Friday 31 October 2014

Kids Quilts Patterns

Kids Quilts, is a lovely company from New Zealand. I have lots of their patterns for sale in my very own quilt shop... I may have mentioned that before... anyway... My Mum Gwynneth decided to have a go at making Farmer Joe's Quiet Book such a lovely project... cuter than cute in fact...
She didn't find it easy but she really enjoyed the challenge. It was actually only tricky because My Mum has never done anything like it before... some parts were a little fiddly and we won't talk about the zip on the back page!
Each of the removable bits, like the bees, chicks, the flower and the shapes on the train, had to be made separately, they're backed with felt then blanket stitched together... But, as you can see, it is fabulous and it is finished... toot toot toot My Mum Gwynneth. Farmer Joe's Quiet Book is on display for you to see, in my very own quilt shop of course!
Josie is making the wall quilt Baby Bear's Nursery
and to say that she's enjoying making it is an understatement! Josie says the pattern is ever so easy to follow... With all the pieces pretty much in place now, there's just a lot of stitching to do. Josie uses a close Zig-zag stitch for her appliqué
Lovely Lyn has her Owlie quilt almost finished, it's quilted, just a little hand stitching for the binding really, such a lovely little picture.

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Stitching News

Stitching news in brief... camera number 3 has been purchased... they don't make 'em like they used to! Just as well as I love 'point and shoot' cameras!!! I had a violet one this time! I'm hoping it can take pictures from inside the drawer... especially when I forget to take them! ha... just three projects to share then.... better than none at all so.... no complaining!

Sometimes, new people want to make their beginner Railfence table runners to fit a royal banqueting table... As I always aim to please, we go ahead... It takes longer, of course, there's a lot more fabric, a lot more cutting and a lot more stitching!
Rose was happy to be trimming her crusts off, finally!
Christabelle needed to mark her quilting lines, we love the Chaco Markers from Clover! This is a huge commission quilt for an Ice Hockey fan...
 Christabelle is enjoying the challenge.
PM Pam used a lovely red thread for her blanket stitch on her sunshine hexagon quilt centre... I have a feeling that this is no longer a long term project! She's racing ahead with it.
More new fabrics due in tomorrow, that's on Thursday, thank goodness for my new trolleys.
Speaking of trolleys... I filled the Temptation Trolleys... again, fabrics from £4.50 per metre this time... when it's gone, it's gone!

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Stitching News

As I predicted, PM Pam completed all twelve of her Dresden Plates, which are all made with my scrumptious Art Gallery fabrics. They are fun to make... very satisfying too.
She's now in the process of blanket stitching them onto their background squares. Pam used Field Guide fabric, a Moda collection. Pam's chosen thread is a really lovely variegated YLI, it's proving to be perfect for that job...Here's a YouTube video of how to make a Dresden Plate... it's ever so much like the way we do it, I don't recommend the iron wiggling though, ha!... but our centre circles method is much easier!

Monday 27 October 2014

Beautiful Projects

It's always lovely when customers bring in their projects for us to see... especially when we have actually helped to make them... of course it's only the fabric choosing bit but that is a VERY important part of the whole process... don't you think?

This selection of lovely little quilts has a story... Boy Bird meets Girl Bird... they fall is love and have baby birds... then live happily ever after.
Supported by fabulous wire and dowel hangers...
many sizes available in my very own shop!!


These little wall quilts are beautiful too... there's such a lot of detail on them. All three, and the ones above actually, have been done mostly with hand stitching work. Lovely embroidery and beautiful buttons finish off the set...


Maid Marion had a lot of virtual help with this beauty...
Her daughter had started to make the quilt a few years ago, with Marion's expert help, but busy life meant that it had to be left it in the cupboard. Marion's cupboard... One day Marion decided that time had come to finish the quilt herself... Then, after the sad passing of her friend, Flora, Marion inherited a lot of sewing paraphernalia. Included in that was a piece of wadding, just the right size for sandwiching this new top. It was polyester wadding and rather 'lofty' but Marion persevered, she said it was a terrible job to control it under the sewing machine... but now it is done, fabulous and finished and full of lovely memories.... Maid Marion will keep the quilt... and who can blame her?

