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Tuesday 11 August 2015

Quilts and Cakes mmmmmmmmm

There were quilts galore and cakes glorious.



Rooms oozing colour.


Cakes oozing cream. Whose hand is that? Oh yes, that would be mine, he he.
Now now,let us be serious and get down to the important stuff, yes I know that cake is very important but to tell the truth I am a bit "caked out".

This quilt caught my eye and tantalized me so much that I snapped it on both days.


I know, it is a bit frivolous, but good frivolity is a serious business, it requires order, concentration and cake. Oops that just slipped out.


The small hotel that we stayed in, Heath Lodge, was only a 5 minute drive from the NEC, but as we were treated to a splendid breakfast we thought that it would be wise to walk it. 30 minutes or so ambling along country roads for most of the way.
We spotted this little gem,




It looks like a faerie door, but as it bears an unfortunate number we thought that it might be a marker for an accident.

Then there were,


Canopies of wild plums.


Oodles of blackberries.


Garlands of roses.


Skeins of slowly ripening sloes.



An abundance of apples.

You can tell from these how strong the sun light was, we were so glad that we brought our sunnies.

I took over 100 photos and will put a few up each day so you do not get overwhelmed. Tomorrow I will share my purchases, now for the giveaway.


A tote bag containing a set of templates, and an instruction sheet for Dresden Plates from Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

A decoration pattern from homegrown textiles.

A Candy pack of a new collection called Ink, from Moda bakeshop.

A pack of pretty and strong pins from Sew much to do.

An orphan Owl from one of my personal favourite people, SusanClaire, The Gourmet Quilter. From her New Zealand studio she produces some so easy to follow tutorial videos and also designs patterns and sells them through her website. Pop over and have a look.

There will also be a leaflet, from a very good shop, with a 20% off code that is valid for multiple use until December, not to be sneezed at, and I have one for myself. Rubs hands and chortles with glee.
I am not promoting these for any gain, I am just happy to be able to share this bounty with 2 of you. I only wish that there was more.

There might also be an extra treat or two that fall in the bags from the piles of stuff teetering on my own shelves.
You know the drill, all followers are cordially invited to drop me a comment saying that you are interested and sometime over the weekend I will pop names into a container and bribe ask someone else to pull one out. It is amazing what folk will do for cake. There it is again, it just will not behave.

Francesca and I did a plaited rag rug making workshop with the very clever and crafty Jenni Stuart-Anderson. 
This was completely new to Francesca and I had not done it since I was knee high to a grasshopper. It was fun and we visited Jenni's booth and I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase her book. There are some full day courses on various methods of rag rug making, later in the year, that are not too far from me so I will be deciding which to try.





Here is the lady herself in her room of crafty treasures, still very lively after 4 busy busy days teaching, encouraging and interacting with all of us fans of all things crafty,fabricy and stitchy. Those rugs have to be seen in the flesh to be appreciated. 


That was a marathon, I am all photo'd out for one day so.....

     TTFN                                                                    Pam



48 comments:

  1. What a lovely time you had, I really want to spend some more time crafting when we are settled, I would love to be entered into your giveaway, x

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    1. I had a great time, I squeeze as much crafting time as possible then take a break for a couple of days in the garden, that way I do not get stale. You are in.

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  2. I do like there little workshops, I have done many over the 12 years I have been going, the quilts are so inspirational, I often think if we all took our sewing machines we would be stitching on the spot :-)

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    1. Funny you should say that, if I go next year I will take my little machine, I hand stitched hexies till my fingers ached in the evenings.

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  3. OOh, yes please, Pam. Include me in. f I win I promise I shall greet it's arrival properly (with cake).

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    1. There should always be cake. You are in.

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  4. Sometimes, I just feel so inadequate.
    Retirement, we said.
    In rural Wales, we said.
    It's so peaceful and we can grow things and make things and keep animals and....

    All true, but where do the ties for making things go? HOW DO YOU DO SO MUCH?
    We are nearly half a mile from the nearest house, but the neighbours drop by for tea,cake (oh, yes, I find time to make CAKE!) and a few minutes (AKA a couple of hours) of chat and gossip.
    The assorted livesock seem to get themselves into scrapes that require help and attention. People come with little things for me to do or children for me to mind, 'because you have time on your hands.'
    I'm busier than I was when a full-time teacher in London. So please, how do you find time for crafts? Life is wonderful here, but I would love time to actually create something,or even finish projects from years ago I do less now than ever!

