The Fat Quarters

Raggy Quilt

2012-02-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we are all making a Raggy Quilt in class at The Fat Quarters. I have made mine from the fabulous Primo Plaid Yarn Dyed Flannels. When it has been washed to make it have the raggy appearance it is so soft and cuddly.
I have put a kit together and we have made it one of our Make & Take Kits, so everything is not only included in the Kit but is is pre-cut so you are ready to start sewing.
We only have a limited number so don't miss out.

Canny Keepsakes Medallion Quilt

2012-01-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

As many people know myself and Debbie Johnson have written the Canny keepsakes books, 'Colliery Days' & 'Shopping Days' We are running a couple of Classes at The Fat Quarters based on projects from the books.
Today we had the Medallion Quilt Class taken from 'Shopping Days'.

The original Quilt was made using Windham fabrics 'Americian Spirit'

Today we tackled the centre of the quilt and it was amazing to see how different they all looked.
Jean used the Miniatures fabric, Lynne used Wild Rose and Joyce tackled her stash and used some Buggy Barn fabrics.
It's not too late to start this quilt with us the next session is on Saturday 31st March, contact us for more information.

We are also running a Class on the Proggy Mat, it has been so popular that the first 2 dates are full but we have put a third date in the diary Saturday 21st April book now to ensure your place. The class includes all your fabrics, progger & a copy of the 'Colliery Days' Book

Check out the 10% Sale Section

2012-01-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

We have now added a SALE section to the website. here you will find fabrics which already have included a 10% discount.

Also we have a new section in the SALE metre pieces. These are a bargain. You will receive a metre piece of fabric, full width of the bolt for only £6. These tend to be the last metre piece on the bolt so grab them whist you can, and remember we will be adding to the SALE section so keep checking back.

We have added several new ranges to the site including the Tribute to Civil War and Aunt Grace Circle of Friends to name but a few.

Remember we still have the 10% off all Quilts booked in to be Long Arm Quilted. Contact us for more information and a quote.

In store we have our regular Late Night Opening on the second Thursday of the Month, the next one is Thursday 9th February. The store will remain open until 7pm.

Anyone interested in purchasing a Pre-owned Topaz 30? We have one in store which includes a huge number of design cards on a Memory Stick. Each one is worth £50+

The machine has a full service history and is a bargain at £1200. For further information please contact us in store.

New Arrivals!

2012-01-23T12:32:00.001-08:00

CHECK OUT THE NEW SALE SECTION FABRICS 10% OFF

We have had a new delivery of fabric form Whimsicals, 'Buttons &and Blooms'.

The book of the same name has sold out but we are taking orders for the second shipment which is due to arrive in 2 weeks approximately.

We also have 3 new books from Gudrun Erla. The Fast and; Furious quilting as you go books have a number of projects including table runners, bags, placemats & more.

The Strip On book is perfect for 1 1/2" & 2 1/2" strips. There are 10 great quilts in this book, not sure which one I am going to do first.

I have been busy finishing samples for Class Projects & Kits, so until the next time

Happy Quilting

Kim and the team

The New Husqvarna Viking H Class 100Q Sewing Machine

2012-01-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

Well we are now into 2012 and I wonder where did Christmas go, it seems like it was over in a flash.

Today I have been road testing the latest sewing machine from Husqvarna. The H Class 100Q.

To say I am impressed with it is an understatement.

I am lucky enough to sew with a Husqvarna Sapphire & Diamond Deluxe and sometimes take badly to using a machine shall we say lower down the ranks, until now. This machine has so many features I know take for granted included such as Speed Control, Needle up & Down,Fix Stitch, a Start/Stop function on the front of the machine as well as the foot control, and a needle threader. The introductory price is £299 and I already have one of my own to take out and about with me. If you want a compact, lightweight (only 15lbs) machine to take to classes instead of taking you main machine OR are a beginner wanting a trendy and good value machine this is the one for you.

Pop in for a demo or contact us for more information, I can assure you you will not be disappointed.

We will be attending the Spring Quilt Festival in Edinburgh, on the 24th-26th February 2012. This is the first time that we will have attended a show in Scotland.

If you are coming to the show print out this e-mail and receive a 10% discount form your purchases during the Festival weekend.

The BIG Sale continues, don't miss out on some fantastic offers including 20% off selected fabrics, 10% discount on selected books, patterns, Kits, Fat Packs & Stamps. Browse through our extensive catalogue, each discounted item is shown on screen.

Thank you to everyone who has asked about my grandson Harvey, we had a wonderful Christmas with him. He came dressed as an elf on the day. He may not thank me for this photo when he is 18yrs old but he looks so cute.

Happy Quilting

Finish those UFO's in 2012

2011-12-30T02:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope your To Do List on the Quilting front does get a little shorter through 2012.

Every Quilter I know has at least one unfinished project, known as UFO's or even PIGS (that is a Project In a Grocery Sack). Well 2012 is the year to try and get some of these finished.

In Store we will be tackling the UFO's & PIGS in the second week of each month. During our daily sessions I will be encouraging everyone to bring in an Unfinished project and tackle it head on. From speaking to the girl's in some cases its just adding the binding or quilting. Everyone is welcome to join us just give us a call to book in or if you are too far away mark a day in your diary and try to stick to it.

Send us a photo of your projects and we will enter you into a free prize draw and post the photos on our blog.

Don't forget if you want to turn those finished Quilt tops into finished Quilts bring them into The Fat Quarters, or post them to us and Jill our resident Long Arm Quilter will have them finished for you in no time at all, making that UFO into an heirloom. Book a Quilt top in before the end of January and you will receive a 10% discount off the cost of the Quilting.

Remember we have our BIG Sale which ends on the 16th January 2012. There are massive savings on Fabrics, Books, Kits, Patterns, Magazines, Bundles and more.

Happy Quilting

Kim & the team

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

I have just finished in the shop and we had a very successful day helping people finish off their last minute Christmas gifts ready for Santa to collect and then deliver them.
I am looking forward to spending the whole day with my family, relaxing. playing with Harvey's toys and eating lovely food. I am also going to finish my hexagon cushion which has been cut out using the Accuquilt die which meant I had no papers of fabrics to cut out by hand.
We open again on Wednesday 28th December and remember The BIG Sale is on in the Shop and on the website, don't miss out on some fantastic bargains.
Until then Merry Christmas

Kim & the team at The Fat Quarters.

The BIG Sale

2011-12-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.

Many thanks for all of the support you have given us over the last year and we hope in 2012 we can bring you new and exciting projects, beautiful new fabrics and lots of inspiration.
As a way of saying thank you, we are having a BIG sale starting NOW and ending on the 16th January 2012.
Lots of fabrics have been reduced by 20% and a huge number of Books, Patterns, Kits, Stamps & Magazines have been reduced by 10%.

The discount has already been applied so simply shop as normal and you will see the discount on the site, no codes to enter making life very simple.

The BIG sale is also running in store. All bolts of fabric on view (Except SALE corner) will have 20% off, all Fat Quarters on view will have 10% off as well as the massive reductions on all Patterns, Books, Magazines, Stamps & Kits on view in the store.

Jill our Long Arm quilter has been very busy finishing all of the quilts in time for Christmas, no one has been disappointed and she is ready to start new ones in 2012. Book your quilt in NOW and receive a 10% discount form the Cost, this also includes wadding and backing fabrics.
This offer ends on 31st January 2012.

The Store will be open as normal EXCEPT for the Bank Holidays, 10am-4pm.

Enjoy the Christmas break and Happy Quilting
Kim & the team at The Fat Quarters

One more week to Christmas

2011-12-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

I hope you have managed to get all of your Christmas shopping done? I think with the exception of food and to put a binding on the Lizzie Hearts quilt and to Long arm Quilt and bind my Winterberry Lane quilt I am just about there. We have one Lizzie Hearts Kit which is now reduced to £49.95. The Kit includes all of the fabric for the quilt top and binding and was so easy to put together as there were very few seams to match. We quilted it on the Long Arm and it looks fabulous hope my niece likes it.

Lizzie Hearts

I have taken a few close up shots of the quit although the photos do not really do it justice.

We have also released the 2011 Christmas Surprise Project as a Kit. It has proved very popular this year and we have been asked to produce the kits. They feature in our 'Take & Make' Kits series.

The 'Reindeer table Topper' Kits comes in a variety of colours, although some have already sold out. The fabrics are pre-cut and already have the fusible paper on the reverse, so you can literally get sewing immediately.

Some of the ladies made cushions out of their kits, although you will have to add fabric for the back of the cushion. These are just some of the Colour options available.

Well I am off now to get that binding done.

Kim

December and it's freezing!

2011-12-09T10:45:00.001-08:00

Hello

It's nearly Christmas and we have had no snow. Thank goodness the weather has been kind to us and all of the Christmas Surprise Classes went ahead as normal. For those people who were not able to do the Class we will be releasing the Kit this weekend.

Some of you may already be aware that we are the only UK store to be participating in the Quilt Aid Europe programme. We are very pleased to be taking part and working with the stores across Europe.

Quilt Aid involves 12 Australian designers who have each created a block. 6 participating stores in Europe sell 2 of these blocks each plus a Finishing Kit.

In addition to Europe there are 6 stores in Australia & the USA so in effect you can choose from 18 Finishing Kits. Monies raised go to charity and you can follow the Quilt Aid Europe Link to find out more.

if you wish to purchase our blocks which are from Janelle Wind and Janet Rowe then follow the link.

We have now released our classes for January & February, there are still spaces left but don't leave it too long.

If you are looking for Christmas gifts remember we have Gift Vouchers available which can be used in store or on line, Kits, Jelly Rolls and Charm Packs to name just a few.

If you spend £50 in store or on line (UK residents only) then you will receive a Free Quilters Diary (RRP £9.95) whilst stocks last, alternatively you can purchase a Quilters Diary for £5. (RRP £9.95).

We have our regular Thursday Late Night Opening on the 12th January 2012 until 7pm and we are open until 7pm on the 2nd Thursday of every Month.

Christmas Opening Times are as follows; Open as Normal including Christmas Eve.

Closed 25th-27th Dec inclusive,

Open 28th-31st Dec Inclusive

Closed 1-2nd Jan 2012

Normal Opening Hours 3rd January.

Happy Quilting

Kim & the Team

Children In Need 2011

2011-12-06T09:55:00.001-08:00

Can we say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped to raise monies for Children In Need this year.
This is the first time as a shop we have taken part, and in only 4 days we raised £100.

This was thanks to the sale of the Pudsey Mug Rugs & the donations that week from all of our customers for their teas and coffees.
We still have been receiving monies and are going to continue selling the Pudsey Mug Rugs throughout the year and any donations that are put into the Pudsey Money Box will be sent to Children In Need.

We are waiting for our certificate to arrive, but thanks again and if you missed out before don't forget to grab a Pudsey Mug Rug Kit.

Quilt Aid Europe 2012

2011-12-02T09:30:00.001-08:00

Quilt Aid Europe 2012 has now been launched and we are pleased to announce that we are one of only 6 European Quilt Stores taking part.
12 Australian designers have created blocks for you to make and you then can choose one of the Finishing Kits from any of the stores.
The programme originally started in Australia and then the USA and Europe has now joined in.

