Ethiopian Quilt-making on BBC Radio 4

Following on from our earlier post about Jen Jones, Janet Bridge and CAFOD's project in Ethiopia, we were delighted to hear that Jen was on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour last week about theproject. I'm not sure that our Welsh quilting customers would agree with Jen's comment that quilting has all but died out in Wales! However, it is great to see some photos of the Ehtiopian ladies that Janet and Jen have been teaching to quilt.

If you would like to visit the article please click this link.

Apron Patterns

We've always loved Barbara Brandenburg's style - she has done some great books under the Cabbage Rose label. Her sisters are artistic and into quilting too. Teri Christopherson publishes under the Black Mountain quilts label and whenever we've got their books in stock we're almost guaranteed a few sales amongst Cotton Patch staff!

Mooching around on the web I found the link to Barbara's blog which is worth a look at the following link. We particularly liked the aprons she's done - they would look great in Amy Butler fabrics, as would her bags! A lovely site with some lovely photography.

Kaffe Fassett playmat finished just in time...!

Last week one of our customers told us...



"A few weeks back Daniela and I came (on behalf of a group of 7 friends) and bought a selection of fabrics, mainly Kaffe Fassett, from your shop to make a quilted playmat for one of the group's daughters who is expecting a baby in March. Still waiting for the baby but we finished the playmat (design from Quick and colourful quilts for babies and toddlers ed Rosemary Wilkinson)! This is our first project of this kind but we loved doing it and will be back!

Thought you might like to see the finished playmat.


Thanks for your very helpful advice."


The quilt is signed on the back "Annie, Cherry, Daniela, Gloria, Jan, Rosie and Sally. Sun 24th February 2008." So well done to all involved and what a great way to spend a Sunday!

The good news is that we received an email update today -

"Just had the great news that Sarah's baby has arrived! Born on Monday 24 March, 6lb 14 oz and named Jacob.

So that completes the story really - we finished it just in time!"
I'm sure baby Jacob will love the bright colours of the playmat.

November's Patchwork and Quilting Quilt Completed!

Sometimes just the right pattern comes up in a magazine and suddenly what to do with all those scraps becomes more than just a "when I find the right moment, I'll do something with them!" One of our customers had been receiving their Bargain Basics Club for, as she put it "several years", and found the perfect pattern in November's issue of British Patchwork and Quilting Magazine. Sunshine and Shadows is a stunning design that is less about the colour and design of the quilt and so much more about value. Darks and lights create the essence of the dynamic design and as you can see below the result is fantastic with secondary designs coming through.

Frances wrote to us by email, explaining, "I thought that you might like to see my latest effort, finished yesterday. I have been receiving material from your Bargain Basics Club for quite a while (several years!) and have never done anything with it. So recently I thought I would try and use some of it up. In November's Patchwork and Quilting there was the ideal pattern. I found it quite difficult sorting the fabric into light medium and dark but once that was done it was just a case of putting it together. Thank you very much for all the lovely fabrics."

Another tip for using up scraps is to use the Marti Michell Templates. If you're getting odd pieces use the Marti Michell Templates in square or triangles to trim them into useful pieces the moment you have the scrap to hand and on your cutting mat. The Set B is a good starting point. Keep ziplocks marked up with colours and values - warm, cool, dark, medium, light so that when you come to use your scraps later most of the sorting has been done!

When you are ready use a design like Sunshine and Shadows or one of the Marti Michell books of Set B to create your own unique quilt. What I love about this idea is that you will probably remember where those individual pieces came from and the whole quilt may even represent a period of time when you were into particular fabrics and designs.

The Patchwork and Quilting Guide to Buying Fabric

Sorting out my desk drawers today I found a copy of an invaluable guide - "Reasons and Excuses to Buy Fabric". No date, no author so I can't acknowledge credit where it is clearly due. You may have seen it before but I hope you enjoy it ...it's worth reminding ourselves of why we buy fabric!



