Stitching News

 On the last day of my shop being open I pushed the tables together for a bit of sandwich making. Excellent customer service, as always.

Cheryl Cheryl was first up with this Batik beauty. I think the pattern is in the book 'Organic Applique' and she's thoroughly enjoyed making the top. There will be free-motion quilting involved over the festive break. 

Next up was me!! 

Finally, my Hidden Wells sandwich is made ready for quilting. I can't decide how I want to quilt it yet but once I do, I'll crack on

Even from this angle I can't decide, ha!

All I know is that it's way larger as a quilt sandwich than it was as a top!

Trumpet time. Christabelle made these cushion pads for her Granddaughters. They each have a cat that looks exactly like the chair backs and the chair pads for the bottoms have cats made with the fabrics the girls chose. How cool would a real cat be with fur in zig-zaggy stripes!! Toot toot toot Chris, fabulous and finished for the fur babies.

Sewing Prevention Season

It's here!!
We were all laughing about how disruptive this festive malarky can be. From piling stuff up in your sewing area to shoving stuff in your loft space to keep it safe and to make your home look tidy. It's a messy old game this crafting isn't it. 
It's my last day with an open shop. That's 9:30am  to 2pm today.

I hope you have a joyous Sewing Prevention Season, try at least to stitch a little bit won't you? I'm hoping to play in Quilty Quarters.

See you on the other side xx

Stitching Catch Up

Oh dear, what a time I've had in the last few weeks. I caught a dreadful lurgy from somewhere. Very little energy so not many pictures. After thoroughly enjoying a few days away on our retreat too. Hope mother nature wasn't trying to tell me not to go having fun! How rude would that be! I'm still not up to full health but, as I am a trooper, we will crack on.  

Christabelle finished her huge and beautiful floral quilt. It's a totally toot toot toot-a-bubble design that's perfect for those Layer cake squares that you can't bare to cut up. Chris is keeping this quilt for her very own self, and I can't blame her!!! Fabulous and finished!  

Now Christabelle can concentrate on her next gifting project. Tumbling Blocks. It's so clever how the 3D design shows up already, just three different shades of fabric, light, medium and darker-ish, none of them are really dark.

Shirley was very happy to bring in her fabulous and finished Dogs In Sweaters quilt. This lovely project will be gifted very soon, it's that time of year!!  Toot toot toot Shirley, finished just in time!

Mary's first ever quilt, hooray! She says that she learned so much making this one. It's the brilliant Railfence design which is very forgiving and just right for learning all the tricks of the trade. Another finished quilt, just in time for gifting, toot toot toot Mary, your first fanfare!

Our PM Pam has been working on the Boho Heart blocks for quite a while. Sewing a few blocks here and there, in between other projects. Recently, she found a perfect backing fabric for the finished quilt in my very own shop so she's really cracking on with the blocks with renewed excitement. 

We are well into Sewing Prevention Season now. 

My shop, next week as follows

Closed Monday

Tuesday 9.30am - 4pm

Closed Wednesday

Thursday 9:30 - 5pm

Friday 9:30 - 2pm

I'm not planning to open on Saturday 23rd. If you need a shopping appointment on Saturday, just email or call and I'll do my best to help you.

After that I'll be closed until Tuesday 9th January.

Stitching News

A little note to start with, Thank you for the messages about the fabulous quilt top that I made on the wonderful retreat. You are kind! It is a super easy design made with 14 Fat Quarters (or more if you want a longer quilt)

The strips were cut before I went galivanting and this is the order I had planned to sew them together.   All are cut cut 5" wide. I did, obviously on purpose, change the order of the strips a bit, ha! It didn't matter in the end as the finished top is rather splendid. It's been placed on my PIP pile, that's "Project In Progress", have you got a PIP Pile?

Christabelle has been intrigued by the patchwork designs that give a 3D effect for a while now and has made a gifting quilt plan. Basically the quilt will be only grey fabrics and the density of the colours will hopefully work the 3D effect. Easier to see when your carpet gives it's helping hand!!

