Sewing Bee

Are you enjoying the new BBC tv programme ‘Sewing Bee’?  Each week a group of amateur sewers are given challenges – last week it was a to make a skirt, embellish the neckline of a broderie anglais top, and make a dress to fit a real life model.  One unlucky sewer is voted off each week, leaving the champion at the end of the series.  I love it!  The second part is on later so will be watching avidly!

It was my birthday recently, and look what I had as a present:

Yes, it is about time I had a new sewing machine.  My trusty old Frister and Rossman has done many thousands (maybe even millions) of miles of stitching since it was purchased in 1979!

Today I hosted my own sewing bee!  Well, it was a quilting bee really.  Tash and Burnice came armed with sewing machines, fabric, scissors and tape measures, and we managed to make 2 quilt tops for charity.  Nourished by copious mugs of tea, coffee, muffins and a short break for baked potatoes for lunch, we amazed ourselves at our progress!

Burnice had previously cut these 2” squares and sewn them together in 2’s.  Tash spent all day sewing these together, and look what she ended up with.  Isn’t it great?  All made with scraps from our scrap baskets.

We are going to back it with fleece and give it to our local children’s hospice.

Meanwhile, Burnice cut and I sewed these funky fabrics together to make a ‘Yellow Brick Road’ pattern quilt (pattern by Terry Atkinson). We loved the part when we placed our blocks on the floor and moved them about until we had them ‘arranged in a pleasing manner’.

Here’s Burnice ‘dashing about with the smoothing iron’!  She did most of the ironing by far while me and Tash sewed, and then went home to do a whole lot more!

Finally here’s a look at the gorgeous cushions and craft goodies my chums bought me for my birthday: