Summerset on Sunday

Members of my quilt club, Pinestream Quilters, were invited to join Capital Quilters for a get together on Sunday. “For a day of stitching and friendship”, the invitation stated. It was held in the hall at Summerset Retirement Village, at Trentham, not too far from my home. With navigation instructions ringing in my ears from Robin, (I am well known for getting lost) I took myself off for an afternoon of sewing. Summerset Retirement Village overlooks the Trentham Racecourse and has an active quilt group amongst the residents. The quilts hanging on the walls were jointly made by the whole group and add a splash of colour to the room. “Summerset on the Course” depicts life in the village, the race track, the Hutt river and surrounding hills.

“Summerset on the Course”quilt made especially for the hall

There was plenty of activity going on with machines humming as some ladies ladies pieced blocks together, and others did machine quilting, with some others doing hand work. I admired some Redwork teddy blocks being stitched and there was a large quilt being hand quilted as well, while I worked on one of my “Twelve Days of Redwork” blocks. We all stopped mid afternoon for a “Show and Tell” of what people had been working on.

All ready for Show and Tell

This was a delight as the ladies showed off their quilts and told the stories behind them. This large quilt featuring New Zealand fabrics has a shadow effect, very clever I thought. It was double sided too. A couple of the residents brought some of their quilts along to show us as well, and joined us for afternoon tea.

New Zealand flora and fauna quilt

It wasn’t just quilting and patchwork being done. Maryanne was quietly working away on her sewing machine couching gold thread over the top of little net leaves. I was amazed at her skill, she made it look so easy. She was creating fabric to use as an overskirt for a reproduction of the “Laurel Dress”, the original is in Kensington Palace. Check out her wonderful blog The Hectic Eclectic for the full story of this joint undertaking .

Sumptuous fabric in gold and black

Note to self: Find your own couching foot which was purchased goodness knows how long ago and give it a try!!

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