Innholdsfortegnelse for 47 i Today's Quilter

It definitely feels like spring has arrived in the office with this issue, as we have several delightful makes featuring oh-so-pretty fabrics, embroidery and even a bunny rabbit! With each delivery of quilts we opened the team brushed off the winter blues a little (one of the perks of working at a quilting mag is receiving boxes brimming with beautiful quilts). First up on the spring to-make list is Liberty. When you think of this iconic fabric, you automatically think of floral prints, and Sally Ablett’s gorgeous design using the latest Liberty collection, Hesketh House, is bursting with them. New for this month is Victoria Carrington’s seasonal cushion series which kicks off its first appearance with a charming appliqué design that will have you longing for sunny days outdoors in…

CLOVER SEAM MARKERS Make your mark Tired of drawing your additional seam allowance by hand, particularly on those pesky curved templates? This set of seam markers from Clover will allow you to neatly draw parallel seam lines along the edges of any pattern or template, whatever the shape. Clover’s Seam Marker set includes four different sizes – 3mm/5mm/7mm/10mm – and they are very easy to use. Simply insert the template/ pattern into the groove along the edge of a marker, place the pen tip in the hole, then roll and draw along the periphery of the pattern. To find out more about Clover’s seam markers, go to www.clover-mfg.com £6.15 For stockist information, email clover@stockistenquiries.co.uk APPLE BUTTER VINTAGE VIBE Tilda’s newest fabric collection, AppleButter, is a fresh and colourful collection that’s…

“The Art Nouveau style of design produced such fabulously curvy shapes, depicted in swirls of lovely colour. With Liberty’s The Hesketh House Collection I adore the mesmerising combination of dark blues and greens, flowing in to the soft colours of spring, and it was a joy to work with them. Making the quilt with two blocks – the Single Irish Chain block and the Star Puzzle block – keeps the construction simple and lets the beauty of the fabrics shine.”…

NORTHERN ENGLAND Bibelot 2 Sheep Market, Leek, Staffs ST13 5HW www.bibelot.co.uk Cheshire Needlecraft Cranage Retail Park, Cheshire CW4 8HE Copperfield Crafts 4 Mile Bridge Rd, Valley, Anglesey LL65 3HB Crafter’s Companion Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham DL5 6DR Creative Thread 68B Church St, Garstang, Lancs PR3 1YA Design Stitch Create Hulmes Bridge House, North Moor Lane, Halsall, Ormskirk L39 8RF Gillies Fabrics 2 Peter Lane, York YO1 8SW Kreations By Kaz 88 Cromwell Crescent, Pontefract, West Yorks WF8 2EP Patchfinders 159 London Rd, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1LQ www.patchfinders.com Patchwork Garden 630 Abbeydale Rd, Sheffield S7 2BA www.thepatchworkgarden.co.uk Quilt Sandwich at the Royal Bridlington 1 Shaftesbury Rd, Bridlington YO15 3NP www.quiltsandwich.co.uk Quorn Country Crafts Parkside Works, East Leake, Leics LE12 6JG www.quorncountrycrafts.co.uk Sew Me-Me 4 Bakery Court, Market St,…

You will need ■ Colour 1 fabric (orange) – ¾yd ■ Colour 2 fabric (yellow) – ¾yd ■ Colour 3 fabric (grey) – 1yd ■ Background fabric – 2¾yds ■ Backing fabric – 4yds ■ Batting – 72in square ■ Binding fabric – ½yd Finished size ■ Approx. 62in square Fabrics used ■ “Bijou” by Makower, available from www.makoweruk.com Notes ■ Seam allowances are ¼in throughout. ■ Press seams open, unless otherwise instructed. ■ RST = right sides together. ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ Wash and press all fabrics well before cutting. Cutting out 1 From colour 1, cut forty (40) 3⅞in squares for the Flying Geese and five (5) 5¾in squares for the HSTs. 2 From colour 2, cut forty (40) 3⅞in squares for the Flying Geese…

“Sashing can be simple or complex, and its addition brings a welcome extra dimension to a design.” – Lin Clements WHAT IS SASHING? Sashing strips, which are also referred to as lattice or setting strips, are used in patchwork to frame or separate pieced blocks or parts of a quilt design. They can make a big difference to the look of a finished project. Sometimes the word ‘border’ is used to mean sashing: I prefer to use the word sashing to describe the lattice-type look that is achieved with these strips. Well-planned sashing can unify a quilt design, linking blocks and colour schemes together. The strips are usually positioned vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Sashing can also be used to change the measurements of a block or quilt, making it…

