Relax & Chill - Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How has your week been? As our title suggests I have had a lovely relaxed week away with Rhod, staying near Bath in Somerset. I did some relaxing hand sewing. I finished a Sashiko project from a recent workshop that I did with the Swansea Quilters. I am now addicted to Sashiko. I find something soothing about concentrating on keeping the simple running stitches consistent in size and spacing. It’s not as easy as I thought. I love the history behind Sashiko and the fact that the Japanese started this stitching as far back as the 17th century as a practical way to repair and reuse precious fabrics and everyday clothing.

We enjoyed visiting some great towns and villages from Frome to Bath and searching out some quirky independent shops. In Frome I found a great fabric shop - Millie Moon. They had a great choice of unusual fabrics and indie patterns. I must confess I did buy some lovely Sevenberry linen that I hadn’t seen before. In Bath, I visited the Museum of East Asian Art and what a fabulous place that was. I could have stayed there all day. There was a Kimono exhibition and a dragon exhibition as well as art and ceramics that are permanently on display. I also loved the gift shop. I may have purchased some Christmas presents here. We also visited The American Museum and Garden near Bath. We first went with Claire and Simon in 2019 to see a Kaffe Fassett Quilt Exhibition and unfortunately due to really bad weather we couldn’t go round the gardens. This time Rhod and I got to visit the gardens which were works of art in themselves. There was loads to see…the wildlife photography exhibition was a delight, the shop and cafe were great (I had the best pecan pie) and the textile room was amazing. All in all we had a fab week away.

Back to normal next week. I have got some commissions to finish and Claire is busy putting her kits together and making mini rag wreaths. We are also prepping ready for our next workshop on Friday 29th November which is all about making Christmas decorations. Come and join us for a morning of fun and chat. You can book via our website booking page. Have a lovely week x Suzanne

A Stitch In Time - Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. Hope you have had a good week. There was no blog last Friday as we were busy getting ready for the inaugural Woolly Wool Artisan Market. The drive up to the museum was lovely as the scenery is amazing. The National Wool Museum is a fab building with such a lot of history. It was a great way to celebrate National Wool Month and although we don’t make anything using wool we do design and make Welsh Blanket cross stitch kits which we launched at the market. It was lovely seeing them displayed alongside actual Welsh blankets. The stall next to us was demonstrating wool from fleece to finished products. It was fascinating to see her and her husband using the spinning wheel.

We were so pleased with staff and customers responses to the kits. We have six designs all named after Gower beaches. They make lovely gifts for all ages. Claire will be putting them on our website this weekend. She and Simon have been away this week to meet their new grandson and catch up with family. Have you had a good half-term? I can’t believe it is the first of November! I caught up with my friend Caroline and her three children Imogen, Nerys and Alice. We had a great day exploring Mewslade Bay and Fall Bay. It was like summer. The weather co-operated and the sun shone all day. We are so lucky where we live with these beaches only a short drive away. These two beaches take a bit of strenuous walking to get to so they were really quiet. We found a lot of caves and fossils. The limestone rock was fascinating as it looked like dinosaur bones. Caroline made us a little fire and we toasted marshmallows and had bananas with chocolate in them. These were wrapped in foil and put on the edge of the fire for the chocolate to melt. Lots of lovely chocolatey goodness. All in all a lovely day out in the fresh air, making the most of the sunshine.

I hope you all have a lovely week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne

Are you in the pink? Happy Friday!

Hello everyone! Today is ‘Wear it Pink Day” for breast cancer awareness month. Now I must confess I don’t own much in pink but I wore a lovely abstract print scarf in pink & red. It was one I have had for a long time but very rarely wear so it was nice to bring it out. I am going to start wearing my infinity scarf as the days are starting to feel cooler. Check out our shop on our website for some fab designs. They are all unique and quirky. They certainly brighten up an outfit plus they are functional as well. Autumn is definitely here! I love seeing the foliage change colour to reds and oranges. Mind you I don’t like the nights getting dark earlier.

