Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 7 i Today's Quilter

It’s definitely still winter here at the Today’s Quilter headquarters. Whether we’re being buffeted by high winds, drenched in freezing downpours or counting the seconds between a crack of lightning and the inevitable rumble of thunder, the team is always relieved to reach the office each morning still in one piece! However, at the end of every day, I’ve noticed with pleasure the evenings gradually becoming lighter and know that soon spring will be on its way. The Little House on the Prairie quilt on page 41 evokes sunlit wheat fields, while the log cabin design after it is country style personified. Our cover quilt by Susan Briscoe has the fresh rustic charm we crave, with beautiful plaids offering a simple alternative to fussier florals. Enjoy our in-depth profile of…

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! ENGLISH PAPER PIECING is now more popular than ever. The technique uses up the tiniest of scraps, appealing to our thrifty impulse for using up every last precious piece of fabric. Whether we’re using up the offcuts of a long-treasured print or simply purging the scrap basket, EPP is the quilter’s answer to cooking with leftovers. On the flip side, it can also be a way to showcase clever fussy cutting and design matching. EPP allows us to create kaleidoscopic effects otherwise…

Quilter by chance I finished this lap quilt with a fleece backing this weekend at the patchwork class I go to. It’s my first braided project and my lovely teacher Jan Dodd was extremely patient with me. This is Jan’s pattern she made up and it’s called a “braided lap quilt”. I’ve also just completed a scrappy quilt based on Susan Briscoe’s Down Memory Lane quilt from issue 3. I got into quilting by chance. The machine I’d had for 36 years finally died and last year I bought a new one from a shop in Redruth. While I was there I saw lots of quilts hanging up and then found the fabric section – next thing I’d booked on a pre-cut class and I was hooked! I went to…

“A bed quilt can transform a room, but the quilt hanging on show steps forward into its own spotlight” What a difference it makes to a quilt when, after all that piecing and stitching, it is finally pressed, trimmed and finished around the edges! And especially if you get the chance to pin the quilt up somewhere to see it in all its glory. That’s the real value of showing quilts in an exhibition – a banner has so much more presence than a bedcover. A bed quilt can transform a room, but the quilt hanging on show steps forward into its own well-deserved spotlight. For some years the quilt show Quilts UK in Malvern had a category specifically for bed quilts, and they were actually judged on a bed…

You will need • Fabric A – 2yds for block corners • Fabric B – ¾yd for block centres • Fabric C – ¼yd accent fabric for blocks (yellow) • Fabric D – 1 ½ yds accent fabric for blocks and border (red) • Twenty (20) assorted prints – ¼yd of each • Backing fabric – 3 ½ yds • Batting – 62in x 78in • Templates (see Templates section) Finished size • 54in x 70in approx. Fabric used • Prairie Flowers from Little House on the Prairie for Andover Fabrics/ Makower UK Notes • Seam allowances are a scant ¼in throughout. • Read assembly directions before cutting patches. • Press all fabrics before cutting. • WOF = Width of fabric. • Colour placement is consistent in all the blocks,…

This is a lovely large quilt and the basis is just one Jelly Roll. All the gorgeous colours come from the Jelly Roll and you just need to choose 4yds of fabric for the background. Our Jelly Roll was Alice’s Scrapbag designed by Barbara Brackman for Moda, which had some lovely dark fabrics that were perfect for our log cabin border, and we chose a Bella Solid tan for our background fabric. We selected our Jelly Roll border fabrics first and whatever was left we used for our central flower blocks.…

You will need • Linen or linen mix fabric for background and backing, ½yd • Assorted green fabrics, solid and prints, one (1) fat quarter in total • Assorted white fabrics, solid and prints, 14in square in total • Assorted yellow and orange fabrics, 8in x 12in in total • Scraps of bright coloured fabrics for flowers, 3½in square each • Pencil/removable pen • A small amount of dark green perle cotton 8 • Binding fabric, 5in x WOF • Straight-edged tracing wheel (optional) • Small piece of leather or oilcloth (optional) • 16in cushion pad Finished size • 16in square. Notes • We used Essex Linen in Medium Aqua by Robert Kaufman for the background and backing. Depending on size and shape the pattern pieces have either ¼in or…

