Innholdsfortegnelse for 54 i Today's Quilter

It’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Christmas. It’s one of the reasons that I love my job so much – I get to write, commission, even dream about Christmas (legitimately), for pretty much the whole year. I think, like most of us, it’s because in addition to all the lovely foods, sounds, friends and family that fill our homes around this time of year, my earliest memories of Christmas are also synonymous with handmade loveliness. From dipping pinecones in glitter and sewing mini stockings from felt at primary school, to making truffles as gifts and helping to fill the giant cardboard cracker that my mum had made (and decorated with festive patchwork) with lots of little wrapped presents to give to our neighbours. It’s still the…

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Yes we know it might seem early to shout about this, but you really can’t start too soon when it comes to sewing for the festive season. After all, there’s always some last-minute gift to make, a extra decoration that just has to be stitched, or a more complex quilt on the go that you’ll need to fit around your busy Christmas schedule. But don’t panic, we have just the thing to help you get into the festive spirit– a special project book by none other than the queen of Christmas herself, Mandy Shaw! It’s packed with projects, tutorials, tips and inspiration to help get your homesewn Christmas off to a flying start. Turn up the Christmas tunes and get planning with Mandy... LET US KNOW! Drop…

So much has happened since my last article, it’s hard to know where to start. In what felt like the hottest week ever, I spent several nights working on my design for The Festival of Quilts, at the NEC, until gone 3am. Lots of people think I’m mad, but in the quiet evenings, there is no better way to unwind than to head out to my classroom to sew with the dogs under the table and some nice, calm music playing in the background. I discovered a long time ago that you won’t be able to sew as fast if you are tense. Singing along to the radio works a treat for me, and the dogs always get a biscuit to settle them down so they know it’s work time.…

Sally Ablett has been making quilts for nearly 30 years. During this time, patchwork has developed from a hobby to Sally’s full-time job. She has a great deal of experience of teaching courses and day workshops, as well as giving regular talks using her own collection of quilts to demonstrate patchwork techniques and pass on the tips and shortcuts she has learnt throughout her years of quilting. Sally does freelance design work, including working with Lewis & Irene to design quilts and produce patterns that are used to showcase their new fabric collections.…

The first woman to be elected as Mayor of Acton in London (1924), and the person that we must thank for the acquisition of the Acton Top (left) by Gunnersbury Park Museum, is Susan Smee (1859-1949). A prominent resident who has been called a ‘trail blazer' and the 'First Lady of Acton', Susan Smee was the first woman to run for local council, and the first female magistrate at the Acton Sessions Court – she was also active in education and public health. One of the driving forces behind the establishment of the museum in 1929 and the Honorary Curator until the museum closed in WWII, she was responsible for building an eclectic collection that comprised Victorian costumes, quilts, archaeology, glass bottles, toys, paintings, prints and ephemera. Miss Smee also…

Nicola Dodd has been quilting since 2010 after chancing upon a quilting website and becoming hooked. Having designed all her working life – as an architect and as a garden designer – the temptation to start designing quilts was irresistible and she established her pattern company, CakeStand Quilts, in 2015. She now has a successful blog, where she enjoys sharing tutorials, and is a regular contributor to the Moda Bakeshop. www.cakestandquilts.com cakestandquilts @nicolajdodd…

Weaving a pattern with fabric strips is great fun and can be used for small projects or in combination with normal blocks “Making blocks with woven fabric strips creates a very different look to standard piecing and is sure to bring out your creative side.”– Lin Clements FABRIC WEAVING Weaving with fabric strips is great fun, and the end result is that you have actually created your own fabric to work with. It’s amazing how strips of fabric can look quite ordinary but, when woven together, create something really special. When a woven piece is finished, it can be used as a panel for a project, such as a bag front, or as a block to be combined with other patchwork blocks. Fabric weaving a block can be quite simple…

“Bearing in mind (pardon the pun!) that my blog and business name is myBearpaw, it is quite surprising that I have never designed a Bear Paw Quilt. One of the first quilts I made used Bear Paw blocks, but that was nearly 30 years ago and I have not made another since! With that in mind, I decided it was time to design my own version, so I’ve taken the ‘paw’ element of this traditional design and extended it with a square inner border. I then quartered it with sashing and cornerstones. This gorgeous 'Murmur' fabric collection by Valori Wells is full of hummingbirds and sunflowers, so I wanted to give the large prints space to shine. I also wanted to give the design a low contrast vibe, so I…

