CQ Suitcase Collection

Two Out of the Fold members have had work selected for the Contemporary Group of the Quilters Guild latest suitcase collection. 

The theme of the collection was 'All in a day's work' and an A3 sized quilt could be made in any style and technique. The collection is made up of 60 quilts from contemporary quilt designer makers and can be hired by groups from the quilters guild  www.quiltersguild.org 

Janet Valentine has made a piece called 'Mornings only'

'Mornings only' by Janet Valentine

'Mornings Only' view on the reverse

'Mornings Only' detail

Janet says

"As the quilt title suggests, I work ‘Mornings Only’ or 20 hours a week at a windscreen company called Car Glass & Trim Ltd in Ipswich, Suffolk.

On reading the title for the New Suitcase Collection, I thought I could fit my mornings work into a quilt and bring my ‘work’ and ‘play’ together.

The background fabric is Thermofax screen printed using fabric paints and reads’ Good morning. Car Glass and Trim. How can I help you?’. When answering the phone I say this, which could be 20 or 30 times each morning.

The appliquéd wording is all the types of jobs we do. Each section begins with a red letter : Windscreens, Sunroofs, Body Glass, Window Tinting, Water Leaks, Cars and therefore these are the subjects I discuss all morning.

I always have 3 mugs of coffee and my mug is red. The majority of my time is spent talking on the phone or working on the computer. The 3 line drawings added as a top layer.

If you do look at the quilt and think it’s a bit muddily . . . . .  that’s because that’s how it is at work! But we always get the job done!!

Methods : Thermofax screen printing, procion fabric dyeing, applique, machine trapunto, free machine quilting.

Materials used : Cotton fabric, organza for the details.

Jan Valentine  2013                                        j.l.valentine@btinternet.com

Mary McIntosh spent 28 years as a Bookseller and her piece combines her love of rust dyeing with the titles of some of her favourite contemporary writers. The term 'Slightly Foxed' is used by Booksellers to describe the rusty speckling of the pages often found on antiquarian volumes. 

'Slightly Foxed - All in a day's work'  by Mary McIntosh  
Rust dyed calico, stamped and stitched. 

View of the reverse 

Peanuts

Jane has made a quilt as part of The No. 1 African Fabric Shop Quilt Challenge organised by Maggie Relph of The African Fabric Shop. www.africanfabricshop.co.uk to raise funds for a clinic in The Gambia.

A quilt made by Helen Conway and displayed at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in 2013 was cut up into 30 'planks' and each one was bought by a quilter to remake in the style and technique of their choosing. All 30 of these new quilts will be exhibited at the British Quilt and Stitch Village event in Uttoxeter in April 2014 www.quiltandstitchvillage.com and then auctioned by sealed bid to raise money for Musas's clinic. 

'Peanuts' quilt made for The No. 1 African Quilt Challenge 80cm x 120cm

Jane says "Peanuts are the only cash crop in the Gambia and I liked the serendipity of the fact that my upbringing in East Africa  started when my father was sent to work on the Groundnut Scheme in Tanzania (Tanganyika) after WW2. Having lived in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana I always find myself strongly influenced by the colours, designs, crafts and music of Africa.

My "plank" was used for the flowers, peanuts, letters and label on the back"

The original 'plank' bought by Jane

Detail with African print  fabric used for the flowers                  

Detail of the peanuts

Label on the back of the quilt reusing some of the original quilt