Fancy Fox

As Promised, but approximately one week later than promised,
FABULOUS AND FINISHED.....

My totally toot toot toot-a-bubble Fancy Fox Quilt.

Ready for gifting, YES!!! it has a label sewn on too!!

It's been a strange kind of busy week in my world, in both my shop and personal life, but luckily it finished off with a fabulous Sunday Funday Sewday. I even remembered to take a few project pictures, which I will of course blog about very soon.

Festival Of Quilts 2022

We ARE going this year, on Sunday 21st August. !!

The coach is booked BUT I have to be more strict on numbers than in previous years.

You can purchase just the coach seat @£22.00 if you have your own ticket organised.

These prices include your entrance ticket and return journey.

If 19 -24 people go, the cost will be £35.00 per person

If 25 or more book to go the cost will be £30.00 per person.

You must pay when you book and I am very sorry but there cannot be any refund if you cancel as the Festival this year, has made all tickets non-refundable.

Please tell your chums about this.

Unfortunately, If I don't have enough folk booked, obviously, the coach will have to be cancelled.

The Fancy Fox Quilt

My Lilly and her family have some very special and very precious friends. Precious, special friends need fabulous quilts to wrap themselves in, what with these cold, winter evenings, that's a no brainer.
When your very own mum has been known to make fabulous quilts, you might be tempted to mention how you would love to gift a fabulous quilt to the special friends, should she be able to make one... possibly with a fox theme?
Oh yes!... Mum has the Fancy Fox pattern in her very own shop, so, of course she could make one.

I set about making a test Fox, that red one was the test. The background for the test fox was not meant to be the actual quilt background... I just had some pieces of it left over from another quilt which I've also just finished (I'll blog about that one later) but after making the test fox I thought, that's a wacky background idea.... I love it!! 

So I went to my very own shop and 'purchased' (shop lifted) a couple more metres. It's an Alison Glass Batik and it's just scrumptious to sew with!

The Fancy Fox pattern made 6" x 8" foxes and I had thought
 'Blimey that will take ages and about a million fox blocks, I'll math-e-mise the pattern and make bigger foxes'... so I did. Then I mathemised again to make a middle-sized Fox. I then continued making all three sizes. I kept rearranging, them spreading out the sizes, colours and fabrics.

The lovely friends wear spectacles. 'Could the foxes have spectacles please?' Of course they can! Well, I can't blooming draw for toffee, not even spectacles, so I ended up going online and purchasing another pattern... This one, Fancy Fox 2!!!  Oh For goodness sakes, I could have got that pattern in the first place and saved my brain from all those math-e-misms!!! Hein site can be very annoying!

It was quite tricky to join all the different sizes together and to keep all the fox fabrics spread out... I ended up making three rows of different widths, then I needed more foxy blocks... it's quite a large quilt at this point...

Anyway, it all worked out fine. I decided it didn't need any border treatment, it was already large enough for two people to snuggle under....

A sandwich was soon made. It's been fun to quilt. I started off shadow stitching around all the foxes... then added more, and more stitching, all easy stuff. It is actually finished as I write this but I took it to my shop to show off and forgot to take a toot toot photo. I'll grab a couple of victims today to hold it up for me then show you the finished quilt tomorrow, don't hold me to that though, ha!

Stitching News

 

My classroom has been a hive of activity this week. Lots of folk needing help with their various projects, a bit like a real class! With everyone working on any quilt they want to, it can sometimes happen that they all need help at the very same time. So I haven't been able to take many photos. Some customers don't realise I only have a shop with a classroom to make my blog a bit more interesting, ha!

This is Shirley's Fabulous and Finished Table Runner.  She decided to stitch  in the ditch so all the 'Logs' pop better. Toot toot toot Shirley.

Shirley needed a new project. She's been studying my pattern wall for a while now and had decided to make the Elizabeth Hartman, Dogs In Sweaters Pattern, but it had sold!! Not a problem as Shirley can download a PDF version to print out. 

Penguin Party was chosen and Shirley made sure that the pattern was well studied before carefully selecting fabrics that were soon chopped up to make a start. There's always lots of chopping and labelling for the Elizabeth Harman patterns.

Bev didn't quite finish all of her quilting... as she declared she would. (We secretly knew that would happen didn't we?) People just don't leave us alone for long enough when we are on a sewing mission! Not to worry, Bev had decided the design for the borders and already marked it out and so she's on it now.

Farmer Lynda is in the final stitching part of her Bench Pillow from this book, Bench Pillows For All Seasons (yes I have it in stock!) She's so inspired by the pictorial applique designs that she'd decided to design another picture for the pillow backing... 

The idea is based on a book cover with Superworm. All new to me but Superworm is loved by Lynda's grand-kiddo-tiddlers. I see many more hours of fun for Lynda... She's having a LOT of ideas. 

All Day Di has decided to make a Mat and Ruler Bag. It's been so long since anyone made one that I had almost forgotten I made a tutorial for it. Di is using Vlieselin Style-Vil in place of wadding so it will be really protective for her mat and rulers, it also makes a great cushion to keep your bottom comfy while you sew!! No I don't have the black fabric, before you ask.

Lyn's cushion number 4... look at that, a different shape... but with the same design. I don't know about you but I never tire of sewing squares together, except this is made with strips....which is great fun too

A hidden zip in the back, of course but this time with a bit of Faux Piping detail... it's very impressive isn't it! Toot toot toot Lyn, yet another fabulous and finished cushion ready for gifting.

There's another workshop coming up to make the beginner cushion on Friday 25th February. 

Pam was chuffed to have a big chunk of her Space themed quilt top sewn together. There are many more blocks to have the applique stitching done but we can already see how fabulous this quilt will be.

Jan finished her lovely red thread quilting so was able to trim the crusts off. There were 5 strips of binding to prepare. Can you see the diamond design Jan chose to stitch... I'll be using that in the future I'm sure... it looks great.

There's a Sunday Funday Sewday coming up again soon. 

Sunday 27th February. 9.30 to 4.30pm

Please remember to book up ahead of time if you plan on joining us.

Stitching News

Bev decided to quilt with straight lines following through those triangle centres. She marked them with one of those Clover pens that disappear with dampness, very clever really. She got loads done and threatened to have all he quilting finished for next Thursday

Shirley finished her quilting, she had opted to stitch in the ditch, she's really good at it too, not much evidence of Ditch Hopping, which is also very popular with many of us! Binding different angles needs the very same method as a 45 degree, so that was soon perfected too.

Lookie!!! Fiona Too not only managed to cut out and stick all the animals' bits together she's cracked on with the applique too. The blanket stitch is a top favourite with my class customers.

Sister Susie is also on a production roll. Blanket stitching the hearts and birds in place... it's all coming together really nicely... flower plans are being made too. 

Jan decided on diagonal quilting with red thread. I hope you can see it... she's done the diagonal of two blocks which is creating a diamond effect, very lovely.

Susan finished her Kaffe quilt top, the jury is out over what will happen next. Susan is not sure this top is floating her boat yet. This happens to all of us, we will wait quietly to see what happens

I've caught up on my photos now, hope you enjoyed the brief spell of daily blogging.

Stitching News

 Yet another catch up... I'm on a roll!

Pam is making space ship blocks for her gifting quilt. See the background fabric? It couldn't have been more perfect! The quilt will be quite large so will be used for many years to come. This particular block is about 12 inches wide and 24 inches long... it's easier to stitch large picture pieces.

Lyn came back determined to remember everything for her very own self about making this cushion, she did remember most things too so repetition does work. This Cat flavoured cushion will be gifted 

The zip on the back went top to bottom so as to keep the fabric design the right way up, I quite like it this way, note to self... try one this way up, ha! Toot toot toot Lyn, another fabulous and finished gifting cushion. (she's coming back for a 4th one, he he he)

Norma made great progress with her stitching at Sunday Sewday at Checkley, so only needed to stitch two more rows is this weeks' class... doesn't it look fabulous... even though Norma got all the labels confused, it is still fabulous and Norma is chuffed with it. Finished is better than 'perfect'.

I told you an Angie's Six Pack quilt was a quick project didn't I. Jan's already made her quilt sandwich aaaaand decided on her quilting design... there will be diagonal lines, arty fartsy ones! Watch this space.

After a fun day piecing Log Cabin Left Overs for an off-centre panel sliced through the backing, Bev was able to make her first ever large sandwich. We pondered a few quilting designs that will be stitched using her walking foot... I'm not sure which she chose but we will see very soon.

