Stack and Shuffle

Started making up my Stack and Shuffle example ready for the workshop at the end of March. Used the new Boutique Layer Cake. I came up with a good idea for keeping all the bits in the correct order. I'm glad I took these photos, especially the one of the completed blocks. When you're working on them at close quarters it all looks a bit busy, but when you step back, as in the photo, you can start to see the overall pattern emerging.

 
I can't wait to get it finished now, but I have other more pressing things to work on - like the Medallion Quilt.

Jelly Roll Workshop

Another fun day yesterday with a full class of four students making Jelly Roll Quilts; two were making the Basketweave Quilt and two were making the Star-Crossed Quilt, which was a good balance. It works out that one group are cutting whilst the others are sewing and vice versa.

 

 

Charming Squares

It's been a hectic week, hence the lack of posts.
I did manage to get a bit of sewing done to finish off my second Charm Square Quilt - called Shadow Boxes - in time for the workshop yesterday.
This one's made from the Birdie Charm Pack.

If you want have a go, you can buy my pattern which includes this quilt and also the Disappearing Nine-Patch (below), both in one booklet.
This one's made from the Tranquility Charm Pack.

Out to dinner

Having spent most of the day yesterday sorting out all the new fabrics - Boutique, Blush and Eden from Moda - we drove up to Wallington in the evening for dinner with our friends Karen and Ian. We haven't seen them for ages, so there was lots of catching up to do, and I'm afraid quite a bit of alcohol was consumed!
We're sitting eating our breakfast just now; not allowed to post pictures of our hosts in their dressing gowns, so here's pictures of Tiggy and Pickles instead.

Janet Cooper Quilts

An unexpected free day, due to the cancellation of a Jelly Roll Workshop at Polegate near Eastbourne, which has been snow-bound today. So Alistair and I got to work putting some meat on the bones of my new Patchwork and Quilting information site - www.janetcooperquilts.com.

So far there is just basic information on patchwork, quilting, its history and explanation of some terminology, but we'll be continually adding other bits and pieces, including free patterns and guides on some techniques.

Ouse Valley Quilters

What a lovely bunch of quilters at Ouse Valley in Lewes yesterday evening. A huge room full of people that I was there to teach Foundation Piecing to. It was a bit manic, but great fun! Once they got started, everyone was working at a different pace so it was hard work to keep up with their progress and give them right instructions at the right time. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.
Meanwhile, Alistair was manning the 'Shop', which was busy, despite it only being a week since Ardingly.
As usual, they put on a lovely spread of cakes and savouries, so it was lucky we had skipped having dinner before we came out.

Sunny Sussex Countryside

No workshops on today, so after a bit of office work this morning we took a trip out to our local farm shop, Townings Farm, for 'supplies'. Alistair stocked up on flour from Plumpton Mill, since he's now got into a routine of baking bread or rolls once a week. The grain is grown at Plumpton Agricultural College on the South Downs and is then ground at the restored watermill in Plumpton before being sold through local village and farm shops.

We stopped to take some photos of our future 'dinners' on the way back.
I think this is an Aberdeen Angus-Longhorn cross (I'm sure Carole will correct me if I'm wrong!)

The dark sheep are the Hebrideans, with a few
(white) South Downs in amongst them.

Back to teaching

Finally recovered from a tiring weekend.
Straight back into it, with New Fabrics arriving on Monday afternoon.

Tuesday afternoon was Stitch and Chat at Partridge Green.
This morning I was choosing Moda Christmas fabrics for delivery in June and this afternoon I was back to teaching - Free Motion Machine Quilting.
This evening I have been playing around with some new metallic threads that I picked up at the weekend - mixed results. The Mettler metallic threads worked fine, with just a slight tension adjustment. However, I'm having real trouble with the Madeira Jewel (Holographic) threads. They give a great effect on the front of the work, but the tension is just not right on the back, especially when going round tight corners.
I'll experiment further, maybe trying a different bobbin thread; I'm loathe to resort to adjusting my bobbin tension, in case I mess things up for regular sewing.