Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 20 - 2017 i Today's Quilter

One of my favourite aspects of quilting is the opportunity to learn. But learning has to inspire me – we’re not at school now, so how that new information is delivered is crucial! In this issue we have so many talented quilters with different styles and skills, but what unites them is their power of inspiration. Many of us are fascinated by the dimensions created by trapunto, but it wasn’t until I saw Ruth Singer’s idea for her design that I believed I could actually achieve those effects. The small scale project makes a new technique seem so much more achievable. Equally inspirational is Pat Sloan, who as well as being a prolific author and designer, is dedicated to building the quilting community worldwide. Her enthusiasm for both quilting and…

AS SOON AS the Today’s Quilter team spotted a collection of quilt designs inspired by life as seen through the eyes of Laura Ingalls Wilder, we knew we had to share! Laura’s books were childhood reading for so many of us, while the television series was essential viewing (we’re humming the theme tune right now!). To us children here in the UK, those endless golden prairies and log cabin houses seemed a million miles away. It didn’t take much to capture our imagination – didn’t every little girl yearn for a pretty sun bonnet and long plaited pigtails? But more than that was a life where quilting played an integral role in the home. The finished product had so many functions, but the process of making the quilts encompassed creativity,…

Making strip-pieced four-patch units Take two (2) strips that are ½in wider than the finished size of the squares in the four patch. Align them lengthwise with right sides together. Stitch together with a scant ¼in seam into a strip panel. Press towards the darker fabric, being careful not to distort the seam. Trim up the end and then cut the panel into segments ½in wider than the finished size of the squares. Use two segments for each four-patch, rotating one so the squares are diagonally opposite. Butt and match the seams and stitch with a scant ¼in seam. Press well, and trim and square up units if necessary (Fig 1). Making half-square triangle (HST) units eight at a time Take two squares and align them right sides together. On…

“Big and bold, our Basket Weave quilt really shows off what you can achieve with a few strips and an octagon! This is a great quilt to really make a fabric statement – simple but oh so effective and we had great fun designing and making it. You need an octagon shape – you can either draw your own, which is very simple and accurate, or photocopy the template (see Templates section). Once you realise how great the octagon shape is we know you’ll be tempted to use it a lot more! “For this Jelly Roll quilt we used the 90-degree triangle on the Creative Grids Flying Geese 45/90-degree triangle, which was the perfect size. Any 90-degree triangle can be used, as long as it measures at least 6½in from…

“Trapunto – stuffed or corded quilting – is a semi-forgotten technique these days and it’s my mission to bring it back to life with new contemporary designs. I have been researching and practising trapunto for about ten years, inspired by the oldest surviving example, the 14th century Tristan Quilt in the V&A. It was popular in the 17th century and had a brief resurgence between the wars in the UK, although it has a more continuous tradition in France where it is called Boutis. I love trees – both naturalistic and stylised versions and a branch makes a design for a sampler where you can try cording and lots of stuffed variations.”…

HELP! When I sew a line of individual prairie points I sometimes find that, after all the sewing is done, the points have shifted and look a little wonky. What can I do about this? Try this… This can happen because prairies are composed of many fabric layers, which can “creep” when they are being sewn. I find this happens most often when the triangles are obscured by another piece of fabric. I solve this in the following ways: 1 Press the folded points really well using spray starch, aligning edges accurately at each stage. 2 Use a tiny spot of fabric glue to fix the flaps in place and press again. 3 Position the triangles where needed and pin each one at each side of the base. Add another…

Laura Kemshall has won many prestigious awards for her innovative quilts in which she often layers several techniques. At the forefront of embracing computerised technology, I was thrilled to have the chance to catch up with Laura to find out more about how she pushes the boundaries of digital quilting. When did you start quilting and how did you learn? “My mother, Linda Kemshall, is a quilter and when I was a child she was a Young Quilters (YQ) Representative for The Quilters’ Guild. So I was enrolled as a YQ and taken along to their workshops, so I’ve always known about quilting. After school, I did a textiles degree, specialising in embroidery, though we weren’t taught how to sew. In a sense, I’m self-taught through years of practise, but…

Though our field is starting to show signs of life, the land is still quite flat and bleached out, which makes it the perfect time to spot the shy wildlife that shares Shangri La Farm with us. So far we have had glimpses of foxes, stoats and hares (as well as the ubiquitous rabbits). We haven’t actually seen a badger but we know they are around. I’ve always had a thing about the traditional Bear Paw block, but how about celebrating our native wildlife in the same way? First up is fox and stoat paws, with the two predators racing towards each other. Though the fox is much larger in size I wouldn’t bet against the stoat after watching one overcome a rabbit about five times its size. Some may…

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES Beyond Measure www.shopbeyondmeasure.co.uk  0746 886 6834 Paperchase www.paperchase.co.uk BOOKS Search Press www.searchpress.com  0189 251 0850 Sew and So www.sewandso.co.uk  0800 030 0150 Roundhouse Group www.roundhousegroup.co.uk  0127 360 3717 Welsh Quilts www.welshquilts.com  0157 042 2088 FABRIC COLLECTIONS Sage www.artgalleryfabrics.com  0157 042 2866 Bumblebee groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk Bally Hall, Marina, Papillon www.makoweruk.com  0149 157 9727…

At some point in our lives most of us have read the Little House on the Prairie® books or watched the TV series. Many of you will have fond memories, and may even know someone named “Laura” after Laura Ingalls Wilder (such as TQ’s Technical Editor). Although few of us will ever have a taste of real prairie life, our love of quilting does allow us to peek into that world. From self-expression to the need for privacy, quilts obviously played a significant role in the lives of the pioneers. To give us a taste of those quilts, you’ll find four quilt designs in this supplement inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. Although each is different, they all have the kind of rustic charm that has us dreaming of…

You will need • Tan prairie print for the blocks and border – 5½yds (5m) • Assorted small florals for the blocks – 4¼yds (3.9m) total • Yellow flower print for the diamonds and binding – 2⅛yds (1.9m) • Backing fabric – 9⅜yds (8.6m) • Batting – 105in (266.7cm) square • Paper-backed fusible web (at least 17in [43.2cm] wide) for the appliqué – 3½yds (3.2m) • See-through template plastic • Diamond template (see Techniques and Templates section) Finished size • 96½in (245.1cm) square Cutting out For the best use of fabric, cut the strips and patches in the order listed. Note: Border strips include extra length for trimming. The diamond template is printed without turn-under allowances to use with paper-backed fusible web. If you wish to hand-appliqué the diamonds, add…

“The Ingalls family did a lot of travelling. Sitting in the covered wagon or walking alongside the turning wheels, Laura journeyed from Wisconsin to Kansas and back again, before heading west to Minnesota. From Minnesota, the family travelled first to Iowa and then to South Dakota, where they settled happily. During these journeys, the wagon rolled across plains, over dirt roads and through forests, steadily eating up the miles. And while hardships were inevitable in the Little House books, I imagine there was laughter and fun along the trail. In this quilt, the larger block seems to be merrily rolling along, with happy feet and a good pace. You’ll notice that these blocks travel in both directions, both to and from Kansas. I like this quilt best when it’s laid…

Ruth Singer ELEGANT TRAPUNTO Award-winning textile artist Ruth shares her clever tips and techniques for achieving trapunto perfection on page 47. Pat Sloan TUNE IN TO LISTEN If you’ve never heard of Pat then prepare to discover a whole new world of quilting on page 56. Look and listen with Pat Sloan! Lynne Edwards MBE LEARNING CURVE Lynne’s talks and workshops are the stuff of legends, but even the teacher carries on learning, usually from the students (page 33).…

