I live in the UK and i simply love my quilting i did visit NY USA quiet a lot and during this period some one taught me the basic quilting skills and from then on i am quilt mad but over here England people do not seem interesting in quilting and fabric shops are so rare that i am glad of Ebay for fabric buying and the charity shops for scrappy fabrics, Since i have joined this forum i have found my dream people who are actually interested in quilting and sharing info on different patterns whilst still in the UK no one seems to care it makes me so damn mad.
As i live in the rural area of England there are no quilting classes or quilt groups nothing so i am totally alone in my quilting which makes me kinda sad in a way

Aww, Bev, you need to recruit some friends. Make a wall hanging and see if you can display it in a public place, like a bank. I bet you would have quilting buddies coming out of your ears!

Definately or maybe display something in your local library and let them show a couple of books you might have! Ya never know, you might start a trend!

Bev, you have friends here. Pam is right - if there isn't a quilting group, try and start one.

Good idea Pam......... got to let people see just what quilting is and how wonderful it can be.

Bev remember you are never along you have got all of us here any time you want with just the click of a button.

Keep quilting and make beutiful memories....... please post pictures of you quilts we would love to see them.

ScrapQuilter

i'm wondering and pondering.

i used to think quilting was uniquely American. once i joined the board i was amazed (and pleased) to discover that it's an international obsession.

is it possible your friends don't feel a "connection" to quilts as part of their history or heritage? is it "not English enough"? (i don't mean that as a criticism. only to wonder if there's a reason they don't see the point, or feel the pull like we do?)

can you show them otherwise? find a way to connect quilting to your unique community?

do my questions even make sense outside my little corner of the universe?

Thank you for your lovely kind replies as i live in a small village in the middle of the rural countryside it is difficult to show my quilts in shops etc as we have one Butchers one very tiny village shop if i was not so shy i would try and start a quilting group but that takes a lot of courage for me lol..
Believe me since i have joined this quilting forum i smile every time i come on here because there are so many beautiful quilts and excellent info plus to top that so many very very very friendly people and this i Cherise.

Sorry you feel alone.. but you have us and we welcome you with open arms!

We'll be your friends.

Welcome to our group, Bev!

Do many people in the UK sew, at all? Or is that a dying art?

Bev, have you thought about your local friends or acquaintances? That is kinda how I really got into quilting. my DH step-grandmother is an avid quilter and when I first met her she gave me the bug. Which I think kinda made my MIL a little bit upset, especially since she offered to make me a quilt for my wedding and didn't do that for my SIL's wedding. But that is a whole different thread. Maybe if you make a few small lap quilts and give them to some people who you know well that like crafty things. That is always a good way to spread the bug. Especially if you make really nice ones.

There are some other UK quilters here. I think, as an American quilter, I grew up loving quilts, before they were being mass produced, so having a quilt was special thing. Quilts are involved in our country's myth and history. Climate may play into it, too.

Quilting was invented in England Well not really but there has always appeared to be lots of quilting activity there. Check this site http://www.quiltguilds.com/united-kingdom.htm Many teachers from the US go there to teach. And there is an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum that there has been a lot of discussion about. We have longarm quilters coming here from the UK. So search the internet and you will find other quilters.

Welcome to you! Glad you found some people at least on the internet that share the same intrests!

Oh my! Growing up with my roots in the hills of eastern Kentucky (even tho I lived in Michigan) I can't imagine NOT having a quilt on my bed. Both my grandmother's and my great grandmother made quilts until they couldn't any longer.
I must ask....what do you use to cover up with at night?
Carol B

Hi Bev in the UK. Nice to know you. It is strange how we can survive so much on our own. I love this quilting board. When my husband was forced by bad health this past summer, we lost a lot of friends. He is a minister and now I see that some were just along for the ride...to know things..Luckily I was not a person that talked about very personal things to the people I thought were my friends. But it is hard, but I have done more quilting work since joining this board then I had in the past 10 years. I am so glad that you have this also. You know with things changing and such sad things going on in our world, at least we have someome to talk to that we don't have to worry about turning against us. We will learn and enjoy our time visiting with others on here.

you are not alone, you have all of us.

Hi...You might find this blog interesting if you're a machine quilter. She's an American that's lived in the UK for many years. She and her husband have a quilting business and she teaches machine quilting. Hope you can find some fairly local quilting friends too.

http://machinequilter.blogspot.com/

I'm sorry you feel isolated Bev, I am a UK exile living in Ireland. There are likely to be fewer quilt classes because of the general demise of adult education services (I used to teach evening classes in Norfolk). But if you managed a day trip to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham in August, you might have a different outlook - it would come across as huge. I went two years ago, missed last year, but I'm going again this year. It took me two days to see most of it last time - at least, to do it justice. More than 1200 quilts, and suppliers galore. In addition there are two monthly magazines produced in the UK, Popular Patchwork, and Patchwork & Quilting, and a Quilt Guild.

All is not lost, how about putting a small personal ad. in your local paper? That's how I found my quilting chums here, and we have had a small (but perfectly formed, LOL) group that meet twice a month for nearly 10 years now.

You are the one that put that beautiful pinwheel quilt on yesterday. I can see you love to quilt and no wonder you want to share your talents with others. That quilt is fantastic. I know how you feel. I worked in LA for the last 30 years with a lot of women and never found a one who liked to even sew at all. They always told me it was a waste of my time and money to sew and to have a sewing machine that could do any more than sew a straight line back and forth. I have sewn since I was very young, so they didn't change my feelings in the least. I have been lucky the past 2 years to have found a quilt shop close to learn quilting and meet a ton of women who are as addicted to quilting as I am. It is so nice to share with them and with the people on this forum. Glad you found this. I am sure everyone is looking forward to seeing more of your quilts posted here.

