Stitching News

I'm back from another sewing retreat and getting ready for 'back to normal' day tomorrow. I found photos from before my shop closed for the holiday, here goes.

Gail had been stitching more and more daizies, so we laid them out to get a good mix up of the fabrics. This is just the main centre of the quilt. There will be hundreds more daizies around the borders. It's possible I might have exaggerated but Gail feels like is will be hundreds!

Josie used an apron pattern from an Art To Heart book to make this cushion. A very happy cushion and perfect for this time of year. Toot toot toot Josie, a fabulous and finished happy cushion.

Josie's wall hanging. She purchased a kit online which included the Liberty fabrics, which she loves to work with. Next time we see this project it will be finished and ready for tooting. At least that's what she declared at the end of her last class.

Christabelle came to make her Pooh sandwich. The plan was to get it quilted during our retreat. I can confirm that she succeeded! I saw it with my very own retreat eyes!

This sandwich belongs to Sarah. 

She said it's her favourite quilt design so far. 

I'm sure she says that about all of them, ha ha ha

Lorna is enjoying stitching again. She had lost her sewjo for a while but she's definitely finding it now. This top was made using a William Morris Layer Cake purchased many years ago. Now it's sandwiched and ready, it will be quilted.

This it a tooting moment. Lorna only made the sandwich a couple of weeks ago and here it is finished! She is very pleased with it, and rightly so.

You can see very well all of the quilting from the back. Flight lines and big birds. Fabulous, and finished! Toot toot toot Lorna.

And a complementary cushion with the one that got away. 

You have to love a matching cushion don't you!

We can all start planning for the October sewing retreat now. It seems ages away, but you know how time flies!!! 
The October retreat is fully booked at the moment. This is great news. I have a waiting list of eager stitchers and should you want to be added to that list, just let me know.

There will be another Merry Quiltmas Sewing retreat over Sewing Prevention Season. 24th - 27th December. I know I have mentioned it before, and I will mention it again!!!

Last but not least. Our annual pilgrimage to The Festival Of Quilts.
I've now started to collect your payments for the trip. It's £40.00 per person which includes your show entrance ticket. You can pay by cash or by bank transfer, just email me and I can send you the details.

Enjoy your day folks x

Catching Up Stitching News

In no particular order, these are the photos found in my phone. I'm so out of routine with blog writing, but here goes

Made using the very popular pattern in the Material Obsessions book. Lesley used a mountain of previously collected fabric squares. She had no idea why she collected so many squares until she started quilting! Luckily they were all fabulous for this project.

This is Lesley's new project. This time using a purposefully purchased Tilda Fat Quarter Bundle plus a few added fabrics. The pattern is in Jen Kingwell's book, Quilt Lovely.

This is another commissioned baby quilt sandwich made by Our Pam. It was a quick make this time, baby waits for no-one! It's sure to be quilted by now. She only has 3 more to make!

Gosh, this is another Lesley photo. She's going to make an animal quilt for her Grandson, quite a complex design that he chose all by his very own self in a new book. He doesn't understand why it's taking so long so Lesley ran up this quilt to manage him while he waits. It's a Makower panel with excellent asymmetric borders. An excellent use of this pre-printed panel, don't you think?

Our Norma is making great progress with all the elements of her next project. Another very colourful and floral quilt design, in hopes of using up her stash. Don't tell her I told you, but there's no chance of getting to the end of all those bags! ha ha ha

Deb needed a baby gifting quilt rather Lick-etty-Split. There's nothing faster than a pre-printed panel, especially the 90cm wide ones, they don't need any borders adding to them. Just a matter of Purchase it. Press It. Sandwich it, quilt it, bind it! All done during one class. Perfect

Toot toot toot Deb, a fabulous and very fast, finished quilt. 

Adorable and quirky backing!

Lorna's not been to my shop for ages. Seems retirement is hard work!! Still, Sandwiches are easier to make on my tables and that's exactly what she needed me for. I think this project has been 4 years in the making, she got off to a flying start at first, ha ha.

Gail continues to make her Stargazy Daizies. Just as she thought there were enough, she laid them out and realized that she needs a whole lot more to get to the size she desires. It's going to look fabulous.

Christabelle was gifted a quilt pattern book for her birthday and is slowly working her way through all the bits and pieces. She chose to use a Tilda Fat Quarter bundle, the Spring collection, and has added other fabrics as she's gone along. There are soooo many teeny tiny bits in this project!

Rose added the binding to this quilt during class, it's a long way around! A very modern looking quilt, don't you think? It has been quite a challenge to make for Rose, with all the angles she's not used to

This is the back, obviously. A very striking back it is too. 

It shows up all the quilting very well. It's all done and gifted now so we can Toot toot toot, even though the binding isn't quite finished in my picture, which was actually taken weeks ago!

Jackie brought in her Log Cabin Quilt for us to see the progress. It's not completely finished, there's a bit more quilting to be done, no rush though. You can see Jackie chose her backing fabric first then chose all the Log Cabin fabrics to co-ordinate, she did a perfect job of that too.

Clare found a homemade (Jelly Roll type) of Strippy Roll in her stash. It had been cut by a lady wishing to reduce her very own stash of fabrics. How to brighten it up a bit was the question Clare asked on arriving for class. I think we brightened it up, don't you?

Di is chuffed to bits with her latest project. 

It's going to be a cushion, a new set of cushions is the plan. 

This particular  pattern is from the Jen Kingwell book, Quilt Lovely. 

That's all the photos I have at the moment. I truly keep forgetting about taking pictures, I am just out of the habit now, I guess. And I still dislike my computer with it's own brain pleasing it's very own self what it wants to do, then updating things that didn't need updating. It's lucky I haven't chucked it out of my window!!

We have Our Spring Sewing Retreat coming up on the 30th March for 4 days so there are lots of new projects being planned. I do have 2 spaces - if you have been pondering whether or not to join us. After the retreat it's going to be Easter, which gives us Bank Holidays to play with too, whoop whoop. Lets hope the weather is kind for that.

Spaces On Our Spring Retreat

 2 places remain!

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!