Catching Up With Stitching News

I'm not sure where to start really. Catching up with two weeks of stitchy fun is tricky. Digging into my memory, without photos to remind me what we've been up to, is pretty hopeless. I do have a few photos, thanks to the ladies who remember to suggest I take a photo!

This is Princess Jackie's Gypsy Wife quilt top. The pattern is still available but it's been re-named Wanderer's Wife What a riot of colour it is too, as we have come to expect from Jackie. She's learned a LOT while making the blocks, one half inch can confuse everything.

This is a trumpets up picture. 

Christabelle finished this fabulous quilt. It's an Anna Maria Horner design but Chris decided to quilt each block, with free motion quilting, individually and joined them all together, apartment-ly with sashing strips. Absolutely gorgeous!

This is the back, obviously. By opting to use a contrasting fabric for the sashing, which worked extremely well, Chris has a double sided quilt, very different either side.

Look how fabulous the quilting is.

Toot toot toot Christabelle, an amazing job!

We joke about quilting being rather addictive, it's actually no joke!! Most of us slide right over to that 'dark side' But Julie? She jumped on the diving board then somersaulted right into the deepest end! I can hardly keep up with her progress, quilt after quilt after quilt! 

This top is from a pattern in the Material Obsession book (which is out of print but still available as used copies) Julie saw my quilt (called 'Garden Retreat', which now I'm looking for it I see I haven't put it on my blog!!!) hanging on my classroom wall. She ordered a copy of the book. The following week she purchased all the fabrics the next week this is it, a finished top! So summery, beautiful and bright. 

I found a blog post about it from 10th June last year, My Garden Retreat quilt top! Just the top as I haven't even taken a photo of the finished quilt, shocking misdemeanor! I will, soon!

Jan has found it really tricky to achieve accuracy with this project. All because of the silly edges on the Moda Batik Jelly Roll. It's all very well saying to use the outer peaks for the accuracy of two and a half inches, but that only works if you can see them! It's a good job Jan knows how to fudge! This first strip is looking fabulous though.

Toot toot toot for Mrs. Lou Lou. A fabulous and Finished Pineapple Blossom Cushion!! Lou Lou has forgotten when she started this project, we estimate it was at least 2017, All she needed to do was finish the quilting as the back was already made. We all do it! but it is finished now. There's blog evidence that Mrs. Lou Lou made her first Pineapple Blossom cushion in September 2015 It was lovely to go back searching.

Deb has been working on her Snowman Collector blocks for a while. But that was done purposefully, keeping the project rolling on as an in-between-y sewing thing. They are all finished now so there will be borders next. Two around each block to start with. I'll show you as it progresses.

Oooh, that's it for today. Almost out of photos!

Catching Up

We had an excellent Sunday Sewday at Checkley Village Hall yesterday. A lovely atmosphere, plenty of chatter and many outbursts of laughter heard over the buzz of sewing machines working away, which makes everyone smile. Lunch received many scrumptious comments, though that's probably because our last Sunday Sewday was back in February and the ladies will have forgotten what a treat it is to be served lovely food. Thank you to Susan for bringing excellent cakes for us all.

 I'm very aware that you have been starved of quilting pictures for the best part of a month now. I just don't know where the time is going. We have had regular classes with lots going on, but not many photos!

Gail did finish her baby quilt in good time for gifting. It is a panel so only needed to be sandwiched and quilted and smothered in French Knots! Toot toot toot Gail for your fabulous, fast finish.

Rose has continued to work on her large quilt. All the centre panels are made and she's now making the borders ones which are half blocks and the corners will be quarter blocks, simples!

This is another toot toot toot opportunity for Gail. We aren't going to mention when Gail actually started with the applique, that wouldn't be very nice of me at all, I can only remember that it was before Covid restrictions!!! ooops! It's such a cute little wall hanging by Hatched and Patched

Judy started making this Christmas-sy quilt to use up her scraps of festive fabric. Needless to say a few further Fat Quarters were purchased along the way and the quilt has turned out to be rather large. Judy will have arm muscles like Popeye when the quilting is done!

Deb has finished her King Size Quilt and was so happy to have help holding it up for a picture. It's very heavy! Toot toot toot Deb, it's a fabulous finish

This is the fabric Deb chose for her backing, I LOVE IT!

Deb loves it too, which is way more important. Of course she declared that she's never going to make such a large quilt ever again. She will though, mark my words, ha!