Carolyn Forster has been sewing, making patchwork and quilting for well over 20 years, and teaching for many of those years. You can find her quilts in a range of books published by Landauer Publishing (USA), and Search Press (UK). She blogs at www.carolynforster.co.uk or you can follow her stitching inspiration on Instagram. To get in touch with Carolyn about her classes and talks, you can email her at: carolynforster@hotmail.co.uk www.carolynforster.co.uk Carolyn Forster Quiltingonthego…

BLOCK OF THE MONTH HAND-PIECING TEMPLATES ACTUAL SIZE PLEASE NOTE: Hand piecing templates do NOT include seam allowances. CHRISTMAS JUMPER FPP AND CUTTING TEMPLATES 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 law protects creative work and unauthorised copying is illegal.We appreciate your help. DOWNLOAD THESE TEMPLATES FULL SIZE Visit our blog: www.todaysquilter.comtoday!…

Invest in the best Christmas tree that you can afford that will last through the holidays. And shop local! Sprinkle the tree with sprigs of gypsophila (baby’s breath). The little white flowers will fill in the spaces between your lights and decorations, creating the illusion that a fresh fall of snow has miraculously settled in your living room. When decorating your tree, always add your lights first and check them before you drape the tree, so you can replace any bulbs, then add your decorations. Make your own curated collections. Fill the top of a sideboard with angels, a shelf with hearts or a side table with Santas. Theme different rooms from vintage to Victorian. Make a batch of hand-stitched Christmas decorations which you can take as gifts to friends…

You will need ■ Red pin dot – ½yd ■ Red polka dot – One (1) Fat Eighth ■ Red gingham – One (1) Fat Quarter ■ Red stripe – ½yd ■ Red denim – One (1) Fat Quarter ■ Red solid (inner border) – ½yd ■ Blue polka dot – 1½yd ■ Blue denim – ½yd ■ Blue gingham – 6in square ■ Blue stripe – One (1) Fat Eighth ■ Green novelty print – One (1) Fat Eighth ■ Dark green solid – One (1) Fat Quarter ■ Light green solid – One (1) Fat Eighth ■ Yellow solid – One (1) Fat Eighth ■ Taupe/tan solid – ⅜yd ■ White, beige and grey prints – ⅜yd ■ Black solid – One (1) Fat Eighth ■ White solid…

You will need ■ Blue dot fabric – 18in x 42in ■ Red fabric – 2in x 42in ■ Green fabric – 6in square ■ Taupe/tan fabric – 9in x 18in ■ Light red fabric – 5in x 13in ■ Beige ric rac – 1yd ■ Red pre-made piping cord – 1½yds ■ Batting – 12½in x 20½in ■ Cushion filler – 12in x 20in ■ Three (3) small red flower buttons ■ Matching Coton a Broder threads ■ Mice and holly templates (see Templates section and separate sheet) Finished size ■ 12in x 20in Making the cushion 1 Using the background fabric in lighter red, cut a rectangle 4½in x 12½in in size. 2 Using the pattern pieces from the Mice block of the Nutcracker quilt, appliqué and blanket…

The Castle Use a piece of leather strapping and stitch in place through the punched holes. The Tree Button hole stitch a brass ring and stitch to the top middle of the portrait. The Mouse King Using bakers’ twine and matching thread, over sew onto the edge, starting and stopping at the top edge, use the ends to make a loop. Sew a button or leather flower to the top centre. The Nutcracker Backstitch ½in loops all around the outside edge of the portrait. Blanket stitch the loops to create a lacy look. The Sugar Plum Fairy Sew on two (2) buttons on each top corner. Cut an 8in piece of baker’s twine and tie a knot on each end. Sew the twine to the wrong side at each end…

Nicola Dodd WINTER CABIN Speedy and satisfying, Nicola’s Winterlilies quilt is a clever Log Cabin variation that you can sew for yourself and others. Turn to page 47. Sally Ablett JEWEL TONES Turn to page 34 and fall in love with Sally Ablett’s geometric quilt sewn up in the season’s most opulent shades. Find the pattern on page 34. Sally Stevens PERFECT POINTS Looking for smaller festive project to sew for December? Then Sally Stevens’ stellar tree skirt will be next on your to-stitch list. See page 55.…

