Quilted postcards

Gretna samples

With the quilt season well and truly underway (is there a season that is NOT a quilt season I hear you ponder) and with a few nudges from chums I have decided to restart this blog.  Let me know by posting a comment if you like it or are a regular reader.  Thanks to all those who have encouraged me to get it under way again.   There is so much going on in the world of stitch to blog about that I am once again trying to write a weekly blog (or more often on very busy weeks) to try to capture it.  Contributions via comments are most welcome.  If you post a comment it may not show up right away as soon as I have read your comments they will show up.  Don't be shy!

Some of the end results

Saturday just past was an area workshop for the south east of Scotland run by Liz Duke our area rep for the guild.  Held in Dalkeith, all the places were used up and it was well attended.  The workshop was based around making fabric postcards.  Very appropriate with the holidays coming up and lots of postcards winging their way round the world.  I wanted to use the day to learn more techniques and do some small post card sized pieces as samples for a bigger project I am doing.  These were based around the idea of Gretna Green and it's connection with weddings.  I am doing a piece as part of a journal project on Scottish Borders towns and Gretna is one of them.  So the workshop was very timely. 



Hard at work!



We were given lots of hints and tips and participants all contributed their ideas.  We had a display of a large number of postcards, made and swapped,  which was a great source of inspiration.   And of course, there was the chance to catch up, chat and  have a bit of fun.   These workshop days just fly by and I never seem to get half as much done as I think I will but there is always the chance I will get it done later........  If that fails it can be added to my other hobby pile - stuff with potential but not quite finished.

Last year at this time we were off to Caithness to Lyn Ball's great quilt retreat holidays (Patchwork Pleasures).  Our 'travelling ladies' group have a plan to go off on a retreat in early November somewhere in the Borders but already we are thinking ahead to Caithness next year so that plan too was being hatched on Saturday.  

On Sunday I went to the Dancing Light gallery which is at 'Whitmuir The Organic place'. http://www.whitmuirorganics.co.uk/

If you live in South East Scotland or are visiting Edinburgh it is a 40 minute drive from Edinburgh near West Linton.  Whitmuir is well worth a visit.   You can see round the small farm, get excellent organic foods, gifts etc.  There is a lovely restaurant for coffee or a meal and of course the Dancing Light Gallery. http://www.dancinglightgallery.co.uk/

 Dancing Light Gallery is an exciting rural art gallery .  The exhibitions change regularly and you are made to feel really welcome.   There were some really interesting works in the current exhibition and for quilters and textile addicts the work by Moy Mackay which uses traditional felting methods and wool tops to create vibrant landscapes is a real treat.  The gallery also exhibits glass, ceramics jewellery and a range of textile work including scarves and handbags.  Whitmuir and the Dancing Light gallery are well worth a day out.
Next weekend is the Souter Quilters exhibition in Selkirk.  It is open on Saturday 11th 10-4 and Sunday 12th 12- 4 at Selkirk Parish Church.  I am looking forward to that as I enjoyed their last exhibition very much.  I  will bring you news and reviews of that show in next week's blog. 

If you know of any patchwork, quilting or textile related events in and around South East Scotland and you want me to post information about it just let me know via this blog (leave a comment and I will post it up).  That's all for now.  Happy stitching