The next thing on our Fun Agenda is our Pilgrimage to the Festival Of Quilts.
We're going on Sunday 4th August. I choose a Sunday because the car parks are free, traffic is usually lighter and the Quilt Show isn't usually too busy with others, so we get a good look at everything without being nudged about.
There are a few seats left on our coach. I will be closing the list on Wednesday 17th July as I'll need to get the tickets ordered and delivered to us in good time.
Cost is £36.00 pp which does include your return journey and show ticket.

A Bit Of Information.

Sunday Funday Sewday

30th June. 9. 30am - 3.30pm.

at Checkley Community Centre 
The cost is £20.00 if you book and pay ahead and £25.00 if you choose to pay on the day. 

The price includes a splendid light lunch and hot drinks all day.
Bring your very own project to work on, a mug and a few carefully chosen subjects to chat about!!

Our Pilgrimage to Festival Of Quilts is filling up very nicely, there are only 10 places available, should you like to join us.
We're going on Sunday 4th August.
£36.00 which includes your show entrance ticket.

Sewing Retreat in October
While I'm spending your money, we have 3 night, 5 days retreat to sew with all meals included, for £485.00
Once again it's at Hillscourt Hotel in the Lickey Hills Country Park.
You can bring anything you would like to work on, the time is yours!
Arriving Monday morning, 7th October. Leaving on Thursday the 10th, in the afternoon 
If you would like more information about the retreat, just email me and I'll send it to you, lick-etty-split.

Stitching News

We go with the flow in my classroom. Classes are very organic, Folk can work on any project they choose. Each project inspires others a great deal. From the pattern to the fabrics and colours, every day is a learning day. You don't have to remember anything either, we can repeat, repeat, repeat, And we do! That's enough said on the subject, but we do laugh!

Bev's Badger cushion front. She's not tried applique with straight stitching before but she enjoyed it. The pattern is by Helen Newton and purchased from etsy) The Borders were very carefully chosen. It was tricky because the blue fabric that Bev wanted to use didn't look right on it's own. We persevered and, As you can see, three borders? Perfectly, perfect!

Cheryl Cheryl is on a quilting roll. I think this is her largest sandwich yet. It's about 100" square. We had to use extra tables and could hardly fit ourselves around it to pin.The pattern's from the book, Quilted With Love by Sarah Fielke

Merlot is in love with her Little Llamas, another pattern from Elizabeth Hartman 

"They are soooo damn cute!!" she said a few times. 

She's right, they are super cute. Many more Little Lamas will be made, the fabrics have already been allocated for them, no surprise there.

Quilty Quarters

I was hoping to show you that I had quilted the huge Grow Fee, Wildflowers quilt. That was my long Bank Holiday weekend plan. Needless to say, it's still draped over my sofa, looking gorgeous though. I had a few family things thrown into the mix and the chores to catch up on. Then the time left after all that, went into this:-

Don't even ask why I started another project. I'm just out of control, ha! I had several, lovely triangles left over from making this quilt and  

 I wanted to make a little something to use them all up.
That's it, nothing more planned. And now I have 9 x 20" blocks to sew together, then another quilt top, at least 60" square will be joining the waiting Queue for quilting. I still have some fabrics left from the Long Quarter Bundle, it's all Alison Glass fabric and was gifted to me ages ago, so I might ponder a border to use them up. It's never ending, this quilt production, it's a Good job I love it.

Stitching News

 Trumpets up for the first photo please

Deb finished her Puppy Cushion. This was a tester project to see whether she would like to embark on a whole quilt full of cute puppies. I think the decision is a yes! Every fabulous and finished project deserves a toot toot toot fanfare. Cute cushions included.

Rose finished all 4 of her centre blocks and has started on the half blocks that will frame them. She's really pleased with her progress after a tricky start. Everything is easy once you know how isn't it.

I knew it! Christabelle had declared that she would have to park this project in order to finish another one she's quilting... She couldn't resist joining the 4 centre blocks, just to see how it would look and, before she knew it, the other quilt had been parked and this one will probabubbly be finished!

Gail wanted to make a baby quilt but with little time to get it finished she opted to use this lovely panel. Lick-etty-split a sandwich was made and the quilting had begun. There will be French Knots everywhere too. I have this panel in a pinky colourway too.

I hope you've remembered that my shop is now closed until Thursday. I have 4 days all to my very own self, sort of. Can you guess what I will be doing?

June is not far away now. I have a Checkley Sunday Funday booked in.
We couldn't get many Sewdays in this year so the lovely one day retreats have been missed, especially since the last one was at the end of February.
Sunday 30th June. 9.30am until 3.30pm. £20.00 if you book and pay ahead and £25.00 if you choose to pay on the day. The price includes a light lunch and hot drinks all day.

Then there's the Pilgrimage to Festival Of Quilts to book for, should you like to join us.
£36.00 which includes your show entrance ticket.

While I'm spending your money, we have a 3 night, 5 days sewing retreat in October for £485.00
Once again it's at Hillscourt Hotel Hillscourt Hotel in the Lickey Hills Country Park.
If you would like more information just email me and I'll send it to you, lick-etty-split.

Sandwich News

There were some huge sandwiches booked in this week. It's a good job I offer this wonderful customer service. Making huge sandwiches on the floor is no fun, not when they are this big and there aren't many floor spaces large enough in the average home, I bet. Getting down on the floor is all very well but getting back up again is a different story, so I hear! I push my classroom tables together so you don't have to know about that discomfort.

This Log Cabin sandwich belongs to Janis. The top was made with two and a half inch strips all cut from Fat Quarters, no Jelly Roll here. On the left of the photo is my rather overflowing grey fabric department, there are a few trolleys full too! and complementing Jan's sandwich beautifully is the latest finished quilt by yours truly, in my Quilty Quarters.

This sandwich belongs to Cheryl Cheryl. The Tilda fabrics were a lovely gift of fat quarters, which sent Cheryl over to the Tilda website looking for inspiration, there is a lot to choose from, if that's your cuppa tea! She chose this free pattern which turned out so lovely with the pale blue Moda Grunge.

When the tables are set out like this, it's a perfect opportunity to use the space to help decide on a layout, possible border treatments, possible sashing fabrics. Christabelle took full advantage, boy is this a beautiful project! 

Whilst the tables were set out in situ, I decided to make a sandwich of my very own, daft not to really. I stayed after time to do it when the shop was closed, because I can! This is the link to the pattern it's called Grow Free, Wild Flowers, if you dare go looking, there's so much inspiration to tempt you. Lots especially to use up stash you already own, scraps and all. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Stitching News

Izzy Whizzy, I've been bizzy! (I know you don't spell Busy like that, it's for artistic purposes) I've had my brain picked almost to it's bones this week. It's amusing how people think I can help with so many things and gosh, what a lot of mathemisms I've done. I've shared a lot of 'let's fix it with a bit of fudging' top tips. Mistakes can easily become creative opportunities to be embraced.
My classroom, as usual, has lots of lovely projects taking shape, quilt shapes of course.

This belongs to Shirley. She's used lots of pins to get those blocks perfectly pieced. Pinwheel blocks are little devils in the centre, all those seams coming together! I think there will be a couple more borders added to make it larger. 

Gail's gifting quilt is fabulous and finished, all but a couple of threads to tie off. The teddy's are all extra tactile with faux trapunto, Gail likes stuffing her applique! We won't see the quilt again as it's off to it's new owner but we can still raise those trumpets to give a Toot toot toot fanfare. 

Christabelle is about to finish the last of these blocks. There are lots and they are all beautiful! The pattern is by Anna Maria Horner and uses reverse applique, Chris quilted her blocks individually and will be using the apartment joining method. 

Rose's workspace looks super organised doesn't it. Lot's of little pieces all labelled up. Rose found the first block ever so tricky, but she's getting the hang of it now and produced two more blocks during class.

Stitching News

Unfortunately, for one reason and another, our May retreat had to be postponed. It was disappointing to all that were going, obviously, but I'm happy to report that most of the ladies were able to book up mini breaks elsewhere.
Carol had a small brainwave and asked about the possibility of retreating in my very own shop? You know I love to give excellent customer service! I decided we could have a 'Cheat Retreat'.
Coming to class one morning, sew all day and a bit extra, with obligatory nattering and giggles. In the early evening, leaving all sewing paraphernalia in situ, we could go to a local restaurant for dinner then head home, happy. Come back the next day for another lovely, long sewing day. Two whole days of sewing with no need to cart your overnight bag full of clean knickers and no need to worry about the things you may have forgotten because we would be in my very own, lovely quilt shop, super handy!!
We did it, just a few of us, we actually had a lovely few days.
So now It's a thing, A Cheat Retreat will definitely be repeated.
A Repeat Cheat Retreat Treat... ha ha, it gets worse!

