Quilty Quarters

Has anyone tried to make this Clam Bake cushion from the Quilt Lovely book? It's written as a hand piecing project, which would be much easier I guess, more control etc. 

My hands don't get on well with hand piecing really, not to mention my brain! I prefer sewing machine stitching and it does state in the book that that should be easy enough. Well, I got a bit fed up of piecing all the tiny curved bits and unpicking to re-sew, so I decided to do applique, because I can please my very own self!

I just love "Sticky Stuff" applique!

I have no idea how piecing from one corner and up diagonally (as the book says) will work. I couldn't get my brain around that with the Clam Shell shapes all needing to be placed over each other? So, I pleased my very own self again and started at the top with a piece of Art Gallery fabric so I didn't need to make perfect shapes at the top. I'm rather chuffed with it so far. I will do the applique stitching on the next retreat, I think! I can't wait to get it done so, maybe I'll just make another!

All the quilting and embellishing is finished on my Angel Wall hanging. Trimmed up and waiting for me to decide on the binding fabric. I might save that for my next retreat.

She is cute!!

Please remember that my shop will be closed for a whole week at the end of May.

The last day my shop will be open for you is Saturday 23rd May then I will be away until Tuesday 2nd of June.

It's time to pay for your place on the coach trip Pilgrimage on Sunday 2nd August please.

After the Quilt Show my shop will be closed until Tuesday 11th August. 

I have so much fun planned during 2026. 

Even more for 2027! 

I'm practicing for retirement!

Stitching News

 As I have a little time, there is news to share...

Norma fetched her quilt back from the Long Arm Quilting lady, Amanda in Stone. She's very pleased with it. We were wondering how Amanda made the quilt larger though. Norma is sure it wasn't this large when she took it in, ha ha ha. During her class, Norma made the binding and got it stitched on ready for hand sewing at home. It's not quite Toot ready but I doubt we will see this quilt again. Well done Norma, it's fabulous and almost finished!

Gail decided that she really didn't want to make any more pieced 'daizies' for her quilt borders. I had received a new fabric delivery just a few days earlier and one was perfect, little daisies in pinks and peachy colours, exactly fitting the brief for this gifting quilt. I must have known Gail would need it!

Christabelle has been very busy with her embellishing stitchery. There are so many tiny details on this project, little seed stitches and french knots and lots of tiny running stitches. They are the only stitch names I know!! It is a beautiful design.

Bev had purchased this Tilda Windflower Quilt Kit during the Covid Lock-down, as so many people did. It says the difficulty level is 3, their maximum. Bev thought to herself, how hard can it be? Now she knows, it is VERY tricky, especially as she had never tried any patchwork piecing,ever! After making a few easier projects, she tackled it. She's done really well too, as you can see. The pattern says to trim off the excess units to make a level edge but Bev didn't want to, so we are working on an alternative finish for the borders, which will look great.

During a quilting retreat back in February, we were each given a Fat Quarter and were challenged to make something with it or, at least to use some of it, for the next retreat. I know some people will like this boot fabric, but I DO NOT.  It's not easy for me to think of something to make with fabric I really don't like, knowing I am not going to use the 'thing' afterwards. I decided to make a sewing machine foot control (pedal) bag!!! It's all about the feet! I'll be gifting this back to the retreat organizer and he will have to use it as it's a gift it would be rude not to, ha! That'll teach him to give me ugly fabric, ha ha ha

My Angel wall hanging is coming along nicely. I've done all the hand stitchery. The face, legs, some stringy bits for the baubles and a few stars, nothing too fancy, etc and started on the quilting. I'm hoping the long bank holiday weekend will be enough to get this finished.

The coach for Our Pilgrimage to Festival Of Quilts is filling up nicely. If you reserved a seat to join us, it's time to pay please. £40.00 includes your return journey and entrance ticket to the Quilt Show. I still have plenty of spaces too. Picking up in Leek, Cheadle and Uttoxeter en-route

Picture is from T'Interweb. 

Our coach will be a very chic, rich red and, hopefully, a tad more modern!!