Bolt End Sale, EPP BOM Progress and Workshop Ideas

When designing and making up my quilt and cushion kits I buy small amounts of fabric, which makes these creations limited editions. If you see a kit at a show or online, it's unlikely that it'll still be available in six months time. And I like this, it means not only do I have to move onto to a new design and new fabrics, but I also get to sew and quilt a new product, what's bad about that (apart from time!) However, it also means that if I run out of just one fabric in the range and I don't want to re-order, I am left with the remaining fabrics I can no longer use. So to make room for new fabrics, I thought I'd have a Bolt End Sale! Click here to see the collection, they are based on £15p/m with a huge discount of 25% off. Enjoy!

Meanwhile, I've been making great progress on my English paper-pieced block-of-the-month design, hoping to be released early next year. I've been having some great feedback from fellow quilters, and I can't wait to start sewing the blocks together using the quilt-as-you-go method. 

This BOM will feature Alison Glass's Sun Prints fabrics with that gorgeous Linen-look grey from Makower for the background squares. Each month you will receive the fabric and paper templates you need for the EPP, together with the grey background square to appliqué the shape onto, and of course full instructions for each block, including the quilting. If you might be interested in this program, which at the moment looks at being around £30 per month, though this could change slightly, sign up to my Newsletter and keep up to date with progress and news on its future release.

This week I also had an exciting meeting with a like-minded sewist who has been dreaming of setting up some kind of sewing hub in the centre of Middlesbrough where we live. While she's more into dressmaking, and I quilting, we thought it would be great to join forces to offer workshops and classes, and to also provide a large workspace with sewing machines and tables for groups and individuals to use. This is obviously all in the planning stages, and we have lots of ideas, I would just appreciate some feedback from you... do you go to somewhere similar near you? What do you like about it? If you live in the Teesside area, would you come along? Any thoughts below would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

More exciting news - I was chuffed to be asked by Popular Patchwork to write their Patchwork Of My Life column in October's issue which is out now.

We're taking a much needed break next week, off to our favourite land of the Netherlands for some great food, walking, and maybe even cycling, so I'll see you in a couple of week's time. Meanwhile, don't forget to check out these great Linky Parties - Let's Bee Social, Midweek Makers and Needle & Thread Thursday.

Have you ever joined a BOM club?

For those new to this term, BOM stands for Block of the Month and are groups or clubs that provide a great way to learn different techniques and designs used in quilting. Many of these are based on Sampler quilts, and in return for your monthly subscription you receive a block pattern and instructions for you to complete per month, and then at the end, learn how to quilt them into a finished item.

As we know, Sampler quilts are a great starting point to learning to quilt and are the mainstay for many classes and workshops. However, not everyone can get to a class, but thanks to the digital age we can now learn from the comfort of our own homes while still enjoying the sense of community on social media – these BOM projects will have groups on Facebook and Instagram for participants to share their work and discuss any issues. And of course, you’ll make lots of new friends!

So as we are about to embark on a new year, why not start 2017 with a creative bang and join one of these BOM subscriptions? Below are a few that have caught my eye...

AnneMarie Chandy at Gen X Quilters is running this gorgeous Chocolatier Block of the Month. As the designer describes;

“Enjoy piecing traditional skill-building blocks set in a LeMoyne Star destined to look like shiny wrapped chocolates.  An argyle compass emphasizes the star's beauty and it's all framed with a beautiful bracelet border.” 

This BOM is available in both paper form ($28 per month) and in PDF form ($25 per month) and starts in January 2017. There are three colourways in three different types of fabric – solids, traditional and batiks. Each month you will receive the pattern for two blocks (sometimes more) to work yourself around the LeMoyne Star. As well as using traditional piecing techniques – half-square triangles, hourglass and flying geese – you will be challenged with skill-building blocks featuring foundation piecing, curves and applique. 

You can read more about this club on AnneMarie’s blog post.

Some BOMs are based on books, one of which sits on my bookshelf forever looking at me, begging to be used - the Dear Jane quilt. Made in 1863, this 225-block quilt was designed and completely hand sewn by Jane A. Stickle and really is a thing of beauty! In the book, author Brenda Papadakis has lovingly created all 225 patterns for the blocks, but does not include the actual building instructions. This is where this BOM comes in… British company Simply Solids have teamed up with US firm Paper Pieces to deliver this 18-month programme (thus avoiding any nasty customs tax) based on English paper piecing. For £25 each month (includes postage) you will receive all the papers needed for a certain section, plus a modification booklet – as these blocks are based on EPP, certain changes have been made to the designs, with Brenda’s consent. You will need to use your own fabric and purchase the book yourself. You can read more about this BOM on Simply Solids’ website.

