ROW BY ROW

Well today was the final row for the Row by Row, that we started back in March/April. And this was the final block we did this morning.

So I am hoping that towards the end of January we shall see some finished quilts!! Even if you were unable to attend all the workshops, it would still be nice to see what you managed to do.

Classes will start back on the 11th January.

All it leaves is for me to wish you a

Merry Christmas

and

A Happy New Year

FABRIC PANELS

I have always wondered what to do with Fabric Panels and so I took the plunge and bought one from Patchmania recently, along with some according fabric. And here it is my attempt, for the headrest of our armchair.

I still have 3 of the house panels left to use up and I shall use them for cushions or unless I come up with something else. I hope my DH likes it!?

And today in class Madalena brought along 9 cushion covers she had made from a panel by Nancy Halversen, here are a couple.

Christmas

Here are a couple of pictures of the Christmas Wreath that Maria and Madalena made, unfortunately I was not able to get a photo of Paula's, as she finished it in another workshop.

And I even did one of these for myself, which is in pride of place on our dinning room table. Thanks Angela for the idea.

And I had brought a Nativity Scene from my trip to Barcelona, for Sara and I to do. I do have one going back a few years!! that I have promised Sara if we start it in January 2012, we should be able to finish in time for Xmas 2012, because there are quite a few people and animals to do. But in the meantime we did this one together.

Tomorrow is our last class at Arco Iris before Christmas and then we shall start back on 11th January. Check their calendar for the dates and times. More information as to the type of workshop that will be running will be added in due course.

CLASSES - XMAS PROJECT

Over the last couple of classes, the ladies have been making some of these Xmas Balls

And also the ladies have been making this table mat centre pieces using fabric folding. Madalena managed to make two, because she decided she would stay all day,

And here is Fernanda's as well,

And today Mariya brought her finished Xmas Ball and also her Xmas table centre. Mariya is very creative and has some lovely ideas and her work is always perfect.

Next week we have a full day workshop from 10.00 to 17.00 to make this Christmas Wreath, if you are interested please contact Arco Iris A Metro, for more information and to reserve your place. The places are limited to 6 people, so please reserve your place to not be disappointed.

See you soon.



BARCELONA

Last weekend I got the opportunity of going to Barcelona with a few of my friends, to Creativa 2011 in Barcelona. I had never been to Barcelona before and for sure I will go back with my family to see some more of the sites.

The Spanish people love to "passear" and you see people of all ages from young to old in the streets at night time, which unfortunately here in Lisbon you don't see so much of.

Our primory object of the trip was to go to the Creativa Fair and shop, of course!! We saw some lovely linen and ribbons and the stalls were mainly decked out in stitchery, applique and linen projects. It was not easy to take pictures of the stands, as they didn't like you taking pictures. Here are a couple, that I managed to take.

It was all too tempting, but I was careful, I can assure you. On my return I decided to make one of my famous purses, using linen and red cotton fabric. Can you see something popping out in the lefthand corner, well you will have to come to class, if you want to make one!!

I am sure there are going to be some more projects using the linen I bought, but dare I cut it! It looks so nice rolled up and those ribbons, can I bare to use them or shall I just sit and look at them!!

All in all it was a great trip and with the company of my friends it was made even better.

This is becoming a habit....

This not blogging is becoming a BAD habit. This last month I have really not had enough time to dedicate to blogging. Have been helping a friend out and also trying to come up with some Xmas project ideas. This month we have already done the Xmas Balls (but without the cross stitch)

and this coming month besides the regular classes, I shall at Arco Iris a Metro be doing the Festive Star as shown below. Please contact the shop to confirm your place and what is needed.

There are also other projects, but they still need to be added to the calendar, so keep a lookout over the next couple of days on their website.

Also at Patchmania I shall be showing how to make these Christmas Decorations,

and also this Christmas Stocking

If you are interested contact Patchmania to confirm your place.

So I have not been sitting around doing nothing, far from it!

Door Draft!

I have been playing down in my "cave" and because of the winds we get where we live. I know that in Portugal you think you only get lovely sunny weather. Well mostly we do, lovely blue skies, hot weather etc. Saying that we are getting a late summer, of 31º, which to be honest is not normal at the end of September.

Anyway I decided to make a draft stopper for our main door into the house. Here is the finished result. I unfoutnately used a whole bag of stuffing, which had been put to one side for Sara to make her teddy bear. Not a very happy girl when she got home from school today to find I had used the whole lot up.Oops. Anyway here is a picture of it. I am really pleased with it, if I say so myself.

Now what shall I do next?!

Wednesday Classes

Haven't added anything for Wednesday classes, as I haven't taken many photo´s, but here are a few that I took. In no particular order.

We have had a couple of new ladies, who have been making the Rail Fence tablerunner. I never get tired of seeing what comes out based on the fabrics choosen, no two are alike. As far as I know, anyway.

Classes

Last week at Patchmania, I had a group of lovely ladies who came and made the following purse, using a pinwheel method.