NORDIC GARDEN DREAMS FANTASY FABRIC Famous for their colourful and quirky knitwear, Scandinavian textile designers, Arne and Carlos, have launched a new fabric collection inspired by their love of gardening. Roses, peonies, blue poppies, delphiniums, lilies and irises are captured in a folksy, all over design for the main fabric. Cheery coordinates feature simplified flowers, organic dots and geometric designs in three colourways. We also love the transparent butterflies that complete the dreamscape! The complete Nordic Garden Dream range, as well as these pre-cut kits, are available from The Cotton Patch. 9-Patch Quilt Kit £42.95 Nordic Stars Quilt Kit £58.50 Courtyard Garden Quilt Kit £38.50 Nordic Garden Dream Tote Bag £27.95 £3.65 per quarter metre www.cottonpatch.co.uk BOOKSHELF Countdown to Christmas This clever book chooses designs and colourways that work throughout…

“Over the past few years, Christmas jumpers have become more and more popular, with offices and schools even having designated festive jumper days. The rows in this quilt were inspired by these fun knitted designs and include motifs such as stars, snowflakes, gingerbread houses and simple chequerboard rows too. Most require some element of foundation paper piecing in their construction but there is also some regular piecing in the mix. As you can imagine, this impressive design does require a fair bit of time and patience to make, so I suggest you get started on it right away if you want to have a chance of finishing it in time for Christmas!”…

How did you become a designer at Liberty and what is it like working for such a renowned brand? I became a designer for Liberty after working for 14 years as a textile designer for fashion and homeware fabrics. I had always been a huge fan of Liberty prints from when I first started my textiles degree course at The Glasgow School of Art. It was a huge honour to be offered a role to work for the company – I think one of the best things about working for Liberty is that it’s such a British institution and part of our design heritage. It’s incredible to be part of that legacy! How does the design process work over at Liberty HQ – what goes into creating a collection like…

You will need ■ Contrast fabric A (Red) – One (1) Fat Quarter ■ Contrast fabric B (Cream) – ¾yd ■ Leaves fabric (Green) – 1¼yds ■ Background fabric (Grey) – 3yds ■ Backing fabric – 4yds ■ Batting – 70in square ■ Binding fabric – ½yd Finished size ■ 62in square Cutting out 1 From the contrast fabric A (red) fat quarter, cut nine (9) 5in squares. 2 From contrast fabric B (cream), cut eight (8) 2½in x WOF strips, then subcut eighteen (18) 2½in x 9in pieces and eighteen (18) 2½in x 5in pieces. 3 From the leaves fabric, cut fifteen (15) 2½in x WOF strips. Subcut eighteen (18) 2½in x 17in pieces and eighteen (18) 2½in x 13in pieces. 4 From the grey background fabric, cut as…

Cutting out 1 From Fabric 1, cut as follows: ■ Sixteen (16) 2½in x 12½in strips. ■ Eight (8) 5½in squares for the skirt centre. ■ Forty-eight (48) 2½in squares for the cornerstones. ■ Six (6) 1¾in x 10½in strips for ties. ■ Six (6) 2¼in x WOF strips for straight binding. ■ One (1) 2¼in x 20in bias strip for inner circle binding. 2 From Fabric 2, cut sixteen (16) 2½in x 5½in strips. 3 From Fabric 3, cut sixteen (16) 2½in x 6½in strips. 4 From Fabric 4, cut sixteen (16) 2½in x 6½in strips. 5 From Fabric 5, cut sixteen (16) 2½in x 7½in strips. 6 From Fabric 6, cut sixteen (16) 2½in x 9½in strips. 7 From Fabric 7, cut sixteen (16) 2½in x 10½in strips…

Linda Clements is a leading technical quilting expert, editor and writer who, for 25 years, has worked on many fabric and craft titles for F&W Media and other leading craft publishers. Among the many quilters who have trusted Linda to ensure their books are both accurate and reader friendly, are Lynne Edwards MBE, Susan Briscoe and Pam & Nicky Lintott. Linda’s own book, The Quilter’s Bible, is the must-have guide to patchwork, quilting and appliqué, and includes everything she has learnt working with the industry’s best designers. For Today’s Quilter, Linda is working with the team to select practical and creative techniques to help you build upon your quilting and sewing skills. She will then go in depth, exploring the methods, taking them from the basic premise to their full…

