Spring 2001 Newsletter
London Quilters
Exhibition
The London Quilters "Millennium Challenge" Exhibition will be held at The Long Room, Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London N6 5HG
from 10th-29th April 2001. Standard opening times are Tuesday through Saturday but visitors are advised to telephone 020-8348-8716 as there may be variations in viewing times. Private appointments can also be made.
The Challenge theme is "Women into the Millennium/Our Hopes and Dreams. Each quilt will incorporate a skill, technique or colour that the maker has not used previously. As quilts will be pinned to the walls, a sleeve is not necessary for display purposes.
Marlene Cohen will be collecting quilts at each LQ meeting or they can be delivered to her home by arrangement by Saturday, April 7th. Quilts will be hung on April 9th in preparation for the opening and Private View which will be held from 7--10PM on April 10th. Each member of the London Quilters is entitled to come to the private view with a guest, where a glass of wine will be served. You must collect an entry slip if you are planning to come; this will be handed in to get your drink.
It is hoped that all the quilts will be brought to the March 19th meeting so that we can have an informal preview.
During the show, stewards will be needed to keep an eye on the quilts and answer viewer's questions. Marlene Cohen will be arranging this, and it is hoped that every member of the London Quilters who is able to will steward for some time at this event. Marlene will be asking for steward volunteers at the February and March meetings.
NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Following is a list of your new Committee members who took over running LQ after the November AGM:
Chairperson: Christine Restall
Deputy Chairperson: Alys Robinson
Treasurer: Sue West
Minutes Secretary: Yzabel Field
Membership Secretary: Tricia Revest
Newsletter: Linda Seward
Hospitality: Kathleen McMahon, Hilda Taylor
Exhibition: Marlene Cohen
Overseas Links: Marlene Cohen
Remember that your new Committee are there to help you, answer questions, introduce new ideas, etc. Please contact any member of the Committee if you have any problems, suggestions or questions.
Many thanks to the outgoing Committee who did a wonderful job keeping the London Quilters going so energetically.
CHAIR CHAT
I haven't yet found out what I am supposed to do as your new Chairperson, beyond the old job description of 'turning up'. It is a great honour to be Chair, when I look back and note from the files who my distinguished predecessors were. It is also especially delightful to discover that the other committee members have already done everything that I can possibly think of, or have got it in hand.
Marlene deserves a special vote of thanks for her continued work on our exhibition in April. Tricia is already sorting out the membership lists and database, Alys thinking about the programme for later in the year, Linda taking over the Newsletter seamlessly - and so on. What attracted me about London Quilters when I joined (only three years ago) is what a capable, equable, humorous, warm and congenial bunch of people you seemed - and, on longer knowledge and friendship - prove even more conclusively to be. I'm sorry I don't know more people's names yet - I will try to keep learning. And a terrible confession - I must be your first Chair who (still) hasn't made her name badge. Must try to do better.
Perhaps a little about myself is in order. I have been quilting for over 25 years - bed quilts until quite recently - but because I worked full time (and
more) I sewed on my own, learning from books, and only completing about five or six pieces. I worked in advertising, and latterly in a small international marketing research consultancy which grew until we sold it four years ago - not for a fortune, but sufficient to retire early on. In my youth I sewed and painted, and now it is my pleasure and passion to make quilts. I love traditional quilts AND modern art textiles. I do think there is - rightly - much less separation between the types than there used to be; the crucial point is the expression of creative (and caring?) instincts through cloth and stitch. I look forward very much to seeing the range and diversity of quilts at our exhibition.
I do hope members will feel that London Quilters is an inclusive group, that will respond to its members' wishes - over talks, shows, challenges, projects, charitable works, or whatever. Please tell me - and keep telling me - what we should collectively do to keep the interest and the fun going.
Meantime, here's a quilter's definition of housework: to give the room a sweeping glance.
Christine
Pot-Luck Supper
March 19th, 2001
Please bring a dish (enough for 4 people) to the meeting on March 19th, when we are going to celebrate the New Year; please note that we have no facilities for heating up your dishes. Also bring some sewing to work on. The evening will feature a show & tell of the Millennium Quilts, a trader, a challenge (see last page of Newsletter) and lots of fun, so please come and celebrate 2001 with LQ!
Quilts
by Mavis Haslam
There will be an exhibition of quilts by Mavis Haslam together with group quilts from local quilting groups at Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent. The exhibition will be held from Saturday 3rd March to 31st March, open Monday--Saturday from 10AM to 4:15 PM. Free admission.
Hall Place is situated just off the Black Prince interchange of the A2. Direct train service from London Bridge, Charing Cross and Victoria to Bexley Station (10 minutes walk).
Also at Hall Place: New Directions Art of the Felt Maker, which is a Crafts Council Touring Exhibition until Saturday, March 17th.
Designer Crafts 2001 17-28th January
by Linda Seward
I hope you all got the chance to visit this exciting exhibition, which featured quilts by one of our members, Alicia Merrett. My daughter Emily and I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the wide variety of crafts, all beautifully displayed in the Mall Galleries. Of course, Alicia's bright quilts were stunning and dramatic and looked wonderful hanging amongst other types of crafts (wood, felt, metalwork) in muted colours.
There were lots of textiles on exhibit: weavings, soft sculptures, sculptural forms, wall hangings and embroideries. Many of these pieces combined fabrics with metal, glass and other mediums. Many were hand-dyed, painted or printed and were very inspiring to me as a quilter.
Ceramics, furniture, glass, jewellery making and wood sculptures rounded off a terrific selection of works by today's craftsman. I feel very lucky to have seen it.
The Fabric of Fashion
by Hannelore Braunsberg
In a most interesting and well-presented international touring exhibition, the Crafts Council brought together the work of fashion and textile designers, and those who design fabrics for their own fashion collections. This was held at the Crafts Council from November through January 14th, 2001.
