and HNY

Merry Christmas

Taking a wee blog break..............hope Santa is good to you all, see you in 2011!!

At Last

It's been a few days since my last post, been waiting to thaw out, hee hee...............had another burst pipe since blogging about the last but everything under control now....
This is the last week of classes before the big Christmas break and I have lots of new photos to add to flickr so be sure to click on my flickr buttons to check out the works in progress.
There are too many to show in this post but I would like to highlight one or two.....................

First of all, my beginners - another great bunch of ladies who all get on so well together, so much so we all went out for lunch after class last week, except poor Denise who was snowbound - we thought of you Denise, as we tucked in.................

 Unlike previous years, most of my beginners have now had a wee dabble with patchwork, eg, by doing the shop class. for those ladies I added a bit of a challenge in adding extra blocks or more difficult blocks and they all rose to that challenge. Jean, however, who made the above quilt hadn't tried it before at all and stuck with the original brief - it has turned out beautifully and her choice of applique was inspired by Marjorie who had also opted for a Celtic motif.........these are all works in progress and have yet to be transformed by wadding etc....can't wait!!

 This is Helen's interpretation of the Cabin in the Woods project - she has personalised it with a Scottish meets Mexican flavour, colours are just fantastic aren't they?

I wanted to highlight the cactus - do you see how she has stitched the buttonhole stitch the opposite way from usual? - it has made the cactus prickly and realistic - brilliant.

 

Lastly, this is Joyce's Cabin in the Woods and is a representation of her own house, near Oban (yes, they come from far and wide...) The detail on this wee quilt is superb and shows great embroidery skills....................................bet you can hardly wait for the Open Night!!

a bit of a thaw

I will post some more pix of lovely quilts soon but no time today...........we had a lovely day out in Glasgow yesterday, family lunch out at Amore in Ingram Street, yummy. Then Allan and I branched off to the Glasgow Film Theatre to see the third in the Millennium trilogy of films. I think we will be happy to watch all of them again when the DVDs come out..........
..........now you may recall an earlier blog this week bemoaning the fact that the pipes in the garage were frozen - well, whilst we were guzzling and enjoying the cinema, one of the pipes had burst - deep joy! As we pulled on to the drive at about 6.15 the water was pouring down towards the road and apparently had been since midday.-our poor neighbour had been terribly worried and totally unable to make contact with us.
...so, it's been a busy, mucky Sunday.
Hope to return to things of a sewing nature soon...................

the power of patchwork............

Well I got the weather forecast right, it was bright and sunny all day yesterday...as well as being white and freeeezing!
I spent quite some time on Saturday night checking the weather forecast for Dunoon, Girvan & Dalry as I was expecting ladies from these areas at Sunday's workshop. I began to suspect that I might only have one or two who would manage to make it, BUT, silly me - quilters will tramp thro any conditions to get to a workshop and my only absence was poor Trish who was unwell - hope you are feeling a good bit better today.

The ABC workshops give everyone a chance to make a quilt of big proportions and in this second workshop the fruits of much labour was evident. Lots of cutting and piecing had been achieved and some were even ready to layer up. All have chosen to stick with the Contrary Wife block and already it is amazing to see how different they all look.

The last of the ABC series will be on 6th February where I imagine much pinning and tacking will be taking place..........


Meanwhile, in the other classes, the Cabin in the Woods projects are coming along nicely - I have added all my latest pix to my flickr files - check them out by clicking on the right, but to whet your appetite, here are a couple of projects that have been achieved so far.........

Caryl's applique scene is just delightful, she has always enjoyed applique and put huge amounts of detail into this project. Some of the tree branches were embroidered, the wee birds are all cut from felt and have bead eyes. There is a touch of reverse applique in the church, it's a super piece of work and she is going to have it put behind glass (hope that pussy cat doesn't suffocate.....) For a better view, click on the image.