Rod & I recently spent a few days down Llangennith. We were so lucky with the weather. We managed to get a few walks in - one to the local pub ‘The King’s Head’ and it was warm enough to sit out for a drink. The King’s Head do lovely food and lots of it as well. You can also stay there if you fancy a treat and don’t want to drive home. I think my crossbody bag looks good in the pub garden if I say so myself. It’s a fab size for taking on a walk as it packs a lot in but still looks good. I do love making these bags as commissions as I enjoy helping customers with their fabric choices. It’s always a joy to play with fabric. If you fancy one yourself then contact us via our website or social media.

I am busy on some bag commissions and Claire is putting together some great kits which we will debuting at The Woolly Wool Artisan Market at The National Wool Museum next Saturday 26th October. Come along if you can as it is a great day out with lots of lovely artists and crafters. The museum is amazing as well and well worth a visit. The kits will then go our website and I am going to profile them in our November newsletter. Lots to look forward to. Have a lovely week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne

Wonderful Workshops - Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How has your week been? Claire and I have been busy making some new stock for Adelante. Claire has made some quilted pouches using Halloween patchwork which are such fun. We have also got some Japanese Knot Bags in Halloween fabric which are great to hold your sweets in when you are ‘Trick or Treating’. I have finished a kimono style jacket. I want to let you know about our next workshop which is all about the snowflake. You will learn to make crochet snowflakes which can be made up into decorations for the Christmas tree or around the home but can also be made into garlands and bunting. What a fab way to do your bit for going green over Christmas. Head over to our website to book your place.

What are you up to this weekend? It is the Swansea Arts Festival this weekend and I am hoping to pop along to some of the events that are going on around Swansea. Claire and I are busy creating some new designs. We are looking forward to sharing these with you in the future however if you want a little teaser subscribe to our newsletter for a preview of what Claire is creating. Whatever you are up to have a great time and I will see you next week x Suzanne

Patchwork Madness! Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. I hope you have had a great week. Claire has been busy designing and putting her new cross stitch kits together. She has some lovely new designs which I will share with you when they are ready. I have been designing and making a new skirt. I had some lovely Japanese prints so I cut them up into squares and along with some calico I made them into a skirt. I am really pleased with the result. I used some lace binding for the hem which I think finishes it really well. The photo above shows me pinning the skirt on to my dressmakers dummy to see what the patchwork would look like with the lace…excuse the mess on the floor.

Rod and I managed to dodge the showers this week and get out for a walk. We called in for breakfast at Fortes Cafe which is next to Limeslade Bay. We love this place. Fortes is a family business which had parlours and kiosks around Mumbles and Langland since the 1930s. It has recently been refurbished but they have kept the original ice-cream parlour feel plus they do a cracking breakfast. We then worked off some calories by walking to the top of Mumbles Head. You get an amazing view of the Mumbles peninsula.

I thought I would share with you one of our new Japanese Knot Bags. Claire has used beautiful bright fabric from a designer called Kaffe Fasset. He designs fabulous prints which we love. She also used it to make a Japanese Rice Bag. Claire and I are off to a Quilters Guild meeting tomorrow which we are looking forward to. Next week I will be busy writing our monthly newsletter as we roll into October. I can’t believe how quickly the time is going. If you want to subscribe to our newsletter, you can sign up on our website www.sistermakes.co.uk. Come and join our growing family. Have a great week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne

Exciting News to Share - Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How has your week been. Claire and I are excited to share some news but be warned, it has the C word in it. Yes Christmas! We will again be part of ‘The Big Local Christmas Market 2024’. You can find this fabulous online market on Facebook and is running from 15th September right up to 24th December. There is an amazing array of gifts from artisan crafts people, makers, artists and bakers. It is run by the lovely Natalie Wright who is passionate about small, local businesses.

We recently took part in The Vintage and Makers Market in The Waterfront Museum. We had a great weekend meeting customers old and new. The market never gets boring as there are so many different stalls. Everywhere you look there is lots of colour. We have been busy making stock including new kimono style jackets for Adelante in Mumbles. Claire is working hard on new kit designs - more to follow. These make great gifts and are fabulous stocking fillers for all ages. We have got some fun Halloween Mini Rag Wreath Kits which you can purchase on our website.

