Sewing Retreat Prepping

Prepping is done and packed up ready for my next retreat. I'm usually doing it all at the last minute. This time though, I had already decided that I wanted to work on Quiltmas projects. A festive wall hanging to start with. 

I've had this cute pattern in my pile for quite a few years. Definitely since before Covid.

I might even get to finish it before next Quiltmas! It's quite a small project. 

A bit too small for me?... here we go!

I took the applique pattern pages to the library and had them enlarged by 135%

I thought it would be a bit easier for stitching around all the tiny baubles. They are still quite tiny though. All the applique pieces traced, cut, sticky-stuffed and pressed in place, excellent prep. I've got all the threads and bobbins in a box with spare needles! That should take at least a day, do you agree?

With increasing the size of the applique, I had to use a larger background piece, obviously. So I needed to adjust the border blocks. The Friendship Star didn't look cute enough in the larger size. I pondered and did the mathemisms then decided to use Wonky Stars, finished size needed to be 3 3/4" . I should need 30 of them, blimey! That might be more than one day's sewing.

Once I had cut all of the little squares, I made a sample. Cute? I decided to use the same background fabric for all of the stars. It took a lot of will power not to continue making them... They are all in a box to stop that happening! A rotary cutter, a spare rotary blade, neutral piecing thread, pins, thread snips, little square ruler, scissors, thread catcher pot, coffee mug (in a lovely mug bag) polo mints & tissues!!! I think I have remembered everything? Oooooh, mustn't forget my toothbrush and clean knickers!

Now, just to remind you all...

My shop will be open tomorrow, 17th February from 9:30 am to 4pm

It will not open again until next Tuesday, 24th February. 

As before, No apology, fun must be enjoyed!

Stitching News

February? How? At least the days are getting longer, hooray!! It's much nicer walking to and from my shop with a bit of daylight, even though I'm usually soaked, ha!
There's plenty going on in my classroom and my shops been bustling with customers, always a good thing for a shop!

Merlot is so happy with this very cute quilt. She's in a rush (an excitement rush, not a panic kind of rush) to get it finished in time for Easter Bunny shenanigans. It's going to be gifted to her tiny granddaughter who loves a Bunny. The applique pictures have been collected from colouring pages on the internet, clever idea.

Shirley finished this Churndash quilt top last year. It sounds ages ago when put like that doesn't it! Most of the fabrics are Moda French General. Shirley had another top to quilt so this one had to wait it's turn. No excuse now, it is officially a sandwich.

Our Pam's list of requests for baby quilts is growing again. There are 4 needed at the moment so she's cracking on with them. All her other projects have been set to the side. It's a good job babies only need small quilts. This teddy quilt is in neutral colours for the first baby. There will be 2 girl flavoured quilts next.

Rose is very happy to be finished with piecing this quilt top, the back was tricky too, to be fair. The design,with all it's 60 degree angles, has stretched Rose's patience to"wits end". Where-ever that is! It's all been worth the effort, a very effective design. The quilting has begun too.

Dates to take note of...
My shop will be closed for a little while again soon. No apologies! 
Closed on Thursday 19th, Friday 20th & Saturday 21st of February.
Open as normal after that on Tuesday 24th February.

It's retreat time again for me whooop whoop. You know how I love to get away... to sew, ha ha ha.

Retreat Info

This will be our third retreat with Hawkstone Park Hotel in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
There are only a few places remaining at this point because people booked it before I got round to making this little advert, which, in itself, is a good advert!
Here's the information, it's pretty much the same format as all other retreats I've organised.

Arriving Monday 30th March from 10.30am
Set up your sewing space, little bit of chatter and start your fun.
(Room Check in after 2pm)
Lunch @ 12.30pm.
3 course dinner @ at 6pm

Tuesday 31^st & Wednesday 1^st April
Full Breakfast menu, available from 8am - 9.30am
Lunch @ 12.30pm.
3 course dinner @ at 6pm

Thursday 2^nd April
Full Breakfast menu available from 8am - 9.30am. (Room Check Out 10am)
Lunch @ 12.30pm.
Sewing into the afternoon. You can leave at any time before 5pm 

Complimentary hot drinks and bottles of water available all day. 
The bar can sort out any other drinks you may like.

There are no restrictions to the hours of sewing. If you have the stamina for 24 hour sewing marathons, go for it!

The total cost is £495.00 with a £70.00, non-refundable deposit when you book.

Please feel free to tell your crafting chums, so long as they are independent workers.
This is a “Do your own thing” relaxed retreat.
Sewing by hand or machine, crochet, knitting, Cross-Stitch, embroidery, or a Jigsaw!

I'll leave that with you.
Contact me should you need any more information or just to book you very own self on for 4 days of relaxing stitching fun.

Phone & WhatsApp 07807530441 or via email angiequilts@gmail.com

First Stitching News 2026!

Well, here we go. It looks like this year will also be racing by, must be my age, Ha! January has kept me busy. Awful, wintry weather hasn't stopped my shop from opening as normal, mostly because I can walk there but I did have to wear my good wellie boots. I didn't, and wouldn't have, driven the journey, way too much ice and snow for my safety! I find it a bit scary to be honest.
Anyhow, it's all gone now, we're back to grey gloom. Perfect for sewing it seems!

Before Sewing Prevention Season took a grip, there was quite a lot of secret sewing going on.

This is Jackie's version of the Boho Heart quilt by Jen Kingwell. Jackie was inspired by the design but, as you can see in the second photo, she designed exactly what she wanted on graph paper. Using many more intricately pieced blocks and lots of tiny, 3" units. Can you see she quiltied millions of hearts all over the quilt? Toot toot toot Jackie, a super, fabulous and finished in good time, gifting quilt. 

