Lots of Changes

Its been a while since I last posted and there have been lots of major changes to update you with.

Earlier this year, we made the decision to move the fabric out of the Royal Bridlington.  Our Extra wide fabrics had taken over every possible available space and we had run out of room!

So In May, we manage to secure a local industrial unit with great natural light and plenty of parking and we began to design our new space.  This involved the purchase and building of lots more shelving, electrical work to install sockets, alarm system and cctv.

Gradually we began to move our stock in and of course order some more too -lol so we can cover all your patchwork and quilting requirements. 

We now also have a range of standard width fabric to - many at a great price of just £8 per metre, Precuts, tools, thread, notions, patterns, waddings etc 

The unit is now open a couple of days a week and as always appointments can be made for other times to suit.

It is also planned to move the longarm to the unit and when this happens, the opening times will increase.

We are really enjoying our new space and we are grateful to all the lovely people who have already visited us there.

Retreats

Here is the Update we have published on our Facebook page today.

The End of an Era…..

Sadly we have made the decision to stop doing retreats.

There are many reasons why –

Ever rising costs – food, staff, heating, power and overheads are spiralling out of control. Realistically the only way to be able to provide a reasonably priced retreat is now to increase the numbers of students dramatically and more space and bedrooms would be needed.

We originally built the retreats to provide much needed work out of season for our staff, but now in reality we end up doing the majority of the work. We have had some lovely staff over the years who have also benefited from this out of season work but more recently and now for several years now, we have struggled with the reliability of some of the local staff.

Our increasing age – we are no longer spring chickens! And when staff let us down we end up having to jump in. This undoubtedly causes great stress. Working from 7am to 11pm every day doing breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner plus all our other jobs is now just far too much.

During Covid, many tutors took their teaching on line and other also rethought their plans and retired. Also there was a reluctance to socialise to the extent needed on a retreat for several years after covid and numbers certainly took a drop with both residential students and locals.

Over the last 20 years here at the Royal Bridlington, we have brought in many famous tutors from all over the world to come and teach and students too have come from all over the world to attend. These retreats have also been open for locals to attend on a daily workshop basis. We have learnt lots and had some great laughs along the way and made some lovely friendships too. We have also provided facilities for groups to come along and do their own retreats and we have had many groups from all over the country to come and stay. We have also organised and run two quilt shows which raised many hundreds of pounds for local charities. Its such a shame it cannot continue, but our health and well being now needs to take priority.

We are certain that the local shops will also miss our students who over the years have spent considerable sums on supplies during their stays.

We will of course be continuing to provide bed and breakfast at the Royal Bridlington, and Self catering in our DaisyChainholidays bungalows in Sewerby. We will be moving our Longarm to our new unit and this will mean the opening times will increase. Along with the biggest range of extra wide fabrics in the UK we now also stock a range of standard width fabrics – most being just £8 per metre! Precuts, waddings, tools, patterns, thread etc etc. Opening times can be found on our facebook page and Quilt Sandwich website.

We would like to wish all our retreaters and our tutors the very best for the future and we look forward to seeing you at our new unit or at one of the many shows we attend.

xx

Our new Unit is located at -

Unit 6C Carnaby Industrial Estate

Lancaster Road

Bridlington

YO15 3QY

What Three Words - Songbird, Teadrop, Luxury.

Drive past John Bull Rock Factory and another couple of blocks and you will see a sign for Carnaby Tyres on the left. Drive into that compound and we are on the opposite side.

Opening times - check our Quilt Sandwich website  here -

https://www.quiltsandwich.co.uk/contact

or our Facebook page here -https://www.facebook.com/QuiltSandwich/

Our self catering properties can be found on our website here -

https://www.daisychainholidays.co.uk/

The largest Range of Extra Wide Fabrics in the UK!

Did you know.....Quilt Sandwich has the largest range of extra wide fabrics in the UK!

These are ideal for quilt backs, patchwork, dressmaking, table cloths and many other items.  Most are 108 inches wide - that's 2.75metres. Some are even wider at 115-118 inches.

The minimum cut is half a metre which is 2 units on our website and then by the quarter metre, for example 10 units is 2.5 metres and 9 units is 2.25m.  

You can also order a fat quarter of most of them which is ideal for matching colours and patterns before purchasing the whole amount.  

We stock fabrics from well known manufacturers including Moda, Windham, Benartex, Studio E, FreeSpirit, Timeless Treasures, Lewis & Irene, Nutex, V & A, Riley Blake, Dear Stella, Ruby Star, Kaufman etc 

We also have our own extra wide batik especially manufactured in the traditional way for us.  These are done on a slightly less dense fabric than most standard width batiks and so are ideal for quilt backs and many other items too.  Of course, a standard width batik should not be used as a quilt back as the weave is usually too tight and bearding and holes can occur.

Along with our couple of thousand bolts of extra wide fabrics we also stock a good range of layer cakes, charm packs and Moda scrap bags.

All these can be purchased from our website and, although you can use Paypal to check out, if you select to check out as guest the system then allows you to use a credit or debit card of your choice for payment.

