Cosy and warm
Well we all need a warm coat don't we! This is one I made for my neighbour's little companion and not only is the fabric fleecy but she has warm cotton wadding too! (and luckily I had the old cast-off coat as a pattern!)
Quick quilt – perfect for the Hampden Park Alzheimers Appeal
Here are two versions of the ultra quick and easy quilt that I've made for the appeal; both are now finished (quilted, bound and signed) and ready to be sent off. I was surprised by how addictive and pleasing it is to make quilts so quickly! If you want to have a go yourself the how-to will be up on the website on 5th April and the quilts are needed by end of May.
Decolourant, upcycling and a little bit of crazy
We had another superb filming day last Thursday (despite the rain!) and we were joined by Dee Paramour on behalf of Mulberry Silks who did a series of workshops using two new(ish) products called Decolourant and Decolourant Plus; these are products that take the colour out of fabric without distressing it and without any nasty noxious fumes. https://www.mulberrysilks.co.uk We were also visited by Steve Weekes who runs the upcycling company in Wiltshire called Texworks and she showed us to make turn a shrunked jumper into a wonderful, warm hat (which I should have bought 'cos I love it!) for more information about her and her workshops/vintage shop go to https://www.texworks.co.uk and as well as layering, quilting and binding Your First Sampler Quilt there was a bit of crazy - in patchwork form of course.
Not considered to be art!!!
Amanda Richardson creates pictures by using fused applique as a technique having first dyed her fabrics. She was featured recently on the BBC programme 'Show me the Monet' and her work was not considered to be art and therefore not eligible to be hung at the Mall Galleries -the judges felt it was craft Here is an example of her work and here is the link to her website What do you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What to watch in March 2013
This will be a busy month as there are 5 Friday’s so lots to see and be inspired by: Inspiration from the Embroiderer's Guild We start the month off with enjoying a quilt made by members of the Embroiderer’s Guild entitled ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ with Jo Bostock Workshops to Enjoy and a workshop with another Jo - Jo Gourlay – sharing with us how to create a delightful cushion for the house and/or garden using recycled fabrics and being inspired by the fabric itself. This is a great project for the younger sewers to try as well as it uses fused applique and some simple embroidery stitches.
What do you do when the Rugby is on?
Having taught all day on Saturday up at Bee Crafty I was desperate to get to my own sewing machine and the Rugby 6-Nations is a perfect opportunity in my house for me not to be missed! I took a few moments in the afternoon to make these two quilt tops for the Alzheimers' Charity fundraiser - check out our blog about it ; Hampden Park and you can download the patterns FOR FREE.
Oscar Night for the Royal School of Needlework
Royal School of Needlework hand embroiders the 2013 Red Carpet Green
Dress worn at last night’s Oscar ceremony by British actress Naomie Harris A team of 22 embroiderers at the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) have added a unique sustainable twist to this year’s Red Carpet Green Dress
worn by Skyfall’s Naomie Harris. Using a selection of vintage gold threads,
beads and sequins, the world’s experts in hand embroidery have helped to
create a stunning and sustainable red carpet dress.
Saturday Log Cabin at Bee Crafty
Had a really lovely day sharing how to make Log Cabin blocks the 'quilt in a day' method with ladies in a class up at Bee Crafty in Huntingdon; the number of blocks varied from 9 to 24. Great day and we all dashed home to beat the snow! PS: Madelaine has now finished hers and it's ready for quilting:
Textiles in Focus weekend
Filming last Sunday at the Textiles in Focus event in Cottenham, Cambs was a big success. We met up with lots of wonderful traders – including Myfanwy Hart, and Jamie from Colouricious – and we also filmed content from some wonderful demonstrators, including Lynda Monk using Lutradur; Fran Rose showing us a great idea for beading and bags (and a copy of her book is in the shopping pages - Fran's Little Bags) and Pauline Verrinder (the organiser) who was demonstrating how to make 3D leaves for us and will be teaching at Cottenham Village Summer School.
For all you knitters out there!
At the Textiles in Focus show there is a lady who is spinning yarn for use on jumbo needles Outward Images - and I mean jumbo: fancy a set myself to try knitting up maybe some of my scrap strips of fabric BUT check out Rachel John and her extreme knitting: on Youtube: Rachel John, Extreme Knitting, 1000 Strand Knit
Hampden Park Alzheimer Quilt Project
How would you like to be part of a huge worldwide project for quilters? Ann’s latest project calls for quilts to be donated to the Hampden Park Quilt Project, taking place around May 2013.
5,000 quilts of 40” square (or close) are needed to cover Scotland’s international football pitch at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Aerial photographs will be taken and sold.
Foundation Piecing with the Ladies from Southampton Quilters
Despite being a technique class the ladies got lots of blocks done - and here is a selection of them - they look good put together!
What to Watch in February 2013
We start the month off with yet more inspiration from the Hope Quilters’Exhibition ; this is the final part of our wander round their exhibition with Sylvia Critcher acting as guide and hostess. We enjoy work that is complicated such as Baltimore just as much as the use of simple panels that we can all be tempted into purchasing when at a show! Sylvia's group also have a wide variety of talents making small items - just you see.
Grosvenor Quilt Show -South of England Showground, Ardingly
Despite the threat of snow (and/or flooding) the show at Ardingly (near Gatwick Airport) was well attended; there were great quilts, a variety of traders and the electricity stayed on! I helped out on the Creative Quilting stand and we were certainly kept busy – lovely to say ‘hi’ to so many of you too. I managed to do some personal shopping (fabric of course!
Another great filming day with Jennie and Valerie
Before the whole of the UK seemed to be shut through snow Jennie and I managed to get together with Dave and Matt for a most productive day in front of the camera's. There were cats, chickens, hexagons, patriotic red, white and blue, a serger, some crazy - and that's just from Jennie !!!!! Valerie managed some recycling (of men's shirts), a trip to a cafe and some grandmother's fan handwork as well as this delightful Caddy Pad - which is a travelling tote for your iron with some heat resistant fabric so it doubles up as an ironing pad.
We love it that you love it
I love it ! not much more to say except that it is all so much better than the majority of the American Quilting Sites, and your new inovations are GREAT ! Gillian