For Whom the Bell Tolls.....

I just took Reuben outside for his post-dinner charge around the garden, and realised I was listening to George ringing the church bells!  He's been going every Friday evening since Christmas and recently I asked him if he would be playing on Sunday.  He said "Why would I?  I don't want to get up early for that".  So I asked "well, what's the point in you learning then ?"and he said "For Victoria's wedding of course!"
It sounded quite good!
We had a beautiful, sunny day today which lifted everyone's spirits.  And the night before last there was a beautiful sunset

I am afraid I have been so busy recently during the day (working on the house in preparation for the wedding) and going out most evenings that I haven't done much sewing, but I have some pictures of Jackie's work.  She made a lovely birthday cushion for her step-mother:

 

All the pictures relate to her life: her house in front of Ben Nevis, her dog, the Edinburgh Tattoo, the poppies she supports, her (very delicious) luxury chocolates she makes.

 

 

And then there's the elephant she's made for her grand-daughter out of her very first baby-grows - so sweet, and what a lovely idea:

Okay - maybe I should go and work on that quilt now!

 



Activity

They may have braved floods to get here - but the workshop was buzzing with activity this morning - eleven of us all working on different crafts.  There was bag-making, quilting, knitting, sewing - and I was unpicking - but not my mistakes this time.  I'm unpicking an old quilt and then I plan to put it together again!  There is method in my madness, and I think a very beautiful quilt will result, but we'll have to wait and see!

Dawn finished loom-knitting the latest of her hats:

Ros has started quilting her first quilt which she made in our last Beginners' Sampler class (the new class starts in April and there are still places available).  It has been quite an experience for Ros - she is an expert knitter  - and below is the jumper she has just started - beautiful work and made out of the softest wool you could imagine :

so her first quilt was quite a leap into the unknown, but we all thought it was beautiful:

And after coming to Pitch and Stitch to get lots of tips, Doriana has finally finished her first quilt, (designed by herself for a friend's baby, and started 17 months ago)  of which she is rightly proud.  Now she just has to get the label on and baby has a lovely quilt to snuggle under!

 

What an industrious bunch!!

Too Much Water

Our beautiful Lambourn Valley has really been through it this last week - the villages either side of East Garston have been closed due to flooding, and Jonathan has been filling and delivering sand bags to all the flooded houses in the village everyday.  The river has risen to the tops of all the bridges and the spring water is gushing out into people's houses.  I was told a lot of the old cottages used to have a loose brick in the wall which they'd kick out when the water came up to let it out of the house and into the road.  Now you can see hose pipes gushing water out of many houses.  Poor things.

Well - today the weather is absolutely beautiful - sun shining, gentle breeze:  talk about what a difference a day makes!  Yesterday we woke up to black skies and a power cut.  The storm on Friday night was terrible - I fully expected to wake up to a flattened world. The only problem (besides no power) was the fact that Chris's scaffold tower had blown into the next field.  He called to ask Jonathan and George to help get it back - and they did, but as usual when those three get together, in solving one problem they created another.  They managed to pull down Chris's telephone wire so now they won't have a phone or the internet for a few days.  I don't think Dawn will let Chris play with Jonathan and George for a while.

Our only casualty with all the storms has been our horse shelter - made of sleepers and iron.  This is how it looked before (on a very snowy day with Falcon in front)

and this is how it looks after the wind picked it up and dumped it on the other side of the fence.  George saw it happen - he said it made a terrific noise:

Lucky no animals were near it.

On a brighter note, we have lots of bookings for our spring workshops - some are already full - so we are looking forward to them.

And whilst I was looking for a picture of the shelter, I found these

 

Pictures of the lovely quilt Anthea made for her grandson!

 

I also found these:

 

How, in two months, can this become this?-

He's HUGE - but was very good in puppy class this morning!

 

Schedule Preview

Had a great day last Wednesday with Lynne - she brought her Yoko Saito quilt to show us now she has nearly finished quilting it - it's so beautiful:

We are going to be running a couple of workshops on it - I really think that the six blocks would make beautiful hangings in themselves:

And Jan brought in her beautiful Country Compass quilt which she made on the three part course with Lynne last year:

Lovely.

We have worked out the schedule - and here's a preview before I send it out

Wednesday 5^th February
Beginner’s Sampler Course – Mop up! (New course commences Wednesday 2^nd April).  This is a chance for everyone who has ever joined us on the beginner’s Sampler, and needs help with finishing their quilt.
Wednesday 19^th February
Log Cabin Fever – Make a hanging with a Valentine heart appliquéd onto a log cabin background.  The log cabin block is traditional, easy and very versatile.  Once you know how to do it – you’ll realise how quick and easy it would be to make a log cabin quilt.  We will use the Foundation technique but on a large scale so this is a great class for beginners.
Wednesday 26^th February
Medallion Quilt Class with Lynne Johnson.
Starting with the Central pieced or appliqued medallion, the quilt grows as you add more pieced and appliquéd borders – either by machine or hand stitching, whichever you prefer.  Although beginners are welcome, it is also a great course as a ‘follow on’ from our Beginner’s Sampler course.   Although it seems like a huge commitment, working in a group really spurs you on to complete the quilt and Lynne encourages you at every stage of the way.
Saturday 1^st March
Beginner’s Machine Quilt-making Course with Anne Ray.  This is a wonderful introductory course delivered by Anne Ray – a prize winning quilter and experienced teacher.  You will make a lovely quilt – from start to finish -  and whilst doing so learn how to rotary cut, machine piece, baste your quilt prior to machine quilting and finally bind and label it. With Anne guiding you through every stage of quilt making, this has proved to be the first quilt of many for those who have attended in the past.   The course consists of 5 workshops: Saturday 1^st March, Saturday 5^th April, Saturday 3^rd May, Saturday 7^th June, and finally Saturday 5^th July.
Wednesday 12^th March
Hexagon Day.  Hexagons are back!  For many of us a Hexagon quilt was the first type of quilt we made – especially when Laura Ashley started selling quilts in the seventies.  Gradually they went out of fashion, as people moved towards American quilting styles.  As with everything, the trend has come full circle and the hexagon is really popular again,  but using much smaller pieces.  We will be using an updated version of the old English paper piecing method and it is all hand stitching.  You may go home with a pin cushion – or decide you’re hooked and make a start on a quilt!
Wednesday 19^th March
Yoko Saito Town Quilt with Lynne Johnson – Lynne made this beautiful Yoko Saito Mystery Quilt with Quiltmania last year and we think it’s absolutely stunning.  A lot of us have the pattern but find making a start a bit daunting!  We are so pleased that Lynne is running two classes to help us overcome our trepidation! The quilt is made up of six blocks, and in this class we will make a start on just one of the blocks.  Because so many little pieces of different fabric are needed, Lynne is providing, included in the cost of the class, enough fabric for you to make one block. 
Wednesday 26^th March
Medallion Quilt Class – with Lynne Johnson.  Lynne has different patterns you can choose from including one she has made this year, so you can make changes to the borders if you like, or even make more than one quilt! 
Wednesday 2^nd April
Beginner’s New Style Sampler Course – Part 1: otherwise known as how to make a quilt!  This is a comprehensive five part course (first Wednesday in every month) for absolute beginners where you will learn the different techniques for making your first quilt top. Learn about stitchery, piecing, and applique, as well as quick piecing, rotary cutting and how to layer your quilt.  You will soon find yourself personalising your quilt, and using your own designs for the blocks: one lady hates hearts and substituted all the hearts in Sandra’s design for cats!
Saturday 5^th April
Beginners Machine Quilting-making: Part Two
Wednesday 9^th April
Beginner’s Bag Day - Spend the day making two bags – one simple ‘shopper’ and another more stylish, fully lined ‘tweedy’ fabric bag.  Once you’ve made the bags you may want to personalise them in your own way.
Wednesday 16^th April
Wreaths, Hearts and Crosses – Willow Weaving with Alan Hulford.  Woven willow decorations are really trendy these days and this is your chance to learn how to make them yourself!   Alan, who is also a skilled wood turner, is passionate about wood, gardening and willow weaving, and is looking forward to sharing all he knows!  All materials will be provided.
Wednesday 30th April
Medallion Quilt Day with Lynne Johnson
Saturday 3^rd May
Beginners machine quilt making with Anne Ray – Part 3
Wednesday 7^th May 
Beginner’s New Style Sampler Course – Part 2
Wednesday 28^th May
Medallion Quilt Day with Lynne Johnson
Wednesday 4^th June
Beginner’s New Style Sampler Course – Part 3
Saturday  7^th June
Beginners machine quilt making with Anne Ray – Part 4
Wednesday 18^th June
Summer satchel by Quilter and Author Clare Kingslake.Clare, who wrote Folk Quilt Applique which is one of our favourite books, will teach you how to make this beautiful, machine quilted, summer satchel.  Clare also has other examples so you can select the size, or whether you want it to look more like a bag or satchel.  You can also use different fasteners.  It’s a good size so very practical, finished beautifully and also its design really appeals to all ages.   Clare is such a kind and inspirational lady and always comes up with such amazing ideas.  We are so pleased that she has taken time out of her busy schedule to come and run this workshop for us and are sure that many of you will want to join us. Saturday 21^st June
‘House to Let’ Day with Gaynor Eldridge - Part One.  Gaynor will show you how to make these beautiful house boxes – the roofs are the lids!  The little houses are made in two separate days with time in between for embellishment at home using photo copies of Gaynor’s houses to help with ideas for embroidery and applique.  You can decorate the exterior as little or as much as you wish - it is a lovely time to use the wonderful buttons, threads and beads or even ribbons that find their way into our collection and have not been used.

