Quick Makes & Stitch & Craft Show Visit

My week....

I've sewn all my strips together for the panels of my French Braid/ Jelly Roll quilt. Now for a "stitch in the ditch" fest!

I made a few quick items towards the goodies for my quilt club's May event.

Shopping bags......

Children's bags and aprons....

Handy pouches with clear zip pockets. 

Credit and thanks for this idea goes to my blogging buddy 

Diane, the Cheshire Quilter.

Event City Trip

Yesterday we took advantage of my 2 free tickets and ventured over to Manchester to visit the Stitch & Craft Show at Event City. I had arranged to go with a friend but her health intervened so I am adding the following pics as a taste for her of a little of what she missed. (Get well soon too!)  It was a good show with so much to see, exhibitions, trade stands and make and takes. The catering facilities were increased and, very wisely, there were groups of 3 or 4 seats suitably placed all around the halls as rest areas.

It was well worth visiting and a step up to last year as we found so much to interest us other than the trade stands. 

Check it out if you fancy a visit as I think it is still on tomorrow.

First a few of my favourite pieces .....

Close up of the detail of fabulous machining skills.

This little panel was beautifully hand embroidered and quite a jewel amongst all the machine stitching.

The following pieces were entries in a competition with "Glimpses of Scotland" as the subject.

This delicate panel was stitched on a piece of an old pianola roll

The detail of this collage of stitched postcards was amazing and it was wonderful to see how this lady, from Denmark, really captured the essence of her holidays in Scotland.

Pauline Walsh produced a really imaginative piece inspired by the distorted image through a glass of whisky.

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This pheasant was beautifully stitched and the tiny heather flowers were exquisite.

Here is the winning entry....very imaginative, good fun and well executed but not one I would have chosen or would have on my wall.

I enjoyed seeing the costumes from "Far from the Madding Crowd" but I couldn't believe how tiny the waists were. It's hard to judge from the photos but they must have only been 20 inch at the most.

Over all a good show and my only complaint..... 

I scoured all the trade stands looking for 100% cotton quilting thread and there was only one stand selling any thread at all and that was bog basic cheapo polyester. 

All that fabric to sew and not a reel of thread worthy of using to sew it.