Gail's Gifting Quilt

When the Covid restrictions lightened up, was that about September? I forget now... anyway, around that time... a few ladies had been requesting the use of my tables for making their quilt sandwiches. The job can be done individually so I agreed to book them in. One hour each is usually plenty. Gail sandwiched her Noah's Ark quilt... all by her very own self to be socially compliant. Isn't it lovely....

There's a lot of cute detail...

All of these purple-y colours are cut from one piece of fabric.

Ombre fabrics are great for applique.

And not too long after that day, the quilting was completed.

 Gail popped by so I could take the pictures for you. 

Toot toot toot Gail, it is a fabulous and finished gifting quilt.

Animal fabric on the back, perfect!

Another Baby Gifting Project

So, the brother of the lad with my last baby gifting quilt also had a baby, woop woop. Of course I will make another one. Luckily I have some more alphabet squares in my home stash, though I have no idea how they got here!

 

I had to improvise a bit on the design. These playmats are better a bit larger for when babies start moving a bit. I added a bit of sashing...

Last night I made a sandwich and today, at some point, I will crack on with the quilting. I still have a few binding stitches to do on the other one. They will be gifted and the same time, two big brother have two baby cousins, how sweet.

Stitching News

With my shop not being able to have classes or workshops within the rules of Covid, some people have been catching up on their PhD's (projects Half Done) which is a great idea, no matter how old they are, they need to be completed...

Chris is very happy with her Beautiful Batik, Bargello Wall Hanging... 

It deserves a toot toot toot fanfare... as all fabulous finishes do.

A stocking with embelishment using her embroidery sewing machin... which Chris loves playing with.

And the Foundation Paper Pieced Christmas Tree wall hanging which isn't quilted yet. Chris was shopping for the perfect binding and this is the next quilt that will be completed, she promised! ha ha

This belongs to Farmer Lynda. I think it is a mask ready for springtime but I could be mistaken, maybe it is her new bikini top? Either way, it's a lovely reminder that daffodils will be with us soon! Toot toot toot.

And a further PhD now. Farmer Lynda found the top whilst tidying something, she had forgotten all about it. She came for a shopping appointment to choose backing and binding fabrics and a sandwich was made... quilting has commenced too.

Thank you for the pictures ladies.
I hope you are all finding time to sew something.

Jean Bean's Stitching News

 Taadaaaaa!!! Our Jean Bean sent pictures of her fabulous and finished gifting quilt so we now have evidence that she's really, and truly, been sewing, ha! What a lovely quilt it is too. Those delicate little flowers take ages to applique with Blanket Stitch and she's changed thread colour for each one, great dedication!

Beano loves to make quilts with an On-Point setting and the tiny little border addition in the sashing fabric ties it all together perfectly.

Lots more applique on the back with all those hearts... doesn't it look splendid.

Toot toot toot Beano, a fabulous and finished triumph!

One For A Baby

You know how it is... a new baby arrives for someone you know and you think... Yes!! I love making quilts for babies, they are cute and small and fast to make... the quilt not the baby. So I asked whether I could make a baby play mat sort of quilt. Of course I can, that would be lovely. Not too bright though, new mummy and daddy like neutral colours, pffft. They obviously don't know me!! ha ha ha

There were panels of Alphabet fabric in my shop quite a while ago. My Mum made one of those panels into bunting to show customers a good making idea. Needless to say we sold out of the panels quite quickly so the bunting became surplus to requirements. I've unpicked all the bunting, It was very well made with a backing and stabilizer to make it firm, so it was a bit of a job, a blooming messy bitty job actually.

I know there are lots of colours but I think they are muted, muted brights. I added a very pale blue striped fabric to each picture edge to help straighten them, these panels never print straight enough do they. Adding the beige sashing helps with the 'neutral' request doesn't it, ha! 

I was quite please with the progress and decided not to add a border, mostly because I didn't have anything that would complement... though that there Ikea carpet looked/looks good eh? I might use that border idea in another project, thank you for that Ikea!

The sandwich happened yesterday. As you can see I added more sashing and corner stones round the edge in place of a 'real' border. In my home stash, I found a large enough piece of beige bubble fabric for the backing and a remnant of wadding in my big box, hooray for smaller quilts!

So, where am I up to? I have quilted it but just as I thought I had finished, I decided to quilt a bit more. These baby play mats need a lot of washing and tumble drying so it will help it last a bit longer. I'll take pics for you again when it's finished.

Stitching News

 Some of the sewing projects my lovely customers are, and have been, working on...

