quilting

Quilt (top) finished and taking Forest of Zine on tour

It took several months longer than I expected, but the quilt (top) is finished! I will get round to finishing the actual quilt at some point, but the quilt top is the main part and it gives me time to work out how I’m actually going to quilt it and let me work out how to create mossy margins around the edge. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the quilt, I especially love the embroidered patch blocks contributed by 23 people 😀 It’s also difficult to explain what the quilt means to me, especially those contributions. I hope to be able to find the appropriate words when I make a zine about it.

The next step is to take the quilt on a cycle tour (the first of many?). This time from Aberystwyth to the Forest of Dean for International Zine Library Day on Sunday 21st July! I’ve planned my route, booked my campsites and now I need to contact some places along the way that I’d like to take the Forest of Zine to visit.

Quilting Busy Work

I’ve had a lot of the time over the winter to really develop ideas for the Forest of Zine and I have many things planned for the year ahead, including a cycle ride from Aberystwyth to the Forest of Dean for International Zine Library Day. I’ve got some more events, festivals, other fun stuff in the pipeline, more details to come.

The thing that has been occupying my time, in preparation for the year is making a quilt for Forest of Zine that could be used as a banner, a blanket and a table covering. This has been inspired by a variety of projects that I’ve absorbed over the last year and there will be a zine of the quilt (obviously) to tell its story and some of mine too!

I really can’t wait to get both of these (and myself) back out into the natural world soon… but before then I’m hosting a Quilting Bee to enable other people to embellish and enhance the quilt to make it something extra special. I’m inviting my friends and people from the local zine community to come along, contribute to the quilt and wherever Forest of Zine goes they will be there too. The Quilting Bee is taking place in Bristol, in the Nissan Hut, Eastville Park on Sunday 24th March from 2-5pm. Everyone is welcome and it’s completely free; more details below: