Angie's Patchwork & Quilting shop. I don't really buy fabric to sell. I buy fabric for YOU to choose from.
I've been rooting in my stash again... 
So ... I bet you can guess by the clue in the post title?? Santa was very good to Maid Marian.... a big box, a heavy box... a brand new Bernina Aurora 440QE all for her very own self! Actually it was her daughter who gifted it, not Santa really. I went over to Marian's house today to give her a starter lesson. You know... (Jenni & Gillian in Uttoxeter will enjoy this news)... Maid Marian got the hang of the needle threader on the first attempt! I was thrilled for her... anyway we walked through all the basics so that the sewing could begin.... making a bobbin, threading up the machine, foot pedal (which is wonderful) etc, etc....
While I was at Maid Marian's house she showed me her latest finished quilt, which had been all packed up ready to take to Caverswall today for show & tell... she forgot we had no meeting, bless...
She is so pleased with the double sided binding, black was perfect for the front but didn't look so good with the backing fabric, which needed green... ta da... no problem we can do both! have you tried it... it's pretty impressive stuff you know.
Binding done by machine...very quick to do, though a little fiddly, especially doing the mitred corners... it will take more practice to get them perfect. I'm showing you the two good corners you see... the other two are rubbish... but done! Binding by machine really doesn't look as good as when it's stitched by hand, in my opinion, but for sure I will do it again in the future, later today in fact... "a finished quilt is better than one on the binding pile!" oh, and it's snowing again here, what a blooming shame that is... I'll just have to have a Snow Day Sew Day!....... yeeeeha!!!!
With our Quilt Cave meeting being cancelled yesterday, I went to visit with my Mum (Gwynneth). She was able to have a Snow Day Sew Day all to her very own self, with coffee and a lovely mince pie delivered by yours truly. She's almost done with the quilting on this project which means she has two quilts to make binding for now. Mum's going to make little fabric keeper bags for these quilts next and after that... a new project will be started.
Good day to you all, what a busy few days I've had, I regret to say I haven't even entered my Quilty Quarters let alone do any stitching... it really is "Sewing Prevention Week" 
Dotty Maureen's Show & Tell... she took the '10 Minute Block' to another level.... she started off with strips of fabrics and made blocks from them before doing the "Middle-Fiddle-Twiddle" Jenni Rayment will be pleased with that description I bet you! What a great effect it created...
Dotty spent her day making this paper pieced mouse. It will be a gift for someone in our Wednesday group so I can't say any more without spoiling the surprise...
A new baby came to class... a Bernina Aurora 430... Brenda Barbara is the proud new owner/Mum for this beauty. The 430 is pretty much the same as the 440 QE but with different feet and no BRS, no point in paying for a BSR if you won't use it is there....
This is what Brenda Barbara was working on, she's very impressed with the Bernina seam ripper!! ha ha ha, she was so excited about her new machine that she couldn't concentrate on what she was sewing, hence her use of the handy little gadget... she got there in the end though and this table centre was ready to be sandwiched and quilted... on the new baby of course!!! |
Joan The Shop is free motion quilting all the daizies, she left with only the ones in the borders to do so she's on track to have it ready for Christmas, especially as we're been treated to more "Snow Day Sew Days!
When I first met Wendy, I told her that my name was really Angel and I wasn't sure why there was an extra 'A' at the end of my name.... it's worked before... the lovely ladies in Portugal call me Angel to this day ha ha ha... so that's why there's a huge "Angel" on my lovely homemade Christmas card... Wendy couldn't resist...
I share with you now, the home made verse that Wendy thought up all by her very own self... it's brilliant and I will treasure it for ever..... 
Wendy brought in this quilt, finished, bound and all... the inner yellow border is 3D and, in my opinion, makes all the other colours 'pop'... can colours 'pop'?...
This is the back, I feel very proud when the ladies use up left overs to make the backing.... if you click on the photo you can see that Wendy used red thread to quilt and she did a great job.
Lacey Ann missed us for several meetings because she was snowed in... you can see that she enjoyed the forced Snow Day Sew Days... One side The Hungry Caterpillar 
the other side, completely different with Texas here I come! (This quilt is going to Texas you see) double sided 'Quilt As You Go' I have to say that this is a brilliant example!.. yes ladies, both pictures are the same one quilt, not two!