Sunday 26 October 2014

Stitching News

Brenda Barbara's big, beautiful and bright bag is nearing completion... just the binding to be stitched down inside the top and a couple of handles to add.
I'm not sure you can tell by the picture but it's a pretty good sized tote, with a gusset so... it will hold a lot... hopefully a lot of fabric!!
Sheila has been hand stitching this beautiful Batik appliqué... she does do a lovely Blanket Stitch... Hand stitching has helped Sheila's sanity over the last few weeks... but now, with that new hip coming along nicely, she says she will soon be able to get back to her lovely Juki machine. 
Josie's also working on an applique project...
 It's Woodlands Fairies from Kids Quilts
Josie is using Heat and Bond sticky stuff with a machine zig-zag stitch.
It's not her only project as she works on several things at the very same time...
it's hard to keep up actually!
Sporty Sue stayed after Friday Quilt Club to use my lovely tables... she needed to make a sandwich with her fabulous Sampler quilt. We have workshops planned for the next few Saturdays so our first available Sandwich Saturday would be 22nd November... Sue couldn't wait that long and... you know I will always help if I can.
Don't we give most excellent customer service?

Saturday 25 October 2014

Stack-n-Whack Kaleidoscope Workshop







Stitching News

I think someone must have cast a spell on people... seems everyone wants to learn to sew and to make quilts... what's going on??
"Yippeeee" I say excitedly... the "dark side" will burst at the seams at this rate... BUT... we're not worried, we shall just prettily patch those seams back up... so that's not going to cause a problem!!!
"Come on over" that's what I have to say!!! How lucky are they that I have a beautiful Quilt shop full of fabulous fabrics and notions to help their new found addiction?? Answers on a post card please!
 New Sheila's Railfence Table Topper... my most favourite beginner project.
So much can be learned from making this simple and extremely forgiving design. Sheila chose Christmas-sy fabrics which always look fabulous...
Sandwich made means it's time for quilting.
Plain Jane, because I kept calling her Julie she said "It's Jane, Plain Jane" is also a beginner. This is a mother and daughter team... they have a lovely time stitching and learning together... They have a family of sandwiches to quilt!
Lorna, also a beginner making a Railfence Table Topper but on a different day, chose to use festive fabrics too. How lucky for everyone that Festive fabrics... in my very own quilt shop, still have 10% discount!!
Peggy finished her Quick Table Topper... this project is always popular in my very own classroom... it's easy and really quick to make... maybe not the first one but after that... an hour or so for each one?
This is the back of Peggy's Quick Table Topper... one of my most favourite fabric designers, Martha Negley, designs some of the most beautiful fabric... L-O-V-E IT
Another beginner, Brenda. She didn't want to make a Railfence Table Topper because she saw this Quick Table and wanted one for her very own self... actually... it will be gifted to a special friend. Brenda sandwiched and quilted and almost had the binding on by the end of class.

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Red, Raffle And Rose

We will be needing a little, loud and creative tooting...
Rose's Red raffle quilt is not only fabulous, it's finished!
She's taken a lot of extra care with all of the piecing and quilting to make people really want to own it... and so buy lots of raffle tickets....
obviously, because she wants to raise loads of money for the hospice...
This is the back of Rose's quilt... oooooh lovely! I love flying geese!!
There's a cushion being made too, it's almost finished and it co-ordinates so very beautifully... I'll have tickets for Rose in my very own shop, should you wish to try to win this beauty... I will let you know when I have them...
Are you ready? Toot toot toot!
I have a different, one I've not used before, excuse for not having many pictures for you... It was a rare, calm day in my very own quilting world. After cutting Beautiful Batik Hand Dye fabric, Quilter's Quarters, I set up a sewing machine, the Juki Beast (TL98) I've been trying to make new coasters for our mugs to sit on in my very own classroom for a while and yesterday I achieved that goal I finished them... and I forgot all about my camera! Lucky for you that Jean Bean picked it up to take pictures of Rose's quilt... I might have had to miss another day... and spoiled your breakfast reading! ha ha ha

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Stitching News

All is revealed.... the Art Gallery fabric selection that I showed to you yesterday have now been made into delicious Dresden Plates. Pam needs to make twelve of  them for her quilt, she says the Art Gallery fabric is beautiful to work with, I agree... it's luxurious and doesn't fray!
OK.. Pam is on a roll... this happy-lishous Hexagon project was to be a long term, portable one... you can see it's not going to take years to complete... Pam's making Hexagons Lick-e-tty Split!!! We laid out the progress so far... boy, do these colours make you smile! We love Moda Grunge fabric!
Just Jan added the last two borders to her Persian Carpet quilt... It's finished... at least the top is... in the picture its folded up ready for home. Jan's working on the back now and a sandwich making session is imminent. "How will I quilt it"... that's Jan's current question... any answers?
Oh, to be this organised... Christabelle is always organised, smart lady!
To be fair, it would be ever so easy to get muddled with this project, the blocks are so similar, labelling them in packs is probably the only way to stay on track.
Of course... there were many more lovely projects that I could have taken pictures of.., but I've only got one pair of hands!

