Innholdsfortegnelse for 63 i Today's Quilter

Another month has flown past, and with the days getting warmer and longer, and lockdown easing, we are venturing from our houses occasionally, socially-distanced of course. Outside, Mother Nature is shaking off the previous season, and plants and flowers are abundant in all their glorious beauty. And she is not alone – quilters around the world are taking the time to spread their wings too and let their creativity grow. Be it going though old issues and finding that one project they have dreamt of making but were too scared to, or finally finishing off the quilt that has been hidden under a pile of fabric, every now and again surfacing to make you feel guilty. And oh, the satisfaction of putting that last stitch into the binding and surveying…

ONE STEP AT A TIME! Cabin Fever The African Fabric Shop, working with Janice Gunner, has created a fun little kit made using a variation on the classic Log Cabin block. ‘Courthouse Steps with Attitude – 5 Blocks’ works perfectly with the multi-coloured and indigo Shweshwe fabrics that owner Magie Relph has used in her sample quilt shown here. Measuring 20in x 50in, this would be ideal as a table runner or a small wall hanging. Janice has designed the pattern so that it’s easy to follow, making this a perfect project for new quilters looking to ease their way into quilt making before tackling a full size quilt. Kits – £45 Also available in a smaller 3-Block size ( £31 ) www.africanfabric.co.uk QUILT SOS 2020 QUILTING FOR A CAUSE…

“This quilt uses fabrics from various Tilda collections to give it a scrappy look, while maintaining a complementary colour palette. The Makower Bijoux range was used for the leaves. This design works best with small or medium prints so that the flowers are clearly defined. “Folding the fabric across the bias enables it to be pulled back, which creates a lovely curve, lending itself beautifully to flower designs. This technique can then be used in many other projects when you want to add additional interest and texture. I finished the quilt with some simple hand quilting in bright threads to represent the flower stems and create interest around the border!”…

This month’s column has proved more difficult to write than I anticipated due to the vast amount of information on the subject. As a quilter, you can become almost overwhelmed by the huge choice of worthy causes to support. I’m very grateful that Alice Caroline’s wonderful Quilt SOS has got a mention elsewhere in this issue as that’s saved me a little space! At the time of writing I’m aware that many of you have turned your sewing rooms into mini sweatshops and are currently turning out face masks, scrubs, hats and bags for those that need them. This heart-warming spectacle is what I’ve come to expect from our quilting and sewing community, who never cease to amaze with their unbridled generosity. I think we can almost become annoying in…

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

Little equipment is required, but items should be kept exclusively for dyeing. The essentials are pans, slotted spoons and a heat source (see next point). A heat source is needed to get the dye into the fibres. You could use a stove, a slow cooker, a steamer or, in summertime, the sun. Each method will give a different outcome. Natural dyeing works best on natural fibres, e.g. cotton, linen, hemp, silk, wool. They will all take up the dye differently, so if you add a variety of fibres to the same dye batch the colours won’t be the same, but they will all match beautifully. How you prepare your fabric can give different effects, so try rolling it, scrunching it, stitching into it, etc. Be patient – the longer and…

You will need ■ Winterbourne Collection prints – Thirty-two (32) fat eighths ■ Accent print for nine-patches cornerstones and border (Winterbourne Bankart Silhouette A) – 1⅛yds* ■ Background fabric (Wiltshire Shadow Oyster White) – 1¾yds ■ Binding fabric – ½yd* ■ Backing fabric – 3½yds ■ Batting – 62in x 75in Finished size ■ Approx. 53¾in x 67¾in Notes ■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted. ■ Press after each seam. ■ Press seams open, unless otherwise instructed. ■ Press all fabrics well before cutting. ■ LOF = length of fabric. ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ WOFQ = a WOF strip cut from a fat quarter or eighth. ■ BKG = background. *1⅛yd includes the ½yd required for binding fabric, reduce this to ⅝yd if you plan…

For this article, we will be referring to totally self-contained fabric images. These are often framed by a border of some sort, but not always. However, in a future issue of Today’s Quilter, we will look more specifically at fussy cutting, which is a technique where motifs or scenes are isolated from the rest of the fabric design and carefully cut out to fit a patchwork or appliqué design. Fussy cutting can sometimes show a whole, separate motif, but may also contain small areas of other parts of the fabric.…