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, pattern and instruction writing, teaching at local workshops and appearing as a guest designer on Sewing Quarter. www.victoriacarrington.co.uk Victoria Carrington Designs @victoriacarringtondesigns…

1 Keep to a simple format. For pieced designs, think central block surrounded by borders with corner squares (see the quilts on the opening pages by Ann Morse and Sara Lewis). Welsh quilts are extremely diverse, but this is a typical layout. Fabric pieces can be joined by machine and then time spent on intense hand quilting to achieve a classic Welsh look. 2 Woollen quilts were made from a variety of plain or slightly patterned flannel and suiting (see Sara Lewis’ quilt). Often, two contrasting colours were combined, such as red with black or navy; others were a mixture of more sombre greys and fawns. The cloth used represented the fashions of the times – indeed, many quilts were made using tailors’ samples. To recreate this style, use plain…

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…

Colour is such an important – not to mention subjective – factor in quilt design that picking out a single palette can occasionally send even the most experienced quilters into a quandary! The good news is that when armed with your colour wheel gift and a few simple principles (see our handy guide on page 5) you’ll soon start to make smarter choices with colour which will help you to create much more impactful quilts. Once you’ve got your head round all the theory, and have also had a good old play with your colour wheel, it’s time to put what you’ve learnt into practise with Vendulka Battais’ striking Cathedral Windows quilt on page 10, and her equally beautiful graduating colour cushion pair on page 21. Both are sure to…

Karen Lewis TRADITION MEETS CONTEMPORARY Karen mixes bold, unexpected colours with the traditional Goose in the Pond block on page 51. Victoria Carrington SEASONAL CUSHION SERIES Make a charming cushion for every season of the year with Victoria’s delightful appliqué designs (page 67) – featuring furry or feathered friends. Anna Marie Galvin HERITAGE REVISITED Using the gorgeous fabrics in the Dutch Heritage collection, Anna has created a design that is sure to wow friends and family alike on page 22.…

QUILTING Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts in America Exhibition 16th March-3rd November, Bath Kaffe Fassett’s new collection, inspired by the museum’s world-renowned collection of antique American quilts, provides a unique opportunity to see old and new together. Special events are: QUILTS IN AMERICA WITH KAFFE FASSETT 3rd April & 24th July 19:00-21:00 / £20 STARBURST FROM QUILTS IN AMERICA WORKSHOP WITH KAFFE FASSETT 4th April & 25th July 09:30-16:30 / £200 BEHIND THE SCENES: AN EVENING WITH THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE EXHIBITION 11th April 19:00-21:00 / £15 APPLIQUÉ QUILT WORKSHOP WITH JANET HAIGH 13th July 10:00-15:30 £40 (includes lunch and fabric) American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD www.americanmuseum.org Spring Quilt Festival 29th-31st March, Exeter See displays by well-known quilters, plus retail therapy. Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Clyst St Mary, Exeter…

“This quilt design is a product of my fascination with curved piecing and the versatility of the Drunkard’s Path block. It’s incredible how such a simple and easy-to-sew block can produce so many different quilt patterns, both traditional and modern, simply by varying the fabrics used and the block’s orientation within the quilt. Although piecing a Drunkard’s Path quilt can prove time-consuming, it will give you the opportunity to become confident with sewing curves. And the final quilt, with its stunning symmetrical design, is undoubtedly worth the effort, especially when using beautiful and historically-inspired fabrics such as these by Dutch Heritage Fabrics.”…

Each day over the past week, we’ve received a new bundle of beautiful spring fabrics. So far, I’ve been tempted to use them all in upcoming designs and I’ve incorporated the lovely new Anni Downs fabric collection, Down by the Veggie Patch, into my Easter quilt. It’s just perfect for a sweet springtime design, with cute rabbits, carrots fresh from the garden, pretty flowers and even the odd mushroom. There’s a small gathering of trees in Cornwall that always reminds me of my grandmother and father, as they lived on a farm not far from the area. I’ve featured this little cluster of trees in a few of my designs over the years, including my Dancing with Daisies quilt featured in issue 23 of Today’s Quilter. When the sun sets…

