Monday 20 March 2017

French General quilt made by Mercedes

'Josephine' quilt made by Mercedes
'Josephine' quilt made by Mercedes
I think one of the reasons so many of us enjoy having quilts in our lives are the choice of beautiful fabrics available.  This lovely quilt is handmade by Mercedes really showcases different fabrics mainly from the French General fabric ranges.  It is a large quilt which has over seventy different fabrics which blend so beautifully together, a delight to have in any home.
'Paisley Feather' digital pantograph by Anne Bright
'Paisley Feather' digital pantograph by Anne Bright
With a quilt where the fabrics blend well, an all over digital quilting design is the perfect choice.  Mercedes chose this elegant 'Paisley Feather' digital pantograph designed by Anne Bright, which went well with the flourishes and floral patterns.
French General matching threads
With so many colours in the quilt, the next decision was which thread to choose.  I hold a large range of different colour threads and from this selection Mercedes chose a bronze coloured thread which blended across the quilt beautifully.

Mercedes describes her work as 'handmade designs inspired by traditional Welsh, French and Amish heritage heirlooms', and has her own business making quilts which she sells in her Etsy shop .

Saturday 11 March 2017

Shipton Quilters Exhibition April 2017, featuring a Jewel Box Quilt by Margaret

'Jewel Box Quilt' made by Margaret,  quilted by Frances Meredith at Fabadashery
'Jewel Box Quilt' made by Margaret,
quilted by Frances Meredith at Fabadashery
Quilters seem to be warming up for the quilt exhibition season at the moment and I have been helping some talented quilters get their entries finished by long arm quilting some of their quilts.  This lovely scrappy 'Jewel Box' quilt was made by Margaret who is a member of Shipton Quilters, based in the Cheltenham / Cirencester area, who have their 2017 exhibition coming up.
Shipton Quilters Exhibition
Saturday 8th April and Sunday 9th April 2017
Rendcomb College, Rendcomb, Cirencester, GL7 7HA
Their exhibition is being held in a few weeks on Saturday 8th April and Sunday 9th April 2017 at Rendcomb College, Rendcomb, Cirencester, GL7 7HA.  Here is the flyer with all the information for your diary.  They will also be holding a raffle to win this lovely house quilt.
Shipton Quilters Exhibition 2017
Shipton Quilters Exhibition 2017
If you are entering a quilt that I have quilted for you into an exhibition, let me know and I will try to give your group a shout out here on my blog.

Monday 6 March 2017

Quilt in Two Days Workshop with Sue Warren at Busy Bees, Newport

'Quilt in Two Days' Workshop with Sue Warren Quilted at Fabadashery Long Arm Quilting
'Quilt in Two Days' Workshop with Sue Warren
Quilted by Frances Meredith at Fabadashery Long Arm Quilting
It has almost become a tradition at Busy Bees Patchwork, Newport to host Sue Warren for her 'Quilt in Two Days' workshop. Yes, get a quilt top together in two days and along the way have fun stitching with others.  This is the pattern that Sue will be helping you with and the quilt is currently on display in Busy Bees shop.  The workshop is on 7th-8th April 2017 and to book a place you can book directly via their website.

'Starburst' digital pantograph designed by Patricia Ritter
'Starburst' digital pantograph designed by Patricia Ritter
Sue used my long arm quilting service to get it quilted and she chose the digital pantograph 'Starburst' by Patricia Ritter.  Sue used Dreampoly for the wadding.
'Starburst' digital pantograph designed by Patricia Ritter
'Starburst' digital pantograph designed by Patricia Ritter
I can't always promise to get a quilt back to you within two days, but I have managed 24 hours before, so it is always worth a call if you are in a hurry!

Friday 3 March 2017

'Great Gulls Quilt' by Sandra (Hearty Good Wishes by Janet Clare for Moda)

'Gull Quilt' by Sandra, quilted by Frances Meredith at Fabadashery
'Gull Quilt' by Sandra, quilted by Frances Meredith at Fabadashery
As I had said before, the Janet Clare fabric ranges are very popular and this 'Great Gulls Quilt' pattern was designed by Janet Clare herself.  It was made by one of my longarm quilting customers, Sandra, and it showcases the Hearty Good Wishes Moda fabric range by Janet Clare.  Sometimes we are drawn in by the fabrics which are SO lovely that a quilt like this is a real opportunity to enjoy them in their full glory.
'Happy Times' digital pantograph by Hermione Agee
Sandra chose an all over digital pantograph pattern called 'Happy Times' designed by Hermionee Agee.  This is one of my favourite patterns as it seems to suit every occasion.  It is a great pattern as the quilting is evenly balanced and it adds a simple texture without overwhelming a quilt, letting the piecing and the fabrics take the leading role.  This quilt is heading to Cornwall where Sandra has had lots of 'Happy Times'.