Quilt Top In A Day!

Today was a Quilt Top In A Day workshop at In Stitches!

Sarah very kindly let me teach her Brick Layer Cake quilt pattern, but to be honest I did very little teaching.  Sarah had everything under control and the well written pattern flowed beautifully!

The ladies did brilliantly today, chopping up their layer cake and reassembling them into beautiful quilt tops!  Our youngest sewer today was only 11 and that's hers in the middle of the mosaic! 

Well done everyone! You are all super-stars!

And if you would like to have a go at this brilliant pattern, you can find the free tutorial of it here on Sarah's blog.

Jude xo

More Bow Ties!

Well June is almost here (not that you would know by looking outside!).

The Bee Blessed Block of the month for June will be continuing the 'bow tie' theme with this scrappy bow tie!

These are 12.5" unfinished blocks and you can find the tutorial here.

It only took me 20 minutes this morning to make this fun block!  If you fancy having a go, we are asking for solid white background as shown here, and bright scrappy colours for the bow tie.

This will be the last BOM until September.  Thanking all you wonderful contributors in advance of your wonderful support.

Jude xo

The New Workroom!

Well a few of you have been itching to see pics of my new sewing room (my old bedroom)! 

I'm almost embarrassed to show you these pics, in case you think I'm bragging!  I'm not, but completely and utterly aware of how fortunate I am to have the available space to facilitate this size of workspace.

I've tried to take pictures working from left to right, from the door as you come in, clockwise around the room!

I spend at least 20 hours per week in here (often more!) supporting the 10-15 hours per week I spend teaching my classes. I'm loving my new 'office' space where I can sit at a proper desk and write patterns, answer emails, take registrations for classes etc. without having to balance the laptop on my knee!

The light from the huge bay window is brilliant to sew at!  Though I'm now looking directly into the front street and getting some strange looks back!

I keep my deco weight, linen, wadding offcuts and dressmaking stuff in these boxes.  I also have a box of ufo's (less said the better!) and the smaller boxes on the top shelf are projects currently being developed for future classes.

What's a little weird is that I have slightly less storage space for smaller items, but my ample window sills have come in handy!  I even have a place to hang my WIP quilts!

But my most favourist (?!) of all the items in the room is my new cutting table!



My dad converted my old work table into this huge cutting table, complete with castors so I can move it to one side, room to store & access my bulky bolts of fabric and tonnes of space on top for several large cutting mats!  I've still to stick down a couple of measuring tapes to the top edges to make it quick and easy to measure yardage. 

You know, it really doesn't matter how much space I get, I still manage to fill it!  This new spacious workroom means I'm no longer cramped and falling over stuff and there's room for Shannon and I to work side by side!

It's as a result of very unpleasant circumstances that this change of room use has been possible.  But I'm a great believer that good things can come out of bad situations.

A huge thank you to my 3 long suffering kids for helping me push and pull the furniture around, and to my dad for being so creative and handy with his hands!

Jude xo

More QAYG Fun!

'Quilt as you go' is one of my favourite techniques!  But I can't take credit for these lovelies!

These are the beautiful QAYG handbags made by Monday class!  Most of them also have a recessed zipper, which is included in the pattern.

Well done ladies!  Enjoy using your roomy bags!

And if you would like to have a go at one of these bags for yourself, you can find the pattern here.

Jude xo

Picnic Cushions

This week I've been working my way through a huge pile of foam squares my dad recently gave me!

Poppy getting in on the action!

I've particularly enjoyed using my mini power tool for trimming the foam to size!

Electric Bread Knife!

I will be teaching a workshop in the summer on patio/picnic cushions, and have been experimenting with some class samples.

These covers are un-patchworked (such a word?) and have piping and a Velcro opening.

Next up I tried a smaller patchworked version.  I have an upholstery needle on order and might try sewing some buttons on this one.

Finally, I couldn't resist recycling some denim for a hard wearing cover, also with piping, but this time with a zippered opening.

So in addition to a quick lesson on how to make your own bias binding, there are a few different elements here for folks to try out on their cushions.

I've really enjoyed making these and will definitely be making more!  All we need now is for summer to arrive!

Jude xo

Picnic Carry Cushions Saturday Workshop: 19/7, 10am - 4pm

Best Kind Of Mail!

Well in the complete absence of the sunny stuff this week, some lovely mail has been bringing a smile to my face instead!

I took advantage of Cindy's 15% off weekend and bagged me some lovelies for my stash. I'm hoping some of these will come in useful for the next round of our Brit Bee Medallion.