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. *Use code TQ2019 to receive £5 off your next order at Sewing Quarter. This offer is available to new and existing customers when you purchase online at www.sewingquarter.com or via our call centre. This offer is available…

“Altering the position of fabric and colour placement changes the emphasis on what the eye sees in the traditional Goose in the Pond block. Instead of the eye being drawn to the Nine-patch and Rail Fence units in the middle of the quilt, they play second fiddle with the plus motif created with the colour placement of the HSTs. In fact, because I wanted to highlight this part, the construction is actually with Flying Geese rather than HSTs.”…

I’d like to try pieced sashing, but I’m worried it won’t fit properly. Are there ways to ensure success? Try this… Using graph paper is an excellent way to plan the units in pieced sashing, so try the method described on page 63. For a reminder on using graph paper for drafting, see the Essential Guide in issue 35, Using Graph Paper to Plan Blocks. Remember that the graph paper method usually describes the finished sizes of the various units, so you need to add ¼in extra all round to allow for seams. If, for some reason, the sashing ends up a little short you can add ‘spacer’ units to bring it up to the correct size (see Fig 12). Sometimes the spacer looks good in the centre of the…

The heyday of quilt-making in Wales was the late 19th to mid 20th centuries. While some quilts were made domestically, many were made professionally by village or itinerant quilters. As mass-produced bed covers became available, it was harder for quilt-makers to earn a living. Also, as young women left to work for the war effort, skills were not being passed on. Between the World Wars, under the government’s Rural Industries Bureau scheme to promote cottage-based industries, there was a resurgence in the craft, but the scheme came to an end with the outbreak of the Second World War and Welsh quilting never recovered. There is great variety in Welsh quilts, with the main types being woollen (flannels), cotton patchworks, red paisley and cotton-sateen whole cloths. But regardless of type and…

You will need ■ Background fabric – 9in x 22in ■ Centre fabric – 3in square ■ Scraps for blade – eight (8) 2½in x 5in pieces Block size ■ 12in finished (16in with frames) Notes ■ Fabric quantities are based on the vintage block only (page 85). For fabric for the frames, see issue 42. ■ This block of the month is hand-pieced. For detailed instructions of this technique, see issue 42 or the tutorial on www.todaysquilter.com Cutting out 1 From the background fabric, cut as follows: ■ Four (4) pieces using template A. ■ Eight (8) pieces using template C. 2 From the centre fabric, cut one (1) circle using template D. 3 From the scraps for blades, cut eight (8) pieces using template B. Making the block…

Colour value and saturation Value is the relative colour lightness or darkness of a colour. In quilting we refer to fabrics with a light value as “low volume” fabrics and those with dark value as “high volume” (Fig 1). Saturation refers to the vividness of a colour. High saturation colours have a medium value, tints have more white and therefore have a lighter value, and shades have more black, giving them a darker value. Dark value colours appear to recede, whereas light value colours appear to advance (Fig 2). Balancing colours of varying values and saturation together creates contrast and visual interest. Contrast in values creates a separation of shapes, while gradation of value causes shapes to flatten and blend so that none attract attention from the others. This works…

“I am always amazed at how far I can take my favourite Cathedral Window technique. Using a faster, machine-pieced method, I decided to cover this quilt design with windows. Finding the perfect flow of shades is the biggest challenge and if you’re going for your own choice of colours, I recommend taking your time until you’re really happy with the flow. I was also considering using a multicoloured fabric for the inside of the windows and the border, which would blend all the background colours together. In the end, I’m pleased with the effect that the Oakshott fabrics create when they are put together with Moda’s “Grunge”, which provide a little bit of texture.”…

You will need Option 1 (teal/green) Four b 4) different background fabrics (light to dark) – 11in x 15in rectangle of each Three (3) different inner windows fabrics (light, mid, dark) – 16in x 8in rectangle of each Option 2 (purple/pink) ■ Five (5) different background fabrics (light to dark) – 8in x 18in of each ■ Three (3) different inner windows fabrics (light, mid, dark) – 12in x 8in rectangle of each For each cushion you will also need the following: ■ Grey frames and binding fabric – 24in x WOF ■ Cushion backing fabric – 20in x WOF ■ 18in cushion pad Finished size 18in square Notes ■ There are two design options: have the colours changing from the inside out in a circle (Option 1) or on…

