Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 10 i Today's Quilter

At this time of year, the team and I have one thing on our minds – The Festival of Quilts! We’re already preparing our workshops and talks, designing our stand and wondering how on earth we’ll see everything during those four days. All that a quilter could desire is under one roof! The chance to mingle, chat and share is precious. Plus, we love to see what each other has bought, because of course there is the shopping. Many of you will already be saving, with a “fabric fund” squirrelled away. To help, we have a very special subscription offer on page 32, saving you 40% on the shop price , plus we’re delivered straight to your door! Growing up in Scotland we used the phrase “Mony a mickle maks…

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! ONE CATEGORY OF quilting kit that we’ve seen grow massively over the past few years is that of rulers. Being the innovative lot we are, quilters have invented a number of designs that serve many purposes. We not only have rulers designed to solve particular problems, but also ones that allow us to create shapes we’d otherwise be unable to manage with just a straight line and rotary cutter. There are rulers that do one job, and others that are multipurpose. Some…

Favourite memory Here is my version of Susan Briscoe’s “Down Memory Lane” quilt from Issue 3. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to give it a try. I love the scrappy look and the muted colours, and I enjoyed the process of experimenting with different fabrics to get the right look (as well as that connection with the past). Annie Sutcliffe, via Facebook Your quilt is gorgeous Annie, well done! All cubed up I recently made a trio of these cubes from the article in Issue 6 by Sheila Donnachie. I started quilting in 2000, a friend took me to Quilts UK in Malvern, and I was hooked. The colours and fabrics for the cubes came from this bed quilt that was made as a joint…

You can radically change the whole look of a quilt by playing around with your contrast and colour placement. Here are some examples of other ways you could tackle this design: • In example 1 we’ve placed the background just in the kite shapes at the edges, accentuating the pulsating centres of the block. • In example 2 we’ve taken the background placement back to the original quilt and changed the kite shapes to yellow, which brings out the pointed cross behind the star where the blocks meet. • In example 3 we’ve changed the background to a dark colour and added this to the 2in squares where the blocks meet, which accentuates the star shapes. We’ve also included a blank block design so you can have a play with…

You will need • Four fabrics for the Windmill blocks and the narrow pieced border – one fat quarter of each • Fabric for the alternating squares and edging triangles on the quilt – 25in (sadly ½yd is not quite enough) • Appliqué fabrics – 12in square for the daisy flowers • 4in square for the daisy centres • Fusible web – 12in square • Final wide border – ½yd • Backing fabric – 44in square • Batting – 44in square • Binding – 3/8yd (35cm) Size of finished blocks • 5in square Finished size • 40in square Making the strippy windmill blocks Sixteen blocks are needed for the quilt. Different arrangements of the same four fabrics give a variety of windmills that add richness to the design. 1 From…

Cutting out 1 From the background fabric cut as follows: • Twenty-nine (29) 4›in strips across the width of the fabric. • Four (4) 2›in wide strips across the width of the fabric and set aside for the top and bottom borders. 2 From the binding fabric cut as follows: • Seven (7) 2›in wide strips across the width of the fabric. Making the quilt 3 Pair up the twenty (20) Jelly Roll strips and sew each pair together as shown in Fig 1 to make ten (10) strip units. Press. 4 Lay the 60-degree ruler on the strip unit as shown, lining up the 4›in line of the ruler with the bottom edge of the strip unit. Cut the first triangle. If you are using an alternative triangle then…

SEW & SO's Everything for the patchwork quilter, over 6,000 bolts in stock plus notions. 14 Upper Olland Street, Bungay, NR35 1BG sewsos.co.uk  01986 896147 MARSHLAND FABRICS Novelty Fabrics for all your patchwork and quilting needs. marshlandfabrics.co.uk  01945 430515 PEMBERTONS Everything for the Quilter, fantastic selection of machines, cabinets, habby, fabrics & notions. Friars Street, Stirling. psmc.co.uk  01786 462993 THE CORNER PATCH A little corner of patchwork heaven. Fabric, wadding, threads and haberdashery. Workshops for all ages and abilities. thecornerpatch. co. uk STICKY FINGERS Wide range of 100% cotton patchwork fabrics, waddings, threads and notions, Janome sewing machine accessories. stickyfingerscrafts.co.uk CRAFT HIVE A treasure trove of crafts in our Northumberland shop NE22 5UB. Promo code "Quilter10" to get 10% off on our website. crafthive.co.uk FROM RAGS TO STITCHES Utterly…

