LATEST NEWS

WE SHALL BE TRADING AT THE GREAT NORTHERN QUILT SHOW which is incorporating the GREAT NORTHERN NEEDLECRAFT SHOW STAND 34 Friday 3rd-Sunday 5th September more details under trading news at bottom of this page. This is the first time we have been to Harrogate with our Batiks n Beads so we look forward to meeting you all, do come and say hello

LOTS OF NEW BATIKS DUE SEPTEMBER

WE NOW STOCK STEF FRANCIS THREADS see them at exhibitions and shows

THE SUMMER QUILT EXHIBITION IS ON NOW

at THE MINERVA ARTS CENTRE in Llanidloes, Mid Wales runs until September 11th there will be Antique Quilts from the collection of Jennifer Barlow, this is the first time they have been displayed together. The European Quilt Association is exhibiting 16 sets of banners see image below

Also showing is work by 4 contempory quilters, Doris Alcock nee Jones, Jackie Smith, Sheena Norquay and Katherine Guerrier. A SELECTION OF OUR FABRICS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT MINERVA.

My second fabric book is finished and it is based on my walks and wildflowers that I see growing in the hedgerows and along the Montgomery Canal path below is a page from the book lots of beads!

Another page

below the inside back page

some of the wildflowers

one of my favourite flowers, the daisy

a view of the spine embellishments and part of the book cover

I have so enjoyed my walks and working on the book I feel a little lost now its finished but not for long because I am joining Sandra Fowler at Busy Bees to work on another fabric book I am also starting work on a new wallhanging so keep watching.........

Below is a quilt that will be rafflled at the "Gone to Pieces Quilt Show" in aid of "Iain Rennie Hospice at Home" October 16th and 17th 10am-4pm each day at the Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy Batiks n Beads will be trading for more information see Trading news at bottom of page

Below is the detail of quilt

Do come and support this show look forward to meeting you all

I would like to thank Newent Quilters for making us so welcome when I visited their group to give a talk about "My Quilting Obsession" The image above shows the group enjoying our batiks, beads and threads.

If you would like Maryke to visit your group contact details can be found on the contact page.

Busy Bees in Newport, South Wales had a customer exhibition and my book was on show along with a batiks n beads bag made at a workshop of mine

see below my book with others made on the course and

batiks n beads bag by Sue Phillips (no relation)

The sun shone for The Quilter's Guild Regional Day in Llanidloes where quilters gathered from far and wide and the speaker Barbara Howells was well received. Again lots of familiar faces and a good time was had by all. Below you can see the ladies enjoying our batiks, beads and threads.

We had a fabulous day at the Penarth Quilters Exhibition and it was great to see so many familiar faces, thank you for supporting us, below is Maryke ready for the opening of their exhibition

behind our stand to the right is a quilt made by Pat Jones using our batik fabric

a view of the exhibition from our stand, the old theatre is such a wonderful back drop for all the quilts

next to us were these two charactors and beautiful they were too, if you got to the exhibition we hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did if you didn't put it in your diaries for next July, always a wonderful day out

We had a fabulous time trading at Sandown and thank you to everyone who came to say hello and supported us, we will see you there again June 2011

We had such a lovely day at The Embroiderers Guild Regional Day in Llanidloes and we would like to thank The Guild for making us so welcome and look forward to meeting you all again next year in Cwmbran.

We had a lovely time trading at Presteigne Quilters Exhibition and above is part of their exhibition, it is always such a friendly show and it was lovely to see so many people enjoying the work that Presteigne Quilters had made. It is a tall order to host a Quilt Exhibition every two years but all I can say is the work they pack into two years is amazing and a show worth seeing so put it in your diaries for two years time, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Another view of Presteigne Quilters exhibition

This is a quilt made by Beth Parmee which was part of Presteigne Quilters Exhibition that has been made with some of our fabrics , a beautifully executed piece of work, well done Beth. Its so lovely to see what is made with our fabrics and if we feature them on our website we give you a complimentary fat quarter to start you on your next project, so do send us images of your work we'd love to see them.

We had a super time meeting you all at Quilts UK, Malvern. It was a superb show as always and it was great that so many of you came to say hello to us both, below and above is a snapshot of our stand

We shall be back at QUILTS UK in May 2011

If you have been on my website before you will know I have been on a course to make an Embroidery Sample Book with Sandra at Busy Bees I am thrilled to say it is finished and below are some images of the finished book

Below is an image of the back of the book

Below is showing the embellishments on the spine

Below is showing the inside pages

below is one of the inside pages

My book has been a wonderful journey and Sandra is running the course again next year, if you live near enough to Busy Bees in Newport and would like more information contact Busy Bees 01633 810801 or email busybeespatchwork@hotmail.com I can thoroughly recommend the course but be careful it could change your life as your head will spin with ideas. I am now making another book yes its addictive!

