Quilty Quarters

That's it then... the end of my mini break for Easter 
I have sewn and sewn and sewn... 
of course I have cooked and cleaned and and washed and dried and and and... a woman's work is never done! Here's my finished, Batik Beauty quilt top... 
I couldn't fit it on my design wall... as you can probably see... I had to tuck it behind my cutting table...
It's enormous! The back is ready too, I found the perfect 5 metres total of fabric, mostly  from the temptation trolleys in my lovely little quilt shop!!! So, what's next? If I find time today whilst playing shop, I will make a huge quilt sandwich so I can start quilting... though I haven't decided how I will quilt it yet...
Secret sewing has been done in Quilty Quarters too, oh so cute-etty cute!!

Quilty Quarters

Yesterday, I finished all the blocks I needed to square up the Beautiful Batik quilt... when I say square up I mean rectangled up! ha ha ha.. I'm not a big fan of square quilts... Anyway... the lovely little quilt shop is closed on Wednesdays (today is Wednesday) and I need/want to choose my borders for this beauty... Oh... wait a minute... I have my very own keys to my very own quilt shop...!!! Guess where I am going now?

Blimey and good-goodness it took me a long time to press all of these strip sets... I emailed Jan Hassard to ask her preference for the direction of pressing. Lovely lady emailed directly back suggesting I press them all in the same direction and she said that we can flip the seams as and when necessary during the workshop... so, this little devil pressed them all open! ha ha PMS, I Pleased My Self! 

Super Strippy Square Bags

Bridget and Rachel came to Jenny's bag workshop recently.
They sent pictures of their fabulous and finished Super Strippy Square Bags
Both exactly the same and completely different, at the very same time...
Just like Bridget and Rachel actually! toot toot toot

Sandwiches

Sporty Sue made this project with one of the collectable Moda Frivol Tins... 42 x 7" squares of fabric, just like a Charm Pack or Layer Cake but with different sized fabrics and a cute tin to keep for ever... and we love cute tins!

This sandwich also belongs to Sporty Sue... It's been made with Moda's Little Black Dress 2 fabrics and the fabulous design, with double needle appliqued circles, was a Craftsy Class Sue signed up for... Woop woop for Craftsy!

This sandwich belongs to Rose... the Tuesday one. It's a pattern from one of the Jelly Roll books and Rose had decided to make it with a Jelly Roll... She wanted to practice and improve her skills for better piecing... looks like it worked too!

Technically, this is not a sandwich as Annbacan isn't using wadding/batting. She is going to make a Duvet cover out of this giiiiiant quilt top so wadding is not required... it will still be quilted though, to hold all the seams from coming undone.

Quilty Quarters, Holiday Sewing

So the holiday weekend got off to a great start... too rainey to do the blooming garden... such a shame for me... NOT!

I retreated to Quilty Quarters!!!

The beautiful Batik strip sets have been sitting waiting to be cut up for months. I started this project on the 18th November last year and I've kept re-visiting it, in between making other things of course... and as time allowed. Once I found the pattern to print off again from the Moda Bake Shop website...  progress was made...

Taaa-dahhhh... I used up all of the strip sets... except, I somehow decided that the quilt needs to be enormous so I have run out of Beautiful Batik fabric. I need 14 more units ... I decided to move on to the next waiting project

I managed to get myself a place on the Jan Hassard Workshop being run by SPQ (Staffordshire Patchworkers and Quilters) in May.
We've now received the requirement list and there's homework to be done before we go. we need to make 6 strip sets in different colourways... I got carried away and decided to do three of each strip set so I can make the quilt as big as I like...

I finished that job too...
Except now I want to play with the stip sets... I have the urge... a very strong urge to cut them all up and start something new.... ha ha ha Will I resist???

First I shall pop down to my very own quilt shop to pick up a little more of the Beautiful Batik fabric... I really should get that Batik Bargello-ish project done... but my new urge grows stronger!

Stitching News

Sally was thrilled to have this quilt ready for sandwiching..
it's been a long term project and she's learned a lot making each block...
lots of them have been stitched by hand...
 Sally made a good start on the quilting too so she had a great day.

Monday Sheila made this bunting using cloud fabric from Makower...
What an inspired idea to use my rainbow ribbon to decorate the 'Bunts' with...
cute-etty-cute... There are some beautiful fabrics in the background too....
I hope you had noticed?

Fanfare toot toot tooting time....
For Princess Jackie's fabulous and finished gifting quilt...
Very cute fabric and perfectly neutral for any colour of baby
neither Pink-etty-pink nor Blue-ishy Blue!

Lots of the leftover fabrics have been put to good use...
we love using spare fabrics to make great pieced backing...
 it's liberated playtime!