IT’S A BUZZ TILDA BUMBLEBEE Be inspired by the new Bumblebee collection from Tilda, including 20 beautiful cotton floral prints by the metre, available in Charm Packs, Fat Eight and Fat Quarter bundles to get your creative juices flowing. Sweetly named Flower Nest Pink, Rosa Mollis Linen and Garden Bees Blue this gorgeous range of fabrics is trademark Tilda – both winsome and charming. In addition, there are sewing patterns for both a fox and a hare as well as an irresistible Sweetheart Bumblebee Doll Kit to keep you busy. Fabric by the metre costs £16.80; Charm Pack consisting of 40 pcs, £19.40; Fat Eight Bundle of 20 pcs, £44.90 and Fat Quarter Bundles of 5 pcs, £19.40. Ideal for sewing bees everywhere! For stockist information, email groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk “My style…

“There were a lot of converts to the joys of conversation while gently sewing without deadlines.” Well, the cruise was amazing – total pampering and, best of all, no internet or mobile phone connection. Quite like the old days, and after a couple of days feeling slightly twitchy about not knowing what was going on, I relaxed into it all and de-stressed a treat. I did have teaching to do, of course (oh, that old thing), and that was a new experience in the limiting situation of being away from everything, meaning that what you hadn’t brought with you for the students you just had to do without. A combination of preparation, improvisation and total flexibility, I would say. We were limited by space to fourteen sewing machines, so the…

Designer, Author and TV Personality, Mandy Shaw calls herself “A Maker of All Things Lovely”, and you couldn’t find a more perfect title for one of Britain’s most popular and creative crafters. Her deep love of sewing is infectious, and her quirky, quilted and appliquéd designs have long been delighting quilters and stitchers around the world. Mixing traditional skills such as redwork with quick, quirky techniques to make life easier are part of Mandy’s trademark approach. She loves teaching and has shared her ideas and skills in six beautiful books, articles for many magazines including Today’s Quilter, and in television appearances. What do you love about crafting? “I have sewn and created all of my life and am passionate about my home and family, which give me all the inspiration…

Sit and spend some time getting to know your machine as you might already have some digital stitch capability. If buying an embroidery machine, you don’t necessarily need the top-of-the-range model. But if you want the freedom to manipulate commercial designs and to create your own patterns from scratch it is a good idea to buy the software. There aren’t really any guidebooks on digital quilting, so you will just have to spend time familiarising yourself with your machine and the software. This will take time! Just try things. If you make small, manageable samples you’ll soon be able to establish if something is going to work and if it suits your style. If it doesn’t then you won’t have wasted too much time. If you like something you try,…

TENDRILS OF SPRING EMBROIDERY TEMPLATE ACTUAL SIZE PLEASE NOTE Join halves along red dotted line to complete template. Stitch all lines first in running stitch. C indicates channels for cord. S indicates stuffing. Stitches highlighted in blue , are added after stuffing. BASKET WEAVE OCTAGON TEMPLATE ENLARGE BY 200% Includes seam allowances SUNSHINE STARS DIAMOND TEMPLATE ACTUAL SIZE Includes seam allowances Thank you for making this project from Today’s Quilter. The copyright for these templates belongs to the designer of the project. They work hard to create projects for you to enjoy, so please don’t re-sell or distribute without permission. Please do not make any part of the templates or instructions available to others through your website or a third party website, or copy it multiple times without permission. Copyright…

For myself and many other quilters, the seeds of our passion for quilting were first sewn reading these treasured stories under the counterpane, torch in hand. The well thumbed Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder had pride of place in my library next to Conrad Richter’s trilogy The Awakening Land which, together with over 203 episodes of the TV series Little House on the Prairie – broadcast in the 1970s and 80s – more than fuelled my imagination of what life for a frontier family was like in the 19th century. For a young reader it was an unchartered, magical world of hickory smoke, log cabins, nine-patch blocks and calico bonnets. This romantic notion was a far cry from what life was really like and it…

