Innholdsfortegnelse for 57 i Today's Quilter

After the hustle and bustle of the festive period and that odd back-to-reality period when we’re all settling into a routine again, it’s perhaps the perfect time to talk about bringing mindfulness into your sewing room. For anyone new to the term, mindfulness is defined as being “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something; being fully aware of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and your surrounding environment. It also involves acceptance, meaning that you pay attention without judging”. For me, this means reframing my approach to quilting. Until recently I’d always focused my attention on the final make – the triumph of a finished quilt all bound and ready to use. But I’m trying to slow down and appreciate the processes more. Each quilt is like…

STRENGTHENING STITCHES! There might not be much better than perching yourself at your sewing station for a few hours of winter stitching, but there’s certainly something special about sitting in your favourite armchair by the fire while it’s chilly outside to do some mindful hand sewing. Sashiko expert, Susan Briscoe, is back with some mesmerising projects for you to stitch to your heart’s content – from the materials and tools you will need, to the simple tricks and methods behind this Japanese art of decorative reinforcement. Translating to ‘little pierce’, sashiko is the practice originated as a form of functional embroidery, but has since become a much-loved method of decoration in quilting. LET US KNOW! Drop us a line – an email, letter, tweet or Facebook post – letting us…

Julie lives in the West Midlands in the UK and has been sewing since she was a small child. She enjoys all aspects of sewing, including embroidery and dressmaking. She is happy making both modern and traditional quilts and relishes the challenge of intricate designs. She is currently making a Dear Jane quilt. Julie loves designing quilts and sells her patterns on Etsy. www.mackandmabel.etsy.com @mackandmabel…

You can see more of Valériane’s work on the Gallery page of her website and can keep up to date with her latest projects on Instagram. Signed and numbered copies of some of her pieces, and a 2020 calendar, are available from her Etsy site. As well as her one-of-a-kind paintings, Valériane also provides the illustrations for many books, including children’s titles and the picture atlas called Wales on the Map . She has recently illustrated and written her first children’s book The Quilt (see above right). Next summer, Valériane will be exhibiting new paintings at the Welsh Quilt Centre in Lampeter. This display will run alongside the main gallery exhibition The Magical Quilts of Wales and the display Paisley Pageant by Sandie Lush www.welshquilts.com valeriane-leblond.eu @valerianeleblond www.etsy.com/fr/shop/ValerianeLeblond…

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 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.…

Carolyn Forster has been sewing, making patchwork and quilting for well over two decades, 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…

“Getting a quilt published in a magazine is exciting, and can have many benefits. This month we offer some useful guidelines, so why not have a go?”– Lin Clements WHY GET YOUR QUILT PATTERN PUBLISHED? There are many reasons why you might want to get a quilt pattern published in a magazine, including some of the following: ■ Your quilting friends may have told you that a quilt you have made is beautiful and worthy of being published. ■ You may want to develop your pattern-writing skills, and having a quilt published is a good way to do this. ■ You enjoy teaching and want to share your own methods. ■ You may want to experience the thrill of having your pattern and your name in print. ■ You’d like…

“This quilt has been made using the Tilda Plum Garden range, which provides a soft colour palette for a baby quilt, but could just as easily be used as a lap quilt due the lovely ditsy prints. This project is made up of a repeated block; however, there are several techniques within the block which include piecing, foundation paper piecing and reverse appliqué, giving plenty of variety. If you are gifting this to a baby, you could personalise it by embroidering the child’s name and birth date in the corner or even make more blocks and create a full-size quilt.”…

“I'm fond of the quote 'Hope anchors the soul as it reminds me to focus on the positives; hope holds us steady and keeps us feeling settled, which is just what we need” You will need ■ Seabirds Pearl – 3in x WOF ■ Cowes Ocean – 3in x WOF ■ Stripe Pearl – 8½in x WOF ■ Ships Dark Ocean – 18in x 4½in ■ Woven Texture Dark Ocean – 1½in x WOF ■ Cowes Dark Ocean – 2½in x WOF ■ Fusible web for appliqué – 18in x 9in ■ Templates (see Templates section) Finished size ■ 12in square Notes ■ Before proceeding with any cutting, please read through all the instructions. ■ Consider the orientation of your prints, the appliqué templates and any sections you may wish…

After completing a degree in fashion and textiles, Janet worked as a freelance designer for many years. Janet also 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…

One of the pleasures of visiting good friends in interesting places is when they reveal that one of the planned itineraries is a visit to a local museum filled with textiles. Today we travelled northwest to the medieval village of Sorèze, approximately one hour from Carcassonne. I’ve been reading up on the region’s dramatic religious history from the early Cathars to the religious wars of the 17th century. Many Protestant families sought refuge in Sorèze and sure enough, en route to the Musée Dom Robert, we found ourselves on Rue de Puyvert, known as ‘dye-maker’s street’ in the 17th century because of the number of small, family-run workshops who based themselves there. From this little slice of local information we caught a glimpse of the area’s textile history. Leaving Rue…

