15th October 2024: evening meeting
Speaker: Amanda Hislop
Amanda talked to us about her creative journey and gave us an insight into how she develops her unusual art works and textiles. It was very interesting.
1st October 2024: morning meeting
Sarah Hibbert came to give us a workshop at our morning meeting this month. She showed us how to insert circles into a panel or quilt, using the machine and clever cutting and pasting! It was fascinating to see how Sarah does this; she made it look quite manageable and several members went on to complete their own circles very successfully. Thank you very much, Sarah.
17th September 2024: evening meeting
We had booked to view the Quilters’ Guild, Contemporary Quilt Group, suitcase collection. However we were lucky enough to have the collection delivered and described by Sarah Rayfield, which was lovely. The collection is called ‘Something Completely Different’ and consists of 50, A3 sized quilts, made by members of the QG Contemporary Quilt Group, which apparently has about 200 members! Sarah told us about the group and talked us through many of the quilts. However it was lovely to be able to lay them all out afterwards and to handle (wearing gloves!) and examine the quilts in detail. We enjoyed the evening very much. Some of the quilts are shown below.
16th July 2024
Evening meeting, Speaker: Emily Jo Gibbs. https://www.emilyjogibbs.co.uk
Some of Emily’s vessels and handbags
Emily gave us a fascinating talk and slideshow, describing her artistic journey and showing examples of her work. Born into an artistic family, she studied design at university and then started her career designing and making handbags and other vessels as shown above.
Later she developed a technique for making textile portraits using linen and organza. Her subjects were initially members of her family and friends, before moving on to other projects and commissions. We were very interested to hear how they were made. The portraits were delightful.
Emily has also worked with other artists, creating their portraits by focusing on the tools they use in their trade. She explained how she produced the stunning panels, working from photographs. Altogether it was a most enjoyable evening. Thank you, Emily.
18th June 2024
AGM and Summer Party
We had a lovely evening at our AGM and Summer party. Reports were read by the committee, reviewing the club events for the year. The retiring chair and secretary, were thanked for their work on the committee and a new committee were elected (see the committee page for details. We then enjoyed delicious food brought by members and puzzled over Jennie’s quilting quiz.
There were 8 impressive entries for the challenge ‘Life Aquatic’ and it was difficult to chose between them. Mary won the plate, gaining the most votes with her beautiful panels ‘Above and below the sea’ . Well done, Mary! Thank you to everyone who took part, it was good to see so many entries this year.
Second placed entries, Jennie and Carol
All entries
Reports, quizzing and thank you to Carol C.
21st May 2024
Workshop by Janet Goddard https://www.instagram.com/janetpatch1
Club member Janet taught us how to prepare cathedral windows and we started a pin cushion project. It looked very complicated at the start, but turned out to be a really satisfying task! Thank you, Janet.
By coincidence, Francesca had recently finished a cathedral window panel that she had started 40 years previously, using fabric from her wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses!
9th to 12th May 2024
We had a stand at Living Crafts at Hatfield House and received a lot of interest in and appreciation for our work. We talked to several ladies who were interested in coming along to our meetings.
16th April 2024
Club member Barbie Edwards helped us to learn how to do Somerset folded patchwork.
19th March 2024
Janice Gunner, textile artist and quilter talked us through her Japanese journey. She showed us slides of her several journeys to Japan, and explained many of the techniques she had learned and workshops she had run and attended. She told us the fascinating history of the indigo dying industry in Japan. She the shared with us many pieces of her work, some of which are shown below.
17th February 2024
Speaker Maria Thomas showed us some of her very unique work and told us about her creative journey and how her family had influenced her work.
29th January 2024
January Sewing Retreat
18 ladies had a productive and relaxing weekend at Denham Grove Hotel, sewing, chatting, learning from each other and spending lots of money on Sheila’s amazing fabrics.
Here we all are, busy with our machines and pieces.
We worked hard on our own projects, but also took time out to play a few games. This was the fat quarter exchange.
At the end of last year’s retreat we were set a challenge to make a heatproof casserole mat or pot holder. These were wrapped and exchanged anonymously within the group. The variety in the products made and the skills shown in making them, was amazing. The whole set is shown below.
The last event was a secret Santa type gift exchange. Here you can see some of the lovely gifts we received from each other.
At the end of our weekend away we were all very pleased with the outcome of our hard work. It was very rewarding to have had so much uninterrupted time to spend on our projects. Here is what we achieved –
We would like to thank Elizabeth for organising the retreat this year, and for so many years.
Your hard work is very much appreciated by all.
5th December 2023
Gift Boxes
At our morning meeting, Jennie gave a demonstration and workshop on making gift boxes. Lots of boxes were completed!
14th October 2023
Our Outstanding Quilt Exhibition!
A most successful event and a tribute to the hard work of many of our members, particularly the exhibition committee. Well done everyone.
So many beautiful quilts!
3rd October 2023 : morning meeting
Ginny gave us a demonstration of quilting projects with ribbons. She also brought a plentiful supply of ribbons, so that we could all have a go!
19th September 2023
Sarah Humphrey talked us through her quilting journey with many examples of the wonderful, colourful quilts she has made.
18th July 2023
We had an inspiring talk by Deb McGuire called A Scant History of Patchwork and Quilting. She showed us many of the beautiful quilts that she has made while researching the history of quilting.
4th July 2023
Mead Quilters thank Heather for all her hard work as chair this year.
3rd April 2023: Mead Quilters presented some of their breast cancer cushions for patients at St Albans City hospital. Here is the news article from Raise, the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals charity.
A friendly quilt guild based in Wheathampstead, has been busy sewing up a storm to create beautiful little cushions for the breast clinic at St Albans City Hospital.
Over 200 of these little cushions are given out to patients at the breast clinic every year, and are used under the arm for comfort following surgery and placed under a seat belt to protect the surgical area.
The Mead Quilters are a group of sewing enthusiasts who have been meeting and sewing for more than 30 years. The group have been making the cushions for the breast clinic at St Albans City Hospital for the last six years after two of their members were diagnosed with cancer. In February the quilting group held a ‘cushion-a-thon and made over 300 cushions for the breast clinic. The industrious group also make bags to hold syringe drivers, primarily for palliative care patients at West Herts, to contain the medication that they can’t take orally.
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust chief nurse Tracey Carter (pictured above second right), and the breast care nursing team met with members from Mead Quilters to receive the cushions and say thank you for their incredible efforts.
“We are so grateful to the Mead Quilters who make the cushions and syringe driver bags for our patients. These will help patients at our hospitals during a difficult time. We’d like to thank everyone at Mead Quilters for their ongoing support and kindness.” Tracey Carter, chief nurse, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust