Owl Stitchery

The other day when I was working at Quilters Haven Elaine who was on my last stitchery class at QH brought her Owl in to show me.  It was really lovely to see (Elaine is very clever and draws her own stitchery designs).  I usually have to copy mine from somewhere - drawing not being a strong point of mine!!!!!

In the New Year we are starting a block of the month by Lynette Anderson which has lovely circular stitchery pictures on it so if you are interested do take a look.  I shall be doing another stitchery class at QH in April.

Exciting parcels.......

Two exciting parcels arrived from Australia one yesterday and one today - inside were the lovely Folk Heart fabrics from Rosalie Quinlan.  I had also ordered the sew laugh love pattern from Leanne Beasley and Sandy at Cookies and Cream craft (where the parcels came from) sent me a lovely gift of a bird pattern from umbrella prints who are new to me. THANKS SANDY.

At the moment I am just looking at the fabrics but I am sure they will soon be used for a quilt.
Sandy has some wonderful patterns so do take a look at her on line shophttp://www.cookiesandcreamcraft.com.au/

Red Brolly Patterns

I have recently discovered Red Brolly patterns and they are wonderful.  I have almost got the complete set of .the Gingham Girls.  I bought just one block to start with but when it came I had to have the full set.
A big thanks to Kim at the Fat Quarters who kindly ordered me the missing blocks all the way from OZ.
Do pop over and take a look at her web site if you like all things stitcheryhttp://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/

Folk heart

I have just had really exciting news from Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft - my folk heart bundle of fat quarters will soon be winging it's way from OZ.
I just can't wait to stroke it (I really love Lecien fabric.....)

Parlan Wadding

Have any of you Stitchery addicts out there tried Parlan Wadding.  It has been mentioned a lot by the stitchers in Australia so I felt I had to know more.  I have used it behind stitchery and I find it lovely
the needle goes through easily which is not the case with other waddings.
The only problem is there seems to be no supply of this in the UK so I have to send to Australia for it - so if there is any shop out there in the UK thinking of stocking it I would be pleased to hear from them. I get mine from a shop called Cookiesandcream craft  - Sandy who runs it has the most tempting range of all things stitchery including the largest choice of patterns I have seen anywhere.  Do take a look   http://www.cookiesandcreamcraft.com.au/
Please leave me some feedback if you have tried Parlan in the UK.................

Parlan wadding

For ages I have been wanting to try the parlan wadding as used by Leanne Beasley.
Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft sent some to me from Australia and I now know why everyone raves about it for stitchery. I LOVE IT!!
THANKS SANDY!!

Festival of Quilts

We had a really great day at the Festival of Quilts.  The journey up was good with no hold ups and Neil our driver deposited us at the NEC in good time for the opening.   Annie and Carol went off and Debs and I did our usual free spirit thing of dashing around looking at anything that took our eye.  We bought some really great Lynette Anderson fabric from Ann at Quilt Essentials then we bought some mini quilts from a really nice lady from Wales (we just could not resist them they were so cute.)
Debs found a really great Christmas Quilt at the Fat Quarters stand (I have to report she could not resist)
I think I should take the blame for that as I pointed it out to her!!!!!!
I found the new Annie Downs book Some Kind of Wonderful which was the thing I most wanted to find, so all in all we had a wonderful day.
Nearly forgot we saw our friend Holly working on the Quilters Haven stand but she was so busy we could not have a chat. (Good luck Holly)

Debs is off to pastures new!!!!!

My good friend Debs is leaving Quilters Haven to work in pastures new.  I want her to know that Mondays will never be quite the same again!!!!!
This is us pictured last year at a class with Lynette Anderson - we had a lovely day with friends Nicola and Eva and as you can see from our expressions we were very busy taking in all Lynette's pearls of wisdom.
I hope Debs will be very happy in her new job and that she will keep in touch and update us with all her news - ESPECIALLY THE WEDDING.

Holiday in Derbyshire.

This is the lovely farm I have been staying on in Stanshope in the Peak District.  The walking in the area was really great and guess what I managed to visit just a few quilt shops and buy a small quantity of fabric........you don't have to believe that!!!!!!!!
There was a lovely dog called Henry, but I fell in love with this dear little calf a "Belted Galloway"`so I was told.   Sad to say I was not allowed to bring him home with me.

Fete Day at Bramford.

Today was Fete day at Bramford and I was asked if I would display my Quilts in the Church.  I was suprised to find I had about 30 quilts of different sizes, so I packed them in the car and took them to the Church and with some help hung them over the pews and choir stalls.  I was suprised at how very nice they looked.
I would like to thank all the people who took time to come and look at them and for the lovely comments they made.``I intended to take some pictures so I could show you but I was so busy talking to people that I forgot........I have added a picture of St Mary's Church which is very beautiful.

Visit to The Fat Quarters.

I have spent a week in the lovely Yorkshire Dales (Swaledale)
You will not be suprised to find that I had to find at least one quilt shop to visit so I made a trip to The Fat Quarters near Newcastle. I have had quite a lot of mail orders from them but this was my first visit - it is a lovely shop and I was made very welcome. I bought just a few goodies.......and will be going back in September.

Stitching slowly.....

My latest Homespun magazine has arrived but I still have not finished the last block of the Hometown Quilt so I think I shall have to get speeding along.    In the summer there is not so much time for stitching I find and just in case you think I am being lazy I am posting a picture of my garden (it seems to be taking a lot of my stitching time at the moment) but it is looking really good this year.
Cassie is getting HIGH on the catnip which I am sure she is addicted to...........

Little Bluebell

If you follow my blog you will know that I love bluebells and now Josie has told me about the really lovelyhttp://littlebluebell.com/ I think she may regret this because she really wants the fabric they are giving away and now of course she has to compete with me (It might cheer her up to know I am never very lucky at winning giveaways............)  Why not pop over and have a look just don't  tell Josie I sent you or if you happen to win can you share the fabric with her?