“Goldenrod, clover, violets and buttercups, black-eyed Susans and wild roses… these are just some of the wildflowers mentioned in the Little House books. In On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura and Mary walk to school on a dusty road past green prairie grass and fields of flowers. And in the same book, warm yellow sunshine pours over Laura’s nightgown when she awakens in the family’s new house and looks out through her own little sashed window. I like to think that this quilt captures those images of sweet flowers next to dusty roads, and warm sunshine blessing a little girl’s flower-strewn world.”…

You will need • Assorted medium (red, brown, and grey) prints and stripes – 5¼yds (4.8m) • Assorted light (beige, cream, and tan) prints – 2¼yds (2.1m) • Large beige print for setting squares – 3⅜yds (3.1m) • Backing fabric – 8yds (7.3m) • Complementary tan stripe fabric for binding – ⅞yard (0.8m) • Batting – 87in x 99in (221cm x 251.5cm) Finished size • 78½in x 90½in (199.4cm x 229.9cm) Cutting out Cut patches in the order listed. Each block is made from matching sets of patches. As you cut, put the patches in piles according to their blocks. When you’re ready to sew a block, bring only the patches you’ll need for that block to your machine. For example, when sewing a Churn Dash block, you will need…

THE DESIGNER GUDRUN SJÖDÉN Gudrun Sjödén’s ethos is all about designing colourful home textiles and clothes using natural materials, with a focus on rustic Nordic design and green values. We love her vibrant, effervescent patterns and feel inspired to overhaul our own homes and wardrobes this spring. Visit Gudrun’s shop for homeware, clothing and eco-cottons, sold by the metre. The Juliana design caught our eye, it’s a lively medley of motifs in three vibrant shades. The collection can be found at www.gudrunsjoden.com/uk THE BOOK A TOUCH OF FARMHOUSE CHARM If you love simple, rustic, homely decor, and you feel like getting crafty, this book’s for you. Liz Fourez’s gorgeous Indiana home is farmhouse-chic at its very best. Pore over the pages as she takes you on a tour, sharing her…

QUILTING EXHIBITIONS Spring Quilt Festivals 3rd-5th March, Duxford 9th-11th March, Malvern 31st March-2nd April, Exeter Grosvenor’s exhibitions held up and down the country showcase some fabulous quilts, lots of tempting retail therapy, “meet the experts” and all in venues which are easily accessible with plenty of refreshment options. Admission: £8.00 www.grosvenorshows.co.uk The Scottish Quilting Show 2nd-5th March, SECC, Glasgow A fabulous showcase of the finest patchwork and quilting in Scotland. Held in conjunction with Hobby Crafts and The Stitching & Sewing Show. 10:00-17:00 (16:30 Sunday) Admission: £8.50 www.thequiltingshow.co.uk The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show 2nd-5th March, London The event offers hundreds of workshops, demonstrations and interactive features, curated galleries showcasing the work of leading textile artists and groups from all over the world, and hundreds of specialist craft companies selling…

“Stars and chains are a classic combination and we’ve rung the changes with four traditional blocks – Eight Grid Chain; Frayed Sawtooth Star; Eight Hands Around; and Odd Fellow’s Chain – to create a complex-looking quilt that relies primarily on four-patch, half-square triangle and flying geese units. Once you’ve made the blocks, lay out the centre section and you’ll see the chains appear. The Garden Notes collection designed by Kathy Schmitz for Moda is a lovely, fresh range combining soft, spring greens, sky blues and goldenrod yellow with hand-drawn vintage-style botanical illustrations, hand-lettering and traditional coordinating prints – if you look closely, you’ll find bees, bugs and butterflies as well! We’ve added a Moda Grunge in ivory for the background (and backing) that contrasts with the cream collection fabrics as…