The way it works is that you can buy 2 blocks from each of the 6 stores spread across Europe.
Then you can choose which of the Finishing Kits you prefer and order those. The fabrics in each of the kits are 'Ruby' by Moda.

The blocks that we have are from the designers Janet Rowe and Janelle Wind.

In addition to the Blocks we have designed our own Finishing Kit.

If you would like to see all of the Finished Blocks call into the shop or alternatively follow the Quilt Aid Link.
The 6 Stores participating are as follows;

Purchase your 12 block kits from the following stores:

	Store name	Street Address	Email	Phone
O	The Log Cabin	Im Langental 56 52538 Selfkant-Hillensberg Germany	info@thelogcabin.de	+49-(0)24564155
O	The Fat Quarters	5 Chopwell Road Blackhall Mill Newcastle upon Tyne NE17 7TN	sales@thefatquarters.co.uk	(01207) 565728
O	The Stitch Cottage	Vlierboomstraat 548 2564 JN Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS	info@thestitchcottage.nl	0031-6-18694302
O	Paprika Cotton	Rue saint Martin 62 7500 Tournai Belgium	Christina@paprikacotton.be	0032 69 23 53 83
O	Aztec Rose Crea & Hobby	Veerplein 45 3331 LD Zwijndrecht Netherlands	info@aztec-rose-crea.com	(31) 078 6129202
O	Den Haan & Wagenmakers BV	Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 97 1012 RE Amsterdam	info@dutchquilts.com	+31206202525

November News

2011-11-16T12:00:00.001-08:00

The dark nights are upon us and our Christmas Sewing Projects are well on the way. We have just started our Christmas Surprise Class for 2012. If you cannot take part in the Class then keep a look out as we will be releasing the project as a kit in early December.

I have not recently returned from Quilt Market in Houston and have brought back lots of new pattern from BunnyHill Designs, Primative gatherings, Bareroots, Bronwyn hayes, Lynette Anderson and many more.

We have lots of new fabrics arriving in store, Check out Melrose fabrics and kits, it is flying off the shelves.

Quick kits for Christmas include the Topple Pixies, Bobbin Pixies and Christmas Stocking.

Check out the New In Section to keep updated.

We are now offerring a Longarm Quilting Service. Jill Chapman is working full time on the Gammill Quilting Machine, so don't let those Quilt Tops sit any longer send them to us and we will turn them into Finished Quilts. I brought more new patterns for the Longarm back from Houston so we have an extensive pattern range and we only use 100% Cotton threads. If you require backing & wadding we can also supply these, and you receive a 10% discount off these items when you have your Quilt quilted with us.

To help you with your Christmas Shopping we are offeriring a 10% Discount off ALL purchases made until the 21st November.

You need to log in at the website and put the following code into the Promotional code box, and click apply promotion.

The 10% discount will be automatically calculated.

PROMOTIONAL CODE

MNOVEMBER2911

Call into the shop with a copy of this e-mail and you will receive the discount in store.

Happy Quilting

Kim & the Team at The Fat Quarters.

Children in Need Show your Spots at The Fat Quarters

2011-11-12T03:11:00.001-08:00

Show Your Spots & Lets Raise Lots at The Fat Quarters for Children in Need.
As you know Friday 18th November is Children in Need day, atThe Fat Quarters we are doing a number of Fund Raising Events oncluding this fabulous Mug Rug Kit that was designed by one of our staff Jill Chapman.
The Kit includes all of the felt, button and a full colour pattern to complete the Mug Rug.
£1.75 will be donated from each kit sold.
So hurry and order yours now.

Suitable for all ages.
Check out the Blog for the total raised by us at The Fat Quarters
http://www.thefatquarters.blogspot.com/

Late Night Opening

2011-10-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

We do listen to you and as a result we will be opening the shop until 7pm EVERY 2nd Thursday of the Month.
No more speeding home from work, and more time to shop.
The dates we will be opening until 7pm are;

Thursday 10^th November 2011

Thursday 8^th December 2011

Thursday 12^th January 2012

Thursday 9^th February 2012

Thursday 8^th March 2012

Thursday 12^th April 2012

Normal Shop Opening hours are

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm.

Halloween Special Offer

2011-10-13T08:32:00.001-07:00

Hello
This month we have a Halloween Special Offer.
Receive 10% off any item you buy (excluding P&P). At the checkout use the Promotional Code and the discount will be deducted automatically.
The Promotional Code is:

MHALLOWEEN31

New in this week are some lovely Homespun Fabrics in checks & stripes with small hearts.
New Jelly Roll, Layer Cake & Charm Packs from 3 Sisters, Etchings.
Check out 2 ranges from Red Rooster 'Country Cousins' & 'Flair'
My favourites are the Cozy Cotton Flannels.
We now stock Fabrications magazine, as well as a huge range of Australian, Irish & British Patchwork & Quilting and Popular Patchwork.

Check out our 'Seen on Halloween' Kit only £29.95

If you remember 'Casper' the friendly Ghost this one will make you smile. Thanks to Alf for drawing him for us.

My favourite Tool this month is the Non Slip Multi Size Tool, perfect to accompany the Jelly Roll patterns. Makes perfect half square and hour glass blocks using the Jelly Roll strips.

To keep up to date with the New items arriving keep checking the New In Section on the Website.
Happy Quilting
Kim & the Team

What a Week

2011-10-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

This week has been quite surreal, interviews with reporters and journalists, not what I usually do but it's something else i can add on to my CV. On Tuesday there was an article in the Newcastl Journal Newspaper about the success Debbie & I have had with our two books, Canny keepsakes Colliery Days & Shopping Days. The article read as follows. Beamish inspired patchwork design book a big hit in USA by Ruth Lawson, The JournalOct 4 2011 DESIGNS inspired by the North East’s industrial past are proving a surprise hit across the Atlantic. Kim Suleman and Debbie Johnson invented the Canny Keepsakes collection, which offer a range of quilt and patchwork designs that are inspired by Beamish Open Air Museum. Following on from their first offering, Colliery Days, the women have now released their follow-up, titled Shopping Days – which focuses on the Edwardian town and railway station at the County Durham-based visitor attraction. But what started out as just a fun way for the pair to work together has now been transformed into successful business venture with the books flying off the shelves in England and in America. Kim, 49, and Debbie, 51, invested all their own money into making the first book a reality despite neither of them having any publishing experience. But the gamble paid off and they are now set to recoup their money as a distributor in America has already placed an order for more than 3,000 copies of Shopping Days before its official release later this month. “About two years ago we decided we wanted to write a book but we wanted something that was very English, in particular very North East. So we made a number of enquiries about writing a book based in the North East, written in the North East and printed in the North East,” explained Kim. “We both agreed Beamish would be a good setting and it all went from there.” Not content with creating a typical fabric project book, Kim and Debbie came up with other ideas to make sure the books offered something for everyone. Kim, who owns The Fat Quarters fabric shop in Blackhall Mill, Gateshead, added: “We wanted it to be a coffee table book so people don’t have to necessarily do the patchwork, but there would be other things like recipes, poems and stories as well.” They decided to create two rag doll characters that would act as the faces of Canny Keepsakes while also injecting a bit of humour into the books – so Florrie and Betty were born. Both dolls, who are featured sharing stories and poems on every page, are named after, and based on, real-life people close to Debbie, of Holywell, North Tyneside. The double act have been on transatlantic travels since the release of the first book last year as Kim and Debbie attended the world’s biggest fabric festival in Texas to promote the book. The Americans took an instant liking to the Canny Keepsakes brand and they have been invited back to attend the International Quilt Market, in Houston, at the end of the month to give a presentation about their books to a host of top industry traders. Kim said: “To be accepted and asked to do what we’ve been asked to do is a great honour. Really we’re just two daft lasses from the North East so we have to pinch ourselves.” Shopping Days, published by 6d Memories, will be officially launched on October 18 and available to buy for £12.99 at www.thefatquarters.co.uk Read More http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2011/10/04/beamish-inspired-patchwork-design-book-a-big-hit-in-usa-61634-29531629/#ixzz1a6XIZjbm Then we were interviewed by which will be broadcast during the morning of Sunday 9th October. What might next week bring a bit of normality I hope, until then Happy Quilting.

Is it Summer!!!!

2011-10-01T01:26:00.000-07:00

The weather in the North East is extremely confusing at the moment. Tomorrow is October and we are basking in warm sunshine. How long will it last? I had just changed our window display to Autumn and the sun came out, should have done it sooner.

We have had lots of new things arrived this week, not sure where to start.

The Primo Paid Yarn Dye fabrics are just fantastic. Perfect as a backing but I will be making a raggy quilt with mine.

One of the Primo Plaid Flannels

Anna Griffins Isabelle fabrics for Christmas are very typical of her. We also have some new childrens fabrics, Cutie Pie suitable for both girls and boys.

We have the latest pattern from Melly & Me, 'Rocky' .

Add caption

We have added some new Kits at The Fat Quarters including the Christmas Stockingand the Bobbin Christmas Pixies

Bobbin Pixies

Christmas Stocking

There are some fabulous new ribbons on wood spools. keep checking the New In section on the website to keep up to date.

We have a 10% discount offer until midnight of the 5th October, apply the following code after you have logged in and the discount will be applied automatically.

MOCTOBER01

Happy Quilting

Kim & the Team at The Fat Quarters

Autumn has now arrived

2011-09-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have now decided Summer is definitely and Autumn is fast approaching.

It is one of my favourite seasons due to the lovely colours on the trees. We are so lucky to be close to Chopwell Woods and it is amazing to see the changes on a daily basis.

The Harvest Town Table Runner is ready to be brought out now. Using the Harvest Town Panel this lovely runner designed by Red Rooster is reversible. The Kit includes all of the fabric for the front and reverse of the runner and could easily be made into 2 runners if you add backing one for you and one for a gift, the

RRP is £39.95 but is is only £35

The Harvest Town fabrics all have 15% off so grab a bargain.

We now have our Longarm Quilting Service up and running. We welcome Jill who has now joined us at The Fat Quarters and she has been working all week on some quilts already. So if you have the quilt top sitting and need it quilting contact us.

Happy Quilting

Kim & the team at The Fat Quarters

Time goes by!

2011-09-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go, I come down on a Monday and before I know it is the end of the week, that is the joy of loving what I do.

Last Sunday my first day off in weeks I hit my sewing room and made the 'Merry' Cushion from Nancy Halvorsen's book 'Jingle all the Way'. I used the Moda fabric 'Countdown to Christmas' and kept to the reds, creams and greens. I have to say I was delighted with the result and so happy to be sewing.
We have the book in store and we have kitted the cushion in the same fabrics that I used. The book is available for £14.95 and the kit, which is pre-cut is available for £15.95.
We are also running this project as a class so check out the dates as there are a few spaces left.

We have just taken delivery of a product called Heat Press. it fuses wadding pieces together, quickly, easily and with no fuss. Butt the wadding together and press the tape over the two edges and hey presto you have created a larger piece of wadding. We all have those odd sizes of wadding that are just not quite the right size and the thought of stitching them together just makes me shudder.
The girls in the sampler class were impressed today and took some home with them.

Have you got your diary for 2012. Check out the Quilters Diary. Each page filled with beautiful projects to look at and at the back there are even projects to make.
The RRP is £9.99 but get yours now for only £8.95. An ideal present for a friend or why not treat yourself.

