'Serendipity Circles' workshop quilts

In September 2013, Fairholme Quilters hosted Serendipity Circles  a workshop presented by Brenda Gael Smith, of Serendipity Patchwork and Quilting

We offered the opportunity for participants to use fabrics from our community quilts stash to make our blocks. The genius of this idea, was the proviso that we donate those blocks back to the community quilts project. Several people took the offer up, and did the whole workshop with community fabrics. Each of the 15 participants made two practice blocks with community stash fabrics (= enough blocks for one quilt top in about 30 minutes!)

Win-win! We got to practice new techniques (free piecing, no rulers, no measurements, freehand cutting of curves with very sharp rotary cutters, no seam matching) using fabric we didn't need to buy. And the community quilts project gained enough blocks already made, for eight gorgeous quilt tops.

Fabric kits were prepared in advance, and everyone could choose their own, and add further fabrics from the stash as needed.

Here are the eight finished quilts, most of them already donated, some to be donated after our 2014 Quilt Show.

Margaret used her much appreciated colour and 
design skills to layout this collection of blocks that were then 
sewn together and quilted by Georgie. 
Pam hand-sewed the binding.
Georgie made several of these blocks, added some made by 
others, made the smaller circles to fit the spaces, 
then quilted and bound the resulting top. 
Roslyn's Serendipity Circles grew more complex and painterly, 
with up to four rings, incorporating some of her own 
stash fabrics, and borders from the community stash
Elaine W took on the task of wrangling this collection of 
blocks into a cohesive and appealing quilt.

Miram, Sue C and Jill chose similar fabric kits and pooled 
their efforts to make enough blocks for one quilt top Miriam 
(whose corgi seems to approve!) sewed them together and 
quilted and bound it.
A very pink dazzler. Georgie donated the brighter pink fabric from her 
dressmaking days ... and then she used it herself after the workshop, 
marrying it up perfectly with a multi-pink spot and plain whites 
from the community stash.
The 70s Circles quilt - a set of roughly colour-grouped blocks 
sewn together, quilted and bound by Jill. 


March 2014 - the last quilt is finally finished - the left-over blocks
not designed to go together, but they are cheerful, warm and finished.

Thank you to everyone who provided such a boost to our 
Community Quilts project in this fun and efficient way.

Brenda Gael Smith wrote about her workshop with us on her blog - Circling Around with Fairholme Quilters -  and included a link to photos from our 'show and tell' session over morning tea, featuring our Power Stripped quilts from last November's workshop.

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