Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 22 - 2017 i Today's Quilter

It’s officially spring (hoorah!) and the clocks have sprung forward. I’m not a morning person, but losing an hour is worth it for the beautiful blossom laden season it heralds. For quilters, this time of year means an increase in the hours of natural daylight in which to sew, important when mixing and matching colours. In fabric shops I take potential purchases over to the window to study their “true” colours (this does wonders for working towards your 10,000 steps a day too). This issue is bursting with colour, cleverly selected by our talented designers to create shape, movement and impact in their projects. However, as well as colours ranging from delicate pastel pink all the way through to deep navy, it is cream, ivory and white that play an…

FABRIC FINDS GRAPHIC DESIGN FreeSpirit presents Splendor by Amy Butler, a gorgeous collection “inspired by the mystical musings of Mother Nature”. Just imagine what fun you could have fussy cutting some of these bold prints and playing with the graphic patterns. Splendor is made up of 24 quilting cottons in two modern colour palettes, “Mystic” and “Celestial”. The illustrative quality of the artwork will captivate and inspire a wide variety of sewing projects for the print-loving sewing enthusiast. For stockists info, visit www.amybutlerdesign.com HEADS UP, INDIGO LOVERS! THE AFRICAN FABRIC SHOP Fresh from their epic three-month shopping spree across West Africa, Magie Relph and Bob Irwin are back, laden with textile treasures. After years of dreaming about it, they finally made it to Labé, indigo heaven in the remote highlands…

Even if appliqué shapes have been fused, the edges still need to be sealed with stitching. Mandy uses a machine blanket stitch to give a hand finished look. Here are some of her top tips for achieving good results with machine appliqué. • Always start by giving your machine a little spring clean and a new needle. I like to use the denim variety size 12 or 14. The denim needles are lovely and sharp for piecing. • Reduce your top tension slightly. “Lefty loosey, righty tighty” is a silly rhyme that works a treat. When you are appliquéing by machine you need the top threads to show on the back of the work slightly so that no bobbin thread shows on the top. Practise on identical fabric and amount…

“I’m a big fan of Japanese quilting magazines and books and I love the way that many Japanese designers take traditional blocks and breathe fresh life into them with their unusual fabric combinations. Many of the fabrics I used for this cushion are Japanese wovens mixed in with contemporary and vintage prints. This is one of the many classic ‘Friendship’ quilt block designs. It’s easy to foundation paper piece, especially when all the fabric pieces can be pre-cut ready to use, and it lends itself beautifully to scraps!” – Kerry Green…

We are very lucky to have a huge variety of birds living alongside us at Shangri La Farm. But we don’t have any owls, and we really want one! Any old owl would do, but so far we’ve had no luck, despite the deluxe accommodation Jonathan has built them. He started with an owl box in one of our poplar trees, which has so far managed to attract the attention of a few jackdaws and a kestrel (but no owl). Then he built another box into the eaves of our Mini Barn. But alas still no owls, and yet we sometimes hear their hooting late at night, as if they’re teasing us! We’ve had more success with smaller birds, like blue tits and sparrows. And then, every year, some time…

Linda Clements BRIGHT STAR Linda worried that her fabric selection was too bright for our cover. Never fear – the ladies of Today’s Quilter love it! See more on page 22. Nel Whatmore BLOOMING MARVELLOUS Turn to page 42 to meet the talented Nel. A true artist, Nel never fails to inspire us with her painterly fabric designs and quilt patterns. Angela Daymond KANTHA COLOURS Using thread alone to embellish plain fabric, Angela has to be clever with her choices. Read our colourful Q&A on page 70.…

QUILTING EXHIBITIONS As Good as it Gets: Exquisite Welsh Quilts from 1921-1939 Until 4th November, Wales An exhibition featuring quilts from a number of collectors highlighting the work of Welsh quilters, who worked under the sponsorship of The Rural Industries Bureau (RIB) in Wales. The Welsh Quilt Centre, The Town Hall, High Street, Lampeter, SA48 7BB www.welshquilts.com Threads: Celebrating Creativity in Historic and Contemporary Quilts Until 4th June, Devon The Threads exhibition explores quilts and coverlets from The Quilters’ Guild Collection. Torre Abbey, The King’s Drive, Torquay, TQ2 5JE www.torre-abbey.org.uk Patchwork, Pattern and Print Exhibition Until 30th April, North Yorkshire An exhibition of heritage quilts at which visitors can view a stunning array of 18th, 19th and 20th century quilts from The Guild’s historic collection. The Garden Rooms at Tennants…

