Phew.....autumn here we come...

Well I'm back (and just slightly embarrassed that its been so long since my last post), things have been quite hectic here at RWS H.Q. We have been planning our autumn workshops, which are now ready for booking (hurahhh) although there are some more to come too. We were also at sharrowvale market which was a really busy, as well as sunny, afternoon - so a BIG hello to everyone who discovered us there. Our Private Sewing Tuition sessions are becoming really popular and also we have been working really hard to find a more permanent venue for Running With Scissors (we're almost there... more news on this soon).

We are running 7 new workshops in the autumn block as well as your favourites. Here are some images for the new workshops, I'm intending to do a more detailed blog on each one:

Free Machine Embroidery (+ water soluble fabric) very exciting - its like drawing with stitches, lots of possibilities and lots of scope for creativity! (which is what we are all about at RWS)
 

The Baguette Bag!
As the name suggests - perfect for carrying your baguette home, without it falling out or snapping! Use some lovely fabric and they make great gifts for your friends..

Easy Peasy Shirt to Top
A bit of up-cycling - made from a man's shirt you can run up this little top in a couple of hours. You will get to have a go at attaching some bias binding which is a nice way to finish raw edges.

Improvers Knitting 
Our knitting tutor Fran is running our improvers knitting workshop to give all the beginners out there the chance to have a go at some more techniques, such as increasing and decreasing, stitch patterns and reading a pattern.

101 Ways to Felt
I am very exciting about this workshop which is going to be run by me and Fran. Everyone will get to have a go at wet felting, dry felting and using an embellisher machine and then we are going to chat about knitting and felting in the washing machine! You will get to play about with lots of wool, have a good experiment and make lots of little things to take home! This is a little purse decorated using the dry felting technique (using a felting needle), which you can make at the workshop (we'll put the zip in for you)

Patchwork & Quilting
Our fab tutor Janet is back in December for our place mats and coaster workshop (which would make great Christmas gifts) - they are the wonky house and trees pattern so they have their own individual charm! if you prefer you can make a table runner instead with a little row of houses!

Improvers Crochet
Laura will be running a more advanced crochet workshop for everyone who has grasped the basics and wants to learn more techniques. Provisional date is Sunday 28th October (images and booking details coming to the website soon)

Hope to see you all at a workshop soon
Emma x

Fab Patchwork Cushion Covers

Last Saturday was our Patchwork Cushion workshop with our fab tutor Janet Bottomley. For once, I had the opportunity to join the workshop and managed to whip up a coaster, as a sample, and the actual cushion cover. I'm very impressed with it - and now I can strip piece (which sounds a bit racy but isn't) and do some simple quilting. I went for some contrasting fabric which kind of co-ordinates with our bright blue sofa.

 

Here's a couple of other cushions made at the workshop, which would look fab on any sofa!, (including a skulls and owls combination) 

More patchwork workshops will be coming in the autumn where you can learn some simple projects which you can make as Christmas presents (or other gifts), sign up for our mailing list on our homepage www.rwssheffield.co.uk so you can find out when they are ready for booking.

Patchwork and Quilting Workshop with Janet Bottomley

This post is all about Janet Bottomley who is running the Patchwork and Quilting workshop on 10th April. I first met Janet a few months ago and we immediately clicked through our love of crafting and VW camper vans. Janet even brought along some VW campervan fabric for me but I can’t decide what to use it for yet as I want to make the most of it!

Janet is clearly a patchwork and quilting junkie, have a look at one of her blogs at http://www.aquiltersjournal.blogspot.com/ if you need the proof! This is a picture of one of one of Janet’s mini-quilts which won an award at the Harrogate Quilt Show. (We'll be making a mini-quilt at the workshop on 10th April)

As well as having a husband, 2 sons, 5 cats and 3 rescued ex-battery chickens Janet also finds time to travel from Barnsley to Skipton, North Yorkshire, every month to continue her love of quilting by undertaking a city and guilds certificate in ‘Patchwork and Quilting – Creative Techniques’ (Janet already has a Certificate in Patchwork and Quilting!). You can follow Janet’s work on her blog

http://www.cityandguildspatchworkandquilting.blogspot.com/

I am very jealous, as they seem to do some fantastic assignments where you can let your creativity run riot. Here are a couple of my favourite pieces from Janet’s course




Janet also likes to incorporate used fabrics into her projects, here’s one with the odds and ends of shirts which weren’t used in other projects. I really like this one!


As if that’s not enough Janet is also involved in producing memory quilts and charity quilts, runs workshops and arranges talks from national quilting specialists!

Here’s a couple of images of Janet’s quilts which I’m sure you will agree are absolutely fantastic.






At the Running With Scissors workshop on 10th April we will be learning the techniques of piecing, appliqué and quilting, using all the necessary equipment and materials. If you’ve always wanted to have a go, this is an ideal starter session to learn the basics, take home your very own mini-quilt and have the initial skills to be able to create your own quilt later at home.

Hope to see you there!