Monday, 4 August 2025

FoQ 2025



I can’t believe that I am already back from FoQ! The journey from Devon is only around 4 hours including stops, rather than a 2-day marathon to NE Scotland. One minute we were setting up the full range of Bernina longarms and a few short days later we were packing everything up again.
 



I felt that this year the show was buzzing again with more international visitors, great quilts and enthusiastic traders. It seemed as almost as busy as it was pre-Covid. With 2 large halls in use, there was plenty of space and places to stop and reflect.


As an exhibitor, you have to get in by 8am if you want to see the quilts before the crowds arrive. I still felt rushed, like I was not looking properly and appreciating the work. Quilts would pop up on social media that I did not remember seeing. I did not do a video tour, only taking a few photos of quilts that caught my attention. I hope I have correctly matched labels with makers. The QGBI does a pretty good job of showing the winners online so it should be easy to see everything virtually if you did not make it to the show. 



















The other aspects of the Festival that I enjoy are the gallery areas and there were some superb pieces.











As per, I did not completely agree with some winners but I was delighted for Matt Wilding, who took first place with “Wear your Wings with Pride”. I had watched the progress of the project unfold on Instagram and discussed some structural ideas when he visited Quilt Direct. I love the often wacky 3D Creations category. In my opinion there were quite a few quilts placed in the “wrong” category so I think the entry brief could be revamped. 




Of course, one of the best things is catching up with quilting friends and inspiring visitors to try longarm quilting machines. 


My garden has survived due to damp weather, the grass needs cutting, the laundry is on full spin and Nessie and I set off for Glasgow on Tuesday! She had a great time ordering her foster parents around and is now exhausted. She will love reuniting with all of her favourite people in Scotland:)














Sunday, 27 July 2025

Buttoned Up

 

Another busy week has flown by! At one point I had 2 customer quilts on the go using the Bernina Q-Matic automated system. There was a very big quilt that I had to finish on time so its maker could take it home after she finished her sewing machine mastery course.




This week’s find was a small red swivel chair that was put out on the street. It is in good condition except when you lift it up and 2 of the wheels fall off. I expect some duck tape will fix that. I hope to take it to FoQ so we can offer clients an adjustable chair when they try the Q16 sit-down machine.




I was commissioned to sew buttonholes and buttons onto a waistcoat that the boss’s husband wanted to wear at Festival of Quilts. I was told to make a video of the process. First I had to practise since I have never had the need to do buttonholes. I have to say that I did a fantastic job. However, there was a bit of a hoo-ha as apparently I sewed the buttons on the “female” way and the male waistcoat wearer refused to wear it. I made modifications over the weekend so hopefully it will now pass muster.








I went to visit Mel in Looe on Friday. I wondered whether the Haar (sea fog) would be in at the seaside but it seems that this does not happen as much as it does in Aberdeenshire. The weather was perfect and we took a wander to Hannafore. There were Luggers in the bay and a sea shanties being sung on the quay. It made me wonder if I should move to the Cornish coast. 





I spent Sunday gardening and assembling what I need to pack for Birmingham. Nessie is going on her holidays to the office manager’s house where they will probably play tennis balls and fulfil her every demand;)


Sunday, 20 July 2025

Quilts and Flowers (and a Hat)

 


Quite a bit of longarming went on this week:) One quilter did a great freehand job on her daisy appliqué quilt and someone else came for an introduction to longarm quilting, intending to do a traditional Devon / Welsh style quilt.




While they were busy quilting away, I did some basic ruler work and freehand on the Bloom and Grow quilt which we hope to offer as an L890 class. 


We are gearing up for FoQ at work so I did some straightforward quilting and binding on a table runner that show cases some of the Accuquilt dies. Karen and I showed off our prototype bucket hat which was easy and fun to do.


I “invented” household chores over the weekend, ticking off a list that included some dusting and floor mopping. It is high time I got stuck into quilting then I would not have time for that nonsense. At least some heavy rain and slightly cooler temperatures meant I did not have to water my plant pots daily. I am very pleased with my herb and flower towers and I am excited that some unknown  seedlings have popped up in my herby bean cans. I just hope that we don’t have a heatwave while I am away at FoQ or all of my plants might die!




Sunday, 13 July 2025

Manifesting Paddling Pools

 

I was regretting not bringing Nessie’s paddling pool to Devon since we have been melting in another heatwave. I thought about ordering a new one which was upwards of £20.00 but then I spotted one outside a house near to where I park my car. It appeared to be amongst the rubbish and I wanted to pluck up the courage to knock on the door to ask if I could have it. The house looked dodgy so I left it for a couple of days until a sign went up declaring that it was a building site. I seized my chance, nabbed the pink apple-shaped pool and had to walk home with it, as well as four fruit trees and some plant pots that a friend had given me. 




A work colleague said that her wee dog would probably also like a paddling pool in the hot weather. Weirdly, the very next day and 2 doors down from where I claimed Nessie’s pool, a pink shell-shaped pool had been put out with the rubbish so I though I might as well save that one from landfill too!




I used the last of my bagged compost potting up 3 of the bare rooted bargain trees and sowed herb seeds into some old tins. It is probably too late and too hot for them to grow but you never know. Keeping my plants watered has been quite a big job this week!





Nessie went for a posh hairdo on Friday and came back 3 hours later looking like a different dog. The new groomer told me I should look after her better as her hair was a bit tangled. Sigh - she hates having her hair brushed and if I could keep her tidy I would do it myself. I ignored the telling off and booked another appointment for October.



I tried to make a purple velvet cake for one of my work friend’s birthdays. The mixture looked the right colour and the cake turned out perfectly except that it was dark green. I tried icing it with lilac coloured, lemon flavoured icing but in 30 degree heat it just kept sliding off. I felt as despondent as a Bakeoff contestant in the competition tent as the reality did not match my vision. At least it tasted great - we will see if the folk at work appreciate the leftovers or if they will refuse to eat a green cake;)