Medallion Quilt Class - last wednesday of every month

Just got this from Sheila-

She's been busy - I know some of the others in this class have reached this stage too - log cabin madness!  Sheila will be joining us again next month.  She's one of our caravanners who can only come to some of the actual workshops and does the rest by post!
Don't be put off joining this class now though - I'm still on week 4.......sorry Lynne!

Beginner's Sampler Course

 

So here are details of the quilt

And while I've been busy working, here's what other people have been doing:

I suppose this is how the other half live!!

Log Cabin Day

Had a really good day making Log Cabin quilts today - one of the ladies had been told Log Cabin is neither easy nor particularly quick.  We proved it is fairly quick and fairly easy!!

Ted has been finished:

and here he is sitting beside my 'Little Betty' sewing machine!

And whilst on the subject of bears........we now have Helene's 'Bear Paw' hanging in the workshop so people can see what they are signing up for!

As you can see - Helene used up lots of little scraps for this and, as usual with her work, it is really neat and precise.  If you aren't keen on wall hangings, it would make a lovely cushion.

And Sandra and I have finished the Beginner's Sampler quilt top.  I think it's really pretty and anyone making it is going to learn loads of different techniques.

Below you can see some of the details - people don't have to make the same stitchery blocks as us.  One lady who is coming is making it for her daughter who has been travelling - she will use pictures to represent this. (We love anything adaptable!!)
Well - you won't be able to see the details yet - I didn't realise what time it is and have to get going!  I'll post them tomorrow!

Log Cabin

Pitch and Stitch was very busy - with a few of us putting the finishing touches to our bears!  Mine still needs a face but I'll take a picture when he's done.

We are also finishing putting together the sampler quilt for the series of classes starting on the 21st March - Sandra's done a really good job designing it, and it covers so many different techniques including stitchery, applique and piecing.  Just got a couple more bits to do then I'll put up a picture of it.

Finished the Log Cabin quilt top we'll be making in the workshop on Wednesday 22nd February - there are still places if you want to come along.  Log Cabin is really quick and easy to do - I managed to make 4 blocks in two (very much interrupted) hours - so it should grow very quickly working undisturbed in the workshop.

I added a border to make it a bit bigger and to use up some of the left over fabric.




Pauline's quilt is now completely finished and we think it looks really lovely.  Pauline planned it and selected all the fabric and embellishments, and had started most of the blocks.  It is based on the Anni Downs' Angel quilt, but Pauline made it for her little princess of a grand-daughter, so instead of wings and haloes, all the figures have little crowns!  Five of us worked on finishing the blocks and then after we'd put it all together we had it professionally quilted at Fir Tree Quilting, and then we did the last bit of hand-quilting around the pictures.

Very pretty!

I also received a photo from Christine Brewster showing the sort of things we will be making when she comes to us on the 28th June:

Tempted?  - We have already taken quite a few bookings for this class so take care you don't miss out!



New Workshops

Well - we had the Teddy Bear workshop today and it was hilarious!  Mine isn't finished yet - he's still in pieces but Sandra assures me that once he's put together he'll stop looking like a fat mouse: when he's finished I'll put up a picture and you can be the judge!!

On a more serious note, we are really pleased to be able to add two more workshops to our Spring/Summer Schedule.

First, on Thursday 28th June we have a willow weaving workshop with Christine Brewster.  Sandra, my husband and various other Morris Dancers met her at the Newbury Coat Festival and everyone insisted we had to get her here.  Christine is a very busy lady and has her own workshop at Englefield, where she makes baskets, plant supports and sculptural weaving projects with living and dried willow.  Take a look at her website, http://www.stripeybasket.co.uk/ for more information. Happily, though, she can fit us in.  She plans to do three projects she usually covers as part of a series of 5 evening workshops - so we will be kept very busy!  We will be making  a willow trivet, a simple basket and a simple sculpture.  If the weather is fine (will it ever be fine again? - I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life as I've felt this week) we will work in the garden.

The second workshop is Mariner's Compass with Ann Jermey.  Ann has run loads of brilliant workshops and comes highly recommended, but, as with all the best teachers in my experience, was very loathe to toot her own trumpet.  I asked for some info I could quote and she sent this:  An experienced quilter who stitches by hand or machine depending on whether she is in a hurry!  She is happy with hand or machine quilting and now has a Long Arm quilting machine.  Ann has taught patchwork and quilting locally and nationally for many years and enjoys the experience of teaching.

Every year she tries to put a quilt into the three main quilt shows, consquently she has had a quilt in Quilts UK ever since it started.  

Anne actually is a very experienced teacher who has a wealth of knowledge she takes pleasure in sharing.  She had a long list of classes she gives, and we were very tempted by some of her quilting classes but decided the Mariner's Compass block would be a great challenge for all you more experienced (or brave) quilters out there.  She has sent this picture and we will have sample pieces in the workshop shortly:

If you decide to hand stitch, you will manage to get at least a quarter of the 12" block done on the day.  For those who are machine stitching, you may well get half or more done.  You will also create templates for this design.

We have already started taking bookings for these workshops - so try to book as early as possible.  And remember, for visiting teachers we can only reserve places on receipt of payment.