Uttoxeter Quilt Class, Jenni's Quilt.

Jenni had been working on this red and cream quilt for quite a long time. She'd never allow me to help her, she used to say that if I did, she would finish it faster and so get to the quilting part, which she didn't really enjoy doing... though, once she got started on it, she was fine. Jenni was quite suddenly taken very poorly at the end of last year and has been diagnosed with an inoperable, advanced brain tumour.
She's still with us but extremely poorly, most of the quilting had been done and I finished quilting the stars over the weekend. Today at Quilt Class we started the morning gathered around the table to tie off all the threads... Jenni had left that job to be done last thing!... but it didn't take us long to sort them all out. At least Jenni will get to enjoy all her hard work, even if it's only for a short while. Her friend will deliver Jenni's quilt tomorrow, along with photo's of us all working for her... Jenni's sure to manage a smile when she sees what we've been up to.

Early Sue's Quilt

Here's another beauty from a Caverswall Quilt Cave lady, quilted, bound and finished, well... just a label to add... This quilt belongs to Early Sue. She joined us a short while ago and made a Railfence lap quilt as a beginner project, of course she did, it's my favourite beginner project! Before finishing the Railfence, Sue started this quilt using shirt fabrics... making it up as she went along which means she's a quilt designer, wooohooo!!  She left some of the shirt pockets in tact, I guess she will be hiding sweeties in them tee hee It has appliqué hearts, a pieced border and Faux Piped Binding... Sue learned a lot making this one! As usual my photo doesn't show it off all that well, the colours are very much more scrumptious than they look here. It's fabulous Sue, what's next?

My Mum, Gwynneth's Quilt

My Mum, Gwynneth, made the Maple Leaf blocks in no time at all... it's a very easy block to piece, it's just squares and Half Square Triangles (HST's) plus that little stem block. Then came the sashing strips, that's where My Mum took the most time, carefully getting the colour strips evenly spread out, trying not to get dark areas or areas too bright... hasn't she done a great job!
She wanted a neutral border but needed the quilt to be quite a lot bigger. The wide cream border didn't look right... whilst pondering our options, I noticed a pile of left over sashing strips... as you can see, Mum sorted out the colours so that the greens run into the browns and on to the orange-y reds. The wide cream fabric was slashed, the colourful strip inserted and Bob's Your Uncle! (actually he's my brother but hey ho!) just a simple 1 inch strip of colour made so much difference... now the quilt is a perfect size and is ready for making into a sandwich... She booked tables for Wednesday!

Joan The Shop

I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am... My Ladies are all so talented! The eye candy just keeps coming and it's all so very inspiring... I'm gushing with pride. Joan The Shop has finished this massive quilt, all but the binding that is... isn't it absolutely fabulous.... We were talking and calculated that Joan has been a quilter for precisely 2 years. She joined me right at the beginning We've all come such a long way since then... it's fun to look back... made me smile!
Perfectly placed to the side of Joan's beautiful quilt is my Lilly's Colours quilt... both of these quilts were made from the same pattern, Joan put her own stamp on it though, PMS (Pleasing My Self) I wish you could all see it in person... my photo doesn't even begin to show the story!

Caverswall Quilt Cave

All hands on deck for making Wendy's Pineapple Blossom sandwich... absolutely stunning isn't it... this is only the centre of the quilt as Wendy is going to use the apartment method. The borders will be made and quilted separately, measuring 18" wide, and stitched on afterwards. It's a big, bright one!

Jenny spent the day making millions of Half Square Triangles (HST's) You know, I forgot to ask what she's going to do with them so we will have to wait and be surprised next time, one thing for sure, it will be lovely!

We have three ladies name Sue now, Early Sue... she came first, Late Sue, who lives very well up to her name! and New Sue, obviously she's our most recent Sue, if we get another I'm prepared with... Nother Sue! New Sue made Teddy Quads. The recipe calls for a Jelly Roll so we just cut the strips from yardage at Table Top Shop... what rebels we are! Aren't the Quads cute! It's going to be a baby quilt, perfect!

