HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE & ALL

I hope you have all had a very happy Christmas and I wish you all a very happy & peaceful New Year.

After Christmas we all look forward to the Quilters fair which is held at the Maltings every year

It is a great place to buy reduced quilting fabrics.

 This will be held on Sunday 14th January and as usual I will be offering first pickings to our local community on Saturday 13th January 

This year I am looking forward to holding some different workshops this year and first off is a whole day devoted to quilting.

 We will cover estimating backing fabric - layering up and pinning - choosing different quilting designs - machine quilting using an even feed foot - marking designs on our quilt tops - free-form machine quilting and hand quilting.

I will be holding this fun day on 20th January  there will be other workshop days to follow as well as the usual shorter workshops.

Have a wonderful New Year everyone

Sue ..

Skirts 

This week I had a skirt making week 

 I love making skirts - they are quick & fun and you can make them plain or decorated 

 I started with this little skirt for Aleesha 

which was very quick - I added some pink ric-rac to jazz it up a bit!!

Then i moved on to this skirt for Aaliyah -

I started with the red floral layer - then i added the bottom tier and the first row of ric-rac - then I gathered the lower tier and sewed it to the middle tier and added red ric-rac - then i gathered the middle tier and added it to the upper tier and added red ric-rac - made the casing inserted the elastic and it was done!!!

I then made this skirt for me - i have been thinking about making myself a skirt out of this fabric for a wee while - so i did !! This one was a bit different as it has panels - first i sewed part of the panel seams then i stitched in the panels - then did the side seams then made a seperate waist band - added elastic and hemmed - it's just the right size and length!! Yay!!

Deer at the barn

Yesterday when I arrived at the barn I surprised a young female deer, she ran off through the field of wheat - but kept stopping and turning round to see if I was coming!!

She stayed about 40 yards away for a long time watching mebefore lying down and then i couldn't see if she had gone or not!!

Then today I walked in to the back of the barn and there were two young males right outside my window - they were nibbling at the moss - when they saw me they just looked up and stared. 

 I tried to take a photo - but I have bars on the back of my window - and as i tried to slip the phone behind the bars - they wandered off behind the hedge.

After a few minutes I went outside to see them - and they bounced off over the field - they were so beautiful - so swift - so supple they covered the wheat effortlessly. 

 I am always amazed by these beautiful swift shy creatures - they are so graceful and lovely and it is just another example of God's beautiful creation!!

 Til next time 

 God Bless

Sue..x

Mariners compass 

This is the first section of the Mariners compass- I used 16 different red blends to create this quarter compass.

This is the completed compass - I didn't sew it up in the right order - so it didn't work out quite as I expected - I shall sew another one in blue and try to improve it.

 I think they look quite spectacular - they are time -consuming to sew - ( particularly if you have to unpick) but well worth it!!

God Bless 

Sue..x

Appliqued cushion covers 

These are no more difficult than ordinary cushion covers - the only difference is that before you sew the cushion cover together - you sew the applique design on the front piece.

These silhouetted birds in soft blue work well with the grey tree branch- then using the same fabric as the piping - helps to balance the design

Why don't you have a go?

 If you need any help - just pop in - I will be happy to help you 

 God Bless 

Sue ..x

Cushion cover making 

Today I made these two cushion covers - they are not difficult to sew. 

 These are to fit an  18" cushion

Do you prefer the silver or the gold?

 How I did it

First I measured the cushions to be covered 

 then I added 1 1/4" to both measurements & cut out one piece following that measurement ( i.e 19 1/4 ")

 I then added a further 2 1/2 " to one dimension and cut a piece that measurement - ( 19 1/4 " x 21 3/4 " ) 

 I then cut a 5" strip off the larger piece and sewed it right sides together back to the piece i cut it from leaving an opening 16" long.

 I then turned under 5/8"along both seam allowances and fitted a zip.

I then cut a length of piping cord the perimeter of the cushion plus 2"

I cut bias strips from the contrasting fabric and sewed them together to make a long enough strip to encase the piping cord.

I then sewed the piping around the cord using a zipper foot.

 I then lay the piping around the edge of the single piece of cushion curving around the corners - I then placed the other piece( the piece with the zip in ) on top right sides together and sewed through all the layers using a zipper foot

 I then trimmed the edges and turned it right sides out and it was done!!

 Didn't take long 

 til next time 

 God Bless

 Sue..x

 

What an amazingly beautiful tree!!

This tree is just outside the barn where I have my workshop and shop

I think it is absolutely stunning - If God hadn't made this first you couldn't dream this sight up- it is amazing!!

creation & nature is just so incredible!!

 God Bless 

 sue..x