  I had a great time at the Loch Lomond Quilt Show – a chance to see loads of inspiring quilts and quiltmakers as well as giving my Talk on the Friday evening at the Dumbarton library, and a Workshop at The Studio on the Saturday. There are lots of quilt shows in UK at this time of year, but LLQS is a truly unique show. Based in venues in and around Dumbarton and Loch Lomond, mostly in churches, it’s also a chance to enjoy the wonderful scenery in that area – as well as sampling the excellent teas which all the churches lay on!
One exhibit particularly caught my attention – French boutis quilts, with a French quiltmaker demonstrating the very skilled technique by which these beautiful white-on-white quilts are created. The method could be compared to Italian corded quilting, as the pattern is made by threading thick cotton thread between double rows of stitching. I’d only seen photographs of this work before so it was fascinating to watch it in progress.
Another notable exhibit was the New Zealand tivaevae, which feature a combination of patchwork and appliqué. In fact, the presence of these international exhibits adds an extra dimension to a show which continues to grow and expand year on year. One further incentive to visit this show, by the way, is the traders hall, where there were irresistible opportunities to add to the stash and to replenish supplies of quilting necessities.
Next year’s show runs from 19th to 22nd May and the Website already shows some of the exciting people and events which will be appearing. http://www.lochlomondquiltshow.com
After the trip to LLQS, family involvements took over for the next fortnight or so, and when THAT was over, gardening immediately became my main focus, preparing for the Priory Garden near our house, which I tend, to be Open to visitors on 21st June. But Workshops and Classes at The Brown House don’t stop during the gardening season so I’ve been pretty busy on all fronts.
Brown House Quilters, not all of whom are members of The Quilters’ Guild, have really taken to the idea of the Little Gems fund-raising project and have been producing some beautiful mini-quilts which will go off to the Guild before the end of July deadline. I’ve even managed to turn out a couple myself! Other than that, not much sewing is getting done – maybe it’ll rain soon so I’ll be forced to work indoors.
Hope you’re all having a wonderful summer and I’ll look forward to seeing some of you at the Festival of Quilts in August.
Celia
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