Needlework Tuesday

Last evening was the monthly meeting with my local quilt guild, the Elmira Needlesisters. Being on the program committee, it was my turn to arrange the speaker. In our ten years as a guild, we haven't looked to the past of quilting and tried hand piecing. I invited Helen Martin of Cambridge, Ontario to show us how its done.

After showing us several examples of hand pieced quilts we were enthused to give it a try ourselves.

We made cardboard templates, and transferred the outlines to the back of our fabrics. Some members even had time to start sewing. The first pic shows the two blocks that Helen made as samples. The next photo shows my fabrics cut out and ready for sewing.


I donated fabric to the guild for the background and asked those who wished to use that fabric to donate their blocks back and we would use them for a community project next year.


I did find time to work on my cousin's quilt this week. I rolled once. yippee. Always a feel good moment. I am now well beyond the boarders and into the body of the quilt. Much of the 'blue' fabric is filled with motifs adapted from the Mariner's compass, but there were some empty spots that I filled in with stars. In my mind sailboats and stars are permanently linked ever since reading the poem "Sea Fever" by John Masefield.



Sea Fever
I must go down to the seas again,
to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship
and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song
and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face
and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again,
for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call
that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day
with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume,
and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again
to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way
where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn
from a laughing fellow rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream
when the long trick's over.
-- John Masefield