Wessex Quiltmakers Exhibition 2015

I hopped on a train last Saturday and traveled the short distance to Winchester, the historic capital of Wessex, and had a very enjoyable couple of hours looking round Wessex Quiltmakers‘ triennial exhibition. I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking:

Clare’s Quilt by Helen Stevens, “This was the first quilt I made in 1984… We had lived in America so that influenced the choice of pattern and colours…”

Encore! by Random Threads, “This quilt was commissioned to celebrate a friends 80th birthday…As a resident of Winchester it reflects some of his interests and his appreciation of craftsmanship.”

Helen’s Quilt by Janet Gregerson, “This quilt was made for my daughter and son-in-law who take part in English Civil War re-enactments. I wanted to use the colours that I felt would have been appropriate for this period of history.”

Detail of Helen’s Quilt by Janet Gregerson

And a couple of medallion-type quilts (with Melanie of Catbird Quilt Studio in mind :-))

Christmas Extravaganza by Sue Hamilton, “Round Robin Quilt – started with a 20″ square which included compass points. I have always wanted a Christmas table cloth, now I need a bigger table!”

Diamonds for a diamond by Kate Large, “This quilt was started in a Sally Ablett Workshop. I then added the mariners compass sections and kept just adding a bit more! It was quilted by ‘Lovingly Quilted’.”

Stack ‘n What? by Kate Large, “This started out at an in-house workshop at Romsey Quilters. I loved the effect of the stack ‘n whack… it tends to get used as a lap quilt… quilted by Lovingly Quilted’.”

There were lots more quilts including a lovely selection ready to be sent to Project Linus.

After a cup of coffee, a slice of delicious homemade lemon drizzle cake, and a bit of retail therapy at the Exhibition I took a wander round the centre of Winchester. It is a city rich in history; the Romans settled there nearly 2,000 years ago and created a single river course out of two which still runs through the city today; and in Anglo Saxon times King Alfred the Great (reigned 871-901) made Winchester the capital of his Kingdom.

The huge cathedral nestles in the lowest levels of the city close to the river and it’s long, high nave is the burial place of many ancient kings and bore witness to the marriage of Queen Mary to Philip II of Spain in 1554.

Sections of a medieval wall form part of the perimeter confines of the Cathedral close and buildings. On my walk I followed the outside of the wall and found the Georgian house where Jane Austen spent her last days as well as some much older buildings still in daily use.

The plaque on the wall reads, " — The plaque on the wall reads, “In this house Jane Austen lived her last days and died 18th July 1817.”

Thank you to Wessex Quiltmakers for providing the perfect excuse for a day out!

Allison

9 thoughts on “Wessex Quiltmakers Exhibition 2015”

Cindy

August 19, 2015 at 11:48 am

What a great way to spend a day quilts and history!
- allisonreidnem
  
  August 19, 2015 at 2:55 pm
  
  It was a great day! Thanks for stopping by Cindy.
Helen

August 19, 2015 at 1:21 pm

Although I do prefer modern fabrics I do like the civil
War quilt
- allisonreidnem
  
  August 19, 2015 at 2:58 pm
  
  Yes! I do too, for me it’s the colours and ‘homely’ fabric patterns – a bit like visiting an elderly aunt or grandmother!
katyquilts

August 19, 2015 at 6:02 pm

Beautiful quilts but they can hardly compete with the pictures of Winchester! Looks like an amazing place to visit.
- allisonreidnem
  
  August 19, 2015 at 8:59 pm
  
  It is really! Because it’s so close I forget what a privilege it is to be able to whizz down on the train in just 15 minutes!
Colleen

August 21, 2015 at 5:32 pm

Thanks for sharing your day with us Allison, I really enjoyed the pictures !
Nancy

August 24, 2015 at 2:19 am

How charming it sounds to be able to hop on a train. We don’t have many trains here, at least not passenger trains. What a wonderful way to travel! The photos of the village are beautiful. The river — is that a photo of the river? — seems so high and close to the street. Lucky you to be able to visit such historic places.
- allisonreidnem
  
  August 24, 2015 at 1:21 pm
  
  Yes! It’s good to be reminded not to take all these things for granted. Passenger train travel is relatively easy here and in fact the roads are now so crowded rail travel is a good option (though longer distances are not cheap!).The river flows very fast through Winchester but rarely floods – clever old Romans!