What a clever (vegetarian) sausage Jackie is!

More secret sewing here. Christabelle sent this picture after gifting the quilt to it's new little owner. Fabulous bright colours for the little guy. Quilted with going faster air lines to make the cars look like they are racing. Toot toot toot for your fabulous, fast cars quilt Christabelle.

I'm hoping this quilt has been gifted by now. It's delivery got slightly postponed as Mother Nature sent an awful lurgy for the recipient so Gail had to hide from it! It could have been a cunning plan to give Gail a little more sewing time? No matter now. It's fabulous and finished 

And a beautiful Batik fabric for the backing, showing off the quilting design. Toot toot toot Gail.

Rose was happy to have finished this piece. It will be the centre stripe on the backing. It's been a challenging make, working with the angles always is, but Rose persevered. Sandwich time soon!

Sandwich Saturday happened last Friday!

Lesley is so happy with her quilt. Bright and girly and made with lots of her own stash, it's just lovely. Now starts the job of quilting, this is Lesley's first quilt. It's a design from the book Material Obsession, it's quite an old book but is available as used copies, it's out of print now.

Catching Up

What absolutely beautiful weather we've been treated to throughout Sewing Prevention Season.
I might have mentioned, a few times, that we were going away for a sewing retreat?
I'm very happy to report that we had the most wonderful time. 
Everything was perfect. Lovely, comfortable accommodation and friendly staff.
Excellent food, that's an understatement!.

Limoncello Panettone Tiramisu

A spacious and well lit sewing room.

Some of us enjoyed afternoon walks in the sunshine, Beanie included.

It was so much fun. New friends, lots of laughter. Good, long and relaxing days away.
We had ladies sewing by both machine and by hand, there was embroidery, cross-stitch, Jigsaw doing and bag making. Very few photos were taken though!

I finished my festive apron!

I'll use it every year now.

We were sad to leave, of course, but you have to go home so that you can come back don't you. And come back we will! Merry Quiltmas 2026 is already booked. If you want to know more about that, just email me for the details. It's the exact same itinerary and the same menus as 2025, we didn't need or want to change a thing, now there's a recommendation!

Merry Quiltmas

That's it then folks. All done with my shop. What a super busy last few days it was. My classroom was a bit hectic with an excited atmosphere all round.
The end of the year is fast approaching but now we get extra long days to look forward to. I believe there's a whole extra minute today!

I might have mentioned that I'm going away for the Holiday. I'm sorry if you missed that announcement, ha ha ha. I'm keeping busy prepping sewing projects, what a mess I'm making in Quilty Quarters! I've packed both pairs of clean knickers and my toothbrush, and an ancient festive frock, that's enough space taken up. Now I'll fill up with fabrics and sewing paraphernalia.

My shop is closed until Tuesday 6th of January. 

See you on the other side xx

Will You Be Sewing?

Love it or loath it, it's happening! Sewing Prevention Season has already started. Are you packing up your sewing paraphernalia to make room for guests?

With only 3 weeks now until Our Merry Quiltmas Sewing Retreat, I feel quite relieved, and lucky, not to be joining the crowds in the shops. I do love a humbug though!

There are 4 spaces available on the Merry Quiltmas Retreat.

I know it's a bit last minute, sometimes you just need to grab that opportunity.

If you would like to join us, the offer is there.

Payment would need to be made in full on booking.

I'm hoping to organize another Merry Quiltmas retreat for the next Sewing Prevention Season too, planning 2026!!

I'd love to know whether you would be interested in that. Consider it Market Research xx

This is our Christmas Day Lunch Menu, just to tempt you.

Stitching News

 That's it then folks, December!! Sewing Prevention Season has crept up on us all. Classes are busy, my shop sounds like a little sewing factory with all the machines stitching away, it's a lovely noise!
A few sandwiches have been made, quite large ones. 

 This pattern is called Notting Hill, from Cotton Street Commons. Diane's very much enjoyed making it. With her left over fabrics she's decided to make matching cushions. Di is already quilting the cushions. She decided to stitch them first, the quilt will probably be quilted during our Merry Quiltmas Sewing Retreat.

Josie's sandwich. Everyone who has made this quilt has chosen quite different fabrics and colour themes, and they all look fabulous don't they. There are quite a few Tilda fabrics in Josie's quilt too. She's going to start the quilting in her next class.

Christabelle has stopped all production on her other quilts to get this one made and finished first. Is't it fabulous. Lots of bright colours, perfect for the little fellow it's being made for. The pattern is from the book Happy Quilts by Antonie Alexander. Such a lot of lovely patterns in the book.

Rose finished this quilt top and spent a few minutes Stay-Stitching around the edges. An important thing to do when there are lots of seams on the edges. If you don't do it, the seams might (and usually do) start to undo as the quilt is being handled, pushing and pulling it through the sewing machine hole, while quilting it.

Ann is ready for her first Toot Toot Toot fanfare for this fabulous and finished quilt. Ann has an embroidery machine which she used to stitch the lions head in the bottom right corner, very clever. She already started to make another quilt with the same design, but in a different colour theme. 

Considering that I've declared many times that I am NOT purchasing ANY more fabrics in my shop, it won't surprise you to know that over 40 new bolts have been delivered in the last 2 weeks, what am I like. Don't answer that!

My shop will be open as normal for the next few weeks, right until the very last day which is Saturday 20th December. 
If anything unplanned crops up I will let you know. 

There are still 4 places available on Our Christmas Sewing Retreat if your plans have changed and you decide to join us, payment will need to be made in full. There's no time for taking deposits now. It's packing time!!!