GROUP QUILT - ROCK SAMPHIRE - BARTON BEACH 2
Mary, Lynne, Penny, Beverley

Mary: My two pieces are based on my immediate environment of Barton-on-Sea. I started with a piece of material dyed sandy yellow. I printed the tread of my walking boots (using a stencil and Markal sticks), then stitched some ripples in the sand using a twin needle and toning threads. I then divided this piece of fabric in half.  

Lynne: I was taken with the idea of man's impact on the planet, particularly on the sea, and I felt that the footprints made by Mary were benign and impermanent. So I emphasised them by stitching round the prints and adding some seashells from Florida. 

Penny: I remembered the crumbling cliffs of Barton-on-Sea, and happy seaside walks there. I was inspired to cut Mary's piece into smaller units, so I randomly sliced it into long shapes, added some of my own crazy blocks, and then stitched the piece back together. It was not a regular shape when I passed it on. I was not so happy with this, but realised that it still had one person to go, so there was still plenty of scope. 

Beverley: I added more textured stitching. Then I cut the piece up, reassembled it and added the border. 

Mary: When the piece came back to me, it only needed quilting and finishing. Rock samphire was flowering on the cliffs at that time, and it has been spreading over the past few years, so I used its flowers and leaves for the quilting designs.

INDIVIDUAL QUILT - INCOMING TIDE - BARTON BEACH 3 

Mary: My first, earlier, Barton Beach quilt had focussed on the cliffs and fossils, but this time I wanted to capture something of the sea. I chose very summery sea colours, vibrant blues in a variety of colours, which I strip-pieced, then chopped up and reassembled. Lace was added for the frothy waves, and I found a printed fabric like the beach pebbles. Couched threads emphasised the flow of the waves. I was going to stop there, but added narrow and wide borders, which improved it.