January issue – page 11

January issue – page 11

Patea Patchwork and Quilting Group Exhibit

From Friday, 31st October till the 9th of November Patea Patchwork and Quilting Group will be exhibiting their work at the Hunter Shaw building from 10 till 4 pm during the Taranaki Garden Festivals, www.taranakigardens.com. Local librarian Cath Sheard, www.cathsheard.wordpress.com will be exhibiting some of her stunning paintings and the Creative Fibre group in Patea will be exhibiting fashionable hand spun, hand knitted socks.
Come to the exhibit and see how easy it is to learn patchwork based on sewing squares and triangles together, as the above photo shows. Some of us in the Patchwork group enjoy the challenge of using ‘Op shop’ clothes, cut up, to use in our work. As such you will see silks, linen, cotton and other recycled fabric used in our patchwork quilts and bags.
There is no charge to view the exhibition but the patchwork group will be raising funds for a ‘long arm quilting machine’ by raffling a large Double/Queen bed size quilt. This quilt has wool batting giving it a lovely drape and feel.
At $2 a ticket, this will be an extremely popular raffle, and a cheap quilt to whoever wins it. This quilt has been made from our extra quilt blocks, our practice blocks and our wrong blocks. We have put together all our excess blocks and we have made them into a quilt. It looks stunning. It’s a work of art and you will have years of fascination looking at the designs in this quilt. We have stepped over the lines, we are challenging the status quo, and we are breaking the rules.
We will have quilt tops on display that have not been quilted yet. We will have quilt blocks on display, not finished. We want you to be able to see how these quilt blocks are constructed, to ensure the image of patch-work being difficult, disappears. The Patchwork group will have an industrial quilting machine as soon as we raise the funds to buy it, leaving months of hand quilting behind us. Patchwork is addictive, it’s a challenge and it’s fun.
If you would like to join either of these groups and learn how to make patchwork and quilted bags, quilts, wall hangings and clothing, or work with fibres learning to spin your own wool, cotton, silk or alpaca fibres; knit, socks and hats, weave blankets and material for clothing, felt wool to make fashionable hats, scarves, jackets, slippers, come along to the exhibit or contact Debbie Dell 273 8864 Patch-work Group, or Kate Moir 273 4181 for Creative Fibre club details. Club sewing machines and spinning wheels available to use. $2 a session, both groups.
If you would like to learn Patch working but can’t come along on a Wednesday night, but have access to a computer and email, classes can be held via the internet. Phone Debbie on 273 8864.