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    1. I do not have livestock, just little Ben and my visitor cat. I watch very little telly and usually have hand sewing on the go, knitting and crochet in the winter. Also if I want a days uninterrupted crafting I turn the phone sound off and lock the door. I have been known to hide the car as well.

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    2. No telly here at all Pam.I guess the internet takes too much of my time instead, but the big time user is my old Mum. She's 93 and lives with us......We have resorted to hiding the car in the barn a few times, epecially in the build up to elections when candidates suddenly decide the rural dwellers are important!

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  5. What fabulous photos. I look at those first quilts and have the greatest admiration for such skills.

    Nature's bounty was good in that area - you just arrived too soon for scrumping the Damsons and Apples!

    Strangely enough, I was looking at Jenny Stuart-Anderson's book on Amazon only this morning, but I walked away before I got too tempted. I got a fabulous little rag rug at the car boot sale in Cheddar on Sunday, and have so much cotton in my stash upstairs I just want to get making - I have the proper tools which came from my late MIL and I think they were HER mother's, so they are probably WW! in age.

    I would love to be included in your giveaway, but the only time I have won anything (in a raffle) it was a bottle of aftershave!!! so I'm not holding my breath : )

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    1. I have pulled a pile of reclaimed fabric from duvet covers ready to make a start. I want to make a large plaited rug first. You are in.

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  6. O yes,count me in the generous draw Pam.I dislike crowds but can get an insight of the show from your posts.
    Best wishes
    Ann

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    1. You are in. I have added some bits from my stash but mostly it is what was on offer at the show and what I managed to beg. I had some nice little things handed over after a bit of flannel and smiles. I did of course buy something as well.

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  7. I went to the show on Saturday and had a thoroughly brilliant time - I'm only just learning and not very good but keep practising in hope that I'll improve and get half way as good as yourself, Dawn and Anne - will you count me in for the give away please - glad you had a good time xxx

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    1. It was amazing, I am constantly practising, it is fun. I love trying out new things, I have my "craft heroes/heroines" but am happy to keep on trying to improve, it all comes as long as you don't give up. I look forward to seeing your makes. You are in.

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  8. It sounds like you and Fran had a wonderful time. Could I be included in the giveaway please Pam?

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  9. Wow! Those quilts in the first photo are beyond amazing....such intricate designs! It sounds like you had a great weekend! Cheers, Nanny Anny in Canada

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    1. I had a fabulous time, I was quite boggle eyed at the standards there.

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  10. Oh Pam what a lovely giveaway, yes please. It looks like you had a lovely trip away & I like the frivolous quilt too. I could eat one of those scones right now xx

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    1. I managed to persuade a few peeps to hand over a goody here and there, but asked after I had made a purchase. You are in. Mmm I could manage another as well, maybe, just maybe I should make a batch later.

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  11. Rag Rugss transport me right back to my Nanna and more especially to my Grandma ( what we called my mum's Mum's mum! )
    She was a French polisher by trade, and my Nanna's Dad, Grana's husband died in WW1 when my Nanna was 2 leaving Grandma a young widow with 3 children under 6 to bring up, much like a lot of young women back then. Anyway real rugs were created out of necessity rather than for joy these days, but they were my favourite things to lie and play on when I was little. The best one in the parlour- was posh because she'd painstakingly rounded the corners on the rags and had arranged them in a pattern.
    Thanks for bringing this memory to me P. I'm glad you had a brilliant time x

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    1. One of my earliest memories is of sitting beside my granny and passing her the cut strips in what ever colour she asked for. I can see my Grandfather winding the long strips of cloth around his homemade gauge and then cutting along the groove. I was always entranced at all the matching sized strips falling as if by magic into a heap. As fast as he went my Granny often had to wait for him to catch up.

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  12. Didn't make it to the NEC but will be at the quilt show in Harrogate,so now looking forward to that even though I am working for 2 of the days!
    Would love to be included in your giveaway please Pam x

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    1. I may go to the spring show next year, it will take the rest of this year for my brain to process all the ideas that I brought back with me. You are in.

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  13. There is nothing better than having your breath stolen by a Beautiful Quilt. Seems you had a great time and I'm so jealous over that amazing creamy cake. :)
    I buy Devon Crème at our local specialty store. The only thing is it needs to be eaten within 6-days of opening. I always seem to do just that. ha.

