PIP Camp day 2

A very rare thing happened ...
Milly was on time!
She was the first to arrive for day 2 of PIP camp.
Here she sits already working and wondering whetever happened!!!?

Here Catarina is working on her last Christmas tree bauble...

... all the blocks placed correctly ready to sew together, so it is almost finished!

Remember I told you that I made a lot of mess when I did the paper piecing... Catarina works the same way... what a mess!!

Milly at work with her paper piecing... number two bock..

Number three block.... and still smiling!!

Anabela joined us today, block one complete... 9 to go! She actually made 5 by the end of our day.

Ursula also finished her baubles, all in place and ready to sew together.....

... and finally, making adjustments and fiddling!...

Now with everything sewn it's time to remove all of the paper foundation. The only person I know who actually enjoys doing this part is my Mum... shame she wasn't on hand today as Ursula really didn't enjoy it!!

Everyone busy....





If everything runs to plan, there will be another two day PIP camp on Friday 15th & Saturday 16th of August. This time the theme will be UFO's. Time to work on any project you have waiting to be finished.

PIP Camp Day 1

Day 1 of our PIP (Patchwork in Portugal) Camp. We had a very quiet start to the day. Paper piecing needs a little concentration so no-one was talking. Once they got going though, all was well ... and fun but no sunshine just gloomy clouds all day.. very fitting for a Christmas project!!

Regina M. cutting strips....

Regina S., Ursula & Catarina cutting the tree green and background fabrics....
Regina M. sewing

Catarina and Milly ...




Ursula, the only one using none-traditional colours... they look great though...

Regina M. with her first bauble finished.

Jo hard at work.....
oooooops..... Jo unpicking the hard work.....


Catarina checking everything is in the right place!

Regina S.... it's starting to look like a christmas tree already...


Milly with her first bauble... only 9 to go!


Catarina....

Ursula's baubles... 6 done only 4 to go...











checking all is well....

Regina S. first bauble.... Regina M looking on...


Milly with lots of little bits... doesn't look anything like a tree yet... but it soon will!

Another PIP day today....

Mums Lace

My Mum sent me a photo of her latest project.

She says about it.....

"The pattern is called Fleur and again is a Biggins one. I tried several ways to do the stitch in the larger section nearer to the inside edge but wasn't too happy that I had done it right.

I took it to our lace group meeting and asked Maddy, the more experienced lacer, and she confirmed that I had done it right, so I was able to get on with it.

The stitch is '8 thread Armure - Binche' It is similar to the 'rose ground' in the other section nearer to the scalloped edge. The black looking dot is an uncovered pin hole, which is what got me thinking I had done it wrong. Usually all the pins are covered. This pattern uses 33 pairs and Finca 40's thread.

I haven't used this thread before but it feels nice and smooth to work with. As there are no more meetings until September, I'm afraid I have allowed myself to become side-tracked with other bits and pieces so there isn't a lot being done on the lace front.

I guess if you make lace, this seamingly foreign language will mean something to you....

I am a quilter...

and .... I'm sorry mummy, this went straignt over my head, and I read it several times!!!

I love it .. but I don't understand it at all...... tee hee

O Christmas Tree

I finished it, all quilted and bound and I shall make the label later... as usual.

I'm very pleased with this wall hanging.
I enjoyed quilting it... once I decided how. I keep trying to avoid meandering since we went to the Jenny Bowker "dance with your feed-dogs down" workshop in April. She said they were now 'old fashioned'... but I love the meandering, so I have decided to put it back in fashion, well, at least at my house anyway!!

I love the presents under the tree, I was smiling while i made those...

and this is the cutest bauble, in my opinion!

I hope the ladies at the PIP camp enjoy making their project as much as I have... even with the sun blazing down telling me "It's only July!!!"




We still have room for a few more at the camp if you are interested?

IWP Quilt Group

This is Therese Chunky Churndash quilt top. She bought the green and white fabric for the hourglass blocks but all of the other fabrics are scraps she bought from a lady who left, Therese was very happy to be able to use them up. Looks like Therese has started to design now, the borders look great with the addition of the bows.


Ursula finished sewing the binding on her Chunky Churndash quilt. She used a textured denim fabric for the hourglass blocks, it gives it a great scrappy look.


Jackie is making Japanese Kimono blocks with luscious fabrics, this is one of them.


Jackie also decided to make a kind of 'stained glass window' wall hanging. Also using rich fabrics that feel like silk. Here I am helping... well, actually, doing the cutting for her!

In these next pictures Jackie has placed each set of blocks on different coloured fabrics to audition for the sashing strips.

Yellow...?
White...?
or purple..?
She decided on the purple in the end.

This was Arabela's last morning with us for a whlie. She has gone home to Spain to have her little baby girl there. She made this special angel towel in preparation for her new little one.

Christmas Tree !!!!

On this beautiful, yet, very hot and sticky summers day in Portugal, what did I do???


I spent the day paper piecing Christmas Baubles!
Paper piecing is not my favourite method of patchwork, it has also got to be my most messy kind of project. I had bits everywhere, tiny fabric trimmings, threads and bits of paper....... they are trailed all through the house as they have all followed me to make each cup of tea and to answer the telephone.


Next week there is a PIP Quilt Camp and this is the project that we will make, Christmas is only 5 months away!

Birte's Kaleisoscope

Our Birte had to work hard over the last few days. Her kaleidoscope quilt was needed for a quilt exhibition and it hadn't been finished.
Finally the pictures arrived yesterday..
Birte came over to my house just before she left us last October (2007) and cut out all of the kaleidoscope pieces. So it has taken only 9 months from start to finish....


Good idea to use the fabric to guide the quilting....


It is lovely Birte, well done you!!

Quilt Class

It was a tranquil class today, lots of ladies have gone on holiday so we were few in number.

Rosario made her quilt sandwich, unfortunately she doesn't have a machine at home and doesn't fancy the idea of hand quilting so this one will take a while to finish. See the lovely fabric in her dress? very tempting!


This is Anita demonstrating how we cut with the rotary cutter to Ann ( I think that is her name), who spent the morning observing, she will be joining us for class next week. She is the first customer to come from the craft fair last week. She says she can't wait to get started!


Lucilia is showing Anita how to join strips for binding. I think it is so cool how each lady is very willing to help another. I was once told that as a quilter you will watch one, make one, and then teach one!...

Alda, in the background started to hand quilt her table runner... That didn't last long, she is going to quilt it on her sewing machine now!

I showed Lucilia how to make a lot of half square triangles at the same time today. The looked a little concerned with my method at first but once the squares were finished she was very impressed... as were the others watching it all happen!


Cristina made a surprise sandwich today,
here is the head of the surprise... all will be revieled soon....


Sofia got all her squares sewn together today, we made the template ready for her to cut it all up again... for the Square Dance quilt.