“I adore bright, colourful fabrics, and the ones used in this quilt by Kaffe Fassett and Philip Jacobs are perfect to create a big splash of colour. The quilt was inspired by a book that I am currently tech editing, called Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts in Ireland, due to be published this August, which, as you can imagine, is full of bright fabrics. Green is perhaps my favourite colour and I chose the fabrics to feature as many greens as possible, but you could easily choose another main colour, such as blues, oranges or pinks. The quilt uses seven different prints on a green theme, plus a light and a dark solid for contrast. The quilt is easy to make as only one block is used throughout, rotated in places and…

You will need • White stars fabric – 4⅜yds • Assorted dark and medium prints – totalling 4½yds OR twenty-two (22) fat quarters • Sashing fabric – 1½yd • Cornerstones fabric – ›yd * • Binding fabric – 1¼yd * • Backing fabric – 85in x 110in • Batting – 85in x 110in Finished size • 76in x 101in Notes • * We used the same fabric for binding and cornerstones. • **Our binding strips were cut along the length of the fabric, not the width, so that the stripes ran perpendicular to the edges of the quilt. You may need less fabric if not using a directional print. Fabric Used • 22 prints from Arroyo by Erin Dollar for Robert Kaufman. Tone on tone white Kona for the stars.…

You will need • Background fabric (cream) – 1¼yds • Narrow border fabric (blue stripe) – ›yd • Wide border fabric (pink dot) – 1yd • Blocks fabric (blue dot) – ½yd • Appliqué hearts fabric - 12in x 9in • Batting – 46in x 60in • Backing – 46in x 60in • Binding fabric – ½yd • Assorted fabrics in pinks, blues, browns and creams for appliqué • Felt – 8in square** • Embroidery threads to match colours. Floss or cotton a broder. • Thirteen (13) 8mm pearl buttons for hearts • Buttons to decorate houses: nine (9) small buttons for doorknobs, five (5) tiny buttons for shells, six (6) star buttons for flowers, one (1) pearl button for door, one (1) tiny button for Scruffs collar • Fusible…

Tell us about your sewing background? In 2004 I set up and ran a local quilt group for over eight years. The emphasis was on making quilts to support Project Linus UK. In 2011 I left the Civil Service, where I had worked for 30 years, and established Pastures New Quilting to provide a comprehensive range of patchwork and quilting classes for all abilities. What was the first thing you ever made? Can you remember how old you were? The first thing I remember making was sock dolls at school when I was four. Followed by families of felt mice and I still have my first appliqué picture of a Flamingo made when I was nine. Describe your sewing style (are you drawn to particular colour palettes, fabric designers, or…

HELP!   When I sew Flying Geese units together I often lose the top point of the triangle. How can I avoid this? Try this… To preserve the triangle points it’s crucial that the seam allowance on the unit is ¼in and that you sew an accurate ¼in seam. Points are cut off or too gappy because of seam allowance errors, either in the making of the units or when sewing them together (Fig 12). Fig 13 shows the important area. Make sure the small squares are ¼in wider than half the rectangle width (see Maths Made Easy on page 61). HELP!   Can I use a four-at-once method to sew Flying Geese with different colours? And how do I predict what they will look like? Try this… Yes, you…

Textile artist and teacher Angela Daymond is well known both for her kantha-style hand quilting and for colouring her fabrics with dyes from nature’s store cupboard. She often combines the two techniques to create beautifully subtle pieces. I was delighted to catch up with Angela to find out more about her interest in kantha – an Indian folk art quilting tradition most widely associated with Bangladesh – and the pleasure she takes in this method of “slow” stitching. When did you start quilting? “I’ve stitched since I was a young child, after being taught by my mother and grandmother, but I wasn’t really aware of quilts until I went to America in my early twenties. I visited the northeastern states where lots of Amish have settled and I just fell…