Then yesterday I got a surprise package from a lovely new bloggy friend called Josie.  I had recently sent Josie some Irish linen offcuts and I got these lovelies in return!

If you know me, you know I LOVE free motion sketching, and Josie does the most amazing things with free motion applique.  Take a look at this adorable needlecase!

Go and check out Josie's blog and drool over her amazingly cute makes!

Fingers crossed the sun will shine today!

Jude xo

Sugar Rush!

Progress continues steadily at Bee Blessed.

Here is the first of 2 Pippi/heart quilt tops (the other one not quite sewn together yet!).

Isn't it adorable!

We also recently received a wonderful donation of quilts and quilt tops from our Long Arm Friend!
 

These will be going to a family in Zimbabwe who have so far adopted 13 children (under the age of 7 years!).



And another wonderful donation were these amazing cupcakes, received from a lady who had recently received a BB quilt for her elderly parents. Boy did we enjoy tucking into all these goodies!!

Sorry to all our BB contributors who can't be with us in person to enjoy these goodies! Take it from us - they were delicious!!

And one more sweet thing to share with you today!

Shannon has rebranded her blog and you can find her here. I'd love it if you would take a peek at what she's been making recently!

Have a great weekend,

Jude xo

Cowl to Cushion!

If you are having a clear out of some winter wear how about turning an unwanted knitted cowl into a cuddly cushion?

Before

After

All I did was hand stitch closed the 2 open ends of the cowl around a rectangular filler! 

Simples!

Jude xo

Teddies and Frogs!

Thanks to Shannon's stirling work on making the Heather Ross cot quilt (front and back) I was able to get it finished today!

Shannon used up the leftovers and remaining froggy fat quarters in the back.

I free motion quilted it in curly swirls and added some stripey binding.

So this one can now be hung up in the classroom alongside this one ......

.... for an upcoming class.

Jude xo

Plus Quilt Course (2 sizes to choose from):

6 weeks starting Monday 7th July (places still available)

Quite the Weekend!

Well there's been lots going on around here this weekend!

The first stage of the 2nd biggest bike race has been here this weekend, passing right past the end of my street!!

And at home, I took the notion to move my rooms around!  I had an epiphany!

Why have a huge big bedroom (which I don't spend much time in) and a small sewing room (which I spend practically all my time in!).  My sewing room leads off my bedroom so with much humping of furniture, lots of bumps and bruises later, I now have a cosy wee bedroom and a giant workroom!  Squeeee!

Plenty of room now for me and my apprentice!

And speaking of my apprentice, just look at what she's been up too:

A 'Quilt as you go' handbag (she made this in a few days by simply following my pattern!):

We found some old Jeans pockets which were perfectly co-ordinated with her fabrics!

A Laptop Sleeve (she combined 2 patterns and rustled this up in an afternoon!):

Fabrics from Ikea!

And her first quilt top:

Look who was lurking behind!!

This will be a class sample - she's certainly got the sewing bug!  Should I be worried??

Have a great start to the new week!

Jude xo

Pinwheel Pleasure!

I haven't blogged for a few days, but that doesn't mean there's no sewing going on!

I've been training up my new assistant and keeping her busy with lots of projects (oh it's so good to have someone to delegate too!).  She's doing brilliantly, and has caught the sewing bug (at last!). I don't even mind my stash being depleted, much!  I'll show you soon what she's been working on.

I've been working on a baby quilt idea for a class in the Autumn.

It will be based around some double pinwheel blocks - a few more to go in these lovely 30's Playtime prints.

I'm expecting to get more sewing done tomorrow as it's pretty much 'lock down' here with the Giro d'Italia happening tomorrow at the end of my street and surrounding area!

Bye for now!

Jude xo

Cosy Toes!

Today was my chenille quilting workshop.  It went really well (mostly!) and the ladies coped well with all the sewing, slicing and dicing!

No pics of the finished projects yet, as the ladies have to wash their cushions and blankets at home to get them all lovely and fluffy!

But here is another sample for you to see!

This is my new bath mat.  I experimented with a bath towel on the back and it came up lovely!

I would also like to make a smaller version of these as baby changing mats, with handy little Velcro roll up tabs.

 

It's so nice not having to walk on cold tiles now!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

(If anyone knows why my pics become washed out when uploading from Picassa to Flickr please let me know.  They look bright and sharp in Picassa!)

 

Jude xo



In the nick of time!

I'm just about squeezing in my mosaic in time to Lily's Quilts fresh Sewing Day!

April seems to have been a 'pouches and quilts' kind of month!

Hope you've had a creative April!

Jude xo