Innholdsfortegnelse for 45 i Today's Quilter

Welcome to your first issue of 2019! I hope you all had a wonderful break over the festive period and are refreshed and ready to tackle new projects, master techniques and actually finish some of the projects on your to-do list! We’ve filled this issue with a mix of bright makes to get you into the quilting spirit, including Victoria Carrington’s gorgeous FPP cushion. A fresh take on the classic Corn and Beans block, this intricate pattern is the perfect “warm up” project to kick start the year. If you fancy something to really sink your teeth into, turn to our elegant cover quilt made by Sharon Keightley. This vintage-style beauty won over our hearts with its simple yet sophisticated one-block design, and found the admiration of our furry cover…

HEMLINE BOBBIN ACCESSORIES Sewing essentials! Everyone with a sewing machine needs a plentiful stock of bobbins and neat storage accessories and Hemline is here to provide everything you need! Here are our top picks… BOBBIN BOX – CLEAR PLASTIC Keep your bobbins tidy and tangle-free with this nifty storage box. Displaying up to 25 bobbins, it has a see-through lid for easy viewing. £3 METAL AND PLASTIC BOBBINS A wide choice of metal and plastic bobbins to suit most sewing machine models. £1.40 per pack METAL BOBBIN CASE This classic universal bobbin case has a standard 11mm slot and is suitable for use with all Hemline bobbins. £3.65 For stockist information, email groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk LISA DOLSON DESIGNS MIX AND STITCH Lisa Dolson is an illustrator, textile designer and sewing enthusiast living…

You will need ■ Background fabric – 15in x WOF ■ Print 1 (cream) – ½yd ■ Print 2 (yellow) – ¼yd ■ Print 3 (teal) – ½yd ■ Batting – 16in x 42in ■ Backing – ½yd ■ Binding fabric – ¾yd ■ Strip-pieced Dresden ruler (turn to page 12 to read more about this issue’s gift) Finished size Approx. 14in x 40in Fabrics used “Bijoux” by Makower, available from www.makoweruk.com Cutting out 1 From each of print 1 and print 3, cut two (2) 5½in x WOF strips. 2 From print 2, cut two (2) 2½in x WOF strips. 3 From the binding fabric, cut 2½in wide 45-degree strips. Join into one (1) length, at least 130in long (Fig 1). Making the strip-pieced units 4 Stitch the strips…

You will need ■ Background fabric (inc cushion back) – 1yd ■ Dark fabric (inc binding) – ½yd ■ Lighter fabrics – four (4) different 6in squares ■ Batting – 20in square ■ Cushion pad – 18in ■ Sixteen (16) copies of each template (see Templates section) Finished size ■ 18in square Notes ■ Read pattern in full before starting. ■ Press all fabrics well before cutting. ■ Seams ¼in unless otherwise stated. ■ Reduce stitch length to 1.5 for block construction. ■ Press every seam well as you go. ■ Trim off any “dog ears” as you go. ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ RS = right side. ■ WS = wrong side. ■ RST = right sides together. ■ WST = wrong sides together. ■ HST =…

“As with many quilt blocks, the names get changed over time and the Odd Fellow’s Cross is no exception. Nancy Cabot refers to the block having Masonic origins in her newspaper column in 1933, recommending that it be stitched in blue and white fabric if your husband is a member of the Lodge. Depending on where you see the block, and how it is drafted, the Flying Geese units can be made slightly more square. I chose to flatten them, as you can see in the blocks. I drafted this design from Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them by Ruth Finley, but added a smaller central square to the block – the perfect size for some fussy-cutting. “If you choose to stitch a whole quilt using this…

Victoria Carrington SMALL BUT PERFECT Victoria has put her twist on the traditional Corn and Beans block (page 77), using foundation paper piecing to ensure the sharpest points. Irene Blanck BLOOMING MARVELLOUS For Irene’s first project for the mag (page 34), she has combined some of her favourite elements – appliqué flowers with script fabric. Carolyn Forster COLOURFUL CURVES Bold fabrics and prints shine in Carolyn’s curved piecing masterclass, sure to brighten any room in your home. Turn to page 48 to find out more.…