In addition to workshops led by Jo you can sign up for a huge variety of workshops led by guest artists and makers Sailing, Toile Medallion and Hunters Stars - Sue Watters Teddy Bears - Jan Mears Sashiko, Shibori and Perfect Poppies - Janice Gunner Beginners Dressmaking - Becky Stephens Free Machine Embroidery and Appliqué - Cat Rowe Baby Clothes Quilt - Gail Casimir Pictorial Embroidery - Linda Miller Naïve Appliqué – Janet Bolton Sister Quilts – Petra Prins There’s much more in store for 2016, including Di Ford, Philippa Naylor, Helen Keenan, Katharine Guerrier, Jessie Chorley and, of course, Jo’s regular classes. Check the website for details and be sure to book up fast. For extended workshops, Jo can recommend some great accommodation options that are nearby! Cowslip Workshops…

“We love the balanced effect created by using just three fabrics in a symmetrical formation. Jen’s use of colour always hits the right spot!”KIT CHEUNG, ART EDITOR Ingredients • Assortment of three (3) different print fabrics for the block units, maximum size needed 4½in square • Machine sewing thread to tone with fabrics • Templates for cutting (see Templates section) Finished size • 6½in x 8in (6in x 7½in once pieced into project) Notes • The ingredient list is for one block. Make four (4) blocks for the quilt. • This block was hand pieced, but it could also be stitched by machine or English paper pieced. • Instructions include a ¼in seam allowance. • Pay attention to pressing instructions. • The reference letters on the diagrams refer to the…

DISCOVER MORE Quiltscapes & Quiltline The Bowes Museum, runs until 10 April, www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk Ruthin Craft Centre, North Wales, 23rd April-10th July www.ruthincraftcentre.org.uk Don’t miss the Open Studio summer event at Allanbank Mill Steading, 5th-8th August 2016, with guest artist, photographer Graham Murrell www.paulineburbidge-quilts.com “Many influences have come and gone, however, 40 years on, quiltmaking still moves me.”Pauline Burbidge Textile artist and quilt maker Pauline Burbidge lives in the Scottish Borders with her husband, sculptor Charlie Poulsen. Together they share a studio space with sweeping views of the Borders landscape and the Cheviot Hills. The constantly changing natural environment provides Pauline with a backdrop of inspiration that she draws upon in her work. Honesty Skyline was inspired by the Honesty plant, an old-fashioned plant best known for its translucent seed pods.…

“There really is something to please everyone.” – Carolyn Forster English paper piecing (EPP) is a great hand piecing technique to master, offering all sorts of design possibilities and the chance to have a take-along project wherever you go. Today it is just one of many ways that there are to sew patchwork designs, but when I first started many years ago, it was the primary way to stitch patchwork. Having since moved on and learnt many other patchwork techniques, it is still a great one to come back to for many reasons: • It offers very accurate results, especially if you use pre-cut papers for your work. • It is very portable. With a little preparation beforehand you can have papers and fabric ready to stitch in your lap…

You will need • Hexagons made from the Hexagon Coaster patterns on page 19. • Cotton perle no. 12 for a decorative stitch OR strong sewing cotton if you want the stitches to show less. Finished size • As big as or as small as the number of hexagons you have made allow. Making the runner To make the runner you will need to stitch the self-bound hexagons together and the methods you can use are similar to those that you can use to stitch the EPP together. 1 Using regular sewing cotton you can hold the shapes right sides together and whipstitch the edges together. This will give a slight ridge on the back, but is a strong, secure way to work. 2 Using regular sewing thread, you can…

