Meeting January 22nd 2025

At another well attended meeting on a cold, dark night, the programme for 2025 was presented to the members. If you do not have a members and meetings card, details of the programme for this year can be found on the Activities tab. The main focus of the evening was to display the quilts members had made in 2024 in the Block of the Month programme. The results can be seen below. Amazingly different!

In addition, as usual, we had premmie quilts to donate to Basingstoke Hospital.

There was wonderful work in Show and Tell:

A photo does not do justice to this amazing quilt, designed and made by Sarah T and displayed as part of Newbury's Advent Calendar trail in December. The quilt is hand appliquéd and the windows are cut out to allow light to shine through. Sarah quilted it on her longarm machine. She estimates it took 190 to 200 hours to complete. Truly a work of art and absolutely stunning.
Sarah T made this quilt with the leftovers

In November, Cat showed us how to make a bosal bag, pattern by Gemini Crafts. Members enjoyed making these bags, many with plans to make more. Here are 16 of the very colourful results:

Finally, we had a parade of the finished Block of the Month "Perfectly Pieced" quilts, which Cat designed and sent out in 2024. The quilts were so very different, depending on colour and fabric choices and whether there was sashing or not. Here are the results:

The original quilt, designed by Cat. Each block uses fabrics left over from quilts Cat has made for other people.
Kirsty's striking interpretation
Pat B's pastels version
Caroline's extended quilt
Jan H finished her version with quilt as you go
Ruth's batik version
Lesley's version with additional sashing stripes
Sue C's extended quilt, quilted with quilt as you go

Janice's version, with sashing
Sarah N's version with stripy cornerstones
Teresa's version, made with William Morris fabrics

Meeting December 2024

25 members enjoyed playing "the fat quarter game" and sharing delicious party food. A good end to a successful year.

Three people brought along bags which they had made following Cat's demonstration on November 27th. Very quick work!

Rita's bag
Ena's bag
Jan's bag

Included in Show and Tell this month were two items:

A placemat made by Cathlyn, using a South African panel
A quick quilt made by Linda for a child who will be spending 6 months in hospital

Meeting November 2024

Our November meeting was focused on a demonstration of the making of a bosal bag by Cat. 31 members bought a piece of cut up bosal in order to make their own bags.

There were a few items for Show and Tell:

Lovely quilt by Sue C, made from William Morris fabrics
Very neat project bag, also made by Sue C
Barbara's beautiful appliqué flower picture

More premmie quilts were donated, both Christmas ones as well as others which can be given all year.

October 2024 Meeting

Tonight was our AGM. Sue began the meeting, presenting her report of a successful year. Sue was thanked for her contribution as chair before she stepped down. Teresa has taken over as chair, relinquishing her role as Treasurer. Jane has taken over the role of Treasurer. Sally was voted onto the committee. After the AGM, members had the opportunity to buy from the Bring 'n' Buy before Show and Tell, including some more Christmas Challenge Premmie quilts. We have made over 100 premmie quilts this year.

Here are some of the beautiful quilts we saw in Show and Tell:

A Linus quilt made by Julie W
Star quilt by Gill
Cushion by Pauline
Marianne's Art Quilt, which was exhibited at the Festival of Quilts. Inspired by stones caught between wooden groynes on the beach
Amazing quilt by Rita, made from Japanese fabrics. From a book by Yoko Saito.
Detail from the quilt
Beautiful quilt by Gail for Iris May
Made by Teresa at an Alison Hughes workshop
Table Runner by Tina
Baby quilt made by Jane

There were 9 Christmas Challenge Premmie quilts donated, as well as 7 non-Christmas ones. Here are a few of them:

September 2024 Meeting

September's meeting was very well attended despite the dreadful weather. Jennie Currie gave us a very interesting talk about her crafting journey and business. We had opportunities to buy from her haberdashery stall at bargain prices. More details in the Autumn Newsletter.

It was time to show off the Christmas Challenge premmie quilts, 27 altogether at this meeting, with more to come at October's meeting. There were also 5 non-Christmas premmie quilts donated. Here are a few of both types.

There were also a few lovely items in Show and Tell.

Cat's quilt, made from a Layer Cake and a simple pattern from the Internet.
Caroline's blue quilt, made for the Quilters' Guild Region 6 Meeting, to be donated to Linus.
Jan's jacket, made from a length of Shweshwe fabric, bought at last month's meeting.
Anthea's jacket, with some seminole patchwork.

August 2024 Meeting

On a lovely warm evening, members came together to enjoy a talk by Trish Grammer, who runs Fabrica Trading Station, importing beautiful and colourful Shweshwe fabrics from South Africa. Trish explained how she came to make her first quilt, which she displayed at the meeting, and a little about the history of Shweshwe fabrics in SA. She had brought along a good selection of fabrics for purchase, as well as other items she sells.

Trish's first quilt, using the Shweshwe fabrics
Some of the metre pieces of fabric on her stall.

