Hi everyone, I hope you are keeping safe and well and keeping the creativity flowing!   Yesterday I hosted my first socially distanced afternoon tea party in my garden, to celebrate my cousin's birthday!     I'm happy to report that the sun shone all afternoon and a wonderful time was had by all!  It […]

I've been working on a few gifts lately, and now that one has been received I can show you it here.     This bag was made as a special thank you to a lovely lady who enjoys repurposing textiles as much as I do!     I had a few relaxing evenings making up […]

I promised I would show you the finishes from my first online class - The Causeway Hexie Cushion class.   Here are some of the finishes!     Janet made 2 of the same cushion, so extra kudos to you Janet!!   Aren't they gorgeous! And I know there are a few more still in […]

We are still very much in lockdown here, so 'teaching' has had to look very different for me.   Aside from my free video tutorials on YouTube, I trialled an online class last month with my ladies - the Causeway Hexie Cushion.   Feedback from the ladies was really positive and I'm looking forward to […]

As mentioned in my previous post, I have more baskets to show you!  And these are from my latest free YouTube Tutorial!     In this tutorial you will learn:   ~The English Paper Piecing technique ~Quilting the exterior panel     ~How to make and attaching Piping     ~Basket construction, including inserting the […]

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 […]

Once upon a time, in the days before lockdown, I visited an Irish linen factory and purchased some small offcuts of charcoal blue medium weight linen (among other things, ahem!).     I immediately fell in love with the muted tones of this linen and thought a striking white thread would contrast beautifully with it! […]

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!!  […]

My daughter has recently been serving with a Missions organisation called YWAM (Youth With A Mission).   As a team leader she has had the privilege of nurturing 5 students through a Discipleship Training Programme, 4 months in the UK and 2 in Japan.   At the end of the programme the students have a […]

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 […]

You may remember the first block of classes this year was all about Tucks & Pleats. We manipulated fabric a few different ways in 3 projects:   A pouch with twisted tucks:     A cushion with open tucks:     A pleated bag: (free pattern by U-Handbag.com)     It's fair to say that […]

Our 2nd quilting retreat at Murlough House, Co.Down was at the weekend, and just like our first retreat last October, it didn't disappoint!     There were 18 of us, sewing, laughing, eating, playing and having some much needed chill out time!   And like last time, the sun shone which meant the fitter few […]

At the end of February we will be having a half term break from classes. Which means, a new block of classes kicks off in March up until Easter. And a new block of classes means a new (optional) class project.     We're going to dip our creative toes into some textile art this […]

In our current block of classes we are looking at tucks and pleats.   You may remember I had made 2 examples of tucks for our classes, but at the time was still working on a pleats sample.   And here it is:     The pattern for this pleated bag is by Lisa Lam […]

I like a little 'hexie action' in the evenings, and over Christmas I enjoyed working my Tilda scraps into 1.25" EPP hexies.   As they grew I thought I would make a cover for my soft cover Bible.  But then I keep a journal with my Bible, as well as Bible Study books!!!   So […]

Yesterday was our charity sewing day in support of Shared Threads. Shared Threads is a Belfast based charity that makes cloth sanitary pads & hygiene packs, and in doing so seeks to "remove some of the limitations that menstruation puts on so many women and girls across the world, replacing it with dignity and the […]

It's only 6 weeks until our next Quilting Retreat at the tranquil Murlough House, Co. Down.     It will be another fun filled weekend, chilling out, sewing, eating, games and lots more!   There will also be 2 workshops to choose from:     Foundation Pieced Spools: On Saturday afternoon we will be trying […]