Stitching News

Maggie was so excited to have finished this project. She's used up lots of her little bits of fabric, some are over 40 years old she told us. Lots of new fabrics were added too, I know this as I recognise them from my very own shop! Toot toot toot Maggie it's a fabulous and finished quilt... actually, I've jumped the gun... it will be a fabulous finish... once the hand stitching is done on the binding.

Princess Jackie made another cuter than cute baby gifting project... Oh those little bunnies peeping over the hearts, Oh my my!!! It was a bit of a quick make, babies are popping out everywhere in Jackie's life now that she makes quilts!!

As usual, there's an interesting backing made with left-over fabrics, you can see the fabulous quilting and the little tots name has been appliqued on the back too... such a lovely gift. Toot toot toot Jackie.

Judy made this quilt top. It's the centre and she brought it in to my wonderful shop to choose/decide what to do for the borders. We will see this project again very soon.

Toot toot toot for Longport Lynda's, fabulous and finished, Quilt-As-You-Go and Apartment Joined quilt... this is quilt number 2 of her Red and Grey collection, which was supposed to have been just the one quilt! She got carried away in the making little blocks to quilt up department. ha!

Sunday Funday Sewdays

We had another great day yesterday (Sunday 23rd February)
Lunch was lovely, the company was fabulous, the visitor was Cute and highly entertaining and the whole day was quite splendid indeedy!
There's so much going on on my Quilty Fun Calendar this year that the next Sunday Funday will not be until June... JUNE!!!!
Sunday 7th of June and after that Sunday 12th July...
Please mark the dates your very own calendar!

Loads of us are making scrappy fabric projects. We are getting ready for our demonstration stand at Uttoxeter Quilt Show

Pam was doing Quilt-As-You-Go with apartment joining

 And I got this project out of the tub!! 

I started it about 15 years ago... if not longer.

It's a Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville pattern... link here. 

For those asking what on earth I was doing!

I'll pop this little note here at the end of this post....
It's nearly Alison House Retreat Time ... Woooooop wooooop!!!
My Shop will be closed from, and including Wednesday 11th March (Of course you remember it's always closed on Wednesdays) until Sunday 13th March.
Opening again as normal on Monday 16th March... we will be very relaxed and totally pooped!!! and I am not even going to apologise!!!

One Happy Customer

Thanks for the workshop ladies! 

I thought you'd like to see that I've finished it. 

I put my Nan's buttons on the front as a keep sake as she was an avid seamstress!

We really enjoyed it! 

See you soon

Thank you for taking the time to send a picture Emma.

I love the buttons, isn't it a great way to use meaningful buttons!

More Stripping With Lynda Workshops coming up soon.

I Finished A Quilt!

It's surprising what you can achieve with an odd 15 minutes in an evening (not to mention a bit of Silly O'Clock sewing) and an occasional Sunday afternoon sewing spree. It started off as a Crumb Piecing project. I joined tiny bits of fabric together in the shape of my Dresden Plate Ruler. I worked on them throughout our March Retreat last year. I continued when we got home, for months! Once I got fed up of making Dresden Crumbs, I added the Dresden shaped Dotty fabrics. Squared off the blocks and the rest is obvious really. The black and white dot fabric is the left over bits from making a Kate Tunic! Dresden Ruler shapes for the border, loads of quilting finished with Faux Piped Binding. It's not the best photo really, the bright colours are a bit washed out...maybe I will try again. It will be hanging at Uttoxeter Quilt Show if you would like to see it for your very own self.
It's a fabulous finish though.... toot toot toot.

Stitching News

Princess Jackie finished her gifting, patchwork pieced table runner so it's toot toot toot time for this fabulous project. Lot's of grey fabrics with little pops of yellows giving it a really modern look.

New Sue has all her monotone, Jelly Roll blocks finished and is deciding whether to sash or not to sash... a very good question... the sashing will add to the size and that's the stumbling block... 

Jean Bean made decisions on block placement and setting triangle fabrics... You might need dark glasses next time you see this project... it's going to be a bit of a WOW

Christabelle continues with her quilting. She's getting more used to the intricate design now, not to mention all the ends to be tied off and all the thread colour changes and add to that the changing between walking foot and free motion foot... dedication!.