We take a selection of our fabrics to many quilt shows around the UK and also Northern Ireland, but we have so many we cannot take them all!  If you are visiting a show and want to see any of our fabrics - just message or email us before hand and we will
endeavour to pack them in the van - who is called "Eggypops"!

Our extra wide selection was never a plan - it just happened.  We had been running workshops and retreats at our hotel in Bridlington for several years and like most people, I thought I would just quilt my tops myself under my domestic machine.  I only had to attempt one large quilt to realise how hard this is on your eyes, shoulders and back and how difficult it is to manoeuvre.  Over 11 years ago now, we investigated longarm machines and  decided that if we were going to take the gamble of buying one, we had better buy the best possible and so we settled on an ABM Innova 26 inch throat, will lots of extras and Auto pilot for computer guiding.  

We flew out to Utah for a weeks intensive course and ten the year after to Virginia Beach for master classes with well know USA Quilters. 

When we got back from Utah, we began to build our machine and then Matt from ABM flew over from Texas to help install the computer system as my machine was the very first computerised one in the UK.  We christened our machine Rodney and Del Boy - Dell being the computer.

Coincidentally, we had planned a charity quilt show at our hotel and had already had a couple of 'sewathons' before we left for the states and by the time we got set up, lots of quilt tops were being donated for the event which needed to be quilted.

We set off practicing on these and by the time we had done them all - we had quilted over 70 tops and felt really quite confident that we could do a good job on someone's top - their pride and joy!

After the Charity Quilt Show, customers tops started arriving in and I soon learnt that extra wide fabric was hard to get hold of at that stage, so I started stocking a few.  Again tops kept arriving and the need for more and more backings was becoming clear and so my collection grew and grew.

I have now been long arming for over 11 years and I have never been without a queue.

I take on quilt from quilters of all levels - from beginners to tutors.  When problem tops appear, that's when true experience show through. 

Over recent years the UK market has been flooded with a certain domestic style of longarm and many of the people who have bought one have set up long arming for customers.  Some of these people are charging by the inch probably in order to confuse the customer and cover up their high rates and over charging. So remember when choosing a  longarmer its important to compare eggs with eggs and take into account the experience each has gained.

Scrub Making for Bridlington, Scarborough and the Coast

Scrubs for the NHS York Trust, Bridlington Hospital & Scarborough Hospital
Bridlington Scrub Makers

Early on in the Covid-19 lockdown it became apparent that there was a huge shortage of scrubs throughout the UK.  A National group consisting of an army of sewers was quickly established to raise funds and sew scrubs from home primarily for the NHS.

As this group grew and grew it became obvious that the way forward was to form subgroups and so I formed Bridlington Scrub Makers.

We were in touch with Procurement for York Trust - Scarborough and Bridlington Hospital from day one and established that they had a real need.  They have contract scrubs which are laundered by their contractor but our scrubs will be laundered in Bridlington and distributed to both sites.

Soon, other facilities around the area also started to require scrubs, these included GP's, pharmacies and care homes, plus some areas of the NHS who normally go to work in civies now had to wear scrubs too.

Initially we had to raise funds and this was done by a couple of crowd funding pages for personal donations  - many thanks to Jackie Chandler and Sandra Hoggart for this.  Next we began to approach some of the many organisations around the town - thank you Maria Prchlik for assisting.

We are very grateful for all the support we have had and particularly want to thank all the individuals who contributed together with -

DOT - Destination Old Town
Spotlight Theatre
Alex May Gallery
Bridlington Lions
Bridlington Rotary
BTC - Bridlington Town Council
Lord Feoffees
OTA - The Old Town Association
BTA - Bridlington Tourism Association
Lodge Books
Tesco
Lisset Windfarm

We raised over £8000 to purchase fabrics for the scrubs production.

Finding suitable fabrics has also been very challenging as they were in demand by the whole of the UK.  Luckily I managed to use my wholesale contacts and saved a great deal of money for the project by doing this.

At its peak we have had over 50 people sewing scrubs around Bridlington, Driffield and the villages.

(One day we hope to add a picture here of the team, but for now we all still need to isolate.)

To date we have made well over 600 pairs of scrubs with many more in process.

At its peak we have had over 50 people sewing scrubs around Bridlington, Driffield and the villages.

(One day we hope to add a picture here of the team, but for now we all still need to isolate.)

To date we have made well over 600 pairs of scrubs with many more in process.

Some of our team of sewers have now had to return to work and others are needing a little break, so we are not using up our fabric as quickly as we were and we know time is of the essence. we have therefore donated some of our bolts of fabric to the people who are sewing for Castle Hill Hospital and the Royal in Hull.  People from Bridlington use both these facilities, so its nice to be able to contribute.

Delivering to York Trust - Bridlington Hospital / Scarborough Hospital

Doctors Surgery in Hornsea

Some of Practice 2 Station Road wearing our scrubs

We have also delivered to several care Homes in Bridlington, but unfortunately don't yet have the pictures.

A thank you for the East Riding Lieutenant

Despite running the scrub hub and making scrubs being very hard work and not particularly easy at times, I have met some lovely people who have donated their time and efforts to this project.  It is hoped at some stage to all meet up and celebrate our amazing achievements.

