Stitching News

Stephanie Iceland popped in to show us her second, fabulous Hunter's Star quilt.
She chose a Friday in particular knowing Dotty Maureen would be there to see it, Dotty had taught the workshop that Stephanie had attended.
What a stunning design the Hunter's Star block makes

Joan The Shop was very relieved to have her tree skirt finally on the right track... we're having to improvise with the making it and, fortunately, it's working out, even with fingers crossed! Looks great now though eh! 

Joan The Shop had to do a last minute dash to finish her Advent Angel.
 There's a lot of 'bling' on this little lady, as requested by the little lady Joan's making it for.
I hope you all managed to finish your Advent projects?

Lyn Scatterpin very carefully presses her seams... she lays her giant blocks on the pressing board (not an ironing board!) to figure out which direction the seams need be pressed to.
My new pressing station is brilliant... and so say aaaall of us!

Dam Julie (who always builds a dam of patchwork paraphernalia around her chair) trimmed up 12 of her 36 blocks, sandwiched and quilted them. They will be joined together with the apartment method to keep everything to a manageable size... 3 quilts need to be finished for the sewing prevention season... Go Julie!!

After making a few more fabulous fabric postcards to ease her into the day and the task ahead... Michelle My Belle spent her afternoon quilting this giant commission quilt... such a bright and happy quilt, it makes you smile just looking at it... with a wow!

To say that Barbie is pleased with this quilt top is, most definitely, an understatement. She claims that it's a fluke that it turned out to be so beautiful... I don't think we believe that though, do we? She's finding hidden talents since she got her lovely new Juki HZL f600
Message from Joan The Shop.... there's still time to order one Derek!

When there's not quite enough fabric to make the back wide enough what do we all do in very own classroom? We make beautiful pieced backings... Barbie loves making these braids... add a ladder of left over greens and that makes a lovely feature, she will add two 22" to strips of creamy cream to either side of this centre and the backing will be perfect... almost as lovely as the top.

Almost Finished...

Giggly Gillian added the last two lines of stitching to her outer border using the seam guide on her Bernina walking foot, such a useful little gadget.
I find most machines only include the seam guide bar for stitching to the left of your lines, so we have to improvise, with Bernina you get a doodad for both sides, much easier! Gillian's crusts were trimmed and binding was made, it's almost ready for tooting!

Rose is making two of these Knickerbocker Glory quilts. She's finished quilting the first one, and it had it's crusts trimmed off... Rose then skipped over to her Dresden Plate cushions. I think we will be tooting a twin pair of Knickerbocker Glories very soon  

Another almost finished belongs to Lovely Lyn, binding had been stitched to the front so there's just a little mile or two of hand stitching to be done... the best job for keeping your knees warm with the cooler evenings, don't you think?

Post Card Workshop

Stitching News

Cynthia finished her most splendid festive apron. The letters are from the book "I believe" always a popular book with lovely projects to choose from. Cynthia works in the Victorian Tea Rooms in Cheadle, you'll see her apron there for sure.
I hope you noticed my beautiful Batik fabrics in the background...
I had lots of new shelves built 'specially for them!

Monday Sheila finished her Santa Advent Calendar, just in the nick of time eh! The little pockets need to be filled over the next few days, that's the easy bit.
We sold the last panel on Monday so there will be a lot of happy kiddies when it's day 1... which I believe, is on Sunday this week. 

Krafty Karen and  Early Sue arrived giggling... they came with hand stitching projects in little boxes telling us how light, small and easy to carry they were... tis the best advantage of hand piecing, I must admit working by machine is definitely a heavy lifting game.

 Both ladies are really enjoying making up hexagons by the dozen. See how they both like to used paper clips to keep things neat and tidy... I'm wondering whether Karen's are real gold!

Giggly Gillian finished her Foldy Fun Christmas Tree... I think we must ask Jenny Barlaston to do a few more workshops for this lovely project, next year though... more people want to make it... Jenny, what says you?

Lovely Lyn started and finished her quilting on this baby play mat. She used Superior Threads Rainbow thread to stitch with, shiny and beautiful at the very same time... baby is on it's way so that binding needs to be stitched on Lickety-Split!

Rose, she of delicious scone fame, finished her Dresden Plate cushion at the workshop and has continued to make 3 more. You can make 4 cushions with one Charm Pack... we have lots of Charm Packs to choose from too. There's another Dresden Plate Cushion workshop in the New Year... just a few weeks!