After placing the diamonds onto her carpet, Chris was very happy and able to continue with the new plan. That beautiful Batik was purchased to be the tops of the blocks, it really does look 3D don't you think? Obviously the units are all spread over the floor for this picture so Chris will have to pick them all up in the right sewing order, fingers are crossed.

We have need of shiny trumpets now. Deb finished her very own Lap Quilt made in festive fabrics. Half Square Triangles made with a Moda Charm Pack, very effective. Toot toot toot Deb this is your fabulous and finished quilt fanfare!

Di just about finished her second Scandinavian Tomte quilt top with time to spare for sandwich making. Both of her Tomte quilts need to be ready for gifting soon so this is what Di worked on at our retreat. She took her fantastic Juki UX8 which made it super easy,  quilting can be a bit of a work out on a smaller machine, but we do it!

Again those trumpets need to be shining and ready for a Fabulous and finished, gifting quilt fanfare. A Toot toot toot for our Jean Beano please.  This quilt has had a facing added rather than binding, it's Beano's new favourite thing to do.

I've added most of the retreat and Sunday Sewday dates to the Fun tab for you. 

I have to say there are lots of names on the retreat lists. March is full up already, with a waiting list. 

I can't confirm prices until nearer the time, obviously.

We're Back!

Just a quick post today. We had a great time on our retreat. Arriving in rain and blustering winds, not fun driving on the motorway! But day 2 treated us to beautiful sunshine. Dry and crisp every day, not that the weather is all that important on a sewing retreat. The sewing room was huge with hundreds of tables and we all made really good use of those! "Have tables, will spread!" like all quilters/crafters.

I took three projects with me, that's the two I had planned and one last minute 'just in case' I needed a third one. ha! Why do we do that? I started the 'just in case' project first as it was on top of everything else. 3 days later I had a completed top. I love it.

I have booked 5 further retreats, The dates will be posted on my blog as soon as I am able.

My shop is open again as normal from today. There's a full class booked in too today, so I better get going.

Stitching News

I have quite a few pictures to show you in this post. Given a whole week has flown by.
I'm having new computer problems, the damn thing keeps updating and adding things that slow it down, A LOT! For example, gaming?
I don't even play, Xbox! I only play JUKI !!

I told you we have had a sandwich run, the finished quilts are starting to roll in now.
Trumpets ready...

Tooting first of all for Princess Jackie's fabulous and finished quilt. This design has many names in different books but for us it's a circle quilt! Circles made from straight lines.

Jackie had a few blocks left over, she must have gotten carried away making them? or ? I cut her too many bits and she sewed until they were all done, which ever, they came in handy for this rather splendid backing. toot toot toot Jackie

Judy's splendid Christmas quilt. Technically, it's not finished as the binding needs a bit of stitching but Judy won't be able to bring it in again for us to see. She had it long arm quilted by Amanda in Stone, who's done a fabulous job, of course aided by the clever computer machine.  Judy chose a perfect festive stitch design. Toot, tiny-toot, ha ha ha!

This is Judy's fabulous Christmas table topper. Obviously it co-ordinates perfectly with the lap quilt above. Judy quilted this all by her very own self and it too, needs the binding hand stitching to be both fabulous and finished.

Princess Jackie spied opportunity to make a farm animal quilt sandwich. If you remember, this is one quarter of the whole quilt, all four quarters will be joined together after quilting, apartment-ly.

All Day Di was very relieved to be able to find space for sandwiching one of her Scandinavian Tomte quilts. Time is ticking very quickly and both quilts are needed for festive gifting, thank goodness she will have 3 lovely long days on the retreat, no cooking, no cleaning, just sewing! 

Bev has been watching people on T'Internet make this Highland Cow. She succumbed to temptation and ordered the pattern and brought it to class. And, after a few fun minutes with Heat & Bond (yes it does matter which side we stick it to) he was done. This smart fellow will be made into a cushion as soon as he's quilted.

