Stitching News

 You will need your trumpets poised for a fabulous and finished fanfare

Cheryl Cheryl's fabulous gifting Quilt. It's called Daydreamer and is a free pattern from the Tilda's World web page. The background fabric is a Moda Grunge, very popular fabrics with my customers. Cheryl wanted her quilt to be larger than Tilda's so the flying geese borders were just the ticket. Toot toot toot Cheryl, a fabulous finish and quilted all by her very own self.

Sue decided she's not quite ready to make a larger project and wants to make a few blocks, to gain confidence. We all learn in different ways and this will be Sue's way. This block book is quite old, it's a favourite of mine, it's only available as a used book now but well worth owning, all the instructions are easy enough to follow. One fabulous log cabin block went home with Sue.

Bev had never tried patchwork but during the Covid lock downs, like many others, she purchased a full kit to make a beautiful quilt. Opening the box she was delighted with the beautiful fabrics. She looked at the instructions, put them back in the box, immediately. She went in search of help and found my shop. Having now made a few quilts and projects she feels more capable of tackling the Kit quilt. As you can see, she is nailing it!!! Block 1.

Stitching News

I used to write these blog posts early in the mornings. People often messaged me asking why I was on my computer at silly o'clock each day. I just wake up at silly o'clock, I know there are plenty of quilters (and normal people!) with that trouble. I'm still waking up at silly o'clock, sometimes even at stupid o'clock so I could write blog posts, but, I'm going to confess now. I've started knitting stuff instead. Good grief, it's keeping me very entertained too. I aren't very good at following knitting  patterns so I have to concentrate. Post it notes everywhere with all my row counting, but... now I am late doing necessary things most mornings and find myself rushing to my shop wishing I had watched the clock more closely. So you see, no time to turn the computer on, let alone write stuff or look for photos in my phone. So many things to create and not enough hours in a day, sound familiar?

This gorgeous quilt sandwich belongs to Princess Jackie. She sleeps with the silly o'clock too and has been making these little three quarter inch hexagons for a very long time. Suddenly, last week, she booked a sandwich making session and WOW is it just fabulous. This was the first time I had seen it, just wow!

Rose finished her gifting quilt top. A very modern design which has taxed her brain a bit, it's perfect for the guy she's making it for. There were a few fabrics left over so Rose is making a co-ordinating cushion to go with it.

Shakespeare In The Park has returned. Gail took a little break from quilting this large project as she had other projects needing to be finishing first. Now with her brand new Juki (DX2000) she's all inspired to get this beauty finished.

Princess Jackie is working on a new baby gifting quilt. It has a circus theme, did you guess that? Jackie always saves all the thread ends to do in one session, rather than tying off as she goes along. She loves that job, Unlike my very good self, it would drive me nuts.

Beano has been having a jolly good sort out in her sewing studio. She found all sorts of packages and tubs of projects that she had forgotten about, as we all do! A tub of blue and white fabrics 

After a little further rooting, Beano found bits of paper that helped her remember what it was all for, helped by a few complete blocks, how lovely are they!

Placing out the blocks, it's easy to see a secondary pattern forming. Beano is going to continue making the blocks until she runs out of the fabrics. The quilt will be as large as it can be. But, she also found another project that will be finished first, a photo of that beauty will be taken soon!

Next Sunday, 4th August, we will be going to the Festival Of Quilts for our annual Pilgrimage.
2 tickets have become available so let me know if you would like to join us, 45 ladies going already. It should be Fun!

Catching Up With Stitching News

I'm not sure where to start really. Catching up with two weeks of stitchy fun is tricky. Digging into my memory, without photos to remind me what we've been up to, is pretty hopeless. I do have a few photos, thanks to the ladies who remember to suggest I take a photo!

This is Princess Jackie's Gypsy Wife quilt top. The pattern is still available but it's been re-named Wanderer's Wife What a riot of colour it is too, as we have come to expect from Jackie. She's learned a LOT while making the blocks, one half inch can confuse everything.

This is a trumpets up picture. 

Christabelle finished this fabulous quilt. It's an Anna Maria Horner design but Chris decided to quilt each block, with free motion quilting, individually and joined them all together, apartment-ly with sashing strips. Absolutely gorgeous!