1. It insulates the cupboard where it is kept.

2. It is our duty to support the economy.

3. It is less expensive and more fun than psychiatric care.

4. It is useful for covering all empty surfaces where dust may otherwise gather.

5. A sudden increase in the boll weevil population might wipe out the cotton crop for the next ten years.

6. I am participating in a contest - the one who dies with the most fabric wins.

7. Stress relief from dealing with the Fabric Control Officer (FCO, otherwise known as DH or Dear Husband)

8. It is not immoral, illegal or fattening. It calms the nerves, gratifies the soul and makes you feel good.

9. Buy it now before your husband retires and goes shopping with you.

10. It keeps without refrigeration; you don't have to cook it to enjoy it. You never have to feed or walk it.

11. A metre a day keeps the doctor away.

12. YOU DESERVE IT!



And because it feels like Spring is on the way here is the Kaffe Fassett Sunny Frames quilt :-)

Sewing Seeds of Opportunity in Ethiopia

Whilst chatting to a customer recently I learnt of a fascinating and inspiring initiative by Welsh quilt expert Jen Jones from Llanybydder and Janet Bridge from Cardigan.

Over the past year they have made several trips to Ethiopia after a visit to the UK by CAFOD's Beverley Jones (CAFOD's co-ordinator in Ethiopia) who stumbled on Jen's quilt shop in Wales. The idea was fomulated from their conversation to provide Ethiopian women with the skills to enable them to make and sell their hand-sewn quilts in Ethiopia and Wales.

Jen said "I saw this as a unique opportunity to source replica Welsh quilts for my proposed Welsh Quilt Gallery Shop in Lampeter Town Hall. It's such a great story that poor women who became master quilt-makers in Wales to avoid destitution and prostitution in the last century are linked to women in northern Ethiopia doing exactly the same thing this century.

"Also that a dying tradition in one country is helping to stimulate market development in another. I hope that this will be the beginning of a mutually productive and prosperous enterprise."

According to Beverley "There is a long tradition of weaving and embroidery in Ethiopia. The country is just recovering from cycles of drought and war which have left the majority of its people impoverished. But now there is a possibility for developing new products and creating more income for women who would otherwise be forced into sex work or other hazardous ways of earning a living."

The Ethiopian made quilts will be inspired by the styles and patterns of Welsh quilts and made using flannel woven at the Welsh Woollen Museum at Drefach Felindre as well as the colourfull Ethiopian fabric designs.

Janet told me that on the latest trip, which Janet and Jen are taking right now, they will be training five trainers who in turn will teach ten young women. This will enable them to ensure quality control is maintained and place some good orders.

It sounds like an excellent project that could really empower people who, given sufficient skills and tools can make a difference in their own lives.

More information can be found at the links on this page and here.

Kaffe Fassett Postcard Quilt

Taking a quilt pattern from a book as inspiration and guidance for colour and then making it with your own fabrics is a great way to make an individual quilt but with a more certain outcome! One of our customers - Marian who lives in Portugal, sent us her work-in-progress of the Kaffe Fassett quilt "Postcard Quilt", which featured in Kaffe's book "Quilt Road", in a pastel colourway.

She told us, "I usually make quilts to my own designs but the beauty of the Kaffe Fassett works of art are both inspirational and irresistable . My daughter asked me for a quilt in pastel colours and so I am taking great pleasure in choosing paler colours and allowing them to flow through the quilt . As always it is not just the design but the movement and flow of colours that excites me!

I used to leave part made items on the floor of my sewing room but that was until the cat brought in a small animal during the night and ate it on the wall hanging (back to the drawing board !) Life is never dull, is it?"

She reminded us that a while ago she sent an email which explained why old ladies wear purple and orange. "Because as you get older your eyesight deteriorates and purple and orange appear to be dark blue and pink!"

We're delighted that we've supplied (apparently!) the fabrics to make twenty quilts - we hope that we see the results of many more - purple, orange, whatever... quilts in the future!