Catching Up

Already it's time to tell you that my shop will be closed next week as we will be going on yet another Quilting/Sewing retreat on Monday 6th October. My shop will be open again on Saturday 11th and back to normal for a while. The shop is buzzing with folk making plans for all the projects they will be working on. Even though they know, very well, that they are taking way to many, me included! 
I contacted the hotel this morning to confirm numbers and discovered that there are still a few rooms available, so if you have been pondering on the idea of joining us, it's not too late. 

My shop and classroom have been ticking along very nicely and I have a few photos to share with you...

This is Bev's lovely bright and happy project.
We had to make the sandwich in two stages as there weren't enough spare tables. 

She couldn't wait to start the quilting.

This is a new project for Our Pam. She planned to take it as her retreat project and decided to make a start before we go. After making these blocks, Pam concluded that it's too fiddly and she would need to concentrate on it, so she's starting another project now and leaving this one at home! You are not surprised are you?

Cheryl Cheryl started a new project. She had enjoyed the Foundation Paper Piecing while making her New York Beauty quilt so she and Deb decided to work on this new project together

This is Deb's block taking shape very nicely. She hadn't tried Foundation Paper Piecing before so it was a good opportunity for me to share a few top tips, I like doing that!

This is Rose's finished gifting quilt. 

Fabulous and finished Toot toot toot

Look at the back, it's splendid!

This is Rose's favourite baby gifting design.

Jean Bean came to use my tables for laying out the blocks of her Stack-n-Whack Kaleidoscope blocks, she wanted a good spread of the colours. This fun method of stacking and whacking the fabrics is so satisfying

Once the layout was chosen we put all the setting triangles and sashing in situ .

Wowsers this is going to be an amazing quilt. 

My Wild Flowers Grow Free quilt is finished!! Toot toot toot, this picture was taken before I had the binding attached but I promise you it is actually finished now. I had made the sandwich in May of 2024 then put it to one side, a dangerous manoeuvre!

I found my cutting table!! It's been missing for months, ha!

It didn't even take long to put everything where it should be, why do we do that?

There's been great progress on my crocheting too.

Stitching News

My shop will be opening with normal hours now for a few weeks. By now, you must be getting used to my quilting life with lots of retreats while practicing for my retirement? That's what I'm doing, practicing for my retirement. Don't hold your breath though, it will be a while yet.

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Sewing Retreat October 2025
Hawkstone Park Hotel, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 5UY
The hotel is set within a Golf Course, quite lovely.

Arriving Monday 6^th from 10:30 am until late-ish afternoon on Thursday 9th

The total cost is £485.00 (£70.00, non-refundable deposit is included) 

The retreat includes Single occupancy accommodation, unless you prefer to share.
Full Breakfast menu, 7.30am - 9.30am
Lunches @ 12.30pm & 3 course dinners served @ at 6 pm 
Tea and coffee, biscuits & bottled water and there is, of course, a bar.

There are no restrictions to hours of sewing. If you can sew for 24 hours, go for it!

Please feel free to tell your sewing chums, so long as they are independent workers.
This is a 'Sew your own thing' relaxed retreat.
You don't have to be a quilter to join us, any sewing is just fine.

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Lesley came to refresh her patchwork and quilting skills. She had made a few things in the past but work took over so she wasn't left with enough time to continue her quilting. She's retired!! And is very happily back with us on the wonderful dark side! A beginner cushion is a perfect refresher project

She went home with a lovely, quilted cushion, complete with a flap-covered zip. 

Fabulous and finished, toot toot toot. Welcome back Lesley.

A Wonderful Retreat

We enjoyed another great retreat at the Hillscourt Hotel. They looked after us very well and we got on with our stitching. It's as simple as that, insert a very big smile! We set up our machines and projects, discussed all manner of things that had happened during our retreat prep and the journey over. Someone always gets lost but we won't talk about the M6 Toll Road any more. After a couple of hours sewing we all went for lunch so I snapped a photo of our sewing space... Lots of space with excellent lighting.

It all looks very tidy and organised here but by the last day we had covered the area and all of the tables in fabrics and sewing projects. Our supplies were very well spread out, as we always do, " Have space, will spread and fill!" The room had a few design walls this time, they were very useful. My intention was to take a few more pictures as the days went by, but I forgot. 

I remember telling you that I had been knitting. I got this far with the jumper then stopped because I don't like the sewing up part.

Day one of my sewing retreat was spent sewing the jumper parts together. 

I'm very pleased with it and I'm hoping it fits Faye.

Sewing, is sewing! It is a fabulous and finished project too.

The rest of my retreat time was spent making up these blocks. I only need 20 in total and I have 7 completed. All the units are made up and triangles have been cut ready, so it's really just the sewing them together, but I do like pointy-points to be very accurate, so it takes time. I think two more retreats should see them all finished. I'm in no rush.

I've just noticed the Jumper co-ordinates very well with my design wall!!

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Right... with all this talk of sewing retreats, I should remind you that our next one still has a few places, should you be interested? The details are:-

Sewing Retreat October 2025
Hawkstone Park Hotel, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 5UY
The hotel is set within a Golf Course, quite lovely.

Arriving Monday 6^th from 10:30 am until late-ish afternoon on Thursday 9th

The total cost is £485.00 with a £70.00, non-refundable deposit when you book. 
We have started to collect the full amount now though.

The retreat includes Single occupancy accommodation, unless you prefer to share.
Full Breakfast menu, 7.30am - 9.30am
Lunches @ 12.30pm & 3 course dinners served @ at 6 pm 
Tea and coffee, biscuits & bottled water and there is, of course, a bar.

There are no restrictions to hours of sewing. If you can sew for 24 hours, go for it!

Please feel free to tell your sewing chums, so long as they are independent workers.
This is a 'Sew your own thing' relaxed retreat.
You don't have to be a quilter to join us, any sewing is just fine, especially little jumpers!