Monday 20 October 2014

It Is, What It Is...

And it is... chit chat. 
A very 'up and down' week in Angie's Patchwork And Quilting Shop. There's been very little time for photo taking, you probably noticed by the lack of posts this week... that and I keep running out of time to write posts... there is so much inspiration in blog-land right now... I am getting lost clicking from here to there and the clock whooooshes the time away, how very selfish of me isn't it... don't answer that! My 'I want to make that' list is getting oh soooooo long... 
We've had delivery after delivery of fabric... and you know we ran out of shelf space months ago... I've spoken with The Wonderful Wood Guy... more trolleys will be produced and delivered to help out... but heaven knowns where I will put them! Pictured are just a few of the new Art Gallery fabrics that came in, there are a few others mixed in as this is the result of a fun project selection session.
 We have workshops booked for the next few Saturdays and there are many projects coming to the sandwich point so, Wednesday has temporarily become a sandwich day... This one is a commission that Christabelle is working on... it's huge!


Sheila came to the Foldy Fun workshop with Jenny Barlaston on Saturday... Look at this paper carrier bag she used for her bits and bobs... it's from John Lewis... almost makes me want to go purchase something... just for the bag!! But no, I shall have to be happy to add it to my 'I want to make that' list... it's just a few triangles after all!

So, chit-chat time is done... I have a shop with a fully booked classroom to open up... I'd better get going!
The 10% discount off Christmas Themed fabrics is going to have to continue in my very own shop for the time being... I need those shelves for other gorgeous fabrics... lick-e-tty split!!! ha ha

Sunday 19 October 2014

Thursday 16 October 2014

Stitching News

This is Fran's Hexagon sandwich... we're loving this design. It looks really complicated giving it the Wow factor but... in truth it's just a fabulous Moda Jelly Roll, sewn into strip sets of three fabrics... chopped up again into equilateral triangles and sewn back together... how hard can that be? ha ha ha
Rose is on the home straight with her beautiful Red and Cream fundraiser quilt... she's trimming the crusts from her quilted sandwich in the picture. Binding has been sorted and a tooting session is planned for the very near future.
Gail announced that she has thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt top. She loves the bugs and had a lot of fun stitching them... but she doesn't want to keep the quilt... she's decided to finish it then to decide what to do with it.
Once again Princess Jackie has us standing, open mouthed as we watch her make this delightful sandwich... she's so good at choosing perfect colours and fabrics for her fun quilts. It's a Kid's Quilts pattern with a Jackie twist! Wait 'til you see the back!
New Sue finished her Dresden Plate gifting cushion. She used 4 1/2" strips for her blades which makes a 12" plate, perfect as Sue wanted to use a 16" cushion. I do believe we should be toot toot tooting... it's a fabulous finish!

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Stitching News

Monday Sheila's fabulous and finished quilt
This beautiful quilt was made from a Moda Layer Cake, with the addition of the name strip and the borders of course. Sheila made it to be gifted to a little girl who is not too well, in hopes that it cheers her up a little, I bet it works a treat
PM Pam is making great progress with her Hugs And Kisses blocks they are all getting border strips added. Pam's using lots of different blue and green fabrics which are going to add to the fabulous-ness of the finished quilt!!
Lady Judith is having fun... this beautiful little wall hanging from the Art to Heart book Winsome Baby is for her latest Great Grand Daughter... she has a lot!
How lovely it is to make little cute projects!
Christabelle perfected her little gifting idea of making fabric storage baskets... they can be folded flat making them great for travelling with, dressing table tidy?
They could be used for bread rolls too? I believe she's going to make lots more.
and on the subject of storage containers... what about these?...
Jenny has booked to do a workshop for them... each one will fit inside the next,
Stackable Storage... what would you put in yours?