One table, three lovely ladies... all doing their quilting, chatting, giggling and generally enjoying their lovely day in my very own classroom...
Can you have too much fun? I don't think so!

Heigh Ho... It's Back To Work I Go

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho 
It's back to work I go
Fabulous fabrics in my head
I need more quilts for my bed 
I'll sew, I'll sew

What a relief to be getting back to normal!

Stitching News

Jeannette came to play. She's been learning her patchwork and quilting skills with Jenny Rayment on a TV shopping channel. This fabulous sampler is Jeannette's second quilt and will be finished just in time for the upcoming sewing prevention season!

This is another of Jeannette's ongoing projects. It's a Lone Star and the pattern's in one of the Jelly Roll books... you can just see it there at the top of the picture. Considering Jeannette is new to quilting, she's got a lot of PhD's and a long list of 'want to makes'... Yiiieeeehaaaa for the quilting addiction! Tis quite wonderful!

Jeanette is Jeannette's Mother-In-Law. She had been a quilter for hundreds of years. Sadly, poorly hands had forced her to stop stitching... she did all of her work by hand so she had no choice really... she gave away all of her bits and bobs, equipment and fabrics, how distressing! She's been operated on now, hands work... and watching Jeannette enjoy her new addiction Jeanette wanted it again for herself... so she did and she is! The recovering quilt-a-holic fell off the wagon!! Wooohoooo for the powers of our wonderful addiction.

Barbara BB is back... Poorly hands indeed, she offered her hands to a dog for his lunch a few weeks ago, not on purpose of course, and had to be operated on. How lovely to have her, once again, stitching with us. She's working on an Advent Calendar panel, no pressure Barb, but it's December next week!

Sheila had decided to use up this Charm pack and to make a table runner with a matching, smaller mat. It's going to be quilted with a decorative stitch... we love using our fancy stitches... We love variegated thread too, don't you?

Brenda Barbara's second Quick Table Topper, just one more to go. They make such lovely gifts and are quite quick to make, usually... one hour is just enough... if your not stitching with quilty chums that is... then they take a little longer with that scenario!

WOW Sheila!

Sheila finished her commissioned quilt and WOW is it fab-u-lous.
Hundreds of hours and a gazillion stitches, both by hand and by machine.
From initial ideas and rough sketches to design, assisted by my Lilly. The choosing of fabrics to deciding methods... a lot of work... A stunning result!
Sheila has agreed to give us a workshop on making quilts from pictures... dates will be chosen soon. Toot-e-tty toot toot Sheila, what a finish!

Photo's By Jean Bean

Thank You for taking the photos Jean Bean, what would we do without you!

Princess Jackie finished and sandwiched this cute-tty cute little kiddy play mat. Everyone's response is about the same when they see what those little ducklings are up to... different lengths of the "ooooooh" and "ahhhhhhhhhhh" sound...

Jean Bean is working on the quilting of this lovely commission quilt... I'm afraid it's been a little delayed with Jean stepping in to cover for my little forced holiday. Lots of stitching has been done though, I can see by all those ends waiting to be tied.

Kate must be having a baby boom in her life... I think this quilt is her fifth or sixth recently. Thank goodness I cut up all those 6" square packs... making it super easy to keep up quilt making with the baby production!!

My Wife Beth added a few extra fabrics to this printed panel to make it the size she wanted... we always encourage PMS (Pleasing My Self) it can keep someone's legs warm now.

Little Annette finished quilting her fabulous kiddy play mat and asked for help with borders... a little misunderstanding had her adding a strip of border fabric when what she really wanted was Binding... thank goodness for quilt fudge! 

My Mum Gwynneth has been wanting to make an Attic Window quilt for a long time. She purchased this fishy panel at the NEC quilt show in August knowing exactly what she was going to do with it... Stunning result isn't it!

I believe this is Wendy's table at Caverswall Quilt Cave... Paper piecing evidence is visible along with beautiful fabric... I do declare that those fabrics are availabubble in a lovely little quilt shop in Cheadle, number 3 Queen Street... ST10 1BQ! he he he

Irene made a sandwich... a huge one by the looks of it. The Log Cabin blocks are always a favourite with us... great colours Irene. She's going to quilt this lovely project all by her very own self... that's what she told My Mum Gwynneth!

