A Festive Table Runner

This traditionally pieced block project is proving to be very popular. There are a few ladies making the blocks for it in their weekly class and I've been asked to teach it as a Saturday Workshop. Now you know I love to give great customer service, so I have a plan to do exactly that.
The first one will be on Saturday 6th November. 

We will make this block

This block and one more... The Wonderful, Ohio Star.

Then we will join them together with Side Setting Triangles, Half Square Triangles in the Corners, Carefully measured Border strips all round... all with top tips of course!

Then we'll make a sandwich with the backing and wadding which will need quilting

Binding will be needed too. 

It took me approximately 10 hours to get this far... 

Simple Quilting, Stitching In The Ditch (more like Ditch Hopping)

Now then... realistically, this is not achievable in one 5 hour workshop, but a lot will be accomplished. Obviously it all depends on how well you get on. 

You will be able to return for further help on a Sewing Saturday, or another weekday class if you prefer, to get it finished.

The first workshop is almost full up, but don't worry, I can schedule more.

You don't have to use Christmas fabrics either, just switch the colours and fabrics and no-one would ever know, I have one on my table during summer months that I made in 2007, with summery garden fabrics...

I'll be in my shop a bit earlier today, I have to clear a pathway through all those boxes of fabric!

Stitching News

You must have noticed last week that I had taken pictures each day so I could keep you up to date with all the makings is my classroom? 

Christabelle finished her gifting quilt, complete with the superb Faux Piped Binding which is an excellent feature here, taking Clever Mr. Black right out to the edge of this quilt, don't you think?

This is sort of the back, it's a truly double sided quilt really and, in my opinion, this is a great way to use a panel for the front and a panel on the back... she's a smart cookie is Our Chris as it's almost impossible to get them to line up, using one panel as a border avoids that issue. Toot toot toot Chris, a fabulous and rather cunning, finished quilt.

Rose arrived on a mission, book and fabrics in hand... she got straight to the cutting. All this work was completed in class, even the tracing on to the sticky stuff, there's a lot of work here. Rose is so pleased with this project, it is really cute.

Sister Susie sent this picture to show that she had finished her borders and is ready for the backing and sandwich making process, I bet she might need a bit of fabric for that, fingers crossed, ha!

It was all going so well... I even stayed extra hours in my lovely shop last week and Saturday to get all of those piled high trollies organised. All the fat quarters were cut and My Mum Gwynneth came back from her holidays and so was able to start folding them all, ready for you to put in your basket... 

Then we were at Checkley Sunday Sewday. Once everyone was set up, I popped out to visit a fabric warehouse... lots of bolts of fabric followed me home. It was quite exciting showing them all to the ladies and they were really enthusiastic. After the fun day at Checkley, I delivered the bolts to my shop and made nice tidy, full and over flowing trollies, once again!! Ready for a new week of classes...

And, would you blooming believe it.... yesterday lunchtime, three BIG boxes of Makower fabrics arrived, the delivery guy commented on how heavy they were, which is always a worry!! ha.
This stuff was ordered so long ago I had forgotten all about it...

As Rose was trying to leave my shop, having had such a great and productive day, I heard her saying... to Jean Bean, "I can't get out, Angie has barricaded the they way with fabrics... have I got to buy enough fabric to clear the way to get out!"

Although that sounded like an excellent idea, it wasn't the plan... I have no idea what the plan is now. I have no idea where this is all gong to go... so once again I must ask you to be super careful when you come to shop, there are fabric bolts everywhere, and I mean everywhere!!!
It's absolutely wonderful, ha ha ha!!!

This is just one from the new Beth Studley, Henna range

Click this link to see the others, I have most of them in stock...

 Actually, they are piled up right by my door at the moment!

My Rooting Rack has been fully replenished with Bolt End fabric pieces and mis-cuts, that's a confession!
I was trying to keep them all because I love them.
I really have issues with letting the last bits go.
I might need them when I retire you see!!

Stitching News

                                         

All Day Di has almost finished her quilting. There's more stitching than she had originally planned as she loved the way the woodland creatures were phooophing. Di's not so keen on tying off all the ends but sometimes it just has to be done, plus it's not as hard when there's plenty of social chatter to join in with. Not sure why Di bit into the wadding on the side there, quite big chunks too, I did offer her a biscuit, hey ho!

