Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue #136 2025 i Quilters Companion

ABOUT PAM QC When did you first start making quilts? PH I made my first quilt 40 years ago while eagerly anticipating our son Benny’s arrival from Mauritius. He was just eight, joining his two older sisters, Lori and Liseby, who had arrived a few years earlier. Lacking any real knowledge of quilting, I simply cut fabric with the goal of wrapping him in love. As I was still working as a fashion designer, I aimed to create something truly special. This year, Benny celebrates his 48th birthday. Although his beautiful curls and charming French accent have gone, he has matured into a talented plumber and a wonderful dad and husband, with two teenage daughters. How quickly time flies! I discovered that during his apprenticeship, he always kept the quilt…

Finished quilt size: 157cm x 166cm (62in x 65½in) @gracewidders MATERIALS • 70cm (¾yd) solid red fabric• 85cm (1yd) lime tone-on-tone print fabric• 85cm (1yd) mid-green print fabric• 2.9m (3¼yd) black and green print fabric (block backgrounds and binding)• 85cm (1yd) black print fabric (sashing and border)• 3.6 (4yd) backing fabric• Batting at least 185cm x 180cm (73in x 70in)• 22.5-degree ruler or template plastic and fine permanent-marking pen• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with ¼in foot• General sewing supplies PREPARATION AND CUTTING 1 If you’re not using a 22.5-degree ruler, trace the wedge shape from the Pattern Sheet on to template plastic using a fine permanent-marking pen. Cut it out on the outer line. From the solid red fabric, cut: • six strips, 3in x width of…

ABOUT CINDY QC Describe where you live and how that inspires you. CW I am very blessed to live on 100 acres of absolutely gorgeous, forested land near the small rural town of Deloraine in Tasmania. Apart from many trees, we have an abundance of wildlife, including many endangered species like the Tasmanian Devil, Spotted Quoll and Grey Goshawk, to mention a few. Tasmania supplies me with a neverending source of inspiration. But I must admit my favourite is the mossy rainforest, especially around the Cradle Mountain area. I love bushwalking and find myself drawn mostly to mountainous areas. The more remote the better. QC Do you have a studio or similar? CW I have a studio space in my home and one in my shop in Deloraine. The space…

Unfolding Cloth: Inspirations from Historical Textiles Hannah Lamb This book explores many creative ways to incorporate historical textiles into your own work, from first conception and initial research to the finished piece. Chapters cover: • Unfolding — how to track down historical textiles in shops, markets, antiques fairs, museum collections and online or in your own family scrap bag, and how to conduct thorough and meaningful research into them. • Connecting — how to design and plan your work with historical textiles, starting with mood boards and sketchbooks and progressing to practical creative experimentation, including old-fashioned techniques such as the ‘prick and pounce’ method of pattern transfer, popular in Tudor times. • Making — the practicalities of using old and fragile materials in your work and how to combine them…

Kits and block of the month programs are popular choices for quilters for a number of reasons. How many times has a quilt caught your eye and you think “Wow I would love to make that exact same quilt with the same fabrics and colours”? When you buy a kit for a quilt you see you can do just that – make it exactly in the colours and fabrics you see. Kits also take the often difficult job of select fabrics and colours out of the equation. The hard part is done for you so you can just enjoy the sewing.…

SEW-VENIR FROM THE MURRAY Earlier this year, talented designer Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse hosted a 10-night cruise down the picturesque Murray River for Quilters Companion readers in collaboration with Travelrite. She created a quilt especially for the quiltmakers to stitch while on tour, aptly named The Mighty Murray Quilt. It’s now available as a pattern and a kit for everyone to enjoy. “I wanted to do something to celebrate the beauty of this river, which is a magnificent life source winding through south-eastern Australia,” Natalie told us. The project, measuring 91cm (36in) square, features iconic Australian animals in appliqué, English paper piecing and simple pieced blocks. You’ll find it on Natalie’s website, www.thebirdhouse.com.au GOLDEN GIRLS Melbourne quiltmaker Sue de Vanny has triumphed with the $3000 acquisition first prize in…

Pam has created an intricate replica of the Bosham Church from the Bayeux Tapestry. She takes you through creating appliqué on a Teflon pressing sheet and adding detail and texture with machine free-hand stitching. Pam’s instructions on using Inktense pencils are also very interesting. These pencils are known for their vibrant and rich colours, and they can be used dry for a traditional coloured pencil effect. However, the real magic happens when you add water, transforming the colours into something even more vivid and dynamic. Finished size: 42cm x 46cm (16½in x 18in) iampamholland.com @pam.holland3 @pam.holland3 MATERIALS • Fat quarter bright pink print fabric• Fat quarter dark mottled print fabric• Assorted print fabrics for appliqué shapes – some need to be up to 20cm (8in) square• 30cm (⅜yd) bright orange…

