We have had quite a busy week here in Dotty Dolly world.  Debby met lots of South West Quilters last Saturday, and thoroughly enjoyed herself, she told me lots about it, but I can`t have been concentrating because I can`t remember anything she told me!  While she was there I was teaching on a Beginner`s Workshop over at Rockwell Green.  Although it was a beginner`s day there were lots of different levels.  Nina was most definately not a beginner, and produced a lovely cushion cover from her Japanese prints.  Jacquie was a stitcher, but had never attempted patchwork before.  Rachel is often in the shop and put together a really great blue and cream quilt top, I`m looking forward to seeing what the finished quilt looks like.  Francoise was a beginner and made a cushion cover. She brought along a couple of her books which were in French, one of which we have in the shop in English `Quilting In No Time` by Emma Hardy.  There are lots of really good simple projects in the book and several of the others took down the details.  Tip put together a quilt top in greys and reds, and Mandy who has never even used a sewing machine before just about put  a quilt top together for her little girl in pretty florals.   I expect she has finished it now.  They were a lovely bunch, and I think we all enjoyed ourselves, I hope so!

Jacquie`s spots

Nina`s Japanese theme

Rachel`s Blue

Tip`s soft greys, pinks and red

Mandy`s contemporary floral, she didn`t quite finish the sashing

Bright`s from Francoise

I look forward to seeing the the quilts when they are completed!

Debby went to Somerset County Quilters on Monday night where the guest speaker was Ferret.  If you haven`t come across her before she has a really good blog.  Debby said her work was amazing, so much so that she emailed her the next day to see if she might do a workshop for us at some time.  She will be coming back next year, so watch this space.

Robyn Pandolph`s Scarborough Fair

Blue Hill Fabrics.  There are some reds in the collection, but I couldn`t fit them all in

We have had a couple more fabric deliveries this week.  I particularly like the Scarborough Fair collection although having lived in Scarborough as a girl, I don`t think Robyn Pandolph can ever have been there, or felt a cold North East wind  even in summer, because if she had these would not be the colours she would work with!

We often get customers in the shop who make the comment that they don`t want their husbands to see what they have bought or how much they have spent, and usually other customers sympathise and agree, this tends to be the norm.  One day this week, we had a whole day of customers coming in with their husbands, who were all absolutely delightful, who waited patiently while their wives pondered over the fabric, and then put their hands in their pockets and paid for the fabrics, quite large amounts in a couple of cases, where did the rest of us go wrong?  My husband wouldn`t even come in a fabric shop, which is fine by me because I wouldn`t want him to see what I am spending either!

Met an interesting lady yesterday in the shop.  I think her name was Angela, she has just moved to Wellington from Torquay and was telling me about her blog theenglishromantic.blogspot.com.  I had a look last night and she makes some lovely things with a vintage feel.

Got a family day tomorrow, son and daughter-in-law are back having been to a wedding near Frome yesterday, and daughter and son-in-law are also coming with the grandchildren.  Really looking forward to seeing little Charlie who is now 5 weeks old, and of course Georgia his big sister. Off out for a meal tonight and in the kitchen tomorrow.  I feel chained to the kitchen this week.  I got carried away down our allotment picking beetroot to make chutney, but ended up with about 10 jars of beetroot chutney and 5 of pickled beetroot, I am going to be giving quite a bit away, and there is still loads down there.  Debby is gadding about, she went to see Jimmy Carr last night, and is out for dinner tonight.  We will both be back to the grind next week, although Debby is still gadding about on Tuesday on a hen day, I think down to Totnes, on the river - it`s alright for some.

On Monday our 10% off sale will be over.  Debby and I have decided we need to make some new cushion samples, so we will be getting rid of quite a few of our old ones - and we are hoping customers will adopt one for £10.00!