Stitching News

I hope you've had a good first week of September. Kids back to school makes for busier roads and near to my shop we have had roadworks!!! When I say roadworks? I mean traffic lights, no "roadwork" was actually done. Good grief it's been a nightmare. My customers were arriving feeling quite frazzled, but on entering my wonderful shop, delight soon returned to them all. Once again I have met quite a few folk who are discovering my shop for the very first time.
"How long have you been here?" they ask 
"13 years" I reply
"How have I never found you before?"
I then have to confess that I don't really advertise my shop much. I don't have an online shop and I don't understand the internet! I am happy to be a business dinosaur with a very well stocked, bricks and mortar shop! By that time they've stopped listening to me as they wander around "wow-ing! I kid you not, people do say "Wow" a lot.

Pam finished this quilt top during her retreats. At the start of this project, Pam was going to use only her scraps but she then decided not to repeat any fabric so she ended up purchasing a few new ones. I don't think Pam is ever going to use up her scraps, do you?

Rose chose one beautiful, brightly coloured Batik fabric for her setting triangles. 7" squares cut on both diagonals to give 4 triangles, just the right size with the bias on the right edge, very technical eh!

Christabelle has enough blocks completed now to be able to lay them out and see how they're going to look. She sent me the picture declaring how happy she is with it, It's spectacular, those new eyes must be working really well!

  Rose had purchased the fabric and this bag pattern from the Festival Of Quilts. She had put it on one side ready to be made during her recent sewing retreat. She kindly brought it in to show and, of course, get one of our toot toot toot fanfares for the fabulous finish!

The coach is booked for our pilgrimage next year on Sunday 3rd August.
All the same details as this year. You can mark your diaries in ink for that one.

September's Sunday Funday Sewday is almost fully booked already so, if you had planned on joining us and you haven't already reserved a spot, you better get a wiggle on.

There's still time to book to join us on our Lickey Hills Sewing Retreat in October too.
A 5 days and 3 nights, fully catered, sewing retreat.

Stitching News

My shop will be back to normal opening for September

I had to dig around for a few photos. Not having my shop open is a wonderful thing but so not good for blogging, ha! Both my Saturday class ladies and the Tuesdays' went away on sewing retreats for a few days in Cromford during August.

 Pam sent me this picture from outside the garden sewing room. It's Cheryl Cherly's Lloyd & Lola quilt top. Of course it's an Elizabeth Hartman design, my customers do love her patterns. Cheryl took lots of projects to work on, I think this was her first finish and, no doubt, there will be need for a Llama sandwich session soon.

Susan made this reversabubble waistcoat as a commission project for her daughter. She had seen it on T'Internet and knowing her mum can make everything and anything, the request was in. They came to my shop to choose all the fabrics needed, especially for the patchwork.

Lick-etty-split it was made. One very smart reversabubble waistcoat. Finished and fabulous. One very happy customer! toot toot toot

This is Farmer Lynda's retreat day sewing project, apparently, it's Bing 

It does look just like the real Bing doesn't it.

Made with an Elizabeth Hartman pattern, a very smart idea Lynda had.

I hope we get to see it finished.

Christabell had some new eyes recently and to test them out she made this lovely Tilda Gardening Angel, how cute is she! Lots of tiny detail too. Chris's new eyes must be working very well. Toot toot toot it's a fabulous and fun finish.

The Tuesday class ladies also popped away for a few days on a sewing retreat, also in Cromford at Oakhill Hotel, which is a favorite location for their retreats. Rose made this quilt back, yes, the back! All the cutting out was done before she went, which helped as it's huge. Rose is chuffed with it, rightly so.

Rose has been creating this project for a while and with uninterrupted retreat sewing time, she was able to almost complete the top, it just needs the edge treatment. We mulled over a few ideas on her return. You'll see which one Rose decided on soon enough.

Elizabeth Hartman did it again. A new pattern just arrived in my very own shop. It's sooooo cute and a timely reminder that it's not long now for Sewing Prevention Season! Let me know if you want me to order the pattern for you. I am here to enable you, ha ha ha!

We have a Checkley Sunday Fun Day for September.
The 29th to be precise. 9.30am - 3.30pm. Have you booked your place. 

It's £20.00 paid in advance and £25.00 to pay on the day.
It's a one day sewing retreat, which is a perfect introduction to a longer retreat, if you've never tried one!