“Chips off the Old Block”

My first quilt for our group shows, in a very abbreviated manner, how I have arrived at this point in my quilting journey. Each of the five “chips” starting from the left, shows a block similar to a quilt I have made during the last twenty years.

The first quilt I ever made used Laura Ashley fabric and the Hovering Hawks block. It was for our double bed and was the start of this passion for quilting which shows no signs of abating. I have always knitted, crocheted, embroidered and made clothes from a very young age, so always had a needle in my hand!

The second little block shows a crazy log cabin which represents my first quilt made using foundation piecing. The third is the New York Beauty block. I visited New York and bought lots of fabric at the City Quilter there; once home I made a colourful wall hanging using the block in different sizes- it was called “I love NY”.

A few years ago at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England Alicia Merritt taught her fine line and map techniques and I have since made quilts using the skills I learnt from her. The little fourth “chip” shows an example.

The fifth square is a funky house with make believe flowers, following an idea from Jamie Fingal, but with my own designs which I am using for the first four journal quilts for the British Contemporary Quilt Group's JQ Challenge for 2012.

The quilting on the Voyage quilt is free motion writing about and surrounding each block.

The main fabric, binding and backing is cotton sateen from Heide Stoll Weber.

So here I am, still trying to find my own individual style, but constantly being side tracked by others work which I know must contain better ideas than anything I can come up with! My aim with our Voyage group is to become more self confident in my own ability and to not be afraid to trust my own instincts and ideas.