Bye Bye Broom Farm

Sadly this week saw the last of the autumn Broom Farm sessions.  Officially titled Make Do and Mend, we had a variety of project going on:   A quilt from baby clothes, a purse, two Christmas stockings, a Christmas decoration, a bias pleated chiffon dress being made from a pattern ,and a feathered evening dress that needed taking up - no pressure there at all then!

Anyway, it was a fab two hours and hopefully they've all gone home with enough knowledge to finish 9or at least get a bit further) on their projects

Benta@SLIKstitches.co.uk

Broom Farm: Tart up a Tote bag

 A little bit of show and tell from Sandeep: she finished last session's bunting

Isn't it great!

And this week's Terrific tote bags:

 Well done ladies!



Benta@SLIKstitches.co.uk

Wonderful One Off

The borough wanted to run a five week Fun a With Fabric course at Broom Farm, starting with a free taster session.  I'm not sure what was happening with their advertising, but only one lady signed up.  

The powers that be decided we'd go ahead with the taster session even though the course won't go ahead, so I got to spend two hours with Ellie - cutting bunting

and looking at and talking patchwork 

- a perfect afternoon . . . And I'll get paid!!!!

Broom Farm sewing

Just two ladies at Broom Farm this week - Cara was spending time with husband before he gets shipped off to Afghanistan - we will be thinking of you Steven! Keep safe xxx

Bekka has been adding other ticker tape quilt

 And Lauren's Monster Quilt is coming along at a great pace

 

Meanwhile I was working on the House Group String blocks

Posted with Blogsy

Finishing at the Farm

The local authority have changed the way they charge for adult education - as Broom Farm is an army base, the agreement was that the army wouldn't charge for the room, and the local authority wouldn't charge the army wives for the courses.  

The authority have now taken it into their heads that the army wives have to pay - not taking into account that they cant get jobs as they don't stay in one place long enough, that the army moves them around with no regard to where their natural support group (mum, sisters, aunts, long term friends) lives, or where their replacement support group is (other army wives, health visitors, children's centre staff, army welfare staff, adult education  teachers (!) and that their men are putting their lives on the line for our country

So some of my ladies didn't come back this term, as a lot of their men are being sent to Afghanistan.  Three did come back, although one knows her man leaves in two weeks, and the other two's men are expecting orders any day now which will see the whole family moving again.

So, as if the army isn't treating them badly enough, the authority has decided to cut the class!

So we have asked the welfare officer very nicely, and she has said we can still use the room, the girls will pay the weekly rate to me, and we'll carry on with these great projects. 

Lauren is working on her Monster Quilt (I may have to copy this)

Cara is working hard to finish this before husband goes to Afghanistan

And Bekka is using some lovely fabrics for this ticker tape quilt

Benta@SLIKstitches.co.uk

Back At Broom Farm

It was lovely to be back at Broom Farm today.  The girls all turned up with ideas, plans, fabrics - all raring to go!

Lauren planned a quilt for her boys,

 and started on the first block:

Rebecca started working on bunting for her sister-in-law's wedding

And Cara's husbnd is off to Ahghanistan next month, so she is making him a special pillowcase to take.

Benta@SLIKstitches.co.uk

Monday Madness part 1

Once upon a time it seems like a good idea to teach two adult education classes on the same day, a day I also happened to work at school.  It wasn't a good idea! I love both classes, but it's exhausting!  Anyway today was the last triple day!

The Broom Farm girls were finishing projects, apart from L who has a shiny new sewing machine and wanted to learn how to drive it (and I never got a photo :-( gutted !  Although I did manage photos  of the yummy cupcakes she'd made, before they all went

C's finished bunting

T making binding for her quilt

D tacking binding on the cricket quilt 

And D who brought in her finished dress, on the cutest model!!!

Hope to see you all next term

Farm Fun

Broom Farm class today saw lots of Christmas discussions- will this be finished by Christmas ? Will Santa bring me a sewing machine? Can we have Christmas cakes next week?

We did get some making done too!

R's silk log cabins are coming on well (this taken from the back )

L's dinosaur (from Pepper Pig?) is finished and SO cute 

C is mastering the art of using heat'n'bond for some bunting 

D is finishing this gorgeous dress for her daughter, and conquering her fear of the sewing machine 

While D is getting close to finishing this cricket quilt for her nephew

Next week, hopefully some finishes, AND some Christmas cake!

Monday Mayhem

On a Monday I rush from school to Broom Farm and then later onto Oakfield,: the two classes are really different - Broom Farm sees girls working on all different things, while Oakfield sees me as a slave driver as we have 30 costumes to finish in the next two sessions !!!

Still, both are great fun:  some of the Broom Farm makes :

And at Oakfield, all this activity 

Has lead to three of these being finished 

Just a few more to go!!!

Monday Makes

Broom Farm ladies . . . I only got a few photos, but do look at these:

 

A lovely wall hanging,

And a finished Advent Calendar

 

Posted with Blogsy

Monday Makings

Lots of projects progressing well at Broom Farm this week:

B is making a silk log cabin cushion

S is cutting letteres to be bondawebbed to the Christmas stockings she is making

G is working on another cushion: it doesn't photograph too well, but is looking great in real life 

D has chopped up all her nine patch blocks, and has now layed them out in a design she's happy with, and has pinned them all in strips ready to stitch to a lovely red fleece

I'm enjoying this class so much I forget I'm getting paid for it!!!!

Broom Farm Monday

Half way through this block at Broom Farm, and I have the ladies complaining that (a) it's only on for two hours (b) its only on once a week and (c) it's not on next week (school hols) - I think that means they are enjoying it!

D making dummy clips and bag tags

L making a tree which will be part of her Advent Calendar

T working on more folded pinwheels for a quilt

D with stacks of fabrics cut, stitched and now cut again toward making a vanishing 9 patch

S working on two Christmas stockings

C working on the Advent Calendar pockets . . . 

. . . that will go with this amazing Christmas tree.  (each triangle is smaller than a joint on my little finger, and each one is hand stitched to the background!)

Well done to all

Benta@SLIKstitches.co.uk