Tomorrow I am off to the Agricultural Show at Beamish Museum to do a book signing with Debbie Johnson. If you want to see the samples from the Canny Keepsake books Colliery Days and Shopping Days, then pop along for a great day out.
Happy Quilting

Latest News

2011-09-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

We are now back in the shop and nearly back to normal after attending Festival of Quilts and the Quilt show in Harrogate.

It was great to talk to everyone and meet a lot of our customers who visit us via the website.

As some of you might know we launched the second book in series Canny Keepsakes Shopping Days at the shows.

The book was a follow on to the hugely successful Colliery Days and has been flying off the shelves.

Both books were written by myself and my good friend Debbie Johnson and we are very excited to be attending the International Quilt Festival in Houston next month to launch the book in the USA.

You can still obtain a copy of the book for only £10 RRP is £12.99.

We have had some fabulous items arrived in store whilst I have been at the shows including some lovely stitcheries from Rosalie Quinlan. They are pre-printed onto linen and include the threads. My favourite is the Christmas Wreath.

Now I love a gadget in my work room but it has to be a gadget that works. The Bias Maker is just that. It makes yards of bias in minutes but my favourite tip is the Quilt Binding tip, which has your binding strips folded and pressed perfectly in minutes. Some people said you can iron it quicker, possibly but I doubt it but what is guaranteed is that it will be perfect, not stretched or distorted if you use the Bias Maker.

Jennie Rayment endorses this gadget and you may see her on Ideal World. Jennie has been at both the shows and she sent every one to us as a Must Have. The RRP is £89.95 but you can buy one now for only £75.

To keep up to date with the new arrivals keep checking our New In Section. Also keep checking the Class Lists as the 2012 Classes are about to be announced.

Happy Quilting

Harrogate Show a Huge Success

2011-09-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

We are so pleased to be taking part in the quilt show at the Yorkshire Show Ground, Harrogate.
The crowds on Friday were record breaking, the numbers were far in excess of any of the previous years, and long may it continue.
Shopping Days the second book in our series ( Colliery Days being the first) has been flying off the shelves. What will Florrie and Betty get up to next.
Today we had a visit from my beautiful Harvey, his first and definitely not his last Quilt show.
We are also pleased to announce that we have been joined at The Fat Quarters my by husband Darren who will be taking over the administration and managing our highly successful website.
Looking forward to returning back to the shop tomorrow night, next jaunt out will be the Agricultural Show in Beamish Museum which starts the 15th September. We are proud to be sponsoring the Craft Section of the Show. Entries are open to all members of the public, so don't be shy submit an entry.
Happy Quilting

Bank Holiday Special Offer

2011-08-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

As I write this it is raining outside, please can we have a nice Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, no rain will do.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello at Festival of Quilts, its always great to speak to you face to face.

Our next show is at Harrogate, the 2-4 September. We are on stand 76 & 77 if you are visiting come and see us. If you bring along a copy of this e-mail youwill get 10% off all your purchases at The Fat Quarters Stand.

We have been busy getting the computer updated as we have had a lot of new arrivals.

We have Christmas ranges from Moda, Americian Spirit from Windham, this features in the New Shopping Days Book.

Lots of new patterns including Civil War patterns from Quilts Remembered

pre-printed stitcheries from RosalieQuinlan, , wool felt patterns and lots more.

Keep checking the NEW IN section on the website, as items are being loaded on a daily basis.

We have a special Bank Holiday offer for you. Enter the following code after you have finished shopping, make sure you log in and 10% will be automatically deducted from your total. (Does not include P&P)

The offer starts NOW and finishes at midnight on the 4th September.

MAUGUSTBANK11

www.thefatquarters.co.uk

New arrivals at The Fat quarters

2011-08-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

New Arrivals

We have just about recovered from Festival of Quilts, but no rest for the wicked as we are preparing for the quilt show in Harrogate, on the 2nd-4th September.

The show whilst not as large as Birmingham is just as good, with a fabulous display of quilts and lots of traders. If you are visiting come and see us on Stand 76 & 77. Bring a copy of the newsletter & receive a 10% discount at the show.

Back in store we have had a number of new deliveries including books and fabrics. keep checking the NEW section on the website as they are being updated on a regular basis.'Shopping Days' which I wrote with my friend Debbie Johnson is now available and for a limited time of only £10. RRP £12.99.

We now have the full range of the fabrics & velvets used in the book.

Check out our classes & workshops for the rest of the year, and don't forget to book early for the Christmas Surprise Classes.

Happy Quilting

Shopping Days

2011-08-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

We have just launched Shopping Days at Festival of Quilts, Birmingham. This is the second book in the Canny Keepsake series. Following the success of Colliery Days my very good friend Debbie Johnson and I could not wait to take Florie and Betty on their next adventure.

The book will be available in store from Monday 15th August or at the Grat Northern Quilt Show Harrogat 2nd-4th September. The RRP is £12.99 but will be available until the 5th September for £10.

First day now over at Festival of Quilts

2011-08-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

We are recovering in the hotel room after an exhausting but exciting day at Festival of Quilts.
It has been wonderful to see so many people who have visited us each year. It is amazing when you realise that there are people from Mexico, Spain, France, Sweden, USA and of course all corners of the UK.
Today my very good friend Debbie Johnson and I launched our second book. The first Colliery Days has been an enormous success taking us all over including the USA. The second Shopping Days has been launched at Festival today and has been well received.
We are travelling to the USA later this year for interviews and a media launch with the quilting magazines in America and Australia. The first batch of books are already on route to the USA.
Shopping Days is a fabric project boo with 20 projects for everyone. Florrie and Betty are off to the town and once again the photographs have all been taken at Beamish Open Air Museum. It contains Florries childhood memories and Betty,s anecdotes.
The book can be ordered now for £10, the RRP is £12.99. contact the shop for more details.
Well it's off to bed now, tomorrow is another big day.
Happy Quilting.

Festival of Quilts is nearly here!

2011-08-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

I wonder where all the time goes, Festival of Quilts starts on Thursday 11th August.
All of the kits are done, fabrics cut and lots of new goodies are ready to go.
If you are visiting the NEC this week come along and say hello, we are on stan G26.
Lots of new things have arrived in store, Tilda Studio book, the latest from Tilda is packed with projects, 50 in total. The RRP is £14.99 but grab your copy now for £13.99.
The latest offering from Whimsicals is Winterberry Lane. Margaret has been amazing assisted by Annette and has the quilt top completed it looks fab.
We have kits which include all of the fabric to complete the quilt top and an original pattern
for only £99.
New ranges for Christmas have arrived from Moda include the French General Fa La La.
The Accquilt Studiio has been working very hard, we have 2 new kits, Woven Apple Core in Moda,s Strawberry Lane and the French General fabrics.
The latest class on Saturday was a huge success. All of the girls have started the Classic Sampler quilt from the Jelly Roll Sampler book by Pam and Nicky Lintott from The Quilt Room.
I have taken a couple of photos which I will be showing Pam and Nicky, their stand is opposite ours at Festival.
Next week we are taking delivery of the latest book from Florrie & Betty, following on from their hugely successful Colliery Days which was inspired by the North East of England in a coal mining village. The girls are now off to the town and once again it has been photographed at Beamish Museum. It has lots of fabric projects including a quilt bag and lots more.
We will keep you updated of new events and happenings, keep checking in.
Happy Quilting

New Fabrics In Store

2011-07-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Its all go at The Fat Quarters as we prepare for the Festival of Quilts at Birmingham in August, but its a must that we keep you up to date of the fabulous new ranges that have just arrived.

We have the delectable new Moda, Joanna Figueroa range 'Strawberry Fields', as well as something for all us girls, Kath Davis 'Ambrosia' fabrics.

The sun may be shining, however, as we all know a Quilters Christmas starts in July and we are happy to say the first two ranges of Christmas fabrics are here.
We have the magical Northcott 'Snow Queen' and for all those Whimsical fans, we have the stunning 'Winterberry Lane' collection.

New stock arriving daily, so keep a check on our 'New In' section on our website.

Happy Quilting

Pillowcase Challenge Update

2011-06-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Pillowcases are continue to pour into the shop.
We have 140 at The Fat Quarters and I had a call today from the girls in the U3A at Seaham that they have nearly reached their target of 50.
Well done to everyone and a big thank you.
The first set of Pillowcases are to be delivered in August.
Keep in touch for further updates.

A Gadget that works!

2011-06-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Simplicity Bias Maker is a MUST HAVE.
I love gagets, but I only love the ones that actually work and hand on heart I can honestly say this one does. No longer will I burn my fingers with the iron making bias strips or spend goodness knows how long to press my quilt bindings.
Simply fit the size tip you want and by simply pressing a button your fabric will feed through, pressed and ready to sew onto your project.
Everyone who tries it loves it and our first delivery just flew off the shelves.
Simplicity are developing more tips including the 1/4".
The reviews have been fantastic in the UK and in Americia and if you want to see one in action pop in for a demonstration or tune into the shopping channel and see Jennie Rayment giving a demonstration. We will also have the product on our stand G26 at The Festival of Quilts.

Summer Special

2011-06-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hi
We have had so many new things arrive that I am not sure if we will cover everything but here goes;

New Books; 'Petite Noel' form Rosalie Quinlan, 'Sewn Toy Tales' from Melly & Me; 'Jingle all the Way' from Nancy Halvorsen; 'The Jelly Roll Sampler' from Pam & Nicky Lintott; 'Cotton Floss' from Cinderberry Stitches.

New Fat Packs have been added, as well as new ranges of fabrics.

We have added workshops and much more.

Did you see the article in the Telegraph this week that said quite categorically that Quilting is good for us. It has been acknowledged that it has a social side, is uplifting, helps cognitive & creative well being, involves maths & geometry, fosters communication and other skills.

Not that we needed any excuse to quilt but let’s do more as it is so good for us.

To help you on your way we have a Summer Special Discount.

Place your order before the 25th June and by entering the following code you will receive a 10% Discount.

Promotional Code: MSUMMER2506

Visitors to The Fat Quarters

2011-06-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Can I just say a BIG THANK YOU to all of the customers who have visited us over the last few weeks during their holidays.
It is always lovely to see people at the shows who are our customers, great to put a face to the name, but in the last 2 weeks we have had so many of you visit us at the shop.
The furthest visitor was from Australia. They were visiting the UK got as far as the Lake District and decided to call in. Whilst we all thought it was a huge detour after finding out that their local supermarket is over 2 hours drive away from their home, they thought the journey from Windermere was quite normal.
We look forward to seeing more of you over the Summer, thanks again
Kim & the Girl's at The Fat Quarters.

Latest from The Fat Quartes

2011-06-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hi
I am sure a lot of people have now read the article in The Telegraph this week that says Quilting is good for you.
Researchers in Glasgow have discovered that quilting helps cognitive, emotional & creative well being. The use of colours can be uplifting, it has a social side.
Well all of us who have been quilting have always known this. I have a Doctor who attends regular workshops who has always said she wishes she could write it on a prescription.
It's so nice to read that something is actually good for you once in a while.
On a different note 'Petite Noel' & 'Sewn Toy Tales' have arrived in store, and we have taken further deliveries of the Vignette magazines as well as Petra Prins book 'Treasures from Holland'.

We have added some lovely new Fat Packs

Petite Noel by Rosalie Quinlan on it's way NOW!

2011-06-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

Petite Noel

This little booklet from Rosalie Quinlan is A5 in size and contains 9 delightful, simple Christmas projects as well as gorgeous photography.
No excuse to make your projects for Christmas

now.

These books are on their way to us NOW...

Pre-order now and save £1 off the RRP.

Summer has arrived at last.

2011-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

The sun is out and the doors have to stay open in the shop but for how long?
the latest complaint I hear in store is how hot it is, the answer is stay in doors and sew.
We have had a bumper delivery from Australia. The new magazine from Leanne Beasley is now onto its third issue. It is a refreshing change, no adverts and lots of stitching. Whilst her block of the month has already started we can order back copies so that you do not have to miss out.

Included in this issue is a comfort quilt made in beautiful taupes, a pin cushion, part 2 of the hexagon quilt and lots of features.

Yoko Saito's book Quilting Life is selling fast. The book is filled with lots of projects which are typical of Yoko Saito's Japanese style. This book is an absolute must.

Have you seen the E20 Sewing Machine from Husqvarna. An excellent machine
ideal for taking to workshops as it is light.. It has a wealth of stitches, the feed dogs can be dropped and it includes the hopper foot to allow free machine quilting & embroidery so you are not compromising , and at only £159 with the Husqvarna guarantees it means that your computerised machines can be easily left safely at home.

Pre-Order the New Melly & Me book, Sewn Toys Now and receive a £1 off the RRP of £14.99. The book is due to arrive very shortly, and has 12 different characters to sew.

Happy Birthday The Fat Quarters

2011-05-09T02:31:00.000-07:00

This week we are celebrating our Fifth Birthday. I cannot quite believe how quickly the time has gone it feels just like yesterday.

To celebrate we are giving you a 10% discount off all your purchases on the website and if you are a visitor to the store mention the Special Birthday Code and the staff will apply the discount for you.

We have had word from Australia that the new Cotton Floss book from Cinderberry Stitches left on Thursday and will be with us anytime, you can still pre-order this book and be the first to receive it.

Also the latest book from Nancy Halvorsen ‘Jingle All the Way’ is in store Now.

This week we have Jenny Rayment visiting us. Jenny will be doing a workshop on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th May. There are a few places left, please contact us for details. She will also be giving her not to be missed talk on Saturday Night starting at 6.45pm.

For information about the workshops and talk contact us directly at the shop or you can book on line, follow the link to the Classes.

We have some New patterns from Aunties Two, they include bags and boxes.

The Discount Code is MHAPPYBIRTHDAY

Just enter it at the checkout and the discount will be automatically calculated.
Happy Quilting.
Kim & The Girls

Royal Wedding Celebration Discount

2011-04-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hello

It does not matter where you live in the World it would be very hard to escape The Royal Wedding on Friday 29^th April.

All the girl’s at The Fat Quarters are having the day off and I know I will certainly be watching the wedding whilst sewing. I do not want to miss out on the dress the pomp and the ceremony. It is certainly nice to hear good news in the World.

We are celebrating my giving ALL of our customers on the website and in Store 10% discount off all of their purchases from now until midnight on the 2nd May 2011.

If ordering on the website put the following Promotional Code at the Checkout and your discount will be automatically calculated.

If in Store the discount will be done at the till point.

Your Royal Wedding Code is;

MWILLANDKATE

Happy Quilting

Easter & Bank Holiday Opening Times

2011-04-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Bank Holidays are fast approaching and as the Classes finished today we realised that we would not be seeing the girls until May as we have Bank Holidays on two Fridays.
The opening hours over the next two weeks are easy to remember in that we will be CLOSED on the Bank Holidays, plus our usual Sundays and Mondays, but we will be open as normal for the other days.

The website will be fully operational and staff will be processing orders as normal.
So here goes;

Tuesday 18th April-Thursday 21st April inclusive we will be open 10am-4pm each day.

Good friday 22nd April CLOSED

Saturday 23rd April we will be open 10am-4pm.

Sunday 24th & Monday 25th April CLOSED

Tuesday 26th April-Thursday 28th April inclusive we will be open 10am-4pm each day.

Saturday 30th April we will be open 10am-4pm

Sunday 1st May & Monday 2nd May CLOSED

Tuesday 3rd May back to our normal hours which are;

Tuesday to Saturday 10am-4pm

If you need anything over the holiday period why not pop along to the shop to see us or visit the website .

We have been talking to Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches about her new book Cotton Floss.
It is due in May, has 64 pages and loads of projects, if you like any of Natalies designs then you are going to love this.

If you pre-order now you will receive a £1 off the price.

Where has the sunshine gone

2011-04-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was so lovely here in Newcastle that I managed to get some jobs done outside. Although I was quickly back inside to work on the latest projects for the shop.
When I was in Houston in October One of the stands I visited was the Aunties Two Girls. their patterns were so different using clothes lines in bags and some fab boxes for the home and sewing room.
The patterns and clothesline have now started to arrive in store. Check them out on our website www.thefatquarters.co.uk.

Pillowcase Challenge update: we now have 87 pillowcases with another 6 to be added from the girls in Sunderland.
Total cash handed over to the TibetiAn School Fund was £200 and Kathleen has made a pillowcase for a £30 donation to the fund and is doing a presentation to the Chopwell Community Centre for a further donation.

Don,t forget the Pillowcase Challenge is an on going project and when we reach the first 100 they will then be sent out to the first recipients.

New Tanya Whelan Fabrics have arrived!!

2011-04-06T04:48:00.000-07:00

The Tanya Whelan fabric range Delilah is now in store.

The fabrics so remind me of the Cath Kidston fabrics but less expensive and I have to say a far nicer quality to work with.
I have been inspired to make a bag with them big decision is which pattern.
An update from our 'Quilts at the Mill exhibition we were able to donate £200 to the Tibetian School and we had 83 pillowcases to lauch our Pillowcase Challenge.
We still have one unclaimed raffle prize so if you have number 36-40 please come forward.

More on the 'Quilts at the Mill' Exhibition 2011

2011-03-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Pillowcase Challenge has got off to a fantastic start. By the end of the Exhibition we had a total of 83 Pillowcases. For anyone who has not heard about this it is an ongoing project.

The Pillowcase challenge was the idea of Cindy Kerr in Americia who as a result of her own experiences decided to launch the charity to give pillowcases to poorly children to make them smile.

We have decided to bring this to the North East of England and ALL of the pillowcases donated will be distributed within the North East area.

Kate trying to make a decsion

To kick start this we issued a challenge to our customers, asking them to make a pillowcase. Kate Reader the curator at Beamish Museum had the unenviable task of trying to pick a winning pillowcase.

Her task was not an easy one and eventually she decided that the winner would be the one made by Kathleen Heads.

Kathleen & Kate with the winning Pillowcase

Traplet Publications had very kindly donated a 12months subscription to British Patchwork & Quilting Magazine.

Second Prize, an Elly Sienkiewiczs book Baltimore Album Quilts , donated by European Quilt Supplies was won by Deborah Collins. Third prize a Bag Felt Making Kit donated by David & Charles Publishers went to Pauline Godfrey.

The winning Pillowcases

Husqvarna Viking supplied Emerald Sewing Machines for use in the Pillowcase workshop and are youngest participant, only 6 years old completed her pillowcase, and proudly hung it on the washing line with the others.

A big thank you goes to everyone who made a pillowcase and we have had a number of pledges of more.

It is really important that we keep them coming in as we have identified to hospices who will be recipients, more information to follow but we need more and rely on your help.

If you require an instruction leaflet or wish to take part please contact us at The Fat Quarters on tel; 01207 565728 or e-mail us sales@thefatquarters.co.uk.

The Basic Pillowcase Instructions are;

Supplies: 3/4 yard of fabric for pillowcase & 1/3 yard of fabric for border or edge of pillowcase

Sewing Instructions:

Cut the body of the case 26 ½” x 40 ½”and the border 10 ½” x 40 ½”

Fold the border in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides together and press.

Place the right side of the border on the right side of the body of the case. Stitch together using a ½” seam allowance.

Place right sides of the pillowcase together. Stitch down the side and across the bottom. Turn to the right side and press. You are finished however why not design a pillowcase of your own. It can be whatever you wish but please remember the pillowcases will need to be laundered.

The Finished size of your Pillowcase is 31” x 20”

The success of this project is down to you please encourage any person you know, young or old to make a pillowcase.

'Quilts at the Mill' Exhibition 2011

2011-03-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

The whole weekend was a complete success with in excess of 200 people attending.
When we decided to have the Quilt Exhibition the idea was to show some of the work that has been achieved by people locally and to inspire and encourage people to quilt, and from the feedback we received we certainly managed to do that.
There was a huge variety of work on display including quilts, wall hangings, cushions, bags, dolls, table runners and a jacket. We were so lucky to have such a large number of exhibits that wherever you went in the Community Centre items were on display. Quilts and items were submitted by a people of all ages from 4yrs to 80yrs.

A number of quilting groups attended including this group of ladies who travelled over from Cumbria. We also had visitors from Glasgow, Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and Nottingham.

The whole weekend would not have been a success without the wonderful help from Holly, Katie, Emma, Margaret, Sharon, Hazel, Nicola, David, and John.

Mannequin quilt by Rebecca Connelly, 11yrs

The Raffle raised £200 for the Tibetian School and the results are below;
Please check your tickets as we have a number of prizes unclaimed.

Quilt No: 36-40
Sewing File 816-820 won by Pauline ?
Jelly Roll Cake 636-640 won by Margaret Oxley.
Fish Supper for 4 persons 276-280 won by Trevor Douglas.
Quilts & Coverlets book 426-430
Colliery Days Book won by Val Harrison
Moda Jelly Rool & Pattern 471-475 won by Sheila Carruthers
Wool Felt Squares 556-560 won by Mrs Gibb
Quilters Diary 306-310 won by Chris from Berwick
Moda apron 491-495 won by Jenny Burton
Tilda Summer Ideas book 61-65 won by Ruth Jackson
Tilda Crafting Springtime 326-330 won by Carolinefrom Berwick
Cotton & Ewe book 66-70 won by Anne McDonald

Watch out for tomorrows blog with more pics and updates from the Exhibition

New Kits added-Ideal Mothers Day Gifts.

2011-03-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

If you are not sure what to gift to get for Mothers Day then why not choose one of our new kits.
We have been busy making up the samples and getting them ready for the shop.
The first one is a handy apron

that could be used in the garden or when you are seeing. Adapted from the Sew Simple magazine this project will be completed in no time at all.
The apron featured in the magazine was made from oil cloth but we have used 100% cotton fabrics and added some wadding.
The apron kit includes all fabrics, waddings, and a copy of the Sew Simple magazine.

The second Kit is for your sewing machine. Taken from the Australian Homespun magazine we have selected a delicate range of fabrics and using

Osnaburg fabric for the main body of the cover. It is fully lined and would ensure that you can keep your machine permanently on display.

The sewing machine cover kit includes all fabrics, waddings, interfacing, embroidery thread, buttons and a copy of the Australian Homespun Magazine.

