Another great Retreat with Lilian Hedley on North Country Quilting

Today is the last day of this biannual retreat.  

After being introduced to some of Lilian quilts - which you can see a small snippet here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2N80TP-Img

Lilian allowed the students to start choosing their traditional patterns - these include feathers, Durham running feather, Weardale chain, Weardale wheels, bellows, lovers knots,  etc

The students traced these onto greaseproof paper to start designing their quilt middles and corners.  When their paper patterns were complete they ink them in then transfer to fabric. the last job is adding in the square diamonds before layering up and starting to quilt.

The students have been working hard over the last few days to get as much done as possible before they depart today.

Here are some class pics -

 Caroll transferring her design to fabric

Dee starting the quilting on one of the strips of her strippy quilt

A Strippy pattern

 Lilian helping transfer

 Lilian & Julie

 Nanny marking up her fabric. Nanny came all the way from Holland to take the course.

Inger & Veslemøy from Norway who made the long journey for the course.

Lilian with all the students

Lilian Hedley - North Country Quilting - October 2014

Today sees the start of the Lilian Hedley retreat at The Royal Bridlington. 

After dinner, some of the students were desperate to see some of Lilian Quilts, So Lilian gave a little introduction to some of her collection.

Here is a little taster....


CLICK HERE to see Lillian introducing some of her quilts



Details of our workshops and retreats can be found here http://www.quiltsandwich.co.uk/#!workshops/c24c2 

Quilting of the Traditional Kind

Before we all started buying sewing machines and then longarm quilting machines, quilts were traditionally made by hand.

Lilian Hedley is the leading expert on Durham Quilting which is sometimes called North Country Quilting and she studied under Amy Emms.

On the one day course with Lilian, after seeing and touching a variety of quilts - some new, some old and some antique, you will be guided into designing a cushion cover and marking out your fabric ready for quilting.

Lilian provides a variety of templates to borrow and she will even teach you how to draw the Durham Running Feather by using old coins.

On the residential course you can start a larger project - a wholecloth of any size or a strippy quilt.

Sometimes students have a preferance for a Welsh style quilt - no problem. Lilian has templates for their designs too - but beware, there is more work involved!

When you have your fabric marked out, its time to layer up your quilt ready for quilting.  If you wish to have your top , wadding and backing basted on the longarm this can also be arranged. The backing fabric and wadding needs to be at least 4 inches bigger than the quilt top. More details of this service are available on www.quiltsandwich.co.uk

then its time start quilting....

Here is Lilian demonstrating her quilting frame

Lilians next workshop and retreat is 12th -16th October 2014. Contact fiona@royalhotelbrid.co.uk for the leaflet.

Lilians also has some books of templates which are available from her website -
http://lilian-hedley-quilter.com/

Before Lilian departed for home, we decided to make a YouTube video of Lilian demonstrating how to draw feathers.

you can view our efforts here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgaRvjiMHQQ&feature=em-upload_owner#action=sharer

Lilian will be teaching here again 12th/13th/14th /15th October 2014.

Feathers, Dog Roses, Weardale Chains & more...........

We are quilting again.  The amazing Lilian Hedley is here with us this week.
Lilian in an expert in Durham Quilting or North Country Quilting as its sometimes called. She is a mind of information and knoweledge and she was trained to quilt by the infamous Amy Emms. She is also an honorary member of The Quilters Guild.

On Sunday we had some ladies join us for just one day and they learnt how to draw Durham Running Feathers and some other designs, then how to mark out and quilt a cushion cover ready for hand quilting.

The other ladies are here for four days and they are either learning how to make a wholecloth or a strippy Quilt.

Here are some of the ladies looking at some of Lilan Quilts - both modern and antique.

On Lilians very first visit to The Royal Bridlington, I joined the cushion cover class as I was not sure I would take to hand quilting.  I marked the whole cushion cover in the day and then set about the quilting whilst other ladies were marking their wholecloths & strippys.
Here is the result

I really enjoyed it, although I did not expect that I would. I found it quite relaxing to do.


On the next visit I decided to tackle a wholecloth and so marked up a king size with Lilians help.  Although I dont get alot of spare time I have still manged to get quite a bit done.

So, not wanting to waste the opportunity of having Lilian here teaching again, I'm marking up another wholecloth - a double this time.

Here is my progress after the first day.

This is the middle of my quilt, designed on to greaseproof paper.

Today, day two, I started to design the corner.

Here are some of the ladies hard at work-


Morag has come all the way from Locharber in Scotland. She is busy designing her strippy quilt.

Here is Jean, she is inking in her pattern

Chris is designing her border

Lilian will be here teaching with us again
 9th /10th /11th & 12th March 2014
&
12th /13th / 14th / 15th October 2014
Anyone who wants to learn about North Country / Durham Quilting or would like to receive futher information email     fiona@royalhotelbrid.co.uk.

Lilian also has four books which are full of traditional North Country design templates.

 These are £12.50 each plus postage

These are £7.50 each plus postage
and they are available from Lilian - http://lilian-hedley-quilter.com/

The Quilting Season is almost upon us........

We shall be kicking off this seasons patchwork and quilting retreats with Pat Archibald.

Pat will be here with us on 7th /8th & 9th October and the workshops will be Ghost Images, Celtic Connection & Japanese Inspiration.