You will need: ■ Blue background fabric – two (2) 11in x 15in pieces ■ Iron-on Stayflex – two (2) 11in x 15in pieces ■ Lining fabric – two (2) 11in x 15in pieces ■ Scrap fabrics for the appliqué ■ Scraps of fusible interfacing for circles (optional) ■ Batting – two (2) 11in x 15in pieces ■ Appliqué and embroidery pattern (see Templates section) ■ Embroidery floss – soft white and yellow ■ Seed beads Finished size ■ Approx. 14in x 10in Notes: ■ This tea cosy is designed to fit a standard large (1 litre) teapot. ■ There is a loose quality to Anne’s appliqué that means she accepts an element of deviation from her patterns. However, there is a precision in the final sewing down and this…

Anne Varley’s background is in design, but she has always been a home sewer. Her first hexagon piece was made when she was about nine years old at school and then she started creating through patchwork and appliqué and quilting in much more earnest ten years ago. Anne’s quilts and cushions have been published in numerous magazines and she won the prestigious Pour l’Amour Du Fil competition in 2018 for one of her quilts in this same colourway. This tea cosy forms part of a series of projects, some completed and others very much works in progress, that she has designed around the theme of tea. www.annevarley.co.uk @annevarley…

Sally Ablett BIRDS OF A FEATHER Grab your plastic Flying Geese templates that come with the issue, and sew up Sally’s fresh and stylish design (page 37)! Anne Varley TIME FOR TEA! With beading and needle-turn appliqué, Anne’s delightful design for a handy tea cosy on page 73 will have you longing for a cuppa. Victoria Carrington FABRIC FOLDING Victoria’s gorgeous quilt of the prettiest tulips (page 20) also features folded fabric edges. Learn her technique and then get sewing!…

www.searchpress.com Sew Very Easy Quilt Favorites 12 Skill-Building Projects By Laura Coia We’ve loved watching Laura’s instructional videos over the years and are thrilled to be featuring her first book, drawing on her most popular online tutorials from her SewVeryEasy YouTube Channel. Laura shares lots of tips and time-saving techniques for each of the 12 projects, including a clever half Log Cabin and a denim coverlet. As Laura says, it’s been a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait. Browse Laura’s YouTube Channel to see her quick ‘Trunk Show’ of quilts featured in the book. £16.99 www.youtube.com/user/SewVeryEasy Old Quilts, New Life 18 step-by-step projects inspired by quilts from the American Folk Art Museum By Sarah Fielke Quilt collections offer a fantastic resource for today’s makers, as Sarah…

Victoria Carrington is a pattern designer, teacher and textile artist based in Shropshire, UK. She is relatively new to sewing having only taken it up after the birth of her first daughter. Going from a busy job as an Events Manager to being at home all day was a bit of a shock to the system so she stumbled upon sewing as a bit of therapy! Since then, Victoria has progressed from making other people’s designs to creating her own patterns and instruction writing, teaching workshops and previously appeared as a regular guest designer on Sewing Quarter. www.victoriacarrington.co.uk Victoria Carrington Design @victoriacarringtondesigns…

You will need ■ Assorted blue fabrics graded from light to dark – twelve (12) ⅜yd pieces ■ Background fabric – 3⅛yd ■ Batting – 70in square ■ Backing fabric – 70in square ■ Binding fabric – ½yd Finished size ■ 65in square Notes ■ All measurements include ¼in seam allowances. Be sure to press each seam as you go. ■ You will need to join strips to get the length on the inner border. ■ Sally made her quilt with this month’s cover gift, but you can use any method for making flying geese at the sizes specified. ■ Block size (unfinished) – 12½in square for centre of quilt. ■ Outer border unit size (unfinished) – 3½in x 6½in. Cutting out 1 From the background fabric, cut as follows:…

Textile artist Angela Daymond was first introduced to natural dyeing about 20 years ago, long before slowing down and environmental concerns had become mainstream. She says, “I was studying for a City & Guilds Certificate in Patchwork and Quilting and, alongside dyeing with synthetic Procion dyes, we had a taster session on using onion skins to get colour onto cloth. I instantly fell in love with the gentler, natural hues.” But with her studies to complete and a young child to look after, Angela didn’t have time to take things further, though natural dyeing had firmly lodged itself at the back of her mind. Then, around a decade ago, Angela did the more advanced City & Guilds Diploma qualification and again sampled using natural dyes as part of her course.…

