Coast & Country Crafts and Quilts Newsletter

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One kind word can change someone's entire day.

Hello once more. We hope you are well and enjoying the same sun that has been shining brightly in Cornwall this week. We have been blessed with a run of good days that has certainly lifted our spirits. Also lifting us this week was having three different sewing groups in our workshop. It really is wonderful to see women connecting over their shared passion of sewing. People who have found it hard to be motivated over the past few years are finding the love of sewing once more and leave the shop beaming at what they have accomplished. Some have arrived not knowing anyone but have left knowing they have new friendships blooming. Please contact us if you feel this would be something you'd like to join in with as we still have a few places left.

This week the newsletter theme was inspired by a chat with our colleague Mary. She has sewn a beautiful heart with inspiring words and so we have decided that we are looking at all things connected to words.

"Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much." Blaise Pascal

Many of our fabrics and patterns have such beautiful words on them that it was easy to find inspiration this week. From the amusing Everlasting Postcards with their quirky illustrations and funny quotes, to the elegant script on the Etchings fabric. The heartfelt words on stitcheries and even quotes on the humble fabric selvedge. We are surrounded by words in the fabric world. Gifts made with love and with kind words on them can bring smiles that are rekindled every time they are read. We hope you find inspiration below too.

Whatever you are sewing, have fun with it.
We look forward to helping you with all your sewing needs and seeing you in the shop, or chatting on the phone or online.
Best wishes
Sally & the girls
I thought I'd start off with the inspiration for this newsletter. The lovely heart from Mary. She is planning to run it as a workshop in the near future, so please get in touch if you would like to sign up for it. The beautiful words are a quote that Mary downloaded and then printed onto the Photo Fabric using her home printer. The photo fabric can be used to print anything from words to a favourite photograph or a copy of a beloved artwork from a child or grandchild. Such an exciting product that offers a plethora of opportunities for creating a very personal project.
These gorgeous books from Tilly Rose are full of inspiring ideas. Textile artists find inspiration all around them from fleeting memories to treasured items, sketches, poems and photographs. But how do you collect and record these precious thoughts and ideas? Tilly Rose shows you how, by creating stunning fabric and paper journals and keepsakes filled with inspiration to spark your creativity. The photo fabric would be useful for these too.

Below are examples of patterns and books containing patterns for making journal covers. Journaling has become a very popular mindfulness activity and having a beautiful cover for a plain notebook can make the process even more valuable.
Collections for a Cause - Etchings from 3 Sisters and Howard Marcus contains both cotton and a cotton/linen blend and several of the designs contain a script. I have included some close up photos as we love the detail and the words. "A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow." William Shakespeare
Cascade has no script on the fabric but the lovely quote on the selvedge - "Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it."
Botanicals by Janet Clare has script designs, bird names and also a pretty selvedge - "All good things are wild and free."
To The Sea, also by Janet Clare is nautical themed with "Come in, the water's fine." quoted on the selvedge.
Bluebell, another Janet Clare range, has a script design. Although not clear words it gives an added dimension to the collection.
Look at these beautiful selvedges that are part of the fabrics from various Create Joy Project ranges. "When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." "Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
If you look on Pinterest you can see lots of ideas for using selvedges. We even use them as little flags on the stuffed sailing boats.
Chelsea Garden fabric has an Oscar Wilde quote on the selvedge. "With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy?" Of course the fabric range is just gorgeous. Sally made a quilt using this range as a birthday gift for her dear friend.
Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse often has beautiful words in her designs. We have a large selection of her patterns and books to follow including all her preprinted panels to make stitching a design even easier. Some of the phrases from the patterns include -
"Hearts return to the home that's filled with love."
"Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest, is surely home and home sweet home for there the heart can rest."
"When the road gets bumpy, I will help you navigate."
Last but not least is Journey of a Quilter from Leanne Beasley of Leanne's House. A delightful quilt/BOM Filled with phrases relating to quilting. We also have a fabric pack.
"I have stitched, formed friendships, laughed, shared secrets, eased burdens and learnt lessons. For this I can be grateful. This is the journey of a quilter."