Finished size: 13cm x 18cm (5in x 7in) www.thetextileartist.com cindy@thetextileartist MATERIALS • 16.5cm x 11.5cm (6½in x 4½in) calico• 29cm x 22cm (11½in x 8¾in) solid black fabric• 18cm x 13cm (7in x 5in) framed artist’s canvas• 13cm x 8cm (5in x 3¼in) fusible web• 29cm x 22cm (11½in x 8¾in) black batting• Cotton machine-sewing thread in black, blue, green, tan and dark, medium and light red• Black waterproof pen – Cindy uses Uni Pen Fine Liner 0.3mm• Derwent Inktense or watercolour pencils• Fabric medium• Paint brush• Chalk pencil• Staple gun• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with open-toe free-motion foot• General sewing supplies CUTTING AND PREPARATION 1 Make a small cut in the calico ½in in from each edge, then tear the fabric. This will give you frayed…

Finished quilt size: 138cm (54½in) square  Finished block size: 9in square flyingparrotquilts.com @flyingparrotquilts FlyingParrotQuilts MATERIALS • 25cm (⅜yd) yellow tone-on-tone print fabric (block centres)• 30cm (⅜yd) each of three pink print fabrics: one light, one medium-light and one medium-dark• 60cm (¾yd) dark pink print fabric• 25cm (¼yd) each of three green print fabrics: one light, one medium-light and one medium-dark• 50cm (⅝yd) dark green print fabric• Assorted low-volume scraps to total about 3.2m (3½yd)• 45cm (½yd) white tone-on-tone print fabric (binding)• 3.2m (3½yd) backing fabric• Batting at least 155cm (62in) square• A3 sheets of paper suitable for foundation piecing• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with ¼in foot• General sewing supplies Note: Foundation piecing is used in this project and the instructions assume a good working knowledge of this…

Finished size: 134.5cm x 109cm (53in x 43in) @patchworkfun @patchwork.fundamentals MATERIALS • 70cm (¾yd) white print fabric• Assorted scraps to total about 1m (1⅛yd)• 1.4m (1⅝yd) cheater print fabric (sashing strips) — see Tip• 1.3m (1½yd) blue print fabric (top and bottom borders)• 40cm (½ yd) red stripe print fabric (binding)• 2.1m (2⅜yd) backing fabric• Batting at least 150cm x 125cm (60in x 50in)• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with ¼in foot• General sewing supplies PREPARATION AND CUTTING From the white print fabric, cut: • four strips, 6in x width of fabric. Cross cut them to yield 24 squares, 6in From the cheater print fabric, cut: • four strips down the length of the fabric x whatever width is needed to fussy cut the printed design From the…

Finished size: 170cm x 145cm (67in x 57in) Finished block size: 4¾in square dandddewhurst@bigpond.com MATERIALS • 3.2m (3⅜yd) solid white fabric (block backgrounds)• Assorted floral print fabrics in pink, blue, green, yellow and mauve to total about 4.5m (4⅞yd). Raid your stash. If purchasing fabric, 30cm (⅜yd) cuts work well. You could also use layer cakes (for the blocks) and charm squares (for the Suffolk puffs)• 60cm (⅝yd) pink and white stripe print fabric (binding) — see Debby’s Binding Tip• 3.3m (3⅝yd) backing fabric• Batting at least 185cm x 160cm (73in x 63in)• Threads to match the floral print fabrics• Off-white silk thread (Suffolk puffs)• Cardboard, paper, pencil and glue (templates)• Compass (optional)• Spray starch and paintbrush• Rotary cutter, ruler and mat• Sewing machine with ¼in foot• General sewing supplies…

As a longarm machine quilter since 1998, I’ve seen countless quilts transformed by a thoughtful and brilliantly executed border. Whether you’re a domestic machine enthusiast or a longarm wizard, the opportunities to turn your borders into masterpieces are endless. Let’s explore some creative strategies for framing your quilt with flair, using free-motion, templates and even paper designs. The Power of the Border Before we dive into the techniques, let’s talk about the why. A well-quilted border can: • Balance the design: A busy centre can be calmed by a simple, elegant border, while a simple pieced quilt can be given a dynamic edge with a complex border design. • Add visual interest: It’s an opportunity to introduce a new motif, texture or pattern that complements the central design without overpowering…

Best of Show Excellence in Hand Quilting Award Appliqué Professional — First Lily Rosenberry Revisited, 208cm x 208cm (82in x 82in), Tara Sniedze Artist’s statement: “My Lily Rosenberry Revisited quilt was a long work in progress. The pattern is by Sue Garman from Texas, who sadly passed away while I was working on the quilt. The hand appliqué certainly took time and the hand quilting was completed over three years. I have kept to my personal credo of cramming as many different fabrics into a quilt as I can — there are many red and green fabrics in this quilt, some gifted from darling friends and others from a deep stash. Some I have had for more than 20 years. Despite the use of scraps, my scrap stash doesn’t seem to…