Firstly, can I wish everybody a Happy and healthy 2014!!!

A New Year and lots of projects lined up, some old and some new. I am starting the term, we are back on Tuesday 14th January, with a new project, well newish – the Mummy owl has been completed for a while, but I haven’t taught it yet, and the baby owl I have only just finished between Christmas and New Year.

The ‘old’ project I am teaching to the morning class is the second sampler quilt. A number of the class have completed the starter sampler quilt and so we are moving on to the next quilt, learning new skills and machine piecing and also more complicated applique.

For the more experienced in the classes I will be starting a new quilt that I am designing at the moment. The inspiration for it is wallpaper!!!

Away from my teaching work I am just putting the finishing touches to a pair of A4 landscape quilts, they have to be sent off and arrive at their offices for 10th January, these have been entered into a competition run by Grosvenor Shows and will be on show at the Spring Quilt Festivals and Quilts Uk.

Another month has disappeared really quick, February seems such a short month.

The new Country House Botanics Quilt, is coming along nicely, its really interesting to see how different it looks in colours that everybody has chosen. One is being made in shades of blue!
A total change of colours for me, I have been making a quilt for Laura in bright orange, lime, yellow and hot pink with Owls on it. I am making it in four sections as a quilt-as-you-go, meaning I don’t have to handle a big baulk of quilt – so much easier on my shoulders. I have completed two of the strips and the other two are already to be quilted and joined – hopefully I will get that done with week.

During February I have also completed Valentine’s postcard, three ‘oak tree’ ones, one with flowers on for a birthday and finally Laura’s duck postcard.

Otherwise February has been a quiet month, from my list of things to do I don’t think March will be!!!!!!

Another ten week term has been completed, this one zoomed by. The new one starts on 22nd April and other than the quilts everybody is working one we will be looking at summer ideas – a beach/pool bag is one of them.

I finished Laura’s Owl quilt and then sent it off to Popular Patchwork as they want it for future publication. So, to remind Laura of her quilt – other than the photo’s, I made her a cushion with the owl on in her favourite green.

On Popular Patchwork another of my projects is in the copy out this month – May’s edition, this time the floral quilt I taught last year. For more photos of it then look in the gallery section.

The only quilted postcards I have made this month have been three for Mother’s day, based on the Country House Botanic Quilt I have been teaching but smaller. Also made a new framed holder to display postcards in.

Easter not far away so I had better think about postcards for that!!!!

Over the Easter Holidays we weren’t home very much, firstly off to Mersea Island for a few days and the lovely ice cream coloured beach huts, then up to Derbyshire. While up there, we visited Chatsworth with its rich interiors and the interesting gardens. Tony took lots of great photos!!! We also went to Hardwick Hall filled with the amazing Tudor needlework.

I had to make a trip to Quilt Essentials at Cromford Mill to get some Stonehenge fabric to make some more postcards and A4 landscapes and while there we walked along the canal, where on the stone bridge was some lovely moss and ferns growing – inspirations for a postcard!!!!

On postcards I made nine for Easter gifts and then four of roses round a cottage door and of course Laura’s monthly duck one.

The only other needlework that I have got finished was a birdcage cushion and the wall hanging that I have entered into Quilts UK, which is held at Malvern. It is based on the centre of the Country House Botanics Quilt that I am doing in class.

It feels like the first half of this summer term has flown by and so has the half term!!!

Over the half term we spent a few very wet days in Stratford-upon-Avon and had a lovely afternoon tea at the Grosvenor hotel. As it was so wet we didn’t get many photos, but there was a few chances to get some – so a couple more postcard ideas!!!

On postcards I made five during May, Laura’s monthly duck one and four of a stylised tree in a pot – the inspiration was from an Easter card from M&S. I did a talk to a Ladies Club on the postcards. I also created five embroidered card toppers.

I have been working on more of the Country House Botanics Quilt. By the end of the term everybody will have the handouts for all the sections. Having the summer to applique, embroidery and quilt the pieces ready to put together in September.

The first couple weeks back we will be making a weekender bag with a PVC bottom – ideal for the beach or pool.

A reminder that the Fairkytes Open day is on Saturday 14th June – I will be there showing some of the things that we have been doing this year.

And finally – Laura’s Owl Quilt is in this months’ edition of Popular Patchwork.

We are over half way through the year and even thou we have only just finished classes and have all the summer holidays ahead of us, I am already thinking about the autumn term and things to make for Christmas.

For the autumn term I am designing a ‘winter’ quilt. I don’t want an overly Christmas one as they only get used for six weeks, so I want to create one that is winter foliage themed, if you want to make it for Christmas then you can use Christmas reds and greens…

I won’t actually start making ‘stuff’ for Christmas till the end of September but when I get an idea I jot it down and I have already started to look for the fabrics and trims, so I won’t have a panic right on top of Christmas!!!! I probably still will!!!!

