Bridge Quilters Visit

I was invited by the Quilting Twins to visit Bridge Quilters at their Widnes venue and enjoyed a really super day with all the ladies there.... and lovely cake too. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Thanks so much to everyone.

I talked about my journey into quilting, showing and telling about some of my makes after which I helped members finish their Windmill Bags. I also gave instructions for making my Liberty Petal Scarves and a few other easy items. Here are a few photos of the results of the day. Lots of super makes and how different the bags look in the contrasting colour choices and fabric designs.

Inside a bag

Above shows the "Windmill" construction of a bag and below the inside. 
The cross point is the base.

I recieved a generous donation from the group which has gone to a fundraising site I am supporting to help a lovely lady I know to have IVF to make her dream for a baby come true.

Leanne and Kayleigh kindly made me this fabulous handy patchwork pouch with a clear window, which I love.  I've already had a go at making some as gifts for my friends but I made mine from scraps so they are nowhere as good as my lovely gift from the twins.

Here's one of my sample bags which is made from little Liberty fabric scraps.

Finally a couple of items I am still developing. 

First these friendship bracelets....

and a necklace which will be so much better when made with more suitable beads.

Windmill Bag Workshop

I was invited by Waterloo Quilters to give a workshop and the ladies came with their panels ready prepared for the Windmill Bag and Liberty Leaf Scarf, to enable them to learn the construction process in the time allowed. 
The scarf was just demonstrated to be constructed at home.

There was a wonderful array of colours, fabrics and techniques to be seen so I am showing a range of them in various stages. 

Well done to everyone for producing such excellent results and thank you so much from me for such a lovely welcome. I really enjoyed my day with you all.

Above, a handy internal pocket inserted, after quilting and within the bindings, before joining the panels.

An Extra large tote

Liberty 3 Cushions & Quilt

I have been quiet here on my blog since Christmas but not in my stitching. My machine has been whizzing away and my fingers have been hand stitching too. The proof is below but I cannot yet show my biggest project, which I started on Boxing Day and finished before the end of January. I finally made a quilt for my daughter's marriage which was September 2016. due to all the problems we have had I could not begin to think about it and my daughter told me to make it whenever I felt up to it. I am pleased that it is finished but I want to give it to her personally to share her reaction.

I recently played around with some of my Liberty Hexagons and I really enjoyed making the cushion below, and I love the result too.

It really doesn't matter how the fabrics are laid out as Liberty designs all seems to go together beautifully and there are about 50 different designs here.

The triangles in the next cushion were all hand stitched but I machine stitched the quilting and borders.

Hand stitched Granny's Garden Hexies

The back of the cushion above in simple squares.

This quilt is a smaller on than my daughter's wapping king sized one. I made this as a wedding present for a friend's son who we have know since he was a little boy.

I think I am addicted to using Liberty fabric as it is so lovely to handle and produces good results from the simplest of designs. It relaxes me and makes me happy!

Swag of Bunting for my Fireplace

I've managed the next stage of making our house look a little festive before the South West contingent of my family comes to visit. No tree up yet but I have made this bunting swag for the fire place. I made three in total and gave one to a friend who was desperate to have one and the other, a much bigger one, is almost finished ready for my South West daughter to decide if warrants approval to hang over her large fireplace in her new Devon home.

Since posting I have had a request about a pattern to make the triangles for the bunting but I was unable to reply. The following might help......
The pennants are all of varying lengths between 20 and 25 cms and widths of approx 9 to 12 cms. This is just a guide and they can be quite easily be made longer or shorter to suit individual locations. 
They are very casually made just with a toning backing, fabrics stitched right sides face to face then turned inside out and pressed. I zig zagged across the tops before arranging and stitching them onto a ribbon or cord for hanging. 
As easy as can be! The balance of the colour scheme and the variable lengths makes the finished item a little bit different and unusual than the spaced out traditional bunting.

Here's the longer one for my daughter made in more "homespun fabrics". Hope she likes it!

Christmas Cut Outs

Christmas is creeping into our house. 

My back has been playing up, due to all the work clearing my late friend's house, so I've been sitting and cutting these paper house silhouettes to decorate our front window. Whilst I was on a short trip to my daughter in Germany last week, she asked me to make some for her and I loved them so much I decided to cut some for my own home. The designs are from the main buildings in her pretty little German town and the centre one is their Rathaus (town hall). Must cut out another reindeer for Santa!

From inside with fairy lights lit.

From outside

Christmas Fair at St Mary's West Derby.

It was a good day at the Christmas Fair despite the bad weather, wind and rain all day people, (and even Father Christmas) paid us a visit. We took hardly any items back home with us and a fair bit of cash has gone between a charity, our group and some to the church funds. Thanks to everyone who supported and helped us.

A Couple More Makes for the Christmas Fair

Couldn't sleep. Up at 5am. Drinking Cocoa. Decided to add a post.

After making these little houses into hangings of three units, I had a few over so, I've made them into single residences as smaller items for the Christmas Fair on Saturday. 

This little hanging is for my Sister in Law who spotted one similar at our Summer Fair.

Kathy in my group kindly lent me the pattern which is in a Nancy Halvorsen, Art to Heart book called Happy Holidays to You. 

It is straight but sorry that the pic looks wonky.

Going back to bed for another little snooze........ I hope zzzzzzzzzz