SHOPPING FABRIC COLLECTIONS Splendor www.amybutlerdesign.com Marrakesch www.guetermann.com Holly Berry www.makoweruk.com  0149 157 9727 Arroyo www.robertkaufman.com ACCESSORIES Clover Scissors clover@stockistenquiries.co.uk BOOKS Search Press www.searchpress.com  0189 251 0850 12-Pack Quilts, The Big Book of Table Toppers www.amazon.co.uk PLACES TO VISIT The African Fabric Shop www.africanfabric.co.uk The Welsh Quilt Centre www.welshquilts.com…

THE DESIGNER SUE DALEY Sue’s love of patchwork begun when she was pregnant with her first child. Since then her hobby has grown into a patchwork empire, incorporating stunning quilt patterns and kits, fabric collections with Riley Blake Designs, a range of patchwork tools, an online shop and patchwork retreats at her own B’n’B! Quatro Colour, above, was entirely English paper pieced using Sue’s own Bittersweet fabrics and quilted by Cathy Shibrowski. Just one of Sue’s many inspiring designs, we adore its warm, bright hues. www.suedaleyblog.com THE BOOK SIMPLE FRIENDSHIPS One of the joys of quilting is sharing your work with others, be it through gifting or exhibiting at shows. It can be especially heart-warming to feel part of the quilting community by making quilts with like-minded stitchers. In Kim…

Project of the month A life in love Here is the quilt I made for my partner’s parents – Peter and Amina – who recently celebrated their 90th and 83rd birthdays. I love the special booklets on historical quilts that TQ has produced over the last year and when I saw Petra Prins’ wonderful Dutch Heritage fabrics the border became the starting point for the whole quilt. The overall framework owes much to Makower’s Giggleswick Cottage quilt, though I used different fabrics. I printed and embroidered many of the smaller panels, working in personal references to their lives, including Peter’s proposal to Amina in Morse Code on Waterloo Bridge (I could only fit “Marry Me”). Also included is fabric from one of Amina’s uncompleted skirts from the 1960s and a…

“There are lots of different ways to finish the edge of a quilt, some traditional, some anarchicaçy new.” There are lots of different ways to finish the edge of a quilt, some traditional, some anarchically new, and I am happy to embrace anything that does the job and looks good to the maker. As I’m forever saying, we make these quilts for our own pleasure and fulfilment, not for anyone else’s, least of all for a judge at a quilt show. Remember, most people will say “that’s nice”, sometimes just out of politeness, and then move on. “Ah, but,” we say, clinging to their coat-tails, “look at how badly I’ve done this bit”… We’re always aware of where we feel we’ve failed, where the effect in our dream-mind somehow has…

“Midnight Star was inspired by the simplicity of Amish quilts. The negative space in the stars helps balance the scrappiness of the prints in the background. But the fact that the white stars are a white on white print creates visual interest and helps tie everything together. I especially love the very tiny sashing. I usually am not a fan of traditional sashing, but I think the skinniness of it helps break apart the large white spaces. Plus, who doesn’t love teeny-tiny cornerstones?” – Nichole Ramirez…

“I have had an interest in houses since a young child. I was always making my dolls a house under a chair or in a box. My gran had a huge willow tree that we would play in and tie back the willows as curtains, and when we had our three daughters I designed, and my husband made, them each a dolls house: a cottage with gardens, a huge town house (that the mice made their own in the attic, it was sweet…ish!) and a shop with a flat above, we had such fun with them, so did the girls. Our own is a lovely Edwardian town house, which I still adore to this day having lived there 27 years. So as you can see the prospect of making a…

“My aim is to spread happiness and make the everyday a little more beautiful.” - Gudrun Sjödén For anyone who adores Swedish textile designer Gudrun Sjödén’s joyous use of colour and bold patterns, along with a playful combination of fitted and loose silhouettes, her latest collection certainly won’t disappoint. Nordic nature and Swedish folklore are still the main sources of inspiration for the range, and they are blended, as usual, with a sprinkling of influences from around the world – this time the South of France. Following in the footsteps of artist Vincent Van Gogh, Gudrun travelled to Carmague for creative inspiration. The result was a collection that captures the essence of an eternal French summer perfectly, translating the beautiful sunny countryside and breezy seaside into both gorgeous clothing and…