Welcome from Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada

With this site, you will never be alone. There are quilters from all over the world here, U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zeland, Ireland and even England :-P

So send your stories, pictures, smiles, grips and tears. There's always someone here to appreciate your work and stories, Understand your grips and tears and give you hugs when needed.

Welcome, Bev!!! :D

Just join on in, and you'll be right at home with your friends across the pond!

Hi Bev, I live in a very rural part of NZ, no local quilt group to join and I only know one other lady nearby who has been quilting for over 20 years. I try not to bug her too much with my questions etc as I am new to quilting. LOL. And she obviouly has her own personal style of quilts which she likes to make. This is an amazing Forum, I have learn't so much here, I love visiting often and I learn something new every time I sign in! I feel as though I have found a whole new bunch of like minded friends. Just as well we are not all in the same room at the same time as we would not get any quilting done!!

Gal

Another Brit here :) I used to live in a really small village called Bugbrooke, near Northampton, and I still miss the beautiful countryside around there.

For whatever reason, there are some wonderful needlework stores over there, but definitely less on the quilting front. Ironically though, some of my favorite fabrics are by Makower, and I have had to order from England on occasion in order to get all the fabrics I needed in a given series for one of their patterns.

Hi Bev
It might take a while, but I am sure you will find a group of like minded souls - and we are all here when you need us. Eeeee ooop lass, theres nowt a goodly wail won't fix! as my MIL used to say :lol:

Hello and Welcome from Northern Indiana ! Glad you joined us :lol:

Do you have any friends that enjoy doing any kinds of crafts ? I had a friend that we started out getting together to crochet, as time went on I started doing other crafts and soon was doing my quilting on our "girls" night. Guess what ? In March she bought a sewing machine and now she is learning how to quilt :wink: She watched me and got the bug :lol: In fact she is also a member here . Maybe if you can find a craft buddy , at least you will have someone to share things with

And we are always here :wink:

Bev you might not be surrounded by a lot of quilters but you have TONS of vintage machines all around you!!

I am planning to come over to the UK next year and I will be loaded for bear!! I am going to buy as many vintage machines I can and ship them back home.

If you want I can always bring a suitcase packed with fabric for you!!!

Billy

Bev, get in contact with Billy, take him up on the fabric thing!!! I bet he can search out things you could not find online. You have tons of quilting friends!

You have lots of quilting buddies here. I have learned so much from these wonderful people. Have fun with us.

Dont think we cant take up a collection and mail it to you!! All you have to do is say its a gift on the customs receipt and your good.

Billy

Thankfully we can all enjoy the gift of the internet -- we have each other, no matter where we are! (: We do have other members here from the UK, one from the Bayston Hill area, and another near Stapleford and I'm sure there are others as well.

Other than my husband, and one or two friends here I don't know who I would show my quilts to. Come to think of it...I've been a bit shy about showing any here. Anyway, it is such a great group of quilters here. I hope you'll feel right at home here with us! (:

Bev,
as Holice already said: contact the British Quilt Guild
http://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/
I'm sure you will find contact to a local group get to know some more quilters. Some of my real "Quilting Heroes" are British and live in UK and the British Quilting History is so interesting and deversified! But of course different to the American one...
We here in Germany almost don't have a quilting history, other crafts were much more important in further times. But the number of avid quilters is still growing and I am happy about it.
I really love this board because it is a wonderful opportunity to meet other quilters around the world and to learn more about this wonderful craft. BTW, I can improve and train my English...my brother lives in Kentucky and one day I want to visit him there. Maybe in April when the Paducah Show takes place.

Hi Bev - check this out, I don't know where exactly in the UK you are but this map shows just some of the quilt shops around the country. Your nearest one will be able to put you in touch with a local quilting group I'm sure! http://www.cosman.nl/maps/map_en.php?cn=uk

Hi Bev,

I'm from Scotland - I got interested in quilting fairly recently through reading some blogs and articles on the internet.

When I first started looking for fabrics, I knew there was a chain fabric shop nearby and asked there first - they only did polycotton fabric, but recommended a fabric shop in the next town - it turned out to be a shop dedicated to quilting that was only 10 minutes away from me. Since then, I've found out that quilting seems to be pretty popular in my area - there's apparently a local guild that has a huge waiting list to get in - but I honestly had no idea. It seems like quilting is more common than it first seems to be in the UK, but you've got to dig a little to find it.

If you're looking for places to buy fabric from, I've had good experience with Doughty's so far - it's a shop based in Herefordshire that does online orders also. http://www.doughtysonline.co.uk/

Bev there are lots of quilters in the UK. Try the Quilter's Guild for local groups. Where do you live? There are some online groups too, try BQL

You would think, since quilting evolved in the UK with the havoks(?) that the knights wore, that quilting would be big. You are not alone, we are with you in spirit. LOTS AND LOTS OF HUGS.

Hi Bev. Sorry you feel so isolated. Keep coming here. Lots of great folks and great help.

My ex-boss and quilting teacher was from the UK. She is an excellant quilter.

Keep looking and and asking. There has to be more out there.

So glad you are here and keep quilting - this is a great place to visit

Hi Bev - welcome to our community on line. There is always someone here at any time of day or night to exchange quiltie news with.

Bev, when you look at these maps, you may find a close place to go and be among friends
my daughter is leaving in 2 days for Lakenheath,England, maybe you 2 can get together, she loves quilting eventho she only been quiltin 2 years.
hope you find friends and shops soon, molly