Quilt Class

Not many ladies came to class today. Portugal is having a small issue with running out of fuel, so I guess most people couldn't make it.

Ines has finished her sampler blocks now and managed to sew them all together. She hung it to get the full and stunning effect.
This quilt will have a rich purple fabric for the inner border then a wide white border quilted "with the feed-dogs down!" ... this is going to be so cool!

Sofia worked on quilting the borders with a great, free hand zig-zag design. It will have two lines when it is finished, one yellow and the other orange.
Miss Noemia took the teachers position today. She showed the ladies how to make blocks for the quilt you see in the photograph on the table. I made it and called mine "Hand Dyed Windows". This pattern was originally from Keepsake quilting and was called "Purple Passion"

I think some ladies will make this design as their next project, it is so easy.... once you know how!

Arco Iris A Metro

I just received this photograph of the fabrics on special offer this week. Paula is selling them for only €4.00 per metre, while stocks last!!!

My Mum's Lace

This is Mum's Lace doily now completed with the centre fabric sewn in place.

And this is the project that I have been showing you as it progressed. Mum is just approaching the end of the square edging.

Hand Dyed Rainbows

What a fabulous way to spend a sunny Sunday!

Ursula, Anabela and Paula came over to dye fabrics. The sun was shining and the wind was perfect and refreshing.
Ursula working, you can see her pretty pots of colours under the table while she is being photographed by Paula for her blog.



Paula making the dye mixture, she had her son to help her today.
Anabela shouted "I have green!"
Even though we know we will get the full rainbow in the end, we still have lovely surprises when they happen!




Rinsing the fabrics is a bit tough on the body... but, it has to be done and lots of 'oooohs' and 'ahhhhs' as the fabrics are revieled certainly help the aches and pains... "bottoms up ladies!!"

Finally, with all the fabrics drying in the breeze, we wash all the plastic pots and buckets, still talking and laughing, so it couldn't have been too bad....

Quilt Class

Yesterday was another very busy day at Paula's. I almost forgot to take any photographs!!
We had 3 new ladies join us.
In red is Paula, she is learning hand piecing and so was making templates for the blocks. Cristina used her sewing machine to make her Rail Fence cushion cover.
Magda will also be hand piecing but I didn't get a photo of her..




Sara is putting the final border on her Rail Fence table runner. Next time she will bring the backing fabric and we can make the sandwich so that she can get it quilted.

Dorila decided to start a project with Christmas colours. Her table runner hasn't been quilted yet because her walking foot hasn't arrived.

This photo was taken at the end of class... The ladies bought so many different fabrics and there hadn't been a free moment to replace the bolts..... Paula was slowly disappearing behind the fabric piles!




Anabela decided to do her bit to help, the problem is that when you are putting the bolts away, some fabrics just want to go home with you..... so she stayed a while to have a few metres cut!!

All Day Sewing

How much fun are we allowed to have in one day?

Lots and lots is the answer.

We did a little bit of sewing at the beginning of our day, then we had to stop for few minutes... here you see us eating Garen's Birthday Cheesecake made by Trudi... it was delicious, this photo is not staged at all, we were really standing in the kitchen exactly as you see here.. very funny!

In these next three pictures we are hard at work at various stages in the day. Everyone was working on their own project today, it was a hive of industry. My home was transformed for the day.

This is Ann working on her Irish Chain, Arabela working on her Chunky Churndash quilt and Irene is cutting fabrics for her log Cabin project

Ursula

Susan

Milly

Jutta

Arabella

Arabella again, showing her baby girl and her Chunky Churndash

Jutta's Log Cabin Quilt

Susan with her Stained Glass Window Quilt

These are Therese's Chunky Chundash blocks all ready to be sewn together, Therese worked hard today!

Quilt Class

Lots of ladies at Quilt Class today. Three ladies were sewing by hand, not all from choice though.
This is Paula, she is sewing appliqué details onto the top of her quilt, I think it is a mini Bargello quilt.

Sofia had her Log Cabin quilt already in a sandwich, so today she was able to start quilting. She wanted to have sunshine shapes and really wanted to try something different. This is the design that we came up with. It was done sort of "free hand" using the walking foot. Sofia drew a circle in the middle of the block to get started then freely quilted the rays of sun... I think it looks fabulous!

Here you can see Rosario, she has her Rail Fence blocks finished and here is piecing them into rows. She has chosen Christmas fabrics for her project... good thinking!

This is Silena, today she finished putting the borders on this top and will get everything ready for quilting at home. Sofia is going to help her make the sandwich ....and maybe even teach her machine quilting?? And this happy group were chattering away all morning as they worked on their projects!

Birte's Quilts

Recently we had fun on our two day quilt camp. Birte couldn't join us as she now lives in another country... but this didn't stop her joining us.... in spirit.
Here is the Chunky Churndash made during Birte's "Virtual" Quilt Camp.



This lovely bright baby quilt is also one of Birte's
accomplishments. This one, says Birte, had to be finished in time as the baby should be born next week.