Monday 20 May 2013

Aligning Stars

This last weekend the stars were in alignment and I actually made it down to Cowslip Workshops in Cornwall. There have been many classes that I have wanted to join in with but for a variety of reasons it just hasn't happened but I so wanted to do this one. A whole weekend with Petra Prins from Holland and a workshop on Mariner's Compass all in the delightful setting that is at Cowslip. I urge anyone coming to the UK for a trip to put it on the agenda and go and see it for yourself. It is such a peaceful place, it calms your soul but nurtures the creative energies at the same time. You will get the friendliest greeting from Jo and her staff. The shop is well stocked and the food is great.

First task was to choose fabrics and as you may guess mine had to have some pink. Then came the cutting out. This was to be a hand piecing project and all the pieces were speedily cut out using a rotary cutter and the specialist plastic templates that were non slip. They were easy to see through too for fussy cutting. The templates had little holes for marking the seam lines and matching up points crucial to making a piece of patchwork that would lie flat.  Petra did say that it could be machine pieced too but not for us this weekend. ( Guess who got to sit at the pink cutting board?).


Stitching all the components wasn't difficult so long as you got things in the right order. We were all eager to see how it was  going to look and every single one looked great. You can see more on Petra's blog.

 
The weather was glorious and so Marie my travelling companion and I set off to the coast at Bude for a fish and chip supper which we ate overlooking the sea. Back at our delightful B&B we opened a bottle of wine and carried on stitching. My main task was to get all my pieces in order and pinned to my pressing mat so that the following day I could chain piece. This lovely little quilt was on the wall in my room.

 
On the Sunday we carried on stitching and by the end of the afternoon the circle was complete. Choosing fabrics I find is the hardest part of the process. Petra was very helpful and I came away with lots of ideas and more fabric. I stuck with my original choice for the background. It is a tricky one but I think it will be worth it. I would love more of the pink stripe that I have used in the narrow border, if only I could remember where I had it from. The setting in of the inner and outer circles were done at home. The little stripe is not yet sewn down. I am taking time now to live with it before I decide the next move.


This is Petra signing her new book. It is a must have book called Promenade dans un jardin Hollandais, co written with An Moonen. It is a Quiltmania book with text and instructions in French and English.


Hanging up in the workshop were some of the quilts from the new book and I can tell you they are even better up close and personal. I just love the centre of this quilt and it has now gone onto the list of quilts to make.



No blog post of mine would ever be complete without a hexagon sneaking in and I would happily have taken this one home. It is beautiful and with some surprising fussy cutting of fabrics that you would not expect.


This was a little quilt but exquisite and I think we all adored this one.

 
We were well looked after, plenty of tea/ coffee and cake in the afternoon. This was called Hummingbird cake and topped with crystallised flowers, pansies in this case. It looked far too pretty but in the end it got eaten.


In the shop there are quilts everywhere and this one high up in the rafters looked pretty good.


I wish I took better photographs as these two quilts were very pretty.



All too soon the day came to an end and time to go home. I had the most wonderful two days, good food, great company and I hope I can repeat it again and soon. Looking forward to Petra coming back again.

Happy stitching.

Shirley

24 comments:

  1. looks like a very productive weekend. Love your mariner's block. So beautiful. well done!
    Lovely pics of the other quilts too.

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  2. If only I lived closer. What a fabulous weekend. I really love your block, it's fabulous in pinks. Petras book is on my list to get so I loved seeing some quilts from it.

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  3. Oh so inspiring Shirley!! Looks and sound like a great workshop and weekend and I really think Petra's book needs to go on my wishlist! I am looking forward to seeing your next blocks!!

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  4. You had a lovely weekend by all accounts. And I agree with Janet, if only I lived closer. I would have been there with you in a shot. I must look up Petra's book. Your mariner's compass is simply divine!!!

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  5. What a wonderful treat for you to go to this workshop! I am definitely keeping this place in mind if I visit Cornwall again. Your star is beautiful!! Thanks for the inspiration - and I have that book on order :)

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  6. Wow! Such a lovely weekend and beautiful mariner's compass.

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  7. Shirley your weekend looks like it was very productive and worthwhile.
    Your mariners compass is superb and so glad you finally got to do a class at Cowslip and with Petra!

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  8. Looks like such fun! Nice block that you made! Did you all stitch by hand? I love that at times... This book was the last one I ordered and it has not arrived just yet! Can't wait! Take care!!

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  9. I am so glad that you had a good time as I know how much you like Petra Prins' work. Your piece is beautiful and I'm sure that something like that was probably easier to make by hand than machine.

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  10. I love the quilts off Petra Prins too!
    The mariners compass is beautiful and you had a lovely weekend too.

    Enjoy your week!
    Evelyne

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  11. Well that certainly seems like my sort of weekend and I am so glad you enjoyed it. I just love your fabric selection for the circle and the background is stunning. The centre of one of the quilts from the new book is very similar to one in An Moonen's book which caught my eye some time back and inspired a large medallion quilt. It all sounds like great fun. Take care.

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  12. What a wonderful time you had. I love what you made, the colours are so restful. I'd love to go back to Cowslip one day.

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  13. It all looks very lovely Shirley, can't wait to see it for real in a couple of weeks time, hopefully! The other quilts at Cowslip looked great. Liked the bit about the work and the wine in your room after fish and chips, sounds like my kind of day!

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  14. Lovely compass! You always do such lovely work.

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  15. Your compass is beautiful and the weekend was really wonderful!

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  16. Wow....what a weekend....both the class and the surroundings...it will be on my list when I visit you,...OK...:0)))
    I'm so amazed of your skill with needle and thread ...still haven't worked that hand sewing completely out ...might not either..lol...
    Love!!

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  17. What a wonderful opportunity for you Shirley. A beautiful, creative environment with a fabulous tutor. Your results are stunning, great fabric choices.

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  18. I wish I could accomplish as much as you in a workshop. I think I talk too much. It looks like you had a wonderful weekend.

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  19. I'd have thought I'd died and gone to heaven getting to spend time at Cowslip AND taking a class with Petra Prins! Your Compass block is nothing short of superb! Fish and chips at the seaside and a night of wine and stitch... oh... wish I'd been there!

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  20. What a treat it was to visit you today, Shirley! And what a fabulous way to spend a weekend! I do so love how your block turned out. Wow! Love your color choices. I am, after all, a pink kind of girl!

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  21. How nice that your beautiful block will be a reminder of your great weekend with Petra.

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  22. Lucky you! Sounds like so much fun. Your block turned out great! Wish I could get my hands on that book.

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  23. What a great Weekend! Your Compass Looks beautiful!

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  24. Looks like an amazing weekend... Love your mariners compass..stunning!

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