28th May 2020
From Evelyn
"I found this link from the quilters' Guild website just now. Wonder whether anyone has the time to complete this in between quilting and gardening projects? "
Evelyn.x |
25th May 2020
From June
Here's my 9th embroidered picture - just one left to go for my selection of pictures for my wall hanging. Also, took a picture of a small vase of my flowers (Everlasting Sweet peas, Mint leaves, Lavender, Dianthus and Osteospermum.
Spent yesterday potting up my Peppers and second batch of Basil. Also, I can see my Marigolds, Wallflowers, Sweet William and Foxglove seeds are starting to appear.
On my circular cycle ride to Longborough noticed the first Dog Roses in hedgerows and the Cow Parsley has just take over the verges. In one of the fields there were young Red Devon calves (very cute!)
Hope everyone's going to enjoy the sunshine forecast for tomorrows late May bank holiday.
Spent yesterday potting up my Peppers and second batch of Basil. Also, I can see my Marigolds, Wallflowers, Sweet William and Foxglove seeds are starting to appear.
On my circular cycle ride to Longborough noticed the first Dog Roses in hedgerows and the Cow Parsley has just take over the verges. In one of the fields there were young Red Devon calves (very cute!)
Hope everyone's going to enjoy the sunshine forecast for tomorrows late May bank holiday.
Hope everyone's going to enjoy the sunshine forecast for tomorrows late May bank holiday.
Here's a couple of links to browse in the evening:
Here's a couple of links to browse in the evening:
17th May 2020
Evelyn recommends an article posted by Aurifil.
Aurifil is excellent for education and has a wonderful blog - Auribuzz. Click on the photo to take you to the thread article and the button below to Auribuzz. |
As I have been writing this Evelyn has sent an email to let us know that Lynette Anderson's shop in Brisbane has free international shipping for orders over $50AU. If you are a fan of her fabrics it's a good time to put in an order.
Hello everyone Jane F here.
My May Jottings are now available on the Member's Newsletter page. Please have a look, they are an update on our missed meetings.
I came across some amusing quilting quotes the other day and although I had read some before, there were many that were new to me., so I thought I would share them with you.
I could not decide on my favourite but in the end I chose:
"You know you are a quilter if your ironing board is always set up, but you never iron clothes"
Click this link and enjoy. https://sewuber.com/top-50-funny-sewing-quotes
My May Jottings are now available on the Member's Newsletter page. Please have a look, they are an update on our missed meetings.
I came across some amusing quilting quotes the other day and although I had read some before, there were many that were new to me., so I thought I would share them with you.
I could not decide on my favourite but in the end I chose:
"You know you are a quilter if your ironing board is always set up, but you never iron clothes"
Click this link and enjoy. https://sewuber.com/top-50-funny-sewing-quotes
11th May 2020
From June
I have also finished a fabric covered box (bought in Holland in Delft over 20 years ago!) now completed. Tried using Google translate (all instructions in Dutch), then gave up and just finished it my own way. I liked it as it is tulip shaped and the fabric that I bought at the same time as the kit. My holiday gift finally finished.
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Whilst stitching I have revisited my childhood listening to the tales of Winnie-the-Pooh and there are lots of other stories for all 'kids at heart' on https://stories.audible.com/discovery
well that's all for now June |
From Alison
Somehow when they introduced this quarantine lark I thought I would get all those UFOs finished AND do the book challenge. But neither of these things have happened. Instead I have rearrange the furniture in the conservatory then decided the table needed a new cover, hence this triangle topper made from scraps
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Then my daughter asked for some scrubs (apparently because so many staff are now wearing them it's harder to get a top and bottom in different sizes!) So I've made two sets like this .....in a very bright green!
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I hope everyone is keeping well and safe, and look forward to meeting up again soon.
Alison x
Alison x
From Anne
I am sticking with my 30 day Quilters' Spring Clean Challenge, (see entry below from 3rd May). Some days it takes just a few minutes other days perhaps an hour. It is begining to look much better, hopefully by the end of the month I will be able to find each and every item in there without a day-long search.
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Christy Fincher from Purple Daisy has an excellent video tutorial on curved piecing; it's a lengthy method which is worth the patience because it has great results. Try it.
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7th May 2020
Look what arrived today! All packaged up in an M&S flower box, I had no idea who would be sending me flowers and I could not think why I might deserve flowers at all. So imagine my delight to find the very kind and thoughtful Montpellier Quilters were thinking of me and appreciating my website editing efforts; how lovely you all are! Thank you!
You know, the Q in Q thing gives me something to do, I hate housework, not keen on gardening (bad back) and now I can't go out I desperately need things to do, so really I should be me thanking you all for letting me loose on the MQ website rather than you saying thank you to me.