This Baby Baltimore cushion is Jackie's - she chose to applique onto a linen background and after bonding the stems and buds, has raw edge stitched all around the shapes. She has yet to attach her 3 dimensional flowers which she has crafted, following instructions from a book on the subject. Just to sicken you completely, she has inserted a zip on the back and mitred the corners of the border...........it's beautiful.

Am now off to scrape the ice off the car, weekly trip to Morrisons and then a wee bonus journey to Jenny's in Coylton. When we moved into this house in June we opted to locate the washing machine in the garage - this has been a good idea until today when I suspect the pipes must be frozen and no water getting in to machine - duh!!

More Show'n'Tell

Ray has sent me the following pix of some completed projects. This first one was made from a Jelly Roll and is a pattern, I think, called Hidden Stars. I have yet to try anything with a Jelly Roll, has anyone else had a go?

The next one is her completed Day Trip Around the World which is super, good colours.

The next pix are all projects which Ray has made using her embroidery machine. She has been attending classes in the shop which are friendly and informal and Ray is now finding it fun to combine her new talents with her quilting skills.

She's been busy hasn't she?

Weather Forecast

It would seem we are facing a cold spell - however, I thought I'd give you all a little advance weather forecast - next Sunday 28th , I have a Workshop and we all know what that means........I suspect it will be very cold, but bright and sunny..............
.........it's the 2nd of the ABC workshops and I am looking forward to seeing the progress that the ladies are making with their Contrary Wife quilts. These workshops are aimed at those who wish to make a BIG quilt and have the chance to devote some real time to achieving it. As always I will be encouraging them to quilt in segments and join later.....saves those aching shoulders.

Meanwhile all the other classes have just 2 weeks to go before our Christmas break. Why are we always surprised at how quickly Christmas creeps up on us, does it every year.

Have a great week folks.

Building Site

Lack of blogging due to increase in building activity! Yes, another wall has come tumbling down - oh, the dust, the debris, the rubble..........
Still a fair way to go but light at end of tunnel. Hopefully another few days should see my sewing space decorated  - exciting stuff.

Meanwhile - all you ladies in my classes are brilliant - my appeal for funds for the community centre has raised £106.20 so far - will hand it over tomorrow and I just know they will be chuffed to bits. Thank you all.

and another.........

Following on from last Sundays workshop - Hilary has sent me a pic of her completed bag which she completed at home in time to give to her daughter - bet she was thrilled with it.

Meanwhile, yesterday I enjoyed a girls' (I use the term loosely) day out to Kirkcudbright to visit the Effie Galletly exhibition that I mentioned in a recent blog.
The weather was extremely kind to us and we enjoyed the stunning autumn colours of the countrysideon the way.
The exhibition was well worth the trip - it was great to see the work so close up and glimpse a sample of the techniques too. If you were unable to visit the exhibition you can find out about Effie's work here - http://www.netherfieldgallery.net/site.aspx?i=pg2

A Plea

As you know, Prestwick Community Centre is run by volunteers. South Ayrshire Council still has a duty to maintain the outside of the building but most of the internal maintenance is achieved by the Centre Council. One or two fundraisers are held annually and the day is dawning when SAC is likely to play little or no part in its upkeep.

Last night I attended the monthly committee meeting and the Christmas Fayre was discussed. This has been held for many years and although it raises very little, it is, I believe, important to the local community, especially the children who attend.

There has been a very low uptake in stalls this year and I am one of the "groups" who has chosen not to run a stall - most of the groups who have a table are doing so to raise funds for their own groups but obviously my classes are more of a wee business and this would not be appropriate, although I would be happy to consider a table sale in the future for the benefit of the Community Centre.

Also, if we were to hold some sort of table sale, selling quilted goods, we should probably have started making things last January!!


So, on the way home last night I was trying to figure out some way of helping to boost funds apart from my wee donation to the tombola!


Obviously, if you attend the Fayre - it is on Saturday 20th November from 2pm - 4pm - you will be supporting the Centre by paying admission..............

