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Customers Gallery

We will update this page regularly to add more photos so don’t forget to come back to check it out for inspiration. If you would like to share your creations pop in so we can photograph it or email us a clear picture and we will let the world see how fabulous you are.

 

Jeanette has thanked us for inspiration and look what she has made. A beautiful seaside bunting using our wooden buttons and Seaside Town by Lynette Anderson.

Dee made these simply amazing festive Luna Lapins. She made sure to check our bags and pockets when she left as we were very keen to keep them!

We were absolutely in awe of the stunning Tilda Quilter’s Holiday made by Julie and quilted by Sandy Chandler. Made using a kit from us following a pattern in Homespun magazine. Breathtaking work from them both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margaret has made a simple but beautiful quilt top using a selection of flannels from the shop. We all wanted to take it home. For extra snuggle factor she is backing it with our polar fleece. When using a fleece backing you do not need wadding.

 

Joanna was inventive with a Heather and Sage panel and made this beautiful quilt for her grandchild.

Alicia has been super productive and has made three versions of Life’s a Journey for gifts.

Which is your favourite colour way? We think it is hard to choose as they all look beautiful.

 

Siobhan put her own twist on the lovely Garden Gathering Bag by Gail Pan. She used a variegated thread in place of redwork to create a superb result.

 

 

Trish has made this festive table runner using the Blizzard range of fabrics.

She made a pieced back too, lovely.

 

Alicia has been very busy. These two beautiful quilts brought a smile to our faces.

Heartstrings by The Birdhouse Here, There & Everywhere by Hatched and Patched made with a fabric pack from us.

 

Michelle bought the Market Garden Quilt Fabric pack from us. After making it up and gifting it to her mum she is about to buy a second pack to make one for herself. We can see why. Her quilt is stunning. A blend of mainly Hatched and Patched Market Garden fabric and Lanacot Wools.

 

 

 

Sally  plucked up the courage, after a little persuasion from us, and made the Tilda Lazy Gardener quilt using a kit from us. She is pleased with it and we think deservedly so.

 

Claire made up the Cottage Garden Kit from Beaks and Bobbins. She says she has not worked with ribbon and beads before and loved the process of learning and developing new skills while she was recovering from illnesses. We love her work and the way it is displayed.

 

Gill made her Little Dresden Quilt entirely from Lynette Anderson scrap bags. We are in awe and love it so much. No piece of fabric is too small to be utilised!

 

 

Lorraine designed this quilt herself using mainly Blume and Grow fabrics. Some of the blocks are by Thimble Blossom and Lori Holt. What a triumph this is.

 

Mel showed us her absolutely stunning landscape, titled The Meadow, using fabric and lace scraps. We love her use of all the tiny bits of fabric and lace and the mix of stitch and appliqué.

 

Look at this lovely example of the Willowbrook Market Garden Quilt. Designed by The Birdhouse and pieced by Tess using her stash.

 

We love Tilda here at Coast and Country and look at this beautiful example of the Embroidery Flower Quilt. It is a Tilda pattern and uses Tilda Solids to give the impression of an embroidery design.

We like the way the quilting has been done too.

 

Sylvia dropped by to show us her simply gorgeous Celtic Knot quilt made using Liberty fabric. Such a lot of hard work using hand applique and hand quilting. Utterly beautiful but she says it will end up in her wardrobe. This needs to be displayed for all to see, a proper heirloom.

Look at this joyous photo of little Lane sat on the Seagull Quilt made by his Great Grandma Valerie in Canada using a fabric pack from us. The Seagull Quilt pattern is in the Nautical Quilts Book by Lynette Anderson. We are in love with both Lane and the quilt.

Look at this stunning version of Hatched and Patched BOM The Santa, The Tree, The Turkey and Me. Jacqueline visited us to show us what she’d created using her stash of felt and fabric scraps from our popular scrap bags. We love the original design that uses wool applique, but we adore this version too. Look for the fussy cut images and the clever use of a variegated thread for the meandering hand quilting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kim showed us her deliciously colourful quilt made by combining Kaffe Fasset fabrics from a fat 1/4 bundle, with a bright white sashing. Stunning.


Look at Lorraine in her gorgeous patchwork jacket from the Great British Sewing Bee Book. She used a selection of our fabrics plus a quirky birdhouse end of roll bargain for the lining and a bright pop of colour for the binding. She said she went way out of her comfort zone making this but is so happy she did. We love it Lorraine.

Jill says she is a relative newcomer to quilt making but we are thoroughly impressed by her perfectly pieced Spoondrift Quilt by Janet Clare. She has used the To The Sea Fabric kit. Absolutely stunning.

 

Look at this beautiful lockdown quilt from Sarah, using her stash bought in a hurry before we closed the first time. It is a gorgeous blend of needle turn applique using William Morris fabrics and superbly quilted by Sandy Chandler.

 

 

 

Look at this labour of love from Anne.

