About Sallieann
The first thing Sallieann ever made was a cotton bikini top from her mums cast off work when she was 9!
After leaving school Sallieann flitted from “number” based jobs in insurance, banking, and tax (she wasn’t bad with numbers!). She married in the 80s and had two boys in the 90s. Then, the big change in her life came in 2000 when we moved to the USA for a three-year period so that her hubby could work on a military base.
It was there in New Bern, North Carolina that Sallieann found her very first Patchwork and Quilting Store. She walked in and was totally bowled over and knew this is what she needed in her life! She started with classes, mentoring from the incredible Shelly May of the “Raspberry Rabbits,” then some teaching, and by the time she left the USA, Sallieann was a prize-winning exhibitor!
When Sallieann and family moved back to the UK, she taught private Patchwork & Quilting, classes, as well as little gigs here and there for John Lewis and the American Museum in Bath. By 2016, she was designing for magazines, exhibiting more widely and started to work with Denman WI College teaching residential courses.
In 2018, Sallieann joined Sewing Quarter TV. One of the things that she loved about the Sewing Quarter was the genuine sense of community with the channel and feedback on the fan page, adding: “when people posted pictures of what they made following one of my shows, or what they made from my pattern, I can’t help but do a ‘Happy dance’!!”
Sallieann enjoys traditional quilting techniques and has won several quilt show awards both in the UK and USA.
Signature Technique
Felted wool appliqué on a sewing machine using speciality threads
Top Tips
- Run dental floss through your machine to get wool fluff out.
- To get a “touchy feely” vintage effect dip and tea dye the piece then tumble dry.
- Unpick seams with a Wahl trimmer. Works like a charm!
Videos
Patterns
Posts
Zig Zag Table runner
You may have watched Anne Baxter's workshop for a Zig Zag Table runner, which Anne creates cleverly using rectangular blocks, and simple strip piecing and without using triangles. This is Susanne's gorgeous version of the table runner. Susanne told us she wanted to use this lovely collection of batik strips she had in her stash for ages. But, she couldn't bear to cut off the points so she made a turn-through backing and top stitched all around.
More Fruity Friends from Valerie
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!
6th April 2018
New Videos Every Friday Fruity Friends Cushions with Valerie Nesbitt [...]