I am on the radio!

This is my first broadcast for Radio Deben and it is part of a series called, A Lifetime of Experience programmes, meeting local people who have spent a long time in one particular career or pastime. Talking about their experiences along the way.

A Lifetime of Quilting can be heard on their website and will be followed next week with a programme on My Books, and then the following week with My Travels. Wherever you are in the world you can tune into these broadcasts.

Do you recognise the opening music? I picked it because it was appropriate to my experiences. Intrigued? You will just have to listen carefully!

 

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Quilters Six Pack

OK everyone, prepare yourselves for the arrival of our six-packs!  Not of the Chippendale kind – but a beautiful pack of batiks, each containing 6 strips of fabric 10″ wide.  I have spent the last couple of days arranging our collections into five great colour ranges, called Woodland Walk, Peaches and Cream, Sunset, Purple Haze and Black Magic.  What a treat and more therapeutic than large muscly men – or maybe you wouldn’t agree.

Inspiration for the new Quilters six pack came from the huge interest in our new book.
One of our facebook members wanted batik fabrics to make one of the pinwheel quilts and we hit on the idea of packing 10″ strips which are the ideal size.

The warmer weather has brought more people out and about this week and it’s also half-term in this neck of the woods.  My own sewing has been a bit hit and miss at the moment, I finished the second pair of curtains – hooray – and now only have the blinds to do and the valances …. and perhaps a valance around the bed … I really must get on with my Barcelona quilt and get that on the wall, so I can start another holiday quilt.

Must get Kathleen now so she can show me how to put the batik pictures on this blog so you can see how lovely these packs are.

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Half Term fun….

Half term means Margaret and a classroom full of children with attendant adults.. Mums & Grannies….

This terms theme is of course Valentine’s Day and they are making little sachets decorated with hearts.

Margaret always comes up with a novel idea for these classes and they are always popular, we are already planning the Summer classes and the Easter class is already booking.

On the wall you can see quilts from our new book Sew Simple Pinwheels…. great quick quilts made with Charm Packs and Layer Cakes.

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It’s Here!

The new book ahs arrived! It has made for a very exciting day.

Remember that today is the LAST DAY for free shipping so order your copy here.

Later days!
Kathleen

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New book!

We are all getting really excited waiting for our new ‘Sew Simple Pinwheels’ book to arrive this afternoon. Can’t wait to open the boxes!

Today is the last day you can preorder to have a signed copy sent to you post free.

Sew Simple Pinwheels

 

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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

As you have probably noticed (if you live around here anyways), it has snowed. If you haven’t noticed I suggest you look out a window. Because, seriously. Step away from the sewing machine…

Rocky and I were pretty excited about the snow fall. Being Canadian and all, winter just isn’t winter without some snow. The first thing we did was make a snowman. His name is Slim.

Of course, at home we often have much more snow than this. Last winter in Alberta we had some near record-breaking snowfalls, making playing in the snow that much more fun.

People seem to be preparing for cold weather. Yesterday saw a bit of a run on wool waddings, as we sold more yesterday than we had in the weeks before then. Wool wadding is great for quilts that you want to be nice and warm, and is also great for those who don’t like polyester waddings, but do like the nice fuffly look that Polyester gives. A special edition of the e-news went out yesterday as well- we have a great deal on the Arnold’s Attic fabrics, so read all about it here- http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9c1c6ecc8a08d584fe854725c&id=7b81f7c72f.

Anyways, that’s it for me! Later days!

Kathleen

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Beauty?! – No I don’t think so.

No, I’m not referring to me.  I took my New York Beauty panel into the shop to display as a sample for the class I am teaching at the end of March.  So if any of you local folk feel like joining me and getting your head around foundation piecing, I shall be pleased to see you.  I do enjoy this technique – its so precise - and have made a few other projects over the years.  This particular panel – there is another one at home, together with a wall hanging – was made with fabrics that I bought on a trip to New York a few Christmasses ago.  I have already been asked if we still have the Betty Boop fabric in the shop!

Hope you are all keeping warm.  We had drifts up against our doors this morning and him indoors spent a while this morning clearing the drifts up our drive.  Little Miss is at this moment driving back from Middlesbrough where she spent the weekend, so he thought we ought to clear the drive, as after her long drive home the last thing she would want was to be stuck coming up the driveway!

The shop has been busy with folk coming into the shop buying materials so that they can spend time indoors, should the weather not clear quickly.  Nothing like a quilt to keep warm under.

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The Girls are back in Town

Our Diva tweezers are back in stock – but not likely to stay for long… We have had our long awaited delivery of Fashionista’s in today but have already sent out over half in outstanding prepaid orders.  

The Girls

If you prepaid they will be coming to a letter box near you soon…. they will be posted out on Monday…

If you missed out before then get in touch quickly…. my personal favouites are the two in the middle – they are dead ringers for my nieces… I don’t think they will work on their eyebrows tho’…
p.s.
I’ve just whispered into Karin’s ear that I have a matching set of scissors that I found last year…. watch this space…!!!
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Staff Night Out

As Georgie mentioned in her post, our Quilter’s Haven staff night out was last week. A delightful time was had by all. Rocky was less impressed, as I managed to eat all my food, and so I was unable to bring him home any. I even managed to eat dessert– which was forced on me by my co-workers as a “YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO TRY THIS” despite my plea’s that I was much to full… only to discover once my dessert arrived it was not what everyone had thought it was. But, as no small feat for those who know how rarely I manage to eat all the food given to me in a restaurant, I managed to eat all my dinner, PLUS all of my desert. So in general it was a winning night.

And so, a great time was had by all. It was a bit weird to see people in there regular-life clothing (I’m used to seeing everyone in bright red all the time), but this was still good.

Anyways, back to work for me,

Later days,

Kathleen.

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Anyone for Crumble?

I am partial to crumbles, especially rhubarb, although himself  indoors prefers apple; but then my daughter doesn’t really like them at all.  Why am I blathering on about this?… well, our range Blueberry Crumble arrived the other day and the colours are lovely.  One customer had ordered a metre of each bolt and after Claire had cut them, she stacked them in colour order and they looked terrific.

Blueberry stackSee what I mean!

Talking of food – We had a very pleasant time Wednesday evening when we all, including Judy, our finance whizzo, spent a few happy hours wining and dining at Prezzos in Woodbridge, hosted by Karin.  The occasion marked our New Year/Christmas outing and as we all work at different times of the week, there are one or two of us who don’t usually work together and it’s nice to meet up socially.  We should try and do these occasions more often, maybe. 

At present I am making some new curtains for our bedroom – I’ve only had the material for 3 years, so there’s no hurry!  As we have two double windows in the room, I have nearly finished the first pair and have to start the other ones perhaps over the weekend, although as we are visiting friends one day (at short notice), looks like it may take me longer than I had planned.  Then there are the valances to do and 2 small roman blinds as well.  Still, it’s waited 3 years – so what’s another 6 months, eh?

Back to hemming.

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