You may remember that Shirley couldn't decide what to do about corner stones. "To corner stone, or not to corner stone? that was the question!! She mulled over it for days but has now decided NOT to corner stone, we all agreed this time too, boom!

Jan's table runner centre complete. She listened carefully to my top tips for trimming and squaring, she even almost understood!! There are lots of useful lines on rulers, if you twizz them around enough times the right line will pop out! Top Tips for adding borders were much easier.

Sister Susie also added her borders. Her top tips included pattern matching, sort of. We couldn't match the pattern at the corners exactly but we figured out how to blend the designs pretty well. That's my ironing station multi tasking as a bed!

Fiona Too had a small problem, very small but important. Lots of companies print lovely picture panels but they never give much space for making them work when sewn. Sashing measurements had to be altered on the horizontal so the centre panel will work... that meant rectangular corner stones were needed... how very off piste!  It works though.

I've got a whole load of fabric due in next week so I am frantically trying to find somewhere to put the last lot that was delivered 3 weeks ago.
Quite an impossible task really... so I've had to fill the rooting rack with more end of bolt pieces... you know what that means don't you... might be a bargain or two or three.
I'll be adding more today as there's no class booked in.
I will probably take all the fabrics with me to Checkley tomorrow too. If I can fit them in my car with all the cables and ironing boards and the rest of the paraphernalia needed for a fun stitchy day.

Stitching News

Our Pam has been making baby quilts for ages. The original idea was to make 18 quilts to give to the premature baby unit where her granddaughter had been looked after so well when she was born... to say thank you 18 years later. But Covid happened... so Pam couldn't go to deliver them and she just kept going....

These 4 baby sized quilts bring Pam's total up to well over 30, she's lost count really but it's a huge pile. Soon they will be taken to the hospital, QMC Nottingham. Toot toot toot toot Pam, 4 more fabulous and finished prem baby unit quilts, well done you!

Christine has been enjoying some of the Online workshops that so many people took part in during lockdown. This fellow will be made into a wall hanging, I think Chris said he would be framed soon... he is very smart don't you think? Applique, couching and using fancy stitches to embellish.

This is also Christine's from a longer term online class, It's all ruler work, hours and hours and hours of stitching with rulers to guide, which she loves doing. The project has had all the areas quilted separately, then they were joined together with the sashing

As always with apartment quilting you can have the back made up in different colours so it's like making two quilts at the very same time, double the fun, if that's your thing! Toot toot toot Chris, a fabulous finish.

Nothing much to do with sewing (yet very important in class) these are the most popular biscuits in my shop!

 Tea and coffee is made more scrumptious with a biscuit on the side! Ginger Nuts come in second place. This week we had Malted Milk, they had everyone talking because they brought on many a memory of childhood, good old Malted Milk Moo biscuits!

It's a Sunday Sewday at Checkley this weekend, of course there will be biscuits, including Malted Milk Moos ha ha ha

Stitching News

 I was a bit late getting my camera out so I missed a few projects. The fact that we have these pictures is quite amazing though, it was quite a busy Monday...
Getting back to normal?... it's real!!

Liz has a lovely friend who had purchased a workshop day as a gift for her birthday, in March 2020! Blimey that was soooo long ago. But it didn't really matter... Liz came to class yesterday and had a lovely time, she produced this quirky little cushion and went home buzzing with excitement to make another. One more addict joins our fold!

Just Edna was able to get most of her baby gifting quilt top together, isn't it cute-etty-cute! The applique stitching will be done once the sandwich is made so that the ducks will show up really well on the back of the quilt, she's a smart cookie is Our Edna.

Jean Bean did a BIT more quilting, I think you can just about make out the darker lines? The purple chair was empty like this for much of the day, but customers were served, tea was drunk, lunch was shopped for (from the Bake House, for everyone, it's a Monday tradition) flowers were dead-headed, shop was tidied and laughter was enjoyed, it's not all about the sewing on a Monday! ha ha ha

Sheila made great progress with one of her cubes... until she realized that the bit she had prepared for the main body was not quite the correct size, it was way too tall but not quite long enough, that's like being the wrong size but a bit more positive! She's not put off though, another lot of fabric was chosen and instead of having 3 cubes in her nest Sheila will have 4 cubes... or more, you never know with our Sheila!

