National Festival 2011

I meant to write this post on the 28th of June when we were getting ready for Festival. This was the last chance I had to take photo's because we were running the whole time. I need to write a report and it is difficult to recall what kept us so busy. We is me, Rita Loubser and my daughter Hedwig.

Although Rita's portfolio was Stores and Needs she also took responsibility for the Goodie bags. The Goodie bags was filled with treasures. A velvet bag with a hole was turned into a beautiful Crazy patch kit with embroidery floss- that she and helpers create from special "trimmings" and beads that were also parceled in interesting combinations. This took several weeks before the rest of the pre-packing of the contents of the bags could began.

Crazypatch kits

Rita was also the driving force and designer of the quilters journal. This is an inspiring journal with calender pages but also white paper and graph paper to draw designs. Photo's of quilts and quilting tips are also spread through the journal.

It took a day to get all the tables in the classrooms. Here we had the help of the school's very willing and able workers.

Alta Wagenaar is an organiser par excellance! without her help the preparations would have been very stressful and tiring. (I cannot get the photo of Alta in the correct orientation and cannot picture her sideways-she seldom sit, so laying her on her side will not do!).

On the second day we tape plastic waste bags to the sewing stations, lay multi-plugs and leads in every room and took irons and ironing boards to all the classrooms.

In spite of the fact that we had many signs all over the school, delegates would stop to ask where the toilets are while standing in front of a sign. Throughout the Festival we created more signs. Signs to arrange the traffic and make sure that the correct exit route was followed, had to be increased everyday to hopefully make it visible and noticeable by all.

Then we finally packed all the bags with the crazy patch kits and pre packed plasic bags. It was a whole colourful heap calling our theme: Alive with colour, in all its glory.

The cafeteria was ready to recieve all the visitors and Pat Mostert our treasurer's quilts was displayed to make sure that visitors enjoy quilts everywhere.

Pat, in the purple is worried about our finances!

The Good Hope Quilters Guild's email and website boffin, Karen Nicole got a special hairdo for Festival.

Marijke Weitzs was responsible for advertising the show and was so successful that the crowds the show drawn make it difficult to have a good look at all the quilts. Here she is at the registration table where she spend the week to help any one with registration or other problems.

The trainee judges had a last opportunity to hone their skills.

It was exciting to walk through the hall while the quilts were hung. Every time there was more quilts up and in the three days of preparation we could enjoy the quilts little by little. We were so busy during Festival that this bit was almost the only real view we had of the show. We got up early on the day that they were to break up the show and have a private view from 6 o'clock in the morning- real quilt addicts, me and Rita!

My quilt side ways

Our Chair lady Wanda Carmichael and Ina Meyer the Hostel Queen are discussing last minute details.

Simmy Schofield, GHQG President was the Vendor's liason for Festival and is busy getting everything ready for the Vendors to have a profitable Festival.

Now we all look back on two weeks of hard work but it was worth the effort we put in and enjoyed by many. We surely achieve the goal to introduce quilting to a big audience and provide further development to quilters. Our teachers was wonderful. We had two international teachers: Ineke Berlyn of UK and Pam Holland (check her website for more Festival photos) from Australia. Their classes introduce new and exciting methods and open a world of possibilities to local quilters.

Basting -A new method for me

I use a basting Gun and "tag-baste" my quilt in a "basting frame". When not in use, my basting frame is 4 wooden slats with a piece of fabric stapled to it. I store it in a corner. It is quite a process to set it up- though it only take 15 minutes, some things become "big" and time consuming in your mind. I do have to admit that this is not fool proof- I do sometimes get a pucker on the back.

I decided to try using my Bernina Quilt Frame as a basting frame. First I had to finish my 20 year old hand pieced quilt- the second quilt I quilted on the frame. (This was thread basted before loading on the machine) It was only the one black border that still need to be quilted. I finished that and took it out of the frame. (I still have to turn it to quilt the 2 side borders.)

What I did then, was to fasten the backing to the leaders and roll it. I then placed the wool batting on it and let the top float on top of that. Then I tried to baste the three layers together with the Bernina. The BSR do not allow stitches to be longer than 4. I have watched Sharon Schamber basting her quilt very well- piece by piece before she start quilting it on the frame. My frame quilting is still in the practice stage and this quilt is for a competition- so I want to quilt it without the frame.

I made a few stitches, stopped, lift the needle and the foot and move about 3 inches on and repeat the process. When I rolled the quilt it did make a bubble in front of the roller, but I believe it is normal- the basting is 3 inches apart. I started with some ditch quilting and it look as if this basting method worked well- but I will only be able to confirm this once the quilt is free motioned quilted. It took longer to baste on the frame but I did not have to set up the basting frame and put it all away afterwards. (I know I know it is more a mindset!)

I plan my quilting as I go along. I will show bits of the quilting as I proceed, but will only show the quilt after our National Quilt Festival 1-7 July in Stellenbosch.

A New Arrival

I have received not one, but three parcels today. Two from Amazon.co.uk (I will show you the wonderful books later) and one from Alewives. This is a new “shopping” place for me and my experience was wonderful. I received my Soul Blossoms fat quarter set neatly wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. It felt like Christmas.

Now I must confess- If I have walked into a quilt shop in South Africa, I would not buy one of these fabrics. And neither would I buy any of the fabrics in the Bliss or Modern Workshop Jelly rolls that I also ordered. Yes I did order all these fabrics, but this is so unconventional for me, that I would not have been able to select these combinations.

I am still in my quest for the Modern look.  I have realized with the Modern look, come certain designs. Correct me if I am wrong, but my observation is that the modern quilters make quilts with an all over pattern where the repeat is often more in rows rather than in blocks?

Kaffe Fasset fabric and White

If a block is the basic unit, the block is repeated and the block loose it’s individuality to become part of a whole. I do make some quilts like that, but most often I like to make quilts with striking, dramatic blocks. Now this is where I want the transplant to be crafted. I am going to use the mad, mad fabric of our young and talented (and much admired by me) designers and try to make dramatic blocks in a medaljon style.

I have already tried it with fabric from my stash that had the lighter modern colours- but were far off in the fabric design type, from the modern mix.

Alas, this month this experiment cannot be allowed before I haven’t completed the two quilts that I have entered into our National Quilt Festival from 1-7 July in Stellenbosch. (South Africa)