THE DESIGNER JENNIE ASHMORE At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking this was an appliqué quilt, but look closer and you’ll see it’s actually one of Jennie Ashmore’s Leafworks, made with pressed flowers and leaves. Inspired by the local landscape of her home in Scotland, Jennie collects flora from gardens and woodland to make her works of art. Leaves are cut into patchwork squares with smaller ones interspersed throughout the design. We’re mesmerised and it’s planted the seed for some new appliqué project ideas. Celtic Tree Quilt, 2016, 28in square. See more of Jennie’s beautiful work at www.leafworks.co.uk THE FABRIC LEGENDARY Pat Bravo began fabric design by painting onto fabric when she couldn’t find batiks in the colours she wanted. Since then, along with her husband Walter, she…

Anna was inspired to begin sewing in 2010 after visiting the V&A exhibition, Quilts 1700-2010. She became fascinated by the multi-faceted nature of quilts: as reflections of an individual’s personality, as practical homewares and as objects of familial meaning and memory. Anna is strongly influenced by historical quilts and finds the process of quilting a calming antidote to her otherwise hectic life. When she’s not chasing after two (very active) young boys, you can find her sewing on Instagram. annamariegalvin…

Named after an artwork in the Liberty archive dating from the 1890s, The Hesketh House Collection, Liberty’s outstanding new fabric range, draws inspiration from heritage interior details of an English stately manor. When you were looking through the archives at Liberty, were there any surprises within? We rediscovered ‘Hesketh’, one of my favourite designs. It was wonderful to edit the colourways and present it again for this story. Following the garden trilogy for the first collections on our Lasenby cotton we wanted to move inside. This design evokes the feeling of excitement when you sit inside a warm cosy interior looking out onto a winter garden and see the first snowdrops appearing. How did the process unfold? We always start with the story concept, then go to our archive. We…

The Sewing Machine was first published as an ebook by Unbound, a publisher who uses crowdfunding to raise funds for the publishing process. Natalie pitched her idea to the team at Unbound in a very succinct Tweet to their Commissioning Editor and that was enough to pique their interest. Here was a story that had many hooks to lure potential readers: the explorers of social history, the stitchers, the hunter-gatherers who forage at vintage flea markets for treasures and, of course, the unofficial Singer fan club with a worldwide membership. It didn’t take Natalie long to raise 115% of her crowdfunding target with 225 backers and the ebook became a reality in 2017. She was surprised and delighted at the popularity of the ebook and sales were so encouraging that…

Karen Lewis is a screen printer, fabric designer, quilter and author living in Leeds, West Yorkshire, with her husband and three children. Much-adored Cockapoo, Scout, has recently joined the clan and, when Karen isn’t knee-deep in paint and fabric and designing for Robert Kaufman, she and Scout can be found out in the fields by their house. Karen teaches printing and textiles at workshops around the UK and overseas. www.karenlewistextiles.com @karenlewistextiles *Use code TQ2019 to receive £5 off your next order at Sewing Quarter. This offer is available to new and existing customers when you purchase online at www.sewingquarter.com or via our call centre. This offer is available for web and auction products until 31st December 2019 and can not be used in conjunction with any other offer. Only one…

You will need ■ Cushion front and back – ½yd (minimum 42in wide, excluding selvedge) ■ Scrap fabrics, including brown/ beige, dark brown, green, blue, yellow, cream and pale pink ■ Batting – 20in square ■ Binding – 7½in x WOF ■ Bondaweb – 20in square (or scraps equivalent) ■ Interfacing scrap – 2in square ■ Cushion pad – 18in square ■ Templates (see Templates section) Notes ■ Read the pattern in full before starting. ■ Press all fabric well before starting. ■ All templates are drawn backwards. ■ Dashed line on some templates denote where the pieces tuck behind others. ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ RS = right side. ■ WS = wrong side. ■ RST = right sides together. ■ WST = wrong sides together. Victoria’s…

Little Welsh Quilts: made the traditional way by Mary Jenkins. Vivebooks, ebook with video: www.vivebooks.com (Thank you to Vivebooks for use of images from this title to help illustrate this feature.) Welsh Quilts by Jen Jones, Seren Books. Jen Jones founded the Welsh Quilt Centre in Lampeter, southwest Wales, in 2009. The centre closed in November 2018, but you can see images of the centre’s exhibitions at: www.welshquilts.com (Thank you to Jen Jones for use of images from her heritage collection to help illustrate this feature.) Making Welsh Quilts by Mary Jenkins and Clare Claridge, David & Charles. Amish Quilts and the Welsh Connection by Dorothy Olser, Schiffer Books. The Quilt Association in Llanidloes, mid Wales, has a collection of antique quilts, mostly from its local area, which is available…