She made this Noah’s Ark quilt for her grandson from a Jo Colwill

pattern in the Cowslip Country Quilts Book

 

 

 

 

 

We were thrilled when Brenda brought in her Bluebird Quilt by Janet Clare that she’s had as a kit & was given as a gift last year, how gorgeous!

 

The ladies at St Wenn Quilters have been busy making this delightful quilt in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We think it is stunning. Well done all involved

 

 

 

This beautiful Camden Bag was made by Rachael and she’s making many more. Using the pattern by Two Aunties, a jelly roll and the jumbo and super jumbo Dill buttons. We nearly didn’t let her have this bag back!
Look at these gorgeous cushions made by ladies on a recent workshop at a local group, taught by Sally using her Honeybun Kisses pattern

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at this beautiful Around My Garden quilt completed by Deborah using a kit from us. Just stunning

Ann has made this pretty cushion using her stash of One Stitch at a Time fabric by Lynette Anderson. She’s now busy making kits for her sewing group so they can make one too. We think it is beautiful.
Linda came back in with a new summer version of her Kimono that she has lovingly made using selection of Cranberries and Cream fabrics. It took one layer cake, two charm packs and 2 mini charms and was made using a vintage Vogue pattern.
Fiona has used the kits in the Platinum Jubilee Box to make the bunting, Union Jack cushion and the pincushion. She has added extra details with machine embroidery and we think it all looks amazing. Fiona said some of the embelishments were to hide errors but we are sure they are really purposeful design elements. How often do we do something similar and end up with a much improved individual project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at these delightful cards that Lisa made using one of our Lucky Dip Stitchery kits, aperture cards and her imagination. We love that she has been inventive with the threads, fabrics and images.

 

 

 

 

Jane has made this very beautiful quilt using mainly French General fabrics.

These two Easter Egg Hunt wall hangings were made by Deborah. We love how she has put her own twist on them both. Pattern is by Hatched & Patched

 

 

 

 

Nautical Flag quilt by Jan
Jan asked us to create a vibrant kit for this Nautical Flag quilt. This pattern is in Nautical Quilts book by Lynette Anderson.
Alison Made this seaside bunting from our button and fabric kits
Kathy appliqued a cute trio of elephants onto a quilt top made using Little Ducklings fabrics
Sue also used Little Ducklings fabrics for her quilt top. We love how the two quilts look so different but so pretty.
Look at this amazing quilted kimono worn proudly by it’s creator. It was a real labour of love and we are pleased that we helped with the creation of her vision. From sketches and an idea of colours to contrast with the William Morris print, the kimono came to life.

 

Pat has been busy making these two beauties. One using Janet Clare fabrics and the other the Habitat range. Very different looks but both lovely.

 

Cindy has been very busy with these quiilts, some inspired by photos in the Quiltmania Diary that we sell each year. What gorgeous colours.

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Workshop Makes

We have been so excited to hold classes again. We were hoping that they would be held in the new workshop space, but it has been delayed. Not to worry, everyone had a wonderful creative time. Here are some of the makes.

Louise Nichols ran a lovely Festive Lino cut tree workshop. Despite everyone having access to the same ‘ingredients’ they have all turned out differently. It was a really relaxed day and we welcome Louise back in February. If you can’t wait then we have plenty of her kits in store.

 

 

 

Caroline Michelle ran a fun Free Motion applique wreath making workshop. Look at the stunning makes, again, all a little different. Caroline will be back in 2024 to teach more free motion applique classes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Little History of Feed Sack Sewing

Since I first heard the term Feed Sack fabric, I was intrigued. As I child I helped out on a farm and feed sacks to me meant rough and ready hessian sacks that I could never imagine using to make an item of clothing or a quilt. Then I discovered the gorgeous cotton prints of 1930s American feed sacks and things fell into place.

 

 

I read up on the history and found that out of necessity every scrap of fabric that could be repurposed was used. From the 1840s grains, animal feed, sugar, flour, beans and seeds etc were all packaged in cotton bags. Once emptied the bags were washed and used to make all manner of clothes and household items like aprons and quilts. In the 1920s, the cotton bags were made from softer fabric and manufacturers started to print water soluble labels and sewing patterns on their sacks to encourage the practice and make life easier for the home sewer.

 

During the Great Depression of 1929-1939, the repurposing of feed sacks became even more prolific. Many people were living hand to mouth and the only way of clothing themselves or keeping warm was to make clothes and quilts from the free fabric that came in the shape of the bag. A 100lb feed sack could be opened to create a yard of 44″ fabric–enough for a child’s dress, and about 3 pieces made an adult size garment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the 30s competition became more fierce as manufacturers vied to produce the most attractive prints to entice women to choose their product. The 40s were the heyday of feed sack sewing due to the shortages of WW2. There were competitions to encourage the use of every tiny scrap of fabric and so we see lots of scrappy quilts made at this time and the popularity of the postage stamp quilt made from inch squares of fabrics.

When we think of feed sacks we cannot imagine how colourful some of them were but looking at photos we can see that the vibrant feedsack inspired fabrics of today are true to the originals.