We had a normal class on Saturday, lots of projects are coming along nicely. Backings were stitched in preparation for Sandwich making, which are booked in for next Saturday because they are huge quilts and will likely need all the tables.

Deb stitched her binding on, both sides by machine, which more folk are tending to do these days, lack of time, sore fingers etc and it's so much more accept-a-bubble than it used to be now that we ignore the quilt police ha! We need those trumpets please. Deb's fabulous and finished quilt needs a Toot toot toot fanfare.

Cheryl had been gifted a pile of Kaffe fabrics. Mostly the same design in lots of colourways. She wasn't sure how to use them so we had a bit of a brainstorm thing and then, lick-etty-split, a new project was started. Eventually, other fabrics invited themselves to the Kaffe Churndash party and it's all looking very exciting.

Deb made this dog/puppy using her Elizabeth Hartman pattern. She wanted to make one block before committing to a larger quilt, a very sensible idea me thinks. Deb used fabrics to make it look like her very own pooch. Once it's quilted it will be made into a rather cute cushion with an invisibubble zip!

Quilty Quarters

I have another fabulous and finished quilt to show you.
Do you remember this beautiful quilt top? 

I made it at the sewing retreat at the end of November last year. 

I recently made a sandwich of it.

This is the Quilt Norma made and had had it professionally quilted by Amanda In Stone. I was very interested to see it had been quilted in Wavy Lines top to bottom. (though on a long arm machine I think they have to do it from side to side) I hadn't thought to do that design, genius? Super easy more like!

My quilting done. Crusts trimmed off, and it wasn't raining!

Obviously my wavy lines are much more organic than the computer driven ones, but that's absolutely fine by me. Done, as they say, is much better than perfect! It took 3 bobbins of thread and only a few hours to quilt. My sandwich had been very well pinned so I was able to quilt top to bottom, so I didn't even have any ends to tie off nor thread in, winner!

I rooted for a binding fabric, luckily I found one then decided to stitch it on by machine. Usually I hand stitch binding to the back but since acquiring the Juki UX8, I love doing it by machine with the zipper foot and the walking thing. I was a bit miffed to have to make a new bobbin just to sew this two inch bit. I prefer to win the Thread Chicken game!

By the time I had the quilt finished, and ready to snap pictures of it, the wind had picked up and started to play at silly things, flipping the quilt over at the last minute. 

It must have wanted you to see the backing!

The wind did this too, perfectly staged! Clever wind.

I'll take the quilt to my shop later, you can to pop in to see it. 

The colours are really lovely in real life.

Toot toot toot for me!

Stitching News

I hope you all had a good Bank Holiday weekend. My shop is open as normal now, until the next Bank Holiday at the end of May. My shop will be closed on Tuesday 28th May making a good long weekend for my very good self, just so you can plan ahead! My shop is closed on Monday's and Wednesdays anyway so it's only 1 extra day.

Julie made a sandwich. She had to make it twice actually as I cut the first wadding a bit too small! Shocking customer service really but we soon had it rectified when I cut a larger piece. We didn't notice it was a bit short as the first sandwich was made on smaller table space so it was hanging over the edge! 

Mary finished her Table Topper. With all the zebras standing up the right way which makes her very happy. Toot toot toot Mary, another fabulous and finished masterpiece.

Stitching News

I broke my run on blogging. It is, what it is!

I spent Monday afternoon in my shop, waiting for the Smart Meter guys to come to fit, yet another! smart meter. Did they rock up? Blooming no!!! I have stronger words but I won't shock you with those, ha!
While I was waiting, I cleaned stuff, nooks and crannies- fabric is a very dusty business. I stopped worrying about the dust a long time ago. I try hard to keep on top of it but it is truly impossi-bubble. I never charge extra for the fuzzie layer though! Seriously, I really try hard to keep on top of dust. I even cleaned the windows, thank goodness for Henry, bless him, he helps me a lot! 

I changed the quilts on display which always makes my shop look lovely. Fresh and floral this time.

Once all the cleaning and tidying in my shop had reached it's interesting-ness capacity, I decided to get this beautiful quilt top sandwiched. It took time a plenty, it's a large one! The photo was taken while I was up a ladder, had you guessed? It will be quilted soon.