Currently there are still a couple of places on Celtic Connection which is on Tuesday 8th October.

We also have another tutor to add to our list - Sally Holman will be with us on 14th/15th & 16th April.


Here is our up to date list of workshops and retreats

    7th /8th & 9th October 2013—Pat Archibald   SPACES For CELTIC
    Ghost Images, Celtic Connection, Japanese Inspirations

    20th /21st /22nd/23rd October 2013—Lilian Headley SPACES
    1 day workshop & 3 or 4 day Retreat—Durham Quilting

    29th /30th /31st October 2013 -Gail Lawther  1 SPACE for MONET
    Stained Glass, Glimpses of New Zealand, Monet or Van Gogh

    14th/15th Jan 2014—Charity Quiltathon - Couple of spaces left

    21st /22nd/ 23rd January 2014 -Jennie Rayment  FULL
    Wacky Waistcoat or panel, Twitch Twiddle & Tweak

    Thursday 30th January 2014—Charity Quiltathon Coffee Morning/Afternoon

    3rd/ 4th/ 5th March 2014—Sally Ablett
    Hunter Star, Lone Star, Link Quilt

    9th/10th/11th & 12th March - Lilian Hedley
    1 day workshop & 3 or 4 day Retreat—Durham Quilting

    19th /20th /21st March 2014 -Ferret
    Art Quilt by Numbers, Machine Quilting, Speed Quilt

    8th /9th & 10th April 2014—Beryl Frank
    Bargello Quilt as you go / Seminole / Cracking Curves

    14th/15th/16th April 2014—Sally Holman
    Creating a Scene//Crazy Embellished Patchwork/Feathered Friends

    29th /30th April & 1st May 2014 —Jan Hassard
    Dazzling Diamonds, Interwoven Log Cabin, HoneyCombe 3 D

    30th Sept/1st/2nd October 2014—Gail Lawther
    Stained Glass, Glimpses of New Zealand, Monet or Van Gogh

    7th/ 8th /9th October 2014—Angela Madden
    Celtic, Beautiful Blooms, Decorative Edges

    12th /13th /14th & 15th October _ Lilian Hedley
    1 day workshop & 3 or 4 day Retreat Durham Quilting
 
    27th /28th /29th October 2014—Valerie Nesbitt
    Triangles the Thangles Way/ Take 9 / Crazy Patchwork

If any one wants more information or to make a booking just email me - fiona.garth@royalhotelbrid.co.uk

CHARITY QUILTATHON
Donations of orphan blocks, ufo's scraps, materials, jelly strips now required. If you can spare anything that we might be able to use, please just bring it along or mail it to me. The charities that we are supporting with this event are Yorkshire Cancer Research, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, The Dogs Trust, Bridlington RNLI & Project Linus.

The Charity sewing days are 14 /15th January and on Thursday 30th Jan we shall be hosting a coffee morning/afternoon to display our goods before donating them to the charities.


Well on top of all that we shall be adding a longarm quilting machine (Innova with auto pilot) to our facilities too and we are just waiting for it to be shipped from USA.  We are hoping for it be be here with us next week, but really just dont know if that will happen or not - its been a very rocky road!

Harrogate Quilt Show 2013

Had a lovely trip out today to Harrogate Quilt Show. Its a great show to visit for the less able too, as disabled parking at right at the door. This year as well as the restaurant being open there was also an extra coffee/refreshment area at the quilt end too and extra seating, which was a great idea.

Here are just some of the quilts.

Here's one which was made by Glyn Molyneux - Susan Briscoe's husband

This is the winner for the machine embroidery category by Ros Pollock

And here is another winning quilt by Ros Pollock. You can see more about this quilt on her blog - www.rubbybanks.blogspot.com

I found this next quilt interesting as I recognise the boat. Pat Archibald is with us in October and this is one of the workshops she will be teaching.

This quilt won the best machine quilting award

 Illusion was the theme this year and here is the winner

This is a design by Jan Hassard. I was particularly interested to see this as its one of the designs which Jan will be teaching here at The Royal Bridlington in April 2014

Here is Emma Galbraith with her winning quilt called Colour Fusion

This is Emma's other quilt, which is called Obsession and uses over 500 half square triangles. This also received a judges Merit.

This is a modern sampler by Janet Bottomley from Barnsley.  Janet and her team - Foxy Quilters will be coming to The Royal Bridlington for their quilt retreat.  We look forward to welcoming them in March.

And hand quilted quilts.........

This is Cressuite by Andrea Stracke and the winner of the Hand Quilting Award

A strippy called Cafe au Lait  by  Elizabeth Card gained a judges Merit

Here is another Strippy by Sheila Evans which was started here at The Royal Bridlington in April 2011 with Lilian Hedley

I only found three hand quilted quilts plus a small cot at the show this year.
Really must get on and finish my wholecloth!

and the Overall Best in Show - Natures Treasures by Diane Abram

One of the main reasons why I really wanted to go to Harrogate this year was to see Ferret's quilts in the flesh. Photos do not do these justice at all, the workmanship is truly amazing.

The following Quilts are all by Lilian Harris

So apart from enjoying the fabulous quilts, I also enjoyed a little bit of retail therapy .....well it would be rude not to!
and it was lovely to catch up with so many quilters who have attended workshops and retreat here at The Royal Bridlington.