Bernina Club Inspiration

I'm afraid my mojo has been on an extended holiday lately so I have nothing of my own labours to show. I did go to a meeting of the Bernina Club in Leeds today and was treated to an excellent demonstration which might very well give me the kick I need to pick up a needle again!

Glenys (hope I've spelt that correctly) made the techniques for making this 'Noughts and Crosses' cushion seem very easy. She showed us how to fold and stitch the crosses in calico then tuck in triangles of patterned fabric and stitch very neatly with invisible thread. The noughts were a bit more complicated but it makes such a difference when you see it done rather than just reading instructions! The pattern for this was published in the May 2009 edition of Sewing World magazine and Glenys had asked permission to photocopy it for us. The techniques were developed by Jennie Rayment of 'twiddling and fiddling' fame. Thank you Glenys for the inspiring demo!

She had also brought a little bag which she used to practice an easy way to insert a zip:

There are many talented ladies at the club and they are all willing to share their ideas and skills. Mary had made a monitor cover for her new computer:

It was quilted using an automatic stitch on the machine (using a walking foot) and looked fabulous with the burgandy piping to match the thread colour on a calico background. I didn't get photos of all the other items on show but they included a trio of Easter gifts, two lovely bags and a lace embroidered twinset - hand knitted of course! The Bernina club is just one of the benefits of the sewing machine maintainence package at 'MKC Services' which sells Janome as well as Bernina machines.

The Bernina shop is in the very smart and attractive Brewery Wharf area close to the city centre and not far from the Royal Armories Museum. Sadly the Tetley brewery from which the area takes it's name will close for good this year as the beer will, in future, be brewed in Poland rather than Yorkshire - is this progress? Over the lunchtime break I had a nice stroll across the bridge spanning the canal to the huge Leeds market and a fabric shop nearby.   Here are a few pictures of the canal area:

Of course I had to buy something - it would be rude not to! A lovely lightweight linen and cotton mixture in a warm grey and white weave. I'm planning to make a new lightweight jeans style jacket for the summer. Another good reason to set my Bernina to work and to go out shopping again to buy buttons!

The ladies at the club said very kind things about my demo last month and I've booked a date to do a workshop there in August. I'm looking forward to that. I've also just booked a local village hall to start regular patchwork classes from September. So I have achieved some planning, if not some action!