Guess How Much I Love You - When I'm Big

Anita Jeram

Twelve years after the original Guess How Much I Love You story by Sam McBratney, the nutbrown hares return for a new adventure.

Out in the fresh spring air, the two Nutbrown Hares see a tiny acorn growing. 'Someday it will be a tree,' says Big Nutbrown Hare. Then they spy a tadpole that will grow up to be a frog, a caterpillar that will turn into a butterfly, and a nest

of eggs that will one day be birds. Suddenly Little Nutbrown Hare turns to Big Nutbrown Hare and laughs. 'What does a little brown hare like me turn into?'

Designed by the book's illustrator, Anita Jeram, these fabrics are a wonderful choice for children's bedrooms and other nursey projects.

Anita Jerams work has included illustrations which includes All Together Now, The Green Balloon and Family Bears.  Although, of course she is best known for her illustrations for the childrens story "Guess How Much I Love You" written by Sam McBratney.  "Guess How Much I Love You" was first published in 1994 and ever since the story and illustrations have captivated adults and children the world over.

These magnificent illustrations of "Guess How Much I Love You" are the subject of a brand new set of fabrics now available in the Quilt Shop on QuiltSandwich.co.uk.

Amazing Value Retreat with Alicia Merrett

Amazing Value Retreat with Alicia Merrett

Three day retreat in Bridlington with Alicia Merrett on 7th,8th & 9th October 2019.

During the retreat Alicia Merrett will be teaching her special workshop entitled 'INTERPRETING KLEE AND KANDINSKY'

Both Paul Klee and Vassily Kandinsky’s drawings and paintings feel as if they could easily be translated into quilts. We will first observe the way the two artists used shape, colour and line in their work to achieve amazing designs with rhythm and balance. 

Then each participant will construct their own abstract fused fabric collages, inspired by the work of those artists. We will then look into how the drawn line can become the stitched line; our machine needle will be the ‘point in motion’ from which the line derives. As Paul Klee said, we will ‘take a line for a walk’. 

Medieval Textile Tiles

Medieval tiles are found in many ancient churches, cathedrals and abbeys, and have beautiful designs that have often inspired modern tile design. Designs are often heraldic, incorporating castles, shields, birds, lions, eagles, and mythical creatures such as wyverns and griffins; they can also be foliated (based on nature). They can be very effectively translated into textile ‘tiles’. Each participant will trace a design, chosen among those provided by the tutor; assemble the tile in fabric, quilt it, and mount it on a 6” by 6” stretched canvas frame.



The tutor will provide the stretched canvas frames; a variety of ‘tile’ designs to trace from; some materials, and some tools for use in the class. The likely cost of the kit per student will be £8.



Alicia’s passions are colour, shape, line and texture. She creates improvisational textile pieces by freehand cutting and stitching, and also by collaging and bonding hand-dyed fabrics, using her signature fine pieced lines, and adding texture with quilting. Text is sometimes included. Alicia works in series, and her inspiration is varied, but she is best known for her work on textile maps. However more recently she has been trying to marry her long-standing interest in photography and in computer work, to produce original designs that can be printed on fabric and then quilted. Alicia exhibits and teaches internationally.

About the venue –

The Royal Bridlington is a 4 star AA Guest Accommodation based in the beautiful South Beach area of Bridlington. There are 18 individually decorated en suite rooms. Food is always high on the agenda and fresh seasonal produce is used where possible and portions are certainly not small!

Want to do all workshops?

Live local?  Book all three workshops for £170 or £60 per day.

Need to stay – All three workshops, 2 nights accommodation and dinner for £300 per person sharing or £320 for single occupancy. 

Extra Nights – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast for extra nights at the special price of £62 per night per person (twin) or £72 per person single occupancy.

How to Book for your Patchwork and Quilting retreat with Alicia Merrett -

Call the Royal Bridlington on 01262 672433.

Deposits – For the residential course a deposit of £50 is required and for the day Course a deposit of £10 to reserve your place. The Balance is due 6 weeks prior to arrival.

Liberty of London Summer House Collection

Liberty of London latest Patchwork Fabrics on their way!

Shout out for #Liberty #Summerhouse Patchwork Fabrics on their way.

We are extremely pleased to announce that we will have the new range of the Liberty Patchwork Fabrics available in store from the first week in September.

The colours of the new Summer House Range of Fabrics are so delightful and vibrant that they will make a wonderful creation spectacular.

Liberty of London Patchwork Fabric - #SummerHouse

Check them out at the start of September in our on line shop at www.quiltsandwich.co.uk/quilt-shop We are lucky, as one of the few stockists of the Liberty of London Fabrics to be able to show you as Sneak Peak of the #liberty #fabrics.

Festival of Quilts 2019 Discount Ticket Code

Festival of Quilts 2019 is on 1-4th August 2019 at the NEC in Birmingham.

Tickets can be bought at a discount if you use this code

FESTIVAL37

This will reduce tickets to £14.50* for adults and £14.00* for concessions


To book tickets for Festival of Quilts,  simply go 

to  www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk or call 0844 858 6749 and quote 

code FESTIVAL37 when prompted.