HALF/LARGE TRIANGLE TEMPLATE ACTUAL SIZE Please note: Triangle template does NOT include seam allowance. Fold a piece of paper in half and place dotted line of template along the fold. Then cut out to make the Large Triangle template. Cut fabric ›in larger on all sides. DIAMOND FABRIC CUTTING TEMPLATE ACTUAL SIZE Seam allowance included. DOWNLOAD THESE TEMPLATES FULL SIZE Visit our blog: www.todaysquilter.com  today! 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…

Jo Colwill DESIGNER PROFILE Discover the lady behind the Cornish quilting mecca Cowslip Workshops, as interviewed by Features Editor Jane Rae on page 72. Susan Briscoe HERITAGE DESIGNS Read Susan’s tips on page 25 for collecting and preparing recycled shirt fabric to make your own version of this month’s cover star. Carolyn Forster YOUR FREE GIFT! We’re thrilled to bring you our first EPP free gift, and couldn’t think of anyone better qualified to show us how it’s done than Carolyn!…

FURTHER AFIELD Texas Quilt Museum Sherri Lynn Wood’s Rainbow Cloud Quilt is part of an exhibition currently being held at the Texas Quilt Museum by the Modern Quilt Guild. The exhibition features 25 quilts made by Modern Quilt Guild members from around the country. Modern quilts began making their way into the mainstream in 2009, and the guild now has 10,000 members worldwide. Runs until the 27th of March, 2016 daintytime.net  www.themodernquiltguild.com www.texasquiltmuseum.org FABRIC FINDS ZANDRA RHODES Dramatic, glamorous and outrageous, Zandra Rhodes has certainly made a huge impact on British fashion since she opened her shop on the Fulham Road in 1969. With her bright green hair (later changed to a spectacular pink and sometimes a radiant red), theatrical make-up and art jewellery, she has stamped her identity on the…

Now that techniques have moved on, we no longer have to make templates for every shape, draw around them on the fabric and then add a seam allowance to each side. We want to be able to rotary-cut the shapes with the seams factored in and then simply use the machine to stitch the pieces together. The unexpected problem with this block, which looks so easy, is that turning the inner square on point suddenly makes the sums really tricky. The instinct is to choose a size for the centre square – let’s say 3in – so we cut a square 3½in to include the seam allowances. Then we turn it on point and have to work out a way of cutting the corner triangles so they fit once the…

The striking Double Wedding Ring pattern is believed by many to date back to the late 20s, although some argue it has evolved from even older designs. Traditionally, these would be sewn by mothers and grandmothers as heirloom quilts to be given to family on weddings or anniversaries – the interlocking rings symbolising the union between the two people. Conventionally, the background fabric was white or cream, and the wedges that made up the rings would be made from a selection of contrasting fabrics. This has evolved throughout the years and the pattern can look very different depending on the colours chosen and the position of the fabrics. The Double Wedding Ring remains one of the most popular quilt patterns to date, perhaps due to its suitability to use up…

I have always loved the traditional ‘Rose of Sharon’ type appliqué quilts and wanted to update the garland design with a whole range of different flowers and leaves to make the project more interesting. For the Spring version I was of course spoilt for choice, but I had to include snowdrops as they are such precious early signs of garden life returning. Primroses are a welcome return to colour and my stylised narcissus are just a fabulous shape to depict. Over the course of the next year we will feature four seasonal appliqué designs as cushions, so keep an eye out for the next design in the series.…

You will need • Fabric A – 1yd (includes enough for binding) • Fabric B – ¾yd • Fabric C – 1yd • Fabric D – ½yd • Fabric E – ¾yd • Fabric F – ¼yd • Fabric G – ½yd • Fabric H – ¾yd • Fabric I – ¾yd • Fabric J – 1yd • Fabric K – 1yd • Fabric L – ¼yd • Backing fabric – 5yds • Batting – 68in x 84in Finished size • 64in x 80in Notes • Seam allowances are ¼in unless otherwise stated. Fabric used • Dare by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics. Cutting out 1 From each of fabric A and F cut as follows: • Forty (40) 3in squares. 2 From each of fabric B, E, H…