All the planning done by Shirley worked out. She had very random Railfence blocks. Can we call them random when they are mathematically mixed up? Better still, does it matter? Absolutely not, if order is your thing, you can order your randomness!

After playing with the layout for a short while, this was Shirley's chosen design. I must say I do love a Railfence quilt. It's a very easy design that never looks out of place, whether modern or contemporary is your thing or more traditional style, it bridges all sorts.

I've managed a little sewing recently as I've stopped that second job that was eating all of my time and energy. But lookie what I did here!! 4 of my triangles got sew in the wrong direction and I didn't notice until I was quilting, grrrrrr. It's staying as it is, but I am a bit miffed!

Only one week to go before we get to relax on the sewing retreat. If only I could decide what to work on. There are a few of us that haven't decided yet. We all have so many things we want to sew, the problem is choosing which 'one' to take. Unlike Our Pam who just takes them all, ha ha ha!

Please remember that my shop will not be open next week, 27th November but will be open on Saturday 2nd. All day and it's a sewing Saturday in my classroom too.

Catching Up

Catching up with what? I don't seem to be catching up with anything, ha! What a whirlwind time it's been since I last wrote anything. The classroom is busy, very busy at the moment. Sandwich making is on the rise and they are jumbo size sandwiches too. I do have a few pictures for you...

Christabelle has just about done all of the walking foot quilting in the sashing strips and has started on her free-motion doodling quilting in those main blocks. This quilt design is brilliant for showing off beautiful fabrics if you don't want to cut them up, especially floral ones.

Rose finished her Log Cabin gifting quilt top with the addition of a 10" wide border. We could hardly get it up high enough let alone fit the width in shot, this is one huuuuge quilt. The sandwich will be made very soon, Friday I think, then Rose will quilt it, all by her very own self.

Jackie spent her day quilting this lovely gifting quilt. 

So clever how straight lines make those circles. 

Wait till you see the splendid backing!

These two pieces are also Jackie's. Aren't they the cutest thing!! Such perfect fabric choices for the creatures. These are two of the four quarters that Jackie will sandwich and quilt individually before joining them together apartment-ly.

It's almost time for our retreat in Lickey Hills. It's a huge venue so if you decided at this last minute that you would like to treat yourself to a little, selfish, sewing time, just let me know.

Out of time for today folks, but I will be back!

There seems to be a problem with my virtual tour thing so I will try to sort that for you.

Stitching News

Norma finished her quilt top. It's probably one of the easiest designs to make of all the ones I've helped with over the years. Considering Norma found almost all of the 14 Fat Quarters in her stash, I think we did a great job on the whole thing. The back is complete, Amanda in stone better watch out!

Di had all the 4 blocks of her Tomte finished but she couldn't settle on the layout. As she's making 2 quilts, of the same design, for gifting, I suggested she not stitch these first ones together until the next 4 blocks are finished, then she will be able to mix and match a bit more, genius eh! HOPEFULLY she'll be able to make her decision easier with 8 blocks.

While making the 3 tree blocks you get a lot of 6 inch triangles left over. When I made my first Scandinavian Tomte Quilt I used them for the borders, it was a bit tricky though. This time I sliced then in half to make these stars to use on the backing.

My top is now a sandwich, cute! 

He will have to wait to be stitched as I made 3 sandwiches that day

My Ocean Waves quilt is under the needle first, only because it is easier to do, at least I thought it would be. I'll post the story soon.

My shop will be closed for the last week of November.

From Monday 27th Opening on Saturday 2nd December. No apologies for that folks!!

I've made a few bookings for next year, 2024.

Checkley Sunday Sewday dates to note are:-

January 28th

February 25th

June 30th

August 4th. The Festival Of Quilts Pilgrimage coach is booked. 

September 29th

October 27th

November 24th

That's another year gone!!!!!

Stitching News

Christabelle's gorgeous baby gifting quilt with all of the personal details added to make it extra special. Luckily for us, there was just enough time to bring it in so that we could give a toot toot toot fanfare for this fabulous finish

New Sue is quilting her Tilda fabric quilt at home on her larger sewing machine, of course. In Class, With the left over pieces of fabric she's making this lovely cushion top. On the left there are the components of the cushion backing.

