Local Quilt Shop Day is about appreciation for independent businesses.
For 2024 we decided to turn that around, and make it about appreciation for our customers.
We love hearing about what everyone's making with the products we sell, but we rarely get to see the finished items.
So we asked our customers to share photos of the things they've made, and to tell us about themselves so we get to know the people behind the projects.
A big thank you to everyone who took part - here they are!
Click each photo to make them bigger and see all the details.
Pam Berry, from Devon
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
10 years
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Anything with my Bernina sewing machine, now getting to grips with the embroidery module.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
A pattern from Janine Pope called All You Need Is Love. Lots of free motion embroidery.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
My project from Karen (AccuQuilt monthly class) and a needle turn applique wall hanging from a Petra Prinns class.
About Pam's photos:
The dachshunds were for my granddaughters this Christmas. The double wedding ring table runner was taken by Quilt Direct to the Festival of Quilts last year (proud moment) but if it wasn’t for Katherine I would have given up. Plus my favourite quilt, All You Need Is Love.
Maggie Barnard
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
10 years at least
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Love to use embroidery in my quilts, but just love to quilt full stop. Quilts for my four grandchildren gave me the best pleasure.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
Quilts, quilts and more quilts! All shapes and sizes, every one has been special.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
A quilt for my friend's great-granddaughter.
About Maggie's photos:
The first one was for a lady that lives in the states, she wanted a Christmas theme. The second was for her granddaughter, it’s all the alphabet bunnys that I embroidered. Took for ever, I loved it!
Deb from Plympton
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
Since I was 4 years old
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
I love appliqué, and piecing both large and small projects.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
A blue and white quilt, as a wedding gift.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Completing a mystery quilt and seeing the end result.
Diddy Young - originally from Holland, 58 yrs in England
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
Since the 1980s.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Making quilts, wallhangings. Free motion machine embroidery. Free motion quilting. Machine quilting using Westalee rulers.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
A quilt of my Dutch gandfather’s face. Had a photograph digitised. Quilt consists of 2” squares. Almost single bed size. Wallhanging inspired by Libby Lehman which was published in Quilting Magazine (quite a few years ago!). I love circles!
What are you most looking forward to making next?
My husband passed away last November after a 3 year battle with cancer and a broken hip in July after which he was moved to a Nursing Home. Have not switched on my machine since. I have a few ideas of quilts I look forward to making after such a long time looking after my dear husband of 58 years - he was 91 when he died and has supported me in all my crafts! Just before his diagnosis he encouraged me to buy a Bernina sit-down longarm machine, which I now really look forward to learning how to use to its full potential. I am so thankful having my hobbies to keep me getting through this difficult time. I am 83 years of age.
About Diddy's photos:
I belong to a local Stitching group and enjoy sharing my self-taught quilting and sewing knowledge with my fellow crafters (see second-last image).
Irene Bassett
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
14 years +
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Patchwork, appliqué, quilting.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
Lone Star double bed quilt.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Four toddler great-grandson bed quilts, using AccuQuilt GO! dies.
About Irene's photos:
Lone star quilt, and the same quilt with a lap quilt overlay. Turquoise quilt Calle is Marmite - you either love it or hate it. AccuQuilt takes the hard work out of cutting and lets you get on with accurate sewing.
Jo
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
On and off, for 45 years.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
I don't have a particular favourite, as I enjoy experimenting and having fun.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
The piece of work I got such a fabulous response from was a wall hanging I made for my father's 70th birthday. He was speechless. My 5 known siblings and I carried it in singing Happy Birthday at his party which my sister hosted. It features a boat he built called a Fireball used for racing which I sailed many times with him until it fell to pieces. The lifebelts feature a photo of each of his then known 6 children.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
I'm going to have a go at making a lap quilt using a mariners compass design (AccuQuilt design) for my 90 year old sister-in-law who is 3 years older than my now sadly deceased parents. When my mother knew her life was limited she rang my sister in law, as they became fast friends, and asked her to look out for me. Bless my sister in law, she's been a second Mum to me from soon after I met her, and she always had my back. It will represent her life as a WREN and being a Naval wife, plus it's also a nod to her eldest son, who was in the Australian Navy too. Seems a fitting symbol.
About Jo's photos:
The first is the quilt I made for my father who is proudly holding it. Second project is a dress in progress I made freehand, ie. no pattern and just styled it as I went along to follow my daughter's brief of a long dress for a wedding party. I hadn't made a dress before, nor done much dress making at all, so it was like sailing through the wind not knowing exactly what the outcome would be. Challenging but good fun, and my daughter and her boyfriend loved the dress. She's very proud of it.
April Walter
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
5 years.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
I like making quilts using Kaffe Fassett fabric.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
I made several quits for family members as gifts, all different as I like to try different designs.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
I bought a kit that is Fussy Cut Flowers (worried about the waste).
About April's photos:
During COVID, sewing was my lifeline. Since then have not resumed, as my YouTube teacher has not returned.
Delyse Upton, Devon born and bred!
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
Since 1999.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Contemporary quilts, but returning to traditional piecing just for a change at times!
