January 2010 Newsletter

HAPPY NEW TO YOU ALL.May this year bring the best of all Blessings.

Report Back

Thank you to all QQ members who gave so generously for the Raffle and Go - Isizwe
R500 was collected and given to
Children of Fire and all items of food, clothes and toiletries was collected by Trevor Vosloo for Go Isiwe who were very appreciative of our efforts to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than us

Erichka welcomed all new visitors and the ladies from Husquavarna
QQ received thank you letters from Pat Parker, Pat Goldhawk, Judy Povey.
Judy made a beautiful patchwork bag to hold the Love Quilt –thank you Judy.
We received a letter from the Randburg SPCA thanking us for all the pillows donated.The group was reminded that there were still some Jolly Jozi cards for sale contact Maretha.

Words of wisdom for the New Year.

Remember Paradise is really a journey.
It’s not a place. It’s not your destination.
It’s the love, the laughter, the happiness, those moments of pure joy we experience along the way.
It’s in the hopes, the dreams, the fantasies, the plans, the details and the construction.
It’s the teaming with someone who shares your dreams and the journey. It’s the special moments that happen in our lives
Everything in life is a choice. You choose, so choose wiselySometimes we have to say no so we can have time to say yes to Paradise

Remember to visit;
www.qqquilters.blogspot.com
www.picasaweb.google.comthen type in Quadrille Quilters and view our albums.

Tentmakers of Cairo

When you see a suradeq (tent) for the first time it tends to take your breath away .Although very plain and grayish -white on the outside, the tents are usually
lined inside from top to bottom with exquisite geometric patterns -
in brilliant reds,greens.blues and yellows- every centimeter of them pain
stakingly sewn by hand according to a craft tradition rarely practiced
anywhere in the Arab world today except in the tentmakers bazaar of Cairo
The Suradeq has continued to serve a unique purpose the one of celebration
It is used for wedding feasts,the arrival of a new born child or a funeral.

The farrasheen are the workers who put up the tent specially skilled at
walking on high ladders. To read more about this fascinating art form just go to www.google.com and type in Tentmakers of Cairo.

YOUTH BLOCK CHALLENGE

Jeanette Botha presented the Youth Block Challenge.# pieces of fabric will be donated by Moda fabrics for a schoolchild Primary or High School to make a 40cms x 40cms block under your guidance. This is to encourage the Youth to start sewing. Entry cost R25. Entry forms and additional info available on website www.into2crafts.co.za Please let make a huge effort to participate

Xmas Poem

Festive Season,Feline Style
(sung to the tune of Away in a Manger)

Away from all danger,not covered at all;
there sits a plump turkey I'm hoping to maul.
There's nobody looking,my fate I will seal
;And don't you be thinking that guilt I will feel.
Now I am so clever,I am a good thief.
I have to choose quickly 'tween turkey and beef;
A fish in a bright dish or cream I will lick,
I"ll eat it all quickly until I am sick.
I know it is forbidden,I know that;s the truth;
To eat off the table is really uncouth.But this is so tempting,
I really don't care,And I blame my dear humans for leaving it there!

Next Traveling Exhibition

The Theme has been announced;
“Jewels of the Earth”
Entry forms will be available Feb 2010


QQ. Calendar of Events for 2010

January 13th Jenny Svensson Back Page demos
Febuary 3rd Jenny Smith Quilt as you go
March 3rd Margie Letts New Ideas in Design
April 7th Patricia a Bear Shiva Paint sticks use in Quilts
May 5th Carolyn Kode Embellishments on Quilts
June 2nd Nola Mayes Reversible quilts
July 7th Lydia Lomas Photo Transfer / Memory quilts
Aug 4th Suzen Bornman Piecing your Patchwork by hand
Sept 1st Di Pettersen The art of Machine Embroidery
Oct 6th Marietta Sri- Lankan Appliqué / embroidery
Nov 3rd Lesley Taylor Shadow AppliquéDec 1st Fun morning of Demonstrations.


The Presidential Shirt Quilt Story

In 1994 Desre Buirski gave Nelson Mandela the first of many shirts to follow.
That initial one was a viscose black and tan fish print shirt
In 1995 Desre was granted an opportunity to meet with Nelson Mandela and at that meeting Mandela requested that she make silk shirts for him and that is when the silk shirt era began.
Each of these silk shirts is one of a kind and is individually hand painted.
Each shirt also has an inner lining of plain silk in a contrasting or matching colour, to the outer print.
The 1st silk shirt was given to Nelson Mandela on his Birthday July 18th 1995, This was a green, black and gold shirt representing the colours of the ANC. Desre has made over 120 of these hand painted silk shirts for Madiba.
From the beginning she decided to collect and save all the off cuts from all the shirts she has made for him. Initially she did not know what she was going to do with all the bits and pieces of silk.
Finally after a few years the idea came to mind.. That was to patch and sew all the bits and pieces of silk together. She has now created two giant wall hangings that represent all the signature silk shirts that she has made for Nelson Mandela over a period of 12 years. These patches also include silk cloth that was given to Nelson Mandela as gifts from the Prime minister of India, the president of the Philippines and the President of Egypt. These silk fabrics were given to Desre to turn into shirts.
The quilts are a rainbow of all the prints, colours and inner linings from a large collection of shirts representing Nelson Mandela’s wardrobeIn February 2007 Desre was again given the opportunity to meet with Madiba and it was there she presented him with the two beautiful silk quilts .Desre was granted permission to insert Mandela’s signature onto these quilts verifying their authenticity and they were auctioned with the proceeds going to the Mandela’s Charities.

INSPIRATION FOR
THE MONTH


The Old Pieced Quilt

Grandmother’s Quilt is threadbare now, but it sheltered many a pow -wow and plotted an Indian Raid;
Hung on the clothesline, neatly spread it made a tent to shelter the head
of many an army, bravely led
and many a Hero made.

When you were a King and I was a Queen
that quilt took on a silken sheen
embroidered with threads of gilt!
Pinned to my shoulders, it trailed behind, Velvet and Ermine, the finest kind, and I never thought and you didn’t mind that it was only a quilt.

It’s a long, long time since we were ten, our world had no horizons then, but those our fancy made,
but that brave quilt still plays its part in those dim kingdoms of the heart, where childhood dreams are hid apart and memories are laid.
Jean Grisson Murray.

Warm Thoughts.
Love is a quilt – a quilt is love..
Both love and a quilt should be;
Soft enough to comfort you
Bright enough to cheer you,
Generous enough to enfold you’
Light enough to let you move freely,
Strong enough to withstand adversity
Durable enough to last a lifetimeAnd given gladly from the heart