Patchwork Meadow - lovely idea!

 

Happy New Year, Folks!

Christmas decs are stashed, days are getting longer, bulbs are coming up - it’s time to celebrate SPRING with a little project, and this idea from

the wild flower conservation charity Plantlife could be just the thing.

Plantlife are creating a giant “Patchwork Meadow” of textile
 squares celebrating the role of our native wild plants in British Culture. 

It's open to anyone, and once completed, the “meadow” will
be shown at a series of exhibitions around the UK.
My craft group's really up for it - looking forward to seeing the results!
 They want 15cm squares created using any medium - sewing, knitting,
patchwork, felt, painting, printing, cross stitch - anything at all!
Here are a couple already submitted by Seona Anderson

Love the jacobean black work, and the glistening beads
 on the sundew just bring it to life

I'd love to try foundation piecing again.

It's a method of sewing fabric to a numbered paper or cloth grid
and can be almost like painting with fabric. - great fun!

  

I love Regina Grewe's foundation-pieced ‘Year of Flowers’ collection  

Winter aconite pattern by Regina Grewe
pieced by quiltexplorer 
Love  the fabrics & how the background fabric changes direction

Pansy pattern by Regina Grewe -
Lovely piecing and choice of fabrics by quiltexplorer

Do check out this link to Regina's website -
I just love her snowdrop wall hanging 

http://www.reginagrewe.de/04muster/0405blumenjahr_e.html#bom200801

Below is a free pattern from Regina's website
showing how a foundation pattern is numbered.

It looks complicated, but once you've got the principle,
everything drops into place.  There are loads
of tutorials on the net - try Crafty Gemini's
 paper piecing made easy tutorial on YouTube.


These are a couple of little squares I did when I first started patchwork.
The seams on the maple leaf aren't accurate and the points
 are cut off - but I did love doing it.  The bromeliad is a bit better...
 

First effort - 5" square -ish!
Wonky seams, poor points - ho hum - but I still like it

  



2nd try - a little bromeliad. Love the colours.

 

Fancy having a go?

 

Check out the Plantlife website for details
 

http://wildflowereurope.org

 





Acting on impulse...

Last weekend, in a spur-of-the-moment move,

I hauled my patchwork across the

border into Lancashire for the

Patchwork Chicks Quilt Show

at the Pendle Heritage Centre

Many thanks to Karen and the lovely ladies

at Patchwork Chicks for

not only taking my quilts after the deadline

 but for being so encouraging and helpful.

I'll read your newsletter properly next time!



Me and my chickens in the
Pendle Heritage Centre barn - seems appropriate!



The barn is beautiful and the quilts look

lovely against the rough stone walls.

Loved the big quilt hanging
on the wall at the left (below)

Would've liked to take it home...

A few of my smaller projects





The heart was great fun to make,
& the red and cream runner
further along was inspired by the
Underground Railroad project
at our quilt group



My 'House & Hearts' runner and, at the back, 
the first bit of patchwork I ever did
 - a trio of little people











I named this one 'Tesselations', but friend Denise described
 it as 'Falling Leaves' - sounds right.



Had a lovely birthday - lunch at the Alma,

an hour or two at the quilt show, tea and cakes with friends

 at the Heritage Centre cafe, then home for

an evening with my lovely husband and best pal. 

 If you're going to Boundary Mill, Barrowford is two minutes

away and a trip to Patchwork Chicks is well worth the detour.

The  Heritage Centre is nearby and has a good cafe

and a shop selling hand-made crafts. Fell for a brooch...