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
My 'Gallos' statue at Tintagel for my local Exe Valley Contemporary group challenge 'Coast' in quilting. My daughter in law's wedding dress - dressmaking in 1993.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Getting to grips with our next challenge 'Triangle', and making a lap quilt for myself using a lovely collection of Moda Grunge I have calling to me from a drawer!
About Delyse's photos:
1: Gallos for CQ Coast challenge, the statue creator loved it. 2: Princess & The Pea for CQ Layers challenge. Japanese Manga Princess with Japanese twist. 3: Flight Path for our Golden Wedding anniversary 2019. 4: Wise Man's Wood with Gaelic side title (Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor - a special place) for CQ Treetime challenge. 5: Tokyo Lights using an International Friendship Quilters pattern and my love of all things Japanese.
Catherine Waterson, from Glasgow
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
Quilting since 1985.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Satin stitch applique is my favourite thing.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
Small wallhanging of the Pavilion at Lord’s cricket ground - now in the museum at Lord’s.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Looking forward to sewing the final block in the Aurifil Colour Builders series and making a wallhanging from all 12 blocks.
About NAME's photos:
1: From 8 years ago, but the only one I have with me plus quilt. 2: Ridiculous Rabbits, design copied from a greeting card. 3: Hey Duggee from the TV series. 4: Marvellous Monsters, I think I got this pattern from Pinterest. 5: Crazy Cats, no idea where this pattern came from but they are all Kaffe Fasset fabrics which came with my Kaffe Edition Bernina 770QE plus. Most of my quilts are made for the cancer ward at the Glasgow children’s hospital.
Hazel
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
Quilting since 2009.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Quilting.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
My Heirloom Quilt for our Golden Wedding.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Cushion cover using New Zealand fabrics.
About Hazel's photos:
Each of these, apart from the Heirloom Quilt which is the ivory and caramel one, were made as a special gift for people who are very dear to me.
Susie, from Sproughton in Suffolk
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
About 25 years.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
At the moment it's EPP (good for watching telly) but I like to challenge myself doing new things. I generally machine the patchwork tops, then hand-quilt but my arthritis has meant I'm now trying to improve my free-motion quilting.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
Probably the first quilt I ever made. This was for my parents; a king-size, pink and blue log cabin, hand quilted. People thought I was a bit ambitious but I was determined to do a good job and finish it. I wouldn't have chosen the colours, they did. They loved it. Now that they have passed on, I have it back. I also tend to love the latest quilt that I've made.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
I have at least 3 Kaffe quilt kits, and a room full of possibilities. I'm often seduced by a kit but also like to put colours together myself. I think the Kaffe pink seed head is next.
About Susie's photos:
The last quilt I did was an Americana one, for a wedding gift for my husband's niece in America. Here's a pic of me meeting greats at the FOQ in 2022. I'm just finishing off the EPP one. I wasn't sure how I wanted to finish it so it kept on growing! I've added in my quilted KitchenAid cover. This counts, right?!
Diana Longthorpe, living in Exmouth
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
40 years.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Embroidery hand or machine.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
A quilt designed by Pauline Ineson. It was made using a host of different techniques.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Anything using quilting or embroidery on my new Bernina.
About Diana's photos:
I've enjoyed all of them, as each has a happy memory.
Christine
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Currently loving Trapunto.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
New York Beauty quilt.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Making a whole cloth quilt and a miniature quilt.
About Christine's photos:
New York Beauty was a challenging at times, and my first exhibited quilt.
Linda Campbell, from Exeter
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
40 years.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
Free motion quilting.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
Hard to say!
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Continuing to explore foundation piecing.
About Linda's photos:
Black quilt is Endless by Jacqueline de Jonge, with my version of the border. Halloween is blocks using different techniques. All quilted on my sitdown Q20.
Amelia, from Chippenham
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
Sewing forever, but only started quilting during lockdown 2020.
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
I love Foundation Paper Piecing.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
A quilt from Quilt Direct BOM 2021 using FPP technique.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
It will be another quilt, using a different technique. I'm trying to explore different techniques!
About Amelia's photos:
Last year I tackled a pixellated quilt which I am standing next to in the picture. It was made from over 4,500 one inch squares and took me 6 months. I showed it at last years FoQ and was short listed. The other picture was the quilt I made in 2022 using the amazing Quilt Direct BOM 2021.
Debbie, from Penzance in Cornwall
How long have you been sewing/quilting for?
At least 35 years!
What's your favourite sewing/quilting technique or type of project?
I enjoy most types but I think raw edged machine appliqué is my favourite, I find it very relaxing.
What's your favourite thing that you've made?
I've made too many to name just one, but I do love the clamshell quilt shown. I made it during lockdown so I had something to keep me busy, and I love all the blue fabrics in it.
What are you most looking forward to making next?
Whatever takes my fancy!
About Debbie's photos:
These are just a few of my projects. I made the small wallhanging for our granddaughter Emily as she loves the seaside, and the clamshell quilt takes pride of place on our bed. All made, of course, on my beloved Bernina machine!