You will need • Navy fabric – ¼yd (cut as a long quarter) • Jade fabric – ¼yd (cut as a long quarter) • Background fabric, solid cream – 1¼yds • Binding fabric – 12in x WOF • Batting – 42in x 50in • Backing fabric – 42in x 50in • Quick Curve Ruler Finished size • 33in x 42in Cutting out 1 From each of the navy and jade long quarters, fold in half and cut an 8½in wide strip across the width of the fabric. 2 From the background fabric cut as follows: • Four (4) 6½in strips cut across the width of the fabric. Set aside for now to use for the border. • Two (2) 8½in strips cut across the width of the fabric. Sub-cut each…

Jo Avery COVER STAR! Creative whizz Jo designed and made not one, but two projects this issue, including the cover quilt. What’s your multitasking secret, Jo?! Pam & Nicky Lintott QUILT RULER GURUS Who else but Pam and Nicky could guide us through the world of quilt rulers? Prepare to be inspired with this issue’s supplement (page 12). Linda Clements QUILT MATHS GENIUS Linda goes where quilting angels fear to tread. On page 63 she shows that maths can be heavenly (especially combined with fabric!).…

FLOWER POWER Dresden summer We love Marian B. Gallian and Yette Marie Jones’ new take on an old classic – the Dresden Plate. They include 16 projects in their new book Dresden Carnival. A must have for lovers of this classic block. £18.99 www.searchpress.com HOME DÉCOR Appliqué inspiration Get that “orange peel” patchwork look with this fun cushion from Next. Wool Rich Geometric Appliqué Cushion, £18 www.next.co.uk FASHION STATEMENT AMY BUTLER’S PIECE KEEPING Be inspired by Amy Butler’s latest project book, which has some fun ideas for introducing patchwork and quilting into your home and wardrobe. From lampshades to pillows, quilts to statement jewellery, and even a patchwork dress as shown above, there’s something for all skill levels and busy schedules. Released this summer, you can pre-order your copy by…

You will need • Light coloured background fabric – 3yds • Assorted mauve fabrics – 30in x WOF • Assorted orange fabrics – 1yd • Assorted green fabrics – 1¼yds • Assorted charcoal fabrics – 30in x WOF • Yellow print fabric – ¼yd • Batting – 69in square • Backing fabric – 69in square or 4yds • Binding – ½yd • One hundred (100) FPP diamond outer templates (see Templates section) • Eighteen (18) HST paper templates (see Templates section) Finished size • 65in square Fabric used All patterned fabric is from Eastham by Denyse Schmidt for Free Spirit Fabrics. The background is Spot On by Robert Kaufman in Meringue. Notes • RST = right sides together. • WOF = width of fabric. • HST = half-square triangle. •…

“[Sandie Lush] has created a series all based on one theme, and how well it works. But for me, I have to change.” I have been doing this virtual class for Today’s Quilter for a good while now, and my loyal Team and I have settled into a comfortable pattern of presentation: they know roughly what to expect and I have a framework in which I work. So now of course for this issue I’m going to change it all… and why not? We quilt-makers who publish and exhibit our work are in a no-win situation. If we work on a series of pieces developing one aspect of design or colour we are thought to be formulaic... doing the same old stuff… If we make a radical change, the cry…

Cutting out 1 From your background fabric cut as follows: • One (1) 17in square. • Two (2) pieces measuring 12in x 17in, put these two pieces aside for your backing. 2 Using your paper templates (See Templates section) cut out the following pieces: • Twenty-four (24) leaves from green fabric using template A. • Four (4) stems from green fabric using template B. • Forty-eight (48) petals from pink fabric using template C. • Four (4) circles from yellow fabric using template D. • Four (4) circles from charcoal fabric using template E. • Eight (8) circles from orange or turquoise fabric using template F. • Eight (8) circles from orange or red fabrics using template G. • Four (4) seed pods from brown fabric using template H. Making…

