Table of Contents

Over 20 fresh, exciting and useful projects including quilts, dolls and cushions
Inspired by the interesting and historical heritage of the North East of England
Beautifully photographed on location
A unique book with fun rhymes, recipes and anecdotes perfectly placed throughout
Full size templates make the projects easy and convenient

About the Author

Canny Keepsakes is a crafting collaborative devoted to the style of northeast England and the author of Shopping Days.

Reviews

Take a trip down memory lane with Florrie and Betty, who hail from the north east of England. They have created some delightful nostalgic projects combining fabrics with a vintage feel and designs with a contemporary twist. Inspired by a colliery village, they have created seventeen projects for the Scullery & Kitchen, the Bedroom & Parlour, Ma's Special Things and The School & Little 'uns, as well as including little snippets of memories, recipes and scenes from yester years. I loved the grading system that goes from 'nice and relaxing' to 'put the coffee on, white no sugar'! There are some lovely designs in the book which would make ideal gifts, such as the fabric corsages, and the colliery peg bag. Templates are provided and there is a handy section with hints and tips, materials needed and terminology. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of ventures we will be seeing from Florrie and Betty.-Popular Patchwork This is a delightful nostalgic project book written in the Northern idiom by two friends, Florrie and Betty and inspired by a colliery village at the Beamish Open Air Museum. This attractively illustrated soft-cover volume contains seventeen projects including bags, quilts, cushions and dolls, for which full-size templates are provided. Comprehensive instructions are given for each item, using straightforward patchwork and stitching techniques. This would make a lovely Christmas gift for any keen needlewoman.-East Kent Embroiderers' Guild A folksy light-hearted collection of household objects found in the North East in the past. There are bags, cushions, dolls, rag mats and recipes. There is a scrappy quilt, a runner and 'Mother's Posh Bag' to interest quilters. Many of the items have templates. The book is illustrated with colourful photos and ends with an explanation of the dialect words.-Patchwork & Quilting This nostalgic book contains over 20 mostly small projects such as a tea cosy, cushions and a peg bag, but there is also a pieced quilt and runner. Inspiration came from the rich heritage of the Colliery Village at the Beamish Museum in the north-east of England. Interspersed throughout are rhymes and recipes and charming photography.-The Quilter This is a delightful nostalgic project book written in the Northern idiom by two friends Florrie and Betty and inspired by a colliery village at the Beamish Open Air Museum. This attractively illustrated soft back volume contains seventeen projects including bags, quilts, cushions and dolls, for which full-size templates are provided. Comprehensive instructions are given for each item, using straightforward patchwork and stitching techniques. This would make a lovely Christmas gift for any keen needlewoman.-East Kent Embroiderers' Guild Despite coming from Lancashire I can really empathise with this book because it is a book of memories from a long past time. My Granddad was a miner and I have, to this day, his miner's lamp, my grandmother's clogs and the last piece of coal from Brackley pit before the pit wheel stopped turning forever. I also have a wealth of stories about how hard the daily life was and what it was like to be a miner all those years ago, and this book, despite being from a different part of the North, is so true to life that one feels you are stepping back in time and sharing the life of Florrie and Betty. This is much more than a quilting book with its amalgamation of recipes and anecdotes of daily life; it is a 'through the looking glass' taste of life which was hard but so much simpler than the frenetic life-styles we lead today. Sit back and enjoy a good read as well as over 20 fresh, exciting and useful projects including quilts, dolls, bags, cushions and more. The book is beautifully photographed on location and the full-size templates make the projects easy and convenient. I am sure this would make a unique Christmas present for any British quilter.-Fabrications Colliery Days is a Canny Keepsakes production containing stitched projects inspired by the history of the North of England. There are more than twenty of these projects, split into chapters depending on where they would be used in the home; they range from tea cosies to bedspreads so there's plenty for everyone. The projects in the book have been made up in traditional fabric which gives them a really vintage country feel. The page layouts have a similar feel; the instructions are interspersed with snippets and historical anecdotes and recipes. The book has a whole lot of character which is very charming, browsing through it is a pleasure. Anna and I had a go at making the flower corsages. These were good fun and are very straightforward. We chose different colour scheme which gave different looks to the finished items. When it came to following the instructions I found the page layouts a little distracting, the photographs of the finished items are very large which is helpful, but I can't help wondering if this is at the cost of larger print in the instructions. All in all the book has a nice feel, very homely. I would say it would be most suitable for a traditional stitcher, there's nothing very cutting edge here but lots to build skills and confidence, whilst also being nice to mooch over with a cup of coffee.-Jennyflowerblue.blogspot.com Far more appealing than its title might suggest, this fun book contains 20 projects for quaint, handcrafter tiems to brighten up a modern home. Inspired by the 1913 Colliery Village in Beamish Open Air Museum it offers a range of projects with a vintage feel that are practical, decorative and reminiscent of an era when stitching played an essential part in home comfort. Complete with full size paper patterns the projects include quilts, cushions, tea cosies, rag dolls, picture frames, fabric corsages and table runners. Full instructions are included throughout and delightful photographs, rhymes, anecdotes, plus the occasional tasty recipe, add to the entertainment and help to set the scene.-Sewing World