Chester Ps and Qs

    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 16^th 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