Become courageous with curves with Lynne Edwards MBE • Create a fresh nautical palette with Carolyn Forster • Jane Brocket talks about quilting inspiration • Margaret Lee shares her appliqué schoolhouses Plus! Spring clean your stash with our FREE stashbuster supplement Issue 8 on sale 31st March Contents subject to change…

THE QUILT CATENA Timna Tarr has a huge talent for colour and composition. Catena means “a connected series of related things” and this interlaced flower design on a gradiated background of hexagons displays this sentiment to dazzling effect. Inspired by a 1940s quilt belonging to her mother, this quilt was made the spring her father-in-law died, so the cycle of life and connections to family were on her mind during its construction. THE BOOK PERFECT ENGLISH COTTAGE From Devonshire thatch to rose-hued Regency, the 2015 edition of Ros Byam Shaw’s book (Ryland Peters & Small) features 18 English cottages, and is a feast for the eyes of any lover of rural charm. The beautiful photography by Jan Baldwin alongside Ros’s affectionately written stories behind the homes is a delight —…

QUILTING EXHIBITIONS Pauline Burbidge Quiltscapes and Quiltline Until 10th April, Co. Durham Quiltscapes & Quiltline features a collection of new work by this acclaimed textile artist, inspired by the beauty of the rural landscape around her home in the Scottish Borders. The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co Durham DL12 8NP Tickets: £10 01833 690606 info@thebowesmuseum.org.uk www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk Unforgettable at The Welsh Quilt Centre Until 5th November, Ceredigion, Wales Historic Welsh Quilts and Costume from the collections of Ron Simpson, Jen Jones, and the Ceredigion Museum. Gallery 2 will showcase new work by eminent quilter Sandie Lush. Gallery 3 is home to shorter exhibitions, lasting 6-8 weeks from an array of artists with a diverse range of work. The Welsh Quilt Centre, The Town Hall, High Street, Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales SA48 7BB www.welshquilts.com…

Whether they are new fabrics or recycled from men’s shirts, as here, plaids and checks epitomise casual country style. Lots of fabrics go together easily and colourfully, while using the plaids on point in the hearts makes them lively. Each simple 7½in machine pieced block has an appliquéd heart in the centre – Susan used needleturn appliqué but you can use your favourite method – and there are 40 blocks in all, making it a good size for snuggling under on chilly evenings in early spring.You can adapt the design to have as many blocks as you like.The quilting is as simple and eclectic as the fabric selection, with machine quilting in heavier ‘top stitch’ threads, feather stitch and blanket stitch, and hand quilting in big stitch with shaded threads.…

I used three fabrics and alternated them in the design, but you could use more if you prefer. The separate frames have been labelled 1-5 to assist in fabric placement. Cutting instructions 1 From the square on point fabric cut the following: • One square on point using the template (frame 1). • Two 2in x 4½ in strips (frame 3). • Two 2in x 7½ in strips (frame 3). • Four 2in squares (frame 5). 2 From the fabric for the square on point corners (frame 2) cut two 3in squares. 3 From the outer frame fabric (frame 4) cut the following: • Two 2in x 7½ in strips. • Two 2in x 10½ in strips. • Four 2in squares. 4 Make a template by tracing the template given…

You will need • One (1) Jelly Roll • Background fabric – 4yds • Binding fabric – 5/8yd • Backing fabric – 5yds • Batting – 75in x 89in Finished size • 71in x 85in approx. Notes • Before cutting, see box adjacent on sorting your strips. Sorting the strips Be guided by what is in your Jelly Roll. Colours 1, 2 and 3 make up the log cabin border. • Eight (8) Colour 1 - purple/dark strips (these need to be the darkest) • Nine (9) Colour 2 - red strips • Seven (7) Colour 3 - blue strips • Two (2) Colour 4 - red strips for log cabin floral block centres • Two (2) Colour 5 - blue strips for log cabin border block centres • Five…

