Dandelion Designs

Dandelion Designs Maker of all things lovely! Designer and Author of Quilting and Craft projects.

At Dandelion Designs you will find a web shop full of craft patterns and unusual haberdashery items. We have patterns for dolls, bears, bags, button jewellery, cushions, needle cases, and especially quilts. We specialise in Christmas across all our ranges and are famous for our Christmas Angels.

Lake Titicca I had heard of this lake from O level geography but I never thought the power of my little needle would mea...
11/06/2026

Lake Titicca
I had heard of this lake from O level geography but I never thought the power of my little needle would mean I would visit . These communities live on giant rush lilly pad structures on the water . Their main industry now is tourism, showing how they live on these reed structures, boat trips and selling their hand made tapestries . We gave another style of national costume , now much brighter . Truly amazing



We now have to prepare to ascend the mountains , on a 10 hour coach journey To help prevent Altitude sickness , we sto...
10/06/2026

We now have to prepare to ascend the mountains , on a 10 hour coach journey
To help prevent Altitude sickness , we stop at a corner shop to get bags of coca leaves , sweets , cookies , we were like a bunch of grey haired ladies in a drug shop .

The truck stops are divine , we drink more coco tea , pet the local llamas , shop and have spinning demonstration , don’t get that on the M25 !
As we ascend you can see the environment change , no farming , then no trees and then only tufted grass where we see the rare and protected Vicuna, a member of the camelid family . Even The Incas were unable to domesticate this animal because it relied on a type of grass that could only be found at very high altitudes at 4000 feet . Our destination is Colca canyon , twice as deep as the Grand Canyon , to see the condors .
The journey flies by , the scenery utterley incredible . Peruvian farmers terrace the mountains sculpting the landscape. Some of the terracing we see are over a thousand years old .



We arrive by plane at lovely Arequipa with the huge Volcano, hovering in the back ground . The colours, the architecture...
09/06/2026

We arrive by plane at lovely Arequipa with the huge Volcano, hovering in the back ground .
The colours, the architecture and the people are all a delight .
We are slowly acclimatising preparing for the heady heights of 5000 mts above sea level .
The white stone buildings are made from Volcanic ash, and the carvings crude but symbolic with lots of arches to prevent earthquake damage , which we see a lot of .
The rural Peruvian woman all wear traditional costume which varies from area to area but all have a very full embroidered skirt, ric rac is heavily used with lots of tapes and braids, and a very distinctive hat, as you will see as we travel further into the mountains . They all seem to be expert weavers .
Our group of intrepid travellers are faring up well but we all underestimated how cold it would be here . Nothing that a cup of coca tea and a bit of sewing can’t fix !
We are all overwhelmed by the beauty of Peru , we really are on a journey of a lifetime…… the adventure continues….


Secret Society of Redwork Stitchery and Crafty Loveliness Our first club, and a very special one to us! This club starts...
09/06/2026

Secret Society of Redwork Stitchery and Crafty Loveliness
Our first club, and a very special one to us!

This club starts each June, and every month for 12 months, you’ll receive a dotty parcel on your doorstep to make a large secret project. Past years have included quilts, weekend bags, cushions... Plus a newsletter, sweeties, free downloads, free patterns, and a special discount code for the whole website! Heavily dosed with Redwork Loveliness! Don’t miss out!!

For more information on our Secret Society sign up to our newsletter and keep an eye on our socials. We open the doors to sign up around April each year.

Sign up closes on the 14th June so be quick!

https://dandeliondesigns.co.uk/join-26-27

Lima, capital of Peru, a sprawling grey city on the Pacific ocean . We wandered around Down town to see the wonderful Sp...
08/06/2026

Lima, capital of Peru, a sprawling grey city on the Pacific ocean . We wandered around Down town to see the wonderful Spanish architecture, monasteries and churches but the highlight was the Amano pre-columbian textile museum , whose owner collected antiques and antiquities including the textiles he found strewn about after the 19th century Tomb raiders had finished plundering the pre inc mummies for grave goods. These fragments of textiles had been found scattered on the surface of the ground. Textiles that had been torn away from the mummies and discarded in favour of gold and silver .
These finds were just amazing, highly skilled, mostly woven and over 1500 years old !
Day 1 and what a day .
We now had to prepare for an accent into the mountains at over 5000mt above sea level !




But before I take you on my journey to see Peru , there are some things I need to show you and talk about . This years s...
02/06/2026

But before I take you on my journey to see Peru , there are some things I need to show you and talk about . This years secret society project is all finished ( the binding and quilting now done since this photo) each block was inspired by a collection of old quilts and has a new story , so those you made it on our journey know that each stitch of Redwork means something . The bonus project of small houses will also be a delight .
The Redwork club is now open for new members , check out our website for details but it’s going to be a corker , 5 inch hexies , quilted as you go, depicting a 1950s style theme of children , animals and toys , very nostalgic and pretty with lots of gingham, and the odd dot!
Bear Hug Club is in full swing , there is a waiting list for the next club with a different bear, Harrie is the girl to call .
Jess is manning my Substack account At home with Mandy , and this where you go for a deeper look into my crazy life and makings, stories and free patterns and videos .
Vicki is back from maternity leave and all those machine embroidery fans out there , watch this space , she is on a roll and will be downloading new designs very shortly .
May was a big, big birthday month for our family, Mr Shaw was 70 and five other members of our family had a B/day, and one of the highlights was a trip to . If you have never been it is just wonderful, one of the best theatrical things I have ever seen .

Now I am off on a trip to the capital city of Peru , Lima. Just love this jet lag , get so much done !

Yes I know you are saying , where is she now , Peru is the answer. A textile tradition and culture tour of Peru with ...
01/06/2026

Yes I know you are saying , where is she now , Peru is the answer. A textile tradition and culture tour of Peru with and a group of intrepid ladies , what a gang of girls !
I too don’t know how I fit it all in but it’s a new month and a girls gotta do what a girls gotta to do !
Follow me for daily updates, there’s bound to a llama or two !

This year’s Secret society of Redwork and Crafty Loveliness has come to an end . All will be revealed shortly but it is ...
24/05/2026

This year’s Secret society of Redwork and Crafty Loveliness has come to an end . All will be revealed shortly but it is a traditional quilt following the designs of the antique quilts in my collection.
Do you remember Holly Hobby ? She’s too young to appear in on old quilt being from the 70/80s but I remembered making a skirt in Holly hobby fabric and just found this little diary of mine, full of lovely entries about my babies.
Our new project for 2026/27 is now open . If you love big hexes this is for you
Don’t forget our 50% off pattern sale , all weekend
Enjoy this wonderful weather I am off to see Gifford circus with family for a birthday treat, in a tent on the hottest day of the year ! Wish me luck ###



It’s been a busy, lovely, but stressful month , deadlines for books, our final block for our secret society Redwork clu...
22/05/2026

It’s been a busy, lovely,
but stressful month , deadlines for books, our final block for our secret society Redwork club , launching new clubs and celebrating four beautiful birthdays.
But May is the time my garden is at its best , it smells heavenly and when Chelsea flower show is on the telly , I sit back and chill to the delights of flowers and designs .
Where would we be without a rose in our lives and then the Sweet peas .
Long live Chelsea
To celebrate my birthday weekend and the bank holiday we have 50% off all patterns this weekend . There are sure to be some flowers in there somewhere !



Address

37 Summerheath Road
Hailsham
BN273DS

Telephone

+441323845297

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