Shirley Lerly continues to work on her huge pink and aqua patchwork. She worries that you might be getting tired of seeing her progress pictures because, she says "They always look the same"... I disagree, putting a true timeline on any project is a great thing, we can appreciate all the hours of work needed to make up our fabulous quilts... real and proper patchwork is extremely time consuming!

My Mum, Gwynneth, is making this Seminole table runner, amongst other things of course... She's made lots of quilts now you know and finally admits that she really is a quilter! wooohoooo, I thought it would never happen! We've all known it for more than a year already haven't we, he he he.

We meet again on Wednesday 8th and Friday 10th February. 10am - 3pm, I know you're itching to come and join in aren't you!!!

Caverswall Quilt Cave

Joan The Shop had a Toot Toot Toot moment on Wednesday... she finished all all all of the quilting on the last third of her huge purple quilt, it was inspired by my "Lilly's Colours" quilt... wonder whether this will be called "Helen's Colours"? Joining the thirds together with the apartment method calls for some careful trimming, so that's yours truly there doing the trimming... Joan played chicken! She's sooooo happy to be finishing this project.

Chatty Cathy has been trying out a new sewing machine. I had a good look at her trusty old machine and figured out why she was struggling to sew straight lines... you know, her feed-dogs were ski-whiff... they were feeding the fabric on a very slight diagonal, no wonder she struggled eh... see how accurately this block turned out using a machine that sews straight! More trying out is to be done before a decision is made about a new machine, but she's getting there.

Jolly Jo has started a beautiful but quite complex appliqué project, millions of petals and leaves with birds and berries! Each piece has a piece of freezer paper template and Jo is in the process of starch basting the seam allowance in place... it's a great job for burning those fingers... ask Jo, she can tell you all about it! ha ha ha

Krafty Karen continued to free motion quilt her doggy's project. She finished meandering over all the paler parts, tied off all the ends and started the green Chrndash areas using a rather funky Rainbows thread. It's coming along a treat...

Lacey Anne came to play too, we haven't had the pleasure of her company for ages, it was like having a new girl in class, for 5 minutes at least... she soon 'slotted in' he he he. She's making a birthday quilt for her baby grand daughter, multicoloured balloons were added and some very pretty bunting hung over the cake by the end of our day.

Annie Pie made three small sandwiches, once Dotty had finished making hers. If you remember, Annie is calling these wreath style quilts "Circle Of Life" .... this must be the chocolate circle of life... of course!! what's life without chocolate! ha ha ha... imagine the fun (and hip wobble!), circles have no end... yummy!!!
We meet again later today, 3rd February. 10am - 3pm, wrap up warm if you're leaving home won't you!!

Angie Quilts The World

Well, not quite the whole World... 
A guy from the Uttoxeter press called to ask whether I would mind if they visit our Quilt Class at the Bank House Hotel last week. They had seen this blog and thought the story would be interesting. They came, took loads of photos... some just too close for comfort! They then chatted to us, interviewed my very good self, and told us we would be in the local paper this week, The Uttoxeter Advertiser... here's the article with a massive unflattering photo of yours truly and here's a link to the other pictures they printed in the paper.
You will have to excuse the grammar and I promise I don't talk like what they wrote (ha ha ha) I didn't say some of the things they wrote, for example, Uttoxeter Race Course hosts the biggest quilt show in the area, not the UK, I know that's the Festival Of Quilts... anyway, it is what it is... just so you know... I will be available for signing autographs at Caverswall Village Hall tomorrow, 10am - 3pm... ha ha ha ha

Dotty Maureen's Quilt

Dotty Maureen sent me an email on Tuesday informing me that it would be a sandwich day at our Quilt Cave meeting, so I was able to set out 3 of our tables ready for her arrival. The backing fabric was a bit 'pinch fit' but we can work with that, it just means using extra pins. Annie Pie helped Dotty to pin because she is very kind .... and she was waiting for the tables to make sandwiches of her very own, he he he....

Here's a close up of the quilt. You can see all the Twiddling and Fiddling Dotty had to do, she often incorporates Twiddling and Fiddling in her projects, a big fan of Jennie Rayment's patterns. Also, I'd like you to look at Dotty's corner stones... such a simple thing but I was super impressed, she cut the squares on the bias, she's had to be careful not to distort them, they're little devils those bias cuts... but isn't it effective!