HELP! I’ve made some Greek Cross blocks and want to combine them with another block but can’t find one that works. Try this… There is certainly a lot of trial and error in choosing blocks that work well together, especially if you are trying to create secondary patterns. Greek Cross has a 7 x 7 base grid, so look for other blocks with this layout, or even with a base grid of 14 x 14. Remember also that you don’t have to accept existing blocks as they are – you can change them to suit you, or even design your own blocks. Fig 1 and Fig 2 show an example of a Greek Cross coupled with an Oregon block, and how the Oregon block might be changed. In Fig 1B…

“The Dare fabric collection by Pat Bravo for AGF Studio has bright, bold colours with prints that stand out independently, so we played around with some Pure Elements to help break up the prints. Based on that thought, and on the fact that there is a plaid print in the collection (Wafting Plaid), we wanted to create something that tied those two things together. We chose Spruce, Warm Wave and a little bit of Snow white, which complement this collection quite nicely. In each block the placement of the Pure Elements changes, making the quilt more dynamic in design. Also, the placement of the red tones breaks up the blue prints adding even more dimension to the quilt, and also to put more emphasis on the plaid inspiration.”…

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES Sew Easy, Patchwork Ruler and Dresden Template groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk Sew and Quilt www.sewandquilt.co.uk  01736 362253 Sophie Allport www.sophieallport.com  01778 560256 BOOKS Perfect English Cottage www.rylandpeters.com  02070 252200 Tributes and Treasures & Stash Lab www.roundhousegroup.co.uk  01273 603717 Search Press www.searchpress.com  01892 510850 Blossom www.chroniclebooks.com Deviant Modern Machine Quilting www.vivebooks.com  01392 250240 FABRIC COLLECTIONS Lilypad www.dearstelladesign.com Flower Garden www.cottonpatch.co.uk  01217 022840 Woven Sophisticates www.cottonpatch.co.uk  01217 022840 Prairie Flowers www.makoweruk.com  01491 579727 Dare www.artgalleryfabrics.com  01570 422866…

If ever there was a patchwork technique that could become addictive, it’s English paper piecing. We all adore our sewing machines, but I still envy those have-yarn-will-travel knitters and on-the-go crochet fanatics. EPP is our version; I’ve been known to EPP on the sofa, with one eye on a film, on a train, plane and even on holiday. Sometimes, I even find time to add a few stitches at bedtime (although watch for errant needles in the duvet)! For those of you who’ve never tried the technique, this is the perfect entry-level primer. However, I know there will be plenty of you who have already caught the bug, so you’ll love Carolyn Forster’s design ideas and inspiration to help you create your own EPP masterpieces. Then, make the quilt, coasters…

Seam allowances You will need to cut the fabric approximately an extra ¼in around all sides of the paper piece. Use either scissors to cut the fabric roughly, or use the rotary cutter, or a combination of both. It will be up to you, whichever is the most convenient or you are most comfortable with. Bear in mind that if the seam allowance on the fabric is too big though, there will be more bulk behind the shape. This will not be of too much consequence when you are piecing, but when you come to quilting the project, it might interfere. Also, keep in mind how the project will be finished when making these initial decisions. Some old quilts will show that a scrap of fabric the approximate size was…

You will need • Fabric scraps –totalling about 1⅝yds • Background fabric – 21/8yds • 2in 6-point diamond paper pieces – one-hundred-and-ninety-two (192) diamonds, one-hundred-and-twenty-eight (128) triangles (sixty-four diamonds cut in half), • Triangle templates (see Templates section) – thirty-four (34) large triangles, twelve (12) large half triangles. • Batting – 68in x 58in • Backing fabric – 3¼yds • Binding fabric – ½yd Finished size • 58½in x 48½in Notes • For guidance a 2½in wide strip of fabric will yield about thirteen (13) diamonds, and around twenty (20) triangles. • SA = Seam allowance. • WS = Wrong side. • If you wish to fussy-cut allow for extra fabric. • WOF = Width of fabric. Cutting out 1 From the print fabrics cut a total of one-hundred-and-ninety-two (192)…