Festive Cushions

I have, all at the very same time, a few mammoth quilt projects on the go at the moment. They are supposed to be being finished for the Uttoxeter Quilt Show in April next year. They're needing a lot of my brainpower!... I thought it might be a good idea to take a break from all the decision making.

A small project should do the trick. I made a Bunting Cushion guided by this tutorial on Moda Bake Shop . Quilted and finished... then I decided it looked a bit bare in the background... So I appliqued the Merry Christmas words. Still left with a gap I didn't like... I drew Holly leaves... I really can't draw good holly leaves. I drew Bells and a ribbon... you wouldn't have known they were bells and ribbon! ha ha ha... I am no artist! But I have circle templates!!! Baubles, baubles baubles... and a bit of perle cotton for the hanging string.... 

I love my new festive cushion.
I plan to make another...
I took it to my very own quilt shop to show off...
The ladies love my Bunting Cushion too

Farmer Lynda started to make one.

All Day Di started to make one

Jeannette Dilly started making one too.

Isn't it wonderful to inspire others.

Thank you Allison and Moda Bake Shop for the seed of the lovely idea.

Sue's Terrific Tote Workshop

Stitching News

Brenda Duck came to make her sandwich... this quilt made with one Moda Layer Cake and One Moda Jelly Roll... all from the French General collection... Brenda wanted a quick and easy quilt and that's what the pre-cuts gave her. It's really effective don't you think?

Stephanie Iceland came to make her Cathedral Windows Sandwich... lovely, bright colours all in beautiful Batik scraps. The white fabric is sheeting... such a thrifty lady is Mrs Iceland. She used a Youtube method for making the Cathedral Windows and while we were pinning we found some pretty chunky seam bumps, so the quilting will have to be carefully and skillfully stitched.

Luna Twirly drove herself nuts trying to decide on the colour placement of her Charm Square fabrics... you know how it goes don't you... move that one, now move that one ...oh now move that one!! She sorted it in the end though.

Cuuuuuute!!! Jemima Puddle Duck.
I can't say a lot, not yet...
 but I wanted to show you how fabulous the thin yellow border strips look

As I'm a little short on pictures for this post (my perfectly purple camera got it's very own self a little lost this week) I thought I would show you this one, it's a phone picture of my artist, Lilly, in action. She came to my very own shop to do a bit of designing for me... pretty spectacular though quite complicated looking borders for my Hidden Wells Quilt.... This is her second stage doodle session and after a bit of a joint brainstorming with more paper and a ruler... we agreed! Lilly took it home to work on it a bit more... I'm feeling quilted excited! I might even enter this one in Uttoxeter Quilt show... but I'll reserve the right to decide which year! Ha.

Stitching News, With Tooting

Judy popped in to show us her finished, and ever so fabulous, Kimono Wall Hanging quilt. Every fabric very thoughtfully and carefully chosen from my lovely Batik selection. Toot toot toot Judy... all that thinking paid off in the end.

Toot toot toot now for our very own Jean Bean's fabulous, festive finish... not just finished but finished in good time for the very next Christmas that comes along... almost unheard of!! There's no stopping her now... there's even a few miles of very posh bunting done and finished in good time.

Inspired by Susan's 'Angie's Six Pack' lap quilt with it's bright green inner border... Carol chose rich indigo-ish blue for hers... isn't it wonderful to inspire and to be inspired... gosh the blue looks great... I might pinch that idea!  

Just Edna is making great progress with the quilting on her Double Wedding Ring quilt. It's a bit like wrestling an alligator at times, even with her big Janome coming to class, but Edna's going to be so proud to have quilted it all by her very own self.

Monday Sheila made about three and a half thousand stuffed little triangular tree bits in just one day. They will become super festive ornaments for the lucky people who purchase them at the fund raising event.

Princess Jackie added the sashing to this wonderful kiddy gift then went on to add balloon fabric borders... now just how fabulous are all those little, brightly coloured shapes Jackie appliqued to make the quilt individual? I might copy that idea too.

Woop woop, PM Pam raised the Santa Window Wall hanging bar a little higher.... She has quilted his beard with metallic silver thread and it looks ever so good, I hope you can see it from my picture... there are so many ends to tie in though... not pinching that idea! ha.