You will need • Fabric A – one (1) fat quarter of light fabric • B fabrics– ½yd of assorted mid/dark colour scraps (minimum size 3¾in square) in taupe, beige, browns and reds • C fabrics – one (1) fat quarter of assorted darker scraps (min size 2¼in wide) • Fabric D – one (1) 20in square • Vilene fusible fleece H640 or batting – two (2) 20in squares • Concealed zip – 14in • Foundation paper or lightweight printing paper (A4 or USA letter size) • Square cushion pad – 18in • Fabric glue stick (water based) • Thirty-six (36) Foundation templates (see Templates section) Finished size • 17¾in square approx Notes • Seam allowances are ¼in throughout unless stated otherwise. • Template includes seam allowances, where necessary. •…

Don’t worry about your stitch size – it’s the consistency that is important so concentrate on this. Everyone has their own “signature” stitch size, so don’t fight against what comes naturally to you. This is what gives your work personality and brings it to life. If you aren’t used to stitching with perlé threads, no. 12 is a good weight to start with as it’s not too thick, but it still gives designs a lovely definition. Don’t skimp on threads. Pressure is put on the thread as it passes up and down through the fabrics, and poor quality ones will fray, twist and look “fuzzy”. Change your needle regularly. It’s hard to say how long a needle lasts, but it’s the needle that makes the hole for the thread, so…

“Can you believe it – no set in seams! That should appeal to many who have avoided this stunning design in the past. This quilt goes together beautifully and will appeal to the more ambitious quilter. We used a great range from Moda’s Three Sisters against a neutral background. We did have to use ‘artistic licence’ when dividing our Jelly Roll into different colours and our reds, out of necessity, ended up including creams and browns with just a hint of red! It did make us think that perhaps we do spend too much time searching for the exact colour we feel is necessary for a quilt. The pioneering women in their covered wagons heading West certainly couldn’t head off to the nearest quilt shop to search for a specific…

TEMPTATIONS Everything you need for Patchwork and Quilting. Hundreds of quality cotton fabrics, wadding, haberdashery, Brother Sewing Machines. temptationsbentham.co.uk HAZEL’S FABRIC CRAFT West Calder. Patchwork & Quilting supplies and workshops. Open Fri & Sat 9.30am–4.30pm, Sun 10am–2pm. hazelsfabriccraft.co.uk 28 Queens Road Craig-y-Don Llandudno Conwy, North Wales LL30 1AZ thequiltingbeecyd@gmail.com 01492 878599 THE QUILT SANCTUARY Professional Long Arm Quilting Service, including a selection of fabrics and wadding. Gwynedd, Wales. 01341 250809 / 07402 919194 thequiltsanctuary.co.uk CREATIVE CRAFTS Creative Crafts is an independent arts & crafts shop bursting to the seams with everything you need for your hobby. 01962 856266 HOMETOWN Plenty of new spring fabrics for your new spring quilt at Hometown, 62 High Street, Rochester ME1 1JY 01634 838880 hometownrochester.co.uk HORNCASTLE SEWING CENTRE A friendly welcome for fabric crafters. Fabric, haberdashery,…

This year’s major exhibition at the Welsh Quilt Centre showcases one of the most important periods in the history of Welsh Quilting. Through a post-war initiative, the Rural Industries Bureau (RIB) sponsored the most skilled quilters from the South Wales Valleys and supplied magnificent Welsh Quilts for a luxury market. Many of the quilts have not been on display before and a number belong to private individuals who are relatives of the RIB Quilters. We are thrilled that, for Today’s Quilter, Jen Jones has selected two “gems” from the exhibition – a sateen wholecloth and one very early patchwork that was a precursor to many of the later quilts. Brilliant Pink Sateen Quilt During the 1930s Lala and Bessie Leach were teaching the ladies of Aberdare to quilt and very…

6ew with the best names in quilting Make Jo Colwill’s stunning daisy appliqué quilt • Join Mandy Shaw to sew her famous quilters’ friend • Lynne Edwards MBE experiments with different sized blocks • Catch up with Jo Avery’s latest Block of the Month FREE! Exclusive – 200 kaleidoscope EPP paper pieces and pattern Issue 23 on sale 25th May…