Lacey Ann again... she is so clever... she had looked at the very small picture of my Bargello wall hanging (at the bottom of this blog) then set about making her own... stunning, I'm sure you will agree. As for the colours she says... ' I just used what I had because I was snowed in'... She spent the day making a sandwich and quilting.
My Mum (Gwynneth) continued to quilt her project. She keeps being interrupted though as she is the official shop keeper for the "Table Top Shop, wadding on the side", which was quite busy yesterday...
Chris went home last week and had a go at making one of the "10 minute blocks" she wrote a short tutorial for herself so that she can remember how, she is trying hard not to start another project just yet...
.... she's still working on this split 4-Patch you see, oh, and the Tennessee Waltz wedding gift one, and her Mat & Ruler bag, the baby quilt and and and, he he he... sound familiar?
This design is very simple to make and great for a fast finish. It's based on the good old Rail Fence block so lots of long simple 1/4" seams that get cut into blocks. A short time to arrange everything in the right order and you're done... simples! It's Joan's and she needs it done yesterday...
Luckily the Peppa Pig quilt is now ready for Santa... thanks to Wendy who very kindly hand stitched the binding down for Joan who has an extremely sore finger preventing her from doing it herself.... the next quilt will be done completely by machine.
Diane made ANOTHER bag, this time she printed off a photo of her cute little dog to use for the middle of the star block.
She also printed a photo of her house... as you see here, she's going "Arty Farty"... we're trying to get a border that continues out from the photo.... you can tell that though, right? 
It wasn't easy to decide how to quilt this one. I did my usual thing... put a piece of tracing paper over the top and doodled with a pencil, but nothing was right, not for me at least, no lines could flow through the coloured fabrics in the blocks, not without lots of starting and stopping... ewwwww... tying off all those ends, no thank you! Little meanders all over the background fabric, one start and one stop for each block, Love it! 4 blocks to go...
I LOVE these threads... In stock at my "Table Top Shop, wadding on the side" I have almost every King Tut colour. I actually have every colour but if I sell a few I won't so, "almost" is the word! I sell the lovely Masterpiece threads and Superior Rainbows too, love them all!!
This is one of my Mum's (Gwynneth's) latest finishes, at least the top is finished. It's actually very effective, don't you think. Half Square Triangles and background squares, and that's all there is to it!
We had a fabulous day.We did get off to a rather chilly start as the boiler had decided it wasn't going to wake up! Luckily we had all suspected this might happen and everyone was well wrapped up. Annie Pie (used to be plain Annie!) Not only brought in home made pies with peas for our lunch, with scones, jam & cream, sweeties and gravy (not on the same plate!) She also made two sandwiches
Lemon & Lime and this autumn leafy one. Annie wasn't sure she was doing the right thing with the Log Cabin bits but we were all very happy to assure her that it was COMPLETELY the right decision and we all love it! She has lots of quilting to be getting on with over the holiday season.... I count 4 that need finishing? Steady on Annie Pie... there's an even darker side to quilting.... and it involves UFO's!!
Chris started another project, I think she has enough Quick Table Toppers done now, he he he. Split 4 Patch this time. She had a pack of those pre-cut squares so she just had to cut loads of creamy coloured squares, sew them all together then... chop them up again to sew them together once more... Patchwork! She's loving her new Baby (Aurora 440QE) They have bonded so well.
Irene brought in her Acu cutting thing. They are sweeping the world of patchwork at the moment, she is very happy with hers. Later she stitched the pieces together and they fit perfectly, no wonder she went home beaming.... not on my list of thing I need though, I couldn't cope with all the trimmings!
Lizi was joining her blocks together, first into pairs, then into rows. This is her first quilt and I have to say... she's rather enjoying it, the look of addiction is so easy to recognise... involves a huge knowing smile.. oh yes, she has that!
Wendy spent the day hand stitching her binding. She's gone to a lot of trouble to get this binding right on both sides, but it was well worth the effort. She's very cross with me for making that last autumny (still no name springs to mind) quilt, now she needs, NEEDS! to make one too, he he he 
My Mum (Gwynneth) is very happy with her latest quilt top and I am sure you can see why. As we make our projects we do get more confident with colour choices and working in a large group also helps... I think we all inspire each other without even trying to, fabulous! The stripey sashing that Mum chose, all by her very own self, with the black fabric.... brilliant! This quilt will be shipped to Spain very soon, it's her first commissioned quilt!