“We love the scrappy symmetry in this block created by clever fabric placement. The fussy-cut leaf is another eye-catching detail.” FIONA SMITH, OPERATIONS EDITOR Ingredients • Assortment of scrap fabrics, maximum size needed 4½in square • Machine sewing thread to tone with fabrics • Templates for cutting (see Templates section) Finished size • 6½in x 12½in (6in x 12in once pieced into project) Fabric used • A mix of scraps in shades of blue, green and orange. Notes • The ingredients list is for one block. Make eight (8) blocks for the quilt. • This block is template cut, but may be pieced by hand or machine pieced. • Instructions include a ¼in seam allowance. • The reference letters on the diagrams refer to the size to cut each piece…

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES Next  www.next.co.uk 0333 777 8000 Bertie’s Bows  www.bertiesbows.co.uk 0781 593 2681 Denyse’s Modern Solid Pre-cut Hexagon Bundle  www.dsquilts.com Sew Easy  groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk BOOKS Jo’s Little Favorites  www.martingale-pub.com Search Press  www.searchpress.com 0189 251 0850 Amy Butler’s Piece Keeping  www.amybutlerdesign.com Simple Sashiko  www.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk 0800 048 8856 Pattern  www.saltyardbooks.co.uk 0203 122 7111 FABRIC COLLECTIONS Liberty Chesham Cabinet Collection  www.liberty.co.uk 0207 734 1234 Radiance  www.makoweruk.com 0149 157 9727 The Kaffe Fassett Collective  www.makeitcoats.com 0148 468 1881 QUILTING SHOPS The Quilt Room  www.quiltroom.co.uk 0130 687 7307…

Earlier this year I visited Pam Lintott at her shop, The Quilt Room. We chatted about everything she sells, from fabric and rulers to workshops and long-arm quilting services. What I remember best (or possibly worst!) was Pam whizzing around the shop floor with dizzying speed, pulling quilts from cupboards and shelves with the flair of a magician. I saw how some of the most baffling looking rulers create dazzling quilts – once you know the secret, you have that “light-bulb” moment. There is a proverb: Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me, and I’ll understand. This is why Pam and Nicky have provided not just illustrations and tips for using their current favourite rulers, but projects that allow you to put them into action…

You will need • Blue fabric – 1yd • Red fabric – 1yd • Green fabric – 1yd or one (1) Jelly Roll could be used, but it would need to be divided into three (3) colourways to provide twelve (12) strips in each colourway. This would make a scrappier quilt. • Background and border fabric – 1⅛yds • Binding fabric – ½yd Finished Size • 55in square Cutting out 1 From each of the blue, red and green fabrics cut as follows: • Twelve (12) 2½in wide strips across the width of the fabric. 2 From the background and border fabric cut as follows: • Four (4) 6½in wide strips across the width of the fabric. • Five (5) 2½in wide strips across the width of the fabric and…

You will need • Assorted 30s print fabrics – eight (8) fat quarters • White background fabric – 2¾yds • Backing fabric – 60in x 76in • Batting – 60in x 76in • Creative Grids Double-Strip Kaleidoscope Ruler Finished size • 52in x 68in Fabrics used • Reproduction 30s fabrics. Notes • Make sure that you cut the strips from the fat quarters down the 21in width. • Read all the instructions before starting your quilt. • Use a scant ¼in seam allowance throughout. Cutting out 1 From each of the eight (8) assorted fat quarters cut as follows along the 21in width of the fabric (Fig 1): • Three (3) 4½in x 21in strips. • Two (2) 2½in x 21in strips for the scrappy binding. 2 From the background…

