Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 5 i Today's Quilter

If someone had told you at school, ‘One day you’ll spend all your free time immersed in fractions and angles; in fact you will become such a geek that you’ll own not one, but many, many rulers’ would you have believed them? Probably not, but as quilters that is exactly what happens. Our passion for quilting inspires us to get to grips with numbers, but when it comes to using them creatively, I for one am still a little intimidated. This is where Linda Clements’ lessons on re-sizing quilt blocks are genius. Not only can I change the block size, but its scale in relation to the fabric, to other parts of the design, and to the finished quilt. Now I see prints differently – I can scale a block…

LET US KNOW! Drop us a line – an email, letter, tweet or Facebook post – letting us know about your quilting. Whether it’s a new project, treasured heirloom, favourite fabric or imaginative mood board, we’d love to see what you’ve been up to and hear your stories! quilts of tomorrow. Thanks to Pam and Nicky, we are able to combine the best of both worlds – the fun and convenience of using Jelly Rolls with results that are worthy of being passed down, admired and cherished by future generations. It was fascinating to find out how Pam made this combination work; even she was unsure whether it was possible at the start! The finished Jelly Roll quilts, inspired by antique quilts both from Pam’s collection and those of…

There are some colour combinations in quilting that have stood the test of time, and red and white has to be one of the all-time favourites. In the 18th and 19th centuries Turkey red was a dyeing process used to dye cotton a bright and colourfast red. This red, coupled with white bleached muslin, produced a high contrast between the colours, making it possible to create graphic and striking designs. This quilt draws on those traditions to create a vibrant design that will always be a welcoming sight.…

You will need • Four (4) different fabric pieces measuring 9 ½ x 19in each • 500g of toy filling • Two (2) buttons • Strong thread such as perle cotton #12 • Pilot Frixion pen or similar removable pen. Finished size • 16in square approx. Notes • We used fabrics from the Eden collection by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics. • RST = Right-sides together. Making the cushion 1 Cut each fabric piece in half to give you eight (8) 9 ½ in squares Place in two piles of four (4) different fabric squares each. 2 Take one of your piles of four (4) fabric squares and sew together to form one (1) large four-patch square (Fig 1). 3 Sew the remaining four (4) fabric squares together to make…

Learn a new skill and make a difference Philippa’s teaching schedule is getting booked up quickly! If you are interested in attending one of her summer retreats then please visit her website for details and get booked in sooner rather than later. If you’re interested in perfecting your dressmaking skills then the great news for 2016 is that Philippa will be introducing three new one-day garment classes: • Beautiful Buttonholes • Perfect Pockets • Seams and Zippers For info on her courses and books, visit www.philippanaylor.com www.dragonthreads.com To find out more about Crisis at Christmas, in the words of their guests, browse www.youtube.com and watch the 2014 video clip. You can also visit their website, www.crisis.org.uk.…

There are just 21 different printed cottons used in the original quilt, including many madder printed pinks and a lot of brown. Like Susan’s version, the original has three slightly different sizes of Half-Square Triangles, although they are a lot larger. The quilting is in white cotton and there are four borders of zigzag lines and circles are filled with flower heads and infills of diamonds. The batting is lamb’s wool and it is backed with hand-woven white linen. It is inscribed with the name Sarah Wyatt and the date 1801, although the earliest fabric dates from the 1770s. The quilt’s donor came from Caterham, Surrey, and, according to her family history, her great grandmother made the quilt.…

Combining the inspiration of antique quilts with the modern fabric phenomenon of the Jelly Roll is simply genius. Since 2008, Pam & Nicky Lintott have been synonymous with this delicious sounding pre-cut, creating patterns and supplying the fabric via their shop, The Quilt Room. If you have never made a Jelly Roll quilt, then I urge you to start with one of these projects. The ritual of unwrapping a Jelly Roll, separating the strips and then, let’s be honest, admiring their beauty has to be experienced. On more than one occasion my husband has found me with Jelly Roll strips lovingly draped over every surface in our house as I ponder their potential. If you are at all hesitant, our technical guru and long-time collaborator with the Lintotts, Linda Clements,…

This interesting antique quilt is from the North East of England and has a framed patchwork design on one side and a chintz fabric on the other, with a wool wadding (batting) in-between them. The fabrics used on the patchwork design denote a quilt from about 1880, although the quilt might be earlier. The quilt is a medallion type where a central design, in this case a star block, forms the focal point of the quilt, with borders or ‘frames’ building out from the central area. The quilting patterns used in the quilt include classic northern favourites such as lined twist, braid and a simple bellows. The interesting fact is that it has been quilted from the chintz side in a strippy design, which possibly means that the chintz was…

