24 May to 24 August 2015

Goodness thats 3 months without a blog post.  I guess by now there is no one there at all to blog to.  It has been a ver bsuy time for me.  Selling fabric has taken over my life.  Orders, cutting, parcelling, posting, I never realised how much work it would be.
But the highlight has been my sons long awaited wedding.  What an outstanding day we had, my hystronics with an outfit were mega.  Having lost such a lot of weight, for some inexplicable reason I have started to whack it on again, out of control, a whole stone in 6 weeks, meant it was very hard to find a dress in my size, again, thank goodness I didnt buy my dress in March, size 16, June became size 20.

Here we all are, my fantastic son, my beautiful daughter in law and my handsome husband, you can just see the bridesmaid dress colour and here I am reading a poem &  managing to snivel at the
 same time.

The male party travelled to the venue by barge, I was not aboard, oh I wish I had been, it looked such fun

The cake with the base fruit cake made by the brides mother laced with much booze it was fab.  Sponge and red velvet were the other two layers.  It all went!

The honeymoon was in a sea hut in the Maldives, as you do...well maybe you but not me!  Looked idyllic.

Hopefully I will ge4t back to blogging now and sort out a newsletter too.
Watching the World athletic championships at the moment.

Along comes another Bank Holiday, dreary weather, Hope amorrow is better
Im taking pre-orders for these Michael Miller fabrics.  Send me an email or contact via the website to order £12 per metre

Welcome to the world, our new little Royal Princess

Nooooo

It cant be a month since I posted on here!
Ive been using my facebook page, studioapatchshe & shelagh folgate a lot recently.   My laptop has expired and Im having to put up with my DH laptop which has no photos and no programs.  Im off work this week, yipeee I thought and then as usual what happens, the dreaded lurgy strikes.  Still much better today even with a wavery voice.  A Skype with my grandson has cheered me up
Ive updated my website with new fabrics

Always like something a bit different and would not this make a super summer dress?  But Im sure I shall make a bag anyway.

Then I had this one, so very cute, do have a looksee.

The weather here is warm and sunny but with a kind of smog, which doesn't help my chest at all so Im staying out of it today.

Im hopeful of picking up again on my blog, I do miss it.

Spring

Its arriving, on my walk to post parcels, its super to see the daffs and the snowdrops, its been a lovely week here, bright sunshine.
I went to church to find it locked, very odd, so I thought I would meander into the graveyard and sit on the bench in the sunshine.
There was a man varnishing the bench and I gave him such a fright when I shouted hello, with my monk like brown corduroy coat on with the hood up.  I know why I was sent there today.  He is 86 years old and lost his son of 53 last year.  He started to tell me about him and sobbed.  He talked for 45 mins about his sons life, I dont know this man, but I felt a sense of relief in him whilst talking to a stranger about him.
Life is so precious.
Feels contrite to write about anything else, so I wont. x

Civil War Quilts

Ive been a fan of so called Civil War Quilts since I first became interested in quilting history whilst studying for the City & Guilds diploma in textiles.  Although I studied British history, I couldn't avoid the rich American history & the colours & dyes of the American fabrics.
Barbara Brackman is a world renown authoress & has a superb blog, which at the moment is showcasing stars in a time warp.  Ive put a button on the side bar & I really recommend a visit with a coffee as the information is very interesting no matter what your hobby is.  Studying colour and pattern is always fascinating.
http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.co.uk/

Reproduction star in madder-style prints by Becky Brown
 

Reproduction star in double pink prints

by Becky Brown

 

Ed's Threads of Memory quilt.

 

These images are taken from her blog.  To give you an idea .

 

Ive always loved stars & I feel very inspired to actually start making them again.

Here in England the weather has been very topsy turvy of late, cold, warm, wind, rain, ice... but today its beautiful.  I sat in the grounds of the town parish church this morning, eating a banana (Id just had a blood test, a fasting one) looking at the wonderful colours of the stone work in the sunshine, a fleeting thought that I should take a picture entered my head, but, I actually wanted to commit it to memory, no picture ever conveys the depth & the 3D effect & along with the birds having a lovely sing song, I very much enjoyed my moment in the sunshine.  Years ago our local town would be full of people and a thriving market, but this morning it was nearly empty at 10am, a few closed down shops in prominent positions was worrying, but there was a new shop a Marie Curie Cancer care shop.  Beautifully turned out shop, bright, airy and happy staff, but one downside of no changing room, however the manager said keep your receipt we will exchange if doesnt fit, I was astonished.  A very happy chatting man arrived along with a swag bag & engaged us all in his reveal from the bag, buzz lightyear.... and a story,  a doll and a story and two eggs which had something in them but no one could open, made me stifle a gleeful laugh.

I trotted onto Morrissons to meet my DH who was busy shopping, Ive managed to rick my back moving heavy bags of fabric after first doing it in (what an awful phrase) lifting wet washing, oh I do live an exciting life!

