Directors of the show (from left); Isabel Paterson, Patricia Macindoe and Ruth Higham
|
As one of the world's leading producers of dyed and printed cloth for almost 250 years,
up until the 1960s, it seems only fitting that the Vale of Leven in Scotland should be the home of
the Loch Lomond Quilt Show. Now in its third year, the show has established itself as the
national showcase for the wealth of talent that exists in patchwork and quilting circles throughout
Scotland. Over 350 quilts were on display in 17 exhibitions in ten different venues, mainly
churches in Dumbarton and the surrounding area.The inspiration for the show came to organisers
Isabel Paterson, Patricia Macindoe and Ruth Higham during a visit to the Le Carrefour Européen du
Patchwork in the Val d'Argent in Alsace several years ago. Based on the same multi-site format
they approached their local Arts Development Officer with a grand plan and with the support of
EventScotland, and The Quilters' Guild, not to mention fellow enthusiasts and very tolerant
husbands, the Loch Lomond Quilt Show became a reality.
On an Island Beach By Sheila Dalgleish
|
Isabel, Patricia and Ruth believe that much of the success of the
event is down to the fact that they are, first and foremost, passionate about quilting and
understand what visitors to the event are looking for. The message from them is that the
event is 'A quilt show for quilters by quilters'. Stretching over four
days and spanning the length of the River Leven, there was literally something for everyone
- beautiful exhibits, workshops led by sought after teachers, retail
therapy, cruising on Loch Lomond and the chance to hear Patricia and Isabel
in their very own rendition of the The Proclaimers' song I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles),
aka ... (500 Quilts)! But more than this, there was a real spirit of camaraderie,
and a desire from participants and visitors to celebrate the creativity
and friendships which have grown out of a shared love of patchwork and quilting.
The event is very focused on preserving its Scottish identity;
the competitions and themes are closely linked to Scotland's textile
history and the natural heritage. This year's 'Far & Away' theme
was inspired by Scottish scenery looking out to the islands and
beyond, and attracted a feast of colour, techniques and textures
integrating Harris tweed, Celtic designs and felting. The open competition theme, 'Cabin
Fever', looked for traditional and new interpretations of this
timeless pattern, which according to quilt historians originated in
Scotland. (Examples of a log cabin design can be seen at the
National Museum in Scotland on an embroidered sewing box dating back to the mid 1700s.)
Are you Crazy? By Fiona Wysocki
|
There was also a tribute to the organisers' dear friend, and
one of the original visionaries and 'backers' of the event,
Marie-Louise Mundie. She sadly passed away just a few months
before the fi rst show was held but her memory lives on in the
Marie-Louise Mundie award for traditional hand quilting which,
this year, went to Nikki Tinkler
If the competition experience didn't suit everyone then there
was a chance to take part in the local Guild exhibition. Or the
'30 of the Best' display which highlights a different Scottish
region each year; this year's group was from the islands of
Islay, Arran, Lewis, Orkney and Skye, and they brought together
examples of Japanese folded patchwork, exchange dyeing and
some classic patterns.
Bonnie quilts on the banks of Loch Lomond
Visitors to the National Park Gateway Centre on the shores
of Loch Lomond were in for a real treat if they managed to catch a glimpse of the 'Q in the
Park' exhibition. An open brief to produce any sort of quilt which could brave the elements
(including a force 8 wind off the loch that weekend!) resulted in an array of dazzling quilts,
hanging from overhead branches, wafting silently in the breeze, mesmerizing passers-by as the
afternoon sunshine created an almost stained glass effect.
I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain by Morven Roche
|
If battling the elements wasn't everyone's cup of tea, then you
could still enjoy views of the loch surrounded by quilts from Georgina Chapman and friends
hanging inside the Gateway Centre. The exhibition brought together work from many of
Georgina's pupils in both the UK and the US and was a perfect backdrop for the launch party and
award announcements held on the opening day. I couldn't imagine a more fitting place to hang the
Mariner's Compass themed quilts by Georgina's pupils than against a ceiling-to-floor glass window
looking out on to the loch.
Quilting in the aisles - Both literary and spiritual
In addition to the competition exhibits there were collections
from many of the workshop leaders which will be covered in more detail in future articles. Here is
a
sampler, so to speak, of some of the inspirational quilts and artists on display in the participating
churches and libraries.
Vale of Leven Baptist Church - Irene MacWilliam together with the Irish Patchwork Society
Irene MacWilliam ran a workshop on zoomorphic Celtic appliqué showing students
how animal and human shapes could be intertwined to form fun and fantastical shapes. And her Fish Tales quilt was
just one of many pieces being exhibited. The Irish Patchwork Society were invited to bring a selection of contemporary quilts
and The Fire Spitting Dragon by Joke Buursma, which was pieced, appliquéd and quilted by machine was just one of many
dramatic pieces on display.
