Twiddle, Fiddle Or Fidget Quilts?

It doesn't really matter what we call them does it, at the end of the day, they are for twiddling and fiddling with. 

Dementia and/or Alzheimer sufferers have restless hands and lap size activity quilts can provide good sensory and tactile stimulation. 

Just Edna made a Fiddle Quilt and brought in in to show us before sending it to it's new home. Isn't it brilliant. The things Edna stitched on have inspired us... a key on knotted string, a luggage label, lots of buttons all different sizes and colours. A piece of cord with beads threaded on, press-studs, textured ribbons, a piece of elastic, even a knitted egg cosy! We are all very keen to make a few of these. Most of us had heard of the twiddle blankets but now we have a quilters version... we are going on a mission.

PM Pam's started hers. Apparently colourful is good and these Crumbs and Mile-A-Minute blocks are certainly colourful!!! All the seam bumps and strange shapes will be great for wandering fingers. Pam's got a plethora of bits and bobs that she's gong to stitch on... I will show you when it's finished... won't I Pam?

http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2015/08/making-fidget-quilts-for-alzheimers.html This is a clickable link to take you to an informative blog with lots more ideas, just incase you are tempted to get making a fiddle, twiddle quilt or two. I'm sure to be adding more pictures as folk bring their little quilted fun things... hopefully with more  ideas for you.
You know that box of 'doo-dads' you've been saving?... THIS is what you were saving them for!!!
You can drop your quilts at my shop if you like, we will get them delivered to the right people.

Stitching News

Rose is 'winging it' again... and doesn't she 'wing it' well!!!
Fabulous framing, bulrushes in place and...
Just wait 'til you see what's happening next!!

Jean Bean has Stacked and Whacked this All Aboard fabric to make some really fun Kaleidoscope blocks. Loads of different fabrics prints can be used... every single time we see what happens to them, we are thrilled with the results!

PM Pam needed a cushion in a hurry... It took longer to make the ties for it that it took to make the quilt! Never the less, it is fabulous and finished so... toot toot toot Pam.
(see Princess Jackie's Cockerel photo bombing?? More on that next week!)

Princess Jackie finished her fabulous Bunny quilt...
As it happens, baby arrived only a few hours later... how's that for timing?
Such a beautiful quilt made with the help of a very old fashioned book

A closer picture so you can see the lovely bunnies...
Would you have thought to use those pretty fabrics?
Me neither... but wow I love it.

Nothing gone to waste... a perfectly co-ordinating back.
toot toot toot-etty-toot.

Well Now....

I could have blogged for you this morning but... I have used up all of my time being very inspired!!
These are the sites/blogs I was reading this morning...

http://www.agfblog.com/

http://modernhandcraft.com/

http://www.sariditty.com/

http://liveartgalleryfabrics.com/freePatterns/free-sewing-patterns/pdfs/Tracery_Instructions.pdf

Don't go there!!!!
Not to any of them...
Actually...
DO IT!!! ha ha ha

Stitching News...

All Day Di's working on a set of four quilted cushions, all with this Nautical themed fabric... Making them as a gift, for gifting! A perfect idea... I think the cushions will be used in a caravan

Margaret is making a couple of special cushions for gifting... 
It's a tricky business making rectangular panels square!!
Each cushion will have a zipped back using my super easy method...

Sister Susie's Crossbody bag is coming along a treat... It's got a lot of personalised detail, especially on the inside! The secret is safe with me though... We can fudge our way out of most predicaments!

Fiona Too made her bag at the very same time. Don't they look very different!!
Fiona's Crossbody bag is going to be gifted... at least she's trying to stick to that plan... when we love the things we make, it's sometimes better to keep them eh!!! ha ha ha

Loulou couldn't be happier with her quilt... it's also been made for gifting, and what a treasure it is! Fussily cut border fabric frames the Kid's Quilts Owlie quilt pattern brilliantly, making it a great size... it was sandwiched and quilting was started.

Kate stitched the binding to her gifting quilt but the job of hand stitching it to the back will be done at home... in fact it's probably done by now!... Also being made for gifting, what a generous bunch of quilters we are!!

Sporty Sue got her quilt top bordered and ready for sandwiching... what a lot of beautiful fabrics!! Flying Geese in all sizes.. giant ones included... We discussed at length some fabulous quilting ideas... well, I did, Sue just laughed! ha ha ha

Lady Judith ran this quilt top up, Lick-etty-split. It's such a great design for a 'go to' kiddie quilt...Judith managed to find all of the fabrics in her ever growing stash... I hope you can see the lovely embroidered flowers too?

Annbacan found an easy way to manage quilting...
Don't use wadding... ha ha ha
It's not really a quilt, Ann's making a patchwork Duvet cover, so no wadding needed...
 it's just a case of stitching the two layers together before adding the back.

Barbara BEW needed to lay out her blocks to try to understand the 'On Point' setting... It gets me every time so, I always suggest we use a corner of a table and start from there... loving these fabric choices... They are from Art Gallery... scrummy.

