Uttoxeter Quilt Class

Sometimes the room we hire, at the Bank House Hotel, looks like a mini sweat shop. This meeting was no exception. AJ (Angela that's not me) quilted her Log Cabin, none stop!.. the centre logs are done and she started on the Saw Tooth border blocks... I have to tell you that she is extreeeemely good at stitching in the ditch!
Dotty Maureen finished off the free motion quilting on one quilt project then sandwiched this Hungry Caterpillar one and quilted that too. She recently discovered a new baby will be arriving soon and these quilts are perfect for such occasions, great for practicing free motion too... babies never check out your stitching! ha ha ha
Giggly Gillian worked on her Chunky Churndash blocks. Each one will have a cat in the centre with paw print fabric framing it, each block will have different coloured corners. She needs 18 of these blocks and 18 hour glass blocks... lots of homework!
Jenni treated herself to a full day of hand quilting without fighting the cats off her quilt, which is what happens when she stitches at home.... the trouble with quilts is that they are so soft and snuggley for sleeping in! he he he... I think the pussycats are just telling Jenni that the quilt will be theirs, whether she likes it or not!
Messy Maureen trimmed up her Liberated Scrappy quilt, made the binding and machine stitched it in place, the hand stitching will be done at home. Just a label to add and then she can start her next project, which will be small things to sell for charity fund raising.

We meet again on Tuesday 25th May. There will be one spare table so we have room for one more quilty chum....

Big Quilted Panel Bags

Shirley Lerly brought her fabrics to me and asked me to make her Big Quilted Bag, not that she couldn't make one...... The thing is... she has already created a list of quilts to make for everyone she ever met (he he he, I do exaggerate!) anyway.... she doesn't want to halt production to make a Big Bag all by her very own self....
and seeing as I am such a kind soul (this halo is getting heavy!) I accepted the request and called it "A Commission Sew"... it sounds good though eh!.... on the inside, a richer bright green complements the outer fabrics perfectalilly. I never thought I would enjoy making bags but these are so easy! ... can you see how neat it is?
Birte made her Big Quilted Panel Bag yesterday... she now has matching luggage for her quilty outings. I bet the ladies in Birte's new quilty group will want their luggage to be chic too, when they see it.
Birte told me that she had bought this fabric because she really liked it and when she got home she decided that she had no clue as to what she would do with it... good job I came to the rescue eh, ha ha ha!

I am going to polish my halo now ready for the Uttoxeter class in an hour.

Birte's Mat & Ruler Bag

Look.... Birte made her very own Mat & Ruler Bag. What fabulous fabric she found... Birte added two square pockets instead of the 24" ruler one, but that's fine... it is her bag and she can do whatever she wants... as I always say!
She's now working on a Big Quilted Panel Bag to match..... matching luggage is sooooo chic, our Birte is always very chic!

Philippa Naylor Workshop

Don't you just love this quilt?
Those bits that look like white blotches are diamonds!! (maybe even.... real diamonds, he he he) Philippa dyes all her own fabrics so she can get all the shades and colours exactly how she wants them.... oh it's sooooooo lovely. I know it's not every ones 'cup o tea', but you can't help but appreciate the work in it.. and that's before you even look at her quilting and trapunto!

The workshop was Curved Piecing.
I was very quiet and concentrated all day, (yes Mum, ALL DAY!) and managed to produce this block.... I've placed it on top of that busy fabric, it needs a couple more borders yet.... I shall blow my own trumpet now... didn't I do well!!!! I am so impressed with myself, he he he. It was really hard to concentrate and be quiet though.....
This is the room we used, 26 ladies came to the workshop, it was very quiet, everyone concentrating, even Miss Philippa commented on the silence...
I took this picture from my work station, you can see it was a lovely big light room, I was right by the tea counter... When I say the tea counter...
Just look at it, all those cakes!!!! that's Miss Philippa, she was asked to choose her cake first, as guest of honour, she couldn't make up her mind.... The catering was brilliant... I took my quilty mug along so I didn't use the very posh china, saves worrying about accidents, he he he... Apparently the SPQ meetings are famous for their catering, cakes in particular! You can see why can't you!

