Festive Cheer

Oh we had such a nice time this month at the Bee. We had some lovely Christmas music, mince pies and there was much Christmas crafting going on. From festive table runners to fabric heart shaped baubles to a needle felted turkey ready to be taken off to Australia! Now if that picture doesn't make you feel Christmassy I don't know what will!

Rachels felting corner were hard at work on Christmas felted decorations

The Farmers Wife Class Table were very industrious. We welcomed new Bee members and had a very jolly time ( as usual too jolly for me to remember to take many pics i'm afraid!)

 Have a lovely holiday season everyone and I'll see you all refreshed and ready to craft in the New Year. We are straight out of the traps on Jan 7th at St Anne's at 9.30am then our first Evening Bee kicks off on the 21st of Jan at 8pm at Whitewaters Cafe Deli - looking forward to it already x

Festive Felted Decorations

Just see Rachel on the day if you'd like to join in with this in the 'Festive Corner' at this weeks Bee!

Swoon Spring 2014 Sew Along!

Just a little picture-ette of my latest work in progress as preparation for a Sew-Along I am planning to run at the Sewing Bee through the Spring and early Summer next year 2014.

We will make a lovely Pattern called 'Swoon' by Camille Roskelley, which uses easy fat quarters, can be made by hand or machine and makes up in lovely satisfying 24 inch blocks so you make a beautiful modern quilt in no time at all.

This is a sew-along, which means we will each have our own copy of the pattern  (I've ordered a big batch from the USA so shout if you'd like one) and will make up the blocks alongside each other, each working on our own quilt. I will do a little demo of each of the stages involved at the outset, and offer lots of help and encouragement as we go through!

This is a project that you can choose to work on at the Bee, or just come along and see how each others blocks come together, you don't need to be working on the sew-along to come to the Bee! You can use this as a project to 'bridge' a sewing gap between other projects or alongside an ongoing project as a change.

I love participating in a sew-along. Working alongside others is always a motivator and always so encouraging so I hope that there's a few of you who would like to join in with me!

We will kick off at the January Bees. I will demo how to make this block at both Bees so it doesn't matter which one you can get to, morning or evening.

Christmas Crafting on 3rd Dec

..............just a little heads up for anyone who fancies a little bit of Christmas Crafty Fun at the Sewing Bee next month. The very talented Rachel from Makes, Cakes and Bakes has offered to run a little class-ette in the corner for anyone who would like to participate - showing how to make felted Christmas decorations. From robins to toadstools, doves, holly leaves and even a Turkey has been requested! Your imagination is your limit, come along, buy a basic kit if you need it plus instructions to take away, choose your wool colours and Rachel will guide you through the process. Those of us who took Rachel's fab class last week will vouch for the addictiveness of this fun and easy craft - check out our woodland creations here.

No need to pre book, pay and join in on the day, have a mince pie to get in the mood, and enjoy! I can guarantee that there will be at least one moment over the Christmas period where a bit of therapeutic stabbing of a small pointy needle into something harmless will be just the thing you need to keep smiling!

Debs x

NEW! Evening Bee Dates @ Whitewaters Deli Cafe or 2014

 

I'm really excited to announce that from Jan 2014 alongside our existing daytime Bee, we will be running new evening Bee dates!

We have been very kindly offered the lovely stylish Whitewaters Deli Cafe by Libby it's owner and it's such a nice space, I'm really excited about how lovely it will be to gather there on a Tuesday evening once a month from 8pm-10pm! - such a treat!

The format will be the same £4, no need to pre book. We will also be introducing a new way to pay with a new card, £20 for 5 visits, - redeemable whenever you visit a Wendover Sewing Bee event, daytime or evening. Get your card stamped each week so no need to have the right change etc or use your card to bring a friend free of charge for their first visit. Cards will be available to buy from the Bee in early Dec from lovely Helen who has kindly offered to take over the admin for the Bee, why not buy a friend one for their Xmas pressie!

We've spaced the dates out, so that they fall roughly 2 weekly in between the daytime Bee dates, so that you can get your sewing fix every 2 weeks if you'd like to. The cards are valid for a whole year so if you can't make it as often, we hope that 5 visits is do-able over the course of a year.

