Stitching News

Jeannette Dilly is one of the lucky few who came to the Bendy Bag workshop on Saturday... when she got home, she found she had a bug! A Bendy Bag Bug, ha ha ha It's contagious you know, once you've made one, you won't be able to stop!!!
Toot toot toot Jeannette, I believe you have fabulous finishes!!

LouLou finished her gifting cushion just in the nick of time.
The pattern is based on the Pineapple Blossom from Bonnie over at Quiltville, I changed the size of the strips and the squares to make 6" blocks for a scrappy 24" cushion and, it seems, lots of ladies now want to make them...
Toot toot toot LouLou... It's your fabulous finished fanfare

Jenny Barlaston worked on yet another Advent Panel... I think I am correct with the number... this is her 16th Advent Quilt Wall Hanging. They haven't all been this Makower Angel though. I think she must be our resident Advent Panel expert by now! Toot toot toot Jen, fabulous and finished!

Sporty Sue is making great progress with her hand quilting... she's doing the Big Stitch quilting using Presencia Perle number 8.... I have the full range of colours in my very own drawers!!! Sue was feeling so relaxed as she stitched... and her very own legs were warmer than anyone elses!!! 

Do you dress to co-ordinate with your project?
Here My Mum Gwynneth not only dressed to co-ordinate, her mug, scissors and nails finished the whole ensemble!! All accidental really.

And then there's Our Kate... matching her very large and extremely thick and tricky bag project... we have her lovely mustard yellow top and my fabulous yellow Lotus chair... anyone would think it was a quilt shop!!! ha ha ha

Stitching News

Toot toot toot... Steph showing off her fabulous and finished Batik beauty...
A great sized lap quilt and it's ready for gifting.... and
"Yes... the beautiful Batik fabrics were all from my very own shop"

Can you answer this question? Do you recognised the fabric Merrily used to make her fabulous and finished, Zip n Go tote? (pattern's availabubble in my very own shop by the way) Jenny Barlaston knew the floral-y-fancy immediately... Me, my very own self?... nope, I am too young to remember this, saying that is a rare option these days!! ha ha ha... Toot toot toot Merrily.

Farmer Lynda has had a lot of fun with applique. Now she wants to learn new skills so, she has started making blocks for a Quilt-As-You-Go, sampler quilt... as always happens... how to make an Hour Glass unit really impressed her! An Ohio Star was made, Lynda was happy!

Steph, on the other hand, has seen Lynda and  few others, making applique projects so... she wanted to have a go for her very own self... every day there is inspiration from fellow class members!!! It's just wonderful!

Brenda Barbara almost finished her Miranda Bag... the straps haven't been attached yet as decisions need to be made about the length of them... the bag is to be gifted so Brenda needs to do a little detective work... all fabrics used are from Art Gallery so, as usual, the bag feels very luxurious.

My Rebel Josie won two prizes for her beautiful applique, Batik Flowers quilt.
One First Prize rosette and a cup for the category and Best In Show sustificate!!!
Well done Josie.... you are now famous!!!
The quilt is on display in my very own shop if you would like to pop in for a closer look.

Bendy Bag Workshop

What a fabulous day!!
This has to be one of my favourite workshops.
Lots of 'Top Tips' were enjoyed by everyone

My goodness, Bendy Bags look great from all angles!!!
We have another workshop for Bendy Bags with Top Tips 
on Saturday 21st November...
Just so you know!

Bendy Bag Workshop

Saturday 12th September.... that's this coming Saturday, is our Bendy Bag Workshop...

If you come, you will make at least one Bendy Bag with all secret for success, top tips 

Bendy Bags look great from any angle!!!

You will also make a strip-scrappy Bendy Bag

Then you will make an extra little zippy purse and a cup coaster!

What a great way to spend a Saturday in September!!!

We've had a couple of last minute cancellations... 

What are you doing on Saturday 12th??... Fancy bending and installing beautiful colourful zips?

Stitching News

New Sue has made great use of her down time or rather, leg up time'.. when you're having a new, bionic knee fitted it's a good idea to plan a little hand stitching... and that's exactly what Sue did... Big Stitch hand quilting... very soothing... All done... we shall give out a toot toot toot fanfare for a fabulous and finished quilt and knee job!

Here's a close up of the lovely, and extreeeemly accurate and even Big Stitch Hand Quilting. Sue's changed thread colours many times... all pastels and gorgeous
Beautiful Sue... almost worth suffering a new knee!!

Rose (who is also now a prize winning quilter!!) is working on this fabulous floor cushion... the pattern was purchased at the NEC Festival Of Quilts this summer... it's a Foundation Paper Pieced project but Rosed pleased her very own self and used the pattern for her applique... just fabulous...

