Spool Block

Here is how I put together the spool Block we are making from The Beginners Guide to Quilting book we are using at the moment.
SCROLL to the bottom of the page for my Top Stitching Tip AND Today's musical interlude.

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Here are all the pieces for one block

Below they are laid out as per the finished block

 Take the centre square and stitch on the two sides

 

 And Press

 Take the four small squares and place them on either end of spool top and bottom

Mark a diagonal line with your fabric marker of choice 

 Stitch along the marked lines

Trim off excess fabric

 Quarter of an inch is good

 

   Press open

Line up and stitch to middle section

One at the top and one at the bottom

 And hey presto

You have a spool block

Here is the book we are working from.

It's proved rather elusive.

The book of the same name on Amazon is not the same book.

This book is actually classed as a bookazine - not quite a book, not quite a magazine.

It was published last year (2014) through Future Publishing

Although no longer in stock on line with them. 

It is often available in W.H. Smith in the UK

Usually amongst the magazines. 

Almost everyone in actual class now have a copy.

But if I'd realised how difficult it would be to get hold of.....well...

Top Tip

To avoid your machine chewing up the beginning of blocks sewn on point.

 

Start your stitching onto a piece of spare fabric (make sure it's two layers of fabric)

 and continue without stopping onto your actual block - see pic below - green fabric is the spare piece.

You simply snip the spare fabric off once you've completed your stitching.

 

Yours in Stitches, Joy

Meanwhile

Somewhere over the Rainbow - with the lovely mellow voiced

Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole

Click on the link

Relax and EnJoy

 

Christmas Star

This year I give you my Christmas Star Tree ornament

And another....

You can easily make one of these yourself.

Using two star templates - one large, one small.

 

With just these simple ingredients.....

Sew

Lets get stitching!

Cut two pieces of fabric (one piece will be your star front, the other will be the back of the star) roughly about half an inch larger than your large star shape.

&

Draw around the large star shape on one of the fabric pieces

On a contrasting piece of fabric

Draw around the small star template 

(I've used cookie cutters - and as you can see I'm making lots of Christmas Star ornaments)

Cut out small star and place onto centre of your drawn star .

Stitch in place using a contrasting thread.

(note you are stitching onto the front fabric only at this point)

Place front onto back fabric

 and stitch around outer star.

Cut out your star

Attach a ribbon for hanging

 And there you have it

Your very own Christmas Star Tree Ornament
The cookie cutters I bought came in a set of three - you only need two, but having these three gives me options to make different sized stars.

The original was made in felt.

But they work just as well using cotton fabrics,

or woolen ones.

Below are stars I've made from,

felt, cotton, brushed cotton and wool fabrics.

Experiment and have fun making your own Christmas Stars.

A little test for you now.

I machine stitched one of the hearts

and it worked out well

see if you can spot which one is the

Machine Stitched one.

As there is no padding/stuffing these little beauties will fit nicely inside Christmas cards.

Making a special little gift for your close friends and family.

And of course you might like to see how to make last Christmas's Hand Stitched Hearts

Or even the Machine Stitched Hearts

Enough information for one post!

Yours in Stitches, Joy

Little knitted Hats

Just by way of a change from patchwork and quilting.

I've been making these little hats for bottles of Innocent Smoothies to raise money for Age Concern.

To find out more  click here

I crochet some last year, but this year I got myself a pair of childrens knitting needles 

and

knit one, purl one...... 

I'm just following the basic 'simple' pattern,

but if you want to see some Amazing Innocent Hats, click here

I think I knit four, purl four, for this one.

They knit up ever so quickly.

I couldn't resist a little crochet edge though!

I've got until the 12th December to get my little hat sent in.

Using double knitting yarn and some 4mm needles, cast on 28 stitches.

Click here To see the Big Knit patterns

A One Hour Workshop

Hand Stitched Felt Hearts

When I gave my Welsh Quilting talk to a local ladies group 'Positive Thinkers', they asked me to return to do a mini stitching workshop - Any project I though suitable.

Realizing the restrictions of having one hour to complete a workshop I decided to make an Applique Felt Heart Hanging.

You may remember the red and white felt ones we made last Christmas.

Anyway, these hearts are Aqua Blue

The Kits

I wanted to make sure the ladies had the best chance of making these up within the hour,

So

  I've cut out, drawn out stitching lines and made up 30 kits

 Begged borrowed, bought and stolen about 70 needles.

Cut threads to length and threaded said 70 odd needles
(cutting thread and threading the needles would take valuable time out of their hour)

Cut out ribbons for hanging the Hearts

 Made up a number of example pieces

 At different stages

And rather ignored the dogs pleas to be taken out for a walk.