Many of the leading designers featured in this show drew their inspiration from traditional crafts such as knitting, embroidery and crochet. Modern technology also seemed to inspire design in many ways. Eley Kishimoto used hand-drawn flowers scanned into a computer to enhance colour and accentuate pixels. This produced a very brightly coloured print on a white background used for a dress. New textile technologies were evident in many designers' work and some of these new fabrics would provide a challenge for quilters.
Patchwork and appliqué were used by several designers. Tracy Mulligan applied wide white tape with threads of varying thickness and uneven stitches. Jessica Ogden used a wide variety of recycled textiles including quilted pieces for garments, mixing old and new and using patchwork, applique, quilting and embellishment. Our gratitude is due to the Crafts Council and the British Council for giving us a chance to gain inspiration from such a varied show of talent.
New Year Greetings from Down-Under
Wendy Johnson, a New Zealander who joined the LQs for a year or so and then moved off to the States is back in NZ and sends her Seasonal Greetings to all. Wendy’s new address 1/12 Telford Avenue, Balmoral, New Zealand.
From Judith Hammersla:
It is hard to believe that I have been in Australia for almost 3 years! The strange ways and sayings of the Australians are becoming second nature to me now. I continue to be amazed at the inventive way in which the Aussies use the "Queen's English".
I am still an active member of the local quilting group: Waverley Patchworkers Inc. I am on the 2001 Symposium committee and the club's committee learning the ropes of 'publicity'. The group has a membership of 350 and almost half attend the monthly meetings. As it is our summer, many of the exhibitions are in seaside towns. This encourages the entire family to join me in my ramblings. One town, Ballarat, schedules its "Festival of Quilts" with their Begonia Flower Show.
We can participate in several 'Quilt In' days. These are day-long gatherings held by regional groups. Everyone brings a current project and a shared lunch. There are usually 2 or 3 shops attending and door prizes are awarded throughout the day. No one goes home empty handed. Sometimes a speaker entertains us during lunch and at other times each table participates in a trivia questionnaire. The day usually ends with a show and tell. As with all quilting groups I have had the pleasure to know, the members are generous with their knowledge and talent. The weather is heating up so my applique calls. I wish you all a very Happy New Year and happy quilting.
Judith Hammersla
in Stitches
by Monica Millner
This second exhibition of Six in Stitches at Sutton House, Hackney, London E9 ran from December 6th through February 4th 2001. This fascinating Tudor House, now National Trust, is a good venue for small exhibitions and its many rooms are ideal for its annual Christmas Craft Fair
Fine stitching in embroidered pictures and wall hangings mixed well with Jean Edwards' quilt and wall hanging. Her dramatic Osiris Rising made a colourful statement.
I found Margaret Cooter's diverse work very appealing, in particular, a wall hanging of coloured squares printed with different Chinese characters. Ruth Ingram's lovely painted and embroidered small wall hangings of water reflections caught my attention as well. Daphne Giles' necklaces and jewelled handbags were very attractive. Fay Clark's work demonstrated new ideas in embroidered cording, and Joyce Daniels explored weaving in her embroideries.
LQ Carrier Bags
You might have noticed that some members proudly carry canvas London Quilters bags. These strong bags are a good size and feature the London Quilters logo in colour. Marlene Cohen has two bags left for £12.00 each, so see her if you are interested in buying one. Marlene can also take orders for new bags if there is a need. LQ badges are also for sale at the front desk for £1.50 each.
Exhibitions
There are a number of Exhibitions coming up in which you can enter your quilts.
Tactile Architecture 2001: in Houston Texas from October 27-November 4, 2001. Slide entries must be received by June 29, 2001. For an entry form, write to Tactile Architecture 2001, Quilts, Inc., 7660 Woodway, Suite 550, Houston, Texas 77063 USA or telephone: US 713 781 6864 or e-mail: shows@quilts.com
Quilt 2001: at the Knitting and Stitching Shows, Alexandra Palace, Dublin and Harrogate from 11 October--25 November 2001. Slide entries must be received by August 24th 2001. For an entry form, write to Creative Exhibitions Ltd, 34 Lewisham ark, London SE13 6QZ or telephone: 020 8690 8888 or e-mail: andrew@eventorg.demon.co.uk
Shoo-Fly Challenge
All members of the London Quilters are hereby challenged to create two Shoo-Fly Blocks for the March meeting. The blocks should have a finished size of 9 1/2 inches square (which includes the 1/4" seam allowance). Blocks should be made using complimentary colours on the colour wheel: These are: red and green, yellow and purple or blue and orange (or any shade or tint, thereof). See the LQ website for a colour wheel. Following the design above and using the patterns in the next column, make the shoo-fly design using opposite colours for the light and dark sections. So if you are using red and green, the first block will have a red shoo-fly design on a green background and the second will have a green shoo-fly design on a red background. Please bring pennies to the meeting for voting for your favourite blocks. The winner (or winners if there are a lot of entries) will take home the blocks.
INTERNET INFORMATION
The London Quilters website address is:
http://members.tripod.co.uk/London Quilters/lq1.htm
It is run and maintained by Tricia Revest, whose e-mail is: p.a.revest@qmul.ac.uk
2001 CALENDAR
19 March: Pot Luck Supper, Sewing Evening, display of Millennium Quilts.
10 April: Opening night of London Quilters Exhibition, Lauderdale House.
16 April: Easter Monday: No meeting.
21 May: Linda Seward: Quilts & Pieces.
18 June: Barbara Weeks: Dyeing to Quilt.
16 July: Skills/ Sewing Evening.
20 August: No meeting.
17 September: Pauline Adams: Really, Really Looking at Quilts.
