Patchwork and Craft in Portugal

Dresden plate

2014-09-26T16:09:00.002+01:00

Summer holidays over for sure! Ann and I started meeting for patchwork. Last week and today Ann worked on her Dresden plate tote bag. The kit came from Cath Kidston-s book.

Meanwhile I worked on my three years old jumper. Finally, it is ready for winter. I have to learn how to take selfie. I need more practice which means have to knit more jumpers...

Summer is over

2014-09-11T21:00:00.001+01:00

Hello quilters! It seems like rainy season in Portugal started too early for this winter. It has been raining a lot but mostly at night. I managed drive safely on a motorway while sky fel.

But rain is good for quilters and crafters because it gives us opportunities to start over a new project or continue our unfinished work.

Lets start meeting for this season. The first meeting will be next Friday, 19 September and following 26 September.

Hope you can join for stitching and chatting.

Three ladies with 3 sewing machines

2014-06-05T10:55:00.003+01:00

After Vicki's visit we were so happy to get together. We arranged our meeting on 30 May and Ann, Therese and me enjoyed sewing, chatting and having lunch together.

Therese came with two finished projects. Here is the little quilt finished and There is looking happy.

Another project she finished during 2 weeks. In my restricted computer knowledge I tried to rotate but failed. Please excuse me giving you neck exercises.

Here are some 100% quilting cotton fabrics for sale. from 50 cents to 1 euro.

Once more around the block, Super simple triangles, 1000 great quilting designs and Quilting books are for 5€, Magic patch magazine €1. If you are interested in please send me an email at patchworkpt(at) gmail.com

Inspiring two days

2014-05-18T20:02:00.000+01:00

Last Friday and Saturday were the most productive quilting days for this year.

Vicki came for 6 weeks holiday to Portugal from a snowy Indiana. She has been traveling around Portugal but still managed to sew paper pierced stars for the September workshop to teach. These stars are her 6 weeks holiday work in Portugal.

Therese came with her newly and quickly made quilt. She has a tradition to give her quilts away. During 2 days of quilting she was making a quilts for others.

Ann, Therese and I practiced free motion quilting with Vicki. Her tips and tricks helped us a lot. Yes, we still need practice free motion quite often as possible.

Ann worked on her spiral quilt. Sorry, it seems that I was too excited that working on my long lasting project that I have forgotten to take photos.

This is a very important news from Vicki to any quilter or crafter. If you can find this pen it could be your friend forever. It disappears with heat. Go to any Staples shops or Amazon. You will be forever happy. So far I have not checked yet in Portugal, but definitely, will try to go to Staples to look for. You can get as many colours as you wish.

This is our tradition to have a potluck lunch during quilting camps. My DH cooked for us Thai chicken with almonds, because his DW was busy sewing. Yeoni, she brought Korean kimchi and tuna kimpab. Her daughter Alim loved playing with my girls.

My star has started to shine again. I had a problem because I started this project when I did not master the 1/4 seam. With Vicki's help it has been progressed a lot. It has a pink background fabric.

Next quilting will be on 30 May from 11 am to 4 pm. See you then. Javhlan

Quilt Camp with Vicki on 15 and 16 May

2014-05-11T15:42:00.004+01:00

Vicki Miles, who previously lived here in Portugal and quilted with many of us, is back on holiday. Vicki is an experienced quilter who has had award winning quilts in local and national shows. Most recently her quilt, titled "Finding My Way to You" has won awards for Best of Show and Best Bed Quilt at the Essenhaus Show in Indiana. It is currently hanging in an AQS juried show in Paducah, Kentucky.

Vicki will join us for a weekend quilt camp in Caxias on the 16th and 17th of May from 10:00 to 16:00 each day. The price is 5€ per day to cover coffee and cakes. Come and bring your sewing machine and any projects that you are working on. Vicki will be available to help with any problems you might be having with your quilting. We will be having a potluck lunch so bring a dish to share with the group.

There is limited space so please contact Jackie on 964 426 419 to make a reservation. If you know any other quilters that would be interested, please feel free to pass this information on to them.

Valentine's Day place mat

2014-01-13T21:28:00.001+00:00

Just recently craft people were working on their Christmas projects and now we have to start a new project for Valentine's day.

My pink Valentine's place mat is ready. I tried to use Portuguese traditional jewellery pattern Coraçao de Viana with my interpretation.

I always straggled to finish my binding perfectly. Here is the video you can look and improve your binding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWh90tXr7g4

Christmas bells & Tree

2013-11-22T20:07:00.001+00:00

This Thursday Yeoni come for workshop and made these lovely bells and tree

Meanwhile I made sashiko stitching on my machine.

Sashiko

2013-11-11T23:02:00.000+00:00

I am having a very bad cold but this was not a burden to start using sewing machine to do sashiko stitching.

Today I bought heavy duty No 40 thread. On the top photo, I used interfacing and in the bottom fabric used batting. On blue I put stitching on 2.5 but top one was 3.0.

Bobbin thread was red or blue to make some impact.

IWP ACTIVITIES FAIR

2013-09-17T20:20:00.002+01:00

International Women In Portugal (IWP)

Are holding their ACTIVITIES FAIR

on Thursday, 26th September 2013

10.30am to 12.30am

Your chance to find out more about 30+ activities IWP has to offer.

In the Gardens of Quinta da Fonte, The British Retirement Home

Rua Bento Carqueja 43A, Sao Pedro do Estoril 2765-518

(1 minute walk from Sao Pedro do Estoril train Station)

see attached poster for full details and map.

website www.iwponline.org

Lets start new projects

2013-08-30T23:31:00.000+01:00

Lets start working again in September! Clean you sewing rooms and machines, lets start working on new projects. It has been long summer months that I did not do any sewing.

In September I am offering three projects to start below the photos.

On 12 September for patchwork lovers oven gloves to make. It could be heart or butterfly shaped.

Children pyjamas are always handy to make them. They will love them because mummy made them! Scheduled on 19 September.

On 26 September come and learn how to make this a very useful bag for yourself or for friends. Beginners are very welcome because all projects are not too difficult to make.

Free workshops at Oeiras Parque shopping

2013-07-19T10:25:00.000+01:00

All welcome, who likes making things

http://patch-mania.blogspot.pt/2013/07/workshops-gratuitos-patch-mania-no.html

Plenty of talented people out there

2013-05-27T14:35:00.000+01:00

It has been a challenging year for quilters in the world. At some point Pinterest taking my life or better to say encouraging my inspirations. Plenty of talented and hard working people post almost every minute new ideas. I have joined it and learning so many new things. Please visit and look through and get some ideas for your every aspect of your life.

http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=quilt

Therese's work

2013-02-24T12:13:00.000+00:00

Recently, received an email from Therese. She has not been to meetings for a while but worked at home very hard and sent this photo.

New Year's meeting

2013-01-17T21:04:00.002+00:00

A Happy New Year!

The first New Year's meeting started today with three people. Now we do work almost in all directions of sewing techniques: Ann did her spiral quilt and Chang did adjusting her clothes and I mended my coat.

Of course, I forgetton to take any photos of the meeting, which I did same in November and December meetings.

Last two months we had some people coming to learn to knit and sew. I managed to teach them some techniques and give useful tips for future projects.

If you want to learn how to knit or sew please contact us. This group just does not concentrate on quilting.

See you in future.

2012-12-21T19:54:00.000+00:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS &

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Evening silk bags

2012-12-10T19:58:00.003+00:00

For Christmas Fairs I made some silk clutches.

IWP Craft Fair

2012-11-21T19:17:00.002+00:00

Last year's project

2012-10-23T21:06:00.003+01:00

One less unfinished project in my cupboard! I have to go to celebrate! A year ago, while surfing on the net I found a great project to add to my patchwork collection. This was twister quilts. Here you are! Binded and labelled! Made by Javhlan Byamba.

On 8 November I will teach this wonderful quilt which looks so complicated but easy to make with special twisting tool. If you want to make for Christmas you can bring your Christmas fabric collection.

A pencil case, estojo

2012-10-16T13:11:00.000+01:00

Schools started and they ask things that our children should have during the academic year. Here is a pencil case that I made for my DD2. Her name is emroidered on my super duper machine.

Creche bags

2012-10-15T19:43:00.000+01:00

In two weeks time I am going to visit my sister in Rome. Of course, I need some preparation for the visit, shopping - a big excuse. However, my sister asked me to make for her a year old daughter creche bag. She needed two of them and after two weeks of deciding what to make here are my results.

I used motives from Tone Finnanger Crafting Springtime Gifts.

Sorry about photos. Some times it is strange when I take photos by my mobile. You can have some neck exercises.

IWP Activity Fair

2012-09-05T19:47:00.003+01:00

Annual International Women in Portugal Activity Fair will be held on 27 September from 1030 to 1230 Quinta da Fonte. Details below

http://www.iwponline.org/Events_files/Activities%20Fair%20Poster%201.pdf

EMBELLISHED DRESS COLLAR

2012-09-01T10:48:00.002+01:00

Embellised collars have been very trendy recently. This what you can do with some sequences and beeds. Firstly, mark where you would like to have sequences and beads. Otherwise you might end up redoing it again like me.

This is one of the collars that I made this summer. More photos later.

A new bag with an old frame

2012-07-25T22:10:00.002+01:00

I made this bag couple of years ago and it has been my favourite bag. I think, bought fabric in France.

However, in one of my workshops a lady came with a big with same metal frame. I asked her to give me some measurements and here is the result.

Elmer - patchwork elephant

2012-07-20T21:14:00.000+01:00

Some years ago a friend gave me David McKee's book Elmer. It was one of the favourite books of my children. Recently, I bought a book Sew It, Stuff It by Rob Merrett and there was a patchwork elephant. I did not like the actual size of the book (it seemed too big) and just reduced a little bit. I took the pattern to a copy shop to make it even smaller sized elephant. I cannot promise when I will make a patchwork elephant family. Here is the first patchwork elephant is standing proudly on my table.

A pencil case

2012-07-04T20:12:00.001+01:00

A quick little project was done in a little time. I do like these quick projects. Actually, there were not as quick as I would say because I needed to go to shop to get a right sized zip. The result was adorable.