We have returned from Hampshire where I gave a talk to Meon Valley Quilters, a very enthusiastic quilting group who made us feel so welcome. It was a large group which also had a lot of visitors attending so was rather manic when we showed our batiks and beads, but I think we coped ok. We look forward to seeing what they all make with our fabrics and hope maybe to get some of them on our website here for everyone to see. Thank you for a lovely visit.

Below is an image of Meon Valley Quilters enjoying our batiks

Do make contact if you would like a talk called My Quilting Obsession at your quilt group, we can bring a selection of batiks, beads and threads too. Details on contact page.

Last year at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham the theme for the tombola which raises money for The Quilters Guild of the British Isles was Little Gems, this year it is PENNANTS FOR PATCHWORKERS.

Below is Daisy a pennant I have made which has made its way to The Quilters Guild, I hope whoever wins Daisy will like it and I would love you to get in touch to tell me you have won it. Look forward to hearing from you.

This has given me ideas for a wallhanging and I am wanting to get in my room and stitch

We have traded at a lot of exhibitions last year, one was Ludlow Quilters Exhibition where I have been a member since its beginnings

Genevieve who was one of the founder members is getting ready to demonstate

Ludlow Quilters meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month except August and December at the Red Cross Centre, Smithfield Car Park, Ludlow at 7.30pm New members are always welcome.

This was Abermule Quilters exhibition. Three years ago I founded the Quilt group so was thrilled to be trading at their very first exhibition. Abermule Quilters meet every Monday evening at 7pm at The Community Centre, Abermule where new members and visitors are made very welcome.

This was the Christmas corner of the Country Quilters Exhibition at Alberbury near Shrewsbury. It was their very first exhibition but judging their enthusiasm it won't be their last. The sun shone for them and it was a lovely day.

This was Ystrad Mynach Quilters Exhibition which was held at Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Nelson, South Wales, such a beautiful setting. The exhibition is held every two years so their next exhibition is April 29th- May 2nd 2011 You can make a day of it as the Manor has a lovely coffee shop and licensed restaurant and a gift shop. You can also take a tour of the Manor House. Well worth a visit and we will be trading again, see you there.

This was Leominster Quilters Exhibition another lovely exhibition which is held every two years in the Royal British Legion Hall, South Street, Leominster. The hall has lots of parking and their next exhibition will be in

OCTOBER 2011

IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO TRADE AT YOUR EXHIBITION DO CONTACT US

TRADING NEWS

We will be trading at

A selection of our fabrics will be at the SUMMER EXHIBITION at THE MINERVA ARTS CENTRE, Llanidloes 12th July-11th Sept 2010

STAND 34 THE GREAT NORTHERN QUILT SHOW Incorporating the GREAT NORTHERN NEEDLEWORK SHOW at Exhibition Hall 1, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate HG2 8PW Friday 3rd September-Sunday 5th September 10am-5pm(Sunday 4.30pm)

DUFFRYN CLWYD QUILTERS EXHIBITION Trading day Canolfan Awelon Centre, School Road, Ruthin Saturday 25th September 10am-4pm Exhibition "Quilts in St Peters" Sept 24th-26th in St Peters Church

SHROPSHIRE QUILTERS EXHIBITION at Wattlesborough Village Hall mid way between Shrewsbury and Welshpool on A458 Saturday October 2nd 10am - 5pm and Sunday October 3rd 10am - 4pm

GONE TO PIECES QUILT SHOW at the Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, Chalfont Centre, Gerrards Cross, Bucks SL9 ORJ Saturday October 16th and Sunday October 17th 2010 Open 10am-4pm each day Admission £3 ample parking sign posted from the A413 for more info Ann Fitch 01784 452832 or akfitch@talktalk.net

AUTUMN QUILT FESTIVAL at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern 29th-31st October 2010 10am-4.30pm

We will be on stand A121 same stand as last year

TRADING DATES 2011

THE QUILT AND EMBROIDERY SHOW (was Quilts in the Garden) Uttoxeter Racecourse April 15th - April 17th

YSTRAD MYNACH QUILTERS EXHIBITION Llancaich Manor, Nelson, Mid Glamorgan April 29th - May 2nd 10am -5pm

QUILTS UK Severn Hall, Three Counties Showground, Malvern May 19th - May 22nd Stand 150 in the marquee

EMBROIDERERS REGIONAL DAY Croesyceiliog Community Education Centre, Cwmbran Saturday June 4th 10am-4pm

NATIONAL QUILT CHAMPIONSHIPS Sandown Exhibition Centre, Sandown Racecourse, Esher, Surrey 18th June - 20th June

WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO VISIT YOUR QUILT GROUPS AND YOUR EXHIBITIONS WITH OUR BATIKS AND BEADS

MARYKE GIVES A TALK CALLED MY QUILTING OBSESSION AND A BATIKS N BEADS BAG WORKSHOP please e-mail for more details NEW TALK FOR 2011 MY OBSESSION CONTINUE'S