Vignette by Leanne Beasley

2011-03-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

We were asked by some of our customers to start stocking Leanne Beasley's new magazine Vignette.They arrived today and we have Issues 1 & 2 in stock.

It is a quarterly magazine with Issue 3 due in June.

There is lots of projects including a mystery quilt, articles and other bits and pieces, but no adverts.

So the good news is every page has something to read.

A taster of the Mystery Quilt.

We are offering a subscription this ensures you don't miss a copy as well as being able to buy just one copy.

The Quilters Bible

2011-03-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

It is always good to have just one book that you can keep going back to if you forget a technique, or want to learn a new one.
Questions that are answered range from; if I want a 6 inch finished square what size do I need to cut if I want to do half square triangles, what are the standard bed sizes; how many squares can I get from a Fat Quarter.

This book is a MUST to have with you when you need these questions answering and The Fat Quarters is closed and you can't wait until morning.

The tips and advice are endless and it is an essential resource for your quilting library.

The Quilters Bible by Linda Clements covers all of this, plus there are projects for you to make.

Spring Special

2011-03-11T00:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Just to let everyone know that there is a Spring Special 10% discount on all transactions on the website.
It lasts until Monday 14th March 2011.
At the checkout put in the following Promotional Code and your discout will be applied automatically.

MSPRING0803

Happy Shopping

My Town Block of the Month from Homespun Magazine

2011-03-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

Homespun launches its new BOM for 2011 called My Town. Starting in Homespun Vol 12 No 3 (March 2011), the program will run through until Homespun Vol 12 No 12 (December 2011).

Join some of Australia's top designers including Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched, Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly, Melanie Hurlston of Melly & me and more in this exciting new BOM.

Order your Homespun magazine NOW to avoid disappointment.

We currently have the full range of Modas Wild Rose fabrics which are used throughout.

Also why not check out the new blog dedicated to this project. http://mytownbomstitchalong.blogspot.com/

We have just added the PAYPAL option to our site.

Enjoy

Workshops added!

2011-02-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

Another busy week but there has been so much football on TV I have managed to spend quite a lot of time in my sewing room catching up.
Like many people I will live untill I am a 100 and will never come close to the end of my list of projects to make.
We have been adding workshops to our list, it is always worth checking them out on a regular basis.

The Mini Mariners Compass Cushion is a good introduction to foundation piecing. This is also a block tackled best using the foundation method as some of those pieces can be tiny.
The Workshops include your tissue paper pattern. Cost £10 and you have a choice of either Saturday 9th April or Saturday 4th June.

We also have Jennie Rayment returning for her fourth visit to The Fat Quarters on Saturday 14th May & Sunday 15th May. Her workshops will be based on her new book, on the Saturday it will be Fizz Bang wallop & on the Saturday Scrappy Zappy Doo.

In addition to the workshops Jennie will do a talk on the Saturday evening.

The whole weekend is not to be missed, it is a great opportunity to try something new.

The Fat Quarters is hosting a Quilt Exhibition on Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th March, 10am-4pm each day. Admission is £1.

The Pillowcase Challange

2011-02-18T10:14:00.000-08:00

In conjunction with the ‘Conkerr’ Charity we are launching a Pillowcase Challenge to ‘bring some smiles to children and their siblings who are ill, admitted to a hospital or hospice for care.

The aim of The Fat Quarters is to co-ordinate the making and distribution of pillowcases in the North East of England.

Below is an extract from Cindy Kerr the founder of the charity.

ConKerr Mission and History:

ConKerr Cancer started when my son was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and I began making pillowcases to brighten up his hospital room and to put a smile on his face. He loved it and so I began making pillowcases for other children on the Oncology Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Since then the pillowcase project, A Case for Smiles has grown in amazing ways. We have provided pillowcases to children across the country in Canada, the U.K. and South Africa. School groups, sewing circles, church groups and fabric stores have all pitched in and are making pillowcases for the kids.

ConKerr Cancer has been able to make amazing progress towards fulfilling our goal of making hospital stays as pleasant as possible for chronically ill children and their parents. Simultaneously the pillowcase project has fostered a spirit of community and volunteer service across the country. Unfortunately the number of sick children never ends, and this year we need your help to brighten patients’ lives and raise awareness about childhood cancer in your community.

We cannot achieve all of this without your help, and we are going to launch the project at ‘The Quilts at the Mill’ Exhibition, Blackhall Community Centre on the 26th & 27th March 2011. Make a pillowcase and bring it along, enter our competition and you may win a prize.

We also want to include our customers who visit us on the website, so please take part if you can and send us your pillowcases to be distributed.
Please enclose them in a ziplock bag and don't forget to include you Name and Address.

The Basic Pillowcase Instructions are;

Supplies: 3/4 yard of fabric for pillowcase & 1/3 yard of fabric for border of pillowcase

Sewing Instructions:

1. Cut the body of the case 26 ½” x 40 ½”and the border 10 ½” x 40 ½”

2. Fold the border in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides together and press.

3. Place the right side of the border on the right side of the body of the case. Stitch together using a ½” seam allowance.

4. Place right sides of the pillowcase together. Stitch down the side and across the bottom. Turn to the right side and press. You are finished however why not design a pillowcase of your own. It can be whatever you wish but please remember the pillowcases will need to be laundered.

The Finished size of your Pillowcase is 31” x 20”

Once the pillowcase is completed, be sure to wash the fabric for the protection of the children with suppressed immunity. In addition, please place each pillowcase in its own ziplock bag and don’t forget to include your name & contact details.

Now you have the basic instructions let your imagination run wild and design a pillowcase for our competition.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories;

Up to 11yrs; 12-18yrs and Adults.

Please remember that this will be an ongoing project and your continued support will be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Latest arrivals

2011-02-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

We have just taken delivery of the latest French General Range from Moda 'La Petite Ecole'. It is selling as quickly as their previous ranges, if not better.

The free pattern from Moda we are kitting and the cost of the kit is £49.95, you may have seen this advertised in a lot of the magazines.
http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/la-petite-ecole-quilt-kit.ir?cName=kits

Also for all the Tilda fans we have the full range of her new fabrics buttons and ribbons. To make it easier to find the New Tilda products we have grouped them together under the Tilda category.
http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/tilda-new-tilda-products.irc?cName=tilda-new-tilda-products&pg=1
We have had new patterns from Bunnyhill Designs which complement the Lily & Will range of fabrics as well as some exciting patterns from 'Little Bits'. Check out the new Jelly rolls. These patterns are all foundation pieced, excellent value as all your papers are included.

Don’t forget a number of ranges of fabrics have a 15% discount, grab a bargain now whilst stocks last. To make life easier we have them all grouped in a 15% discount folder Follow the link below.
http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/15-discount-off-fabrics.irc

We have lots of Classes listed so if you are local or visiting check them out.

We will be having a Quilt Exhibition with workshops & demos on the weekend of the 26th & 27th March at Blackhall Mill Community Centre. More information to follow on that soon but put the date in your diary.

Happy Quilting

New Tilda Fabrics

2011-02-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

We have just taken delivery of all the Tilda fabrics, ribbons, buttons and more.

The fabrics are quite differant from her previous ones. They are much brighter and I think fresh and summery looking.
The ribbons & brads can be used for a number of projects, fabric as well as paper crafts.

To make it easier for you we have put all of the NEW products in the one area, click onto the link to view them.
http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/tilda-new-tilda-products.irc?cName=tilda-new-tilda-products&pg=1

A new book is being translated at his moment and I will have full details in the next few days and we will be taking pre-orders.
Of course in the meantime dig out the Tilda books you have at the moment and update the projects with the new fabrics. We still have all of the titles in stock.
http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/tilda-tilda-books.irc?cName=tilda-tilda-books&pg=1
Enjoy and Happy Quilting

New Cuddle Fabrics Arrived

2011-02-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

When I was out in Americia I came across the Cuddle fabrics and thought they would make perfect backings for Harvey's quilts.
We have just taken delivery of the Shannon Cuddle Fabrics in the smooth & the dimple, aswell as a couple of their kits.
This fabric is 58-60 inches wide and is perfect for backing childrens or baby quilts. It feels so soft and as the name says very cuddly.

In the dimples we have a baby pink & blue aswell as a mint. They have been flying out of the store already I cannot believe the response.

The kits are in two colour ways pink and mocha and blue and mocha. Beautifully presented with a ribbon they would make a perfect gift.
I have started the blue one obviously, Harvey needs another quilt and it has gone together very quickly so far, after blogging I am off to finish it.
I would advise a walking foot and a can of 505 spray has been invaluable.

This is the pink version, I will add a photo of mine as soon as it is completed.

A Very belated Happy New Year!

2011-01-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Hi
Hope you all had a good Christmas & New Year. I tried very hard to but came down with the dreaded flu & can honestly say that it is only this week that I have felt better.
I knew I was bad as I did no sewing and could not face the wine.
This week we have all been busy in the shop and the 2011 classes have started.
Today we had a fab class tackling Hand Quilting.
Pearl will be teaching the 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month and the girl's today tackled designing. None of them thought they could draw but with the aid of some old pennies, a wine glass (empty of course) and some other bits & pieces they were drawing feather designs and more.
The Class is open to anyone and its not too late to join in. see the website for more details or give us a call.

We have had a big laugh with Jake who was designed by Hilary and is available as a Class on the 2nd April or as a pattern.

http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/8b-make-jake-saturday-2nd-april-10230pm.ir?cName=classes

I found a little armchair that previously had a bottle of beer in it, and he looks quite at home in it. I think the only thing missing is his own bottle of beer although I think he looks as if he has had a few drinks already. Also check out his lady friend Alice. She will be finished and arriving in the shop on Saturday.

For the people who have asked for updates, Harvey is now 7 weeks old where has the time gone. He has grown so quickly and has just found his voice so is making lovely little sounds.

Off now upstairs to do some sewing, Happy Quilting.

A Log Cabin Variation and More

2010-12-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

This year I visited Quilt Market in Houston, USA and met lots of designers who shared their ideas and new products.
Houston is the largest Quilt Market and it is the place to see everything that is coming out for the new year.

A group of us travelled out and we had a fab time not only at market but visiting the sights of the City.
One of the Classes I went to was with Marti Michell although not a new technique, I saw this 3 years ago when I visited Houston, Marti and her team have revisited her patterns and produced up to date colourways.

I think her log cabin technique is brilliant and I adapt all of my log cabin pattern instructions so that I can use her rulers.

One of the quilts included in her Log Cabin ABC's book is this cute basket quilt. Marti showed us a couple of colourways but the one I particularly liked was this one in 30's fabrics. An ideal opportunity to use up those scraps.
Over the coming weeks I will be sharing with you some of the new ideas and techniques that were launched as well as the new fabrics and patterns.

On that note I brought back a lot of the Bunnyhill Design patterns which sold out almost immediately. Good news though a new batch are on there way over and we have the Lily & Will fabrics from Moda which are designed by Anne of Bunny Hill Designs in stock.
Don't forget to check out our Classes for 2011.

Marie Osmond's Heartfelt Giving

2010-12-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

On a recent visit to Houston I had the pleasure of meeting up with Marie Osmonds Editor. Marie has just released her new book and I have been lucky enough to get a couple of signed copies.