We also shared a supper, our usual way of celebrating the end of the summer holidays together, with members having brought a huge selection of delicious food, both savoury and sweet.

There were also some lovely quilts in Show and Tell:

"Indigo Splash", a BoTM from New Threads, made by Tina
Another BoTM quilt made by Tina
Sue L's quilt made of many tiny squares
Sue C's lovely baby quilt
Gail's striking quilt, made on a course
Geraldine attended the same course, but her quilting is totally different
Wholecloth quilt hand quilted by Pat B
Elephant quilt made by Tina

Club Meeting July 24th 2024

Our meeting on a lovely, warm summer's evening was well attended. Gail, aided by Rita, did a demonstration of how to use Apliquick, which method they have both used for their fine applique work.

Rita brought along her unfinished quilt which features a lot of applique using Appliquick.

Gail brought her beautiful appliqued flowers quilt, which had been our block of the month a few years ago. Both quilts show how the Apliquick method can be used to achieve quite detailed results.

Although not featured in Show and Tell this month, because the quilt had already been gifted, I had to share Sarah's beautifully made and apt quilt for Linda, Food Technology teacher from St Bartholomew's School, who retired this summer. A stunning piece of work.

As usual, we had a good collection of premmie quilts. Sue, our Chair, reported that we have donated 60 quilts so far this year. Members were reminded that the Christmas Challenge for 2024 is to make a premmie quilt using Christmas fabrics. These quilts need to be ready for September or October at the latest so they can be sent to the hospital in good time for Christmas.

Here is a selection of this month's donations.

Here is Gill's miniature quilt, made at Julia Gahagan's workshop in June.
Gill's large lilies quilt, design from "Annie's Big Blocks", and longarm quilted by New Threads
Gail's beautiful Cowslip quilt, designed by Jo Colewell
Hazel's perfectly fitted quilted jacket.

Meeting on June 26th 2024

On a lovely warm evening, we had good attendance at the club meeting, welcoming a new member and a visitor. Show and tell included some of the small picture quilts made at the workshop with Julia Gahagan on June 8th. All agreed that this was a successful and enjoyable workshop. We are looking forward to the next workshop with Kate Findlay on October 12th.

The main part of the evening was a very informative talk about threads, needles and wadding by Yvonne from Village Fabrics, details of which are included in the Summer Newsletter, accessed via the link above. Village Fabrics have moved to Herefordshire but their phone number has remained the same as when they had the shop in Wallingford. Yvonne also brought along a small shop and many members took the opportunity to top up their stashes! Even if you had been sewing, patchworking and quilting for many years, there was much to learn from the talk.

We have given a large number of Premmie quilts to Basingstoke Hospital this year and a few more were donated at the meeting.

In 2025 it will be 25 years since Market Square Quilters was formed. We welcome ideas of how we can celebrate our Silver Anniversary.

Meeting on 22nd May 2024

At tonight's meeting, we had feedback and questions about the Block of the Month programme, led by Cat. We are now on month 5, with 4 blocks still to go. Sharing of finished quilts is scheduled for January 2025

The group is hoping to run a coach to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC, but we need the coach to be full. With a full coach the cost will be £37.50 and £47.50 for non-members. Entrance and parking are expensive for this exhibition, hence the cost. Anyone who would like to sign up please email MSQ or contact Teresa to be added to the list.

There were some lovely pieces of work in Show and Tell, including more premmie quilts.

Two cheerful premmie quilts by Alison
And two by Penny

Art Quilt by Kirsty
A quilt for a child by Cat
Wall hanging by Julie W
A large quilt by Pat B, a kit from Village Fabrics
A bag by Teresa
Same design, bag in use by Mary
A stunning quilt designed by Janet Clare and made by Linda, with her own appliqué birds, a gift for her husband
Jan's premmie quilt
An eye-catching quilt by Kirsty

April 2024 Meeting

Another well attended meeting with lots to Show and Tell. The focus of the later part of the meeting was Gizmos and Gadgets. Many members brought along items which they found very helpful and useful, or in one or two cases, not! It was an interesting time to share ideas and perhaps show gadgets which people may never have come across.

There was a lot of lovely work on show:

A beautiful quilt for Lorna, a garden lover, made by Sue.

A striking quilt made by Jane
Flying Geese quilt by Barbara
Another quilt by Barbara
A very colourful floral quilt by Barbara
A lovely wall hanging, designed and made by Julie
You are Cherished by Sheridan
Pretty Jelly Roll quilt by Mary
A second quilt by Mary, made to be given as a Linus quilt
A large bed quilt entitled "Vintage Bouquet:, designed by Jo Colwill and made by Tina
Another large quilt made by Tina
Two Lewis and Irene panel cushions, designed by Delphine Brooks and made by Cat
Hazel's lovely sampler quilt
Premmie quilt by Allison
Another one by Janice
Premmie quilts by Jan H
Three more Premmie quilts