You will need: • Canvas or picture frame – 35cm x 45cm (for other sizes you will need your fabric to be 15cm wider and 15cm longer than your frame to wrap around and fix on the back) • Front fabric: fine weave natural grey linen – 50cm x 60cm • Backing fabric: muslin or lightweight cotton – 50cm x 60cm • Selection of lightweight embroidery threads in greens. Stranded cotton should be split into two (2) or three (3) threads for this project • Knitting yarn in DK or Aran weight – 10m-20m* • Small amount of stuffing** • Staple gun or hammer and small tacks • Wash-out marking pen • Large tapestry needle with blunt tip, thick enough to thread two strands of the yarn through • Fine,…

“Stitch these sunny star blocks from as many scraps as you have. You can easily trim down Jelly Roll strips to the right size, so I found it a great stash buster. For a different effect use a large floral in the centre of the filler blocks to really emphasise the garden feel of the quilt. My quilt is very scrappy in that I have used different cream fabrics when I ran out of others. Stick to the same tone, and these will blend together easily adding more subtle interest to your quilt.”…

PAULINE’S PATCHWORK Pauline’s patchwork is a family run business offering quality cotton craft fabrics. We run a wide selection of patchwork, quilting and textile workshops. Our business also provides a long arm quilting service, offering bespoke edge 2 edge quilting designs paulinespatchwork.co.uk 01305 261022 PURPLE-PIXIE FABRIC & CRAFT We have moved! Visit our new bigger shop! More fabric, more space, more choice. A lovely day out in the Garden of England. The Hop Farm Family Park, Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6PY. FREE Parking. purple-pixie.co.uk COAST AND COUNTRY CRAFTS & QUILTS Cornwall's specialist Patchwork Shop stocking beautiful books, linens, magazines, patterns & fabrics. coastandcountrycrafts.co.uk HOMETOWN Hop into Hometown for new spring fabrics. 62 High Street, Rochester, Kent. 01634 838880 hometownrochester.co.uk 28 Queens Road Craig-y-Don Llandudno Conwy, North Wales LL30 1AZ…

Make time this aster for creative quilting Sew Pauline Ineson’s elegant Cathedral Windows cushion • Piece the Union Jack with Mandy Shaw • Linda Clements shows us how to create 3D fabric floral accents • Celebrate Easter with our heart-warming Back Story FREE! Project supplement: Master 60° triangles with Pam Lintott Issue 21 on sale 30th March…

PRAIRIE INSPIRED WALNUT GROVE To celebrate the release of a brand new collection inspired by the much-loved books and TV series Little House on the Prairie® , Today’s Quilter has teamed up with The Cotton Patch to give our readers the chance to win a selection of these truly charming fabrics. One lucky reader will win three fat quarter bundles from the Walnut Grove collection, each containing six fabrics in different colourways. In evocative colour palettes of nut, red and vintage blue, these gorgeous prints are sure to be as iconic as Little House itself. To buy any of them, visit The Cotton Patch for prices and info: www.cottonpatch.co.uk TO ENTER simply visit www.bit.ly/TQ20prairie LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE® AND ASSOCIATED CHARACTER NAMES, DESIGNS, IMAGES AND LOGOS ARE…

You will need • Tan/multicolour mini-dot for the Footed Wheel blocks and setting triangles – 4yds (3.7m) • Red bouquet print, brown bouquet print, brown/tan vine print, and red/tan vine print for the blocks – ⅝yd (0.6m) each • Cream wheat print for the Pinwheel blocks – ⅞yd (0.8m) • Brown/gold/red wallpaper stripe for the sashing strips, border, and binding – 3½yds (3.2m)* • Backing fabric – 7yds (6.4m) • Batting – 92in x 102in (233.7cm x 259.1cm) Finished size • 83¼in x 92⅝in (211.4cm x 235.3cm) Notes • *The wallpaper stripe yardage is based on a fabric that allows eight (8) lengthwise strips (4⅛in [10.5cm] wide and centred on a stripe) to be cut from one width of fabric. If your chosen fabric allows for fewer strips to be…