New Ways With Jelly Rolls Sew 12 new, reversible modern quilts made using Jelly Rolls. All the designs feature step-by-step instructions and flat shots of the quilts for extra clarity, so you’ll find the patterns easy to follow. Jelly Rolls are the ultimate pre-cut fabric bundle and these modern quilt designs lend themselves incredibly well to using these cuts, making them quick and easy to piece with stunning results. Published by David & Charles, £16.99. Available from www.quiltroom.co.uk Jelly Roll Inspirations This book offers 12 brand new practical quilt projects to satisfy the ever-growing band of Jelly Roll addicts. Alongside the winning entries, every quilt has been recreated by the authors, providing readers with an alternative colour variation. Each quilt requires just one Jelly Roll and some additional background fabric…

Linda Clements TECHNICAL EXPERT Sharpen your pencils and prepare for the best maths lesson of your life on page 59. You’ll feel empowered and more creative than ever. Lynne Edwards MBE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP If you’re not up for maths, then try an art class instead. On page 29 Lynne shows us that frames aren’t just for paintings – we like her style. Susan Briscoe HERITAGE INSPIRED Open your text books to page 79 for a history lesson as Susan recreates another of her favourite quilts from the V&A, wool wadding and all!…

BOOK The Art of Zen Zen Quilting is an exciting workbook by Pat Ferguson that combines two popular crafts: Zentangle and free-motion quilting. It demonstrates how to produce unique, continuous line designs that are easy to execute, and will appeal to crafters and artists, as well as quilters and embroiderers. By combining your drawing skills with quilting you can create some complex and innovative designs. We’ve included some examples from Pat’s book to whet your appetite. Zen Quilting Workbook: Fabric Arts Inspired by Zentangle by Pat Ferguson. Published by Design Originals, £12.99 www.patfergusonquilts.com www.d-originals.com FURTHER AFIELD CONTEMPORARY FINE ART QUILTS Danny Liu is a Taiwanese-American artist based in Washington DC in America and Kaohsiung in Taiwan. In 1982 he began creating mosaic images with fabric but it wasn’t until the…

This quilt was completely inspired by an antique quilt owned by Jill Hillage. Jill owns the shop Patchwork Dog and Basket in Lewes, East Sussex, and a few years ago she shared her lovely collection of old quilts in an exhibition as part of Arts Week in Lewes. There were lots of inspiring quilts, but this one with the pots of flowers really held my attention. The bold red and teal were striking, but what I loved was that the pots’ fabric had so deteriorated that you could see the stems through the fabric. This sort of thing fascinates me, as it is part of the construction process that you don’t usually get to see. Jill very generously lent me the quilt so that I could take the pattern from…

You will need • One (1) dessert roll OR twenty (20) 5in wide strips cut across the width of the fabric – ten (10) cut from 1½yds dark fabric and ten (10) cut from 1½yds of medium fabric • Light background fabric 2¾yds • Binding fabric 5/8yd Finished size • 72in x 72in approx. Notes • This quilt requires the use of a Creative Grids Multi-Size 45/90 or a 45 degree Single Strip Ruler for making half square triangles from strips. If you are using Sorting the Strips 1 Divide the dessert roll into ten (10) dark strips and ten (10) medium strips. Artistic licence can be used here and different colourways can be combined. The important thing is that there is a distinct difference between the darks and the…

There's never been a more › exciting time for modern quilters, and by modern quilter, I mean you! Love fresh fabric design in exciting colours? Smitten with graphic shapes and bold piecing? Yep, you're a modern quilter, and at Love Patchwork & Quilting we're so excited to be a part of your passion.› Presented by the Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is a must-visit show for anyone that loves the world of quilting. Featuring the leading names in the industry, your favourite authors and bloggers, top instructors and (of course) tons of shopping – it really is the event in the quilting community's calendar.› We're delighted to bring you this opportunity to join us in Pasadena, California for QuiltCon West 2016 – we've put together a fantastic package with Arena Travel…

