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From Lyn - thank you - and so pleased that you enjoyed the idea shared with us by Paula Doyle.

Steve Weekes is a very talented lady and turns cast-offs into new useful items of beauty:   here is her latest creation out of old leather boots!  

Val: Booked by Dave this proved to be stocked with fascinating information.   Not only was it 10 minutes from our filming venue (Bee Crafty in Ellington, Cambs) but  there was/is a connection with John Hedgecoe - a famous photographer - but also with Lucy Boston and her quilts/home in Cambridgeshire. The house also has a history of being part of an old prison that was on that site.

Dave and Matt will be doing all the important stuff today but we have plans to wander round the shop and find out just how much crafty stuff Julie and Sarah can hold.   We will also be meeting up with some great tutors:  Gina Ferrari, Jill Adamson and Tanyia Haines - so we will be covering beading, free motion textile embroidery, twisted bargello at least.

Many of you will have seen the  adverts for a new magazine that is persuading you (or trying to) make a patchwork quilt in what looks like 6" squares monthly over a LONG period of time.   Some bright spark has worked out that despite the cheap introductory copy the whole quilt will cost you £354 (yes you do get fabric in that price but even so!)  A spokesperson for the magazine says that they offer excellent advice -  well I think we do much better so with our many valued and high quality teachers from the UK sharing their expertise - and all for just £60 a year - GREAT VALUE I think;   Jennie and I hope you agree.

This 3 day textile fair is organised specifically for those with a passion for stitched embellished and constructed textiles;   the show is held at the Cottenham Village Accademy (was College) postcode CB24 8UA;  exhibitions, workshops, demonstrators, talk by Jennie Rayment, and we will be there with the Justhands-on.tv stand and goodies too.   Hope to see you there - we really enjoyed it last year.

The winners of the ‘Be a Star’ competition who won a Janome TXL607 machine, the  Satchel of Aurifil Threads and the bundle of books have all been notified; many thanks to all of you who made blocks for the charity/competition draw and sorry you didn’t win.    The blocks will be put to good use in being made up into quilts for ‘Momentum’ ; again more of than later as the quilts progress; we had over 150 entries(!) We are still happy to receive star blocks for the quilts - just send them to Oakwick, 113 Nashgrove Lane Finchampstead, Berks RG40 4HG and we will turn them into quilts.

Val will be helping out on the Creative Quilting stand at the Spring Quilt Festival, South of England Showground, Ardingly run by Grosvenor Shows (27th-29th Jan) . For more details visit their website www.grosvenorshows.co.uk where you will get details of ALL their shows AND the new one scheduled for 18-20 October in Maidstone, Kent. So come and say ‘hi’

Val:   I had a wonderful few hours earlier last week (before we got engulfed in snow) at this exhibition:   There is also good shopping in the area! The Foundling Museum is located in central London, in Brunswick Square, and is currently hosting an exhibition called Threads of Feeling. This is an exhibition of the mid 18th century textile swatches preserved in the records of the London’s Foundling Hospital.

Val: We had a great filming day yesterday when Dave, Matt and I were joined by Dawn Cameron-Dick who told us more about her great new book ‘The Pocket Tutor’ and we also filmed a great workshop on her Snuggle Quilt pattern – perfect for groups to swap fabrics as well as using up your own fabric stash – so look out for those in the new year.

Pattern from Carolyn Forster Surrounded by good friends at a great hotel (so food and drink appear at regular intervals) and all we have to do is sew - what bliss. Such a great idea and here is what I managed to achieve so far (Kaleidoscope Hexagon pattern by Carolyn Forster); am also working on making an alternative version of our Block of the Month Rosebud Fayre quilt – Jennie and I made so many samples for the camera that I couldn’t allow them to go to waste – picture will have to follow as camera now has flat battery (forgot the charger!);   Dunford House Quilt Retreat Can’t recommend a getaway highly enough – why not think about joining us all at Midhurst in July; here is the link for more details https://www.justhands-on.tv/small-ads/54/scrap-happy-quilts--pieceful-projects/ (and if you just want to sit in a corner and sew our own thing let us know – you would be VERY welcome too)

This is another of the initiatives run by the Quilters Guild to make pennants for the athletes. The project has currently received pennants showing nearly all the textile mediums you can think of by people from 2 to 92. While several thousand pennants have already been received a HUGE number are still needed but time is running out – they have to be in by the end of the year – do get sewing.

This was a lovely event and we had a great time – met lots of friends; lots of members; saw lovely quilts; bought fabric – what more does one want?!?