Jo Avery – the Blog

Robin Christmas Decoration Tutorial

Do you remember this little fella? I did promise you a tutorial a couple of weeks back and, for once, I am actually delivering! My Saturday class last weekend was Hand Sewn Christmas Decorations, and I think all my students would agree that this little fat robin was the easiest one we tackled.  So, without

Wonky Star mini quilt

Today I will be linking up with Lily’s Quilts ‘Fresh Sewing Day’. Earlier this year the lovely Rachael Daisy of Blue Mountain Daisy blog made an absolutely stunning wonky star doll quilt. We were taking part in the Doll Quilt Swap at the time and this wasn’t even the one for her partner but an

Meet Sally!

I’m busy thinking up new classes to teach next year, and one of the subjects I’d like to tackle is a simple rag doll. I did make up Annalise earlier in the year from scratch, and lovely though she is, I felt I could improve and simplify her. So I am pleased to introduce Sally!

Get ready for Christmas!

I made this Christmas Advent Quilt a few months ago so that I could offer a workshop on making it. I had planned that, at the same time as I was doing the workshop, I would make a wee tute for the blog. However nobody booked for this workshop 🙁 I have found it difficult

House Blocks

For the last year I have been sewing blocks for the Tag Square Bee on Flickr. This has been a fun, though frustrating Bee, to be part of. We seemed to have more than our fair share of Bad Bee Luck, with about a third of the members dropping out half way through due to

Trip around the pumpkins

Here’s a Trip Around The World cot quilt I just finished to sell in the shop. I used this tutorial from Quiltville and it was very quick and easy. Melanie of Texas Freckles is doing this design for one of the other ‘Do Good Stitches’ circles this month and recommended this tute. I like checking

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Autumn 2011

Welcome! Today I am taking part in the Blogger’s Quilt Festival. This is the 5th BQF I have taken part in and it is a real highlight of my bloggy year. Usually I have a lovely new, full-sized quilt to share with you all, but I have had quite a challenging 6 months and so

Fish, leaves and better times ahead

Well, I have had quite a month and so apologies again for being so quiet. My problems have all been work related and as I want this blog to remain a calm, happy oasis for me (and hopefully for you), I don’t really want to go in to too much detail here. For anyone who

I feel like a proud parent

First of all I must say a massive THANK YOU to everybody who commented after my last post and gave me such great advice over my problem QAYG project. Yes, the grey will definitely be going! And you all had such sensible suggestions that I know I will come up with the best solution soon.

I’m really stuck…

I started this project a few weeks back with the idea that I would get a full day workshop out of it for later this year (for my Bearpaw Craft Classes venture at the shop). I have made these string blocks using the QAYG (quilt-as-you-go) method which I first tried out making blocks for the