Welcome to New Subscribers

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter.  This is the best place to find out about upcoming new classes and events held at the Cadet Training Centre.  You will also get information about local quilt exhibitions, shows and groups to inspire you.  If you know of something that you would like to have included in the next newsletter please email me the details for consideration.

Please note that all classes are currently suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. As soon as I am able to restart classes I will issue a separate newsletter giving the relevant details.

The perennial question – How long does it take to make a quilt?

I am often asked how long it took to make a quilt or a project and of course there is no easy answer.  Often I make things because I want to – and then time is irrelevant. 

Then there are the samples I make for class – again time and costs are absorbed in the final class fees so again not really a consideration.

However, there are times when I am commissioned or asked to make a particular item for someone and of course they need to know how much it will cost so time has to be factored in.

In theory it’s a simple equation.  All you have to do is:

• Note the actual costs of materials used
• Decide an hourly rate of pay and multiply by the hours spent making the item
• Add the two together

But it’s never quite that simple.  I often fit in bits of sewing around other things, like waiting for jacket potatoes to cook, or a programme to start.  Does that time count?  Then again, I am often asked by friends or family to make things so should I charge for my time or just the materials?  Also, if you rush to get it finished then it can give the wrong impression of how long things take to do in the general scheme of things.

So, I thought you might like to know how long it took to make the latest quilt.

Thursday

At 7.30pm I received a phone call from a friend of my husband.  She asked whether I could make her a cot quilt as her daughter was having a baby.  Of course, I said Yes, and we had a chat about colour and theme choices. 

So how long did this quilt take to make??

Was it 8 hours?    The time spent in the sewing room on the quilt
Was it 9 hours?    The time spent including making the pouch
Was it 38 hours?    The time from receiving the phone call to delivering the finished article

And how much did I charge – nothing of course – well it was for a friend!!

Finally, you might be wondering why I did it so quickly when I had a fortnight.  Well. It was like this – in the current situation it was nice to get some good news and I was ready for a challenge.

Also I think I might have had a premonition – when I arrived to deliver the quilt I was told that the mum-to-be had been in a bad car accident the day before and although she herself was unhurt, except for some nasty bruising, it had brought on the start of labour.

Luckily, I heard later that day that things had settled down again, labour had stopped, the baby was doing fine, and mum was being discharged from hospital to await the arrival of the baby in due course.  Phew!

Free Pattern

If you would like a copy of the pattern I designed for this quilt please send me a request by email.

At last we are starting to be able to return to normal life, albeit with some restrictions still in place.  Although I haven't yet got a confirmed start date I have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure you have a full programme of classes to return to and I can now start to release some new class details.  To ensure everyone stays as safe as possible I will need to keep to strict new class limits on our return to class so make sure you don’t miss out.

Here are the first new releases - make this Autumn something to look forward to!!

For Beginners

For those of you who haven’t yet been able to enrol on the class for beginners I am pleased to announce that I am now taking bookings for the Introduction to Patchwork & Quilting course starting in October.  This course is ideal for anyone who wants to learn the craft.  Maybe you’ve had a go over the last few weeks and tried following books or internet-based videos but now want to get some hands-on tuition. 

Many of my current students have said how good it’s been to have such an absorbing hobby to help them get through lockdown, so please pass on the word to anyone else you think might be interested.

As a special bonus for early bookers I am offering a £30 discount to anyone who books this course before 31st August.  Please quote IPQ30 when contacting me.  Act now as places will be strictly limited to 6 students!!

For improvers

I am introducing a brand new one-day class where you will learn how to make a zippered pouch.  We often shy away from including zips in our projects but this day will take the fear away!  Limited to 6 places so don’t delay

And coming soon …. The Homestead Medallion Quilt

I am in the process of preparing a brand new 12 month course to start in January and February of 2021.  Following on from The Farmers Wife and the 1718 Coverlet I am sure this will be very popular so watch this space for more information as I will soon be taking bookings.

Crossword 

For all you crossword addicts, Richard Cook has amused himself by designing this sewing themed puzzle.  It's a little bit tricksy in places, so you will definitely need to get the brain cells working. 

When Richard first sent it to me, he was very mean and wouldn't let me have the answers for a week!!  However, you'll be pleased to know that you can find the answers at the end of this newsletter.

Hand Applique

The use of Applique in Patchwork is a very useful way to deal with awkward shapes or to include feature motifs.  Most often we use bonded applique for quickness where fabric is applied using Bondaweb or similar and then stitched on top by machine.  However, there is another option which is highly effective but often overlooked.

Needle turn appliqué is where you cut an oversized piece of fabric in the desired shape and sew it to a background by hand.  Often the design is drawn onto freezer paper which can then be ironed on to the fabric as a template.  The fabric is cut ¼’’ away from the paper to give a seam allowance.  

If you are unfamiliar with this form of appliqué here are some handy hints to get you started or for you to improve your technique.

1.    Look for designs that are bold or larger in scale. Turning the seam allowances to the         back becomes more challenging when the pieces are tiny. 

2.    You can modify any pattern piece to fit your skills. For example, if turning sharp                   points on leaves is too challenging to begin with you can simply round the ends         

       slightly instead

3.    It is easiest to work hand appliqué when using fabrics that are finely woven cotton

4.    Use a straw or milliner’s needle for best results as the extra length of these needles           helps when tucking the fabric under before stitching in place

5.    Work with thread no longer than 18" and in a colour that matches the appliqué piece.

6.    Use fine cotton or silk sewing thread for appliquéing to avoid the stitches showing

7.    Use a dry iron on a cotton setting to adhere the freezer paper to appliqué fabrics. But         be sure to test this process on a scrap first.

7.    Pieces are usually kept in place by hand basting or pinning.  If you use pins be sure           to pin from underneath as this will prevent your threads from getting caught in them.           Basting glue can also be used but it can be difficult to reposition pieces if needed.

8.    Generally, righthanded people with work in a clockwise direction and lefthanded

       people in a counter-clockwise direction, however, go with whichever feels more

       comfortable for you.

9.    At inside points, make your stitches closer together to prevent fabric from fraying

       where you have clipped into the seam allowance. Secure a deep inside point with a

       single stitch.

10.  Curved edges turn out far smoother when the shapes are cut on the bias grain. For

       instance, cut leaves with the leaf centre placed on the bias.

11.  As you approach them, clip inside curves and points to within a thread of the freezer

       paper template before stitching.  Make clips closer together in tightly curved areas.

       Where possible you should make clips on the bias grain so that they are on the

       diagonal rather than perpendicular to the edge of the shape.

       This prevents fabric from fraying while you're working with the edges.

Cat Beds

Show and tell!

Things to make us laugh ...

Crossword answers

Terms and Conditions

When signing up for a course or class it's important to know what to expect from me and the facilities that you will be using. You may be wondering...

What happens if I can't attend a class?

Can I change the date of the class that I am booked on?

What happens if the centre is closed due to bad weather?

All of these questions and more are answered in my Terms and Conditions which can be found here

pasturesnewquilting.com/terms-conditions

Before printing, think about the environment.
The content of this message may be confidential, legally privileged and protected by law. Unauthorised use, copying or disclosure of any of it may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient please notify the sender and remove it from your system. While attachments to this e-mail are checked for viruses, we do not accept any liability for any damage sustained by viruses.

Add your text here. Edit to add dynamic values like name, email and more.