I haven't been my usual prolific self this year when it comes to handmade Christmas gifts! However I did manage to make a few presents: Notelet Folios: These A6 size notelet carriers were the brain child of my uber talented friend @sewmesarah who shrunk my Journal Cover pattern down into adorably cute notelet folios! You […]
Back in the summer, I made the momentus decision to make myself a quilt! In the 15+ years I've been quilting I've never made a quilt just.for.me!! I know, right!! Now of course I have boxes and boxes of quilts that are class samples, made to demonstrate techniques or used in magazine publications. And I've […]
A few months back I was approached by 2 enthusiastic and local quilters who wondered if I'd like to get behind a new charity initiative here called Quilts For Care Leavers (Q4CL). Quilts for Care Leavers is a charity in mainland UK which has been running since 2018, making 'hug' sized quilts for girls and […]
I was recently inspired by my friend @sewmesarah to make some clear vinyl project pouches, like the ones she keeps her WIPs (works in progress) and UFOs (unfinished objects) in. It has been quite some time since I looked in my box of UFOs and thought if I got them organised into pouches I might […]
After making a bright and scrappy Notebook Cover a while back for my friend's birthday ....... I got a few requests for a tutorial! So here is my Scrappy (Quarter Log Cabin) Notebook Cover Tutorial. The tutorial will take you step by step through the 'quarter log cabin' piecing on the front, echo quilting, installing […]
February is the month of love, and no better way to celebrate than with a free patchwork heart tutorial! I first created a placemat size Log Cabin Heart a few years ago for Patchwork & Quilting Magazine, when they asked their contributors to design a mini quilt that represented 3 favourite things. For me it […]
I recently made a load of Flying Geese from some Tilda scraps. These are going to be borders in a quilt I'm currently working on. Because I was working from scraps, I couldn't use the 'No Waste' method to make all of the geese. When making one 'goose' at a time, you trim […]
I'm so excited to finally be releasing my new Robin Hoop Art pattern! I originally designed and taught this Free Motion Embroidery hoop last year and had many requests for the pattern! And then last Friday night I taught my Robin Hoop as a live Zoom Crafty Monkies workshop to 16 […]
This week in The Kindred Spirits QAL we have been making Grandmother's Cross blocks: These are 14" finished blocks and are a variation on the Granny Square quilt block. You can read about the lovely meaning behind the Granny Square here. There are many variations of Granny Square quilts (you can see […]
I've been making a lot of baskets lately! Some were for my next free tutorial (remember my Scrappy Hexie Basket? Well I'll be releasing the pattern for this one as a free tutorial very soon). And some were just an excuse to have fun with teeny pieces of fabric! These baskets […]
It seems like an age since we were last in class creating a holy mess with strips of fabric, wool fibres, thread and hospital bandages (don't ask!!)! We were well in the throws of making Textile Art Pictures, using a water soluble fabric technique for the background, and then building up a picture on […]
Hello there! I've had a little extra time on my hands the past 2 days (that's in between long lie-ins, short walks and afternoon reading in my sunny garden)! I had a few leftover pieces of Tilda strips from my last free video tutorial project and thought I'd put them to good use. […]
As lockdown continues here, I've had lots more time to play with my favourite scraps! I've been needing a little mat to place under the tray that sits on my oak table. I also love the process of making 'stacked coins' from scrappy strips. So put the two together and what do you […]
Hello everyone! I hope you are all keeping safe and well during these strange days. With much more time available to us, I guess you are all making lots of headway with all your WIPs and UFOs!!!!! (wink, wink!) With no classes to teach, I thought I'd have a go at teaching online!! […]
It's been a while since I've posted here! Apologies! Nothing to do with the current pandemic. I got creatively and mentally very tired after a busy first quarter, but I'm pleased to report that life is settling down for me (ironically, as Covid-19 causes chaos!) and I'm back at the sewing machine! If […]
Yesterday was our Robin Hoop Art Workshop, and what 'sketchy' fun we all had!! Nine ladies spent a glorious Saturday getting in touch with their artistic side. They built up their low volume backgrounds, a little matchstick quilting and lacey additions before bondawebbing their scrappy robins and starting the sketching fun! […]
My youngest daughter requested a handmade gift for her friend's 18th birthday. So last bank holiday Monday, I had a happy afternoon 'playing' in my sewing room with my first love, denim! Using only my smallest denim pieces, I used the 'quilt as you go' method to quilt the pieces directly […]
Hello there! As promised, I'm back to tell you about the rest of the projects on my Autumn Table! (you can read all about projects 1-5 here) 6. Denim Washbag: My love of repurposing denim gets everywhere! Unfortunately I don't have a pattern written up yet for this […]
Last Saturday was my 2nd Rope Bowl Workshop. And I'm pleased to say this lot were just as productive as my first group of ladies!! Once again the feedback from this workshop was a resounding success! It gives me so much pleasure seeing proudly smiling faces going home with beautiful […]
Hi there! Yesterday we had a fun Scrap Busting Saturday up at the Mill. The classroom was alive with scraps getting turned into beautiful bags, cushions and quilts! (You can read more about the projects being made here.) Oh how satisfying it is to breath new life into unwanted or left-over […]