Quilted with simple meandering with the most gorgeous King Tut thread. I didn't want anything too fancy for the quilting and I'm really pleased with the result... it was a bit fiddly getting round the Cathedral Window bits without catching them,... well I did catch one, don't think you'll spot it though... now to bind and to think of a name..... any ideas?
After a little more rooting I found this perfect backing fabric.... I bought it when I lived in Mexico City about 7 years ago, I must have known it would come in handy, I had purchased 3 metres of it... I confess ... I have it in blues too! he he he
It took me the best part of the day to stitch the edges on the Cathedral Window bits.... maybe I should have done them by machine... hey ho. they're done now. I couldn't decide on a border fabric. I considered making a pieced border too but couldn't make a decision on that either... I found sooo many fabrics that were perfect.... but none were perfect alone.....
Oh I made a good old mess while I was rooting, (don't you just love rooting?? I LOVE rooting!!!) piles of fabrics everywhere... gosh... I have a lot of suitabubble ones, he he he. A border of bricks... looks quite good eh... and I get to throw all the lovlies in there... I'm in the mood for a sandwich!
I found another pack of pre-cut 6" squares. Paula, owner of Arco Iris A Metro in Portugal, gave them to me about 3 years ago.... which makes them relatively new in my stash, he he. I made this quilt top centre yesterday. I could have had it finished but decided to turn the centres into Cathedral Window style things which slowed me down as I am hand stitching the rolled edges. I shall continue with it today because, if we're lucky, we might have temperatures reaching -5... brrrrrrrrrrrr, I declare another "Snow Day Sew Day" or should I say "Ice Cold Sew Day".... it's actually warmer in my fridge than it is outside!
Everyone was late, most for having to dig their cars out, but we almost had a full house in the end. The hall is having a few boiler problems at present, with temperatures of -14 degrees, I had told the ladies to be sure to wrap up... Well.. Maid Marian came in her dressing gown with a thick fluffy scarf and a hat, a Christmas Turkey hat! See the little guy on the table... he sings and dances, In this picture Maid Marian was dancing with him.... oh it was soooooo funny.....you just had to have been there, Marian is such a good sport... Not a bad quilter either, it has to be said.
Shirley Lerly finished her huge quilt top and had pieced the backing so was desperate to get to the Hall to make a sandwich. Two and a half metres of wadding, she's using the wonderful Cream Rose, it's so very soft and luxurious... the quilting design is decided... could this be finished before the holidays?
Wendy made this project with the apartment method. Each row was quilted first then they were all joined together. This quilt was meant to have corner triangles but we all agreed that it looked great without them... so Wendy can get straight on to the binding. 
Joan The Shop only needs to finish 9 more Daizies for the bottom border, that thin yellow inner border is perfect, don't you think? The backing is a pale lilac gingham with tiny daisies and I would put money on it that we will be making a sandwich next time! Joan's next project is waiting and needs to be completed for Christmas.... no pressure eh!
Maid Marian finally settled down to quilting. Any mention that someone was cold, she shouted up "I'm Not Cold!" she looked so cosy all day. Anyway, she did finish quilting all of the black rectangles so only needs to sew a couple of lines in her borders, next time we will all learn how to do Double Sided Binding, what a treat!
Last week Wendy showed me a tiny picture of a quilt that she liked. I doodled around on paper, roughly figuring out how to make it then we played with a few fabrics choices... This week the top and a pieced backing, done! In no time at yet all another sandwich was made...
Kate finally put the finishing borders on her Jennie Rayment project so she was also able to make a sandwich. We had a mini meeting to decide how best to do the quilting and she was off... She is very happy with how the quilt turned out, even though those Flying Geese refused to play nicely... they look fabulous!
Lizi had also done a lot of homework, hundreds of half square triangle blocks and hundreds of brick blocks. Next time she'll need 4 or more tables all to her very own self as we decide how to put all the pieces together! That's the arty farty fun part! 
Dotty Maureen was very late joining us... she had to wait for a Green Flag man to help her get to us... her car refused to start you see. The best bit though, is that she arrived at lunchtime with a big pile of hot chips to share. Earlier Helen had been out to fetch hot pies, so we didn't half have a hot feast for lunch!