“We love how the dark units look almost as though they are different fabrics, achieved by choosing a larger print and cutting units from different parts of the pattern.”LAURA PRITCHARD, TECHNICAL EDITOR Ingredients • Assortment of four different print fabrics for the block units, maximum size needed 3¼in square • Machine sewing thread to tone with fabrics Finished size • 6½in square (6in once pieced into project) Notes • The star is rotary cut and machine pieced. • Instructions include a ¼in seam allowance. • Press seam allowances towards the darker fabric unless otherwise instructed. • The reference letters on the diagrams refer to the size to cut each piece and its placement within the block. If making several blocks, please consider your colour choices as you may wish to…

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES The British Blanket Company www.thebritishblanketcompany.com  0845 474 1747 European Quilt Supplies Ltd www.eqsuk.com  0116 271 0033 The Fabric Shop Melrose www.fabricshopmelrose.com  01896 823475 Gütermann Gütermann@stockistenquiries.co.uk Sew Easy & PURELite groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk BOOKS The Edge of the Land www.ruthhigham.co.uk Search Press www.searchpress.com  01892 510850 Wool Quilts www.fabricaffair.co.uk Zen Quilting Workbook: Fabric Arts Inspired by Zentangle www.d-originals.com FABRIC COLLECTIONS Country Life www.lewisandirene.com Feathered www.makeitcoats.com  01484 681881 QUILTING SHOPS  myBearpaw www.mybearpaw.com…

“Everyone loves antique quilts and we love them for their imperfections.”Pam & Nicky Lintott In the early days Pam, and her business partner Rosemary Miller, built up a collection of close to 50 antique quilts and this was the inspiration for Pam and Nicky’s book, Antique to Heirloom Jelly Roll Quilts. Here, Jane Rae asks Pam about her recollections of stumbling across some of these textile treasures and she also describes the challenges and delights of creating new designs from just one jelly roll in each quilt. Your collection includes quilts purchased from both sides of the Atlantic. Can you tell us more about how you stumbled upon some of the quilts? And was it a case of love at first sight? When Rosemary and I used to travel to…

“Inspired by an antique quilt’s schoolhouse block and mellow colouring we chose fabrics from the delicate Mrs March Collection from Lecien for our heirloom quilt, which had the subtle colours we were looking for, together with a few bolder reds and greys. There are many house and schoolhouse blocks available today, but we liked the fact that our schoolhouses are a little naïve as we feel that this design adds to the charm of the quilt. The block is easily created in three horizontal sections pieced together and the blocks are separated by very pale vertical and horizontal sashing. We chose a dark backing fabric for the quilt to act as a contrast to the front and a grey binding to complete it and just loved the finished effect.” You…

THE DESIGNER BRIGITTE GIBLIN Australian quilt designer Brigitte Giblin uses traditional techniques and shapes to capture the look and feel of antique quilts. Mixed with contemporary fabric choices and colours she creates her own quirky signature style which perfectly combines the two worlds of modern and traditional quilting. Brigitte’s next book Feathering the Nest 2 is due to be released in the coming weeks, so watch this space! www.brigittegiblinquilts.com THE FABRIC FEATHERED There is no denying that Zandra Rhodes is somewhat of an institution when it comes to British fashion and textile design. Once considered outrageous, her bold and dramatic designs have now found their way into quilting and complement other ambassadors of colour, such as Kaffe Fassett. Her latest range in feisty berry, desert and teal colourways would spice…

“The first rule of quilt making is that there are no rules – hooray!” Some of the terminology that we quilters use can sound more like a visit to B&Q than a sewing session: frames, sashing, cornerstones – all words that are bandied about to the bewilderment of the uninitiated. Every occupation or activity comes with its own set of codes and passwords, it seems to me. It’s like a special shorthand which gets us immediately on the same wavelength as the others in the group. A bit like with Just William and the Outlaws: no matter how much Violet Elizabeth Bott wheedled or threatened, she could never be part of that Gang. To use an expression from today’s youth, she just didn’t get it! So many people have come…

As usual, four strips of the framing fabric need to be cut, but the measuring requirements are different here. First decide on the finished width of the strips to be used to make the frame. So, to calculate the length of each strip needed for this type of frame, start with the size of the finished block, e.g. 8in square, and then add on the chosen finished width of the framing strips, e.g. 3in. So in this example, the length of each framing strip would be 8in + 3in which equals 11in, and then the usual ½in for the seam allowances needs to added, making the strip 11½in long. The finished width of the strip would also need to have an extra ½in added to it for the seam allowances,…

