Twirly tote bag - Autumn 2010

Photo was so much better when Tezzie helped to hold the strap

Other squidgy bag - April 2011

Quilter's companion - Mandy Shaw 2008

Mandy's version!

Quilt panel made up for Jared - Christmas 2010

A labour of love - one of the rare occasions that I have been paid for making something :) It should have been quick n easy - but I needed to redo some of the stitches - machined one. So it then took another 4 months to finish it off. Just in time for Christmas 2010.

Quilt panel made up for Jared, Nicky's youngest son.

Fabric baskets to hold bits n pieces :)

I made three fabric baskets from scraps ofd threads. I reckon you could make three or four in a day :) Depending on how much detail you added to each one  :)

Ribbon embroidery - June & July 2007

I stitched one for Anne & Nick's silver wedding anniversary :)

I made this for Richard & Emily's wedding.  I really enjoyed working with the ribbons - quick n easy to do  :)



They both began life in an embroidery hoop. Sew tacking stitches to get the shape - then build up the flowers. Add beads or sequins or whatever you fancy :)  Monograms where first sketched on paper, then evolved, until they seemed balanced.

Serengetti bag - February 2006 - made by Andrea

Beautifully made by Andrea, I have yet to start mine!  Still got the thick cable though (!!!) for the handles!  :)

Convergence - by Ricky Timms

 'Warped' with Carole Wood the bp

 Nice idea - 'on point'

The top was sewn at a Convergence class at the bp, taken by Carole Wood.  Suc a hot day - I've called it warped.  I got stuck in traffic on the way to the class & lost precious HOURS.  I still managed to complete the top on the day & then added the borders.  I never did take to the colour wash fabric that is bottom right on this image.  It does look better for some top stitching though  :) 

I have second Convergence top that I made during a class with the Trinity Quilters. It's not quite done yet!  I used Ricky Timms fabric and just haven't got a border on it.... yet.

Tied fleece blankie - for Baby Faye

No sewing involved!

A 'Stitcher's must have' - February 2007

I got a pattern of the internet.
I bought the gripper fabric fom Jacksons of Arley - the caravan warehouse.  I got a bag of play sand from B&Q!!!
The sand in the pincushion part sharpens the pins & needles each time they are inserted into it.

Petal - June 2006

I great little purse with applique.
Andrea & I had plans to make up kits & sell the kits.
But then bag patterns rocketed & Petal was shelved.. temporarily :)

Oakshott fabric - May 2006

Hantex was a monkey puzzle.

Primitive Friendship Angels - Autumn 2009

Andrea designed a wonderful little angels using calico, wooden beads & a piece of knitting! & some metallic mesh for the wings.
I made a template on the machine embroidery machine, Andrea turned the bodies & arms to the right way, & added the hair.  We made quite a few one day. We had a little production line set up :)  It is amazing what can be achieved with unravelled knitting and a glue gun :)






Each angels was popped into a cellophane pouch, with a poem:
'This is an Angel of Friendship, it’s sent with love to show
Our friendship means the world to me, more than you’ll ever know.
So even if we’re far apart or haven’t spoken for a while
This will remind you I think of you often, and always with a smile.
There is no need to unwrap it, but if you’re feeling blue
Just hold this angel close to your heart, because it’s filled with love for you.'




We also made Battenburg lace angels to sell.

Magical Mitre Bag - March 2011

I bought the kit from the Button Angel stand at the NEC, Nov 2010.  The fabric for the middle of the panels was very autumnal/flowery.  I bought Japanese Chrysanthemum fabric,with a gold metallic outline.  It suits the bag design really well.

I used buttons to embellish the heart-shaped zip pull.

I am using it everyday.  I am finding that one strap works quite well.

I did add a pocket inside but it really isn't deep enough to be practical.  It will need a rethink on future models.



I have been asked to make a bright green mitre bag - for Sarah.  (Work in progress.)  The green fabric that I used has an element of linen in it.  It is not as substainial as the brown fabric that I used in the first version.

Bramble Bag III - in various colourways - June 2010

 Andrea & I both made one in the same colourway.  Andrea embellished her bag with beads & embroidery stitches. I added two pockets inside, sewn to the lining before the bag top was added - which didn't quite sit very well - but holds my mobile nicely.  :)  and partitions the inside of the bag nicely.

 

I made a second bag, using embroidered, green taffeta fabric & a pre-textured FQ in green, shiny satin.  I used a tan brown lining fabric to pull out the embellished leafs on the outer fabric.  Pocket worked much better.  It was a seperate square made up & attached under the bag top.  Lining around this part was allowed to be ungatthered to hold the pocket better.

Nice feet!   lol

I have also started a burgundy version using velvet and taffetta - watch this space!  I will post photos as soon as I can.

Magaret Every Challenge Cup Exhibition 2009 & 2010

Entry for 2009

Fabric chosen for this year's challenge

Hidden star quilt which I started with Andrea in the class designed to use a jelly roll.  Linda Chevin-Hall took the class, at the Bramble Patch, January 2009.  She was a lovely tutor - but said 'don't worry about the joins - it's not like you will be putting into a competition!  lol.  Andrea bought a roll of batiks to use for this project, some of which needed to be re-cut in the shop. :(.  I am not sure if Andrea finished her hidden stars quilt.  Andrea entered a piece called 'random rectangles' into this year's exihibition.

I backed my quilt with a piece of fabric bought from Marianne, Brownhills.  I called mine 'Good Intentions'.  As I STILL have good intentions of doing some more hand stitching on the plain blocks.  I did take it with me on the May Day weekend away - this year we went to the Cotswolds County Park. We spent a weekend with Quinny, Rachel & Archie.  Burnt sausages & evening gatherings in our lodge where popular that weekend :)  as the Ashbys, Tomkinsons & Walkinshaws were living tent & caravans  :)  Lovely weather - but not quite Butlins  :)  James had his third birthday bash in the awning. I managed to get some top stitching done.  Please note the cheesy smile!

I took the quilt while I was piecing the blocks together, to show the Tuesday Patchers and then we popped round to see Joy.  We had the block laid out on her lounge floor trying to work out which block should go where. Jan was a great help crawling on the floor, while Joy & I pointed to swaps & changes that needed to be made.  It is the biggest quilt that I have made...  so far!  I don't thing I will attempt a bigger one.  Not in the foresee-able future!

still on the sofa  :)  looking good

It's still looking good, even after 2 years on the sofa!

The cats still love it!






 June 2010...

2010 entry

This is me with the quilt I named 'I hope'.  We were asked to use fabric with a text design on.  I found some newspaper print in my fabric stash & used some fabric that I bought YEARS ago  :) Andrea's entry can be seen on the right of this photo!

Heart felt giggles  :)

Andrea's entry for 2010: 'Random Hearts'

Our first Craft Fair - May 2007

What were we thinking!  lol  It was held in Dunchurch Village Hall, run by Sue Eversfield. It was March 2007.



Many weeks planning, including collecting ribbons from the warehouse.  Our first official sale was a piece of gripper fabric - so a lady could secure her ashtrays!



We also had a couple of the girl guides buy some of our play sand to make there own pin cushions!  The ribbon pack sold 'well' compared with everything else.

Andrea very nearly sold a locking hook kit to a lady - who sadly never came back to see us!

We both ageed that we needed more 'made' stuff next time.  Lessons learnt.  Fun was had & it made a nice change from shopping!

SECOND CRAFT SHOW...
... was at the Village Hall in Brinklow.  Jeff drove me down & helped us to take the stuff into the Hall.  Dorian organised it & we had the first able near the main entrance door.  Micala joined us, bringing her soaps & bath oils - she sold more than we did!  We promised each other again that we would make more stuff next time.

THIRD CRAFT SHOW...
... was at Churchover Village Hall.  Run by Dorian and her son, Zac.  We were by the main door again :) Armed with chocolates for the childre, we did much better.  One lady bought a pack of FQs & asked for them to be hemmed to make napkins!  Andrea volunteered to sew them & the completed 'napkins' were posted to her a couple of weeks later  :)

Tezzie's Log cabin blankie - Jan 2007

I made the first cat blankie, from soft flannel fabrics, which I had been collecting to make up some Brenda Walker robins.  I needed some patterned fabrics for their legs, hats & scarves.  I had collected them together and took them to my Thursday morning Patchers Group at the Mitchells craft centre, Sutton Coldfield.  Dora spotted the stash from the other side of the table and said that they were too nice to chop up for robins...  they would make a lovely quilt - the colours, hues & textured worked together so well.  When I got home in took them out of my bag, laid them out on the table & Tezzie promptly came & stretched out on top of them, had a quick wash & then a nap!  A cat blankie was born.  lol

Tezzie helped me each step of the way. I used my new Brother Galaxie - with it's knee lift and automatic thread cutter. Cutting the sewing up time down for each block to 30 minutes :) from one hour.

Pincushion - kit from Jayne Davies

I bought a kit from one of my first visits to the Festival of Quilts. I then made some pin cushions of my own.

Christmas House (made from a fabric panel - Andrea) Oct 2008

Andrea & I went to see a lady called Marianne. She was selling her stock, from her fabric shop in Brownhills, due to ill health. We bought a lot of wonderful fabrics from Marianne. I have since met her at the NEC show, she was on the Pfaff stand. And I took Andrea to the Craft Corner near Brownhills, which is also a pottery workshop. Marianne & the shop had some lovely rag dolls which I still have in the corner of my mind to sew - when I get a roundtoit!

Back the house... Andrea struggledd using the foam blocks - but the end result was stunning :) Complete with zips & a separate roof.