Category Archives: sewing workshops

Amusing myself on my staycation

http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, quilting, sewing workshops, staycation

Hello Dear Reader,

A holiday to me is any day I don’t have to be in work. Therefore I’m on holiday. I don’t go anywhere, Dearly Beloved is at work when I’m ‘on holiday’ and I don’t intend go anywhere on my own. So, I’m home amusing myself.

The initial stages of making any quilt is to get ALL of the quilt blocks cut first. If you do a bit at a time, you might be tempted to not finish it and then you’ll have a UFO lurking where you would rather have a finished item.

Now everything is cut, I’m in the process of making 448 of the 3.5″ block below in various blues and neutrals. The half triangles above are in the process of being sewn. I take a ‘back’ break every now and then. Sewers will know what I mean.

I keep all the little blocks in separate baskets and keep a tally of them as I go. I’ve made a few mistakes cutting and will need to make some more but that’s quilting.


I also have 125 of these blocks to make. I love that moment where my blocks are ready to be sewn together. This quilt will start in the middle and I will work out. It will all be blues and neutrals and a geometric design. I love the maths of quilting!

My little blocks start in strips and I keep every off cut and then sew them together. These will all go into my scrappy quilt that I add to now and then to use up my bags of scraps as nothing gets wasted here. I’m aiming for another king size quilt out of my scraps.

I’m also aiming to have another go at dress making. I’ve learned a lot watching the Great British Sewing Bee about fitting. I’ve also learned a lot about handling different fabrics and matching the fabrics too. I learned how to centre the fabric so the pattern runs down the middle and matches on the shoulders and sleeves. I’ve recorded it all to watch again some time. I can understand patterns now and know more about grain, nap, cross grain and bias of fabric. I’m using patterns that a dear reader sent me but I bought fabric today. The blouse fabric was £2.50 a yard and 1.5 yards will make a blouse. The dress fabric was £3.75 a yard and will take just under 3 yards to make it. If I can master fitting then I will have clothes for a fraction of the cost of buying them. I’m also tall so I can lengthen patterns to fit me. (£3.75 for the blouse, I will use recycled buttons I’ve kept from shirts and a dress for under £15 including zip and interfacing.)


I’ve given myself a talking to and I’m not going to start the blouse (the hardest thing to make apparently so I’ll make that first!) until I have my quilt top made. I don’t have the space at home to lay a quilt out so that can wait until I can borrow some space.

It was great to have a chat with you. Now, what do you need to finish? What do you need to learn to do to save yourself money? Who else is tired of paying a fortune for clothes? Who else, like me, can make clothes but hasn’t mastered fitting? Has anyone else picked up some valuable information that they can turn into skills after watching the Great British sewing bee? I’d love to hear from you.

As so many of you read, keep up to date with me on Twitter queen_frugal, or follow by email or just follow the blog. Add me to your reading list and keep up to date with my daily blog and frequent tweets. xxx

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx

p.s If you haven’t voted yet please click on the MADS finalist link top right and vote for me as best thrifty blog and best food blog. Thanks folks.

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Shabby Chic in South East Cornwall

http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, sewing workshops

Hello Dear Reader,

I had the MOST lovely day. I spent the day in the company of two delightful ladies who wanted to learn a few sewing techniques. Both were a dab hand with a sewing machine but using a rotary cutter, measuring and creating quilt blocks out of recycled fabric was all new to them. We quickly dismantled a couple of shirts and some thrifty fabric and with a bit of a swap of ‘mine for yours’, we had the basis of a stunning shabby chic creation.

It’s way simpler than it looks. You could use up all of your scraps of fabric and by creating enough blocks have enough for a king size quilt in no time at all. We learned Froog’s quick and cheaty method of spray basting and a quick wizz round to get the front of a cushion quilted. The back was made in an envelope style so no zip or button is needed. Both ladies agreed that they could make these at home and get them done in in no time at all.

You’ve got to agree that the results are stunning. Neither ladies have ever quilted before. Both used some recycled fabric and I can see a shirt and dress to name but a few. Pop a cushion pad in this and it certainly adds a vintage make do and mend feel to any home.

If you can get to me and want to learn some sewing skills then send me a tweet or email. There’s no charge. You simply donate what you can afford, or what you felt the day was worth. I hope no one ever thinks the day was rubbish and decides to donate nothing at all but if that’s so, then it’s so. I’m quite happy to offer workshops in bag making, for you to bring along a dress pattern and fabric and have me teach you how to lay out the pattern and cut the fabric. It can be about quilt making or upcycling. Do you have something too big and want to learn how to put in darts or tucks so it fits you? If that’s the case then feel free to get in touch with me.

I’d love everyone to have useful skills and using a sewing machine and being able to repair or make is such a useful skill.


I have another sewing bee on Tuesday 15th and have some interest and if that fills quickly then I’m happy to do another on Wednesday 16th. Sewers want to know how to make curtains, bags, quilts and how to cut out and use a pattern. I’m more than happy to accommodate.

Lunch is provided from my thrifty kitchen and the tea pot is always on the go!

What’s stopping you?

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxx

p.s please vote for me in best thrifty blog - what’s thriftier than turning old dresses into cushions? we are making do and mending here xx click the link below - thanks my lovelies xx