You will need • Eight (8) fat eighths • Solid grey background fabric – 1yd • Binding fabric – 1/2yd • Backing fabric – 44in x 53in • Batting – 44in x 53in • Hex N More Ruler (optional) Finished size • 36in x 45in Cutting out 1 Cut each fat eighth into two (2) 4 1/2in x 21in rectangles. 2 From the background fabric, fold in half and cut as follows: • Four (4) 4 1/2in wide strips across the width of the fabric. Set aside for now for the borders. • Seven (7) 2 1/2in wide strips across the width of the fabric. 3 From the binding fabric cut as follows: • Five (5) 2 1/2in wide strips across the width of the fabric. Cutting the triangles 4…

The Lil’ Twister, below, works in the same way as the Twister, but this time using Charm Squares or 5in squares cut from scraps. Use the same piecing and cutting technique, but this time add a 3in border around the edges before re-cutting. You can even combine the two Twister rulers together to create unique eye-catching effects. This is a great way to use up your stash – careful though, twisting is addictive! The Lil’ Twister Ruler comes complete with full instructions to make a baby quilt using a Charm pack. Just choose your fabrics and you’ll have a quilt before you know it. LITTLE TWISTERS 41in square “The low contrast muted tones of this quilt are given interest with the spinning motion created by the Lil’ Twister Ruler.”…

THE FABRIC LIBERTY FURNISHING FABRICS There’s no place like home, especially if it’s full of Liberty prints! The Chesham Cabinet collection is the latest in their home furnishing range, which includes delicious prints in upholstery weight linens, cottons and velvets. Inspired by the miniature interiors of doll’s houses, which are time capsules of changing interior design styles, these fabrics are representations of prints from the 1800s and beyond. And, if Liberty quilts and furnishings aren’t enough, there’s matching wallpaper! THE PALETTE CHINA BLUE & WHITE If an escape to the South of France is what you dream of, make like Zara Home and take inspiration from Versailles (table linen from £9.99 www.zarahome.com ). French pottery was directly influenced by the blue and white Chinese imports and this timeless colour palette…

I’ve always been fascinated by the Storm at Sea block and the way circles can appear without sewing any curves. I’ve used a simplified version here with two different block colourways. The effect is kaleidoscopic, with interlocking circles appearing to rotate. While trying to think of a name for this quilt I searched a weather glossary and discovered the Fujiwhara Effect: “The tendency of two nearby tropical cyclones to rotate cyclonically about each other.” It seemed like the perfect name for this design! Denyse Schmidt’s vintage-style fabric collection, Eastham, worked so well and its wide range of colours – mauves, oranges, greens, charcoal and that fabulous acid yellow – enabled me to get the contrast needed to make the most of the design. Using a mixture of piecing techniques gives…

In an earlier Virtual Workshop (issue 7) I talked about how good a block can look when turned on point, with its corners facing north, south, east and west instead of the usual full square presentation. So now you all know just how to make a Square-in-a-Square block from that session, but making an entire quilt with all the blocks on point is a different and daunting matter. First, I’ll take six simple blocks and arrange them on point (Fig 1A). The bonus is that the blocks become larger from side to side when arranged in this way – nearly half as big again when measured across the centre. However, there are empty spaces between the blocks, so more are needed to fill these areas (Fig 1B). Not six blocks…

For the summer version of my seasonal appliqué I wanted to emphasise the variety of bright colours available in so many of our garden favourites, such as aster, gerbera, zinnia and cosmos, along with the gorgeous green of summer foliage. I would have loved to include a poppy, but the shape was a little beyond the limitations of needle-turn appliqué! So, instead I included a poppy seed pod. As well as being a very pleasing shape in themselves, these miniature ‘pepper pots’ hold not only a reminder that summer is short but, also the promise of the next one to come!…

The Dresden Plate was one of the most popular quilt blocks of the 20s and 30s, and was named after the intricately decorated porcelain plates produced in 19th century Dresden, Germany. Often this block would have been made out of pretty floral prints cut from items such as feedsacks or handkerchiefs, and could be found adorning various quilts, cushions and aprons of the time. The ends of the petals can be pointed or rounded, or even left straight, and it can be made with more narrow ‘wedges’ or fewer, wider ones, to create different looks.…

