A PATCHWORK OF PEOPLE

What is it all about?

Craft, Company, Community, Heritage and being creative.

But more than that. We are slowly working together to put together a set of 30 vintage quilt squares from 1933 found in a small town in Texas.
Each square has a hand embroidered signature and we are going to be creating a quilt out of the squares using techniques like hand stitching, sashing and embroidery.

We also aim to find the stories behind the names on the vintage quilt from the group of ladies who created the squares in Texas in 1933.
The idea is to stitch together our stories and both groups through time and over distance.

Do you have to be good at craft? An expert in sewing or hand stitching?

NO. The vintage squares were created by women of all skill levels and some of them are charming but crude in terms of the quality of hand stitching.
We just think it is all about the spirit of things and that mixed levels of skill are fine: it is really about women and craft working together and about ‘a patchwork of people’

Do you need to have been in this from the start?

NO. We are a relaxed easy and warm group and the whole idea of this is to bring people together and to create something from a whole variety of people and to reach out to people and welcome them to the group. For the whole project or even just a short time.

We love the idea that each square represents a person and that all of the squares are lovingly put together to create a whole – A Patchwork of People.

Do you have to be creative?

This is all about the experience and about a group of women enjoying spending time working together and with craft. Some people in the group are creative and some people are not.
It really does not matter because the whole idea is that we all work together and create something special as a group.

So what is the whole project?

Our idea is to spend time through 2012 and 2013 to create 3 very special quilts. The vintage quilt from Texas 1933, a Yorkshire rose design quilt created by the whole group and a 3rd quilt or textile design that is created by the whole community in Yorkshire through a community art project and made up by the group. The theme of this 3rd quilt is ‘My Yorkshire’

And then what?

Throughout each session we are taking notes, doing sketches and taking photographs. We are talking about books, what we are growing in our gardens and what we like to eat and cook. The whole project is based at Rivers Meet a craft café in Methley Leeds.

We are also creating and recording images and photographs that reflect these conversations and the things that we do, grow and cook or bake along the way. This whole story will be put together in a beautiful book and form part of an exhibition that will include all 3 quilts.

We hope to take this exhibition and our group to Texas to connect with the community that the original 1930’s quilt came from.
We also want to talk to and meet people from all kinds of communities in Yorkshire and tell them about the project and to display the exhibition and book at various galleries and cultural centres throughout our region.

Would you like to come and join us?

When where and what next?

We are meeting on Sunday August 5th at Rivers Meet Café in Methley 10 am through to 3pm. There will be delicious home made cake to share and lovely Yorkshire tea. We would love to see you there!

We are also meeting on August the 11th to dye fabric and to also hand paint and print patterns that we can use in the Rose quilt design. If you would rather stick to quilting or sewing some of the group are going to spend the day sewing both by hand  and on machines.

We will be there from 12 through to around 3pm. You are very welcome to join us on both dates and you can come along for the whole session or just a short time.

Call Jules on 07770561177 if you would like to know more, call in to see Joanne at Rivers Meet café in Methley or just turn up on the day.