.................if you are unable to attend perhaps you would consider giving a donation of £1 or £2? I have a lot of ladies attending classes and this could make a substantial difference to the Fayre income.

I know this is the time of year when our purses need to be made of elastic but sometimes the causes closest to us need supprting, and I hope you will help.


I will collect any contributions at your next class.


Many thanks

Another Fine Day!

Think I might have missed my calling, should have joined the Met Office..lol...yes, another fine day, another Sunday workshop. Almost feel guilty keeping all these ladies tied to their sewing machines when they could have been enjoying the Autumnal sunshine........................however, their industry paid off and those who didn't quite finish on the day were well on their way. The workshop was an updated return to an early Tote Bag workshop, and I really wanted to focus on the bag construction, reasonably straightforward and very adaptable. The decorative addition was the insertion of one or two panels which could be anything from a much loved piece of fabric to an orphan block. Have a look at some of these pics and for more, click on my flickr button on the right.............

If in doubt.........

..........talk about the weather. Yesterday was really cold & frosty here, had to scrape ice off the car at 11am! Lovely and sunny tho, it seemed as if Winter was starting early.

Today? Dull and a wee bit clammy (that's for you sis!)....car thermometer showed 16 on way home - weird.
So, this evening I thought I could hear traffic noise, quite unusual, but no, it was wind.......and now we have driving rain to go along with the howls............good old West of Scotland!!

More Stuff Finished.....

 I just love it when ladies come to class and show me finished items from a previous workshop. I try to structure workshops so that some items are achievable in the day as we all know what can happen to UFOs........

The first two pics are of Helen McD's table runner from Christmas in July, so finished in plenty of time for the festive season - I'm sure she has time to knock up a few co-ordinating items.......lol.

Next up is from Madeline and the result of the Monochrome Magic workshop back in January. Now this was a crazy patchwork day and most folks achieved one, or at a push, two blocks as everything was hand done. I apologise for the colour quality in these pics, Madeline's cushion was more blacks, greys and white - took it on my phone!! Double click on the photo to get a closer look at the embellishments.

Keep 'em coming.

Twice in one day

I might be accused of becoming an obsessive blogger but wanted to share this with you - I saw Effie's work at the first Loch Lomond Quilt Show and it is truly inspiring.....

Effie Galletly - A Sense of Place

From: Monday, October 25, 2010
To: Saturday, November 06, 2010
Venue: Harbour Cottage Gallery, Castlebank, Kirkcudbright
Event type: Art Exhibition
Times: Mon - Sat 10.00am - 4.00pm
Ticket Info: Admission Free
Contact Name: Effie Galletly 07798 503278 email: info@netherfieldgallery.net
Website: Click here. Opens in new window.
Details: 'A Sense of Place' is an exhibition of images inspired by the landscapes of the Outer Hebrides, interpreted by Effie Galletly in the unexpected and unusual medium of the quilt. For those familiar with her work, as part of the Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail 2009, the show will include scenes on the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, St Kilda, Mull, Coll, Skye and others as well as new work for 2010

Lightbulb Moment

If I had been running a competition for good ideas in p & q, then this would have been the outright winner.

Margaret B, from my Thursday PM class was showing me her plans for quilting her current project and was laying several card templates over her piece of work - I thought she had been busy, shaping and cutting tissue boxes, but no!.............

..........she had been collecting the sections that you pull off when opening a new box of tissues. Perfect petal shapes and when placed together, the little cut outs produce yet another design. A Eureka moment. Brilliant.

Other brands of tissue perfectly acceptable!!  LOL.

How Cute.............

is this...................thanks sis, for sharing. (Don't forget to turn on your speakers)

For Sale

 SOLD!!

I have agreed to publish the following ad on behalf of a class member.........if you are interested in this machine, please contact me by e mail and I will put you in touch.

Click picture for larger view

"Husqvarna Scandinavia 300 embroidery sewing machine. As new condition,
hardly used.

Complete with original set of standard accessories including hoop, spare
feet etc.