Medallion, or Frame quilts have always been a favourite of mine. I love the way that they grow from the centre outwards, so each design decision can be made at each step of the construction process. There are a number of elements in this quilt that can be used on their own to make repeat block style quilts. The central star, the LeMoyne stars and then the Turkey Track Corners; the Flying Geese too can be a great repeat block quilt, so if you enjoyed stitching these elements there are many more quilts open to you. Play around with the design to make it your own. By omitting the corner squares in the Flying Geese border, and making eight more geese, you have them flying all the way around the…

Go behind the scenes of quilt judging with Jane Rae • Lynne Edwards gets strategic with HSTs • Make two quilts from one Jelly Roll with Pam & Nicky Lintott • Plan great days out with our guide to what’s on near you! FREE! Your gift is our indispensable Quilters’ Quick Resizing Tool Issue 11 on sale 23rd June…

“We know that quilters love gadgets, and rulers are the ultimate gadgets for quilters. Somewhere we all have clever rulers tucked away, which we bought as they looked so quick and easy to use. We also know that many of those rulers are often not used as often as they should be, but what a waste! Rulers really do make cutting and creating easier, but it is just as important that we choose them wisely and make sure we know how to use them! Here, we show you just a few of the great rulers that are available in our quilt stores at the moment. These are our must-haves due to versatility and genuine usefulness. Turn to page 50 for exclusive reader discounts!”…

The Quick Curve Ruler was designed by three clever sisters to make cutting curves fast, easy and consistent. There are numerous patterns available, which all use this one ruler, and their website is inspirational – sewkindofwonderful.com. It is a great ruler for the novice at sewing curves as the blocks are easy to sew and the technique of “cut, sew and square-up” means that all blocks are consistently accurate for piecing the final product, which equals matching points every time. The Baby Chains quilt is a brilliant introduction to this versatile ruler, and is a lovely example of what a mixture of curved and straight piecing can accomplish. BABY CHAINS 33in x 42in “Our Baby Chains quilt is a small project to get you started with the Quick Curve Ruler.…

Sorting the strips Sort the Jelly Roll strips into twenty (20) lights and twenty (20) darks. It is very important to allocate twenty as lights and twenty as darks for cutting purposes. The lights and darks in our quilt were very subtle to create a soft effect, but you can have as much contrast as you like. Be guided by what is available in your Jelly Roll. You will need • One (1) Jelly Roll or forty (40) 2½in wide strips cut across the width of the fabric • Border fabric – 1¼yds • Binding fabric – 20in x WOF • Backing fabric – 64in x 71in • Batting – 64in x 71in • Creative Grids Single-Strip Trapezoid Ruler Finished size • 56in x 63in Notes • Read all the…

The multifunctional Hex N More Ruler cuts not one, but four different shapes in four different sizes – the hexagon, the half-hexagon, the 60-degree triangle and the jewel. All shapes can be effortlessly cut from strips and simply pieced into rows to create impressive quilts with ease. Use assorted combinations of the four shapes to create unlimited quilt designs, which are as complicated or as simple as you wish. Designer Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts has a very informative website, www.jaybirdquilts.com with many tutorials and patterns using this excellent tool. ORANGES AND LEMONS 36in x 45in “We have designed a very simple little quilt which uses the Hex N More Ruler. It is cleverly pieced by machine with no set-in seams and we’ve used a selection of modern red, orange…

Twisters are tools that have simplified an old technique with easy to follow instructions. The technique is very simple. You just sew 10in Layer Cake squares together, making sure you don’t put similar colours next to each other. You then add a 6›in border and you are now ready to re-cut using the Twister. Simply position the Twister over the seams as shown in the diagram and re-cut to make the blocks. Then, rotate and sew them back together in the same order. It’s that easy. Once you’ve cracked the technique, the sky is the limit for projects you can create with this tool. TWISTING PINWHEELS 60in x 65in “Using good contrast in the Layer Cake makes the individual pinwheels stand out to enhance the piecing.”…