Now Gail has her turn... All the borders are on and the mitres were perfect... Gail can make a sandwich next week then... how high will the Santa bar go now?
Will there be sequins Gail? oh I almost can't wait!

Gail put Santa away while she considered the next special steps and got out the backing for her beautiful large quilt... Yes, this is the backing... I love it! not quite large enough yet though.. but, luckily, I have the perfect purple fabric to help Gail!

Stitching News

Jeannette has missed us because of work. She's managed to change the rota for a few weeks giving her a few Thursdays to come over and play. To help ease her back to stitching she chose to make this large festive fabric block! Goodness me, more like jumping in at the deep end to me!

I went to the shop a bit early on Friday to make this sandwich... which I actually pinned at about 2pm because new fabrics had been delivered and I had to sort them, and customers, out first... they were mostly Kaffe... (the fabrics, not the customers!)... wonderful, colorful and bright, you can take my word for that! anyway... the pattern/method I used is the fabulous Disappearing Hourglass but made using HST's (Half Square Triangles) made with two Angie's Six Packs of Ditsy Floral Prints and blue fabric, not 2 Layer Cakes as in the video you'll find if you search for Disappearing Hourglass.

Sporty Sue loved my quilt so she's using one of her 'Stashed' Layer Cakes with the addition of the fabulous green fabric yardage... I'll show you her progress as it happens. Have you tried this method? It's fun and very satisfying!

There's a lot going on in my classroom, lots of projects being worked on and the time is passing by so quickly that I keep forgetting to take pictures for you.
We're still buzzing and happy from our retreat last week. And we're already counting how many sleeps until the next retreat in March! ha....
Luckily we have a few Sunday Sewing Patchwork Parties booked before then, the next one will be on Sunday 19th November... we are all looking forward to a day of stitching fun... not to mention the catering we've got planned!
More later...

Tooting Time

First up is Sporty Sue's wonderful Trip Around The World Quilt. A giant of project that Sue has thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish... choosing fabrics, most of which are Beautiful Batiks, all of the piecing and she even thoroughly enjoyed stitching all those quilting trips... round and round and round again

You can see how many times she went round better from the back...
It's so big I couldn't fit it into my picture without shop stuff getting in the shot.
It's an absolutely fabulous finish Sue, toot toot toot-etty-toot

Woop woop-etty-toot-toot for Carol's fabulous finish... A Place For Everything is the pattern and it most certainly has a place for all of Carol's stitching supplies with loads of zipped pockets inside. This is what Carol was making during our recent retreat so there's a good 4-5 long days of sewing needed to make, what could possible be, the cutest little suitcase in the world!!

Luna Twirly never wastes a scrap of fabric... One beautifully quilted and monogrammed place mat made with fabrics left over from making an Advent Calendar and a little Mug Rug (no room for a biscuit though) made from those leftovers! Very thrifty indeed. Toot toot toot Luna

Luna Twirly made another cushion... it's the one we call the Beginner cushion only because it's a small project do-able in one day that teaches good basic skills... we love making these cushions! There's a little Mug Rug to co-ordinate of course...

Only the one Mug Rug... just in case you thought there were two!
This is the back of Luna's cushion, complete with a hidden zip
Toot toot toot Luna Twirly, you have been busy!

Stitching Retreats, Who Would Have Thought?

Following on from our wonderful stitching retreat last weekend... 
I went ahead booked another retreat, this time for 3 days in March 2018. 
I'm just a little bit sorry (but not a lot sorry) that it is actually already fully booked.... 
I've started a reserve list... 
It's always a good idea to have a reserve list because sometimes Life gets in the way!!
So we booked a second retreat and a third retreat, both for the end of September. 
Both are for 3 nights and both are filling up fast...
Who would have thought stitching retreats would be so popular?

Stitching News With Hats

Princess Jackie is on a quilt making Marathon...
Baby will be coming earlier than expected and you all know...
That you can't have a new baby without a quilt!!! ha ha ha

New Sue has had enough of making 3" Ohio Star blocks but I want to say... they are fabulously cute and well worth Sue's suffering! Sue is able to get the top together now, might even be finished for Christmas 2017!!

We had a family wedding last week. My Daughter Lilly, the younger one, and my very good self almost went wearing these Fabric Coiled Pot Hats...
but really... they were a bit too big and very heavy!