A belated Happy New Year

It is probably a little late to start wishing everyone a happy new year, but nevertheless I will!  I have not felt at all inspired to sit down and write this blog, in fact I haven't felt inspired to do very much at all really.  It must be something to do with it being January.

  I went to the shop today with the intention of taking several photographs, but the sale is in full swing, and I just didn't have time to take any.  If Debby could see the state of the place when I left tonight she would  despair!  I have been really busy.  I was trying to cut out bunting which a customer wants for the end of the month.  It is 30 metres long and each flag is to have a little appliqued star.  Well the minute I started we got busy, I will not complain, because we are a shop and we are there to sell fabric to customers, but whenever it is quiet as soon as I start something it gets busy!  We then had a  large delivery of haberdashery  which we really needed.  Those of you who know the shop will understand why is gets so stressful, basically there is nowhere to put anything, so I have been tripping over cardboard boxes while trying to cut fabric and put the new stock away.  Perhaps I should have taken a photograph of the mess so you would all understand.

I am afraid the only stitching I did during the holiday period was in my head, but I am slowly getting my enthusiasm back.  Debby is doing a Quilt as you Go workshop in February, this is a technique I have never tried, so I have started a small quilt.  The blocks are hand appliqued circles with perle quilting.  I am at the very early stage, but when there is something interesting to show you I will.  I did make a little quilt for the Beginner's Workshop at the end of the month.

The flowery fabric was a remnant which we sold when we first opened.  The back is not brilliant, I wasn't really in the mood but knew I had to do it.  I have decided that the back is a good example of how it will look it you don't take enough care when preparing for quilting.  Sometimes it's difficult to explain what will go wrong if you are not careful - that's my story and I am sticking to it!  I have a cushion to match, but it just needs the zip in it.

Debby completed this small quilt top just before Christmas.  We had ordered this new fabric and when it arrived we wondered why!  Debby decided she needed to make something up in it, and this is the finished result, and we both now love the fabric.  She has yet to quilt it.

Our Quilt Group have been making quilts for a local nursing home.  They are to be ready by the end of the month, so I decided at the end of last week I really ought to get started.  Fortunately they are only small quilts, but I need to get my skates on to get it completed in time.  I had intended to photograph what I had done today, so again you will have to wait until next time.

On a different note John and I went to Topsham last Friday.  It is a lovely little town on the River Exe with lots of independant shops and walks along the estuary.  My friend Sally who teaches textiles has some of her work exhibited in one of the local cafes, funnily enough called The Cafe.  It is a lovely building and a great space for exhibiting artwork, they also serve up delicious cake.  If you get a chance go along, it is well worth the effort and I am sure you will like Sally's work.  She uses a lot of stitched paper in her work which is beautiful.  We spent sometime in the Antique Market, and also the Air Ambulance Charity Shop where I managed to buy a rather nice fruit set from the 50's and a glass tray to put all my creams and perfumes on my dressing table.  We have a great lunch in one of the local pubs a rather nice old coaching house with an open fire.  Now you will understand why I am finding it so difficult to get back into the swing of things!