Blog

The sewing of an accurate seam allowance is very important in patchwork; the standard is ¼” and several sewing machine manufacturers have made special feet to help this. However, if you don’t have one of these, don’t despair, this video shows you how to set your machine to do this.www.justhands-on.tv/videos/1/

Val:  If you have forgotten your password, you can ask the computer software to issue you with another one and in return you will get a series of letters and numbers, which are impossible to remember!!   However, once you have logged in you can find a 'Change my Password' option at the top righthand side of your screen under the Members tab;  so you can then type in something  you can remember and is also easy to type!

Jennie: An amazing day on Wednesday - Valerie and I went to the Royal School of Needlework. This is hidden away in a dark part of Hampton Court Palace behind a secret door - all very special. We were allowed to enter these hallowed walls and film the studio and classrooms - a real treat. And and and ............ then we went to the Sunbury Millenium Embroidery - an enormous embroidered wall-hanging made by approx 120 local ladies - a truly superb piece of work plus we got to see Hapticart - more about that later.

Val: We so enjoyed filming in Annette's house;  she shared with us her love of all things magic - fairy shoes, whimsycal pictures, felt balls and her amazing trick for transferring images onto fabric just on her kitchen table - a must-see for all you mixed media fans and its now up-and-running in the workshop section of the site.

Val:  what a fantastic show!  Such a wide variety of  traders with amazing products (and quilts) - workshops and truely amazing quilts - traditional/modern, artistic and creative, creations ranging from lingerie to vases, clothing to boxes.   There was a wonderful showcase from the young graduates which is reassuring as it means that our passion will be continued. The boys from Bizview.tv joined Jennie and I on the Sunday and we managed to get interviews to Gail Lawther and her husband Chris;  Philippa Naylor, Karin Hellaby, Paula Doyle, SAQA, toured the Hanging Together exhibition and took shots of the quilts themselves.

Jennie: Am still in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA  at World Quilt show. Nice show with good range of classes, vendors and quilts to die for. As I was on the judging team, I had a chance for a real good look at the quilts. Lots of fabric painting and raw edged applique often covered in a fine net. Hand work is almost nonexistent although there were one or two whole cloth quilts beautifully done.

Jennie: I would never have thought that a week could go by and me not prattle on the blog! Tempus certainly fugits when you don't look. Had fab day yesterday as filmed Mandy Shaw doing some amazing Christmas stuff from dolls to other delights and then went to see Kim Thittichai who did hot stuff with Hot Spots - Wow - am I going to have twinkles and sparkly bits and not necessarily on my lizards either - you will have to hang on for that salient titbit (or is it tidbit?) until the film comes out!

Jennie: Film crew went to Minerva Arts Centre in Llandidloes, Powys – fantastic collection of ancient and modern quilts. Just you wait until you see the quilt with 12,000 3/4 inch hexagons made by a 9 year old boy!!! Also the complete contrast with four very contemporary Welsh quilters. Then off to see very special charity quilt made by 49 ladies in Crickhowell. Wow what a qult - each section tells of the journey through a landscape either your inner toughts and feelings or a real landscape that inspires you.

In the beginning - Summer 2008: Valerie Nesbit (from Creative Quilting, Hampton Court, Surrey) dreams of creating a TV based web site devoted to Textile Arts. Jennie Rayment, nips and tucks, prattles and teaches internationally in her own little calico heaven August 2008: Seeds planted
Valerie finds a film crew and goes to Festival of Quilts, Quilt Museum in York and records workshops with several well known quilters.