And So The Adventure Begins.....

.....today the door officially opened on the Sew Kirstie patchwork and quilting studio.....

Out of necessity, as I no longer work part time hours, but still have The Dog to exercise, my day starts like this (well....after the obligatory breakfast and school run...)....

Then, because today was my first day, in the New Job, there was some of this....

.....and there was time for some of this......

It's amazing just how much you can achieve, when you're working in a designated sewing space. Having never had a Sewing Room, and always having to work on my dining table, progress has been, at times, disjointed!! Oh the simple pleasure of having everything to hand, and not having to tidy away at Feeding Time. YAY!!

I also have some "taster session" style workshops organised, to introduce a gentler, quieter way of life, in the form of hand stitching. First up is the time honoured method of English Paper Piecing. How I love this newly fashionable, highly addictive, highly portable form of fabric therapy. Let's hope that the good people of Christchurch agree with me.....

I wonder where this new path is going to lead me.....wherever it may be, I'm sure it will be fine - I have fabric...

Lucky,LUCKY me.

Thanks for popping by. See you soon. xx

In Just 8 More Sleeps.....

........Sew Kirstie Patchwork and Quilting Studio will be open!! This dream has been a long time coming, but with a lot of patience (and a Supportive Husband) it's happening!!
I left my old Pre School Manager role behind me just over a week ago, daftly believing that I would have a couple of weeks to myself, to sit and sew and finalise workshop dates and times. HA! How little I knew. Cash tills had to be bought, shelving had to be bought, bags had to be bought, labels had to be bought....you get the picture...and all the while groceries still had to be bought, Offspring and Husband still had to be fed, Dog still had to be walked and shelving had to be constructed.
Speaking of which, I have now achieved the IKEA Level Of Excellence In The Putting Together Of Flatpacks. They will probably award me a Phd in Billy Bookshelf Making. Believe you me, I qualify!! Ta daaaa!!

However, I fully understand that my Photography Doctorate will be confiscated for having allowed sunshine to creep glaringly into this photo. I do apologise. But at least you have visual proof that my IKEA Degree is well earned!!
A better photo is of the view from the Studio.......

How lucky am I? I've always loved the Priory, and there it is, in the distance, quietly keeping me company while I sew.
Thank you for popping by for this brief post.....hopefully the next one will have some actual needlework to show you! Until then, take care. xx

A Little Break.....

It's half term here in England, and we decided to take Vera The Van for a little trip away. The Husband, The Son and The Dog were loaded, along with a few provisions, fresh clothes and some soap.....indispensable when travelling with males!! Off we toddled and a lovely time was had, exploring small villages along the South Wolds.

I didn't take any needlework with me, which is unusual, but sometimes a little break is needed to fire up my imagination and drive again. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. Am I alone in this??

When we take The Dog, she behaves herself, and on the whole behaves as she would at home. When at home, she is NOT allowed on the furniture. EVER. So I think she looked particularly guilty, when I returned to Vera The Van and discovered this.....

She remained absolutely stock still, as if she imagined that if she didn't move, I would perhaps not notice!! Hmmm.

On our last evening at the campsite, entertainment was provided. This is unusual at Caravan Club sites, but before long, we'd been overrun by energetic men in white.......

......and very good they were, too. They are looking to recruit, so if you fancy something a bit different in your free time, I'm sure they'd be delighted to hear from you! Apparently, no previous experience is needed. Oh good.

I shall finish with my latest acquisition.....

Bud vases from the fabulous Susie Watson Designs susiewatsondesigns.co.uk . I've been looking for the right bud vases for ages....and as we all know, good things come to those who wait!!

See you soon. xx

Hooplessly Hooked.......

...on quilting without a hoop!! I LOVE IT!! The freedom of it! And my stitches are smaller and easier to control...what's not to love??
For years I've wanted to try, but each time I did, I had trouble with the quilt sandwich shifting under my stitches, resulting in a rucked up backing...not a pretty look, and VERY frustrating. But now, thanks to my Wonder Frame Basting, I'm stitching away happily on a shiftless sandwich. Yay!