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    1. 6 DAYS!!!, clotted cream in my house may last 6 hours, only if it is lucky though. There were just so many quilts, I took well over 100 photos, some of sections of quilts so that I have a reference for future sewing.

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  14. Has Ben forgiven you for leaving him? Looks like a fabulous weekend. Would love to be included in the give away.

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    1. Ben has been within inches of me since I got back, he was even on my pillow during the night last night. I should have moved him but was just too sleepy to wake up fully. You are in.

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    2. Ben has been within inches of me since I got back, he was even on my pillow during the night last night. I should have moved him but was just too sleepy to wake up fully. You are in.

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  15. The show must have been like seventh heaven to crafters! Such beautiful things. My red white and blue quit is on hold at the moment because we have a lodger who tends to sit on any kind of crafting ( Bold, my elder daughter's cat who is here for a month) and my sewing space in the attic room is overrun by my younger daughter's boxes while she is back from uni for the summer. My sewing machine will be downstairs as soon as Bold is out of the door. A month without crafting is making me a bit antsy! Please count me in for the giveaway.
    Also, I saw baby Z and his Mum and Dad recently ( they were up here visiting) . They said the baby quilt has drawn much admiration x

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    1. I can almost hear the gnashing of teeth and the wringing of hands, it will soon pass and you can craft to your hearts content.You are in.

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  16. I love the vibrant colours of those quilts in the first photo and I am pleased you and Fran enjoyed your weekend. I thought about you as I whizzed past in the M6 on my way to look after the grandchildren. I used to make rag rugs a few years ago and quite fancy making some braided ones. As for the scones and jam, no thanks I am on a diet! (And then we all laughed out loud). Yes please to the chance for the goodies.

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    1. I was on a diet as well, and very tasty it was. I will be stripping up some duvet covers later and playing with plaits. You are in.

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  17. I love the quilt makes me think of books I read in primary school. I would love to be considered for your lovely giveaway. thank you

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    1. I looked at that little quilt and thought that it seemed familiar. Maybe the idea came from a nursery rhyme or story book. You are in.

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  18. Beautiful, beautiful quilts! Sounds like you had a great time. We have a show here that is now called the sewing and craft show. It used to be mainly quilting booths, yarn booths, buttons, needlecraft but for the last 5 years or so it has slowly been taken over with scrapbooking (which I don't do). Some of the amazing businesses that used to attend have simply disappeared, so disappointing. The scones look delicious. My sister and niece just visited me for a week and she made me a 6 pie batch of pastry (I can't make it if my life depended on it) and a delicious batch of scones! Your giveaway looks fabulous and I would love to be included, if you are including overseas.

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    1. It was truly an experience not to be missed, there were some yarn stalls, 2 chocolate and candy stalls and a handful of different crafts in the nix. I bought 2 lovely scarves from one of them. I used to make Yorkshire puddings for my mum and stash in her freezer, hers were more like pancakes. All my followers are welcome so you are in.

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  19. Oh wow, I would love to go one day, I'm looking forward to more photos! Please include me in the draw :)

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    1. Francesca and I treated it like a holiday, do try and go it will take your breath away. You are in.

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  20. I went to NEC for the first time. I was only able to see a fraction , next year I hope to do two days. Lots of amazing quilts.

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  21. As always, your photos and text made an interesting read for those of us unable to attend the Quilt Festival. While it was on, I took a leaf from your book and made a scrappy quilt from 8 preloved shirts. Scones looked scrummy too. Catriona

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    1. There will be many more photos. Thrifted shirts are lovely to work with, the fabric is so soft to handle. I made one for Junior and included all the pockets for his little cars. The scone was very good, all the cakes on that stall were home made.

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  22. I went to the NEC on Friday - reading other blogs I feel I missed a lot!! I'd love to go for longer next year! I looked at the workshops but I was too late, I should have booked earlier!
    I look forward to seeing your ragrugging progress
    Count me in your lovely draw please

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    1. I know that there were things that I missed but I saw so much that it made my brain whirl. I will be starting a rug soon, very soon.You are in.

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  23. Glad you had a good time....and cake! hehe. Please can I be included in the give away, Thanks, Lisa

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  24. I just wanted to thank you for posting the lovely pictures. I have no quilting or sewing talent so don't put me in drawing though I love a good give away!

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