Another great EPP BOM is Perpetually Hexie by Katja Marek, author of The New Hexagon and the New Hexagon Perpetual Calendar on which this BOM is based. Free to anyone who owns the calendar, Katja will take you through each block, while papers and acrylic templates will be available to purchase from Paper Pieces. Keep up to date with this BOM on Katya’s Instagram feed and on her website

In other news...

 

I am very chuffed to share the news that I'm now sub-editing (and contributing) for Popular Patchwork magazine! Subbing used to be my job in a previous life, and it's so funny how life goes round in circles! The difference now is that I'm writing (and learning so much) about an industry that I love and feel very passionate about.

I've also contributed my Vintage Charming Rose quilt pattern to the December issue, or if you would prefer to purchase the pre-cut kit, click here.

Also, keep an eye out next year as I'm also contributing projects to Love Patchwork & Quilting and Quilt Now magazines! To say I'm busy would be an understatement, but I'm loving it!!

As promised last week, my Christmas Gift Guides are coming soon! 

This week I'm linking up with;

Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Festival of Quilts 2016 & Middlesbrough

Another year, another Festival of Quilts over, I can’t believe this was my seventh working for Doughty’s! I had a fantastic time working with some old friends, and saying Hi to familiar faces…. Though don’t get me wrong, setting up five stands, trading for four days, and then doing Sunday breakdown is very hard work – you can read about the prep, sweat and tears involved to putting on such a big show in my post from last year here.

As ever, I didn’t get much chance to look at the quilts, I just managed to snap a few that caught my eye on my travels, including this EPP masterpiece, isn’t it stunning! You’ll have to forgive me for not noting all of the makers’ names.

Another amazing creation was this one made from teeny EPP hexagons – absolutely beautiful!

 

I somehow managed to miss most of the new section of Modern quilts, though the winning quilt below, Office Doodle 1 by Sarah Humphreys is beautiful! For a more thorough round-up of the modern quilts that featured this year, check out Jo Avery’s blog post at My Bear Paw.

A style of quilting that has always amazed me by the amount of work and planning involved has been the wholecloth quilt, and this year didn’t disappoint. The winner of the Traditional Quilt category and overall Best in Show, was Sandy Chandler with this beautiful quilt called Infinity – apologies for the picture quality, I have an old phone! 

 

The winner’s of this year’s Visitor’s Choice award was another stunning wholecloth, Pearl Princess by the enormously talented hand quilter Sandy Lush, the stitching and beading is just exquisite!

One quilt that did make me laugh was on Fabric Galore's stand - in full view of people walking in, was my Scandi Heart quilt that I made for John Louden - I can now say I had a quilt at the Festival of quilts! Haha!!

 

While wolfing down my lunch one day before joining the loo queue, I managed to meet the lovely Liz Betts, editor of Popular Patchwork, who kindly gave me a copy of their latest edition featuring my Let’s Visit Middlesbrough article. It’s always great to see your own writing in print, and I was even more chuffed to see my contributor pic next to the amazing Lynne Goldsworthy of Lily’s Quilts! This is the September issue, which should be out now.

 

Back at Sewmotion, I’m desperately fighting my aching bones to get as much prep done for the Great Northern Quilt Show as possible, before we nip off to the sun for a week – I've been promised a week of lounging, resting and eating with not a bicycle in sight!

At the show in Harrogate, (2^nd-4^th Sept) I will have my range of pre-cut quilt and cushion kits, as well as a growing collection of quilting pre-cuts. Need ideas and inspiration for these gorgeous pre-cut packs? Why not subscribe to my Newsletter and get a free pattern every month straight to your inbox? As well as quilts and cushions, there will be smaller items such as bags and purses, plus free turorials on cutting and stretching those precious pre-cut pieces. Click below to sign up.

Looking for more quilty fun and inspiration? Why not go visit these linky parties and say Hi!

Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatutation

Finished Or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts