Simply E-Z wth Jennie Rayment
Spent the day working with Jennie - I was the quilt slave! - and she the presenter working on a series of 'how to use' videos for the E-Z company/Simplicity. Had a very full and productive day and if you want to learn more about why we are looking through the cut-out heart - you'll need to keep watching!
Terial Magic Spray
So what's all the magic about? This product has been flying off our shelves so I decided to have a look and see why. Terial Magic is a spray on fabric stabilizer that washes out of your garment, quilt or art after it's finished; - it stablizes the fabric so that you can use it a little bit like paper - so cutting out shapes such as feathers or petals to create designs with your fabric scraps becomes very easy - how about giving this idea a try (pic taken from issue 41 of Homemaker); Terial Magic Spray: - has been created to prevent the fabric from fraying for 3D textile art - Stabilizes fabric ready for embroidery - even stretchy fabrics and then just washes out.
Stripey with Jennie Rayment
Another fantastic filming day with Jennie; Here is the delightful quilt that she is going to share with us and which will be run as a series - probably two rows a month (still to work out the details!) . The quilt is made from a selection of 36 x Fat 1/4m's which we will be able to offer you AND there is enough fabric left over to create the backing and do the binding - so excellent value; PLUS we will be offering you the opportunity of trying a new 80/20 wadding (well new to us and we love it!) We hope to have the Promo film up soon so keep watching!!
Disappearing Double 9 Patch
With yet more rugby on over the weekend (and more rain!) I thought it would be fun to try my own version of Jennie's Disappearing Double 9 Patch - well here it is; Very enjoyable and with the finished blocks being approx 20" square, you can make a quilt in no time flat! Might give it another go with different fabrics - need to rummage in the cupboard!
Valerie’s Crazy addiction
I just don't seem to be able to help myself - the bundles of fabric just keep talking to me and the quilt is so quick!! So here is another made with the new delivery of Michael Miller Fabrics 'Into the Deep' This quilt used 6 x Fat 1/'4s plus 1/2m for the border and can be found at Creative Quilting.
New Year – New Ideas
Spent a great day yesterday down in Emsworth with Jennie Rayment catching up on what she's been up to (busy lady!) and planning some great projects for 2016 -including one that we will be rolling out over a series a weeks to keep you interested - so keep watching. Here are a few of the projects that I managed to finish over the holidays and which will be winging their way to Momentum - the charity that supports children with life limiting illnesses, and their families, and is based in Kingston-upon-Thames.
Christmas Wreath idea from Paula Doyle
Don't you just love it when a simple idea works - this wreath is so simple and easy, and anyone can do it - so get the whole family involved! It's a no-sew project which uses up lots of plain fabric, plus a pinking blade for the rotary cutter and some tacky glue. click here for the pdf instructions: Thank you so much Paula for sharing Happy Christmas
Busy filming week
Well we were out and about this week to get some great stuff for you to view early in the 2016! We started off at Henley on Thames filming the textile exhibition Structures which Kate Findlay organised, and which was sponsored by Lady Sew & Sew (who are also based in Henley). Kate was our hostess for the day so we got some great insight into the pieces that were on display. AND we got to see her Hadron Collider Quilts again - so that was a lovely bonus.
Same pattern different quilts.
One of the enduring joys of patchwork I think is that the same pattern, using different fabrics ends up creating such a different quilt and I wanted to share with you my latest favourite scrap quilt. Here it is made up three times and just how different can they be! Their destination is the charity Momentum (based in Kingston upon Thames) who look after and suppport children with life limiting illnesses and their families, and also to St.George's children's ward (where one my students is the nurse in charge!) My thanks to Lynne Goldsworthy for the original pattern which is featured in the Sept/Oct 2015 issue of Quilting for You entitled Sherwood Forest - I did make one quilt using her instructions and then rescaled for the three above down to a 6" block.
How NOT to make half-square triangle units.
As someone who thinks the rotary cutter is the best bit of kit ever invented for patchworkers, I am open to any idea that is quick and easy. BUT that doesn't mean throwing caution to the wind and the current trend flooding the internet to completely ignore the grain of the fabric when making quilts, fills me with horror (and I know lots of quilts that will be horrific too!) The current issue of Love Patchwork & Quilting shows a stunning quilt on the cover designed by Amanda Castor, but when looking at the making instructions all the half-square triangle are off-grain, and then the blocks are set on point, and then the edges are cut - for a beginner this is a nightmare scenario and if you haven't someone to ask, you will wonder why everything goes wobbly when you try to quilt it - and applying spray starch is not the answer.
Quilt by Karen Nicol in the Habby Dept of Liberty’s London
Karen Nicol (one of our contributors) has a quilt now hanging up in Liberty's which you can all go and see; it's in the haberdashery dept. Here are some pics and more info: To celebrate their 140th anniversary, Liberty's chose Karen ,Lou Gardiner, Amanda Fatherazi, the Shoreditch Sisters and the Darlings to each produce a quilt. The shop was built from the wood of two ships so the theme for the quilts had to be sailors tattoos...brilliant!
Forgotten Heros?
Many of us make quilts for our military hero's but one of our viewers, Dr Jacqueline Jeynes written an amazing book entitled 'Forgotten Pensioners of War; FEPOW's and their stories'; she was inspired to write this by her own father The book is a testament to everyone affected by the long, savage imprisonment of our military personnel in the Far East 1941-45, many of them like my father, just teenagers.
New Video Layout
We have recently upgraded and improved our video system on the website, as some of the eagle eyed amongst you may have spotted. It will also help those of you who may have recently experienced difficulties seeing the videos, caused by browser updates. For those of you unsure about the new controls, here's a picture to help you, but if you still need help just click here to contact Juliet with your queries.
To try to keep you in touch
Here is a lovely comment from one of our viewers: Hi, as a member of this brilliant club , I would love to win this month's giveaway prize Thank you so much for your hard work, it is much appreciated. It keeps us in touch with the quilting world.
Kind Regards
Carol and it is what we aim to do - So keep watching for more from Jennie, Angela Daymond, Paula Doyle and myself as we share new workshops and some of our favourite things.
To mark or not to mark- that is often the question
We are talking about quilting here; and I have always thought that if I can avoid adding any marking lines to my quilt that's the best option - nothing to remove and therefore worry about. However in today's world and if, like me, you can't draw, then marking can become necessary and there are many marking pencils and pens and chalks on the market for us to choose from - the latest of which are the Frixion Pens.
Festival of Quilting 2015
Back home, exhausted but happy after five full days at Festival helping Isa at Creative Quilting on H17 ; always great to catch up with everyone and everything and see so many wonderful quilts - and not all of them entered into the competition - there is always so much inspiration on the stands too. Sadly I failed to take a camera that had any power (!) but that didn't stop me shopping both for myself (threads and fabric) and for Justhands-on.tv !!- so keep an eye on the shop for LOTS of new products from lots of our contributors, which include Angela Daymond; Janet Clare; Lina Patchwork; Lorna Bateman; the return of Mandy Shaw and a lovely new pattern from Kjersti Smith featuring Dinosaurs.