January 2010
Dear Friends
A very happy New Year to you and yours. Thank you for your support during 2009 – it is much appreciated.
EXHIBITIONS : GRACEFIELD - I feel very honoured indeed to have been invited to take the work from my Alzheimer’s Project “Yes we can – together” to Gracefield from 30 August to the 2 October.
The quilt above shows the wallhanging made for the head office of Alzheimer Scotland. The one on the right is the first exhibition quilt entitled ‘Forgetting – piece by piece’. It tells the story of dementia by replacing the bright squares in each block with a darker block until all the squares are dark at the end block. However, on the last square I have put a beaded red heart and five beaded forget-me-not flowers to show that although the memory and the person you knew has perhaps changed, their will always be love and remembrance. The work with people with dementia is fantastic and very rewarding, as well as being humbling.
DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY ARTS FESTIVAL : CLARENCEFIELD - I have been asked to do an exhibition at Clarencefield to coincide with the Arts Festival which will run from 21 – 30 May 2010. This exhibition will include quilted pieces made by pupils who come to classes or by quilters who buy their fabrics from me. Many of you have kindly provide pieces of your work for previous exhibitions and I am hoping you will do so again. They must be new pieces. We will also be looking for some helpers to man the exhibition during the week and also to help out with the teas and coffees. Let me know if you are interested.
CLASSES:
Please see the Spring 2010 Class Information Sheet for full details (opens pdf in a new window).
Class prices remain at £10 for an evening class and £20 for a day class. 
There are a variety of classes on Wednesday evenings, some two day at weekends. A timetable of projects and costs is attached. Remember to bring your packed lunches for the day classes. Please note that some of the dates have changed due to other things that are taking place, e.g. I had arranged a weekend friendship day for the same weekend as the Ingliston Quilt Show!
The first class starts on Wednesday 3 February (6.30 – 9.30) with the Japanese Squares Quilt. The quilt is a ‘quilt as you go’ project with the pieces being quilted in quarters before joining them together. Size – 80” square.
The jelly roll quilt is another easy pattern and the finished quilt is 60” x 80” It only takes one jelly roll (50 strips) to complete the single bed quilt top.
Other classes include appliqué cushion, African dolls and a bag to carry them in as well as a triptic landscape.
GUEST QUILT TEACHER: I have arranged for world renowned American quilt teacher and show judge Dawn Cameron-Dick to do a class for us on 7th and 8th May. She will also be doing a ‘show and tell’ evening on Friday 7th. This is one not to be missed. Details will follow later but you should express an interest asap.
FABRICS: The cost of fabrics has gone up again along with VAT. However, I am hoping that I will be able to keep the price at £8 a metre. I also have a new order of jelly rolls in again at £15 for a standard size roll (50 x 2 ½” strips).
200 new bolts of fabric now in stock. Wadding will continue to be £8 for 90” wide Warm and Natural which is my favourite wadding. Shop opens again in February (was it ever closed!) on Tuesday and Wednesdays 10 – 4 and at any other time by appointment (including evenings and weekends).
Some of the stock which I use for projects and classes. All colours catered for!
The vegetable range!
Fat quarter boxes – all £2 each.
Ann Hill patterns and packs
FRIENDSHIP QUILTING WEEKENDS: Last year a group of us started meeting for a ‘Friendship Quilting Weekend’ at Clarencefield. We meet for a two or three day weekend of sewing and help is at hand if you need it – therefore no charge other than £5 each per day to cover the cost of the hire of the hall and the electricity. It is an opportunity to get together as friends to finish those unfinished projects or get help in layering up those large quilts. Once again, booking is essential as places will be limited to 10 to give quilters room to layer up.
Quilting is a great way of making friends as this photograph shows. This is part of our group on our Christmas day out at Gardenalia where we watched cookery demonstrations (and tasted it all!!) and also a floral decorations demonstration for Christmas. We all won prizes.
This is just part of the exhibition which we hold twice a year for pupils who come to classes.
The wee girl in the photograph with her very first quilt is Erin. She has taken to quilting like a pro! She has a wonderful eye for colour and an opinion which makes her ideal for the projects which she will undertake in the future.
If you would like to go on the mailing list for newsletters please send me your email address to
annhillquilter@btinternet.com
I spent an evening recently with the Glasgow Gathering of Quilters. What a great bunch of women who do some remarkable quilting. We saw lots of Linus quilts made by them – More power to your sewing machines ladies.
I look forward to sharing another exciting quilting term with you all.
Keep quilting,
Ann