“I’ve collected vintage linen tablecloths for some time now and, lovely though they are, I don’t really use them for what they were intended. I recently decided to use them in a quilt design, so that the embroidered patterns could be both admired and used. I chose a very simple block that would frame each piece I wanted to feature. Although the embroidery was in good condition, sometimes the rest of the cloth was worse for wear with stains or storage damage. You might find this when making your own quilt and that, because of this, and the size of your chosen cloth, you might not be able to cut the white frame fabric from the vintage linen. If this is the case, substitute for a white cotton or linen/cotton…

Circle and wheel blocks have a nice balance to them (after all, what goes around comes around, as they say!), and this slightly off-kilter version is no exception. Have fun playing with the blades in different ways as we have done here. The vintage version was a selection of muted prints, whereas for the 1930s version I went with bright rainbow colours as there is nothing more optimistic than a rainbow! Then, in the turquoise one I tried to graduate the colour round the wheel. It was also fun to change the background fabric and the blades around making the block more fan-like. Why not use this month’s colour wheel gift to help you choose your shades? Taking a photograph and changing it to black and white can help with…

For quilters living in southwest England, Jeanne Stetson’s name is more than likely a very familiar one. Jeanne’s been a member of The Quilters’ Guild and South West Quilters since the early 1980s and was awarded the Amy Emms MBE Memorial Cup in 2009 for services to quilting in the UK. Jeanne has played an important role in teaching traditional methods of patchwork and quilting to groups throughout her region, and at her peak she was teaching up to eight classes a week. “…you can always learn with every quilt” Jeanne has always stitched, enjoying embroidery as a young girl and making homemade dresses in her teenage years and early family life. It was after a trip to Canada in 1982, where she purchased a jacket decorated with Seminole patchwork,…

Chosen for the fabulous array of 57 tones, the Cathedral Windows quilt and cushions in this booklet have been stitched up with Oakshott Fabrics’ Colourshott range. It’s an ideal choice for experimenting with colour and creating palettes from the colour wheel. Whether it’s complementary or contrasting, calming or exciting, you’ll find the perfect palette in Colourshotts to match your creative colour dreams. SPECIAL EFFECTS Oakshott’s trademark ‘shot’ effect, where the colour appears to shimmer and ‘move’ in the light, is created by selecting a base colour warp thread and marrying it with a complementary or contrasting weft thread. Some collections share a common weft thread, making them particularly easy to mix, match and tone to stunning effect. Collections are designed entirely in-house, so every shade is unique to Oakshott. FAMILY…

Vendulka has chosen an analagous colour scheme for her quilt. These hues, arranged from light pink to mint green, are harmonious and reminiscent of the tail of a peacock. It’s a very pretty selection that’s pleasing to the eye because the colours are compatible. ■ If you want to choose your own shades, you may like to graduate your fabrics in rainbow order and/or in order of light to dark. Your colour wheel can help you to do this. ■ Lay your fabrics next to each point on your colour wheel. If you find you’re are missing a hue, you can take your wheel to the fabric shop and buy something that fits. ■ Using hues immediately next to each other will blend together smoothly. For more contrast, skip some…

“These cushions are the perfect accompaniment to the quilt, and ideal for practising the Cathedral Window technique. If it’s a technique that’s new to you, you could make a cushion first, then graduate to the quilt. I’ve used the colours from the quilt, but divided the purple/pink and the teal/green shades to create two distinct looks. I think it would look just as pretty to mix the colours up – perhaps lilac shades in the centre with green shades on the outside to create a floral feel. If you’re lucky enough to have a window seat in your home, it’s the ideal location to display this colourful pair of cushions.” –…

Vendulka Battais has been teaching and running her own shop OliVen for eight years. She started on the Isle of Wight and after four years she relocated to the heart of Suffolk. Now she gives talks and teaches quilting groups all over the country. Last year, she published her book Cathedral Windows New Views and this year you can meet her at many craft shows in the UK. journeywitholiven.com  olivenpatchwork vendulkaoliven oliven.co.uk…