You will need ■ Predominantly blue fabrics – eight (8) 12in x WOF pieces ■ Predominantly pink fabrics – eight (8) 12in x WOF pieces ■ Predominantly white fabrics – four (4) 18in x WOF pieces ■ Solid (plain) white fabric for contrast and border – 2¾yds ■ Aqua spotted fabric for border – 22in x WOF ■ Red-and-white striped fabric for binding – 1yd ■ Backing fabric – 4¾yds ■ Square piece cotton batting (wadding) – 75in ■ Small piece of template plastic ■ Template (see Templates page) Finished size ■ 73½in square Notes ■ The material requirements call for blue and pink fabrics. This is a loose term – except for the Set 1 blocks, which are very blue and pink to make the pattern. The fabrics in…

“The centre of this French Braid quilt is a variation on the standard French Braid quilt. The braid segments are added to two opposite sides of the centre square, in this case, a nine-patch block, rather than to one side of a triangle. This gives the quilt a pleasing symmetrical look as both ends of the braids look the same. It may look complicated, but it is relatively quick and simple to piece – it doesn’t require a specialist ruler, just grab your standard rectangular acrylic ruler and you’re good to go! “I was thrilled to be able to work with the Winterbourne collection. Liberty has always been one of my all-time favourite fabrics. In the past, I have used them for garment making as well as quilt making. Although…

Help! I find it hard to decide between one block and another and find it easy to get the scale wrong. Is there a quick way to judge? Try this… I find the scale decision process described on page 70 helps me settle on the final colour and size of blocks, especially if I mock up the design with paper blocks. It’s not quick, but it works for me. At times, you know straight away if something looks good; at other times, I pin the work up and live with it for a day or two before deciding whether it’s right. The scale of the individual units within a block can also make a difference to the look of the finished piece and can create a pattern that overwhelms the…

“For me, tea and stitching are synonymous. Tea forms an important part of my daily ritual – I start every day drinking a cup of tea outside watching the sun come up with my dogs. I then take a tray with a teapot, kept warm by a cosy, to my office for an intense morning of writing and stitching. “This tea cosy forms part of a series of hand-pieced and hand-quilted projects I am creating, all set around the theme of tea, using a soft, bold, restricted colour palette, with light to mid tones set on a dark blue background. For this one, I chose the colours to reflect the early morning light in spring; fresh yellow-greens set against a clear deep-blue sky. The bunny is popping up to greet…

“The anchor is a symbol of hope, and ours has a cross for faith and a heart for love and charity. 'id you know that lighthouses have Féesnel lenses to concentrate their light rays?” You will need ■ Starfish Pearl – 9in x 33in ■ Cowes Dark Ocean – 3in x 6in ■ Woven Texture Dark Ocean – 7in x 8in* ■ Cowes Sky – 3in x 9in ■ Seaweed Pearl – 6in x 9in ■ Ships Dark Ocean – 6in x 9in ■ Starfish Ocean – 6in x 9in ■ Stripe Sand – 3in x 9in ■ Stripe Pearl – 3in x 6in ■ Fusible web for appliqué ■ Templates (See Templates section) Finished size ■ 12in square Notes ■ Important note: the ‘You will need’ list is an…

After completing a degree in fashion and textiles, Janet worked as a freelance designer for many years. Janet creates lively designs for quilts and stitcheries that combine her unique joint appliqué templates and free-motion drawing technique. As an experienced speaker and teacher, Janet regularly host talks and workshops focusing on the design process and creative techniques. She’s also written five books, including Freya and Fred, Hearty Good Wishes, A Field Guide, Home Quilt Home and The Wordsmith. You can get in touch with Janet by emailing her at: janet@janetclare.co.uk www.janetclare.co.uk Janeteclare…

We’ve all been staying close to home, restricted to a view of the world from a window, balcony, garden or perhaps a daily walk. As I ventured outside for some fresh air last month, I found myself taking more time to notice the shapes and patterns that are part of the landscape, the architecture, even the sky. Later, at home, I delved into my old City & Guilds sample folders where we’d been tasked with experimenting with different textile techniques inspired by our immediate surroundings. I’d photographed railings, pavements, brickwork, leaves, flowers, tall grasses and even puddles. Sometimes, the tiniest details from these images inspired a stitched motif, a quilt design or a small quilt. One of the tips our lecturer shared with us was to create a paper viewfinder…