There is plenty of information available online on this fascinating subject, some of which can be found HERE and HERE

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Gail Pan Visit – August 8th and 9th 2023

 

 

 

We were thrilled to spend two wonderful days with Gail Pan. She spent a lot of time teaching and demonstrating techniques for hand stitching, applique and offered handy hints for finishing her bags, pouches and quilts. It was wonderful to see so many women gathered together sewing and chatting and laughing and eating! We look forward to welcoming Gail back with us in the future.

 

 

 

We have a large stock of new and old patterns from Gail and they are available HERE.

If you are able to visit we recommend popping in to see Gail’s own samples but here are a few to tempt you if you are unable to come to the shop.

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Backyard Happenings Spring bunting instructions

 

This is a lovely little project to put together quickly. It is also the perfect way to introduce children or beginners to some simple sewing.

You will need

A Backyard Happenings Bunting kit

Thread to match the panels (off white or beige) plus thread to match the bunting tape.

Sewing machine and general sewing notions, scissors, pins etc

 

Press all your fabric before starting. This ensures accurate cutting and piecing.

Cut all pieces of fabric into 8″ squares to match the size of the images.

Arrange the flags that will face forward in an order that you like and take a photo for reference. I alternated an image with a patterned fabric piece. You will have 9 flag fronts.

Next arrange the fabrics for the back of the flags to also make a pleasing display that spreads the colours and patterns evenly.

 

Pair up each front and back with right sides together and pin or clip to hold in place. Make sure any directional designs are facing the right way up.

Sew down the right hand side, across the bottom and up the other side on each flag. DO NOT sew across the top.

Trim a small triangle off the bottom two corners making sure not to cut through the seams. This makes the turning out easier.

Turn the flags the right way out, easing out the corners to make neat squares.

Making sure the flags and seams are straight, press each flag neatly. At this stage you can top stitch the three sewn sides if desired but it is not essential.

Lay the bunting tape down and finger press in half as you lay each flag into the fold, face up in the desired order, use your photo for reference. Remember to leave a tail each end of the bunting tape approximately 45cm/18″ long for ease of hanging later. Place each flag about 2″ or 5cm apart. Pin or clip the flags in place.

Tucking in the end of the tape, start sewing all the way along the tape anchoring down both sides of the tape and the flag as you go. Sew as close to the lower edge of the tape as possible but check that you are catching both sides. You can use a straight running stitch or a zig zag or decorative stitch if you prefer. Sew all the way along. Check for any stray threads and hang with pride and a little smile.

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Beaks & Bobbins Liberty Wall Hanging

Michelle used the Cottage Garden Stitch Kit from Beaks & Bobbins to create this delightful wall hanging. She has teamed it with pretty Liberty fabrics and we all love it. It reminds us of warm summer days and the heady smell of flowers dancing in the summer breeze.

To replicate this idea you will need the following-

the Beaks & Bobbins kit of your choice

Strips of fabric for the piecing and a piece for the backing to fit the size you make. Michelle used a fat 1/4 for the back, hanging sleeve, and one of the frames around the embroidery, plus a fat 1/8 for one frame and the binding, then three other strips of fabric for the remaining frames, approximately 1″strip x width of fabric or a fat 1/16 or fat 1/8 will do it

An 8″ or 10″ embroidery hoop if you like to use them

wadding approx 12″ square

a wire hanger, Michelle used the Flower Garden hanger

general sewing notions

 

Complete the stitch kit as per the instructions included.

Trim the completed panel to a neat square leaving at least a 1/4″ seam allowance all around. Approximately a 6 1/2″ square.

Cut 2 strips 1″ x 7″ and stitch to the sides of the panel

Cut 2 strips 1″ x 8″ and stitch to the top and bottom of the panel

Press and trim to a square.

Continue to add 1″ strips in this way until you have 5 frames around the panel. Each strip will increase by 1/2″ in length on each round ie frame two strips will be 1″ x 7 1/2″ and 1″ x 8 1/2″.

Layer up the finished top with wadding and the backing. Quilt as desired. Michelle stitched in the ditch between frames one and two, two and three and four and five.

Now add the binding and a hanging sleeve or tabs depending on preference. If adding a hidden hanging sleeve, sew this on before adding the binding. Cut a strip of fabric 11″ long x 2 1/2″ wide. Wrong side up fold over the short ends by 1/2″ and sew down, next fold in half wrong sides together down the length and stitch in place at the top of the back. *You can only use this method if you are using a dowel hanger otherwise you will need to add the wire hanger into your hanging sleeve before stitching the sleeve down. Hand stitch the sleeve down if needed to ensure it is hidden from the front.

Michelle added binding using the mitred corner method. Cut binding strips 2 1/2″ wide joining if needed depending on if you have width of fabric or fat 1/8s to work with. With raw edges matching sew your binding on, mitring the corners as you go. Hand sew the edge down on the back of your quilt.

Slide your dowel through the hanging sleeve and admire your summery creation.