As she promised she would, Gail is quilting. She started by ditch hopping the Snails Trail units. Gail recommends this activity for toning up any Bingo-Wings you might have collected! She is though, sure that there are many more Snail Trail blocks than when she started, convinced they are multiplying.

Christabelle continues tackling the Foundation Paper Pieced blocks for the New York Beauty. Obviously this block will be trimmed to size later, all the blocks in the book are made with a bit of 'fudging' room, always a good idea.

Jackie's blocks are all complete so she's started to join them all together. It's so clever how the Tri-Recs rulers make curves with straight bits. With the fabrics Jackie chose the circles show up a treat don't they. Each block is only 6 inches so the pieces are quite small.

 

Stitching News

Lots of projects being worked on in my very own classroom.  Many sandwiches have been made too. It's a sign the weather is changing when the gardeners get back to their indoors hobbies. Not that Quilt making is a 'hobby' of mine, it's way more than that. Last Saturday, a lady asked me what I do with all of my quilts, I just said, "I love them!"

Rose was excited to show us her Log Cabin quilt top. Made with 2 1/2" strips so the blocks are 12" finished, they made an enormous top. We are funny, we know how large blocks are, we know the finished measurement too, the pattern says it all. But we still remain surprised when we actually see how large the project is.

Farmer Lynda sent this photo of her finished Pirate gifting quilt. She's added many personalised details. She is gifting it to her guest bedroom, for when little Isaac stays over. What a great idea, make a quilt and gift it, but keep it!! Isn't it fabulous and well deserving of a toot toot toot fanfare

Shirley works in a very methodical way. Sometimes we catch ourselves fascinated, just watching her work. These strips are laid out mathematically to be sewn together in 3's, randomly. We (I) don't all have that much patience but if it works for you, go for it.

Tadaaaaah Bev finished her backing, hooooray.  The window tables in my classroom were not being used so she was able to make an Autumn sandwich. Don't you love how the Cathedral-ly window-y bits make those circles?

Judy has returned to making her Christmas tree project. That clock is ticking and the darker nights don't half roll in fast to remind us to crack on. Judy says Kirsty's Christmas has nothing on Judy's Christmas!

Jan is using the same book that Rose used for the Log Cabin blocks. There are a lot of different ways to set out the blocks and each layout is so lovely. Jan chose the Barn Raising lay out. You can see there are a few more rows to be added to the bottom, then we can say, gosh it's huge!!! ha ha ha

Next weekend we have our last Checkley Funday Sewday of this year.
That's Sunday 29th October. 9.30am to 3.30pm.
It's £20.00 when you pay in advance and £25.00 to pay on the day.
Refreshments are included and I provide a lovely, healthy lunch too.
You will need to book before Wednesday this week so I can cater for the right number.

And, while I am here, We still have spaces on the November retreat, should you be interested.

Sandwich News

Christabelle made her flower sandwich. In length it was larger than all of my tables pushed together so was pinned in two lots. Very easy to do, especially with good quality wadding as it all stays together really well.

Not sure what happened with the colours in this picture. My phone did an update and, you already know, I am a technical numptie! But you get the idea how lovely Chris's quilt is. It's going to give Chris a good workout as she quilts it!

This is also Chris's. A beautiful, girly things sandwich. The pictorial fabrics are from the most gorgeous range called About A Girl. It would be wonderful if they reprinted this fabric, we all loved it. Hatched And Patched produce such cute things, like a book, which Chris now owns!

Susan's quilt just about fit on the tables. What a bright beauty it is too. We discussed a few quilting options, quite a few actually, then had a powwow about thread colours. One more happy customer

New Sue made the first sandwich of the day. It's Tilda fabrics. The placement of which very cleverly makes a lattice design. It's a detail you don't really notice in real life but show up brilliantly in my picture, even with my phone updates, ha!