Jo Avery – the Blog

Bearpaw Label Tutorial

I have been selling quite a few of my Bearpaw handmade goods over the last few weeks, through my ‘real’ shop (including 2 of the patchwork box cushions and 2 of the tote bags I featured on here recently!). So I needed to replenish my stock of ‘Bearpaw labels’. And because I have now perfected

Doll Quilt Swap 9 update

This is how far I had got on Friday with my DQS9 quilt. It looks kind of finished, doesn’t it? But I still have a way to go with embellishments.  I really enjoyed making the trees. They are all machine pieced and then hand quilted. I even made a ‘fancy’ back (for the first time!).

Winners!!

The Random Generator (my husband, Jonathan) has spoken! Jonathan picked these 3 names out of a bowl today in this order: 1. Shayla Sharp 2. Marg (Raphael’s Mum) 3. Katrina Well done you winners! I will be emailing each of you next week to get your addresses, but if you see this first please feel

A Brazilian dolly and 2 African blocks

After the rampant capitilism of the last few weeks, making things and (attempting) to sell them for my own ends, I thought it was time I did something more altruistic. So after a Saturday spent working on my Doll Quilt (more on that another day), I dedicated Sunday to some ‘cherrity work’ (said in Smashy

1 year blogoversary and new Etsy shop giveaway!

Yes, I have 2 things to celebrate. I finally got that Etsy shop organised and stocked with a whole range of my handmade goodies AND it is a year since I started this blog! I can’t really overstate how much this blog has meant to me in what has been a very difficult year. When

More bags and a bear with paws

Do you remember a few months back when I showed you my ‘little animal in a teacup pincushions’ (must think of a snappier name!)? I wrote about them here and asked you to suggest an animal to go in the last teacup (I like to think it’s of similar importance to the 4th plinth in

Bags, bags bags and cushions!

The rest of the UK has been scorching under a hot summer sun, but here in Edinburgh we have had a very cloudy week (though pleasant and warm). This has meant that my week off has been really productive – if the sun was out I would not be able to help myself from lying

Stash, wildlife and an amazing old quilt book

We’re back from our short holiday to the West Highlands (more on that later) and now I am starting my week off at home with, hopefully, lot’s of time for sewing. But first of all I was off to Glasgow yesterday to spend my birthday money, and also to meet up with the 3 lovely

I’m off on my holidays!

Just a short break – 3 days in Ardnamurchan in the West Highlands. I have never been so far north on that side of Scotland before. We are taking a whole day boat trip round the Isle of Mull to see where puffins nest and maybe even see whales!! Jonathan is very into wildlife photography

Mini delight and my BIG NEWS!

Look at this adorable mini quilt I just received from my swap partner! Thanks so much Mary! I love the fan shape. If you remember, this mini quilt swap had special rules attached – it couldn’t be rectangle or square and had to be only black and white and 1 colour. I have been so