quilts of France. It runs from May 10th to May 23, 2015.  I plan to be there and to take a workshop!!!!!!


This year's show ends TOMORROW.  If you have a chance - it is well worth attending.


Have an awesome day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!