Jenniflower made a sandwich too, what a beautiful quilt this is with lovely secondary designs popping up. The main fabric, used in the borders is Art Gallery... the most beautiful silky soft fabrics... they're great for dressmaking and they 'hang' beautifully. Jenniflower's quilt is a large one and she too will be quilting it all by her very own self... 

It looks like the ladies had a great day. A full report from My Mum Gwynneth leads to the same conclusion... we are so very lucky to have a great village hall full of lovely ladies who all love quilting together. More fun will be had next week, we can be sure of that!

There are only two more meetings left this year if you want to come to play... WOW... reality hits! 28th of November and 5th of December. Oh, there's a secret meeting on the 11th December but that's for our Traditional Christmas Party... and you have to be 'specially invited to that doo!

Not Just A Blog

How lovely to hear that it's not just a blog!! he he he... seems I am part of your daily routine so I shall make the effort to get back to it... My Mum Gwynneth delivered a few photos after class yesterday so.. here goes

Bev Cynthia made this extremely cute little wall hanging from one of the Art to Heart books. She mostly was able to use scraps from her previous projects as the pieces are quite tiny... I think it requires a toot toot toot actually... it looks finished doesn't it?

Penelope Baskerville was extremely happy to have her Advent Calendar finished in good time... this one will be gifted to a very special guy... Advent Calendars are not just for kiddies... their Daddys like them too!

I'm guessing at this picture... I think it belongs to PM Pam and it looks like she's making a Snowman gift bag but adding a few fabrics from her stash to make it a little bit bigger.... What a great way to give a gift, beats paper eh!

Christabelle must have finished her kiddy play mat quilt... the cutest fabrics, all available in My Very Own Patchwork And Quilting Shop... even though I am not able to be there!... could it be that she joined all the little bits together to make that stripy binding... it looks great doesn't it, what a lot of work.

This is Lady Judith's Pineapple Blossom... one of my all time favourite patterns to make and it's free from www.Quiltville.com ... oh how I am missing watching these projects come together... blue sashing Judith? Loving that!

AnnBacan has quilted her little Advent Calendar pockets... every one has tiny detail outline stitched with metallic thread... lovely.

Christabelle's, I'm sure... looks like she finished making the top of her Stack-n-Whack Kaleidoscope quilt.. what a stunning quilt it is too...

Gosh, I feel like I just sat an exam... testing my knowledge of what the ladies are working on. I had been allowed to pop in to my shop during the morning, just to croak 'Hello Ladies' so I did have a quick little look-y around...

The Thing Is...

I'm having a few small health issues and have ridden a little roller-coaster this week. I think the ride is coming to an end now because I am back at home and have managed to stay here for long enough to presume all is quite good.
Thank you for all the good wishes, don't worry about me... at the end of the day this blog is for fun so, if it doesn't get done for a few days, it doesn't really matter does it.
My Very Own Quilt Shop is open as normal, Jenny Barlaston, Jean Bean and My Mum Gwynneth have kept everything ticking along.
Keep stitching won't you... I'll be needing pictures with inspiring projects to show to everyone soon enough. I might even get to play in Quilty Quarters soon, just like I threatened earlier in the week!

Thank goodness for good wishes, chocolates and flowers!!!

Fanfare For A Finish

New Sue finished another beautiful lap quilt. This one's been made for a special friend to use on her boat. It's all Batik. I think it was a pattern for a Layer Cake but Sue used yardage instead. All extra bits were used on the backing.

  I'm hoping you can see how the quilting was done... Sue went radical with those zig-zagging lines eh! Woooohooo Sue, and toot toot toot for another lovely finished quilt.

It's a Sandwich Saturday this weekend, have you got a quilt waiting with the excuse of not having space to make your sandwich? Angie's very own Quilt shop to the rescue... but remember to book so Jenny knows to expect you. I'm having a little stay home holiday... look out Quilty Quarters, here I come.

Stitching News

Dotty Maureen made this rather fabulous quilt top from £5.00 per metre fabrics that are still on sale in my very own quilt shop... how very clever the design is.

Barbie was delighted to have stitched all of her wonderful flower blocks together, we're loving Barbie's chosen sashing fabric! The flower designs are from the Flower Festival book. 

Joan The Shop is making festive gifts. This Merry Christmas appliqué is from the book "I Believe", I think this project will be a fun quilted apron. 

Sporty Sue was commissioned to make this quilted Advent Calendar. It's a relatively quick one to make and has lovely little pockets all around the edges. Looks like it will be finished just in time too.