Also, very excitingly, coming for next year I will be introducing a Sewing Bee Quilt- along. A fun and sociable way to sew along with others, we will be making a fun, large blocked quilt using fat quarters which comes together really quickly, more details to follow in Jan....lets hope Santa brings everyone some lovely new fabric, I have so many ways for you to use it next year!

debs x

Remember, remember the 5th of November.........

...it was easy to remember the date of this months Wendover Sewing Bee. It's always such a fab event. Today, outside the rain was falling, it was particularly cold biting rain, but as we each shivered in, out of the rain, into the cosy St Anne's Hall, shrugged off our wet coats, pulled out blocks and quilts, and felting, and biscuits, brewed warming drinks and gathered around I took a rare moment to reflect again on just what a lovely way to spend a morning this was.

Autumn Busy-Bee-ness

We had a fabulous day at the Wendover Sewing Bee yesterday - I think it was the most productive Bee we've had. Everyone came on a mission to sew and get a project sorted. Sewing machines hummed and low chat buzzed, but most of all lots and lots of  sewing went on. Quilts were getting bound and quilted, Farmers Wife Class blocks were springing up everywhere, lots of English paper piecing was pieced, rustling papers and wrestling with fabric choices, felting needles tap tapping through the wool roving, laughter and a tea and cake. New Bee-ers and old sewing friends, it was a perfect morning. So perfect that I actually DID sew a stitch rather than buzz about chatting for 2 hours but therefore alas, failed to take any pictures at all to share - so here is a gratuitous shot of lovely sewing notions. Enjoy !

 Remember, remember we next meet on the 5th November - hope to see you all then,

 Debs x

Bee ing Busy and Productive!

Well we had our second lovely Bee gathering and I think it was even busier, more bustling and productive than even the first. I think one of my favourite sounds has to be the unique Bee mix of sewing machines humming, chatting and tea mugs clinking, interspersed with bursts of hilarity ( Towse and Carolyn!! Bee-have!).

I tried to have a little trot round and take some pics at all of the amazing work in progress, sorry to Sarie, Rae and Netty who I was too busy nattering to rather than photographing, and Rachel and her amazing wholecloth quilt and Carolyn's beautiful sampler quilt which I managed only blurry terrible shots of!


Every seat in the house taken and everyone working hard!



Towse is working on a fabulous paper pieced project



Eleanor is reworking some bunting from a family event into a coverlet



Rose is almost done with her fantastic cross stitch



Look at Helens beautiful block for my Modern Applique class

Caroline and Sylvia and Glynnis working on their Simple Sampler Hexagon blocks, swapping fabric and tips!

Mary and Elaine making their first patchwork blocks and encouraging each other



I actually made something this week! Rolling Stone blocks to be made into Rayburn Covers.

Bee Mascot!

Check out our new Bee Mascot, thanks to our talented felter Rachel (also known for her considerable baking skills!)

Rachel will be teaching a class at Rae's shop in June so if you think stabbing a little needle repeatedly into a little ball of soft wooly fluff  to make something this cute is your kind of therapy, get your name down with Rae! I'm already signed up! debs x

 

Well it finally happened - the first ever meet up of the Wendover Sewing Bee... and it was fantastic! 



The tea, chat and cake (thanks Rachel!) were free flowing - and a surprising amount of sewing got done, too - which was a good thing seeing as that was the general idea.

St Anne's is such a brilliant hall to meet in - lovely and bright with big tables to spread out on...

some people brought along multiple projects to share and ask opinions on and the creations being whipped up varied from quilts to cross stitch.  The Bee was what we had hoped it would be: an oasis of stitching calm where time was found to get on with it!

All in all, a lot of chatting about 'very-important-sewing-related-issues' ensued

and even I got some sewing done!  Mainly basting, if I'm honest. But the first block of my applique sampler quilt is finally starting to take shape... and this applique lark is proving quite addictive!

So if you or anyone you know is local(ish) to Wendover and fancies meeting up with others who are similarly bonkers about all things sewing related, do pop along to the next Wendover Sewing Bee on Tuesday June 11th, 9.00am-11am at St Anne's Hall, Aylesbury Road.

You will be very welcome!