Also includes "4D Reader Writer Kit" (reader/writer box, software and
programmable memory card) which allows new (low cost) patterns to be
downloaded to the machine from a computer."

Original cost £400. Offers around £300."

Work in Progress.............

I have noticed in the world of blogging that some folks like to show their work space, or studios........now many of you know that we have recently moved and are currently having work done! I thought you might be amused to see my "creative space"...it will improve.

Another Sunny Workshop

Anyone planning a wedding, or similar function? - check out my workshop programme. As many of you know, the weather is always outstanding for my workshops and today was no exception. The sun was splitting the skies all day although I have to admit Allan had to scrape ice off the windscreen this morning - first time since last winter!
It was the first of the ABC series of three workshops and nine ladies attended, all armed with piles of yummy cottons and ready to do battle with their rotary cutters.
They are embarking upon large quilt projects and all have decided to follow the Contrary Wife block pattern.

I have to say they were all very industrious and got most of their cutting done.
They will return in November for part 2.............

Another Mystery Solved

Delia recently finished her Mystery Quilt and finally I have managed to get some pix sorted to show you all. It's great to see another one finished, one less UFO in the world...............and it was hand quilted - well done.

 Someone else mentioned finishing off their Mystery Quilt - like to share some photos with us?

Ouch!

What a week!

Have had a stinking cold since last weekend, passed it on to nearest & dearest, our walls have started tumbling down in the house (by a builder!), the cat has been diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure and then today, whilst minding my own business at class - somebody reversed right into my parked car.........

things.........can only get better!

A Freebie

Well done Rachel from pixierosedresses for making a comment to claim 1000th hit on the blog - she is going to receive my Bento Bag-............................hope she enjoys it.
 
Remember, you too could make one by visiting the Pink Penguinb blog, see button on right.

                                                                                                                                   

Milestone

The next person to visit this blog will represent the 1000th hit - this is quite a milestone.
If you are reading this please leave a comment and I will get back to you with a surprise...............................

Brown Bag Please

Just relaxing with a nice glass of chilled white wine after an afternoon in the shop where I was almost in need of a brown bag..............we have had a LOT of new fabric delivered. For a sneaky peak click here and you will be directed to the shop's brand new blog.

Not this time.........

Huge disappointment, it's not easy being a Murray fan, but one day,.........he will do it!!
Keep the faith.

The Nights are fair drawin' in..................

........and so I thought we'd have a little Autumnal facelift.

We have enjoyed a late summer burst of fine weather recently but I think the change in season is on its way if not already upon us. Good quilting weather ahead!!

Just touching base with this post but must close laptop now and settle down to cheer on Andy Murray as he continues his US Open campaign - c'mon Muzza!!

Busy Times

Well that's the first classes underway again after a really long break this year. Looking forward to seeing all the projects develop after seeing all the different fabric choices so far.........

Today Allan and I went to the Glasgow Film Theatre to see "The Girl Who Played with Fire", the second in the Stig Larsson trilogy...oh, it was good, tense and thrilling even tho we have read the books and knew what to expect. Can't believe we have gone to see both films now in Swedish, with subtitles but the story is so strong you seem not to notice the subtitles at all. If you haven't tried these books, I really recommend giving them a go.

Meanwhile, our cat, Cleo, has been relaxing with a good book too........

Bento Bag

A few days ago I posted a super little bag from Pink Penguin's blog - a bento box is apparantly a Japanese lunch box - sounds nicer than a "Piece Bag" doesn't it - lol.
Anyway, I made one from some scraps, different fabric back & front and I also used cotton wadding in place of interfacing to make it a bit thicker.....what do you think? There are a few more views on flickr, right.

Getting Ready for Class..........

It's always a bonus having help...........

Blast from the past

As I prep for classes I am reminded of where it all started - in 2003, Allan and I set off to live in Curacao for just over a year - prior to this trip I enrolled on the online City & Guilds course with Design Matters and began working towards this qualification,online.

