Christchurch Cathedral New Zealand Commemorative Quilt - Call for Blocks

On the 22nd February, Christchurch New Zealand was struck by an earthquake, causing widespread damage. Christchurch Cathedral's spire collapsed and there was devastating damage to the rest of the Cathedral structure. More information here : http://www.christchurchcathedral.co.nz/ Luckily, no bodies were discovered in the rubble. The ring of twelve bells was destroyed, although several of the bells have been recovered, with damaged fittings.





The collapsed spire of the Cathedral.

The recovered bells amongst the rubble of the tower. Hopefully, you can see the shape of these bells and the general colour.

Bellringing is an old tradition, and bellringers are very much a worldwide community. Ringing societies in Australia, North America and the United Kingdom have already promised help. It will undoubtedly take some time to rebuild the tower and restore the bells.

Karen R., a Christchurch bellringer and quilter, wants to make a commemorative "bell" quilt and I suggested that I would be willing to co-ordinate efforts.

I am asking ringers/quilters to make a 6 inch " bell" block that I have designed - it is based on an old pattern called "monument". I am suggesting "bell" colours - mid to dark browns, bronze or slate colours, with a variety of off white/cream/ecru backgrounds. I am asking the makers to sign the block with their name, town and country, or if a ringer with their home tower.

I think this block would look good in repro fabrics, especially the civil war fabrics - and shirtings?? although I don't own many myself.

Here is the block - I have tried to keep to the change ringing bell shape - there is a clapper too, at the bottom. No headstock though.

Here you can see the finished and unfinished blocks. I have signed one of the blocks. The block is 6 1/2 inches unfinished, 6 inches finished size.

I will make a central panel (with Ruth McDowel's techniques) using a suitable photo of Christchurch - possibly the photo of the bells shown above.

For the border, I had envisaged a border based on this free machine quilted leaf and vine pattern, although with bell shapes.

I hope that all blocks can be submitted by the end of May, so that I can complete the quilt in time for the Festival Of Quilts in August. Afterwards, it will be sent to New Zealand. If you wish to participate (and I hope that many of you will) please send me an email (address is on the profile page) and I will send you an attachment with instructions for this block. No matching up intersections of seams - so should be achievable....Many thanks, Pippa

New Bells/New Quilt

The ringers of Campsea Ash worked hard to raise money - over £120,000 - to turn their old ring of four bells into a modern ring of six. You might have read in the newspapers last September how four of the bells were stolen whilst they were at the bellhangers' factory in Dorset. Luckily, insurance money ensured that the stolen bells were replaced by new, recast bells.

On Saturday, the Suffolk Guild of Bellringers, which has given a grant towards the cost of the bells, had its official try out. The bells are a pleasant ring, with only a few minor adjustments to be made.

St.John the Baptist Campsea Ash is a country church - Suffolk and Norfolk used to be prosperous farming areas, with many farm workers working the land. Now the need for farm workers is gone, and the villages are a pleasant place to live for commuters.

Ringing rounds whilst Jonathan checks his sound meter... The sallies are gold, black and burgandy coloured, a change from our usual red white and blue.

We then went to Woodbridge. Here is St Mary's,Woodbridge, a much larger and grander church. It has a splendid ring of eight bells in a tall tower.

I have now basted my purple and cream Pilanii Hawaiian quilt. Here is the backing fabric pinned securely wrong side up on the living room carpet - ready for the wool wadding to be placed on top of it.

The ironed top is then centred over the backing fabric and wadding and smoothed out and pinned in place.

Then it was time to get down on hands and knees and put lots of safety pins to hold it all in place while quilting. I had to buy another box of safety pins to have enough as the rest were already in use. You can never have too many safety pins...

Now I am starting to quilt - at 1/2" intervals, using pins and a small ruler to mark the distance. Its pleasant to have both applique and quilting projects to work on.

Here is a small sample I made for a class at Quilters Haven, using two fossil fern fabrics. The weaving technique makes an interesting background for applique motifs.

And another small sample using ombre (graduated) fabrics. The woven fabrics are bonded onto the wadding and quilted in the ditch.