OK so here is what you've REALLY been waiting for... the pictures of the shopping that I did at FoQ!! Well of course the first stop was the lovely Lynette Anderson Designs stall, where my daughter was working. There were so many wonderful things on display it was hard to decide what to choose!! There were books and patterns and bag making accessories (this leather bag flap and strap are just wonderful!) and fabric bundles and buttons..... .....here you can see a better picture of these gorgeous zippers - the end tags were so beautiful - these will be the perfect flourish on a cosmetic pouch or on a sewing bag. Oh and yes, some wooden bobbins for winding embroidery thread onto, and yes, there's a kit lurking under there too, the "Orange Tree" pillow, complete with fabrics and a hand painted wooden button to embellish it with. Lynette very kindly gave me a copy of her latest book (thank you SO much for your generosity Lynette!!) and I couldn't resist getting one of these beautiful handmade scissor fobs - yes that really is made with Lynette's fabric, all foundation pieced - I'll have the poshest scissors in Suffolk!!..... .....would you believe the only fabric (apart from a cute little bundle of "Wildflower Flower Wood" designed by Lynette for Lecien, that's a gift for a friend - so it doesn't REALLY count!) was a couple of Layer cakes "Aspen Frost" - this is the new Christmas collection by Basic Grey. A couple of books were also on my shopping list - the newest book by Nancy Halvorsen, "Ho Ho Ho Let it Snow" (my poor bookshelf is groaning at the thought of MORE books!) and a book "Cushions and Quilts" by the very talented Jo Colwill from Cowslip Workshops - I'd seen this book on her blog, and was so pleased as her stall was opposite Lynette's at the show so got see Jo lots during the show. Oh and yes, some rather strange looking bag clasps that I just NEEDED to get..... .....and finally it just wouldn't be the same without a bit of shopping on The Fat Quarters stall. It's always great to catch up with Kim, and this year Kim and Debbie were staying at the same hotel as us, so we often saw each other at breakfast time as well as at the show! This beautiful BOM had been on my wish list for AGES and is called "Scandinavian Rose", and is by the Australian designer Rosalie Quinlan, and her latest BOM "Best Friends Forever" - these are both pre-printed handkerchief linen, which means I don't have to spend hours tracing stitchery patterns! Oh and I also bought a real show-bargain of large cans of 505 spray glue, but they look a bit boring so didn't think you'd need to see a picture of them!
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A few weeks ago I wrote about a fabulous book that I had bought, Tilda's Studio - and a Norwegian blogger (hei hei Hanne) very kindly offered to send me a Tilda kit! So I decided to post a picture of my Tilda book collection to show her..... .....Christmas, Pretty and Sunny Homestyle books, along with my newest addition Tilda's Studio..... .....Crafting Christmas and Springtime Gifts (Crafting Crhistmas was my very first Tilda book - I quickly became addicted to them!) and Summer Ideas..... .....even Tilda's Friends and a Tilda Characters boxed set..... .....now you must understand I haven't actually MADE any of the things in these books but I HAVE been inspired to give some cushions the "Tilda" touch and added some Tilda stitchery to these ones.....) .....anyway look what arrived in the post all the way from Norway - this fabulous kit from Hanne - a cute tin to keep pencils in and some Tilda ric-rac..... .....everything is here in the kit to make a cute Tilda Santa with his reindeer! Now I really haven't got any excuse to make a Tilda project - looks like I'm going to be very busy! Thankyou very very much Hanne! Now I'm off for a cuppa and to browse through my lovely Tilda books :) A few weeks ago I found a fab blog called Bustle & Sew and I've been busy downloading their magazines and patterns and subscribed to their free newsletter..... .....well, today I had an email and guess what - if you hop over to Bustle & Sew and have a peek, you can download a free - yes I know a FREE book called Top Tips for Stitchers. Well I'm now going to sit down with my feet up for a few minutes with a cuppa and browse my copy of the book..... .....oh and you can read all about another lovely book too from the Bustle & Sew website called the Stitchers Companion - looks like another one to add to my ever-growing collection of sewing