We bumped into 2 people who were our neighbours for about 20 years.  They are 20 years older than us and really never did actually chat to us, a half hour and their life story and ours later, we now have two very good friends!  The magic of a supermarket, a dodgy back & musak!

So Im sitting down resting, still playing about with my website, still wondering if to spend out more money each month on an improved website, still dithering.

 

Have a happy weekend, thanks for reading.

Apliquick tools evaluation

I've had chance to use my new Apliquick tools and sundries.
Two rods
Wash away applique sheets
Sewline glue pen
Domestic iron
Sharp scissors.

I printed designs through my normal Epsom printer onto the matt side of the wash away sheets. These are US sizes so wider and shorter than A4.
They fed through my printer extremely well. I am impressed.
I cut out each design. I chose difficult designs from my Stitching year spring design.
I used a dry iron and as the design was already reversed ironed the glue side of the wash away sheet onto the reverse of the freshly pressed fabric.
Using very sharp scissors I cut around the shape with under a quarter inch allowance.
I snipped the seam allowance nearly to the paper all round.
Then following Lynette Anderson advice, I ran the sew line glue just about 3 inches at a time.
Holding the forked rod in my left hand and the iron tip in my right. I held the fork onto the applique and turned the edge of the seam allowance with the iron tip.
It was excellent, terrific in fact.
Tools are around 25 gbp. Paper for 25 sheets around 9 gbp. Glue pen under 7 gbp. So not cheap to set up and alternatives could be the following.
Interfacing whose edge is not as thick as the paper, does not print well through my printer
Tacking by hand
Pitt stick type paper glue
Wooden skewers or lolly sticks.
But the tools feel lovely in the hand

I recommend all of it. I don't sell these products but if you love neat edged applique they are terrific.
I'll pop this all under a page tab later. Please pass it on, I'm very glad that I bought them. Now I need to make a little bag to keep them in.

New Page

Eagle eyed readers will notice the new page above with a full free workshop.
I  the image above is huge but Im leaving it for now.
Ive had a busy time with orders from my website, considering its just February, Im very pleased.  Thnly beef is that every order had a query and what should be a very pleasurable time, plastic bags & gorgeous pink bags became a bit of a nightmare!  Gosh that sounds like whinging, and I suppose it is, but its not...really I am very grateful to those of you who buy from me.  There are so many websites selling fabric now, but I bet not many of them have been quilting since the 1970's

In the last few years there has been a resurgence in quilting  with the advent of the Modern Quilting movement.  Any stitching is terrific be it traditional, modern, vintage or eclectic. In half an hour the new series of The Great British Sewing Bee, here is the link to their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishsewingbee

Lets hope for some machine embroidery, patchwork, quilting, applique or creative stitch this series as was lacking last series except for Chinelo

Back with my verdict soon!

Free Mega Hexi Tutorial

Hi Just a quickie, as promised yesterday, newsletter has been sent with the full free workshop on the Mega Hexi Cushion. 
There are also some hints on making it out of creative textiles.
I hope you enjoy it
Regards
Shelagh

Mega hexi

A frustrating few days making a bag which is lovely and once I've trialled it out ill post it. So I needed a quick patchwork fix, lol and what better than a hexie cushion.  Using my Julian notes range of super fabrics from www.patchworkfabricuk.co.uk
I'm going to write up the instructions for my next newsletter. It's free, sign up on this blog or on my website. Www studioapatchshe.co.uk.
I'd like to add more pictures but I've yet to find out how to do it via my tablet. If one more appears then I've succeeded.

An eye and a tail

Big pink elephant is at last finished, with a plaited tail and stitched eyes. I'm toying, hehe, with her being a huge pin cushion but that seems so cruel
Tooth is out, that's number six now. Let's hope for at least a year pain free. Yay

Apliquick

At the Festival of Quilts. I watched an Apliquick demo and told myself no way. I'll continue using tweezers and a cocktail stick. Then the dreaded tooth trouble arrived. You know how it goes. A few clicks and here they are. Five quid off from the fat quarters shop. I've yet to use them. Shall try after class and give an evaluation
They are displayed on Berties year cushion from Fons and Porter. I've only 2 patterns as our royal mail added over eleven pounds to the cost, each month. Shame. They are brushed cotton. The first kit block of the month Ive ever wanted to do.
Ahhh time for class
X

Im a Quilter Blogger

Im really pleased to be part of the Quilter blogger blog!

12 inch quilt blocks by Tanya

A couple of Stack n Whack blocks

Makower Mosaic, designed & made by Shelagh Folate for Makower UK using Spraytime fabrics.

10% Sale off all fabrics and Free UK & NI postage until 20th January 2015 www.studioapatchshe.co.uk

PUSEY UPDATE

It's ages since I've posted our cat with 9 names.
This piccy looks cruel, but she won't come in. So she sits out side the patio windows close to us. So daft. But she is very happy.
I love the way she curls her tail round her paws.
The fabric baskets are being sorted.
The sale is still on www.patchworkfabricuk.co.uk

Today I've stacks of strips to cut for 1 inch squares. Seems like zillions.
Warm and wet here, roll on spring x