Angela, the lady who will be teaching the new Block Of The Month quilt, brought in another block of the month quilt so that people could see just how different a project can look using different fabrics... these are mostly French General from Moda.
I don't remember us giving a fabulous and finished fanfare for Angela when she finished this beauty... so... toot toot toot

Super Strippy Square Bag Workshop

60 Degree Triangle... I love it!

So... I thought I would show you better pictures of my latest finished quilt... When I showed it to a few customers in my very own little quilt shop, they were surprised how much more vibrant it was than when they had seen it on my blog post, that's why I took another snap or two... actually.... it does look a lot better in these pictures than it did on my garden steps!
I still haven't decided what to call it...
A strange thing though?... it seems to get brighter every time I look at it. When I first started to chop into the Jelly Roll by Malka Dubrawsky I thought it was dull and dark.. weird eh?
I plan to make more projects using the 60 degree Triangle... It's all a new game for me.
Using a Jelly Roll I couldn't have made the quilt any larger without losing the continuity of the diagonal straight lines... anyway, it is big enough to snuggle under on my sofa...

I joined the left over Jelly Roll strips to make these diamonds..

Stitching News

I hope you managed to watch at least one or two videos from The Quilt Show... I watched loads... I missed a few bits because I was stitching up a storm in Quilty Quarters at the very same time... Multi tasking!... it was secret stitching so I cannot show you I can't actually wait to show you, but, it must remain a secret for now... hmmm... the suspense might drive you nuts eh? I live in hope....

Here's a little stitching news then....

All Day Di Finished her two cushions...
Applique hearts made exactly the same way but...
they look completely different don't they.
Toot toot toot Di... fabulous and finished

Brenda Barbara has a fabulous and finished project too
A huge floor cushion, or a reading cushion if you like...
This is the front... toot toot toot

and this is the back... more tooting me thinks!
There's a perfectly place zip under that strip of stripes too.
FAbulous Brenda and the appliqued Flamencos are brilliant!

Margaret's Noah project is coming along a treat.
Beautiful markings on the Batik fabrics have been used to their maximum
 with clever placement and fussy cutting...
can you see the one we chose for the Giraffes?... genious.

Carol had made a leaf template to help her do a little fancy quilting.
After drawing round the template, about 200 times!!!!...
she cracked on with quilting them all...
It's close to tooting time for Carol.

It's been said that it's tricky to find little 'boy' fabrics.
This is a fabulous and totally 'boy' fabric called
About A Boy....
I love the little pictures and just wanted to let you have a closer look...
Girls can love this fabric too, I love paper aeroplanes and kites!
yes it IS in stock... the full range in fact...
There's about a girl too... but Boys can do Ballet and wear pink!

Free And Fabulous Quilty Stuff....

Welcome to International Quilting Weekend!

March18-20, 2016

Over 220 Free Shows

This happens twice a year from The Quilt Show, they do it at Thanksgiving too.... it's free to join and you can watch some of the bestest ever quilters share their quilts, technics and secrets. Their funny stories and some very moving ones too... click the link to be inspired!!

I highly recommend show 602

Quilty Quarters

I do believe, and I have now proved, that it is possible to make an entire quilt by stitching for only 15 - 30 minutes at any one time... longer spells when allowed but mainly, just minutes.

Snatching and grabbing little pockets of wonderful stitching time, I have managed to make and finish this quilt.
It all started with a Jelly Roll... all the main part has been made by stitching two-zies with the Jelly Roll and chopping them all up again with a 60 degree triangle ruler... boy are they wonderful fun to play with... I had to use a design wall to get the placement right... fun eh!
I added a half inch finished inner border of rich, tomato soup red before the main zig-zag fabric border

I joined the left over Jelly Roll strips to make these diamonds...
I'm quite chuffed with this quilt actually...
It's fabulous and finished now, except for a label
Won't you toot toot toot for me, my very own self!!!

A New Trend?

I know...it's got to stop!!! ha ha ha
I have all my photos so far this week, to share with you... BOTH of them!!
My goodness I know how to keep you coming back...
I shouldn't go getting you too though excited eh...
Here we go...

We must thank (or blame) Jean bean for this picture... she snapped it while I was busy on Monday... even though it's cropped off at the top we can still see that it's toot toot toot time for Annbacan's fabulous and finished commissioned quilt... Lovely colours! Pinks and greys, made for eachother!

Princess Jackie's done it again....
Our First Prize winning appliquer needed a quick finish with a baby quilt so she rustled up this most wonderful little applique design for the quilt... pretty, cute and ever so gorgeously... girly!
Wait 'til you see the whole thing!!!

There you go... that didn't take too long to read so you can get back to your stitching! ha ha ha

It Is, What It Is!

Sometimes, your very own little world has to fit in all sorts of stuff that wasn't planned... and you have to run with it...
It can be a bit of a marathon but go you must.
In this blog post, I will show you every single picture that I took this week...
all four of them! ha ha ha.
I kid you not... they are the only photos taken for the whole of this week...

Di Butterfly stitched the final strips together of her Jelly Roll Hexagon quilt centre .. The book said to trim the edges level, so she did... Di thought that idea was a little scary!! But with expert help and those diagonal lines on the ruler... it was soon done and ready for a border or two.

Sporty Sue finished her huge quilt top and the backing and had to set it on one side for sandwiching... that's not going to happen for two weeks so... what to do in the meanwhile? Sue treated her very own self to a Moda Frivol... 42 x 7" squares, a free pattern, a free gift and a collectable tin... it took 4 of us over an hour to decide where to place each square fabric... what a hoot!!

Dilly has a few projects on the go, all at the very same time...
This Attic Window made with a Night Sky panel, the black and white with red trim cushions to finish for gifting to her Mum, only six of them! and now she started more... three kiddy quilts have been commissioned!!

New Sue's quilt was one of the sandwiches booked for Sandwich Saturday yesterday, the only one that I took a picture of... I had a busy shopkeeper day! fabulous fun.
I love playing shop!!! 

Now I'm off back to my shop... I am Spring cleaning, Spring Sorting and... getting ready for the awful stock taking thing I have to do every year.... at least I know it is coming up this year... last year I had completely forgotten... until the last minute...

Stitching News

New Sue finished this beautiful longer term quilt top... she's gone back to it in between all the super speed projects she's made of late. A sandwich making slot has been booked for Saturday.

Princess Jackie, our first prize winning appliquer, also has a quilt top ready for sandwiching... I think it's a gifting project for a kiddo... Jackie wanted to make a pieced quilt... just to know she didn't forget how!! 

Jean Bean needed a super quick kiddy quilt and this large print fitted the bill perfectly
This picture is a little behind the times as Jean was making the binding today having already sandwiched and quilted it!

All Day Di brought in a pattern to make two cushions. After cutting out the applique hearts all was not well, Di didn't like the pattern... we played about with the design, here's the resulting funky hearts... happy to tell you, she loves them now!

Jeannette Dilly started yet another project. It's going to be Attic Windows and using this night sky panel... looks like it will be an amazing view.

This is also Jeannette Dilly's... a quilt top... She had purchased the fabrics on Monday afternoon at the fun event we had for the 29th February and had the finished top ready on Thursday... 

Brenda Barbara remembered the Flamingos this week...
Don't they look great... 2 Large floor cushions are going to be made... perfect for reading books... if the young ladies can stop admiring their new cushions that is!

LouLou finished her fabulous quilt top too
So that's another sandwich going to be made on Saturday
This is a Jelly Roll design with a little PMS thrown in... Pleasing My Self... playing with design opportunities is lots of fun!

Fabulous And Finished

Oh my goodness and oh your goodness
Princess Jackie, our first prize winning quilter, strikes again
Wow, wow... WOW...
This quilt will be hanging at Uttoxeter Quilt Show so I won't tell you more...
Consider this a sneaky pre-view
But we can toot-tiddly toot can't we!!!

Fran Cupcake wanted to make a special cushion for gifting... She found this budgie fabric... not the right budgie colour for the budgie she was thinking of... Behold.... I had the perfect stripe... see the border fabric... it's a perfect match to the original budgie!!! Tweet tweet tweet... a fabulous finish feathery fanfare for Fran.

Quilt-As-You-Go and Apartment joining. Believe it or not this and the next picture are of the very same quilt, double sided and fabulous...Our Sheila had to be very careful to get the two sides almost identical...

There is a very subtle difference... tricky to spot for the untrained eye... How very fabulous though, and it's all been made from my wonderful selection of Beautiful Batik fabrics... toot toot toot Our Sheila!

Christabelle has finished another fabulous and original pattern. A super useful tote with free motion quilting... She used In R Form wadding...  it really gives excellent results, especially for bags... we all agree! Toot toot toot Christabelle

Tooting now for Gale's fabulous and finished, Giant reversible tote bag... My goodness those fabrics are wonderful... Gail chose great fabrics too! ha ha ha
Toot toot toot Gail

There are six cushions in this pile... The top one is finished and  ready for tooting... toot toot toot Jeannette. The others need the embroidery stitching around the borders and the heart button stitching in place... they're almost there... aren't they dramatic!