Gail had a practice for her next project, I do encourage a practice block when it's a new project... This is the Snail Trail block... there is a plan, there is a book... we just need to be sure it's the right quilt... If it's not it will end up in that garage quilt store room.

As I hope you are all aware, Customer Service is excellent in my very own shop!! This customer had lots of help and great advice when choosing the colours and fabrics for her gifting quilt quite recently... She came back to show us how happy she is with the project so far... Is't it Fab-U-Lous

Stripping With Lynda

Another great workshop with a lovely atmosphere, giggles and much fun. Not everyone finished their tote but everyone went home with all the information to do so.
It was a bit busy in my shop and some ladies packed up before the camera came out, so not so many photos this time.

We will schedule another Strippy Tote workshop or two with Lynda in the summer months.
There's a workshop coming up for a Strippy Crossbody Bag.

Actually there are two but the first date is already fully booked already.
Saturday 30th May workshop still has a few places, as I write this!

Stitching News

Longport Lynda had a few blocks and fabrics left over from making her last project... she had set her mind to keep making blocks without counting them up so that she didn't get fed up of making them. Once the main quilt was finished she was able to make more string Quilt-As-You-Go blocks to produce this...

Joined together 'apartmently' in a willie-nillie fashion as this quilt is for a much loved pooch, who won't even notice the back!... actually it's to protect a much loved sofa from a much loved pooch, ha!

I am organising the Quilt Angels at Uttoxeter Quilt Show in April and we will have a demonstration table again. As we don't know how much space we will be allowed until very close to the time, I had the brilliant idea (yes, all by my very own self!) of us making up aprons with our scraps... Walking Art!! lots of ladies are having fun creating their very own Walking Art.

Kate made a rather unique Bottle Bag. Each bottle has it's very own pod to keep it safe... It also stops the neighbours hearing your wine purchases clanking together!!! This is a fabulous and finished project too, toot toot toot hic!

Someone left a pile of quite ugly Hour Glass Blocks in my classroom scrappy basket. They were all slightly different sizes and not accurate at all... a little stretched, probably from ironing rather than pressing... which is likely why they had been 'dumped'... My Mum Gwynneth rescued them and I cut them in half then trimmed them to a similar size. Mum is making up another piece of Walking Art... isn't it a brilliant idea!

There's a Sunday Funday Sewday coming up on Sunday 23rd February...
Here's the menu...

Hot Chocolate with optional rum splash.

Shortbread and Chocolate treats Galore.

...

For Lunch

Lentil Dhal, Flat Bread,

Curried Chicken with Shredded Salad.

...

followed by

Valentine’s Day inspired Chocolate Moose Cake.

...

Tea and coffee all day.

Sounds like a scrummy menu me thinks.
You have to book and pay for your place in advance...

This will be the last Sewday Funday for a short while. 

Dates of upcoming Sewday Fundays, if you would like to mark the dates your diary, are 

Sunday 7th June and Sunday 12th July... 

Strippy Tote Workshop

Some didn't quite finish their Strippy Totes but they left us with all the information to complete the job at home... Some Ladies booked a sewing class session, to get extra help... that's great customer service isn't it!
We have another Stripping session with Lynda next Saturday, People love Stripping!!

Stitching News

Jean Hill was sooooo relieved to have finished her quilt top. I'm not sure she will ever tackle another Y seam in her life! That tiny little red inner border sets it off  just perfectly, don't you think? Jean knows exactly how it's going to be quilted and is hoping Amanda in Stone will be able to do it for her.

Luna Twearly is a very organised and quite a thrifty lady. These are her scraps and little bits of fabric, they're not leftovers, she's still using them for her Foundation Paper Pieced blocks... Yes those are bank coin money bags and yes that is a take-away food pot!

New Sue has lots of her blocks made now. They look great with all the different shades of grey with blacks and whites. All done with two and a half inch strips, a Jelly Roll found in her stash.

Krafty Karen's oriental fabrics. A quarter Log Cabin block. It's going to be a giant floor cushion... I'm wondering... it looks like a stairway, wonder where it leads to? I'll have that song in my head all day now, ha ha ha

I bet you can guess which quilting artist is making this project?
Princess Jackie has finished her pieced table runner and happily returned to stitching applique... How cute is this picture!! She'll be tying the ends off in front of the tv.