books hehe!! When I went to the Festival of Quilts at Birmingham I very nearly bought the new Tilda book, to add to my growing collection (I have got ALL of her books, including some that are in Norwegian!) but I didn't buy it and have regretted it ever since..... .....so look what I bought this week as a little treat for myself - yes, it's the latest Tilda book, Tilda's Studio..... .....now please excuse me while I settle down with a nice cup of Twinings echinacea and strawberry infusion and while away an hour or two with this lovely book :) Well I've been making you wait very patiently, building this up into a crescendo - finally the piccies of my shopping from the Festival of Quilts 2011. Inside my trolley is a wonderful array of fabrics and books and more fabric and quilting paraphernalia - wanna take a look?..... .....this kit (using my favourite fabrics, batiks) was from The Bramblepatch stand. I just love these colours and couldn't resist some extra batik for the backing - all the fabrics for the wallhanging AND the binding AND the vilene for the applique is all included in the kit..... .....more batiks - this time from the Patchwork Corner stand. These were just BEGGING to be bought and when I saw this green chunky ric-rac to go with the fabric, I'd got all sorts of crafting ideas buzzing around in my head..... .....as you may have guessed, I am totally adicted to batiks, and these fabulous fabrics were from the Kaleidoscope Quilts stand - (they launch their webside on October 1st - and I can't wait)! I also bought some half metres to co-ordinate with these fat-quarter packs..... .....and these wonderful books were from the Kaleidoscope Books stand. I've been trying to get "Some Kind of Wonderful" by Annie Downs for simply ages and couldn't believe my luck when I saw it - so it just HAD to come home with me. I also love Nancy Halvorsen's books and this is her latest offering - filled with lots of great Christmas gift ideas.... .....and then I managed to find 25 different - yes that's right 25!!! different cream and white fabrics from the Sunflower Fabrics stand - these will be used to make a quilt for my bedroom (we're in the process of decorating, and I'm planning a cream/white decor) and will probably be using this pattern called Turning Twenty Again. I'm going to make it as a 5x5 block layout, hence the 25 fat quarters..... .....and this fun doggy-themed fabric was on the Lady Sew and Sew stand, and will be perfect for a quilt for that VERY naughty puppy ;) and I'll use the large spot for the back and the smaller dot for the binding and make a whole cloth quilt with these..... .....and finally all the other bits and bobs that I NEEDED to buy. A new rotary cutting blade that gives a pinked edge - unfortunately it won't fit my rotary cutter so I had to buy a new one of those too hehehe, and a cute little green Clover needle threader. This tape for joining pieces of wadding together will be SO much quicker that zig-zagging the edges, and was from the same stand as the fab Doggy fabric. The Patchwork Corner had these bag handles - well a girl ALWAYS need those ;) and lastly from the Antique Angel stand this blue spotty fabric was half price - and will co-ordinate beautifully with my blue and green batiks. There was also this wonderful cotton twill tape measure ribbon is perfect for a sewing project that I've had in mind for quite a while :) Oh and if you're reading this Heather, the "threads" in the title was a red herring - can you believe I didn't buy ANY threads?? I decided I had quite enough treasures, and besides my trolley was full to the brim :) but I HAVE got a little present for you as you couldn't come along this year.
Hmmmm - what could be lurking inside this parcel? Brown paper packages tied up with string - this is definately one of my favourite things because just look what's inside..... .....my very own copy of A Green Guide to Country Crafts, written by Nicola Gouldsmith and Jacqueline Mann - now, this book has appeared on several blogs, and I just NEEDED to get myself a copy too - and I certainly wasn't disappointed..... .....Nic very kindly wrote a personal message inside - it says "To Nicola - quilting royalty! How lovely it is that the two Nicolas met - Nic x"..... .....now all I have to do is find the time to make all the lovely things that I've been inspired to fill my home with :) |
About me...Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! Archives
July 2023
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