Obviously I have a copy for myself, anyone who knows me will know I am an Osmonds fan always have been.
The book is great, it has so many different projects and lovely colour photos. Marie loves to embellish all of her projects, but if that is not your style they can be easily removed.
One of the favourites in the shop is the 'Paper Roses' Quilt, Yes named after her big hit. We have a lovely selection of Black & White fabrics that will look so good in this quilt.
http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/marie-osmonds-heartfelt-giving.ir?cName=books-miscellaneous

This book and many more products are included in our Winter Warmer Web special.
The products included are;

All Patchwork and Quilting Books;

All All Australian Magazines;

All items in Moda Bakery including Charm Packs, Jelly Rolls & Layer Cakes;

All Letters Tied with Blue Stamps.

Fabric Ranges are as follows;

Cats Amore; Spacescapes; Collection for a Cause; Cotton Blossom; Luminere; Luna Notte; Love U; Whimsy; Patisserie; Essence; Eva; Fruitcake; Harvest Town; Heart & Soul; Pumpkin & Spice and Vintage Homestead.

Save 15% off the normal price, until the 10th December 2010.

**Update on Harvey, now 6 days old and he has settled into life with his lovely Mammy & Daddy.

Harvey David has arrived into the world

2010-11-30T02:50:00.000-08:00

At last Harvey has arrived into the world after a bit of an ordeal.
Emma did not have the most straightforward time but I am pleased to say they are both well.

We were not able to get photos immediately because they were in theatre, but these were taken when he was 6 hours old.
I'll not win any glamourous Grannie awards but my excuse is not sleeping for 48hours.

Proud parents. This is Emma's first opportunity to give Harvey a cuddle. I am so proud of them both.

Sampler Quilt Class starting January 2011

2010-11-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Check out the New Class Starting on January 22nd 2011.

Nikki Tinkler is an award winning quilter, and you can make your own version of her quilt 'Constant Inspiration'.

The course will be over 6 sessions starting on the 22nd January 2011. 10.15am-3pm.

Each month you will be shown 4 different blocks, and guided through each.

Combining a number of techniques from rotary cutting, using and making templates, applique, bias techniques and lots more.

Your quilt will be sewn by hand or machine or if you prefer it can be completely hand pieced the choice is yours.

You will receive a copy of Nikki's book RRP £19.99 which contains 25 blocks.

Costs: Month 1: £25 this includes your book.

Months 2-5: £10 per session.

Month 6 : Your session will cost £5.

The Fat Quarters Quilt is using Moda fabrics from The Fig Tree.

An ideal opportunity to dig into your scraps.

We recommend that you start with a palette of 6 Fat quarters and then add in fabrics as you will need them.

Places Limited.

New Book from Nancy Halvorsen

2010-10-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Just arrived in store the latest book from Art to Heart. http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/count-on-it-by-nancy-halvorsen.ir?cName=books-applique
Celebrate the year with a calendar, or birthday & count down quilts,
They are all easy to do following the fusible technique.
Our favourites are the birthday mini quilts.
The book is in store now and if ordered before the 25th October you could also take advantage of our autumn 10% discount.
The promotional code you will need is MAUTUMN1910.

Halloween will soon be here.

2010-10-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased that more people are making things for Halloween and as it creeps closer more houses are decorated and parties are organised.

We have tried to do our bit and Nicola and I had great fun decorating our window, thought you might like to have a look. The children in the village stop on the way to school which makes it all worthwhile.
We had great fun with a new quilt made with fabrics from the 'Seen on Halloween' fabrics. A big thanks to Alf for drawing the ghost, we wanted a Casper look alike and it's perfect.

Mystery Quilt Club

2010-09-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Take part in our Mystery Quilt Block Club.

Call in to our store between 10am and 12 noon on the Second Saturday of each month starting on SATURDAY 9TH OCTOBER 2010.

**On your first visit pay £5 and receive a free colour pattern for a 12 inch block.

Return on the second Saturday of the following month between 10am and 12 noon with your completed block and you will receive your next pattern *FREE OF CHARGE.*

You then continue each month and as long as you bring your completed block you will continue to receive your FREE patterns.

If at any time you don't make it you pay £5 to continue receiving your patterns.

In addition to this you will receive a Club Card which will entitle you to

10% off any purchases between the Mystery Quilt Block Club hours of 10am-12noon every Second Saturday of the month.

If you require any further information please don't hesitate to contact us.

http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/mystery-quilt-saturday-9th-october-1012noon.ir?cName=classes

New Moda Pack Club

2010-09-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Just launched our new Moda Charm Pack Club.

Receive a Moda Charm Pack every 2 months delivered to your door.

Fantastic savings on individual prices. This is a perfect way to sample some of the fabrics from the very talented designers at Moda at a fraction of the price. With each shipment you will receive ideas on how to use your Charm Packs. Follow the link below for more info.

http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/the-fat-quarters-charm-pack-club.ir?cName=the-fat-quarters-clubs

New Tilda Fabrics

2010-08-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

We took delivery of all 19 of the new Tilda fabrics just before festival of Quilts and they are now all online.
The designs are really fresh looking and will work with any of the projects in any of the Tilda books.

I particularly like the red stripe, so useful. Ideal for those christmas projects.
We also have two new wool felts, ribbons and brads.

Festival of Quilts 2010 Roses from the Heart Exhibition

2010-08-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Well we are back home and as much as I enjoy the show and meeting all of the people it is nice to come back to the shop.

We had a wonderful time and once again it was so busy. It always amazes me that people travel from all over the world to visit Festival.

We did not get to see very many of the exhibits but one in particular we found just amazing.

Christina Henri exhibition Roses from the Heart® is a tribute to women, especially the approximately 25,000 convict women who were shipped to ‘parts unknown’ and became the backbone of contemporary Australian society.

She is inviting people to make a bonnet which represents each of these women. The photographs are from the website, I was unable to take a photo at Festival. To see all of the bonnets laid out was a very moving experience, it is hard to believe that so many women were transported but when you saw the tiny bonnets representing the children who were lost, well words cannot describe.
I would encourage everyone to visit the website, download a bonnet pattern and get involved with this fabulous project. http://www.femalefactory.com.au/exhibit.htm#Roses
We are off to The Great North Quilt Show next week at the Yorkshire Showground Harrogate, if you are visiting come along and say hello.

Getting Ready for Festival Of Quilts

2010-08-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that The Festival of Quilts has sneaked up on us so quickly.
We have been making preparations for the last couple of months and we just about have everything ready now.
We have lots of exciting new products on the stand, including kits, fabrics patterns to name but a few. Once again we have Debbie Johnson from Letters Tied with Blue joining us. Debbie will be demonstrating her new stamps throughout the show.
We have linked in with Coats UK this year who are promoting their threads and we are very excited to have the new book Canny Keepsakes-Colliery Days on the stand with their newly launched greetings cards perfect for your quilting friends.
So if you are visiting the show don't forget to come & visit us on stand G26

Guess who called in to see us?

2010-07-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

I was sitting doing the boring paperwork when Natalie Lymer's (Cinderberry Stitches) Mam & Dad walked into the shop.

They are over from Australia, had been to see the Open at St Andrews and were working their way around the country and called in to see us.

It was great to hear Natalie's news first hand from her Mam and whilst we chatted Natalies Dad took a few photographs.

Their visit was so short but very enjoyable and I felt very priviledged that they had taken time out of their busy schedule to visit us.

Natalies patterns are so popular at our store and the next thing might be to persuade Natalie to come over herself and share her time with us maybe in a class someday.

Natalie's Dad has promised to send over some photos but here is the one that I took.

For more photos check out Natalie's blog.

The Dolly Quilts Club is launched

2010-07-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

We have just launched Sarah Fielkes Dolly Quilt's Club. Some of you might know Sarah from her Material Obsession books.

The Club will run as a Block of the Month programme.

Each month you will receive a full size pattern and detailed instructions, all of the fabric required including backing and binding and a cute bag exclusive to the Dolly Club.

It is an ideal opportunity to learn some new skills from piecing, applique, colour and lots more. Each small quilt could then be made into a wall hanging or cushion or used as a quilt for that favourite doll.

Whilst this is a perfect programme for a beginner it is also fun and enjoyable for those with more experience.

We will post photos of each quilt as we make them.

The latest happenings at The Fat Quarters

2010-07-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a two day workshop with Janet Clare. The girl's all arrived on the Saturday and the stress levels were very high, none of them were in their comfort zone. By lunchtime everyone was writing their names, drawing faces & houses on their sewing machines freehand.

Sunday saw everyone more or less complete their projects.

The feedback has been fab. Janet was such a fantastic teacher and whilst her journey here was long we were all so pleased she came this far North.

Saturday night we showed her some of the sights of the North East, our beautiful coastline, the not so wonderful Whitley Bay town centra and then off to a brilliant restaurant in Whitley Bay.

http://www.janetclare.co.uk/Check out Janets site for inspiration & ideas.

We stock Janets patterns aswell.http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/patterns-janet-clare.irc

Canny Keepsakes-Colliery Days

This new book is just about to be published. It is based in the North East of England ans set at Beamish Open Air Museum.

It contains 20+ projects, and having seen it you will not be disappointed.

It is the type of book you will want to look at time and time again as it is full of rhymes, anecdotes and recipes.

All of the photographs in the book have been shot on location at Beamish Open Air Museum and they give you an insight into life in the early 1900's.

The fabrics used are beautiful.

We are taking pre-oders now. The RRP is £12.99 but get your copy for £11.99.http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk/canny-keepsakes-the-colliery-village.ir?cName=books-applique

It might be Freezing But we are still Quilting

2010-01-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

I do not need to tell anyone about the weather, it is dreadful & I am sure like me everone is bored with it now. However there is always something good comes out of something bad and that is we all have to stay indoors and quilt.

We have been very busy sending out extra supplies to people who cannot make it into the shop, so if there is anything you need just give us a call or order online, the post has been getting to most people.

aWe are waiting for the new Tilda Summer Ideas Book, this time it is written in ENGLISH, no more translating for me anyway & will be similiar to the Christmas Leaflet.

We have it on Special Offer if you Pre-order it.

Also we are waiting for the Crafting Tilda's Friends Book, this will be with us in a couple of months and again it is on Special Offer idf you Pre-Order it.

We have introduced a New Loyalty Scheme, where you collect pints and receive Gift Voucher which can be spent in store or online.

We are extending our Christmas Sale until Saturday 16th January so there is still time to bag a bargain or check out some of the Sale items on line.

Kirstie's Homemade Christmas

2009-12-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

Did you see Mandy Shaw from Dandelion Designs on the show 'Homemade at Christmas' with Kirsty Allsop last night. I met up with Mandy a couple of weeks ago in London and Kirsty had been to her home & made the Christmas Stocking that Mandy had designed.

it is so quick and simple and a fab way to use up your scraps and add those little bits of ribbon & ric rac, buttons & lace. The new French General fabric from Moda would be perfect to use in this project.

We have the pattern in stock now aswell as the French General Fabrics, check out our website. www.thefatquarters.co.uk.