You will need ■ Background fabric – One (1) Fat Quarter ■ Dark fabric – 12in x 10in ■ Medium fabric – 12in x 8in ■ Templates (see Templates section) Block size ■ 12in finished (16in with frames) Notes ■ Fabric quantities are based on the antique block on page 80. For fabric for the frames, see issue 42 or visit www.todaysquilter.com ■ This block of the month is hand-pieced. For detailed instructions of this technique, see issue 42 or see the tutorial on our website. Cutting out 1 From the background fabric, cut as follows: ■ One (1) piece using template A. ■ Four (4) pieces using template E. ■ Four (4) pieces using template ER. 2 Then, from the darker fabric, cut as follows: ■ Eight (8) pieces…

Appliqué beautiful butterflies for Alice Garrett’s Cabinet of Curiosities quilt • Delve into Jo Avery’s NEW creative column • Stitch Angela Attwood’s charming Churn Dash design in William Morris prints • Piece perfect star blocks with Lin Clements’ guide Your gift! Exclusive circle cutting tool with tutorial and mini make!* SPOONDRIFT SEW-ALONG Get ready to sew Janet Clare’s new coastal-inspired Block of the Month! WINTER FRUITS Piece Nicola Dodd’s striking pomegranate cushion FROSTY MORNING Draw inspiration from snowy scenes for Carolyn Forster’s monochrome sampler NEXT ISSUE On Sale 31st October *Gift and contents may be subject to change…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year (well almost!), so we’ve teamed up with designer, craft TV presenter and author, Mandy Shaw of Dandelion Designs, to create this gorgeous Nutcracker Collection Christmas project book for you. We’ve packed it with tutorials, gift ideas, tips and inspiration to keep you stitching – and smiling – all through the festive season. Mandy’s makes include a majestic Nutcracker Scene storyboard quilt, a crazy patchwork throw, cosy cushions, and quick-stitch redwork decorations that are just perfect for making and then sharing with family and friends. Start your festive sewing with Mandy now, and you’ll be surrounded by homestitched goodness in time for Christmas. That way, you’ll be able to sit back and celebrate with a mince pie and a mulled wine, or two!…

Running stitch Bring the needle through from the back and take it back down a short way away to make the first stitch. Come back up the same distance as the length of your stitch and repeat. Backstitch Backstitch is so versatile - it can be used to ‘draw’ parts of a stitched motif, to add single stitches for emphasis and to outline areas. It can also be ‘whipped’ with another thread, to strengthen the line or add a second colour, in the same way as whipped running stitch. Blanket stitch This stitch is a favourite to edge appliqué motifs. It’s also great for decorating seams. For a different look, you can vary the height of the vertical stitches. Cross stitch Cross stitch is very simple, come up in one…

“The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a fairy-tale written by E.T.A Hoffmann in 1816. It was made famous by a ballet named The Nutcracker staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1890. The music of this iconic ballet was composed by Tchaikovsky. There are many versions of the story, however the general summary is as follows. One Christmas Eve, Clara and her brother, Fritz, await with excitement the arrival of their Uncle Drosselmeyer, a wonderful toy maker. He brings the both of them gifts for Christmas and Clara immediately falls in love with a wonderful Nutcracker that her uncle had made. Fritz attempts to crack a nut in the Nutcracker’s mouth but, with too much vigour, accidentally breaks the jaw of the wooden doll. A distraught…

You will need ■ White linen – 14in square ■ Red thread (DMC Coton a Broder #815) – Two (2) skeins ■ Chenille 24 needle ■ Wooden hoop – 10in diameter ■ Red elastic frill ribbon ■ Red bias binding for wrapping around the hoop ■ Lightweight interfacing – 14in square ■ Double-sided tape ■ Thick cardboard – 12in square ■ Embroidery pattern (see Templates section) Finished size ■ 10in diameter Preparation 1 Mark the outer hoop onto thick cardboard by drawing around the edge. Cut it out and save for later. 2 Trace the embroidery design onto the white linen using a removable marker. A window or lightbox can be useful to see through the fabric. 3 Iron on some lightweight interfacing to the wrong side of the linen.…

You will need ■ Red and white fabrics – Five (5) ½yd pieces ■ Border fabric – ½yd ■ Freezer paper – One (1) 15in x 35in piece ■ Backing fabric and batting, or fleece blanket – 56in square ■ Binding fabric – ¼yd ■ Crazy block pattern (see Templates section) Finished size ■ Approx. 50in square Notes ■ Use a ¼in seam throughout. ■ Your quilt may be larger or smaller depending on what size you trim your blocks to. Preparation 1 Start by tracing two (2) copies of the crazy block pattern onto a piece of freezer paper. Remember to transfer the numbers of each piece. Do not cut out yet. 2 Prepare your fabrics by pressing them all well. Stack a pile of five (5) different ½yd…

THE BOOK A COUNTRY’S CALL Spend your winter evenings stitching courageous quilts by courageous women with, A Country’s Call: Civil War Quilts and Stories of Unsung Heroines – a beautiful new book by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene of Country Threads. Read true accounts from 14 heroines of the Civil War, then sew the stunning quilt projects that have been inspired by each of their stories. Mary and Connie’s designs cleverly capture the look of antique quilts of the era yet provide plenty of appeal for modern day quilters too. Find out more about A Country’s Call: Civil War Quilts and Stories of Unsung Heroines by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene of Country Threads and order your copy at www.shopmartingale.com THE SHOP MELIN TREGWYNT Nestled in a remote wooded valley…

Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts in America Exhibition Until 3rd November, Bath Kaffe Fassett’s exhibition is inspired by the museum’s collection of antique American quilts. 10:00-17:00 Tues-Sun / £14.50 American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD www.americanmuseum.org Treasured Threads, Unpicking Gunnersbury’s Quilts Until 12th January 2020, London This free exhibition takes an in-depth look at one of Gunnersbury’s most remarkable items – a pieced and appliquéd top created by a local Acton family in 1825. Other quilts from the museum’s collection will also be on display. See their website for the full programme of workshops and lectures running throughout the autumn/winter. 10:00-16:30 Tues-Sun / Free Gunnersbury Park Museum, Gunnersbury Park House, Popes Lane, London W5 4NH www.visitgunnersbury.org Trelyn Quilters Quilt Show 3rd-5th October, Cornwall Trade stalls, a raffle, sales tables…

Lynne Goldsworthy from Lily’s Quilts is a modern British quilter. She has been sewing since she was a young child and, on a business trip to America, she fell in love with American quilts and tried her hand at the craft. Then life and family happened and she didn’t pick up another quilt for a few years, until she discovered Flickr, blogs and online shopping. She immediately ordered some pre-cuts, started her own blog and has never looked back. www.lilysquilts.blogspot.co.uk @LilysQuilts @lilysquilts…

“It feels like Christmas has come early with the release of Liberty’s new Season’s Greetings collection. As soon as I saw it, I couldn’t help thinking of all the fantastic table runners, cushions, and of course quilts, that I could make with it. The collection is packed with poinsettias, trees, lights, berries and winter blooms with little touches of gold and silver dotted throughout for that extra special finish. Oh, and I love that you can see little illustrations of the actual Liberty store in London within one of the prints too! Just like the collection, my quilt reminds me very much of the changing lights nestled in the deep green bristles of a Christmas tree. I’ve designed it to fit a bed or to be made as a throw…

NORTHERN ENGLAND Abbotstone House Hawes Market Hall, North Yorkshire DL8 3QN Amanda’s Fabrics 1A Earl Road, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1AX 07849 962 312 Axholme Quilting Shirley Dene, North Carr Road, West Stockwith, Doncaster DN10 4BD Coles Sewing Centre Ltd 90 Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG1 1EH Fletcher’s Patch Unit 111 Bradley House, Bradley Fold Trading Estate, Radcliffe Moor Road, Bolton BL2 6RT www.fletcherspatch.co.uk 07936 752 993 From Rags To Stitches 85 High Street, Maltby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S66 7BL www.fromragstostitches.co.uk 01709 814 444 Gillies Fabrics 2 Peter Lane, York, North Yorkshire YO1 8SW 01904 626 244 Sew-Drops Ltd 3 The Rookery, Newton-Le-Willows WA12 9PW Sew I Did 2 Regents Park Business Centre, London Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 6LW 07780 793 676 Sewilicious 131 Outram St, Sutton In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire…