HELP!   I want to make a quilt using a Friendship Star block, but the pattern has one-hundred-and-forty-four (144) 6in blocks – too many! Try this… Altering the grid division sizes will reduce the amount of work you need to do. Fig 6 shows a layout of 144 Friendship Star blocks each 6in square (finished), arranged in a 12 x 12 layout. To reduce the number of blocks you need to make, try making the blocks 9in square. You would then only need sixty-four (64) blocks in an 8 x 8 layout. The block has a 3 x 3 base grid, so the original block divisions of 2in (6in ÷ 3) need to increase to 3in (9in ÷ 3). HELP! I’ve seen a Bear’s Paw block in a magazine but…

WHEN I FIRST MET Philippa just over two years ago at her home/studio in Yorkshire our meeting had a lasting impression on me. Her quilts alone will do that to you – they are visually arresting and will stop you in your tracks as you are confronted with an abundance of colour, movement and layers of texture created by the exquisite quilting and appliqué. It’s no surprise that The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky chose her quilt ‘Lime Light’ to be displayed on the outside of the building as part of the West Kentucky Quilt Trail. As you approach the Museum, a vivid swathe of lime green jumps out and grabs you, luring you to the venue. ‘Lime Light’ won Best of Show in 2003 at The American Quilter’s…

You will need • Two (2) charm packs or eighty-four (84) 5in squares (for the Half-Square Triangle blocks) • Four (4) 16 x 4in strips (for the inner frame) • Printed cotton (for the outer border) two (2) 38in x 9¾in strips and two (2) 57 x 9¾in strips • Backing fabric (Susan used a plain cream calico) 62in square minimum (this can be pieced) • Batting 62in square (the sample quilt used Hobbs wool) • Machine sewing thread to tone with fabrics • Hand or machine quilting thread to tone with fabrics • Thin paper e.g. greaseproof paper, 12in square, for fan template • Thin cardboard (a cereal packet or similar) for the Gothic arch template • 6in and 8in circle templates, for marking the beech leaf pattern •…

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“I was thrilled to win the Best of Show in Houston and am now busy working on the 16th quilt in the series.” The annual International Quilt Festival held in Houston is the biggest quilt show in the world. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if you could see it on Google Earth! Over 60,000 quilters converge for a celebration of quilting, and the accolade of being awarded winner of Best of Show at this event is a significant achievement. We are delighted that we can share some background to the 2015 Best of Show quilt and to introduce you to its maker, Janet Stone who hails from Kansas in the USA. When did you start quilting? I started quilting in the late 90s, but got serious about it after…

“For our modern-day heirloom version of an antique quilt that inspired us, we’ve used a little artistic licence to make it jelly-roll friendly and have chosen to use the bright sunny colours from Tanya Whelan’s Delilah collection, mixed with a soft white.The jelly roll provides the array of colours all packaged up for us and the addition of 4⅛yards of background fabric provided us with a good bed-sized quilt.This quilt is great fun and rewarding to make and has nine borders in total, including a Sawtooth design, Flying Geese and a Four-Patch border.The name of the quilt comes from the fact that The Quilt Room used this quilt as a Celebration Block of the Month to celebrate its 30th anniversary. We don’t think we could have chosen a more beautiful…

This mellow-coloured quilt is an American creation, featuring the very popular schoolhouse design, which was much admired during the second half of the 19th century. The design is thought to have originated in New Jersey, USA. Quilt blocks representing well-known objects in pictorial form, such as houses, boats, baskets, flowers and trees have long been popular in patchwork and this charming quilt is a good example. The quilt has a calico backing with a thick cotton wadding (batting) and is machine pieced and hand quilted. It uses some very unusual fabrics, including one fabric with a fishing line, fishing hooks and fish, and although the fabrics look similar to those used in the 1920s they could be as late as the 1940s. The quilt measures 70 x 88in (178 x…

Pre-cut fabric pieces have become hugely popular over the last decade and there are now collections of all sorts of shapes and sizes, including squares, strips and triangles. This month’s supplement features quilts using pre-cut 2½in strips, frequently called ‘Jelly Rolls’. Pam and Nicky Lintott have long been fans of these strips and have created many wonderful quilts with them. Understanding fabric cuts Most fabrics used for patchwork and quilting are 44in across the width but after cutting off the selvedges you will have a useable width of about 42in to 43in. The standard cuts (less than a yard) that we use most are ¾yd, ½yd and ⅛yd (Fig 1). Quilters are also used to buying more specialised cuts of fabric, and fat quarters and fat eighths are well known…