These English quilting needles are our replacement for the lovely Jean Lyle quilting needles.
This is a good standard size. They come bigger, and they come smaller, but this is the size most hand quilters use.
Having said that, I tend to use the smaller size 11. No idea why. I just do!
I like the way these Foxglove Cottage needles are packaged – in a little tube. There are 16 needles in the tube.
Silk texture yarn from Stef Francis
Much of my work incorporates hand quilting and stitching. Which means using as many gorgeous threads as possible.
Years ago, while wandering around the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandria Palace in London, I came across an array of bright colours. Stef Francis’ booth was utterly eye-catching. After nearly an hour of gathering, holding, feeling and gazing, several skeins of space dyed cotton came home with me to America. They hold a special place in my thread stash.
Any time I attended a show in England I would look for Stef’s booth and augment my collection – which is now a decent size!
Floral Fantasia kit from Stef Francis
Not only does she create mouth-watering yarns but she puts together kits. Everything comes in the kit: the fabric, threads, beads, sequins, and template.
This is Floral Fantasia – such lovely bright colours.
Fabric pack 6 from Stef Francis
If you just want to play she has put together some co-ordinated fabric packs. This is fabric pack #6. Think what you could do with these?!
Flamenco by Stef Francis
Not only does she sell lovely things but she creates her own artwork.
This is Flamenco. It is created with silk rods and gold leaf and hand stitched on silk noil.
Go look at her Gallery to see more beauties.
It’s been a while since we’ve added a new colour in the YLI 100wt silk thread 1000 yard mini-cones – here’s Taupe Beige 202-11-224.
These mini-cones are highly recommend by Diane Gaudynski for fine machine quilting.
Look at these pretty beaded butterflies by Karen Parker of Wizard Island Designs.
Beaded Peacock Butterflies by Karen Parker
Beading Daily found her at a farmer’s market with butterflies, moths, dragonflies and circles galore.
Beaded Creon Skipper Butterflies by Karen Parker
Karen makes them using brick stitch and follows the colouring of the wing scales.
Beaded Luna Moths by Karen Parker
I think they are gorgeous.
Beaded Monarch Butterflies by Karen Parker
You can look at some more of her work at her Etsy Shop.