Nec Festival of Quilts

Gradually catching up with my blog! Sunday 17th August saw me catching a coach with the ladies from Ferrers Quilters to go to Birmingham. An early start but that was OK. Gave us plenty of time for a really good look round. Lots of wonderful work,too much to list here. Trends seemed to be many more art quilts also lots of painting,bleaching /discharge etc. The Kemshalls have been real trend setters there.It was interesting to watch them working using various different methods to transfer portraits on to fabric in a quilt they are making featuring the women in their family.
My favourite pieces were in the 3D and wearable section with some interesting use of computer parts, just quirky enough to appeal to me
I was most interested in watching people working with new techniques. Committed to Cloth is always worth watching as was Kim Thittichai and Maggie Grey. A few new ideas I might even get round to trying.
All in all a good day with only one downside. The button up quilts that had been made by so many groups in the UK and abroad were poorly displayed. Ferrers Quilters entry had very little showing but the one I was, in a very small way, involved with from Springfield Quilters was almost completely invisible. In fact most of Region 8 and 9 were very restricted

Etsy Retreat

Can't believe it's been a week and a half since I set of to York and the Uk etsy retreat. Overcoming my fear/dislike of travelling was the first hurdle so I was much relieved to find my way to Kings X and met up with reform aka Tricia, charlottenarunsky aka Charlotte and Dichotomy aka Bronwyn . Collected Gillian on the way somehow. Collected at York station by the wonderful Debbie
who was responsible for us all being there.There ensued a wonderful weekend of crafting ,chat,laughing etc. The facilities at the school were superb.Lucky girls that go there! I really hope it happens next year as now I know what is there I have ideas of what I would like to do. Tried a few new things although my screen printing on Sunday morning was hampered by me feeing decidedly unwell.

Getting Ready

On Friday I am off to the etsy retreat in York. Really excited about this but don't really know what I am going to do. I am not in the slightest worried about being with so many strangers for the weekend because they are not , strangers that is. I have met a few of them, the rest I feel I already know and I am certain that we will all get on fine. I haven't done much to prepare for this trip but I have bought my first 2 bars of Green and Black's chocolate which I understand is an essential ingredient for this weekend.
I have also signed up for flickr's 888 event so I will have to take my picture and post it before I leave for the train on Friday morning.