I think I am just about ready now

I usually teach small groups - 6-8 people

Wish me luck tonight with a room full. 

Hope the Positive Thinkers enjoy

Hand Stitched Hearts Video 

Check out my Hand Stitched Hearts Video

Interested in Block Printing with Stitching 

Check out My Block Printing

Yours in Stitches,

an exhausted Joy

p.s. Don't feel too sorry for Daisy (dog) I've just taken her for a quick walk before I leave.

Why not Check out My Other Social Media Links

Paper pieced Tumbling Block

Continuing playing with English Paper Piecing

I give you

A basic Tumbling Block

Sew, starting with three 60 degree diamond shapes

in three different shades/patterns of green (choose any colour you like) 

Using the same technique as we did for the hexegons,

stitch the fabric over the papers.

Then 

Stitch two of the diamonds into a V shape

And to complete the tumbling block

Stitch the third diamond into the V 

This is the wrong way to place your diamond onto your fabric! 

We had great fun last Thursday. Everyone used the same template I had used,

and cut their fabrics the same size as mine.

But

One of the ladies (who shall remain nameless) I don't want to embarrass her

 though I was left red faced by this!!! 

So anyway, one nameless lady called me over as she had a problem. 

She had laid her template onto her fabric.

But the fabric piece was too short - there was not enough to fold over at the points of the template.

See pic above

Now I'd only made my tumbling block the day before - I couldn't understand what was wrong.

My measurements were right - the template was the right size!!!

I even began taking my sample piece apart to find out what was wrong.

Then, one of the newbies - Ann - pointed out the template was placed in the wrong direction on the fabric.

Phew - panic over.

Thank you Ann.

That's the way to do it!

I thought it was well worth sharing with you though.

Just so you don't do what we did, or if you do,

you'll remember this and know to change the direction of the diamond.  

 Peggy has organised her Hexagon 'squares' in have lovely compartmentalized box.

Ann has become addicted to stitching hexagons

and is quickly adding to her growing collection of

Grandmothers Flower Garden blocks. 

I think lots of  Paper Pieced cushions are going to be appearing soon.

Yours in Stitches, Joy

Hexie mania

Well my Quilty friends, after a slightly indifferent start the Monday Ladies have taken the hexagon challenge and are running with it. They are really enjoying making hexagons now - aren't you ladies?.

And quite a few of you are now well on you way to making my Hexie Handbag Kit.

Do you remember when I posted the instructions for the Hexie Handbag Kit and there was some confusion over the size of the hexagons I used. (my fault). Well, below you can see the results.

On the right my original Hexie Handbag Kit and on the left Ros's oversized Hexie Handbag Kit.

 Both look stunning

And my new project Joyofquilting group on a Thursday morning
starts this Thursday 1st May.
Among my new group I have four newbies and so thought I'd
start them off with a simplified version of My Hexie Handbag Kit
 I've been busy the last few days making up these kits.

I've also be working on my own stitching.

I've just finished my latest piece for this years Quilters Guild Contemporary Challenge

Lines

Check it out here

And

I've also been busy building my Welsh Quilting Blog

Well, my quilty friends,

That's about it from me today.

EnJoy your day.

New Quilting Group - Port Talbot

Hello there my Quilty Friends, no Monday Class this week - Easter - And I hope you all had a lovely weekend. The weather here in the U.K. South Wales has been glorious. And lots of us have spent quite a bit of the weekend outdoors.

But the main reason for my post today is to spread the word to anyone living within striking distance of me that I am starting a new Quilting Group and
I shall be holding a coffee morning this Thursday 24th April at 10.30 at The Youth Hall, St. Theadore's Church, Port Talbot. For you to come along, have a coffee/tea and chat to me about the new class.

 So if you fancy learning some of the techniques featured here.

  

Above are samples of my work.

We'll be covering both hand and machine stitched projects.

At a pace to suit you - it's all about enjoying the journey.....not rushing to your destination.

Anyone interested in joining the new Quilting group I'm setting up is welcome to come along, have a coffee/tea and biscuit and chat with me about the new group.

I'll be bringing along plenty of samples of my work to hopefully tempt you with.

So that's 10.30 Thursday 24th April at the Youth Hall, St. Theadore's Church, Talbot Road, Port Talbot, SA13 1LB. (Junction 40 M4)

p.s. Newbies/beginners are most welcome.
Best I go and start putting my quilts together, looking forward to seeing you there, Joy