WELCOME

Welcome to the blogsite of the Tollgate Quilters Guild based in Durban KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

We are a diverse group with a variety of experience and quilting related interests and it is hoped that this will come through in the postings. This blog will feature different guild members commenting on their favourite quilty subjects and we hope that you will enjoy the variety of opinions expressed.

We encourage comment and debate but please note that this blog is moderated.

















Thursday, September 27, 2012

Reminder to all Tollgate Members - FELT CATS


Hi Gals, just a gentle reminder about our Felt Cat Project - for the Knitting, Sewing & Crafts Workshop at Greyville Race Course next year. Please bring along all the wonderful completed Felt Cats to the November Meeting.

Oh no! me again - Just when you thought she done - I needed a break from work etc. so took myself off to Mary & Thalia's class again this year down at Toti


This is my Osprey also a WIP but this time they will be in the lenses of a pair of binoculars. Hoping that it will be almost 3D.

Bright Beautiful Bugs in Brown Circles



Here are the other three bright beautiful Bugs on brown circles - I'm going to try to make this into a mobile as the Bugs need to move! Will keep you all updated as to how I get on.

Bright Beautiful Bugs in the Green Circles



Here are three of the circles with bright beautiful Bugs!

Izotsha 2011 - Mary & Thalia's Class - Birds



I know this is from last year! -  but these are a WIP (Work In Progress) - I have added the beads & shells & have found the prefect shell fabric for the border. So that's my next move getting the sewing machine out to stitch the borders. Check out the next photos to see what I did with the green & brown circles that were left over from this quilt top?

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Janet Subban's ATCs

Thanks to Janet for a great workshop last night at our Guild Meeting & for all the supplies to make our  own ATC's. Janet has donated all the above ATC's to the Tombola Stall at the Durban Festival 2015. Thank You again - Janet.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Modern Quilt Guild

Ever heard of the Modern Quilt Movement?

Well. its alive and well and rapidly spreading across the world. There is even a Modern Quilt Guild in India.
These are the future "Traditional quilts" building on the traditional quilts which have gone before them.

The colours are different and very fresh with lots of solid colour and white- very different to the quilts we know as "traditional."

Here is the link if you want to know more.
The Modern Quilt Guild

You may not like what you see at first if you are a traditional quilter but, you never know, it might grow on you.




Monday, September 10, 2012

Some of my Quilts from the good old days

 "Teddy Bears Picnic" made for my Grand-daughter - Tori in 2006 - " Isn't funny why a bear like honey? Buzz, buzz, buzz, I wonder why he does?"
 " Seashore Ribbons" made for my niece, Fabia for her 21st Birthday.
" Wozani - Welcome to the Zulu Kingdom" made for my son, Hilton & daughter-in-law, Tracey for their wedding

Tollgate AGM

Congratulations to the new committee! 
Phil Fisher ( Chair)
Judy Zingel (Secretary)
Beth Barkus (Treasurer)
Megan Cockwell (Tea)
Caroline Cannon ( Library)
Janet Subban ( Birthdays)

Good Luck with the new year.


Amafu Hand Dyed Fabrics
A journal quilt from Glenda Kirkiridis

Liz's Crazy Patch Handbag

                                   Two sides of a delightful Crazy Patch Bag.
               Close-up details of handmade blue bead fringe and the use of lace.
     Close-up detail of the stitched letter "L" & very clever use of buttons & beads.

Janet's Crazy Patch Bag

                                    Two sides of this elegant Crazy Patch Bag
                                     Close-up detail of cross stitches and beading.
                                  Close-up of stitched Flowers & gold braid with beads.

Lorette's Crazy Patch Handbag

                Two sides of the amazing Crazy Patch Handbag
                 Close-up detail of Pearl Spider & stitches
              Close-up detail of button-hole stitch & beads - also lazy-daisy flowers.

Thanks

A Very BIG THANK YOU to Judy Zingel for all these great photos.

Crazy Patch Handbag Workshop

Yes this will be handbags - not what you are thinking!

Phil Fisher's Dyeing Workshop

Just look at those bright colours - that's Alanna second from the end.

Twig's Stars

Wow! Twig this is great.

Mary & Thalia's Light & Dark Workshop

Another three Tollgate Gals - Beulah, Colleen & Margie.

Ann Duckworth's Hexagon Workshop

Three of Tollgate's Gals - Caroline, Gail & Alice showing their examples.

Tollgate Quilters' Guild at Izotsha 2012

From left to right:- Beulah Black, Twig Hartwig, Joan Visser, Anneette Lee, Alanna Chapman, Mary Chapman, Lynda Estment, Phil Fisher, Colleen Weeks, Margie Wilcoks, Alice Glennister, Judy Zingel, Caroline Cannon & Beth Barkus. The  16th Great Izotsha Escape was held at the Skogheim Conference Centre on the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal over the weekend of 7-9th September. The organisers are members of Cottage Patch Quilters' Guild ( they do this every year in September) - thanks to them we all have a wonderful weekend of peace ( except for lots of chatter & laughter) and much stitching & quilting. YAH! This year's quilt retreat had the following workshops on offer :- Ezy Pzy Scrap Quilt, Shadow Play, Dyeing to Paint, Those lazy crazy hazy days of Summer, Herbaceous Hexagons, Knitted Quilts & Bring your own quilt to finish class.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Binding a Quilt

I came across Sharon Schamber's video on binding a quilt quite a while ago and didn't take much notice of it.
Today, I had to bind a quilt and thought I would give it a go, seeing that so many of my long arm friends in the States had tried it and loved the result.

I AM A CONVERT! I will never go back to my old method. This is fantastic - but you HAVE to follow the steps.

We can't get Elmers school glue here so I tried a Bostick washout glue stick. Not quite as good as the Elmers Glue in that Elmers Glue is liquid and thus easier to apply but the glue stick worked.