City and Guilds - Introduction

Well it has taken a while but I have finally managed to find the time to photograph my City and Guilds work from last year so I shall start adding the pictures and descriptions to the blog. It feels strange seeing the pieces after so long. One of the things that amazed me but also cheered me up was how much progress I could see in the quality of my work. Not that I think my work is particularly good but it is much neater than when I started!!!

The first pieces I shall put up are from year one of the City and Guilds Certificate in Patchwork and Quilting and form the basis of a sample library covering five key modules: Line, Colour, Texture, Shape and Form. For each of the modules we had to produce approximately 8 different patchwork or quilting samples together with some related art work. At the end of each module we would be given a design brief from which we had to create a number of pieces of art work and sometimes an evaluation of the module.

I have to say I really enjoyed the first year as I was given the chance to learn and play with a number of different craft techniques. These included fabric dyeing, paper making and felt making. I also learnt a great number of time saving techniques to produce high quality patchwork however this course is not for the faint hearted or the hard up. You are expected to know quilting and patchwork basics and you do need to have a good stock of both fabrics and art materials. Certainly at Craven College I found I was spending £200 per month on these items for about the first 3 to 4 months and then maybe £25 - 30 every month thereafter. This is over and above the £400+ tuition fees. All of that said it is a great deal of fun and you can meet and make some great quilting buddies.


Do look at my other posts if you want to see and comment on my efforts so far.

I must not break technology

OK so I thought a quick 10 minute break from sewing would be a good idea. I was just going to log on briefly to write a quick message about what I had been doing but Google and Blogger had other ideas. Why does technology ALWAYS make my life so much more complicated?????

I have finally won the battle with Google to remember that I do exist. I would appear to have a netbook with Alzheimers. So....

I was going to do some sewing each day however that resolution didn't last long. Blocked drains, son returning from Nottingham unexpectedly for the weekend and possible tenants for the house have all meant I keep getting diverted from patchwork. Ho hum.
I have started this week with the firm intention of doing at least an hour each day.

First of all I had better explain the purpose of the blog. I am studying City and Guilds Patchwork and Quilting at Craven College in Skipton, North Yorkshire and I wanted an opportunity to share what I am doing, the good and the bad, the highs and lows with others and to perhaps encourage other people to think about taking the course.

Once I have my first year work back from my tutor I will place that on the blog but for now I shall focus on what I am doing for the second year of the four year course. In this year we have to create 5 original items. These are a quilt, a wall hanging, a cushion, a box and a bag. So far I have created the wall hanging and am in the process of making the quilt. Both projects seem to have taken an age and my brain has already moved on to project number 3 which is to be a cushion but more about that in a later post. So look for pictures and resume of the wall hanging in my next post. Right now i need to get back to sewing my quilt.