 

 

 

    




Wednesday 25^th June
Medallion Quilt Day with Lynne Johnson

Saturday 28^th April and Sunday 29^th June
Charm Pack Weekend with Helene Burgess – Excellent excuse for a couple of days in the caravan or a B&B!  Spend the weekend making this charming small quilt from a charm pack – equally good as a table centre, hanging, or lovely big garden cushion.  The last time we ran this one lady made four more blocks and it became a quilt which is now in Italy!  Charm Packs are packs of 5” squares which we all buy because they look so lovely but then don’t know what to do with them – well, now you have an answer!  Machine-stitched centre with hand- appliqued border, the hanging measures 21”x21”.
Wednesday 2^nd July
Beginner’s New Style Sampler Course – Part 4
Saturday  5^th July
Beginners machine quilt making with Anne Ray – Part 5
Wednesday 16^th July
Country Stitcheries with Clare Kingslake – Our favourite author is back to give a tutorial on your choice of three lovely stitcheries she has designed: a framed picture of sheep, another of pigs and a small hanging of cows under a tree.  A lovely way to pass a sunny summer’s day!  
Saturday 19^th July
‘House to Let’ Day with Gaynor Eldridge - Part Two
Saturday 26^th July
Fabric postcards: A fantastic way to use up scraps of fabric.  Learn with Anne Ray how to make postcards of your own design which will be a lovely surprise when they land on family and friend’s doormats.  Each one has the potential to be a mini masterpiece and if it isn’t, it’s not the end of the world because, unlike a quilt, you haven’t spent hours and hours working on it!  There are loads of ‘card swap’ sites on the internet, where people from all over the world make cards under a themed challenge and then put them into the post to each other.  Anne has postcards from practically every continent!
Wednesday 30^th July
Medallion Quilt Day

There may be some changes to this

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Happy New Year everyone - although already this year seems to be whizzing by as fast as 2013.

Sandra is busy moving house, although things are mosying along as ever here.  We are trying to get the house looking nice for THE wedding - and are thinking of getting our landing redone with floorboards.  Our stair carpet was in such a dreadful state that we had to pull it up - and everywhere needs painting and decorating.  So plans, plans plans.

As far as workshops go, I have emailed our teachers and hope to hear back from them soon - all that is definite is the Medallion on the last Wednesday of this month and the Beginner's mop up on the first Wednesday of February.

Having finally got the plug off George, I have been able to charge up my camera and have taken a couple of snaps today.

My Christmas projects included knitting some boot socks so my wellies, which are too big, are more comfortable when I take Reuben out:

and start quilting the Snowman quilt I started last Christmas!

 

And finally, Reuben went to his first Puppy training class this morning - and this is pretty much how he has been for the rest of the day!

 

 

Far too much excitement!

 

Goodbye 2013

As I am about to go out and ring in the New Year, I thought I'd indulge myself and put up some pictures of the friends we've lost over the last few months.
First, falcon running wild with Snowy one day - someone left the gate open!!

 

 

And here coming back from a ride, with George petting Jake, and Mattie and Bo looking on

Then here's Mattie doing what she did best:

And finally Mattie and Jake together

A Christmas Story

Well, the presents are all wrapped and under the tree, the stockings are hanging by the fireplace, the turkey is ready to spend a night in the oven, and my purse is staying closed for the next few days at least!  We have just spent the evening being entertained by the East Garston String Ensemble in the Best room - carols and Christmas songs with Chilli and drinks in between - enchanting!
Anyway, here's a bittersweet Christmas story.......

Last Wednesday, poor old Mr Bojangles who has already lost his sight and hearing, finally lost the use of his back legs.  I know it's cruel to keep a dog with you when he can no longer get around, and knew it was time to make an appointment with the vet.  I wanted to make the appointment for Friday, but Falcon, our lovely pony who has been so good to Victoria and George, was going on that day, and it was too much to lose two of our pets the same day.  The only thing was to put it off until Monday, so I made the appointment for 11.30 yesterday.

We were all very sad about it, and George in particular said it was really horrible.

Bo continued to drag himself around by his front legs, and although he was eating enthusiastically, we had to carry him outside all the time.

Sunday evening we were in the kitchen, and heard the padding of feet behind us.  We looked around and there was Bo, on all fours, looking for his supper!

We know it's only a reprieve, but you can imagine how happy we are to have him for another Christmas - our little Christmas miracle!