I completed it in early 2004 and by this time was back in Ayr. A chance remark from a fellow quilter was just what I needed to put my idea of classes into action. I started with classes of four in my dining room.......and the rest is history.
Some of you might be interested in finding out more about City and Guilds and I wholly recommend the course I followed - it was fun, interesting and I honestly started to look around with a quilter's eye. You might be amused to view my "portfolio" by clicking here.

Since completing the course I have attended a few workshops and a design course with Pat Archibald, whose classes I cannot recommend highly enough. She teaches in Edinburgh and as a guest tutor in other UK locations, and abroad. Check out her website here.

One Week to go..............

Well, only one week until classes start and I am in full handout mode!! Look out printer, here I come.......

 Meanwhile, in case you don't visit my faovourite blogs on the right, here is a super project for you.which is in Pink Penguin's blog, think it's a super wee bag, why don't you give it a try...

Check these out.........

Irene has been busy again - remember her Lemon Squezy quilt? Here is another, in lots of bright spots plus a super grab ball for babies. She tells me the pattern was found on the internet and after a wee search I found it here.

see more by hitting the flickr button on the right and viewing "Show & Tell".

Obsession

I fear I am becoming obsessed with blogging - I keep leapfrogging from one interesting blog to another - there is so much out there, and I think having a craft interest means ther is always something new to find.
I have just added another to my list on the right - "makng it fun" - this blog is from  the owner of Michael Miller fabrics and I was impressed with all the projects on offer, especially all the baby gifts - did I tell you we have a new, week old nephew? Lawrie, he is adorable, might even post his pic next time......

Summer Scraps

Janet has sent me the following pic to show some of her summer projects, all made from scraps - what a good feeling........

A Diversion

Made a half decent cake yesterday - got the recipe from the blog on the right - Cakes, Crumbs etc. I tried the Lemon, blueberry & yogurt cake, and might even try it again!!

Christmas in July

Hi everybody - isn't summer whizzing by? SO quickly, that yesterday, thoughts turned to - Christmas!!

Yes, it was time again for the Christmas in July workshop - 15 ladies attended and worked very hard. This is a workshop where it is unlikely to be able to finish an item on the day but starting in July gives everyone the chance to finish for the Christmas season!!
Everyone received a booklet of patterns which will enable them to make several items from a coaster to a mantel cover. Several ladies started to make the mantel cover or the table runner and were making great progress by the end of the day.

Here is a pic of Christine who is holding up two completed pot stands ( the other belongs to Ann) - aren't they cheery?
To see other images from yesterday, click on my flickr link, to the right.

Also on my flickr pages, take time to look at Ann Smith's Thimbleberries Quilt - I know quite a few of you embarked upon the Block of the Month project with the shop - this is the first finished quilt we have seen and I am sure you will agree, it is a stunner! Ann told me that she had it quilted at Lochearnhead and they certainly made a beautiful job of it.
Long-arm quilting services are growing all the time and I think well worth considering if you feel unable to face the task of quilting a big quilt all by yourself. We don't all enjoy the whole process do we?
What do you think?

and the next one please........

Katrina made this wonderful quilt, her version of Trip Round the World from my workshop back in the Spring. I always love it when someone adds or adapts one of my projects and those of you who attended the workshop will see that Katrina has not only enlarged the original but added some applique - her lucky grand-daughter gets to keep this one!

Baby Bunting.........

Today's contribution is from Irene, who recently completed the wee taster P & Q course in the shop. She then purchased the pattern to make the quilt below - "Lemon Squeezy", (as in - Easy Peasy) designed by yours truly and quick to make up.
Irene has taken it a step further and added some applique and also made some fabulous matching bunting - how adorable is that!!
Well done Irene, I think you might be hooked.............



Irene has totally inspired me to make some bunting too, so yesterday I did this for the shop -




and now I can't stop, so made this one for nephew Evan, who should be having a baby brother or sister any day now!!!


I foresee some Christmas bunting..........................