And also on our regular Monday group Ana made it as well.

And here is Cristina's cathedral window alternative, that she hopes she keeps for herself!!

Will try, but no guarantee's to take more photos in class.

I am still here!

There aren't any pictures to show, as I have forgotten to take my camera to class!! Still in the holiday mood.
But I can assure you that I am busy down in my "cave" coming up with ideas for forthcoming workshops bearing in mind, dare I say it, Christmas is coming up. So there will be some gift /Xmas decoration ideas to inpsire you. Sorry but no pictures of these yet, you will have to come and see them in class!!!

You may wonder where I have been!?

I haven't blogged for some weeks (well over a month then), reason being I took a rather long holiday to ........ Tanzania!! Sara and I this year have spent our holiday's with my husband who is currently working in Dar es Salaam. This was the view from the veranda every day. The boats are called Dhow.

I did get around to doing some reading and managed to read all the Steig Larsson millenium collection. Hardly any quilting has been done other than I did do one of the blocks of stitchery from "Busy Little Christmas Elves" by Gail Pan. And also started a cross stitch on a christmas theme!

This years holiday's was all about relaxing and doing nothing other than spending some quality time with my DH and DD.
Sara and I would relax by the pool during the week and at weekends when my DH wasn't working we went to Zanzibar, a few island to relax on some lovely sandy beaches and also we couldn't go to Tanzania without going on a safari, which I will not forget so easily. This trip was definately a trip of a life time.

This is a very small selection of photos that were taken!! So now it is back to the reality of housework, cooking and thinking about future quilt projects and classes. Which is going to take a while to get back into the swing of things, i.e a normal life, whatever that is!!!

Wednesday's Class

We only had a few people for class, the warmer weather had arrived and the holiday season is starting, for some. I didn't take the camera this week so hence no photos. Madalena was making a matching make-up purse and a wallet. Adelaide was continuing with the project we started two weeks ago and Manuela couldn't quite remember how to make the flexi purse, so she made another again. In the afternoon Madalena and Adelaide decided to stay on and continue with their work and we were joined by Ana who was making a bag. Everyone wants to make bags at the momen!
Anyway next week is the last of the current lessons, as I will be taking a long vacation. So classes will only restart again in September. So you may find that not much blogging will be done, not that I have recently be doing much of that. I am planning to spend my time in the holiday's catching up with me own personal projects, mainly hand sewing! I hope to share some photo's with you.
So Wednesday 29th June is the last lesson at Arco Iris A Metro and there will only be a morning class.
DON'T FORGET THAT THIS SATURDAY, 25TH JUNE, STARTS THE ANNUAL FEIRA INTERNACIONAL DO ARTESANATO, CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Classes

I am still in the land of living, but nothing posted for the past couple of weeks, well since I attened Jenny Bowker workshop! The ladies have been learning about Tumbling Blocks either English Paper Piecing or strip piecing.

Also we have had the first part of the bag workshop making the wavy block which will then be added to a bag this week, I hope!! I didn't have any pictures for the first part, so hopefully this week we will have some to show.

And we are continuing with the Row by Row, no picture of these at the moment, though.

I have been doing some of my own little projects, like a document holder, a cover for my latest notebook and another pouch all involving linen and red fabrics. Going through a phase of doing redwork stitchiers! I have a pattern by Gail Pan that I bought two christmas's ago, which I am starting to work on. I am hoping to spend this summer doing some of my own personal projects which are mainly hand sewing!

JENNY BOWKER WORKSHOP

I attended a workshop by Jenny Bowker on "Image in Applique" on Friday and Saturday. It was really a worthwhile class and Jenny made it look so easy. I had already attended her workshop on Free Motion Quilt here in Portugal a couple of years ago.
On this particular workshop we had to take along a photo of our own taking and from that we had to reproduce it into a quilt. I choose a flower, but can't say much more as I hope to surprise someone with it. We learnt how to choose colours, which at times, when you looked at your photo and thought it was one colour, in actual fact it was something completely different. Also learnt that with stitching, you can bring depth to your applique. I could go on and on.......
Jenny is one of those teachers that is ready to help and answer questions on any aspect of patchwork, not just on the workshop in hand. I even learnt something on binding, that I didn' realise.
She brought along just a couple of quilts, because she didn't want to exceed her luggage allowance, which unfortunately these days you are allowed less and less, unless you want to pay the excess which is exorbitant. But she had brought her husband along as well to help with the luggage allowance.

She managed to bring her quilt called "Sandstorm over the White Desert", which I had seem in the "Australian Patchwork & Quilting" Magazine and all I could say was wow. Here is the extract from the magazine and a close up of what I took at the class.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed the workshop. Thanks Jenny.

Patch-mania

I have been giving workshops at Patch-mania for a while now and thought I would share with you just a few of the things the ladies have been doing.

So, if you are interested in attending any of the workshops, please contact Ines at Patch-mania, for more information. This coming Friday the workshop is on this Quilt as You Go Purse.