Forsbrook Quilt Group

Messy Maureen spent the day quilting her scrappy quilt. Maureen is a Liberated Quilter and pleases herself what she does, no quilt police are ever going to intimidate her... "it's all about the fun making it" ..... I think that is brilliant!
Shirley Lery has the centre of her top finished, time to add the borders.... here you can see her using my special "Chin" manoeuvre, I invented it to help make borders fit! he he he, take my word for it... it works very well!!!

Shirley Lerly will be making a Log Cabin quilt for her next project, not the lilly's Colours, a traditional one in these lovely fabrics. They were influenced by a clothing designer... can't remember the name now but the 'young uns' love it!

We meet again next Friday, 21st May, when Joan The Shop will be back from her holidays. She sent a postcard to tell me she was going fabric shopping... he he he what a great holiday!

Malvern Quilt Show

I went on a coach trip with SPQ... to the Malvern Quilt Show. There were soooooo many people there. It was like playing a game of solitaire in places. I took lots of pictures here's just a few of them.




There are more lovelies to share with you...... I'll have more time later... rush, rush, rush... that's how it's going this week... rush, rush, rush. Forsbrook Quilting today.... and running late... rushing! he he he

Uttoxeter Quilt Group

Lizzie got all her blocks sewn together in no time at all. Having decided on the width of the borders, she cut them but was having a few problems making them fit... 'twas time for rescue.... a fudging tip! This is Lizzie shouting "It Fits"

AJ (Angela that's not me) also finished joining her Log Cabin and Saw Tooth blocks to complete the quilt top. She pieced the backing and had "all hands on deck" helping her to pin the sandwich. The Bank House Hotel was very helpful and allowed us to use their bigger banquet room, brilliant!

AJ started her quilting.... she will stabilize the quilt by using the walking foot to shadow quilt the log cabin blocks..... see that wonderful backing fabric? Great colours that co-ordinate perfectly with the top.... a lucky find in the bargain basket at Rocheberie on Saturday.

A drum roll now please... Jenni has finished quilting her Log Cabin project!!! wooooohoooo! She stitched quite close to the seams, shadow quilting the blocks. In the beginning Jenni was not enjoying the quilting, now she has it finished she says it wasn't so bad after all.... I think we all do that, then once we trim off the excess batting/wadding we love the quilt all over again!

Messy Maureen finished sewing her blocks together, we trimmed and adjusted a little and used loads of pins to get everything lined up, then made yet another sandwich!! 'twill be a sofa throw .... made from scraps of all sorts, including sexy, silky, lacey bits!!!!

Dotty Maureen continued to work with her block made during the Jennie Rayment fun.... she has added lovely fabrics to the Twiddling and Fiddling, It looks so good with the splash of colour added!

Jennie Rayment, ha ha ha!

This is Jennie Rayment, the Queen of Fiddling & Twiddling. I have decided not to tell you too much about her presentation at Rocheberie yesterday. The clothes she is wearing here were made by Jennie. The quilt she is holding is three dimensional with fiddled and twiddles flowers.... the quilt in the background is a Sudoku game, absolutely brilliant close up!

There are two reasons for my decision not to tell all.... I will share these few pictures of her quilts with you, I know we all love quilty photos!

My main reason for not sharing is that it would spoil it for you if ever you got the chance to go listen to her..... and you will have chance if you live in Staffordshire, she will be up here soon... at the SPQ meeting, mark your diary for the 2nd September!!

the second reason for my selfish none sharing... I could never describe it! I am lost for words, my sides still ache and my eyes are sore from wiping away the tears... of laughter!!!!

It will be enough for you to know that you will laugh until it hurts! 'til you cry! till you almost have to run to the bathroom!!!!

Yes it was that funny.... Her quilts are stunning, detailed and different... she shows them to you and drops them on the floor in front of her, she allows as many photos as you would like to take, if you can remember to take them while you are being entertained!!!!!

Oh, you just had to be there... you have to, have to, have to go see her!