“I love making Christmas quilts. Whether they’re to gift or to decorate my home, there’s something about the handmade goodness of a cosy quilt that seems entirely appropriate for the festive season. It is also, of course, an extraordinarily busy time of year, which means it can often be quite tricky to find enough hours in the day to sew. But don’t worry if you feel like you might already have left it too late, I may just have the perfect project for you right here! Winterlilies is made with a variation of that perennial favourite, the Log Cabin block, but with a fun, floral twist. The quick construction technique will produce a whole bouquet of blocks in no time at all and, as with others in the Log Cabin…

“The Magnolia plant is both the state tree and state flower of Mississippi, USA. There happen to be many, many variations and interpretations of this block, however, this particular one was first seen in a publication named The Oklahoma Farmer and Stockman in 1930. It is perhaps the most challenging of the blocks that represent that State – although, I think as this is the last block in our Block of the Month sampler quilt, our hand-piecing skills should be up to the test! Yes, you heard right, this is the last block! If you’ve been stitching and quilting your connector lattice blocks too, this will be the final block on the final row. If you have been quilting as you go, then all you need to do is stitch…

SHOPPING FABRIC COLLECTIONS Nordic Garden Dreams www.cottonpatch.co.uk 01217 022 840 Riley Blake Winterberries www.eqsuk.com 0116 271 0033 Henry Glass Winter Wonderland www.eqsuk.com 0116 271 0033 Clothworks’ Winter Wonderland www.eqsuk.com 0116 271 0033 BOOKS Sashiko: 20 projects using traditional Japanese stitching www.thegmcgroup.com 0127 348 8005 Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts in the Cotswolds www.thegmcgroup.com 01273 488005 Kaffe Fassett’s Sew Simple Quilts & Patchworks www.thegmcgroup.com 01273 488005 Countdown to Christmas Quilts and More that Span the Seasons www.roundhousegroup.com ACCESSORIES Sashiko kits groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk Sewing Quarter advent calendar groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk Modern Crewel Work Thread Collection www.mybearpaw.com Great British Back to Basics Thread Collection www.sarahashfordstudio.com Red Manor House Collection www.quiltersguildshop.org.uk…

Close your eyes and imagine a Christmas filled with sparkles, nostalgia, roaring fires, hot chocolate, vintage decorations and lashings of family traditions. Add to that some cosy quilts and hand-stitched home accessories and you might well be in East Sussex where Mandy Shaw is preparing to celebrate her favourite time of the year. Sparkles all round “Christmas is a big deal in our house”, says Mandy, whose signature redwork sticheries evoke Christmas from a bygone era, straight out of the pages of Clement C. Moore’s poem The Night Before Christmas. She describes her style as ‘neat country’ and loves to work with pre-loved clothes, flea market finds, vintage fabrics, linen, cotton, dots and checks, plus lots and lots of red and white. Handmade decorations, quilts, cushions, runners and wall hangings…

Preparation ■ Prepare your machine before you sew by changing the needle – give it a good dust, remove any lint and add a hint of machine oil to any moving metal parts. Changing your needle will make a huge difference to your sewing. ■ Bobbin winding is so very important too. If it is not wound evenly, your stitches will be uneven. So, if in doubt, check your machine manual and always wind a fresh bobbin before you start. Using fusible webbing Mandy always uses a fusible webbing for her appliqué and her favourite is the cheapest, Jomil Fuse-a-web Lite, which she sells on her website. As a general rule, you should only buy small amounts of fusible webbing and it should always be stored in a dry environment.…

You will need ■ White linen – 8in x 16in ■ Iron-on lightweight interfacing ■ Red thread (DMC Coton a Broder #815) ■ Scraps for borders – 1in wide ■ Foam interfacing – 8in x 16in ■ Backing fabric – 10in x 20in ■ Buttons, small leather flowers, brass rings, ribbon and/or bakers’ twine ■ Embroidery patterns (see Templates section) Finished size ■ Approx. 4in x 5in Cutting out 1 Cut the linen and foam interfacing neatly to 3½in x 4½in for the rectangles (Mouse, Castle and Tree) and 3¾in square for the squares (Sugar Plum Fairy and Nutcracker). You may wish to cut the fabric slightly larger and trim down to size later. 2 Transfer the design onto the white linen and then iron on the interfacing to the…