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Burgess Hill, West Sussex, United Kingdom
I love patchwork and quilting; I love learning new techniques and perfecting the old ones, but most of all I enjoy passing on what I have learnt to others. The most important thing is that we all have loads of fun!

Find out what's going on in my Patchwork and Quilting world.
Showing posts with label Patchwork Workshops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patchwork Workshops. Show all posts

Sunday, 23 January 2011

Kaleidoscope Frenzy

I'm working on an idea for a new workshop. It'll be called Kaleidoscope Frenzy. Here are 18 of my kaleidoscope hexagons; I have another 18 to make.

I've worked out some great tips for getting the hexagons just right and for the centres to all be perfect (well nearly!).

Maybe not a great choice of fabric, since it was predominantly green, but it's all a learning curve.
I'm planning to insert some other hexagonal blocks and will use those to bring out the other colours - orange, pink and black.

Watch this space for progress!

Thursday, 18 March 2010

Non-stop classes

Another string of busy days.
Starting last Monday - I went out to Sandhurst (near Tenterden in Kent) to do a 1 day workshop on Foundation Piecing. I was very well looked after by the ladies there, who even provided a sit-down lunch - very civilised!
Tuesday I had a couple of 'catch-up' sessions with people who had missed classes earlier in the year because of the snow.
Wednesday was another busy but fun Stitch and Chat afternoon at Newick. Alistair came along to help with the refreshments. Even so I still find it hard to get round and say hello to everyone and see what they're working on.
Thursday - day off!
Friday - Applique class - we were making the fabric flowers that were in my last posting.
Saturday I had my real beginners here all day for Part 2 of the Introduction to P&Q, teaching them to do rotary cutting for the first time, after working with templates and paper piecing in the first lesson.
On Sunday afternoon I went to Ditchling to help out at a charity event in aid of Computer Aid International. We had about 15 people sitting round the table making simple patchwork blocks using fusible Vilene to applique hearts and flowers. These will be made up into a 'community quilt' which will be auctioned in aid of the charity.
This Monday was Foundation Piecing Block of the Month - a catch-up session with one student, followed by a full class.
Tuesday I had a lovely day out with my Mum! This was in lieu of Mother's Day. I usually find that I have something happening on Mother's Day, so it has now become a tradition that I take Mum out a few days afterwards, instead of on the day itself. (it also means that restaurants aren't fully booked and we're not fighting for a table with all the other mothers!) It was a lovely sunny day - we started off visiting a 'special place' in Cudham and then took a drive out to Westerham and found a little Italian restaurant for lunch. Then back to Mum's house for a cup of tea and some sewing - I showed her how to make the fabric flowers which we had done at the Applique class last Friday.
Wednesday afternoon was the Beginners Block of the Month; they were also being introduced to rotary cutting and made really good progress.
Today (Thursday) I have people here for the Sew-a-Row-a-Month quilt.
Tomorrow I have two ladies here for part 16 of a 15 part course! They had both got a bit behind with their blocks and borders each month and so had asked for an extra session to help them get it finished.

And somewhere in amongst all that a couple of fabric deliveries arrived - with a definite 'Spring' feel to them:
Verna and Cottage Garden.

Sunday, 21 February 2010

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.
 
 

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Flutterbies

I've been working on the Butterfly block, which is the last block of my Foundation Piecing Block of the Month quilt. Here is the block on its own.....


...and here it is laid out with all the others.



Just the borders to get together next.

If you like the look of this, you'll be pleased to know that I'm working on getting it set up as a mail order / web-download project. 'Follow' the blog so you'll be the first to know when it's ready.

Alistair has been busy hunting round the web and finding lots of links to pages with FREE quilt patterns for you to print off or download. Just click on Free Patterns on the top Menu Bar to find a page with all the links built-in.

Ooh, and I'm set up on Twitter now too. So if you want more blow by blow updates of things as they happen, then look at www.Twitter.com/patchesbc.

Thursday, 14 January 2010

Venturing Out

First day out driving in the icy snow. We went down to Townings Farm shop to pick up some South Downs lamb for dinner tonight, having lived on things out of the freezer for the past week and on Christmas leftovers the week before that.
Just got back from the farm in time for deliveries to arrive - the workshop is now full of wadding, 505 spray, rotary mats and blades etc. etc.
Didn't get much quilting done today, but getting ready for next week's classes.