We are well into 2025 and I feel that I have missed January all together. As some of you may know, we lost our beloved Chewy the day before Christmas Eve and then I came down with one of the nasty colds that was doing the rounds. It took me a while to recover and then, just as I started planning workshops for the year, my husband found a puppy!
Meet Bucky. He’s still very young but is getting into the routine of cabin sewing… But let me tell you what’s planned for the coming year at Strictly Quilting.
One of the most popular workshops are the Sit and Sew Saturdays where you bring your own projects to work on. You might want to investigate a new technique or perhaps you are a bit stuck and need a bit of help. The dates are as follows: 15th March, 5th April, 24th May, 14th June, 12th July, 9th August, 13th September, 11th October, 1st November and 6th December. These tend to fill up quickly as I only have five places each day so book early to ensure your spot. (These are £55/day, 10am – 4pm)
After loosing my Mother I dipped into her stash to make a Baltimore style cushion. It was therapeutic and I believe it certainly helped with the grieving process. Off the back of this, I’ve created an Introduction to Baltimore workshop (Thursday 13th March) followed by a Baltimore Next Steps (Thursday 15th May) which are based on hand sewing using traditional Baltimore techniques. Slow stitching is something that has been proven to help mental health and is meditative. These two days will cover the basics of Needle Turned Appliqué; making leaves, stems and flowers followed by dealing with circles, Suffolk Puffs (Yo Yo), hand embroidery basics finishing with the decorative edge for the cushion. (Both courses are £65 but you can book both for £120.)
When we find antique quilts it’s wonderful if they have a makers name. Sometimes, there is a story behind the quilt, such as it being made for a celebration – a wedding or birth. It is a good idea so this is the next workshop. Quilt Labels gives many different options for labelling your quilt. What should we put on them and how to decorate them. (Thursday 24th April, £65 10am – 4pm.)
T Shirt Quilts, or Memory quilts are a fun way to make a quilt to record memories. This course teaches you the techniques required when using T Shirts or other jersey items. We will also look at using shirts, from which we can get quite a bit of fabric! We look at different quilt design options and this is also a wonderful way to treasure your baby’s clothing or perhaps those of a lost loved one. (Thursday 12th June, £65 10am – 4pm.)
The last of the scheduled workshops so far, is a fun Autumnal project – Pumpkin Patch, a round table mat. Great for Halloween or just to add a little seasonal decoration. This pattern, originally from Phillips Fiber Art who have kindly given me permission to teach, could also be made into a fun floor cushion. (Thursday 18th September, £65 10am – 4pm.)
The final treat on offer this year is the Strictly Quilting retreat. A relaxing weekend of sewing learning about Foundation Paper Piecing. You can choose to join in and make the lovely Luna quilt pattern or bring your own projects to get stuck into. All meals are included and accommodation is single, en-suite. Easy to get to from the motorway network, this weekend is great fun. If you’ve never been on retreat before, this is perfect to try for your first time. I’ll be there to help you through. (Friday 30th May to Sunday 1st June, £450.)
If any of these workshops or the retreat are of interest, you can email helen@strictlyquilting.com for more details or to book.
Strictly Quilting 
Hi Helen,Mum and I are interested
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