This is the back, obviously. By opting to use a contrasting fabric for the sashing, which worked extremely well, Chris has a double sided quilt, very different either side.

Look how fabulous the quilting is.

Toot toot toot Christabelle, an amazing job!

We joke about quilting being rather addictive, it's actually no joke!! Most of us slide right over to that 'dark side' But Julie? She jumped on the diving board then somersaulted right into the deepest end! I can hardly keep up with her progress, quilt after quilt after quilt! 

This top is from a pattern in the Material Obsession book (which is out of print but still available as used copies) Julie saw my quilt (called 'Garden Retreat', which now I'm looking for it I see I haven't put it on my blog!!!) hanging on my classroom wall. She ordered a copy of the book. The following week she purchased all the fabrics the next week this is it, a finished top! So summery, beautiful and bright. 

I found a blog post about it from 10th June last year, My Garden Retreat quilt top! Just the top as I haven't even taken a photo of the finished quilt, shocking misdemeanor! I will, soon!

Jan has found it really tricky to achieve accuracy with this project. All because of the silly edges on the Moda Batik Jelly Roll. It's all very well saying to use the outer peaks for the accuracy of two and a half inches, but that only works if you can see them! It's a good job Jan knows how to fudge! This first strip is looking fabulous though.

Toot toot toot for Mrs. Lou Lou. A fabulous and Finished Pineapple Blossom Cushion!! Lou Lou has forgotten when she started this project, we estimate it was at least 2017, All she needed to do was finish the quilting as the back was already made. We all do it! but it is finished now. There's blog evidence that Mrs. Lou Lou made her first Pineapple Blossom cushion in September 2015 It was lovely to go back searching.

Deb has been working on her Snowman Collector blocks for a while. But that was done purposefully, keeping the project rolling on as an in-between-y sewing thing. They are all finished now so there will be borders next. Two around each block to start with. I'll show you as it progresses.

Oooh, that's it for today. Almost out of photos!

Catching Up

We had an excellent Sunday Sewday at Checkley Village Hall yesterday. A lovely atmosphere, plenty of chatter and many outbursts of laughter heard over the buzz of sewing machines working away, which makes everyone smile. Lunch received many scrumptious comments, though that's probably because our last Sunday Sewday was back in February and the ladies will have forgotten what a treat it is to be served lovely food. Thank you to Susan for bringing excellent cakes for us all.

 I'm very aware that you have been starved of quilting pictures for the best part of a month now. I just don't know where the time is going. We have had regular classes with lots going on, but not many photos!

Gail did finish her baby quilt in good time for gifting. It is a panel so only needed to be sandwiched and quilted and smothered in French Knots! Toot toot toot Gail for your fabulous, fast finish.

Rose has continued to work on her large quilt. All the centre panels are made and she's now making the borders ones which are half blocks and the corners will be quarter blocks, simples!

This is another toot toot toot opportunity for Gail. We aren't going to mention when Gail actually started with the applique, that wouldn't be very nice of me at all, I can only remember that it was before Covid restrictions!!! ooops! It's such a cute little wall hanging by Hatched and Patched

Judy started making this Christmas-sy quilt to use up her scraps of festive fabric. Needless to say a few further Fat Quarters were purchased along the way and the quilt has turned out to be rather large. Judy will have arm muscles like Popeye when the quilting is done!

Deb has finished her King Size Quilt and was so happy to have help holding it up for a picture. It's very heavy! Toot toot toot Deb, it's a fabulous finish

This is the fabric Deb chose for her backing, I LOVE IT!

Deb loves it too, which is way more important. Of course she declared that she's never going to make such a large quilt ever again. She will though, mark my words, ha!

The next thing on our Fun Agenda is our Pilgrimage to the Festival Of Quilts.
We're going on Sunday 4th August. I choose a Sunday because the car parks are free, traffic is usually lighter and the Quilt Show isn't usually too busy with others, so we get a good look at everything without being nudged about.
There are a few seats left on our coach. I will be closing the list on Wednesday 17th July as I'll need to get the tickets ordered and delivered to us in good time.
Cost is £36.00 pp which does include your return journey and show ticket.