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Friday 23 March 2018

Immanuel & Oakmount Mills Day Out

After cancelling a couple of weeks ago due to the snow, our group managed to set out yesterday for a  trip to a couple of Lancashire Mills (just to help reduce their stocks of fabric). 
The first day out we have had this year and a good one it was too.
First we visited Immanuel Mill in Colne which was quite an experience. 
Housed in an old chapel, with many of the old pews in situ, it was stuffed to the gunnels, room after room, with rolls of every kind of fabric but not much 100% cotton suitable for our quilting needs.  We still managed to buy quite an amount of yardage from there to make bags, crafts and for backings etc., as prices started from an amazing £1 a meter. The staff were all so helpful carrying rolls and finding all we were looking for.
We drove the short distance on to Oakmount Mill, a much smarter place but also with higher prices, though there were still some bargains to be had.Fine Fabrics Oakmount Millshop A really lovely lunch was enjoyed in the attached Bobbin Restaurant before we delved into the goodies in the shop. 
They had a good range with a whole floor of soft furnishing fabrics and the upper floor of dress and quilting fabrics, plus haberdashery and with main brands such as Lewis @ Irene. The ladies serving us were really lovely and helpful. 
The fabric for our group quilt was selected and almost everyone spent  a good few ££££££s there. 
Here's Debbie's selection(she who swore she was NOT buying any more fabric). 
Margaret M and I made a few additions to our Liberty collections which, at £9 meter, was excellent value.
Just by chance,totally impromptu, another local mill manager, from the Lancashire Bedding Co, spotted our group going in to Immanuels and had the foresight to invite us to visit his factory, which we fitted in before we drove home. What an opportunity and what fun we had too.
We had a great welcome from the staff but at first we were disappointed that they only made bedding items, duvets,  sheets, cushions however, it was really interesting to be given a tour of the factory to see how they make their quality items for several prestigious British retailers. It was even better when we were offered an exceptionally good discount on any purchases we made so, of course, we came home with lots of real bargains we just couldn't possibly leave behind. Josie had a mattress topper made specially to order .....from this......

Filled up extra firmly to Josie's needs
Then vacuum packed so that we could squash it with all our other stash into the mini-bus
to this....
Josie told us that she needed a ladder to get into bed when she fitted her new topper.
It was a fun and very different day out which we all enjoyed and we will be doing it again very soon.

Sunday 7 January 2018

African Hangings and the Last of Christmas Makes 2017

Sorry this post is somewhat late but I'm sure you'll agree that we've all been so busy and I will close up the old year really well with several African hangings and quite a bit of Christmas activity.
 Happy New Year to everyone and I hope you will make 2018 a creative one.

Thanks to Pat Mac who gave us a really enjoyable workshop where we made African themed wall hangings with batik backgrounds and effectively appliquéd silhouettes of animals and people.
The fabulous finished results are coming in gradually......
from Michelle

from Josie
A background from Jo before the appliqué was applied
by Maureen
Don't be fooled by Marie's folk style skirt.....

It's really a super huge Christmas Tree base cover that Kathy is making!

Val has just finished this lovely quilt for a little member of her family in time for Christmas.
Mo's creativity produced this fabulous unusual wreath using recycled old jewellery
For our Christmas get together and our last meeting of the year we enjoyed mince pies and raffles and

big thanks go out for the Pass the Parcel, which was kindly provided by Val. Some funny ones and some little treasures but lots of laughs both in opening the wrappings as well as the contents. .

It was a shame to unwrap it!
Josie, our chairperson, presented Sue with a gift in recognition and thanks for all her work upon retiring as our group treasurer.
Veronica showed us some lovely makes (above). A Celtic table centre and a mediaeval design wallhanging made in rich velvet.
Last, but certainly not least, Lorna made this striking modern quilt as a gift for her niece.