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Whether you're watching it or avoiding it, you can't fail to have noticed that the 2018 Football World Cup is on at the moment. But, have you seen the BBC's trailers and opening sequence to its programmes? It is in fact a one-minute 'embroidered' animation made from over 600 individual stitched frames. Who'd have thought football could be so interesting!

What a lovely surprise this exhibition was;  a mixture of music, flowers and quilts, raising money for the RNLI and held in St Mary Magdalene Church and Hall, Church Lane, New Milton BH25 6QL. Don't you just love the car!   There was a concert on Friday 29th by Nova Foresta Classical Players and Saturday included "The Friday Girls" You can see more and keep an eye on future exhibitions by checking out their webpage - Rectory Quilters Events

Kate Cropper in St Mary’s Church, Wotton-under-Edge, with some of the knitted, crocheted and stitched poppies.   The plan to cover the tower of St Mary’s Church in Wotton-under-Edge with poppies has received a world-wide boost following our appeal to the justhands-on.tv Community. The 47-metre high tower of the Gloucestershire church will be covered with all manner of crafted poppies in November to mark the end of the First World War.

We are fully behind the drive to cover the bell tower of St.Mary's church, Wootton-under-edge, with poppies - and here Valerie hands over a few felt versions - jumbo size!   You can learn more by clicking here and maybe knit your own versions.

Brilliant day filming - despite the damp English weather;  we got to see the Jane Austen Coverlet which was sewn by Jane and her mother and sister and they used the EPP method; the Community sewing Project organised by Lucy Bailey, (that Valerie and she are standing in front of)  reimagines the Jane Austen quilt and commemorates her life and legacy,  and the Admiral's Quilt was created with the EPP blocks left over and is on the approppriate bed in the house, is quite stunning.

I just loved this range of fabrics - they are so jolly - and in both colourways;  so  inspired by the cushion pattern from Lynne Goldsworthy - click here for the workshop - I worked on creating a fun quilt (wip)   With my leftovers I quickly took my 40minute quilt idea to create this little charity quilt for a youngster (still to be quilted but now layered!)     There is a bigger pink version too!

With Gail Penberthy at the helm, our group of ladies enjoyed two days of sewing in first class surroundings (and the snow didn't bother us a bit!);   firstly coming to grips with the Table centre, and then moving on to creating Hedgepigs with folded fabrics. There was shopping too from Gail, from the Justhands-on.tv box of supplies and fabric and other essentials supplied by Creative Quilting.

Retails for £2,199! justhands-on.tv and Janome offer you the chance to win the popular Janome MC9400QCP. The MC9400QCP is the latest longarm model providing both speed ( up to 1,060 spm ) and precision ( 91 needle positions ) for perfect sewing results. It’s also the biggest longarm model Janome has ever produced.  Click here for more details. It’s worth £2,199 and could be yours - - for FREE.

We had a lovely day meeting up with Sarah, who is a knitter who also loves to crochet, but as she is left handed has had to teach herself.  Well, if you are left handed, you are in for a treat, as Sarah shares her crochet knowledge with you .   We also got a quick peak at the new Janome MC9400QCP (well Val turned the lights on for you and shows you what a big throat it has!) and we filmed some new workshops too from Valerie with lovely Alison Glass fabrics - so keep watching.

Dining room takeover by the loan machine!     Very exciting - will be taking it with us to the Cotswold Water Park event at the weekend i.e. 17/18th March - so if you want to come along and have a play, which will entitle you to enter to win one of your own here is the address: De Vere Cotswold Water Park, Lake 6, Spine Road East, South Cerney, GL7 5FP just along the M4 close to Swindon.

Cover St. Mary’s Church bell tower in poppies St. Mary’s Church in Wotton-under Edge are planning to cover the Bell Tower in poppies by the 11th of November to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. All poppies are welcomed - Knitted, Crocheted, Felt and Fabric. Click here for details "Knitting a Remembrance Poppy" workshop available for FREE The justhands-on.tv team are very keen to support this project.  So, we are making the full length workshop on “Knitting a Remembrance Poppy” by Rosee Woodland available for FREE for the next 8 months.

There is a free download pattern for this range, and Valerie will be sharing a workshop with you all at the end of the month, but this great range of fabrics also looks good when used on another pattern from the Makower stable, that caught Valerie's eye; (and just had to make one!)     designed by Lynne Goldsworthy originally to be used with the Into the Woods fabrics; It  is a free download from Makower - just click here.

A selection of quilts - various shapes and sizes - made by Valerie and her quilting friends and students were delivered to Momentum in Kingston upon Thames this week. Valerie and her quilting network have been supporting this charity for several years through their quilt making and to learn more about the wonderful work done by Momentum  - click here

    this is the quilt top that Val was cutting out in the video, which we have shared as part of our Throwback Thursday programme.

As it says- Valerie's work in progress - workshop using this range of fabics designed by Makower, is coming up in March -   full/ free downloadable pattern - click here.