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COUNTRYSIDE QUILTING l it’s showtime
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and there is a really wonderful print, like a man’s
shirt, in Regency Sussex that I wish I had more of
for the borders of my quilt. But, far from letting that
get in my way, I have been busy pattern-matching
shorter pieces to create the borders instead!
I once bought a Pembrokeshire quilt from Jen
Jones. I loved the way the maker had pieced together
scraps of the same fabric to make the central panel.
I also like the make-do-and-mend idea, or use-every-
bit aspect – every piece of fabric is precious and can
be expensive, so I don’t like to waste it.
Speaking of waste, we try to do our bit at Cowslip
to cut down on waste materials. We have a scrap bin
in the workroom for students to pick from and we
send all sorts of scraps to Exeter to be recycled. I
believe they are made into rag rugs to raise funds for
the local school for visually-impaired children and
young adults. It feels good to save it from landfill and
do our little bit to help save the planet.A visit from fellow teacher, Janet Clare
Recently, Janet Clare came to teach at Cowslip,
which was very lovely and put a di erent slant on
free machine stitching. Janet’s designs are inspired
by her family and the countryside and it’s always
interesting to see how others work. Students made
some special pieces and went home full of new ideas
and techniques. Janet enjoyed some relaxation time
at the beach, where her dog, Betty and my dog,
Charlie fell in love! It was wonderful to see the two
black dogs running along side-by-side.Student shows, French escapes and thanks
As you can tell, it has been a very busy few months
of sewing and showing here at Cowslip. In April, weheld our students’ Mad on Daisies exhibition,
and it was a great success. Then, lots of my friends
went to the Pour l’Amour du Fil textile show in
Nantes in France, where the new Quiltmania
exhibition was launched. Called Labors of Love,
a dozen old quilts have been beautifully reproduced
by the Secret Sewing Sisters, including Di Ford and
Petra Prins. The exhibition then came to me in May
and the quilts looked stunning hanging in the barn.
It has been one of my personal highlights of the year.
Another highlight, has been receiving all of the
blocks you lovely quilters have been sending in for
my Quilt-athon in July. The pile is increasing and
everyone involved with St Petrocs in Cornwall
(a charity that helps homeless people), are excited
about receiving the quilts. So, thank you one and all.
And finally, just a reminder that I’ve moved
stands at The Festival of Quilts at the NEC this
year. I hope to see you all at stand J110!Happy quilting – Jo xQuilting for a cause
Want to get involved with Jo’s Quilt-athon this July?
Jo is doing her bit for the community and creating quilts
for people in need. She’s asking those who wantto be
involved to donate a 12 in block, made from
either striped or floral fabrics, which will
then be made into quilts for the homeless,
refugeesandothersin thecommunity.
Tocontribute,sendyourblocksto:
CowslipWorkshops,NewhouseFarm,St.
Stephens,Launceston,Cornwall,PL158JX-R V ODWHVW
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