Princess Jackie's bunny quilt, another being made for gifting. This is what Jackie was working on at our retreat recently... the quilting is coming along very nicely... In an older post (May 16th) you can see the old fashioned book Jackie used for the pattern... Amazing what a difference fabric choices make.

Jeannette Dilly enjoys a bit of tricky piecing... She is making the Allietare pattern from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville and is loving the way it's making the secondary patterns... This will likely be another huge quilt, you know what Dilly is like!

Brenda Barbara spent her day quilting the first of her two, lovely gifting quilts.
She was working away in a window seat on a very hot and sunny day... with the quilt draped on her lap and all the sunshine, Brenda had a rosey glow! ha ha ha

This is another of Angela's quilts... she's the lady who will be teaching it for us and it's not me, ha ha ha. This lovely quilt shows you how your quilt could look in another colour way for our Block Of The Month project that gets underway today.
At 10:30 Angela will be in my shop to answer any questions you might have.

Now that is a long post!!!! I'm off to mop my brow!!! ha ha ha

Fabulous And Finished

Christabelle made this delightful tote bag for gifting. Made with a mix of Tilda and Art Gallery fabrics, it's fabulous and finished and you know what we do... Polish our trumpets and give a toot toot toot fanfare!

Rose purchased the kit at the quilt show recently... how cute are those elephants! She's enjoyed making this project... it's good to 'do a quickie' Finished off with the lovely wire heart topped quilt hanger, toot toot toot Rose, a fabulous finish!

Angela popped in to finalise the details for the Block Of The Month workshop preview... this coming Saturday, 14th May, and pleased our eyes with another, fabulous finish. Made with a beautiful Batik Layer Cake from her stash and a pattern from Today's Quilter magazine. It's called Tree Of Life.


I hope you have remembered about that Block Of The Month information thing.... 

Come along to my very own shop at 10:30am to see the project, have a cup of tea and get all the information you need and ask a million questions, if you need to... Then you can decide whether you want to join the journey.
angiequilts@gmail.com... send me an email if you need more information

Sunday Workshop With SPQ

What a fabulous way to spend my Sunday...
SPQ (Staffordshire Patchworkers And Quilters) had organised a workshop with the lovely Jan Hassard at Walton Community Centre in Stone, and I was lucky enough to get a place, all for my very own self!

 She's a very smart lady that Jan Hassard, What a very simple idea for an extremely Wowser result... once you know how of course... as with most things... easy once you know how.
Jan's secret is safe with me!
The picture here is my project... it's not all sewn up yet... There are loads of seams to match up... good job I like doing that!

So... is anyone keeping count?
How many projects do I have on the go now? Holy-roly-poly-moly... I might have to retire to get them all done!
I used to be a one project, beginning to end type of Gal...
What happened?
There are just too many fun fabrics and too many projects on my list... I can't keep up with my very own self!! ha ha ha

Quilt Sandwich Saturday

Home And... Back To Normal?

Actually we got home around teatime on Monday...
I think I've pretty much been asleep since then! ha ha ha
Stitching from about 7-8am to midnight every day has taken it's toll... I haven't been this tired since... well... last time we went on a retreat to Westhope! ...
but now I need to jump to it and get ready for normality.
I got out my camera to share pictures from our wonderful, relaxing and brilliantly catered for retreat, all we had to do, was sew...
There isn't even one photo from our retreat! ha...
I was having soooo much fun that I forgot all about you!
That's how it used to be didn't it?.., before all this digital snap and share age...
So, what happened at Westhope will be staying at Westhope and all 13 of us have some wonderful, fun and giggling filled memories...
and even more unfinished projects!
But wait....
I did find these pictures in my camera, taken before we left...

Princess Jackie is in need of a toot toot toot fanfare for her fabulous and finished gifting cushion... Jackie's own design... what a wonderful gift...
Alfie isn't actually with us yet, lets hope Alfie is a boy!! ha ha ha

Princess Jackie ordered this Bunny book from T'Internet and started to prepare the applique blocks for one of the quilts in it...
She finished the top and sandwiched it during our retreat...
I can't wait for you to see how it turned out!!

I love, love, love this exhibit... It was out in the Paddock display area.

I took this photo at the Traplet British Stitch Village Uttoxeter Quilt Show... even though the quilts seem to be getting less important, we locals still call it Uttoxeter quilt show 
Next year I will put 5 quilts into the show.... 

Yes, at least 5. They won't be winning any prizes but I want to fill the spaces with quilts... If we don't put quilts in the show, we run the risk of turning it into just a retail venue... and as the owner of a wonderful and very local quilt shop... I'd prefer that not to happen, ha ha ha... 

Maybe I need to make 10 quilts... oh dear, but will there be time?... 

Will you help me?... 

Lets all put so many quilts into the show that there's no room for the traders! ha ha ha 

I loved this quilt too...
 what a rubbish picture I took!!!