Stitching News

What a busy few days in my classroom. Lots of folk wanting to learn different skills and methods, from beginners to those who've been coming for classes since my shop opened. There's always something to learn and there are so many fun ways to do stuff that we can't be expected to remember them all.

Lou Lou and Merlot wanted to try Foundation Paper Piecing so they both purchased the same book (This one) then booked in for a class to learn how. In my opinion, foundation paper piecing is probably the trickiest method to grasp but, as always, it's easy when you know how. The little trees were just to learn the method before cutting into their good fabrics.

Both Racoons look great don't they, so there's the proof, easy when you know how!  Easier with the Add A Quarter ruler though. One gadget that I wouldn't want to be without. Of course the book and the ruler are avail-a-bubble from my very own shop!

Deb has wanted to try patchwork for a very long time and to say she was delighted to have made her first ever star is an understatement, there were tears of joy! The second star confirmed the new addiction, she's coming back for more! I do enjoy being an enabler!

Donna had started this quilt top at home and wanted to take it from being a small square to a cot size, rectangular shape. Of course that was a simple task with a few Top Tips thrown in helping her to get it completed. Then, with Beano's help, a sandwich was made and the quilting commenced.

Lorna was so impressed with a little, but very important, "Top Tip" for sticking lots of tricky detail bits in the right place. A pair of long tweezers is a great and helpful tool too.  She finished sticking all the bits for her picture at home. A few hours of blanket stitching around all the shapes, which is a fabulous stitch on the Juki machines, and Lorna was ready to make her sandwich too and then she cracked on with her quilting.

I hope you are impressed that I remembered to take and to post so many pictures!!

Stitching News

Things are very much getting back to normal in my classroom. Lots of projects are in the making and it's all very inspiring and exciting.
I've had lots of new books delivered too so they are helping, well it's helping my shop... I'm not sure my customers feel truly helped with their list of 'want to makes' getting longer, Ha!
I recently took a table runner to my shop just to show to people and it's proving very popular. It's made with traditional piecing from an older book... I think we forget a bit about these more complex blocks with all the Make It Fast patterns that are popular now. I have to say I do love a traditional pieced block.

Jan is one customer that saw my runner and decided she would like one for her very own self. She's an experienced dress/garment maker but had never tried Patchwork before. She's enjoyed the challenge. All 3 blocks took a bit of perfecting but Jan didn't give up... it's going to look great.

Shirley is doing a 'Make It Up as You Go' design. With all the blocks bordered with that wonderful orange fabric, she needed to decide on her next step. She's known from the outset that there would be Bones but she was deciding whether or not to use Corner Stones, we weren't much help as the decision was split!

All day Di had a lovely calm day quilting around her woodland animals. Apparently she gets much more work done when there's no Farmer Lynda to talk to!

Sister Susie wanted to refresh her Free Motion quilting skills. These blocks were left over from her Quilt-As-You-Go practice pieces so she was happy to use them for free motion practice. It makes it a bit easier with lines to guide the size of the design, for some folk.

Fiona Too had made a plan what to do with this panel before the first lockdown, well, it may have been just after the first lockdown, I lose track really. Anyway, she had fabrics to co-ordinate in a bag all kitted up from then but none of us could remember the original plan... so we made another plan and she cracked on with that.

Angela had been gifted the Bible Sampler book (below) and couldn't wait to get started on the blocks, She does enjoy a fiddle and a challenge and many of these blocks, all 6" finished, were just that, fiddley and challenging. It's a huge and fabulous... and fiddley, finished quilt and it's all ready for it's toot toot toot fanfare. Angela's going to make the same quilt again as she enjoyed it so much, blimey!

I've started to add a few Saturday classes to my classroom diary so if you want o go have a look they are in the tab at the top of my blog, first Tab on the left I think.

Sunday Funday Sewday

Sunday Sewday will be this coming Sunday, 26th September 

Checkley Community Centre, ST10 4NB

9.30am to 4.30pm The cost is £20.00 

This time the fee includes refreshments of:-
Sausage Rolls, Cheese Scones with Chutney.
Cake & assorted biscuits.
Obviously coffee, tea & Hot Chocolate with an optional splash of Pam's rum

Please book ahead and remember to Bring a mug. 