QUILTING The Crystal Quilters’ Show 9th February, West Midlands Sales tables, trade stalls and lots of homemade cake. St James’ Church Hall, Belfry Drive, Wollaston, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 3SE 10:00-16:30 Admission: £3 Doughty’s Roadshow hosted by Meadow Quilters 18th February, Reading Visit for a huge selection of high-quality, affordable fabrics and other products. Charvil Village Hall, Park Lane, Charvil, Reading, RG10 9TR 10:30-14:30 Admission: £1.50 Contact Maggie on 01344 286752 Spring Quilt Festival 22nd-24th February, Harrogate Large display of quilts from all over the world. Workshops and demonstrations. Traders, free parking and disabled access. Great Yorkshire Showground, Hall 2, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 8NZ Admission: £8 www.grosvenorshows.co.uk Clifton Quilters Exhibition 23rd February, Bristol Exhibition of wallhangings, quilts, and other stitched items made by Clifton Quilters. Tombola, sales table and…

“I recently made a quilt made up of Big T blocks, using a range of blue and white fabrics. It looked so beautiful that I decided to make another quilt, this time using a variety of colours. To my surprise, the coloured fabrics brought out beautiful shining stars in the design. I chose to use a selection of fabrics from my stash for the background, as I love mixing them all up to add more interest to the design. I found a charming antique quilt with a stunning pieced border in one of my many textile books, and I was inspired to add this to the quilt using the same fabrics in the blocks.”…

“It’s easy to sew a cushion cover, and almost as easy to vary it and make something more creative.” – Lin Clements VARIATIONS ON A THEME There always seems to be room for another scatter cushion, especially in the summer when they can be used to prettify a corner of the garden. In this article, we will look at the basic knife-edged cushion cover. This is the type that most of us are familiar with, where front and back pieces of fabric are sewn together to create a sharp edge all around. The inner cushion pad is kept in place by a simple overlapped area on the back of the cover. We will describe this simple treatment and how it can be varied to create different looks, including the…

“As with many of my designs, this quilt was inspired by a bold and bright vintage patchwork. I fell in love with the quilt’s striking fabric combinations, and so for each block, I tried to create as much contrast as I could. I did this by using a medium to large floral print and solid geometric fabrics, as when you cut up large-scale designs, you get a lovely variety of pieces. The bold, bright and busy fabrics make me think of fireworks – and it’s perfect for snuggling under on a cold night. To create this effect, I used quite a lot of fabric but if you want to use less, I’d suggest placing similar fabric blocks on opposite sides of the quilt so that it balances out. If you…

“Countless effects can be created with our Strip-pieced Dresden ruler. The original design grew when I started experimenting with different strip widths and ruler positions. I’m really happy with the contrast between the sharp spikes and the soft curves, which create interesting movement. Feel free to try your own arrangements using different strip widths, or by positioning the ruler horizontally, vertically, on an angle, or lined up with different seams. Just be sure to make four fans of five ‘wedges’ to create the waved design. If you have a longer table, simply add more fans until you reach your desired length. “The small tonal prints of the Bijoux collection from Makower were perfect for this project, and I chose nature-inspired shades that reminded me of a countryside landscape with fields…

“Traditionally, the Corn and Beans block would have been made from green and yellow fabrics, representing the corn grown for flour and the beans that American farmers grew around the corn for support. For a fresh look, I used two different shades of blue, with the darker accents placed in the corners. The look of this versatile block can be modified with a simple change of colours, as you can dramatically alter the effect by using different shades for different patches in the design. The Corn and Beans block looks lovely as a stand-alone design or joined to make a secondary pattern.”…