Lady Lidl found this free pattern on the All People Quilt webpage, here's a link for you. It is a perfect table topper for this time of year... Poinsettias are a sign of winter-y-ness, not just for Christmas, don't you think? Di says she thoroughly enjoyed making it as it will be gifted to a very special lady. Toot toot toot Di, a fabulous festive finish.

Jean Bean has been super busy. This lovely project has been sandwiched and the quilting is in progress. It will be finished soon as there has been another baby announcement in Beano's world and the next one will need a quilt too. 

Lady Lidl must be a Unicorn making expert by now, she made a whole magical doo dah of them... Searched it... What is collective noun of unicorns?
A Glory and Marvel of Unicorns

This particular magical Unicorn will be gifted... No clues to who it will be gifted to, ha ha ha, and it's  all glittery dusted!!! Well done Di, another fabulous and finished, Glory-ous Marvel-ous Project.

Norma is on the home straight with this project. It's been done with the very popular, Quilt-As-You-Go and apartment joining method. It has taken quite a while to get to this point as Norma has had to sit on children quite a lot during Lockdown. She is getting excited to start her new quilt.

Princess Jackie finished another splendid project. It's been made for gifting and is quite a large one!! Beautiful, bright (of course) and extremely cute. Toot toot toot Jackie, another fabulous finish

Brenda Barbara came shopping for a great backing fabric and a piece of wadding for this lovey 'multi-fabric' quilt top. What a great way to use up lots of small pieces from your stash.

Isn't it great to see projects again!

My shop is open daily, until Boris says I have to take another break. 

It's still much easier to plan if you can make an appointment. I can only have one person (two from a bubble) shopping at a time and I think it's too cold to be queuing outside...

Hope to see you soon.

My Tomte Quilt, Gifted.

I'm so happy to have gifted this quilt yesterday. I've sooooo wanted to show you what I have been doing with my Covid Lockdown holiday in between garage sorting, floor painting, chores and walking. I took a few photos as I went along and it was so frustrating not to be able to blog about the progress, especially with my blog being so boring of late! You MUST have noticed that?
Here we go.... My Scandinavian Tomte Quilt.  My pattern was in a Simply Moderne Quilting magazine but you could purchase it from the link.

If you have ever followed an Elizabeth Hartman pattern you will find this method very similar and quite simple. Not difficult at all, just do as you are told! I recommend that you carefully label every piece as you cut it, that's great advice for free!

I like to use "Pigs" when I piece, that's just an optional tip.

I sent this picture to Lilly as a teaser! I suggested it could be a Sorting Hat?

 Hello Tomte!!

Isn't he smashing? I was so please with him...

I didn't have enough of any one white fabric so I used a few throughout... Each tree has a different white fabric. I know some of you wouldn't do that but this quilt will not stay white for long once it's gifted, ha ha ha

The Trees are really quick to complete as they are big pieces.

There you go, all four blocks complete, they each measure 20" wide x 28" long.

Ahhh... these triangles were left over from making the trees and you know me, I will not waste fabric! I also don't want a load of red and white Half Square Triangles. I decided I might try to use them to make up a border...

OK, it would look lovely, decision made BUT... 

I warn you politely, it was not as easy as it might look. First of all, the long edges are Bias (stretchy) not a problem for me but some folk? oh my, they stretch 'em very easily. (I'm wondering now, how Norma's is getting on?) Then I had to calculate the sashing width and the edge strip widths (Coping Strips) to be exactly the right size for the triangle border to fit 

Mathemisms!!! lot's of mathemisms but I did it!!

I don't really have a space for making quilt sandwiches so I had to make do with half rug and half floor. It worked out ok. I was lovely and warm in that fabulous sunshine, not to mention that the under floor heating was on!!! I was flushing well.

I decided to Stitch In The ditch... more like Ditch Hopping, as usual. I went round all three trees and Tomte himself. All the lovely size pieces to stitch around, I take the pins out as I go as it's a great way to see the progress.

It was soon done. I quilt on my Juki TL 98 so I had loads of throat space. I pushed the table up to another table to give a good deep work space and put a table at the side to help with the weight drape (of the quilt not mine!!) Looks very professional doesn't it.

I changed to the darning foot

Free motion quilting is such fun but it does use a lot of thread. 4 bobbins in total for this quilt and about 12 hours of free motion sewing. I did Holly and Berries and curly-whirly-squircles!

Tomte's beard was done with free motion too, a fabulous, if not rather scruffy, little Gnome beard!

The trees and the red border triangles had round-ish baubles stitched, in red thread as circles are tricksy!

