'La Mer' DVD Pre-Order

This DVD is for everyone with a short to mid-arm frame, who wants to become more fluent at free-motion quilting. I’ll be demonstrating a no-mark method for learning line designs – a technique based on ballroom dancing, using line designs inspired by the sea.

The La Mer DVD will help you:

• create a bold and flowing line of stitching
• machine quilt line designs with confidence
• get the most out of your frame and sewing machine
• overcome tension problems
• find the best needles and threads
• master trouble shooting techniques to get you, your frame and sewing machine all working together smoothly.

Cambridge Inspiration

Our Daughter Emily was offered a place at Newnham College, Cambridge, so we all went up on Wednesday to have a look around. Cambridge is such a beautiful city. The college grounds have gorgeous gardens even in winter and the architectural features on the buildings are amazing. But during this visit, I was most inspired by the iron scroll work on the gates. I think it would make lovely quilting designs!I've included some images of the day so you can be inspired too.

Happy Heart Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

My new toy this year is a cupcake tree. I've always wanted one and I couldn't resist this retro version. The kids had such fun decorating them for our Sunday brunch.


















There were 38 hearts. Including the tin and the fabric liner. Valentines are on the way! Thanks for guessing.

Hearts and Hands

The Heart and Hand motif is rooted in European folk art traditions. The heart as a symbol of the wellspring of life, became popular as Christianity spread through Europe in the first centuries. It wasn't until the middle ages that hearts became associated with romantic love. And the giving of heart shaped love tokens was not reserved for Valentine's Day until the 1850's. Prior to that they were given year round as tokens of love and friendship.

In America, the heart motif was popularized in colonial times under the influence of the Pennsylvania Dutch Fraktur artists. Collections of wedding and birth certificates are a wonderful source of inspiration for quilt designs. In the 18th century, home furniture makers known as heart and hand artists, decorated chairs, cupboards, cradles and all manner of household items with hearts. Later as these items were mass produced, the heart and hand motif came to symbolize the dignity of hand crafted items lovingly created.

My 13 year old daughter, Rosie made the heart and hand tokens in the top photo. You can follow the link to get a down loadable template or just trace your child's hand and paste a heart in the center to create a personal valentine. Here are some old world heart and hand quotes you may like to use:

A heart for an old friend, a hand for the new. Love can to earth lend heaven's hue.

Hand and heart shall never part. When this you see, remember me.

How many hearts?

Guess the number of hearts in the photo and I'll send you a Valentine!

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved celebrating Valentine's day. I have a bit of a quirky approach to it. My celebrations are not strictly romantic.

CS Lewis wrote a wonderful book called The Four Loves, and in it he speaks of many loves; besides the obvious blinding passions, there are the more homely loves of people and places, our families, our friendships and our love for God and neighbor. There is also the shared love surrounding common pastimes and hobbies. I consider all these heart-worthy and will be celebrating them in the next few posts. The Valentine offer stayes open until Saturday!

Happy Birthday!

Here little Teresa and Angie are finding their favourite squares. At the birthday lunch yesterday. I was telling Angie and Simon about how I decided on such a simple design. And they both piped up "Yes! We love lots of pretty squares all sewn together, just like the quilts in Brambly Hedge!"

Little Annie liked it too.

Now for a nap!

A Gift Day

I was supposed to be taking one of the kids to a doctor's appointment but a last minute cancellation gave me an unexpected free day. In my experience, expected free days are never really free because we fill them up ahead of time. But an unexpected free day is a gift! I usually fit my quilting in between other things but today I had 4 uninterrupted hours. So I was able to load the quilt on the frame, complete the machine quilting and blog about it, all in the same day.

I like to practice the line designs on a roll of paper before I start the machine quilting.

I went with the white thread in the end. I was very tempted by the shimmery red. But I decided to go for a more subtle look, especially as I was trying out a new line design. I'm pleased with how it turned out. The So Fine! is such a trouble free thread to free-motion with. Now I just need to do the binding and I'll be all ready for the birthday party.