Prague Patchwork Meeting article for The Quilter

Here's a short article I wrote about the Prague Patchwork Meeting and our visit last year, courtesy of The Quilter magazine (the Quilters' Guild of the British Isles quarterly member's magazine - The Quilter, Spring 2018, issue 154). I'm going again this year, taking a special exhibition of sashiko (both mine and some of my student's work) - with a bit of boro of course!  I'm busy sorting out which quilts are going into our exhibition today. Click on the images to see the articles large enough to read.

A weekend at the Prague Patchwork Meeting - the quilts - Part 1

There were so many interesting quilts at the Prague Patchwork Meeting last weekend, and I can only show you a few!  So I will write a second post about them later.  Innovative use of materials seems to be a common link between many of the quilts, and is both refreshing and inspiring.  These are just quilts that grabbed my attention - my personal favourites.

As usual, click on the photos to see them at a larger size.  I have included the labels with the maker's details.

The first selection of quilts are from Pia Welsch's exhibition.  I love the innovative ways Pia has used some of my fabrics in her quilts.  The orange 'marbled' silk is one of mine.

Her kimono shaped series are very interesting.

The grey and peach wave patterin silk in this quilt is one of mine.

Also the rainbow wool in this one.  Alas, all these fabrics were sold out a while ago!

There was an exhibition of quilts from South Korea.  These were exquisite in design and stitching, with lots of texture in the fabrics.

Fabulous machine quilting in this motif.

This quilt caught my attention when I saw it on Friday morning.  Incredible!

I made a short video clip, as it is impossible to capture the sparkle of hundreds of crystals in a photo.

Corrine Zambeek van Hassett uses a very interesting batik technique to dye the fabrics for her quilts, which she kindly explained to me.  Wow! She really knows how to use colour.  We indulged in some of her hand dyed fabrics too - very, very hard to choose just a few to bring home...

Some of the quilts from the SAQA exhibit.

This exhibition was displayed on artist's easels.

Another quilt from the Korean exhibition.

Simple construction but a wonderful use of colour and value.

More quilt photos soon!

A weekend at the Prague Patchwork Meeting - around Prague

We arrived on a very early flight on Friday morning and left on Monday morning, but we managed to pack so much into the weekend.  The evening view above was from the restaurant terrace where we joined the gala dinner party on Friday night.

I had stepped in at fairly short notice as another tutor had to go into hospital for an operation a few weeks ago, and wouldn't be able to participate this time.  I hope she is making a good recovery and will be back next year.  This is my little exhibition - six quilts which show a different side of my work from the Japanese inspirations that most people know.  It was good that a couple of the quilts which appeared in 'Compendium of Quilting Techniques' ('Solstice" and 'Missenden Now and Then') were in my selection as, unknown to me until Friday, it is now published in Czech!

We did my koi panel in sashiko in the Friday afternoon workshop, which was fun.  Everyone made a good start.  I might do this as a workshop at one of the UK shows sometime.

On Saturday, we went into the city by tram, following more or less the same route I took in 2010.  The trams are so easy to use.

The Schwarzenbersky Palace has the most amazing sgraffito wall decoration. 

There must be a quilt or two in it!

There is a wonderful view from this terrace -

Of course, it was a Saturday, the weather was good so the city was full of tourists.  I usually try to keep other people out of my photos.  But it was a bit difficult at the changing of the guard.

We were by the building used as Mozart's house in the movie 'Amadeus' when the military band retired.

This enclosed courtyard round the back of the castle reveals some of the oldest walls.

I retraced the route I walked on my last trip as much as possible.  However, security is much tighter now around the castle and cathedral, with bag checks and guarded entrances/exits, so we couldn't use the same route down from there as I did seven years ago, which was a shame.  I'm not even 100% sure those steps are still open to the public, as we couldn't find them at all.  The next five photos are from 2010.  More 2010 photos here.

I wanted to see this wall again, and maybe get better photos.

Seven years ago, it was much colder too.

The amazing retaining wall below the castle.

Glyn had read about this antique stove shop mentioned as a curiosity in one of our guide books, and we weren't even trying to find it, but we stumbled upon it quite by accident on our way to the Church of Our Lady Victorious.  So we were very pleased to find it.  I think it was one of the highlights of the city for Glyn!  The stoves are wonderful.  No, we didn't buy one, but we would like to.

On the Charles Bridge.

We saw this rather unusual spinning wheel outside of Manufaktura near the Old Town Square.

The astronomical clock.  You can't go to Prague and not see this.

We went to Wenceslas Square to find a bookshop so I could get a copy of the Czech translation of 'Compendium...' and there was a big Easter market.  Rather similar to the German Christmas markets we have in the UK.  There was a blacksmith working in the centre, with some lovely bells...

So we brought one back for our back door.  I'm glad we were flying back with the quilts as checked in baggage, as I don't know what the reaction would have been to us taking this as carry on! The perfect souvenir of Prague (along with some cheeses, cake and salami!)

Photos from the quilt show coming soon!