Fish Tales by Irene MacWilliam
|
St Mungo's Church, Alexandria - Sandra Meech and Jenny Barlow
What a contrast to bring together the urban landscapes of Sandra Meech's quilts with the traditional
methods and patterns employed in Jenny's quilts! Visitors spent a lot of time 'up close and personal'
with many of the exhibits, marvelling at Jenny's precision stitching and digesting the full
impact of Sandra's complex designs. Both Jenny and Sandra held workshops during the
event exploring mixed-media and hand-quilting techniques respectively.
West Kirk, Dumbarton - Sheena Norquay, Frieda Oxenham and Turning Point
On entering the West Kirk you were greeted with gentle background music provided
by the ladies of the church and it was almost like being in a quilting spa. On one side of the
aisle was Frieda Oxenham's 'Sew Far So Good' collection, bursting with colour and joy, and
facing that was Sheen Norquay's Beaches and Birds which was so evocative you could almost
feel the sand between your toes. But there was more to come and one of the magical
moments of visiting this venue was discovering yet another collection of pieces from Turning
Point hanging high up on the balcony, appropriately entitled The Power and the Glory.
Frieda introduced the concept of the Artists Trading Card in her workshop and Sheena shared her love of experimentation with
textured surfaces in her 'Making Marks' day.
Riverside Church - Cabin Fever, Old Log Cabin and ColourFX
ColourFX took the theme of Shakespeare's eighteenth sonnet and included Alicia Merrett's Thy
Eternal Summer Shall Not Fade. This was the perfect collection in which to immerse yourself on the wetter and wilder days during the
show. Alicia's workshop explored the way shape, line and colour can work together to achieve balance and beauty - 'visual
music' as she likes to call it.
The power and the glory by Turning Point
|
Dalmuir Library - Maureen Arnott
A winner from last year's show, Maureen is inspired by unexceptional objects and
surfaces in life such as walls and pavements. She uses dyeing, stitching and careful use of
textures to show these surfaces as things of beauty and her collection was simply entitled
'Look around you'.
Dumbarton Library - Glasgow Gathering
Made by members of the Glasgow Gathering of quilters, this exhibition celebrated the Round
Robin style. For those of you who haven't had the chance to take part in a Round Robin, this
is something along the lines of a friendship block. Each person that joins in starts by making
a centre block, they then pass this to another member of the group who adds a border and this
continues until all the borders are all added. It then arrives back to the originator for a fi nal top
and tail! Round Robins can be exciting, challenging and hugely enjoyable, and everyone ends up
with a finished quilt.
Thy Eternal Summer Shall Not Fade by Alicia Merrett
|
St Patrick's Church Hall - Traders Village and Guild Exhibition
It seems to be a universally acknowledged fact that any quilter in possession of a large
stash is entitled to augment it at regular intervals, no questions asked! There was a chance to
indulge in a bit of retail therapy at the Traders Village with over a dozen shops and businesses
taking part. Gilly Thomson, or the Hungarian quilt lady as she seems to be better known, had
her selection of hand-printed blue and white fabrics, along with a blue and white hand-quilted
churn dash quilt displayed for inspiration. You could also pick up jazzy buttons, kits on
hardanger embroidery and, for the really adventurous, sheets of copper which can be heated and
stitched on to fabric (perhaps worth noting for next year's 'Q in the Park'!).
Less is More
The multi-site format of this show is what gives it its charm. The venues were small enough
for you to interact with other visitors and to chat to volunteers manning the welcome desks.
Isabel, Ruth and Patricia, more often than not, had big smiles for everyone and were keen
to keep the tone of the show friendly and informal. By using intimate venues to show the
quilt collections it was much easier from a visitor's point of view to digest all the different
textiles, techniques and colours. The quilts seemed to take on a new dimension hanging from
the heavy beams of the church balconies rather than in a large cavernous exhibition hall. This
show is defi nitely enjoyed at a slower pace, and the opportunity to walk between venues and
to stop for coffee and home baking was a perfect way to take everything in. With a shuttle bus
running regularly between the different sites it was also easy enough for visitors to revisit
collections or to take a break.
Next Year
Plans are already underway for next year's show which will be held 14-17 May 2008. The
themes, are'Starring ...' as the theme for the open competition and 'Bordering on the
Extravagant' for the Scottish and Group competition. When I spoke to Isabel, Ruth
and Patricia after the show they were feeling optimistic about the future and are really delighted
at how the event seems to be garnering support from year to year. After completing the
gigantean task of returning many of the quilts they were eager to get down to some strategic
thinking about developing the event further. In fact, they seemed to be brimming over with
ideas, which can only mean good things for all of us visitors - roll on May 2008!
First published in Popular Patchwork Number 7 - 2007
| 