Tomorrow we are back to Swansea Quilters. It is a great way to connect with inspirational ladies who share our passion of fabric and colour. There is always a warm welcome for new members so if you fancy joining, it is held on the third Saturday of the month. Just let us know and we can give you all the details.

Have a great week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne

Quilting Madness - Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How has your week been? There was no blog last week as I was busy helping out at our Swansea Quilters Summer Exhibition. We had a fantastic weekend with over 400 visitors enjoying the exhibition. There were quilts galore….over 100! What was lovely was no two quilts were the same including the ‘sew a row’ challenge mini quilts. We were all given the same two rows each month but it was great seeing everybody’s interpretation of the challenge. I was chuffed with the response to my own quilt that I put into the exhibition. I decided to simply call it ‘Ginger Jars’. It was a great way to show off the prints that I used. If you fancy joining us, we would love to meet you. We are a friendly bunch who love to share our passion of quilting and sewing. Swansea Quilters meet on the third Saturday of the month from 10am-1pm.

I am busy making some kimono style jackets ready for The Vintage and Makers Market next Saturday 7th September and Sunday 8th September at The Waterfront Museum, Swansea. I love choosing the fabric to use. The jacket pictured below is nearly finished. I have just got to do some hand stitching to finish it off. The fabric in this makes me smile. I hope you like them as well. If you are nearby, come along and say hello. It’s free to come in and there are loads of stalls to look at. Dare I say it but if you are starting to do your Christmas list then this is a great place to start your shopping.

Claire and Simon have been busy with a lovely visit from their son and his family. Although the weather didn’t play ball, they still enjoyed themselves including taking the grandchildren to Margam Park. It’s a great place to take children and adults alike. She has still managed to make some new knot bags and also some Halloween Mini Rag Wreath Kits. Head over to our website shop to have a look. I have shown two bags below and what I love is that two becomes four as they are fully reversible.

Have a great week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne

To be or Knot to be! Happy Friday!

Rod’s pride & joy

Hello everyone. I hope you are all well and enjoying the sunshine. What do you think of the title of this weeks blog? Claire has created some new knot bags which you can find on our website shop and I’ve put some photos of the new knot bags below. Rod & I went down to Oxwich Bay on our 1969 Triumph Motorcycle this afternoon. The temperature was perfect. We had a lovely ride down and enjoyed a coffee alfresco looking out over the bay from the garden at The Oxwich Bay Hotel. Claire & I are busy designing and making. We have got our next fair on Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th September at The Waterfront Museum.

What are your plans for the weekend? I’m hoping to be able to get out for a nice walk. We are lucky where we live. Swansea and The Gower have amazing beaches and green spaces. Next weekend is the Swansea Quilters ‘Power of Flowers’ Summer Exhibition. I can’t wait to see all the beautiful quilts on display.

The Power of Flowers!

Come along if you can. It promises to be a bouquet of colour!

Have a great week. See you next Friday x Suzanne

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To Infinity (Scarves) and Beyond - Happy Friday!

Hello everyone how has your week been? Claire & I have been to the Festival of Quilts for our annual AGM and shopping spree. We love having our AGM at the festival as it is usually over a bottle of fizz and as there is only two of us we can cover a lot in a short space of time so that we can enjoy the hotel pool and spa facilities. We always love the amazing talent of the quilters and feel so inspired after looking at all the competition quilts and exhibitors. It’s a great way to catch up with suppliers and source new fabrics. For more news about our Festival of Quilts trip have a look at our August newsletter which will be out Monday. If you aren’t signed up then pop over to our website and subscribe.

Love the sunny yellow fabric and the different cats in this scarf make it fun

I have been busy this week cutting out some new kimono style jackets ready to sew next week. I love playing around with patterns and hopefully you will love what I create. Claire has been busy finishing some commissions. I have put some photos of the quirky patchwork tote bag below. She has also been making some new infinity scarves. These are great accessories and because they are 100% cotton they can be worn in the summer as well as the winter. You can find them and all our other products on our Sister Makes website .