Princess Jackie, our first prize wining quilter is having lots of fun with her 'Welcome To The North Pole' blocks... each one is being embellished in turn... beads and baubles, embroidery and... oh no... NO buttons!!!

Gail decided to add one of Jean Beans Flanges to her baby play mat... a light beige colour... and it complemented the other fabrics beautifully... so well in fact, Gail will do all the work twice!! You had to have been there....
What happened in the classroom, will stay in my classroom!!! ha ha ha

You won't believe me but PM Pam is racing through another project.... it's so lovely to see folk so engrossed in their projects and loving the making so much that they can't leave them alone... beautiful pastel shades this time... quite a new road for Pam.

Longport Lynda was super-duper-co-ordinated in class this week...
black and white outfit, matching black and white polka dot mug and black and white fabrics for her black and white owls!!!

Susan is committed to a quilting marathon... this fun quilt needed to be finished for packing and heading off to University... it will be close but...
who needs sleep anyway!!!
What a fun quilt... a great memory of mum and home?? I hope it survives all those snuggles, coffee stains, toast crumbs etc... ha ha ha

Zips, Zips... Glorious Zips

An Inspiring Rainbow of Zips

No blog since Wednesday.... Oooooh I must have been having fun doing other things then... Not sure I would call those 'other things' fun but I was doing them! ha.. I thought I would show you my warehouse visit purchases... I am now fully stocked AGAIN with Bendy Bag patterns... complemented by a huge selection of wonderful, extremely colourful craft zips.

Autumnal Sun Stripes!

I think the warehouse folk were wondering what I was up to as I wiped them out of some of the colours!!
We need them, so I took them.
All of these zips are 14" long... perfect for Bendy Bags and... by sewing a few stitches through the zip at the length you need and chopping any extra bits off... they are perfect for all your crafty, zippy makes...

I sew a bit of matching fabric to the end- and the other end making the zip longer when needed to
After years and years of zip phobia.... I now want to put zips in everything!!! yeeeeha!

Stitching News

Enough about my very own stitching in Quilty Quarters....
Back to what the ladies have been up to

Apple's get a little bashed when you carry them round in your bag don't they....
I have been showing this pattern to My Mum Gwynneth for a veeeeery long time... she never picked up the hint!! But Merrily did... What a sweet lady, she saw the pattern for this beautiful, and very practical, Apple Coat in a magazine and thought of me... fabulous... it even has my name on the leaf there, and the button belonged to Merrily's Mum so it's an antique... Thank you Merrily, I LOVE IT!!

Lorna started this applique wall hanging a long time ago... quite a few moons actually but life got in the way.... the beauty of festive projects is that if you don't get them finished for the upcoming Christmas... there's always another one arranged for the next year... Top Tip... never commit to which Christmas you are making things for!!

PM Pam made this quilt Lick-etty-Split, don't you think? This happens to lots of people... if you love the fabrics you chose and you're enjoying the making... you can't stop sewing!!! ha ha ha, I speak from experience you know!!! Pam booked a Saturday Sandwich slot just over 2 weeks after starting making the blocks. I bet she's been quilting into the wee small hours over the Bank Holiday break...

 Gail has one fabulous and finished Christmas Stocking and one just about to get there, as you can see, there's just the binding to do on Daisy's stocking. Gail used a Kid's Quilts stocking pattern, you know where she purchase that from don't you!!! Both stockings will be gifted very soon, so it's ...Toot toot toot time 

As we dig out our winter coats and boots ready for Autumn... though I have been using mine for a few weeks already... We find our very own selves in beautiful and colourful month of September.
There's a first Thursday of the month tomorrow so it's an SPQ (Staffordshire Patchworkers and Quilters) meeting evening.
I will be taking my very own table top shop, as it's my turn... not very good planning on my part as today I will have to go to my very own shop to get something ready to take... instead of making another Tunic Top or another Bendy Bag... unless I work Lick-etty-Split that is!!! ha ha ha

Quilty Quarters

I made another Kate Tunic Dress... this time it's in beautiful blue-ish Batik... I love the smell of Batik fabric when I'm pressing it... don't you?
Anyway, This Batik happened to be in my stash... wide enough to get both front and back pieces out of the same width so pattern matching was a bit easier... fabric purchased while living in Mexico... cut up with my professional scissors, purchased while living in Brazil... pattern purchased in the UK... Tis an international effort!

This time I made a few changes to the pattern, which I have to say, impresses my very own self!!! I scooped the neck a bit more, I tapered the skirt a little and used not exactly on the bias binding... all in an effort to save fabric!! Old habits....
Between this Batik version and the beautiful Art Gallery version I think I will have the perfect dress for my third try... Yes, I will make another!!!! But not today... I want to make a Batik Bendy Bag next!

And here's my very good self wearing
my new, batik, tunic dress!
It's ever so comfy!!