Handsewn Patchwork Workshop

I will be teaching the block I made for this quilt on Saturday 17th March from 10.00am to 12.00 noon at Lychgate Schoolroom, Kenwyn Church Road, Truro TR1 3DR. Why not come along for an introduction to traditional handsewn patchwork using scraps and learn a new block.email me for further information at curious.things@yahoo.co.uk

Work in progress

I am still working on my Illuminated Boxes quilt, the quilting is taking ages

 but it is lovely to do so much hand work

The stitching makes such a difference to the pattern, highlighting and emphasising the direction

Diagonal wave cushion

Diagonal wave cushion front waiting to be trimmed and backed. This piece is handpieced and quilted from a mixture of new and old fabrics including beautifully soft upcycled shirt fabrics and some Japanese kimono lining. The quilt sandwich is made up with a piece of lightweight fleece which gives a lovely firm but soft feeling to the quilting

Quilt on Kirstie

You might have caught a glimpse of my diagonal blocks quilt on Kirstie's handmade Christmas on Ch4 in December, it was behind her while she was making chocolate marshmallows! This quilt is handsewn and quilted using a traditional paper template technique and fabric scraps. It makes a great winter project as you can make your blocks in front of the fire while watching tv or listening to the radio with the company of family and friends, I take my blocks on the train and they soon mount up. If you would like to know more why not come along to a workshop on February 10th at Cowslip Workshops in Launceston where I will be teaching this block and how to put it together to make a cushion, wall piece or quilt

Cowslip Workshops

I'm getting ready to exhibit at the Cowslip workshops Christmas fair in Launceston. There will be loads of lovely stalls, the brilliant shop full of fabric and the organic cafe. It will be open Friday 18th November 11.00am - 7.00pm, Saturday 19th November 10.00am - 4.00pm  and Sunday 20th November 10.00am - 4.00pm

Cushion Kit

 One of my cushion kits has been featured on Diannajessie's blog which is a lovely suprise, here's a picture of the same kit but in a different colour way. The kit is available in my shop

Spots and Stripes

I'm working on a new version of my Squares and Stripes cushion, this time with a mix of lovely spotty fabrics with the stripes, I've used some real favourites fabrics for this cushion. Now its all pieced together I need to have a think about the type of quilting I want to do, I'm itching to start

Journal Quilts

Journey 11

I have completed my last four journal quilts for 2010

Journey 10

This is an annual project with the Contemporary Quilt Group

Journey 11

Its a great way to try out new ideas on a small scale

Journey 12

and stretch your imagination

Quilt and Cake success

The Quilt and Cake evening I was teaching last night was really enjoyable. I had 13 lovely people come out on a bitterly cold and icy night to enjoy sewing, socialising and cakes. Everyone put together a Tumbling Blocks block and they were all laid out together at the end which looked wonderful. Unfortunately I forgot to take any photographs, I was so busy and the evening raced by and it slipped my mind!

So instead here are some pictures of new sketchbooks

and new notebooks which will shortly be available in my Folksy shop

Quilt and Cake

Tonight's the night for the first Quilt and Cake session that I'm running so I'm just sorting out all the supplies I need to take with me. I have finished quilting the Tumbling Blocks pattern and it is now made up into a cushion, which is going to be the sample for tonight's project.

I feel very excited about this evening but also nervous, wondering if anyone will come along. If nobody turns up at least I will have lots of Karens lovely cakes to eat! Wish me luck

Tumbling Blocks

Tumbling Blocks is probably one of the oldest patchwork designs but I find it fascinating how a pattern made up from one basic shape can be so effective and absorbing

These are samples I'm putting together for a Quilt and Cake evening I'm holding at the begining of December so hopefully other people will like this pattern too

More Squares

Here is the finished quilted cushion

This is a very satisfying pattern to make. I'm going to make up another version with some lovely spotty fabrics

Squares and Stripes

Here's a new pattern I've been working on using my favourite fabrics, checks and stripes.  This shows the cushion top sewn together ready to have its tacking and papers removed

Here's the back with the papers still in - I really like the way this looks with the seam edges showing

and here's the top with tacking and papers removed, waiting to be quilted

Illuminated Windows

I'm still loving this pattern and have made up a new cushion with this lovely stripey fabric

Patchwork kits

Here is something I have been working on for some time! Handsewn patchwork kits for anyone who would like to try patchwork but doesn't know where to start.

The kit contains an illustrated instruction booklet, cardboard templates to cut your fabric and pre cut papers for your fabric pieces, just add the fabric of your choice. These patterns are great for using up scraps of fabric or you can buy new, full details are supplied in the kit

There are two designs available, 'Boxes' and 'Illuminated Windows'.

They are available in my Folksy shop and would make a great present for a budding quilter!

Blocks cushion

I have finished my blocks patchwork cushion. This version is hand pieced and handquilted 

Sewing squares

Tacked and sewn together

Festival of Quilts

A few details from the hundreds of beautiful quilts at this years show

Quilt Borders

I make one handpieced and quilted large patchwork a year and take great pleasure in the slow progression of the work. The top is now completed and sewn together and I have started work on the borders, piecing strips together in readyness for stitching onto the edges of the top. Two sides of the border are cut and tacked, two to go