It’s been a busy couple of weeks
what with the decorating
all the end of term school activities
and working late into the night
trying to get everything ready for the Festival of Quilts
(I’ll be on stand G4, teaching workshops and demonstrating on the Pfaff sewing machine stand, say hello to me and my Mum if you’re there!)
so now it’s time to finish […]

Today, some 12 years after making
my first patchwork quilt I have finally learnt
how to make a continuous binding.
It wasn’t difficult
didn’t take long
and looks great.
Better late than never.

As I mentioned in my last post
I’m just home from teaching in Newcastle 
I was invited by Kim of
The Fat Quarters
 
which is a very pretty well- stocked shop (you’ll want everything) 
Over the two day workshop I taught the ladies how to make my ‘Down Beside the Seaside’ wall hanging
You can see how Pauline got on by visiting her […]

This is the first piece I’ve made for my
‘Field Guide to the Night Sky’
project.
It is simply a bleached piece of black cotton
with row after
row of running stitch.
 
 
I’m making this for my Journey course- during which everyone experiments and creates pieces based on their own themes and moodboards.
You can follow one of my ladies progress through the Journey course (and enjoy her […]

Tony and I recently enjoyed a child free weekend.
They stayed with doting grandparents
and we stayed here
which is actually much lovelier than it’s website suggests.
Anyway, they had bee hives at the bottom of the drive
and I had ‘homemade’ honey for breakfast- delicious!
All of which helped to inspire this little applique picture.
 
 
 
 
If you would like the free pattern […]

Here’s a glimpse of a quilt kit I’m designing at the moment.
Though I wish ‘moment‘ was an accurate indication of how long this project has taken me.
But, it’s not.
 
 
In other news:
Henry is very excited,
because we read my Dad’s blog and they’ve found him something hideous
that he’s going to keep in his bedroom “forever and ever”.
He also […]

I’ve been working on some new applique designs this week.
I’m a messy worker and so every un-wanted fabric scrap goes straight on the floor. When I (eventually) tidied up I noticed how pretty and interesting the scraps were.
So, I thought I’d come up with a way of using them:

This is all my leftover fusible applique scraps, ironed willy-nilly onto a piece of […]

A lovely brand new patchwork shop
called
‘The Wandering Line’ 
has just opened in Purley, Surrey.
And, it’s owner Debbie has asked me to teach
her JOURNEY course!
 
 
As there’s no point re-inventing the wheel, I’ve ’borrowed’ Debbie’s course description:
“Do you want to develop your creativity? Learn new techniques? And improve your existing skills?
Do you want to gain the confidence to experiment and create textile pieces that are […]

I got back from the school run this morning, took one look at my ’to do’ list 
and decided most of it would just have to wait
and made a cake instead.
So, I baked
whilst listening to Julia Donaldson’s (the fabulous Gruffalo author) Desert island discs.
It was a good decision.
The English paper pieced cushion came home with me from the charity shop […]

Warning! Shameless self promotion to follow.
My butterfly quilt for Sew Hip made the front cover!
There is also a nice little feature on my studio inside the magazine.
Rush out and buy your copy today.
You want Issue 11.
P.S. Tif’s in there too and so’s Amanda.