Jean Bean has decided to enter her current project into Uttoxeter Quilt Show, so there has been a spurt of activity in the stitching department. We've laid the blocks out, she chose the next fabrics and will crack on splendidly now. 

I love this tiny little picture. Gail is applique stitching all the tiny bits. Not a job that can be rushed, There are lots of tiny circles and they take a lot of upp-ing and down-ing of the presser foot lever... The Juki f600 doesn't lift it's own, but the Juki DX7 does!

PM Pam is still trying to use up her scraps. She remarked how her storage container looks more full now than it did two quilts ago! ha ha ha, oh yes, we know those scraps multiply at night! I'm organising the Uttoxeter Show Quilt Angels again this year and we have a demonstration table again to help you with ideas for using up your scraps and leftover fabrics. This quilt will be on display for you all too.

Uttoxeter Quilt Show

We always call it Uttoxeter Quilt Show... they show quilts and it's in Uttoxeter!!

They have extended the deadline date for entering your quilt... 

Yes!!! Just for you...

So it's your lucky day. 

If you missed the last deadline to fill in your form, go do it now.

or print your own using this link... 
Paper entry forms are available in my shop while stock lasts.

Let's fill this show with our wonderful work.

Don't worry what the judges think or write about your work... what do they know anyway??? 

If you love your quilt, others will love your quilt... I know it.

We can do this!!!! 

You can bring your quilts to my shop before 

Saturday 10th April

I can take the quilt to the show for you 

and 

I can bring your quilts back to my shop for you.

and

If you don't want to read them, I can remover the judges comments for you too.

Just another aspect of the fabulous customer service I am proud to offer!

Fabulous And Finished

New Sue finished her Feathers, a lap quilt for a special chair, apparently. It's an Elizabeth Hartman pattern made up with beautiful Batik fabric with a Moda Grunge background. Finished with Faux Piped Binding, which ties it all together perfectly. Toot toot toot Sue.

Rose used elements from three of her patterns to make this fabulous and finished kiddy gifting quilt. You might be able to spot which patterns she used... like a game! Name That Pattern?.... We can do that, please our very own selves and mix it up... fusion food? Fusion Quilting... who knew eh! Toot toot toot Rose.

This is the back of Rose's Gifting quilt, so you can see the quilting. Stitching around the main shapes on the front is simple and quite perfect way to quilt... it doesn't have to be complicated... unless you want it to be, of course.

Hooray.... Gail finished her kiddie gifting quilt too! What a cutie this is, from the book Happy Quilts by Antonie Alexander, an excellent book with some fabulous quilts with soft toys to boot. Gail has very much enjoyed making this project.

This is the back... what a fabulous Label!!!
For Mabel... poetry!! ha ha ha
You can see that Gail stitched around her main shapes too.
Toot toot toot Gail, a fabulous finish.

Sandwiches

Monday Sheila purchased one of our lovely Peter Rabbit panels almost before she had taken her coat off for class... she had the borders sewn on Lick-etty-split. And as tables became available she spied opportunity for sandwich making... when you need a fast project, a panel is the way to go.

New Sue made her beautiful Batik feather sandwich and pondered for quite a while about the threads and possible quilting designs... as we all do!

Krafty Karen came to sandwich Saturday... as she arrived she realised she had forgotten to pack her backing fabric so she went home to fetch it and came back again to make her sandwich... when there's a time limit for the finishing of the project, it just has to be done!! Fabulous pin tin!!!

Rose is also on a tight deadline to finish her quilt... I don't know why we put our very own selves under such pressures, but we do. Rose will have this quilted just in time for gifting with just enough time for a holiday in the meantime, very organised!

PM Pam was quite surprised by the size of her sandwich... even though she made it, all by her very own self. That happens a lot... we stitch away enjoying the patchwork process then when we come to lay out the project to get it sandwiched and prepped for quilting, the enormity of the task can be a bit of a shock! 

Sandwich Saturdays are almost always on the first Saturday of each month... You do need to book as it's a popular activity.... beats crawling around on the floor!!