Pass it Forward a free giveaway to fellow bloggers.

Today I saw this wonderful idea on Nicolas Blog nicolaforemanquilts.com
1)  I will make something for the first three people who comment on this post.  It will be a suprise and will arrive when you least expect it.
2) I will have 365 days to do it in  Where is the catch? to get a handmade present from me you have to play too! This means you pledge to send something to three readers of your blog.  It does not have to be stitching or knitting just handmade,
3) You must have a blog.  Once you receive your little something you must post about your Pay it forward on your blog to keep the fun going - be sure to use the Pay it forward badge.

GO ON LEAVE A COMMENT  AND JOIN THE FUN........

I have an award from Sandy!!!!!!

Fancy I have been given a Versatile Blogger award by Sandy (For which thanks very much Sandy) her blog ishttp://www.cookiesandcreamcraft.com.au/

I have to say seven things you may not know about me and nominate 5 blogs I like for the award.

First of all things about me:-

1.  I love stitchery (No suprise I hear your say)

2. I have been married for 45 years goodness how time flys.

3.I work in a Quilt shop - how is that for a perfect job.

4.I have two Bernina sewing machines (they are like friends to me)

5. I have to mention my cat Cassie she is purrfect.

6.My favourite holiday destinations in the UK are Yorkshire Dales and Peak Distict.

7.  From 6 you will guess that I love walking.

My five chosen people to pass the award to are:-

Nicola http://nicolaforemanquilts.com/

Fiona  http://www.peacefulthreads.blogspot.com/

Sylvia  http://sylviastitch.blogspot.com/

Quanita  http://qspace.id.au.blog/

Susie  http://flowerandlinen.blogspot.com/

My Favourite

Thought you might like to see these lovely views of my favourite bluebell woods - they are so beautiful at this time of year and the smell  is out of this world.

Sugar Rush Quilt

This is the Sugar Rush Quilt from the book "Simplify" by Camille Roskelly.  I have two more quilts from the book just waiting for me to do the the binding.

They were quilted for me by Jan Chandler at Quilting Solutions.

I am teaching a class on Sugar Rush at Quilters Haven in August so this one had to be finished first.

These are the things I am working on......

This lovely tin came in to Quilters Haven where I work and of course I had to buy it. It seemed fate as the tin has hexagons on the front and inside there were layer cakes and a charm pack in Oasis fabric.

I have done some of the hexagons for the Vignette project - even had a go at some of the tiny stitchery flowers.

New Project.

I have started the first block in the My Town Block of the Month from the Australian Home Spun magazine. There is a lot of applique -but I have decided to do mine with King Tut thread and a tiny machine blanket stitch instead of doing it by hand, I shall add the stitchery by hand but as I have rather a lot of projects at the moment I thought a bit of machine work might help to get things finished. I will post a picture of the first block quite soon............

Why do cats always want to lay on Quilts?

What I want to know is why do cats always want to lay on quilts? Cassie will never lay on anything made for her only quilts that I would probably prefer her not to lay on - still it must mean that she approves of my stitching.............

My Vignette Two has arrived.

It was a very good morning first of all the postman popped my Issue 2 of Vignette through the letterbox and then I went to Chilford for the Spring Quilt show.

There were some very lovely quilts on display by one of my favourite quilters (Dilys Fronks).

I was quite good did not buy much but then of course I had spent quite a bit recently on fabric for the Mytown BOM.

Looking forward to getting started on that................

Fabric for My Town.

I am so excited my fabric arrived today for the My Town BOM in Homespun magazine. I do not have the magazine yet so I will just have to stroke the fabric for a while. The first block is the My Town button to the left on my blog - it looks really lovely. Do pop across and look at the official My Town blog, who knows you might want to join us on the journey.

Jane Austin.

I thought you might like to see this Jane Austin

Quilt which I made a few years ago it sits on my rocking chair and I am very fond of it. It was quilted by my friend Jan Chandler of Quilting Solutions.

Win this lovely bundle of fabric.

Do pop over to the vignette in stitches blog for a chance to win this lovely bundle of fabrics, I would love to win them.......

Quilters Haven - where I work

This is Quilters Haven where I work (how lucky is that) to actually work in a patchwork and quilting shop? I have to say it is a bit like working in a sweetie shop and you tend to spend as much money as you earn but on the other hand you get to stroke a lot of fabric!!!!!!

Simplify

I am busy at the moment making three quilts from the lovely book Simplify by Camille Roskelley. Two are finished and as you can see I used Moda fabrics Mill House and Pattiserie the third one which is still in the making is being made from the Lecien range Flower Sugar.

Camille very kindly said I could show them on my blog so as soon as I have finished they are going to my good friend Jan (long arm quilter) and then I will show you all the finished quilts.........

Vignette 2 is coming

I am getting so excited beacause I hear from my blogging friends in Australia that Vignette 2 is coming out next week.

I shall be waiting for mine to drop through the letter box - needle and thread at the ready. I think there is a nice hexagon project to get started on as well.

This is the first block from the Vignette in Stitches mystery quilt from a lovely magazine by Leanne Beasley. It has been really great stitching this and I can hardly wait for the next magazine to drop through the letter box.

I have made some new friends in Australia while stitching this and I think it is going to be an exciting journey so thanks to Leanne for making it possible.

My lovely cat Cassie was upset to think my passion in life was quilting so she had to be on the blog even though she is not very good at sewing......

My First Post on my Blog

Th

This is my first post on my very own Blog as I get more experienced in this blogging I am hoping to add pictures of my passion in life my QUILTINGand my STITCHERY.