New Website is Nearly Ready

2009-12-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

We are in the process of updating our website which will bring you
a large range of products including fabrics, books, patterns and lots more.
A direct link to our blog will ensure that all of our customers can share their ideas, and inspirations.
Please be patient until we go live it will be worth the wait.http://www.thefatquarters.co.uk

Amy Butler Visit & New Tilda Book

2009-07-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

There are a few tickets left for the Amy Butler visit on the 11th August. A great opportunity to meet this outstanding designer. Contact the shop for details. Tel: 01207 565728

Now in store the new Tilda book Sew Summer Homestyle. It has over 50 projects & already I have made the jewelery mannequin, a seahorse, and a scarecrow.

The Fat Quarters are at Pins and Needles April 2009

2009-04-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

Today we have set up for the show opening tomorrow. When we were asked to co-ordinate the classes in the Sew Central to Life Area & the Quilt Exhibition we agreed but never realised how much work was involved.
Thanks to lots of help from Gen Davidson, Deborah Collins, Debbie Johnson, Bonnie McKerracher, Emma Rae and of course David Tremble we would never have been able to walk out at 8pm tonight.
This is the first time there has been a quilt competition & the first time I have been involved in organising one & it has been a huge learning curve.
The quilts are all fantastic and from such a wide range of people. We have schools involved, beginners and people with lots of experience. It is always amazing to see peoples work on display and a pleasure & an honour to be involved.
Tomorrow juging will be taking place and we have Rosemary Allan the keeper of the quilts at Beamish Museum and Bonnie Mckerracher from Scotland who have the unenvieable task of making the decisions.
I will post the results and some of the photos so watch this space.

New Tilda Fabric in store

2009-02-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

All of the new Tilda fabric has now arrived in store check it out is fabulous.
Also I have a limited stock of the Homespun Magazine 9.4 which included a Tilda article & pattern to make a Kangaroo & Joey.
Stocks are limited and are on a first come basis, so don't miss out.

Sew Pretty Homestyle Summer by Tilda

2008-12-08T10:51:00.001-08:00

We have just heard from our Publishers that Toni Finnegar has signed the contract for her new book Sew Pretty Homestyle Summer.
I have seen the proof pages and it is definitely the best yet, if that is possible. It is packed with projects from start to finish. Once again you are taken around the home & here are projects for each room.
The book is due to be published in English & be ready for July 2009, and is priced at £12.99, however once again we have the opportunity to receive our books as early as June.
We are taking pre-order now and will reduce the price to £12.45 for each book ordered. P&P will still be charged.A deposit of £5 is required to pre-order your book & the remaining £7.45 will be charged when the book is posted out.
The front cover will be differant to the one shown for the books in English.

Snowman apron

2008-11-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Snowman Apron panel arrived late on Friday & I could not wait to get it finished. As I was out celebrating my birthday on Friday I had to wait until saturday but I finished it within a couple of hours.

Annette than convinced kim the apprentice who works next door to model it for us. Lets be right she looks far better than me. Thanks Kim.

Also can i take this opportunity to thank everyone who has continued to support us over the last 9 weeks since out flood. We are still not sorted out completely but we are hopeful to be finished by Christmas. The shop is fine it is behind the scenes where the problems are.

Also if you are at Harrogate in November come and say hello we are on Stand 570 in Hall C.

New Tilda Fabric has arrived in the shop

2008-09-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

This week we see the arrival of the latest range of Tilda fabric, ribbons & stitcheries. Check out the website for further information.

'Quilt for a Quality of Life'

2008-07-14T10:44:00.002-07:00

The quilt was on exhibition this weekend at The Fat Quarters 1st show. It was made up of a number of blocks that were sen by people who took part in the workshops in the Sew Central to Life area at The Pins & Needles show in Newcastle in April.

The quilt was fantastic & Jennie Rayment our special guest this weekend kindly made the draw.
The Quilt was won by Mrs Teasdale who I have just phoned & she is calling into the shop this week to collect it. She has also agreed to let us borrow the quilt again in order it can be displayed at the 2009 Pins & Needles Show.
2nd Prize was a large bundle of Moda fabric value approx £100 & this was won by Liz Bangs who lives in Cramlington.
3rd Prize was a Sewing box which was won by Janet Davidson from Prudhoe.
4th Prize was a set of Yo-Yo makers & they were won by Margaret who we are trying to track down at the moment.
Congratulations to all the winners & a big thanks to everyone who took part in the making of the quilt & buying the raffle tickets.

2008-07-14T10:44:00.001-07:00

What a weekend

2008-07-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Not a weekeend I will ever forget in a hurry.

It started quite early on Thursday when The new Tilda book Sew Pretty Homestyle Christmas arrived, arguably one of the nicest books ever, and although I am leaping forward the star prize goes to Pauline because she got her book on Friday & had made an apple by the Saturday morning.

Then came Friday; Emma my daughter graduated at Newcastle University, although it rained & rained it did not spoil a fabulous day. I was so proud of her & have bored everyone with the photos, not that I am apologising. Here is just one though.

After the Graduation it was back to earth with a bump because we had to get ready for our first 'Quilts at the Mill' Exhibition.

Thanks to a lot of help from Jan, David, Emma, Anne, Sharon, Jessica, Victoria, Doreen we managed to get everything sorted out and by 8.30pm the Community Centre looked great.

Saturday morning came I have to say too soon for me I was up at 5am checking everything, painting signs and at 10am our first exhibition arrived.

Again the day was a huge success because of the help from Anne, Jan, Pauline & Jenny, Anne Hannaby & of course Doreen & Annette at the shop.

We had a steady stream of visitors all day & everyone seemed to enjoy the show.

At 5pm I had to refill stocks if you had seen the size of the muffins you would never of believed they would have sold out but they did.

A quick change & we were off to meet all of the girl's at the Cronniwell for the Jennie Rayment talk.

When I was asked what will the talk be like I found it hard to describe & having been there last night it is still hard although i can say Jennie is entertaining, funny (one of the group had to leave for a short while because she was laughing so much it hurt), informative & as Emma said she could not believe 1 hour and 10 minutes could go so quickly.

If you were not there you missed out.

I fell into bed last nightquite late but looking forward to Sunday back at the exhibition & of course Jennie's workshop 'Tucked up Circles'.

I met Jennie at 9am & the girl's arrived at 10am. 23 sewing machines were going full tilt, no morning or afternoon coffee breaks, just lunch break. By the end of the afternoon everyone had achieved so much, all the girls had tucked up circles & I cannot wait to see all of the finished hangings.

Thanks again go to all of the girl's who helped throughout the day, Jan, Pauline, Jenny, Janet & Margaret.

Wee 4pm came the workshop finished & all hands to the deck & by 6pm the Community centre looked like we had never been there.

Are we doing it again I have been asked?

Most definitely.

and finally the good news is jennie will be returning to Blackhall Mill next year for 2 days. We are finalising dates on Wednesday so keep checking the website for dates as the places fill up very quickly & you do not want to miss out.

Quilts at The Mill Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th July

2008-07-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well we are approaching our First Quilt show at The Fat Quarters, full details below;

QUILTS AT THE MILL
At Blackhall Mill Community Centre, Blackhall Mill.
The Fat Quarters 1st Quilt Exhibition
Saturday 12th July and Sunday 13th July
2008
10 am – 4 pm
Workshops, demonstrations and much more
FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST
JENNI RAYMENT
Saturday 12th July, 8pm onwards
‘An evening with Jenni Rayment’
@ Cronniwell Pub, Hamsterley
Tickets £5
NOT TO BE MISSED
Sunday 13th July, 10am – 3.30pm
‘Workshop with Jenni Rayment’
Cost £40 includes fabric
Tel; 01207 565728 DETAILS

I spoke to Jenni on Sunday & she is all set for the weekend & she will be available to do a book signing on Saturday evening at The Cronniwell Pub & during the exhibition on Sunday. There are still a couple of place available on the workshop.
The Charity quilt is now complete, & we hope to raise lots of money for The St Oswalds Childrens Service & The Great North Air Ambulance.

In addition to this excitement the log awaited Tilda book Sew Pretty Homestle Christmas will be in store this week so watch out in the post if you pre-ordered one, I have seen the book & there is not a page without a fantastic project on it. If you have not got a copy yet it is a must.....

and if that was not enough The Fat Quarters Club's first project will be available from the 14th July.

There will not be enough hours in the week but we are all quite excited.

Strip Crazy

2008-06-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

last week I had a little holiday with my husband in Scotland & whilst away Emma rang to say a new book Stip Crazy had arrived & I had to do the 'Look & learn' quilt out of it. I no sooner arrived back in the shop on Monday & the fabrics were out, cut & yes you guessed it she had badgered me until I finished the top today.

Freshly Squeezed Fabric has Arrived

2008-05-20T08:17:00.001-07:00

The new Sandy Gervis Freshly Squeezed Range arrived on Friday & I could not wait to get started with it. I took this quilt from the Strip Happy book by Donna Kinsey. It was so quick to make & so much fun. The next project using this fabric has got to be one of the Melly & Me patterns.

The Fat Quarters Club 2008 is launched.

2008-05-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

The last few months ave seen a number of e-mails flying between myself & Rosalie Quinlan & Melanie Hurlston.
I can now let everyone know what we have been planning, I am so excited to announce our new & exclusive club. Full details are now available below;

THE FAT QUARTERS CLUB 2008
Are you like us and never get around to making those special gifts through the year to give at Christmas? We are pleased to announce The Fat Quarters Club which will offer its members EXCLUSIVE patterns from top designers Rosalie Quinlan & Melly & Me.Each month you will receive a pattern plus materials and trims to make a project.
By Christmas 2008 you will have 6 small projects ready to decorate your home or give away as gifts. Cost each month will be no more than £20 per month including postage.
We will also run each month in store workshops to help you get started on your projects, special tips & ideas will be given throughout the session.
In December, just in time to put under the tree, you will receive a gift from The Fat Quarters, just for you. It is not to be opened until Christmas morning...
To join The Fat Quarters Club a deposit of £10 is required, this will be deducted from your last months project.
Remember these patterns will not be available anywhere else.

The New Tilda Book

2008-04-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

We have just received our preview of the new Tilda book Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle. It is expected in August & we are already taking orders. The cost is £12.99 and for a deposit of £5 you will receive as soon as it is available.

There are endless projects, angel pigs, angel geese, stockings and so much more.

Something for every room in your home and for yourself and friends.

Andrews Auction

2008-03-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

This should have been published last week but I saved it as a draft & I do not know how I have done it but I have just managed to recover it, better late than never....

Last Friday I attended Andrew's Auction at St James Park Newcastle. The whole evening had been organised by Jenni Elwood, Andrews mam as a thank you to the St Oswalds Childrens service which offers respite care to young people and their famillies.

We had a fantastic night & Bridget Jones who come to 2 classes each week won the Harry Potter signed first edition book.Peter Beardlsey, & Anthony from Big Brother were there to support Jenni & her family. The list of auction prizes was unbelievable & the amount raised on the night was in excess of £10,0000 .

Allison from Initial J Promotions was in our company with her husband Graham and after meeting Jenni & the girl's from St Oswalds agreed that the quilt being made at this years Pins & Needles would be raffled in aid of Andrew's Charity. We hope to make "A quilt for a better quality of life"

Charlie Hardwick known to many as Val from Emmerdale took a liking to my glasses, she thought she suited them better than me!!!

If any one want more info about Andrew;s charity please contact us at The Fat Quarters.

