Wow, it's been the kind of week where you can't catch your breath. Everyday has either been an exciting kicking off of a new 2015 class or catching up with classes ongoing from 2014 and so many amazing things being made at PlainStitch at the moment. It really is a hive of creativity. I'm so proud of all of my students.
The shelves are bursting with colour and we're getting new fabric deliveries almost every week for the foreseeable future it seems like!
We are also expecting our new Cotton+Steel delivery soon.
Can't wait!
I rewrote our 'classes with spaces' board on Tuesday and already its out of date as another 4 of the classes listed are now already full. We've tried really hard to increase the availability of our classes to meet demand this spring, adding new extra evening classes and more repeats, but we are already choc a block so if you are keen to take a specific class please don't hesitate, we hate disappointing people when classes are already full.
Our Farmers Wife class met again on Tuesday and there has been so much progress, amazing colourful blocks coming together here from Deirdre and Charlotte. Sorry everyone else I put my camera down somewhere then forgot where! A proper photo report next time!
On Wednesday our English Paper Piecing class was back from a winter break with fabulous work in progress, including Mary's super neat EPP tupperware prep box - if that's not a box of sewing possibilities waiting to bust out I don't know what is!
I was also loving Mary's Baby Fabric Basket - perfect for sewing supplies!
Trudy is amazing! Her Dutch quilt is a mash up of EPP, Appliqué, fabric printing and so much more. This will be an opus magnum when it's finished! Fabulous!
Caroline showed off a double-finish! Re-purposed Laura Ashley EPP hexagons from the 1980's from her mum, mixed in with some modern cool greys and lilac purples to make a modern super sentimental lap quilt and cushion that she gifted back to her mum as a surprise this Christmas........just what patchwork is all about. Love and memory in every stitch. Well done Caroline it's gorgeous!
On Friday we kicked off a new year of our Experimental Log Cabin Workshop. Exciting projects are taking shape, fabrics being picked, design ideas tried out. I'm excited about what these ladies are going to make ...watch this space........
We also taught two full classes of really lovely enthusiastic new-to-sewing -peeps in our popular Get To Know Your Sewing Machine Class this week too - talking about the importance of a little bit of tlc for your machine. We're encouraging you all to show your sewing machine some January love this month. A little spritz of oil, a tickle with a nice new brush to get your machine lint free and you'll really notice the difference and your machine will love you just that little bit more back! Oh and Bobbin match mates? Attach your bobbin to the top of the matching thread spool. Believe me you'll never look back after you try these. It's how Jeanne organises her bobbins....eah? You know it makes sense!
Look at Netty's amazing EPP from our summer EPP class that came in for wadding fitting today. This quilt is a work of art. I love it. All hand sewn, it's divine!
Julia's 'It's Never Dull in Hull' Liberty EPP is also taking shape. Wow. It's stunning! Love that map print as a neutral against all of the Liberty prints and colour. Quilty wanties! I need new EPP!
Saturday was a fabulous blazingly sunny blur of a day at The Workroom. The door bell just didn't stop all day. Sue valiantly kept all the balls spinning cheerfully and we just laughed and 'wowed' and chatted for 5 hours solid in the winter sunshine without a breath it seemed. It really is the best job in the world, so many lovely people popping by and sharing their making with us.
Some days I wonder if it's possible to squeeze even more making delights into our Workroom, then days like Saturday come along and blow the doors off. Alongside the crush that was The ShopRoom - in the ClassRoom we had a full class making Infinity Scarves - look at their work. Most of the class were new to sewing machine sewing, but they whizzed away happily. We learnt rotary cutting, dealt with seam finishing, and top notch hand finishing. These scarves were couture finished - and don't they look it? Well done ladies and keep toasty this week!
Pop in next week and see what unfolds in another 'Week at PlainStitch'!
p.s remember that if you'd like us to order you a ticket for The Quilters Guild Spring Day at The Memorial Hall, Wendover on 9th May drop me an e mail and i'll send you more details...it'll be such fun (although there is some concern that we may suffocate on the volume of quilts that are being planned to bring along! We may still be showing and telling in Nov!)