Binding. Sewn on very carefully! Remember all those Bias edges? I got my ruler out and made sure the triangles were 45 degrees and not stretched. Some were a little bit out so I eased the extra with a gentle tug on the binding as I stitched on my Juki. Very successful. Hand stitching the binding took exactly 4 hours.

There you go, one finished Tomte quilt.

I made up a bit of a ditty for the label, I do like a little ditty, Ha!

And off to Macclesfield he went.
Gifted from a socially safe distance to live with the other one...
Do you remember last years gifting project? Click here for a re-view.

There's not only one toddler in the house now, there's a boy child added to the mix to help wear this one out, ha ha ha.

Brief Update...

My shop is allowed to open next week.
From Thursday 3rd December I will continue with the appointment booking system that was so successful before Lockdown.

You can call (or WhatsApp) to book your shopping slot 07807530441

You can email angiequilts@gmail.com

Obviously, some of you use Facebook and Messenger... I'm not too fond of those but I'll do my best.

If you want to send your favourite messenger pigeon, that would be so cool! ha ha ha

A large box of new Batik fabrics has been delivered while we were on holiday enduring the lockdown... They were ordered in February!!!

Onward and upward... hope to see you soon.

Here We Go Again

Today is my last shop opening day... unless you've been hiding under a rock, you must have known that.
Once again we go into a lockdown but, thankfully, not quite as locked up as last time.
I've been very frustrated.... seen with my very own eyes many people not adhering to the Covid prevention advice. 
So many people wearing masks only covering their mouth, not the nose. Constantly touching the centre, most breathed on area, and therefore the worst area to touch.
I have walked out into the road to avoid closeness with pedestrians who carry on chatting without consideration. I've had a teenager step into my path to amuse his friends as I rapidly moved out of his path. I've been tutted at, had people say unkind things to me and some even be plain rude about what they consider my ridiculous actions, while I desperately try to keep to the advice to help stop the spread of the virus.
I've been to hospital with my dad and seen members of the NHS staff not adhering to the restrictions. I pointed it out to the staff, they looked at me blankly. I've collected prescriptions from the Chemist with the actual Chemist wearing his mask under his nose, some staff too and constantly touching the nose/mouth area of their masks.
I'm not going to rant about the stupid people who are gathering in large groups, though my goodness, I could.
I think most people are doing, or trying at least, to do their best, evidently we are not doing enough.

I can only know that I have done everything I could, what a goodie two shoes!!!
A clear conscience is a good thing. My hands are washed to death. I have so many masks I have a dedicated drawer! and I have kept my distance as much as I possibly could.
I've restricted my customers to one or an occasional bubble and had them all wash hands before being locked in my shop, stuff of dreams, ha ha ha!! 

Our Sunday Sewing at Checkley has been cancelled, obviously.
Most of us have cancelled our last Alison House retreat for December... May and September were cancelled for most of us too.
So with all this time on your hands, and not a lot of gardening to do, let's just be happy that we can quilt or sew.
Even I, my very good self, might unpack a sewing machine. 
I hope there will be inspiring pictures for us.

Stitching News, Hooray!

This is Shirley's first ever finished quilt. She's made a Beginner cushion and a table topper or two but never a full quilt. Just as we were going into the first lock down back in March, she quickly purchased a book and some fabrics so she would have something to play with...

This is the back, it co-ordinates perfectly with the front. Well done Shirley here's your fanfare for the fabulous, faux piped, finish, toot toot toot.

Pam was asked to make a quilt with shirts of a friend's husband... it's such a lovely way to remember people. The shirts were much loved and therefore very well washed and worn, making it a tricky job for Pam. It turned out really well... thanks to Pam's great skill. Toot toot toot Pam, a fabulous finish and a lovely memory.

This is Jenna's first ever sewing project. She's been infected with a sewing bug now... The fabric was purchased a while ago, just because she loved it...

This is the back... Covered buttons and button holes! wow!! Toot toot toot Jenna, it's a fabulous finish and we can't wait to see the other cushions on your sewing agenda... Beware though... it's a slippery slope, Di will have you quilting soon!

Just Edna made a bit of a mess of the first part of lockdown as she fell and broke her flipper, making it impossible to cut and sew. She's back at it now and to help her bones she decided to make a Quilt-As-You-Go project... she's all ready to start joining the blocks together now, apartment-ly of course.

All Day Di made this Llama cushion, isn't it smart! 

She's done it all by her very own self too... woop woop

I'm guessing it will be gifted to Georgina!  There's a zip under that there pretty flap.The Moda Grunge is an excellent choice. Toot toot toot Di, a fabulous finish and another ticked from your long list.