Next week is all out sewing for Claire & I and don’t forget our slow stitch workshop on Friday August 16th at Dunvant Farm Shop & Cafe. There are still places available but booking is essential. You can do this via our workshop page on our website or by clicking here. I hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine whatever you are doing and look forward to catching up next week x Suzanne

Happy Friday!

What beautiful colours for summer on the latest infinity scarf that Claire has made!

Hello everyone. How has your week been? Hasn’t all this sunshine been fab this week? Claire and I made the most of it yesterday. We went to NT Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo. It’s a great place to spend a few hours. There is a house and a castle set in spectacular grounds plus it has a lovely tearoom. I always judge a place by its tearoom and its cake. Rod & I are dog sitting this week. Buster is a Cavishon puppy. He has been so much fun although I had forgotten how busy puppies are. We took him with us to Dinefwr and he had a great time exploring a new place. He especially enjoyed the mill pond. I thought he was going to go for a swim.

I can’t believe the school summer holiday is here. If you are looking for something to make with your children over the holidays, we have some lovely mini rag wreath kits that will help pass the time away on a day spent indoors. Have a look on our website shop. I hope everyone has a great week. Claire and I have got our Swansea Quilters AGM tomorrow and Claire is doing a quilting workshop on Sunday which is all about modern improv quilting. I will put up some photos next Friday. We have also got our next workshop on Friday August 16th which is all about slow stitching. This is so good for your creativity and mindfulness and is suitable for all ages…young and old. If you fancy a go book your place on our website via the workshop page. As with all our workshops all supplies are included. See you next Friday x Suzanne

Slow Stitch is all about the journey not the destination.

Here is a small example of a slow stitch landscape scene but you can make whatever you like.

Happy Friday!

A new zipped pouch using patchwork

I love the vibrant colours of the different fabric.

Hello everyone. How has your week been? Claire and I gave a talk to the lovely ladies of the Llansamlet WI yesterday evening. They gave us a great welcome and it was fab to meet new crafters and quilters. This is what I love about what we do, meeting new people and sharing our love of all things fun and quirky. We have been making some new stock for Adelante using the patchwork that Claire has designed. The photo heading the blog is of a beautiful purple and gold jacket that I made for a customer. Diane wanted a birthday gift for her daughter whose favourite colour is purple. The purple is stunning and I think it looks great with the gold which looks like flames. I have started an advanced sewing course with the amazing Helen Rhiannon from All Sewn Up Wales today. I love vintage Christian Dior dresses so I am going to attempt to make my own version with a boat neck and box pleats. I will share some photos of my dress when it is finished. It is a year since Helen’s dressmaking book was first published. It has quickly become a must have dressmaking bible all over the world. Have a look at her website and her Facebook Page. Claire has been at Underhill Park Hub today doing a course run by Google. It is frightening how quickly technology is advancing especially with AI. Claire is our computer guru.

I always feel blessed to live where I do, close to lots of lovely beaches. Sunday Rod & I went for a walk to Oxwich. We had part of the beach to ourselves. Today we went for a walk on Langland Beach. It’s always good for the soul getting out in the fresh sea air and for my stomach (not my waistline though) as we finished both walks with coffee and cake. I also popped a photo in of a Hurricane waiting to take off from Swansea Airport to take part in the Swansea Airshow last Sunday.

The Forget Me Not Club went to the Gower Heritage Centre on Tuesday and sampled ‘A Taste of Times Past’. Thanks to Chendore Luan for feeding us tasty homemade food from a bygone era of Gower. It was really interesting learning something new about where you live. We all enjoyed having a walk around the centre and seeing the water wheel working. The Heritage Centre is a fascinating snapshot of times past. They also have a gift shop with lots of local produce. This weekend Swansea and the Gower is playing host to Ironman Swansea. Hope you all have a lovely weekend and a great week. See you next Friday x Suzanne

Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How are you all and how has your week been? Claire was away last week catching up with friends but she is back now and creating some lovely fabric. We love how it looks in the prototype waistcoat that I made with her handmade fabric. I have put it on as the front of this blog. Let us know what you think. I finished some cushions and a table runner for Adelante in Mumbles. I enjoy patchwork and quilting. I love that you can reverse this table runner if you wanted. It looks completely different. If you haven’t been to Adelante yet, you must! It’s got so many different things from vintage clothes and homeware to jewellery and bags from local small businesses like Sister Makes. I defy anyone to leave there without something especially if you are looking for a gift. You will find Adelante at the top of Newton Road, Mumbles.