Stitching News

This pattern is called Metropolis and it's from a book by Elizabeth Hartman. Rose has thoroughly enjoyed making it. It's a 'finished just in time, thank goodness the wedding was postponed to give Rose more time', gifting quilt... what a lucky couple... I mean to be receiving the quilt, obviously not lucky to have their wedding Covid postponed!!! A very Modern design and look at the back...

I know right? WOWZERS!!

It's the same block as is used on the quilt top, but enormous! 

A fantastic, finished, double sided quilt Toot toot toot Rose

Princess Jackie's Log Cabin quilt top is growing fast. She had made 90 blocks before deciding what to do with them, finally deciding on the Barn Raising layout, which is showing up lovely with all those bright colours.

 2 amazing projects, 3 pictures... better than none eh!!

Sandwich Making

 In my shop I have always offered this service. It can be tricky to make your quilt sandwiches on the floor, and yes I know lots of us do it... getting up after all the pinning can be entertaining!!
This last Saturday we made two sandwiches...

Lady Lidl, Di made her Woodland sandwich. Carefully teasing out any slight hic-cups, which is quite normal really (plus an odd unstitched seam!) and pondering how she will quilt it as she pinned. The decision was made and Di almost skipped out of the shop with excitement.

Jean Bean's sandwich. This is going to be quilted with great excitement too. Beano chose all the thread colours to match the top fabrics as close as possible... she's going to match the bobbin thread too so the quilting will show up the same design on the black backing, exciting stuff!!

What is a Sandwich Day?

It's a day when I can push my tables together in the classroom so that you can pin (sandwich) the 3 layers of your quilt, no matter how large or small it is, without having to crawl around on the floor and without having to spoil your best dining table with pin and tape marks!

I try to keep time slots between 10am and 2pm but if we need more time, I book more time!

£10.00 per sandwich pus your wadding, booking is required.

You can also use the tables to lay out the blocks you've made to decide on settings, or to see how many more blocks you need or... even better... I can help you choose fabrics!

Stitching News

It's been quite a busy week in my classroom. Most kiddos are back at school so the ladies are free of duties and have booked their very own selves in for a bit of social stitching, like a Spa day but you keep your clothes on!

Shirley had all of her blocks finished so she started the process of joining them. Each block will have a thin orange border treatment before the sashing is added... there will be dinosaur bones! 

Jan is making traditional blocks for a table runner. There are newer and easier ways to make some of the units and  Jan's enjoying learning them, she said that, I'm not just guessing, Ha!

Fiona Too made this project at home, even the sandwich. She started the quilting in class and decided on her very own design. There are lots of ends to tie off, not her favourite job, but needs must.

Sister Susie showed us her William Morris Charm Pack quilt top. It's so lovely and bright. I didn't see any more sewing on this top so I presume it went back into the bag... for a little bit longer, he he he

Gail chose to use one of the lovely Makower animal panels for her latest baby gifting project, you can just about see the monkey fabric used for the backing, very cute! Gail started the quilting by following the printed design, perfect for a panel really.

Krafty Karen had already purchased one of my Jungle-y Six Packs, pre-lockdown! It's been waiting for a good reason to be made into a quilt. Now it's time and, after a brainstorming session, she got on with it... We all love the sashing fabric!

Princess Jackie had said that she was struggling to make her blocks... Log Cabin blocks are not really tricky but Jackie is more used to applique... absolutely stunning applique!!! This week she came to class with 90 complete blocks, something must have clicked! The joining has commenced...

Dora finished her 3D Teddy Quilt and said that she had enjoyed hand stitching the binding. This lovely little cutie will be gifted very soon, there's a new baby coming in the near future. Can we toot a fanfare for an almost finished quilt? Of course we can because I know it is now finished.

And as if by magic... here is the finished 3D Teddy Quilt.

Toot toot toot for your fabulous and finished, and rather splendid gifting quilt Dora.

This quilt is another of Dora's. Two babies on their way were announced at the very same time so Dora had to get a shift on. Toot toot toot for a rather fabulous gifting quilt. You can't beat a rainbow for a new baby when you don't know what colour it's going to be. Or a yellow Teddy Quilt that is, ha!