I made this mug rug last year and because the applique was a bit naff I didn't think much of it but now I've forgotton what the original source looked like  I'm fond of this this especially the outline hand quilting and the machined asterisks around the edge and the spaces.

Christmas mug rug made following a U3A applique course.

 Handwork while watching TV these dark winter days. EPP Quilt of the Crosses, mostly in Liberty fabrics.

What's Occuring

 A New Year's resolution should be to keep up with blog posts. Anyway here is a collection of bits and bobs.

On the 16th the Queen Beez had a lovely day at Maggie's with us each contributing parts of our lunch. Delicious! Once more I saw Maggie's great stack and whackery squares quilt using two different but coordinating fabrics.  Very taken with this idea.

We are embarking on a second joint quilt and started with a selected fabrics from the kit. We shall shop our stash and a shopping trip is planned.

Kit fabrics

Matching up with stash

I am very excited about my current project, a disappearing block from a book by Sandy Bonsib. I am using brushed cottons and a long held basket of Laura Ashley scraps from the early days of her shops, mostly offcuts from clothes manufacture.

Using such a plethora to cut from makes a mess but I am loving it.

Advent quilt on the bed which I should have changed on Christmas Eve.
I shall change it when I get back from my son's where we've spent Christmas Day.

It has a wool blend wadding and
 is hand as well as machine quilted. Very cosy!

Christmas gift from Mary I bought from Material Obsession on her recent trip to Australia

Commissioned snails screen printed
by the very gifted Penny Jeffries

From Maggie a beautifully worked pincushion

Pile of quilts for the Ukrainian family to choose from.

This was one of the selected ones.

And this is the tree skirt I made under the direction of Mary I.

Lower Hardres Sewing Day

 We enjoyed a lovely shared lunch and treats today. I cut out hexagons for Green Tea and the opportunity to lay out Dancing Tildas (again!!) only finished on Sunday and Snails finished last night. Only then did I notice the misturned blocks in the bottom corner but I rather like them. No going back now!

Snails

Jenny got a lot done on her madly scrappy quilt joining it in sections rather than rows - a much nicer way with lots of small blocks. 

Jenny's

Quay Quilters' Sewing afternoon

 

Manx patchwork

Today Quay Quilters held a sewing session from 1pm to 6pm in St Catherine's Church Hall in Faversham. Three of us did our own thing while the others learnt how to do Manx Log Cabin with Pauline with the aim of making a cushion. Pauline also showed with very clear instructions and samples how to make a zipped cushion back with a flange incorporated to cover the zip.

The top picture is of Pam's first block which uses the front and reverse of her chosen fabrics. The Manx ladies used measurements of hands and joints to measure their pieces and the resultant version of  folded log cabin is self quilted.
I listened and learned and will give it a go when I have time.
Meanwhile I finished binding my Tilda quilt the last of my official Ukrainian donation projects.

Hilary's with a clever use of stripes - the other one is Pam's. She used front and back of a couple of her fabrics.

My Dancing Tildas quilt 47.5x58.5"

Green Tea and Sweet Beans

 I am up to date with the first two stints of Jen Kingwell's multifarious quilt pattern.

I did the top left block by machine - so many inset seams. I resorted to handsewing for the other two which was probably as quick.

The propellers were made from self drafted templates and machine sewn and the lozenge blocks from sew and flip squares on two corners of a rotary cut square.

The Sewing Space Quilt Show 2

Jane Elvin: Moda Jelly Roll quilt made
in a Sewing Space class taught by Tracy Aplin

Carol Goodson: My First Log Cabin Quilt 
made from a Jelly Roll in a Sewing Space Class

Janet Anstiss's first attempt ar Eco-Dyeing following 
a WI Denham at Home talk on Zoom

Janet Anstiss's first attempt at making a quilt using Aboringinal fabric
brought back from Australia following a disappearing ninepatch pattern.

 This is Karen Swaffer's Scrappy Steps quilt the first one she made by herself inspired by a magazine and confidence building from Angie with whom she started her quilting journey.

The Sewing Space Quilt Show

 was held the day after the retreat. As it was the Oast Quilters' AGM in the afternoon I visited the Show in the morning.It was a last hurrah for Angie who owned the lovely Sewing Space in Hythe and the quilts were made by her students including many beginners, the theme being "My First . . " Through her teaching she will have touched many lives introducing her students to a new and absorbing creative activity and new friendships.  The good news is that while Angie has returned to her native USA Claire has taken over the shop and whose impressive quilts are pictured here.

Meanwhile the Show was held in the Tin Tabernacle a most interesting builing erected as a "temporary" measure in 1893. The last service was in 2011 when it was no longer needed as an adjunct to the main parish church.

First Quilt by Claire Cullen

Disco Diva made by new Sewing Space owner, Claire, her first BOM designed by Jo Westford @TheCraftyNomad

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Another BOM by Angie made by Liz Metcalf

Kath Pichawski: Web of Stars

Detail - pattern from a magazine

Claire Cullen's first block quilt with fabrics cut by Sewing Space Debbie
and helped by other staff. 

Nicola Wood's version of Regent Street Union Jacks pattern by Amy Smart

Liz Metcalf Angie's lockdown BOM

Little Miss Sawtooth, another lockdown BOM made by Wendy
Watkins. This was my Visitors' Choice though I did love the blue one too.