New Projects

2008-02-29T01:19:00.000-08:00

Two new projects finished. The one on the left is a Quilt as you go technique, and can be easily made in a day.
I am teaching this as a Class and am looking forward to seeing everyones finished quilt as they will look so different with the different fabrics.

The stitchery was not intended to end up as a finished wall hanging. It is the Kathy Scmitz Block of the month "Ring in the New". The idea is that each stitchery will fit into a 7" x 5" frame which you can change every month. At the end of the year you can then put them together. As you can see I got carried away.

Addicted to Tilda????

2008-02-13T01:10:00.001-08:00

I have just discovered a blog for all the Tilda addicts http://tildaddict.wordpress.com/ check it out to see peoples creations.

New Melly & Me Patterns are on there way

2008-02-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

The new patterns from Melly & Me are on their way, here is a quick preview.

We are taking orders for them now.

"Quilts at Mill" July 12th & 13th

2008-02-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

We have just confirmed our 2008 Exhibition of "Quilts at the Mill" on Saturday & Sunday 27th July at The Blackhall Mill Community Centre. The week will start with special events held at The Fat Quarters.

Then on the evening of Saturday 12th July our special guest Jennie Rayment "the muslin mistress"will give a talk. Tickets are £5 per head & will include a glass of wine.

On Sunday 13th July Jennie will be taking a workshop. Full details are on the Class section of the web site. Places are limited & are already filling up fast. To avoid disappointment book in now.

This is the workshop project.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

Can I wish everybody a Happy New Year.

I have had a quiet one, i wenyt out for a meal with Darre, Emma & David. We were back home for 10pm, watched a bit of telly & then bed. Is it an age thing???

I spoke to Debbie Johnson Letters Tied with Blue designer & we adecided that it probably was.

Today I went for a long walk with the dogs & then back to work doing the end of year accounts, very boring & tidying the shop, equally as boring as I would rather be sewing.

Thank you to everyone who sent cards to The Fat Quarters. We ahve not been anti-socail but we have sent just a few cards because I decided last January to donate £12 per month to Breast cancer to replace my cards.

I have just ordered some fab new patterns from Melly & Me, the new Owl & the pussycat bag is fab I already have people pre-ordering it. keep a check on our site for the new patterns

The fab Friday Group meet for lunch

2007-12-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

What a lovely day we had today. The Friday girls all met at the Lintzford garden Centre to have lunch and exchange our secret Santa presents. Margaret was on her diet so only managed dinner and a pud. Helen who had had her toilet blocked, & we thought was unable to make lunch, arrived a bit later but it was great she could be there.
The exchange of presents was so exciting, I could not concentrate on opening mine as I was looking at everybodys. The girls are so talented and had put so much thought into the presents it was lovely.
I received the Jennifer Chaverni book The New Year, a lovely primative stitchery and the most beautiful pin cushion, which will not be out in the shop, I am keeping it in my sewing basket upstairs. I will take photos tomorrow & post them.
Tonight I launched myself into the Metro Centre for last minute bits. Exhausted I have arrived home had a glass of wine.

Noisy Helen arrives in Harrogate

2007-11-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

At the time of writing this the girls from the Fat Quarters will still be on the bus. They arrived bright & early this morning. Helen from the moment of getting on the bus wanted to know if they were there yet. She apparantly was also the loudest on the bus, I can't believe it really.
I am now going out into Harrogate to find food, wine & a quick visit to Betty's for goodies.
A big thanks to everyone who called by to see me today.
Kim

Out of my comfort zone

2007-11-22T14:15:00.000-08:00

I have survived my first day at The Knitting & Stitching Show at Harrogate. Whilst I have seen a few friendly faces I am so looking forward to seeing my girls tomorrow. We have been to a fab fashions show tonight which was presented by a group of local students, so inspiring, imaginative & professional.
This is our first show out of our area. The patterns we brought from our trip to Houston have flown out. Rosalie & Melanies patterns have been our best sellers.
We have had a lovely meal at a Jazz restaurant with Gen & Bonnie tonight. Any one interested Bonnie will be in store on Saturday 8th December to demonstrate all the Husqvarna machines. Come along for a fab day out.

Some of the people we met at Houston

2007-11-18T12:06:00.001-08:00

We met so many people, so many designers and stars in the quilting world, but we did not get everyones photographs, the good thing for me is I will always have my memories.

This is Rosalie and Melanie from
Australia. You will know them from Melly and Me fame. We spoke a couple of times throughout our visit and they were staying in our Hotel and they like us sampled the Cocktails in the Bar, (only for research purposes obviously). We have a lot of the Rosalie Quinlan design and Melly & Me patterns in store and on our web site. Have a look they are great.

Another one of my favourite designers is Anni Downs. of Hatched and Patched fame. I have spoken to Peter her husband by e-mail since we first opened so it was fab to see the both at Houston.. Gen took these photos she said they were the natural shots.
Keep checking our website as Annie will be bringing out even more patterns and you will see them first.

This photograph is one of the quilts from the new Fig Tree Book. it is winging its way to us, but if you want to see it before it arrives in store you are welcome to look at my signed copy that Joanna gave me.

The girls from Rabbits Haven were so pleased that their patterns were coming over to the UK. The first set of patterns have sold out immediately and nore are on their way.. The photos on the patterns do not show how beautiful they are. We look forward to keep the in store.

This week we are on our way to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate. If you are coming pop along and see us in Hall C.

We have had llots of fab new patterns and fabrics arriving on a daily basis, we are updating the website as quickly as we can.

Thanks for your comments.

Kim

Yes we are still here!!!!!!!

2007-11-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

I am the worst when it comes to this blogging lark, no excuses (although I could give anyone interested a list).

Where do I start-yes ok at the beginning.

Well back in October we attended The Crafts for Christmas Show at the Newcastle Arena. We had a really good show it is always nice to meet people who do not live in the area and new people to quilting.

A big thanks to Emma, Genieve, Marilyn and Bonnie who worked so hard.

A week after that show I was off to Quilt Market in Houston.

We had a blast. Aswell as meeting lots of people, attending some fabulous classes and lectures, looking for new things for the shops, having the odd cocktail in the bar I was able to get some fantastic new patterns and books for the shop.

I went to quite a number of classes and it will take a while to share everything with you but I will. In these photos Marti Michell was showinfg some 2 of her Log Cabin Quilts. She was great and the class was a demonstration by her using her new book. The technique is foolproof, quick & so easy. The books are flying over the Atlantic & I will be doing a class next year in the shop.

This is Genieve trying out one of her Cosmopolitians, It is not only Carrie from Sex in the City who can drink them as it was pointed out to us by an Americian lady we met at the hotel bar called Cookie. Gen was so impressed she drank her own and Marilyns.

This is me outside yes you guessed it The Hard Rock Cafe, it was not that glam mind. The whole place was surrounded by trees that were full of birds who were making such a racket aswell as making a mess. So to get there we had to dodge the bird!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I will post more photos. We mete Rosalie Quinlan & Melanie of Melly & Me fame, they had there camera stolen and we do have a couple of photos which we will show you later.

Also keep looking as we have some fab photos of the Quilts in the exhibition.

Update at The Fat Quarters

2007-08-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well another couple of weeks have passed and no blog!!!!!!!
Last weekend Darren and I spent the whole time clearing out for the arrival of our Gammill Machine.
By Thursday it arrived,such excitement, I just keep looking at it.

I am away for a couple of day s and when I get back I will start playing on it.
We are taking quilts in from November, we already have some bookings in.

This entry is short and sweet but Helen if you read this I have packed and on my first glass of wine.

The Festival of Quilts Birmingham

2007-08-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

Well no one could have prepared me for the overwhelming display of quilts at the NEC show this weekend. In excess of 1000, each one fantastic in their own right.

I left Newcastle Saturday morning in company with Anne, Doreen & Sheils. Girls on tour and we arrived at lunch time. After meeting up with Marilyn who was in the middle of jenny Rayments class we tackled the show.

In our heads we had planned to see everything, be organised walk along each row of quilts so we would not miss anything. Thereality was that we were like headless chickens because every time you turned aroung there was a quilt you had to see and we just kept going off at tangents.

Kicked out at 5pm we made our way to the hotel & a couple of bottles of wine and when we looked at the show guide we realised that we had not even walked around half of the show.

Next day Doreen tried to guide us around, very difficult, but once again when we were kicked out at 5pm we felt as if we had seen everything.

How wrong can you be. Sue Wallace-Buckland arrived at the shop Monday afternoon with Ailsih to do the kids class with her photographs from the show. I had not seen most of the quilts she had photgraphed, was she at the same show? In conclusion I can only say that you need 3 days possibly 4 days to see everything.

I have take a few photos and hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

I will add them as soon as I get a moment.

The First Halloween Project of 2007

2007-08-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

It might only be August but there is nothing like being organised, is there. Last week I made a fab Halloween Quilt called Mummy Mambo. At first I was just going to do the quilt top as a sample for the shop but I got completely carried away with my Husqvarna Designer SE sewing machine when i found I could quilt bats, witch's hats and pumpkins in the border. I managed to get the binding on last night and hung the quilt this morning.

Today Helen and Dawn were looking through the books on one of there wanders around the shop during there class and started to browse through the Sew Pretty Homestyle, new Tilda book. At the back they spotted that we have been included in the address section (just goes to show i have not read all of the book). As you can imagine we are really pleased.

Today we had another egg exchange between Helen & Margaret. We now have to wait 3 weeks to see if any baby chicks come out of the incubator. I will keep you all updated.

Also Pauline & her daughter Jenny announced that they now have a blog, although nothing on it yet, they are off on holiday so it will be another one to add to the list.

Whilst we have not had any new fabric in this week we have had a delivery of some lovely hand made pictures, cards and garlands. Well worth popping in to have a look.

Well I am off to The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham tomorrow with the girls. I am having a look around tomorrow to sort out our stand for next year and on Sunday I am just looking at the Quilts. I will take some photos to share with you.

SedgeField County Show and more

2007-08-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

The rumours all week would be that the show would not be on, but without Livestock the Show went ahead.

Darren & I set off quite early Saturday to set upi, his incentive was the beer tent, (that backfired later as it was weak & warm so he only had one).

The girls from Allington House were there demonstrating quilting in the Craft tent. We took along a few tasters from our shop.

We had a lovely day, not used to being so quiet & getting some quilting done myself.

The good news was that one of our young quilters Ailish won first prize for her patchwork quilt that she did at the shop in one of the kids classes.

No photos as yet as I took them on my phone & I need a teenager to help me load them.

Margaret from the Friday group was not so lucky with her quilt but she did get second for her lemon curd.

Fantastic news from Helen who exhibited at the Slaley show she got a first & second & walked off with silverware.

I have been try ing to get my dog maggie who is now 7months to have her photo taken, she thinks the camera is food & to date we only have action shots. Well today there was a success as she posed with Millie my daft boxer who likes having her photo taken.

News on John is good. He is back to work now and although his shoulder is not completely better he is well on the way. Thank you to all of the people who have asked after him.

In the shop we had no less than 4 deliveries of fabric on Friday. Check out our web site this week to see what has arrived.

Also the long awaited Tilda sew pretty Homestyle book has arrived. It is a case of what shall I make first the book is jam packed with projects & ideas & we have a lot of the fabrics & wool felt in store.

I am signing off now to have another look through the book with a coffee.