Meanwhile, in class, I didn't get much opportunity to take photos. Shopping customers come into my lovely shop and I get distracted! The ladies in class pack up at the end of their day and all photo taking opportunities are missed/forgotten by my very good self. We have a lovely time all day and it's not until blog writing time that I see what I didn't do...Take pictures!

Luckily, I took one photo at the start of the day. 

This top belongs to Julie. She started it on Saturday with two Tilda Charm Packs from her fabric stash, there was another round of border strips added after the photo but, the top is finished! Julie has chosen her backing fabric already so there very well might be a Tilda Sandwich making session very soon.

Quilty Quarters

An excellent start to yesterday. A bit more Quilty water falling from the clouds that put pay to any outside chores and gardening. Quilty Quarters provided a few hours entertainment.  I love sewing with an audio book talking to me, such a relaxing way to spend time. Especially time I thought I would be 'choring'. So here you go.

 One more finished and rather fabulous Lap Quilt, sofa throw or wall hanging. It's just a display quilt for me. Hopefully to inspire folk. I changed threads for each colour as I quilted and, I hope you can see, I ran the coloured threads through the wide borders too. Originally I had decided that I would hand quilt with Big Stitch Quilting with number 8 Perle Cotton, in between the machine stitching, and I still might do that but I've already started something else now so that very well may not happen for a while. I am going to please my very own self on that one. For now though, with fabulous Faux Piped Binding, it is ready for tooting. 

I changed the bobbin thread colours so I have this rather splendid woven design on the back too. I am rather chuffed with the result and I will "WILL" be making a larger version in the future.

Once again The Libby Quilt pattern link

I made the Baby size and added the wide borders.

There is a typo in the cutting chart but it's just that you need to cut 3 squares to cut into 6 background triangles, no-one can make 6 triangles from 2 squares.  

Apart from that, it all went together very easily.

I'm getting my Juki Over Locker out today, I say fleetingly!!! I have a job to do for the little man's new bed.

Also there's a plan to pop over to my shop later on so that I can sandwich the retreat quilt. The backing has a very successful invisible seam/join and more quilty water will be falling from the clouds so I still can't garden chore.

Stitching News

I started the day with high expectations of snapping photos for my blog. There were many interesting quilts being worked on in class and lovely shopping customers brought their work to show and to get help with. But... they all came rolling in so fast, one or two in then two or three out, like a conveyor belt. Everyone gets excellent customer service, I might have mentioned that once or twice and before I knew it, class ladies had all packed up as it was way past closing time for my very own shop.
Deb, very kindly, unpacked her quilt so I could have at least one picture.

Deb actually pieced this quilt a long time ago. I love the borders. Neither of us can remember how we decided to make them like this. We both remember faffing about with the colours of the fabrics though. The centre is a 1 metre piece of Art Gallery Fabric that Deb wanted to keep whole. She'd been practicing her Free Motion Quilting on the hearts all day and was very satisfied with her improvement.

I found another picture in my phone. On Friday I chose the backing for my October 2023 retreat quilt The colours in this Art Gallery fabric are fabulous and co-ordinate perfectly with those I used for the top. I decided to pattern match the two x 2 metre pieces needed to get the size and yes, I know... all those blooming little triangles! It's all pinned ready for stitching, fingers crossed it all lines up today.

Stitching News

There's a bit of a Bunny thing going on in these here parts. Elizabeth Hartman Bunnies to be precise. Maybe it's true about how bunnies multiply, even if they are not real bunnies? The pattern has a few different sized creatures.

Meet Farmer Lynda, in her Sunday best! 

Lynda is making small bunny quilts, to be used as chair backs, she talks to her bunnies.

Meet Farmer Philip, I'm sure we heard Lynda talking to him. 

What a smart couple they are. I think They've been sandwiched by now, only in the quilting world can we get away with that statement!

Believe it or not, those little Saw Tooth Stars are only 4 inch blocks. Teeny-tiny for Di and look how accurate they are, pointy-points and all.

Di goes very dark when she's tackling a triangle, it's just fear! The star on the left is 16" square. Made on a recent retreat. There will also be a third block and it too will be made into a cushion, can you guess the design, Di is already shaking in her boots, ha!

Gail came to make a quick Teddy sandwich. We need it to rain now to keep Gail at the Juki getting the quilting done, not in the garden getting mucky! Baby is waiting for his gift me thinks.