My two A4 landscapes that were on show at the Spring Quilt Festivals and Malvern Quilt show have come back – I won third price!!! I was really happy with the way they had turned out but I didn’t image they would win anything, as there are so many talented quilt artists around.

Well the sun beckons and the holidays….

This last month has been about dressmaking for me. The fabric has been sitting waiting to be turned into tunic/shirts and finally I have had time to make them!!! I will admit we did pop into The Cheap Shop in Tiptree ( and the Jam factory) while we were staying on Mersea Island and I got more fabric for tunics. I was very good as I didn’t look at the patchwork fabric!!!

We have had a few days away on Mersea Island, I took a couple of pieces of the Country House Botanics Quilt to quilt and also a child’s weaving loom to try weaving. The loom was very basic and old but we made a fairly reasonable scarf. It made me and Laura want to try something more and so we have ordered ourselves a proper weaving loom – more about that next month when we have got it and tried it.

We also went to Ironbridge and Chester for a few days – completed six anniversary postcards and a landscapes while there.  While at Ironbridge, which is a very interesting place especially the Bliss Hill Victorian Town, we took lots of photos but one that stands out was of the War Memorial actually by the bridge in Ironbridge, here it is

This last month has been about dressmaking for me. The fabric has been sitting waiting to be turned into tunic/shirts and finally I have had time to make them!!! I will admit we did pop into The Cheap Shop in Tiptree ( and the Jam factory) while we were staying on Mersea Island and I got more fabric for tunics. I was very good as I didn’t look at the patchwork fabric!!!

We have had a few days away on Mersea Island, I took a couple of pieces of the Country House Botanics Quilt to quilt and also a child’s weaving loom to try weaving. The loom was very basic and old but we made a fairly reasonable scarf. It made me and Laura want to try something more and so we have ordered ourselves a proper weaving loom – more about that next month when we have got it and tried it.

We also went to Ironbridge and Chester for a few days – completed six anniversary postcards and a landscapes while there.  While at Ironbridge, which is a very interesting place especially the Bliss Hill Victorian Town, we took lots of photos but one that stands out was of the War Memorial actually by the bridge in Ironbridge, here it is

I really don’t know what happened to September, it just disappeared in a flash of lovely warm weather. And October has arrived along with the rain!!

It was suddenly ‘back to school’ and now it is Halloween and Guy Fawkes night fast approaching and then, here comes Christmas!!

I have started already to plan and make my Christmas gifts, decorations and teaching, I know it feels early but the time will quickly go and I don’t want a mad rush to get everything done and my list is already fairly long. Don’t forget instead of buying gift bags to put your presents in, that you can make a fabric bag!

For the morning class there is a simple star table runner, that can be made to any size to fit your table and it fits in with the nine patch designs that I am teaching in the class. We will also be doing small, quick gift ideas over the coming weeks. For the afternoon class I am working on updating a Noah’s Ark quilt I first designed in 1998 as a single quilt for a friends son, it got reworked as a cot quilt in 2007. I am updating the design and method of working for our modern fabrics and methods of working. That will be along soon.

Last weekend we volunteered at the Tower Of London to help plant some of the thousands of Poppies that form part of an installation to remember the 1st World War

Oh and I made it onto the front cover of October Popular Patchwork

Another month has disappeared and Christmas is rapidly approaching!!! You have still got time for some Christmas makes.

Country House Botanic quilt is finally finished and I know that everybody is waiting for a photo but I have got to find a space big enough to put it to photograph it flat! We usually hang the quilts on the washing line and we tried that but the quilt is too long and it was in danger of dragging all over the floor. So, we are on Plan B and looking for somewhere else to photograph it. As soon as we have we will or rather Tony will put it on here.

The Noah’s Ark quilt is finished and I will start to teach that soon. I am working on ideas for after Christmas.

Look out for more owl designs, following on from the quilt and also the Winter Warmer Owl.

Other than patchwork and quilts I have been working on a few postcards, made another shirt and done some knitting. I have also been playing with my weaving loom, making myself a big scarf – purple/orange/brown - sounds an odd colour combination but honestly it works. Photos later when it is finished.

Well, we are almost at that time of the year!! I have almost completed creating the presents I want to this year, from knitted, to sewn and woven. Really getting the hand of the knitters loom now!

You still have time to make a few little gifts, like pincushions or scented hanging cushions, decorative hearts or even mini bunting.

I am already thinking about all the bits that I want to design and make for the coming year! I have designed another cot quilt (will be teaching the Noah’s Ark one in January) this one is with a toadstool home in the middle.

Working in with the theme of toadstool home I have also designed another three squares that are unusual homes, with more detail toadstool square this will be a quilt for little girls or even bigger ones!!!! Depending on how much embroidery detail you want to put on it.

Merry Christmas.