Angela's Portuguese Tiles

Last year when Angela left Portugal, after some years of encouraging and teaching patchwork for Portuguese and foreigners, she received a gift of blocks all made of blue, white and yellow colours representing the country.

Here is what she wrote on her blog about making her Portuguese tile quilt.

Sunday, 23 May 2010

My Portuguese Tiles

This time last year I was preparing to leave Portugal. At my farewell doo my favourite quilty ladies gifted me with these blocks, something to remember them by.... like I would forget them?? They were happy times..... They're blue and white with bits of yellow to represent the famous Portuguese tiles, which you can't miss if ever you go there.
I've decided to make the quilt, for goodness sakes.... almost a whole year has flown by and I haven't done anything with them! They were all different sizes so it was a little tricky. I made an extra block to complete the 10" block row, I've decided to make 2 x 5" blocks for the space that remains... then I will get out my stash of blues and invent a border, which I will start later today...

It's Quilt Class at Uttoxeter today 10am - 3pm, so.... as the song goes, Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.

My Portuguese Tiles

This time last year I was preparing to leave Portugal. At my farewell doo my favourite quilty ladies gifted me with these blocks, something to remember them by.... like I would forget them?? They were happy times..... They're blue and white with bits of yellow to represent the famous Portuguese tiles, which you can't miss if ever you go there.
I've decided to make the quilt, for goodness sakes.... almost a whole year has flown by and I haven't done anything with them! They were all different sizes so it was a little tricky. I made an extra block to complete the 10" block row, I've decided to make 2 x 5" blocks for the space that remains... then I will get out my stash of blues and invent a border, which I will start later today...

It's Quilt Class at Uttoxeter today 10am - 3pm, so.... as the song goes, Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

My Portuguese Tiles

Right, that's the centre done. Looking good eh?
As you can see I found a perfect fabric for my first border, it has lots of different shades of blue flecks on it.... but then production stopped, for hours, and a few more hours.
After pulling out loads different fabric for audition and mulling over way too many ideas, I made my decision....
I didn't like any one fabric as a border, so it has to be pieced.
All the pieced borders I considered were just looking too regimental... so, out came my favourite Marsha Block Party book of 9" blocks and I will be working on making loads of different ones (about 22) over the next few days, traditional piecing..... even the triangles!
I'm going to make them "by the book"... no shortcutting... back to basics.
Look out blue pile... I'm coming back in!!! ha ha ha

Pinning and women's talk

Thursday was nice and sunny and already 30 degrees outside. You will read now lot of me whining about hot weather. Ursula made a bag with sunflower fabric and used her fabric flowers. They look right in place. She used simple zigzag stitches on her bag too.

Therese's Christmas tree wall hanging is quilted and ready to be posted to its owner.

Regina, Ursula, Therese and me sandwiched Therese's quilt. She bought ready cut triangles set and after Thursday it is ready to be quilted. This is the first quilt that she will have for herself. In the past she made many and they were all presents. Ursula suggested the name "Rose Garden".

After being for a long time absent from quilting Regina came with her paper-pierced Christmas tree. All eight hands were pinning this little quilt to put our signature. OK, there are only six and some of us have to take a photo.


After we sat and chatted. Actually, mainly listening Regina's life story. She was the first Portuguese woman to be a manager of the Ritz hotel in Lisbon. She speaks Spanish, English, French and of course Portuguese. She learnt English and French because in the 1960s she was not allowed to go to a university and her parents hired language teachers that she can learn languages.

She traveled a lot to the America and Europe attending tourism fairs and her favourite city is Berlin. When she was interviewed for a job and was asked whether she can type or not. Her answer was "No, but I can play a piano!"

An incredible woman. It was a pleasure to listen her story.

Photo and text Javhlan

WRVS Car Boot Sale

WRVS is organising car boot sale on Saturday June 5th 2010 at the Carcavelos Clothes Market from 10.00h to 14.00h


Browse for treasures such as toys, books, baby items, clothing, household goods, furniture
and much more including WRVS hot and cold drinks, snacks sandwiches and delicious home made cakes!

To reserve a place for €12 to sell from your car

Email Simon on sdjwebb[at]yahoo.com

or Kim on kimwulff59[at]hotmail.com

and leave a message with your name, Tel No or email address.

If you would like to donate items email Ineke on wrvsportugal@gmail.com

Flower bloom at the Quilt Bar

Spring is spreading all over Portugal. Flowers blooming everywhere and many people are going to garden centres to brighten up their gardens with spring flowers.

Quilt Bar was blooming with fabric flowers too. On Thursday, Ann, Cinzia, Irene, and another Irene (Ann's friend) and Ursula came to make with me fabric flowers.

This is Cinzia'a flowers. She made only two flowers because she had to run home.

Ann made her flowers from her Liberty fabric which had been in her wardrobe for more than twenty years. Fabrics were fantastic to make flowers.

Irene's flowers looked gorgeous! I liked her choice of fabrics.

These are our visitor Irene's flowers. She does knitting, crochet and cross-stitching a very crafty woman from Holland. At some point there were three Dutch speakers two Irene and Ann. Ann is very talented with foreign languages unlike many British. I think, she speaks French, Dutch, Portuguese and of course English.

Ursula made three flowers with her hand dyed fabric.

Without these plate full of buttons we would not have completed out flowers. These buttons Ann bought in Australia and she offered us to use for our flowers. Bisciuts and coffee or tea cannot be separated from craft as you can see in the photo.

Ursula and Irene were concentrated on making wonderful flowers.

Ann, Irene and Cinzia were working hard to learn everything.

Text and photos Javhlan