November 2008
Members were invited to bring their first patchwork piece of work to the monthly meeting: here is a selection of those shown.
October 2008
Open day at Upton Village Hall when the local groups were invited to demonstrate what they do when they use the hall
Members setting up quilts in the hall
Examples of members' work set up on the stage
October 2008
Examples of Kente cloth produced during Magie Relph's workshop
Samples of Kente cloth
Talk by Magie Relph about Kente cloth and other African textiles
Group members admiring the many examples
of African fabric brought by Magie Relph
August 2008
Exhibition at St Peters Church, Chester
Festival of Quilts,
NEC, August 2008
Button-up Quilt on display at Festival of Quilts at the NEC
with quilts from other groups in Region 13
It all started at the January 2008 meeting.............. At our next meeting we are going to be working on the Quilters Guild Button-up quilt, which will be displayed in August this year at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. The title of this quilt is “from dark to light” and will be approx 24” x 32”. All quilt groups from every region have been invited to participate by constructing a rectangular quilt, which will be fastened to the next one by buttons and loops in order to create the “longest Buttoned-up quilt” in the world. Ps and Qs Committee has decided to work the quilt in warm blues (not those containing green or yellowish shades) and to embellish it with red/white buttons following the colours in our P’s and Q’s lapel badge. To this end we would like you to participate and ask that you bring to the meeting next Wednesday 16th January the following:- Minimum of three 3” squares of cotton fabric in blue – dark and/or medium and/or light (no large patterns and no solid colours), plus any small red or white buttons for embellishment. Obviously members will be working on different aspects of the quilt, and as it is so small not everyone will be occupied at the same time so we intend for members to create their own name badge at this meeting. A lot of us don’t know other members’ names so to promote friendship we thought it would be nice for everyone to wear a name badge at all future meetings. Ps and Qs will provide the kit and ask that you bring your sewing kit and embroidery threads, together with either fabric pens or gel pens that are fine enough to colour in a small motif (don’t worry if you haven’t any – we can share). If you can’t make it to this meeting we will keep you a kit to make later!
| During February and March the quilt was finished by a working committee. 
Liz Pedley, Mary Ranby and Barbara Harrison enjoying a cuppa during the making of the quilt
At the Festival of Quilts our entry was hung along with contributions from all parts of the British Isles, from EQA members in Europe and from Czech Republic, New Zealand, Poland, Romania and USA. The quilt was almost 220 metres long. They were arranged geographically with the international quilts first and then in Guild Regions from 1 to 17. A big thank you to everyone involved. 
Chester Ps and Qs button-up quilt |
July 2008
Kaleidoplates Workshop with Chris Franses
20 February
25th Anniversary meeting
This year, Chester Patchworkers & Quilters celebrated its 25th anniversary. 
In February 1983 a group of ladies met in Sidoli's restaurant in Northgate Street, Chester to set up a group devoted to patchworking and quilting. Val Neve, Val Shields and Mary Ranby undertook organising activities and venues. Val Neve moved to Australia several years ago, but the other Val and Mary are still active members as are at least 3 or 4 others from the earliest years. Many members have been members for at least 18 years.
The 'Birthday Party', complete with cake, brought together current Ps & Qs and a number of former
members including Rachel Nichols (a previous chairperson) who, much to our delighted surprise, had come up from Devon via Quiltfest.
Mary and Val gave a history of the past 25 years covering 3 major exhibitions and at least 7 smaller ones, 93 workshops by visiting teachers as well as our own members, and much quilt-making in support of various charities, including local hospices and now Project Linus. Show & Tell was programmed as a visual history of 25 years, devoted to the end products (or UFOs) of the 93 workshops. We had 1 or 2 examples from the very first workshop, given by Sue Belton on Strip Patchwork, followed by log cabin, Hawaiian appliqué and so on through the years to work finished recently with Jennie Rayment, Judith Barker and Alicia Merrett. Margaret Quarterman obviously enjoys workshops for she produced carrier bags full of a great variety of examples! Other members sighed that their results had been given away as gifts to family and friends or to worthy causes, so couldn't be retrieved for show.
The evening ended with cake, coffee and much chat …. as friends caught up with each other's news.
As membership increased from an average of 12 in the first year, the group moved from a small room at the Gateway Theatre via the YMCA and a church hall, to Upton Village Hall, where Ps & Qs still meet on the third Wednesday of each month (except March, August and November). With a membership of 65 we always welcome new members to join in a variety of patchworking and quilting activities.
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