THE BOOK FLOWERING FOLK ART Paying homage to her favourite quilts and techniques: red and green quilts from the mid 1800’s, folk art and appliqué, each of the 17 projects in this book is a carefully-crafted interpretation of the style and design that continue to inspire Dawn Heese’s work. Inside, a warm and cozy ensemble of quilts, charger mats, table runners, pillows and punch-needle projects, of varying difficulties, have been beautifully illustrated with full patterns, instructions and gorgeous photographs. Pick up a copy and be inspired! THE PROJECT MES PETITS CHOUX QUILT We love the subtle shades of this pretty basket design by mother and daughter design duo, Brenda and Anneliese. And as they say on their Etsy page, Eye Candy Quilts, mon petit choux is a French saying, like…

“The Flying Geese quilt block is simple, versatile and quick to make – no wonder it’s a block loved by so many! Flying Geese can stand alone as a single block or used as a variant in many other ways, of which there are a plethora. I like using the template method as you will have no waste when sewing your block. Using a monochromatic palette of blue for the triangles against the white background gives this quilt a very clean look – I think my next one will have a pink and green palette.”…

In her latest book, Angela shares the wealth of her experience of dyeing with natural plants. Readers will learn about the essentials, but the easy-to-follow instructions encourage just having a go and trusting your senses rather than taking a scientific approach. Angela says, “Natural dyeing is such great fun, so just enjoy it!” Angela teaches natural dyeing and other workshops at her studio near Spalding in Lincolnshire. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the studio is currently closed, but her book and other items can be ordered via her website. You can also follow Angela on Instagram. www.angeladaymond.com angela_daymond…

There are a number of pitfalls associated with the way the pieces for this quilt are cut. One is that you “waste” a lot of fabric. Sarah doesn’t subscribe to this point of view; ‘it isn’t a waste if you are setting out to make a particular quilt, and the triangles left over from cutting out the squares can always be sewn together in another quilt in a different setting. View the extra pieces as an opportunity for another project.’ The other drawback is that the squares are all cut on a bias, and therefore will stretch if you aren’t cautious. Handle the pieces with care and don’t over press.…

“Self-contained fabric images on a range of subjects are quite easy to find and are a quick way to make a statement in patchwork”– Lin Clements Printed panels are sold in most fabric stores and a web search will yield many images, from cute nursery scenes to elegant Asian designs PRINTED PANELS When referring to printed panels in this article, I generally mean the self-contained images that some fabric manufacturers produce as stand-alone pictures. Depending on the size of the image, there may be many different pictures in a width of fabric, or just two per width. Panels are also sold as single pieces. The images may have integral borders or not. These panels can be very attractive, thanks to the quality of the printed image and the subject matter.…

Linda Clements is a leading technical quilting expert, editor and writer who, for 25 years, has worked on many fabric and craft titles for David & Charles 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, Pam & Nicky Lintott, Pauline Ineson, Mandy Shaw and Lynette Anderson. 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. She will then go in-depth, exploring the methods, taking them from the basic premise to their full technical and creative potential.…

1 Thread the needle and knot the end. 2 Start on a long straight edge bringing the needle up under the appliqué, and take a couple of backstitches to secure. Fold under approximately a thumbs width of fabric so that the fold follows the line of the shape – if the marker you have used is not removable, turn under enough so the marked line is concealed. Press and hold in place with your thumb. 3 Bring the needle up through the very edge of the fold (Fig 5). Stitch directly back down into the background fabric at 90-degrees to the appliqué edge, right next to where you came up. Take 3-4 more stitches in the same way. 4 Sweep the next part of the seam under with your needle…

1 Lay a piece of fusible web (paper side up) over the templates (which have been reversed) and trace each piece separately. Roughly cut the pieces out with paper scissors, leaving a small allowance all round. 2 Place the pieces paper side up on the reverse of your chosen fabrics and iron to fix in place. Now cut them out as carefully as you can on your traced pencil lines. 3 Peel off the backing paper. If this is tricky, scratch the middle with a pin and peel it away from there.…

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES Needle Minder  groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk Quick Yo-Yo Maker Templates, Kanzashi Flower Makers Templates, Flower Frill Templates, Pom-Pom Makers  clover@stockistenquiries.co.uk FABRIC COLLECTIONS Stitched  www.makoweruk.com Rosalinda  www.eqsuk.com Splendor  www.eqsuk.com October Morning  www.eqsuk.com Autumn is Calling  www.eqsuk.com BOOKS The Building Blocks of Free-Motion Quilting; Old Quilts, New Life; Handy Pocket Guide to Sashiko; Petal + Stem; Sew Very Easy Quilt Favorites  www.searchpress.com…