Stitching News

I've had Sandwich Saturdays in my shop diary for years now. I push tables together to help you with those larger pinning jobs, great customer service, don't you think.

If you just want to lay out your blocks, that's fine too. These are Norma's blocks. She had them all piled up and needed to see what they would look like sewn together. There's a secondary pattern that's not too notice-a-bubble until they are placed out... can you see it?

Norma's Churndash blocks, I love these. We played about with the blocks, switching them about  to share the different colours, so as to have a nice even distribution, that sounds very professional doesn't it!! We labelled all the blocks and rows, left and right sides and off Norma went with a plan of action to sew it all together.

There was a Patchwork and Quilting for beginners workshop last Friday. Both ladies had a great day and promised that they had learned a lot of top tips and techniques.

This is Jackie's choice of fabrics....

These are Kim's choices. Both ladies went home with the back of the cushion ready with it's zip installed for sewing to the front... they both wanted to add more quilting lines before completing the cushion for my photos!!! Pleasing their very own selves, ha!

Sister Susie finished her Ugly Birdhouse "Wall"... Yes! She's making her very own version of my Ugly Birdhouse quilt... If I had known so many people would ask me for the pattern, as it hangs in my shop, I might well have made a few notes while I was making it (more like throwing mine together) In this picture, Susie was deciding how to put the wires for the birds to sit on.

Fiona Too used my lightbox to help her place all the bits in the right order. Using an applique pressing sheet, or a piece of baking parchment, means all the bits can be stuck to each other before placing them on the actual quilt background... not sure that makes sense. I'll show you if you pop in.

Jan has a big quilting job going on at home so wanted a smaller project to work on in between-ies. My Angie's Six Packs are perfect for such a scenario. All you need to do is just choose the order for the six inch squares and sew them together... lick-etty-split. Add borders, done!

You're forgiven for not believing me, but these beautiful fabrics are Shirley's left overs, I know right! She made 4 Log Cabin blocks to make up a table topper. We played with settings, on point looked great so we toyed with setting triangle ideas...Shirley likes a challenge... that was last week... and this week it was done and sandwiched and looked stunning... all made up by her very own self.

Bev finished her lovely Log Cabin Quilt top. A very happy lady. She'd thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, except for the bit when she noticed when the writing on the fabric wasn't the right way up... but she struggled on, got  it sorted out, hid the evidence and told our very good selves to move on, it was very amusing... you  had to be there! There will be a pieced backing made ready for Sandwich time.

Stitching News

 This week I'm on a mission to catch up with all the project picture posting for you. Things got a bit hectic for me in the paperwork department for a while. Here goes

Just as I said, Lyn came back to make another patchwork cushion. This one has corner stones in the borders and a slightly different quilting design... Lyn is still impressed with the way we do our covered zip backings. Toot toot toot Lyn, another fabulous and finished cushion.

Pauline came to make her quilt sandwich, her first one I think she said. You might just make out some Chaco-chalk markings on the bottom left corner? We were plotting and planning possible quilting design ideas and that's the one Pauling liked.

Shirley made her quilt sandwich too. She had made the quilt top right at the beginning of the first and strictest lockdown so she's keen to get on to the quilting. The design is from this book by Jo Avery, it has some great patterns in it.

Edna has had a bit of a faff making this quilt top. Lots of things didn't go to plan but we stuck at it... sometimes it is easier to undo everything and start again... that's what happened in the end but now it's just right for a border treatment and the borders will be straight.

Our Carol is thoroughly enjoying making this fabric book. There's a lot of choosing, tracing and cutting and gluing like being at playschool really! She's blanket stitching all the shapes now and is very pleased to have the Juki DX7 hover capability!

Norma has two quilts on the go. Each one needs 42 twelve inch blocks so she's had a bit of a piecing marathon. They are almost done, 10 blocks to go of 84 blocks in total so soon there will be two tops to quilt.

New Sue is steadily plodding on with her blocks. The method and pattern she is using makes two blocks at the same time but that's not always a good idea if you are easily confused. There's been a lot of muttering heard, ha ha ha

This is Rose's latest masterpiece. She is using a pattern but has tweaked a lot of the details to make it more personalised for the guy she's planning to gift it to, like the car and the dogs are his very own. Rose is really enjoying the process... of course, happy memories are involved.