2017 Whitstable Quilters' Exhibition
Whitstable Quilters' Exhibition - by Jackie S
The Whitstable exhibition is held biennially and comprises the quilts from four local groups - Barn Owls, Oyster Patchers, Brooke Quilters and Papillon Quilters. It was a relatively small exhibition, considering the number of groups involved, and was held in a very light and airy church hall not far from the centre of town and sea front.
The majority of the quilts were in a traditional style and the colours and patterns varied - very much as would be expected of a small group. Joy Smith, who had several quilts on display, had made a very nice Japanese sampler quilt in brown fabrics, as opposed to the more usual blue, which apparently is called parquetry. There was a tombola, where I won a bag, and a sales table selling the usual group make items. The trader was Heidi's Crafts & Fabrics from Herne Bay, and of course I had to support her! The main raffle prize was a very nice, large, scrappy-style quilt, which unfortunately I didn't win. There were lots of other nice prizes though and on Sunday I had a phone call to say I'd won a voucher for a knitting shop in Faversham. All proceeds of the raffle went to Macmillan and The John Graham Trust, a local group helping adults with special learning needs.
The statutory tea, coffee and delicious homemade cakes were also available.
By chance I met a friend at the exhibition and afterwards we wandered through the town (amongst guests from a wedding walking from the church to the reception at a hotel), visited the small but crammed fabric and haberdashery shop in Harbour Street, ate fish and chips at Willy's Fish Shop by the harbour and sat on the beach in the bracing wind and occasional sun being serenaded by seagulls and sparrows.
All-in-all a pleasant day out.