Next week Claire and I are finishing some projects for the Swansea Quilters Exhibition. I will be binding my quilt and finishing a piece that was set to all of us as a challenge. It’s been lovely seeing some of the ones already finished. We all had the same brief but everyone’s is different. I always feel inspired by the ladies at Swansea Quilters. Photos to follow. We have been invited to do a talk with the Llansamlet WI next Thursday. We love meeting people who share our joy of crafting and sewing. I am also out with the Forget Me Not club I volunteer with. We are off to the Gower Heritage Centre for a ‘taste of old Gower’. Looking forward to that. I’ve put a few photos of the heritage centre. I love the one of what it originally looked like. If you want to have a look further click here. Have a lovely week and see you next Friday x Suzanne

Happy Friday!

Meet Buster

He is keeping me company while I write the blog

Hello everyone. How are you all and how has your week been? I hope you have all been enjoying some of the lovely sunshine we have had. I find that the sun makes me want to get out and do things. Claire and I have been busy making for Sister Makes this week. I have made a lovely set of cushion covers and two table runners…some photos below of my work in progress. These will be on their way to Adelante in Mumbles early next week. I love picking out colours and patterns. The cushion covers are jewel like in colour….nice and bright. I think the table runners would make a lovely addition to any dining room or lounge. Claire has finished a tote bag for a commission but photos will be to follow as the customer has not had a chance to see it yet. Claire has also created another piece of handmade unique patchwork which she will be making into a zipped pouch. I can’t wait to see it finished as the combinations of different fabrics look amazing.

This weekend is Glastonbury 2024 running from Friday 28th June to Sunday 30th June. Claire and I have never been but we love watching it on TV. Hopefully the weather will be good for them as they have a fabulous lineup from Coldplay to Avril Lavigne to Paloma Faith. If you are going our knot bags are great for festivals as they are self-closing so no-one can get into them and they sit on your wrist leaving you hands free for your drink and food. Our kimono jackets are also good for festivals as they are so comfortable and easy to wear. Have a look at our website and don’t forget all our newsletter subscribers have access to an exclusive 10% discount.

Claire & I are going to HQ Urban Kitchen which is located in the heart of Swansea’s Creative Quarter. It is a brilliant place to listen to live music and see resident artists and their work. It used to be the old police station, now it’s somewhere to go for great food and coffee. Have a lovely weekend and I will see you next week x Suzanne

Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How has your week been? Hope it has been good. We have had lots of sunshine in Swansea. Yay! It is so nice to feel warm. I’ve been taking the opportunity to sit out in the garden when I can. It’s so good for the soul. Rhod & I took a day off and went to Dyffryn Gardens near Cardiff this week. We haven’t been there for a few years. The National Trust have done a lot of work restoring the gardens. We had a great day out in the sunshine admiring all the different types of ‘garden rooms’ that they have created. You can’t go in the house unfortunately but they have a lovely cafe and gift shop. I can recommend the apricot flapjacks. Claire and I always love a good gift shop.

Today was our second crochet workshop. I missed the first one. I have always wanted to learn to crochet so this was my chance. Karen & Laura are so passionate about this craft. They love to teach. All of us who attended the workshop left with a big smile and being able to crochet a granny square. Mind you I definitely need lots of practice. Allison and Sue who attended could already crochet but both felt they had learnt a lot from today. Don’t forget our next workshop is again at Dunvant Farm Shop on July 19th and is all about the embroidery. You will leave with your own unique tote bag. Our workshops are a lovely relaxed way to meet new people with a love of crafting. Booking is essential which can be done by going to www.sistermakes.co.uk/workshop.

Claire is busy completing a bag for a commission plus making her own handmade fabric. Photos to follow. I am making some table runners and placemats using a new quilt block which I am excited about for Adelante. Lots going on. Have a lovely week and see you next Friday x Suzanne

Happy Friday!

Isn’t this fabric gorgeous. Claire has made it into a lovely Japanese knot bag.

Hello everyone. How has your week been? I hope it has been joyful and productive. We love seeing how happy our customers are with their purchases. Liz who commissioned a cross body bag from us was so pleased with the finished product. She loved the fact that it was totally unique and no-one else would have the same bag. I also delivered a gorgeous purple and gold kimono style jacket to Diane also from Dunvant WI this week. Diane was also really happy with the jacket and the colours.

I’ve talked about Claire making our own fabric out of scraps in previous blogs and our last newsletter….well this week I have transformed it into a waistcoat. This is a pattern that I drafted myself and was really pleased with how it turned out. I have cut out my bias binding today which I will use to finish the waistcoat off. Did anyone see the Great British Sewing Bee this week. It was the reduce, reuse and recycle episode and they used scraps to both make and quilt a bag. It was different to how we use our scraps but very clever. We love reusing our materials as much as possible.

Next week I will be having a go at sewing a fitted waistcoat. I love that these have come back into fashion this year. They look good just as a top in itself or over a shirt or blouse. I will let you know how I get on next week. We have got our crochet plus workshop next Friday at Dunvant Farm Shop. We have one space left. If you are interested then book using our workshop page here. Our next workshop will be on Friday 19th July at Dunvant Farm Shop. This is an embroidery workshop where you will embroider your own tote bag. It’s a great way to explore all the beautiful stitches that embroidery has to offer and design something unique to you. Again all supplies including the tote bag will be part of the workshop. This can now be booked on our website as above. Have a lovely week and see you next Friday x Suzanne

Saturday Sunshine!

Happy Saturday everyone. How has your week been? There was no blog yesterday as Claire & I went on a day trip to Ilfracombe on The Waverley Paddle Steamer. It was brilliant seeing Swansea from a different point of view. The Waverley is a beautiful ship. We were gutted as wanted to sit outside as we crossed the Bristol Channel however the rain came down as we were leaving and didn’t stop until we got to Devon. It made for a bumpy crossing! Never mind. We had a lovely time in Ilfracombe. The crossing home was a lot better. No rain and a lot calmer.

It’s been a busy week. I finished one of my commissions but I can’t put a photo on the blog until next week as Liz is having her bag on Monday. I’ve loved the colours against the denim. Claire has been busy making a wall hanging for the Swansea Quilters Summer Exhibition.

Rhod & I went to the Field of Dreams Classic Car Show last Sunday. The weather was fantastic. It was so nice we went on our classic motorbike. There were lots of gorgeous cars on display plus entertainment for all ages. On Thursday evening we also went to see the lighting of a beacon on top of Oystermouth Castle to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. It was a very poignant moment. The castle had been decorated on the outside with poppies made by the Swansea Yarn Bombers. You can follow them on Facebook. Their display was amazing. The red of the poppies looked very dramatic cascading down the castle walls.

The poppies look great next to the Beacon

Beacons were lit all around the country at 9.15pm on the 80th anniversary of D-Day

Have a lovely week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne

Happy Friday!

I love this knot bag - it’s so colourful.

Hello everyone. How has your week been? I’m typing this with the sun shining outside and my washing blowing on the line. I love being able to put my washing outside to dry. Little things but they make me happy. Rhod & I managed to go out for a walk and picnic near us. The weather was grey and cold but we enjoyed ourselves. Trying to get out for some fresh air everyday is vital to me, even if the weather isn’t good. It is good for my physical and mental health. It was lovely to be surrounded by nature although one of the swans did make us a bit nervous lol. Excuse the close up of my knees.

I managed to finish my quilt and took it to the lovely Julia from Swansea Quilters who is going to put it on her long arm quilting machine as it is too big to go through my sewing machine. I am so excited to see the finished quilt. Claire has been doing some more patchwork fabric. She has also created a new cross stitch pattern which she has put on our online shop as a PDF. You can have a look and buy it here. There will be more to follow. If you want to see more about these and access to an exclusive discount then subscribe to our newsletter. Our next one will be out tomorrow.

Do not adjust your screens! This is Claire’s new PDF. What a great idea for Christmas!

We are off to see a car show on Sunday 2nd June called Field of Dreams which is being held at Riverside Holiday Park, Ynysforgan Farm, Neath Road, Swansea SA6 6QL. Hope you all have a lovely week. See you next Friday x Suzanne

PS. I am not being paid by Ford. I have always fancied a Ford Mexico and loved this image!

Happy Monday!

Claire has been busy

Love this print…very vibrant

Hello and Happy Bank Holiday everyone. I thought I would post on a Monday for a change. How are you all? I hope you have had a lovely bank holiday weekend. It’s been a mixed bag of weather but we have managed to get out and about over the weekend. Rhod & I went to Clyne Gardens. We always love it there. It’s a great place to just sit and be, soak up the fresh air and listen to the breeze rustling through the trees. There was lots of colour from the rhododendrons and azaleas even after that mad storm we had in the week. How crazy was that storm! I’ve put some photos of the Japanese Bridge and waterfall at Clyne.

I have been busy making a quilt for an exhibition that Swansea Quilters are holding in August. I needed to get it done for the beginning of this week as the lovely Julia from Swansea Quilters is going to long-arm quilt it for me. I love seeing the quilt emerge as I sew the blocks together and put on the borders. I bought myself a gorgeous range of fabrics from the Festival of Quilts a few years back and didn’t know what to do with them. I knew I wanted to do a quilt but couldn’t make up my mind about a style. I then found this pattern in a magazine and knew it would make the prints pop. I love it!

I think the ginger jar blocks showcase the lovely prints

This will hopefully be a lap quilt…..mind you I might change my mind and put it on the wall

Claire has been busy making some tote bags for Adelante. Naomi was looking for a tropical feel to put in the window. I think Claire has delivered. I love the colours and patterns in her patchwork and the lining. They look very summery.

I promised to put on some pictures of the crochet workshop which took place when I was away. Everyone had a lovely time and no-one went without completing a granny square….even the complete beginners. It was so popular that we will be doing another one in June. I have put the details below.

This is our next workshop

If you want to book a place, just click here

What sort of week have you all got? Claire is busy with her patchwork. I will be working on some commissions. Whatever you are doing have a great week. See you on Friday x Suzanne

Hello Friday!

What do you think of this lovely mix of red and gold?

We love looking for different fabrics and patterns for our designs.

Hello everyone. How are you all? I am writing this blog from sunny Dawlish Warren in Devon. Rhod and I have been here on holiday this week. Although the weather hasn’t been great, we have dodged the showers and had some lovely warm sunny spells. We love Devon and Cornwall but have not been to East Devon before. We can highly recommend it. We have had a lovely time exploring the area mostly by train as it was so convenient. It was so nice to leave the car at our holiday home. Dawlish is a great place with lovely green spaces. Thankfully we have done a lot of walking as we have consumed fish and chips and many a cream tea. Yummy! We loved A La Ronde which is a National Trust property near Exmouth. It is a sixteen sided house with diamond shaped windows set in the joins of the house.

Before I went to Devon, Claire and I were at The Vintage and Makers Market in The Waterfront Museum. It was a lovely weekend. We met up with old customers as well as new. Our kimono style jackets were again popular as were our Japanese Knot Bags. The weather co-operated and lots of people were out and about. There were lots of events going on which was great to see. This is the same this weekend, for example, there is Swansea Pride tomorrow which will be going through the city centre and the Gower Cheese and Cider Festival is also on this weekend which will be at The Gower Heritage Centre.

Cheese and cider - what’s not to love!

Our Granny Square Crochet Workshop was this morning. We had to have a change of venue last minute unfortunately but thanks to the Dunvant Farm Shop everyone enjoyed. The amazing Karen and Laura are very patient teachers. They even managed to get Claire crocheting. I will let you know the date of our next workshop as we have to sort out a new venue. Next week I will be busy quilting and I will share what I will hopefully have completed with you next Friday. Have a lovely week x Suzanne