The website looks clever but it's not really, it's all drag and drop and moving stuff around, it suits the part of me that likes detail and accuracy, anyone could do it with an hour of tuition; the hardest part is thinking up things of interest, that's why I like it when people send in their photos and stories, please continue, sometimes it might take me a day or two to post but I am very grateful for every single thing you send.
Th website doesn't cost the group anything at all which I think is amazing, we don't have to any advertising unlike for instance Worpress which is what a lot of quilt groups use. I think Weebly deliberately has a really naff name so that any commercial site will pay to rid their site of the Weebly address. We don't care if we're not cool, so we stick with free, which is always the best price.
Anyhow, I have heard from Doreen which is lovely, so nice to know people are well and coping (safe and sane).
Shirley has sent photos of a rainbow she made during a break in making scrub caps, it looks like it attaches to the window pane, a great tribute to the essential workers.
I've grown to really like the Thursday clapping tribute, partly because I go along the road a bit and chat to the nieghbours who are complety locked in and who are clapping through thier upstairs windows. I do miss people.
You know, the Q in Q thing gives me something to do, I hate housework, not keen on gardening (bad back) and now I can't go out I desperately need things to do, so really I should be me thanking you all for letting me loose on the MQ website rather than you saying thank you to me.
The website looks clever but it's not really, it's all drag and drop and moving stuff around, it suits the part of me that likes detail and accuracy, anyone could do it with an hour of tuition; the hardest part is thinking up things of interest, that's why I like it when people send in their photos and stories, please continue, sometimes it might take me a day or two to post but I am very grateful for every single thing you send.
Th website doesn't cost the group anything at all which I think is amazing, we don't have to any advertising unlike for instance Worpress which is what a lot of quilt groups use. I think Weebly deliberately has a really naff name so that any commercial site will pay to rid their site of the Weebly address. We don't care if we're not cool, so we stick with free, which is always the best price.
Anyhow, I have heard from Doreen which is lovely, so nice to know people are well and coping (safe and sane).
Shirley has sent photos of a rainbow she made during a break in making scrub caps, it looks like it attaches to the window pane, a great tribute to the essential workers.
I've grown to really like the Thursday clapping tribute, partly because I go along the road a bit and chat to the nieghbours who are complety locked in and who are clapping through thier upstairs windows. I do miss people.
From Doreen
"Each month members of the ‘Block’ group in Quilts for Care Leavers make 12.5” unfinished blocks to a defined pattern (sometimes colourway) There is no commitment as to how many you make and you send them off to the willing volunteer who has undertaken to sew the tops together. These are then passed to a long armer to finish, but one valiant member in Surrey is completely finishing her quilts - the last time I looked she had completed 12, with more blocks to sew! I’ve attached photos of the blocks I’ve made, and one of four heart cushions I made as a ‘thank you’ to the breast cancer post op recovery ward at CGH. I had them neatly packed in a large John Lewis bag ready to take in when down came the ‘isolate’. Hope everyone is safe."
From Shirley
5th MAY 2020
I've had three lovely emails from Vanessa, she has been busy making wonderful things....
"I have been keeping busy while shielding for the last 7 weeks. Mostly in the garden and in the kitchen but I have been sewing as well. I have attached a couple of photos of the Labyrinth quilt which I started a couple of years ago. I finished the top but it is so big I had been putting off quilting it. It has taken seven weeks to do all the quilting but I could only do an hour at a time as it is so big and heavy to manipulate on my machine. I saw that Sue P is doing the same quilt so I wish her good luck with that.
In between hours of the shoulder ache I have been making smaller projects, including scrub caps for my daughter, scrub bags for our local GP surgery and face masks. Take care Vanessa" What an amazing quilt, no wonder Sue is having trouble with hers! - Anne
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"In an effort to enthuse my U3A P&Q group I made the world map quilt and asked them all to make postcards to put round the edges. There are several members who are constantly on holiday and several of us who would like to be! I though t that everyone would be able to find enough inspiration to make a 6 x 4 quilted postcard. Sadly, events overtook the project so only my postcards are on the map. Firstly, one from Japan. After waiting 5 years for a holiday we just made it to Japan and back before Coronavirus took hold. We are so grateful that we managed to do this. Second, some daffodils from Freshwater West in Wales. We went to see my terminally ill Auntie while we had the chance and brought back bunches of daffodils picked on St. David’s Day.
Last one so far is an arch in the Elizabethan Garden in Plymouth where we spent a weekend with my sister before lockdown." |
"You will be wishing you hadn’t asked for pictures!
First little one is a small kit I bought at the Tokyo quilt show. There were very few stands selling quilting materials, about 95% were selling bag patterns or kits so when I saw this I thought I had better snap it up. It took a while to do the hexagons as, like you, I just love hand stitching!" |
"The second one was the result of a Quilters Consequences challenge set by Judi Mendelssohn. We were each asked for a theme, a stitching technique and a quilting technique. They were mixed up and given back to us along with 2 colours from a paint chart.
I got The American Old West, applique and primitive stitching with Wishy-washy blue/grey and namby pamby pink. Just all the things I absolutely adore Not! I didn’t even really know what primitive stitching was till I looked it up. Turns out it is redwork apparently. Definitely not my thing and not my colours. Anyway this is the result. The redwork was not done by hand. I did it on a primitive machine. Hope that isn’t cheating too much. Judi hasn’t seen it yet!" |
Margaret has been sewing too....
"It's now more than 60 days since I've been out of the flat but I've been keeping busy as you can see from the attached photo. Following Evelyn's talk about English Paper Piecing some while ago I kept on making the crosses then appliquéd each to a white background. I used the same method as June to sandwich the quilt - laying it out on the floor - it's worked quite well. Then I hand quilted the whole"
I think it's beautiful! - Anne
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Janet W has written too, it's really good to hear from evryone.
From Evelyn
"This is going to be useful, and a quick project too. No doubt many of our members have already made a bowl but it's new to me, I'll make one for our morning porridge"
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"Did you know how young at heart I am for a 70 year old? With the 75th anniversary of VE Day coming this coming Friday I remember my mother, a young girl in her 20s, travelled to central London for the celebrations. She said she saw the two princesses (Elizabeth and Margaret) in a car driving past enjoying the day with everyone else. So I shall be marking the day on the 8th this year. I may even try my hand at one of the activities on this free download page..." https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-2548139-union-jack-template-display-bunting Perhaps the recipes???
Evelyn.x
Evelyn.x
From Anne
Whilst making scrubs I've been listening to Mel Giedroyc's podcast,
it's gently funny. I didn't think I would like it to begin with but I warmed to it. Neither Mel nor her friend know anything about sewing but enthusiasm makes up for that. Just too people rabbiting on really... Click on image to give it a try. |
MQ Wordsearch - Printable | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
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MQ Wordsearch Solution -printable | |
File Size: | 22 kb |
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May 3rd 2020
From Marion
"The website is entertaining and inspiring. Lovely to see people’s work.
Can you put on a message re Fiddle Quilts? The day before we were all locked down I took 6 Fiddle Quilts to Thirlestaine Home. They had suggested they would be pleased to have some. BUT with the problems, I don’t think they are using any kind of ‘equipment’ that is not essential, and of course I am unable to visit so the ones I have just been given recently, which are excellent, will have to wait - maybe a while! I am sure they will be appreciated eventually sometime in the future so thank you for making them."
Can you put on a message re Fiddle Quilts? The day before we were all locked down I took 6 Fiddle Quilts to Thirlestaine Home. They had suggested they would be pleased to have some. BUT with the problems, I don’t think they are using any kind of ‘equipment’ that is not essential, and of course I am unable to visit so the ones I have just been given recently, which are excellent, will have to wait - maybe a while! I am sure they will be appreciated eventually sometime in the future so thank you for making them."
There are lots of ideas for 'Fiddle Mats' online, in the US they are called 'Fidget Quilts', Google either name and you will find plenty of inspiration. I particularly like this YouTube from Rob Appell.
Don't worry too much about the number of squares or the finished size, just remember it needs to be interesting to fiddle with and it need to fit on someones lap. Anne |
Elaine has two recommendations, the first is a free download from Heidi Staples at Fabric Mutt, it's is for a useful little fabric storage cup.
You will find excellent instructions if you click the button below. Brigitte Heitland from Zen Chic sent out the link to Fabric Mutt and the Pixie Cup in her blog. Take a look at her work and her ideas, she has a modern style and many interesting ideas. Click on the image below.
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June (our TV critic) says:
"I have been watching Museums in Quarantine BBC4 (4 episodes now on BBC i-player) and I recommend Gardeners World on Fridays BBC 2" |
From Evelyn
Last year Peter and I were lucky enough to go to the Swan Theatre in Stratford upon Avon to see Macbeth/the Scottish Play. We are not highbrow folk but thoroughly enjoyed the production and thought that Niamh Cusack was absolutely wonderful. So I was delighted to find that it can now be viewed together with Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello and The Merchant of Venice. Wonderful
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I have two suggestions for you to look at.
Spoonflower, a company that prints your own designs on to a number of different fabric types has a free pattern for a child's wrap-around Apron/Smock. I love it! |
This is the No. 1 idea of the week!
No sewing required. You know how you want a tidy sewing space, well this takes 30 minutes a day for a month - bite-sized. No excuses, you certainly have the time. I shall definitely be doing this! |
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I have finished my Zoo Quilt - I'm pleased with it.
I thought it would make a nice jigsaw! It's easy if you don't try doing the edge pieces first!
I thought it would make a nice jigsaw! It's easy if you don't try doing the edge pieces first!
Take care and keep safe.
Anne
Anne