To celebrate The Quilters’ Guild’s 40th Ruby Anniversary, specialist groups of The Quilters’ Guild are coming together to create an exciting new exhibition, which will be held at The Festival of Quilts 2019 and will be curated by Lynne Edwards, MBE. The inspiration behind the exhibition is The Bloomfield Coverlet, which was made in 1850 and acquired by The Quilters’ Guild in 2004. The Guild bought a very similar piece, The Wyatt Coverlet, in 2004, and connections between the coverlets were explored in detail by the British Quilt Study Group (BQSG) between 2007 and 2009. Research by Margareta Faust and Carolyn Ferguson revealed a family connection between the Wyatts and the Bloomfields that spans Suffolk to Nottinghamshire. Although 150 miles separated the two families, the coverlets share common fabrics as…

The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles’ (QGBI) specialist group members are invited to submit quilts for The Quilters’ Guild Specialist Group Challenge 2018/19. The quilts will be exhibited at The Festival of Quilts 2019. You can take any aspect of the coverlet as your source of inspiration, from the general design, to the colours or shapes. You could even draw inspiration from the wider context of the quilt, drawing on its historic and academic significance. For all the details, visit www.quiltersguild.org.uk…

THE QUILT HEARTS & CROSSES COVERLET From The Quilters’ Guild Heritage Collection, this anonymous quilt was made between 1875 and 1900, during a boom period for patchwork and quilting largely thanks to the production of cheaper cotton fabrics. This coverlet combines strips of roller printed dress cottons with bright borders of Turkey Red fabric containing white hearts, and a centre diamond with crosses. Hearts and crosses together are unusual, possibly expressing love with a deeper religious significance. THE SHOP MARKS & SPENCER Experts in all things colour-related, the Pantone Institute have decreed that Living Coral is the shade for 2019. Evoking “vitality and buoyancy” this is certainly a warm and natural colour we can all embrace: whether it’s on our walls, through selected accessories or in our wardrobe. Marks &…

My new year’s resolution for 2019 is to try and sew as much as possible. However, in the midst of winter with dark nights and cold weather, it’s easy to find yourself sitting on the sofa watching TV, eating chocolates and thinking about what you want to sew rather than actually doing it. At this time of year, I find it very useful looking for inspiration to get me stitching. I often look through magazines and tear out pretty landscapes that I can form new quilt ideas from. I then create little sketches and write down different colour combinations that might work. I’m very lucky that my local paper publishes wonderful photos, which I file to keep safe for future quilt ideas – I have lots of lovely images filed…

I find it difficult to sew a trim in place as it often shifts and I get an uneven look. Sometimes I end up with areas where the trim has moved and hardly shows at all. Is there a way to stop this happening? Try this… Preparation is the key to attaching trims successfully. It’s very disappointing turning a project to the right side and finding that some areas have slipped out of place. Taking the time to baste the trim in place on the right side of the work before you layer up should prevent it happening. Basting will also help you achieve a neat, mitred effect at corners. For a bobble trim, after I have basted it in place, I use adhesive tape to stick the bobbles down…

Last year, I wrote about some of my favourite novels where needle and thread were woven into stories of love, revenge, passion and survival. This year, I’ve been inspired by a range of non-fiction titles. Here’s what I’ve been enjoying over the winter months… Exploring pattern and colour As quilters, we spend a lot of time thinking about colour and pattern because, as we know, it’s not always straightforward and it’s not always an intuitive process. It sometimes feels as though we spend a lifetime auditioning fabrics in search of the perfect palette and tone for our latest design. You may consult a colour wheel or spend hours poring over your library of books. Perhaps you pull fabrics randomly from your stash, hoping for a serendipitous moment when two unexpected…

You will need ■ Print 1 (blue) fabric – 7in x 22in ■ Print 2 (green) fabric – 5in x 18in ■ Background fabric – 12in x 18in ■ Template plastic ■ Templates (see Templates section) Finished size ■ 12in (16in with frames) Notes ■ Fabric quantities are based on the block pictured on page 85 only. For frames, see issue 42. ■ WS = wrong side. ■ SA = seam allowance. ■ Use one template for B and C if you decide the grain line could be the same for both. ■ For hand piecing basics, see issue 42 or go to www.todaysquilter.com Cutting out 1 From the background fabric, cut as follows: ■ Four (4) pieces using template F. ■ Four (4) pieces using template A. ■ Four…