Because hand quilting obviously takes much longer to do than machine quilting, I've not got anything else on the sewing front to show you, so I thought I'd leave you with a pretty walk I took today, with The Husband and The Dog, whilst The Son blasted 6 bells from his friends during a paint ball party.

Hope you've had a fabulous Bank Holiday weekend. Thanks for popping by. xx

It Never Ceases......

.......to amaze me, how, as a relatively well educated individual, I can remain such a NUMPTY at times!! Just no common sense!!


How long have I moaned about the fact that I hate basting a quilt sandwich? Since FOREVER!! All that crawling around on my hands and knees, pinning my way from the centre to the edges, with my back close to breaking. I LOATHE IT.


Since having the frame, I've not had to baste, as you feed your sandwich onto the rollers. This has been wonderful for the quilts I've machine quilted, but hasn't solved my problem, when I've wanted to hand quilt.


Now. I've often read various articles, where people have said that they sent their quilt tops off to a Long Arm Quilter to be basted, and thought how lovely to be able to afford that particular luxury. I've thought that thought recently. With my Quilt Frame sitting quietly upstairs. Late last night, you'll be pleased to hear, the penny finally dropped.


Et voila!!

One machine basted quilt sandwich!! Hooray!! So now I can spend the BEST evening watching back to back episodes of Outlander, (I'm only mildly addicted!) whilst hand quilting this Foxy Loxy beauty. Heaven.

Enjoy your Sunday evening. See you soon. xx

A Little Behind.....

.....or in my case, possibly a big one. Both metaphorically and physically. I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm not much cop with this blogging business. It's the whole multi-tasking bit ( that we women are supposed to be so good at).....if I'm sewing (and therefore creating fodder for my blog) then I'm not blogging, if I blog then I'm not sewing. You see the problem. How do all my Bloggy Friends do it? Bearing in mind that I'm not Wonder Woman (in spite of the Little Voices in my head) and DO actually need to sleep occasionally!

In an effort to catch up.....and stop wittering....I thought I'd just show what I've been up to.....

The fox pattern is "Fancy Fox" by Elizabeth Hartman ( ohfransson.com ) and is truly a delight to work. I'm looking forward to some hand-quilting on this one. Did you know that the collective noun for foxes is "skulk"? Fabulous word!

I've also got another finished quilt, currently to be found in the washing machine, on it's first cycle, with obligatory colour catcher sheets, so you'll need to wait till next time to see that one. Bet you can't wait.

Thanks for popping by. See you before Christmas. 2027. xx

The Newest Member.......

......of the family has arrived! You may remember that a while ago, I bought a quilting frame which adapts a domestic machine into a long arm quilter. This meant that my All Dancing All Singing machine has moved upstairs to set up permanent residence in my bedroom, with said frame.
You may also remember from previous posts that I am Madame Laziness Personified, and although All Singing All Dancing could be easily carried back downstairs, it would require some effort on my part (ha!) and some faffing around, re-setting All Singing All Dancing when she returned to her perch on the frame (ha!ha!ha!). Not only am I lazy, I'm not so good in the Faffing Department either.
So, since the arrival of the frame, I have been piecing on my back up machine, Little Brother. Now Little Brother is a perfectly fine machine, and will always have a home here with me, but his one major flaw is that he refuses to wear the beautiful Janome feet that I have.....funny that! I've tried not to let that affect our relationship, and for the most part, almost succeeded....but struggling to put the binding on a quilt, without a walking foot, finally sent me to Relate For Sewing Machines. Otherwise known as Ebay.
After a little searching, I found the lovely Julia, who was looking for a good home for her Janome New Home. We discussed and agreed terms, and a few days later I welcomed New Home to her new home. And she is perfect. A gentle, middle aged lady, who happily wears all the feet I ask her to.......

We settled into a happy understanding instantly, and now this little pile of Riley Blake (which had been quietly waiting in the wings).....

....is now transforming into these.....

My first time at piecing Economy Blocks, and I've fallen in love (it happens a lot!) With any luck, today should see a baby quilt well on it's way to completion, while I put Newbie through her paces.
Thanks for popping by. Happy Sunny Sunday to you. xx