Author: Stephanie Hicks

It’s been a while since I have written a blog as I found lock down #3 the hardest of them all now with the restrictions lifted, I am finding it quite strange getting back into normal life again. How about you?  As I sit here in our holiday cottage near Durham at the start of our week visiting family we haven’t seen for over a year or more, I thought I would give an up date on what I have been working on and what is happening at Carry On Quilting now we are able to run classes again.

My Sweden quilt has come along a little since January. It is now waiting for me to do the quilting which I might be dragging my feet on because so far I have only done quilting as you go and stitch in the ditch quilting. Stitch in the ditch is a great technique for quilting if you don’t really want your quilting to show but you need to be very precise!!!!!!   

During lockdown I attended a zoom class for Raw Edge Applique with The Patchwork Robin. https://www.facebook.com/Patchwork-Robin-368406740416565 I look at free motion quilting in awe as I don’t have the patience to do the practice. Carry on Quilting has just run a 4 week course with Cathy from Patchwork Robin which we really enjoyed and have learnt loads but I have come to the conclusion that Free Motion isn’t for me as I do not do patience. Just ask my husband! 

Before the pandemic we had hoped to run a course of Journal Quilts which is a way of expressing and recording art through quilting, weekly, monthly or just when you want to. I joined a zoom course with Janey from The Tartan Reel who was teaching Diary Quilts. This is a similar concept, you record something each day which is of significance to you or as I did, the highest temperature of that day in my area. Some people recorded if they read a book, went running, did some gardening  and many other things. Each activity or temperature is a different colour so as you carry this project on for the whole year and depending on the pattern you choose, it would give you a great unique pattern with a huge spectrum of colour.

I chose a foundation piece pattern for each day and as you can see the month was pretty consistent in the temperature hence the lack of colour difference until the end of the month when I had to find more colours due to a surge in temperature which was a little unusual for March! A take-away for me on this project was planning in advance. If I had chosen to do this for the year I am sure I would have planned a larger spectrum of colour for the variation in temperature.  The yellow and blue square was a significant date to me. Adding in special features like this makes the quilting really unique to you.

So what’s the news from Carry on Quilting I hear you ask. Due to the ongoing covid situation we have opened up a little, starting with a Beginner Quilt Course. This is currently running with just 3 attendees and they are all showing great promise.  

Storm at Sea Foundation Piecing Rail Fence

We will be talking to the ladies to see what they would like to do next. With activities being released a bit more we are hoping to open up the courses to a few more people, we hope to see you soon. 

So far we are thinking of another quilt as you go with different blocks and borders and maybe a Japanese style quilt with lots of hand sewing.  We are in talks this week with our tutor to discuss new courses.

Sunset Stitchers is up and running every third Tuesday of the month with the ladies bringing along their own projects and so far we have been able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.  

We are hoping to run an Autumn programme with some Christmas projects including place mats and a Christmas Tree Skirt. If there is anything you would like to see in our programme, just get in touch and we will see what we can do. We are always happy to try and run courses which are of interest to you.

Keep staying safe.