Carolyn Forster SCRAP-FRIENDLY Pick out some of your stash’s most treasured gems for Carolyn’s quilt-as-you-go beauty with Herringbone stitch detail on page 56. Julie Taylor REFRESHING PRINTS Julie digs out some stunning Windham Fabrics prints for this delectable, fruity medallion quilt. Find out more on page 34. Jo Avery A MODERN TWIST Turn to page 22 for Jo’s glorious cover quilt – a take on the Cleopatra’s Fan block, simplified to perfection, without those tricky curves.…

WHY DO WE QUILT? Raison d’être It’s a thought-provoking question… why do we quilt? In his new book, Why We Quilt, Thomas Knauer explores what motivates us to make quilts – for art, activism, community and creativity: “We no longer need quilts to stay warm or to survive harsh winters, but quilts may well fill other, less material, needs.” He’s invited 40 contemporary makers, mainly from the USA, to share their stories and their quilts in a book, which will engross you for many hours as you delve into this complex theme. Divided into six chapters, Thomas writes about the traditions of quilt-making in the USA and how these have evolved over time to encompass a range of experiences and expressions. Perhaps you quilt for solace, for friendship, for joy,…

The terms ‘patchwork’ and ‘quilting’ are often used together and have almost become interchangeable – but, although they are closely linked, they are in fact two distinct crafts. Fundamentally, quilting is simply the stitches that pierce the layers of the quilted item to hold them together. For hand quilting, this is most commonly an evenly spaced running stitch. Quilting can be just a functional addition, but it is often decorative as well. Wholecloth quilts are made from a single piece of fabric, or sometimes pieces of the same fabric joined to form a quilt top of the required size. When plain fabric is quilted, the stitched designs take on a wonderful sculptural quality. There are also simple pieced variations of the wholecloth, quilts such as strippies (wide vertical strips of…

I’ve submitted ideas to several magazines, but none have accepted yet and I don’t know why. Am I doing something wrong? Try this… There are many reasons why a magazine may not accept your idea. Hopefully, they will tell you why, but not always. ■ They may already be planning something similar in the magazine, or have just featured a similar design or one with similar colours. ■ They may feel that the fabric choices do not suit the magazine style. Old fabrics may also ‘date’ a quilt too obviously. ■ They may see the design as too simple, with not enough interest to hook the readers. ■ You may be submitting a quilt at the wrong time of year. ■ The quality of your piecing and/or quilting may not…

Victoria Carrington is a pattern designer, teacher and textile artist based in Northamptonshire, 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, and 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 and teaching at local workshops. www.victoriacarrington.co.uk Victoria Carrington Designs @victoriacarringtondesigns…

THE BOOK HEARTH & HOME Find fresh twists on favourite blocks (from Wild Goose Chase and Kansas Troubles to the humble Nine Patch) in this new book by Jo Morton. Her colour palettes of muted earth tones, and the clever interplay of light and dark shades have earned her a reputation for designing elegant, timeless quilts – and we couldn’t agree more. With beautiful photography to accompany Jo’s tips for choosing fabrics, piecing by hand, pressing for success and much more, you will welcome this title to your quilting library. THE QUILT POTTERY SHARDS Finishing at 54in x 76in, the simple angular piecing in this design by Michael Young of BLK BAK Quilt Designs creates a dramatic quilt that’s ideal for showcasing a wide range of prints. The version was…

“The original Cleopatra’s Fan block has many curved edges, which means it is not easy to piece and really needs a full set of acrylic templates to attempt it. I decided to straighten out those curves so that the block could be constructed using foundation paper piecing. The curves in the original design are very gentle, so straightening them hasn’t made the design look that different. I love the Art Deco vibe of this pattern and took inspiration from this for my free-motion quilting, creating an overall pattern of a rounded fan with sectioned curves. I think this unusual quilt block creates quite a sophisticated, elegant quilt and hope that the colour palette will suit many interiors.”…

“The medallion quilt, historically known as a frame quilt in the UK, is an iconic design loved by quilters throughout the centuries. It can be modern, traditional, pieced, appliquéd or a combination of several techniques. I wanted this design to be traditional in approach, with the points of the central star leading the eye out to the edges of the quilt. Negative space in the form of lower volume prints is incorporated to keep the design light and airy, while letting the centre block and the Flying Geese shine through.”…

Valériane has provided the artwork for many picture books, but The Quilt is the first title she has both written and illustrated. Like much of her work, this tender and beautifully illustrated children’s story explores the links between people and landscape, and the place they call home. The tale follows a family who leave Wales in search of a better life in America. When the little girl longs for the place they have left far behind, cwtching (cuddling up) tightly in the red and black flannel quilt her mother made before they set sail provides happy memories and is a source of great comfort. The Quilt comes out in spring 2020. The Welsh version, Y Cwilt, is available now. The book is published by, and can be ordered from, Y…

“I absolutely love the soft, muted colours in this fabric, especially with a little touch of silver running through some of them. Remember to take extra care when cutting your pieces for the blocks if your fabric prints are directional, to avoid ending up with your triangles facing the wrong way. In my quilt fabrics A, B, E and H are directional. Ladder blocks are rotated with the triangles going in one direction on the first row combined with them facing the opposite direction on the next row in the Jacob’s Ladder placing. This design will give your quilt a charming zigzag effect.”…

“All types of ‘quilt-as-you-go’ quilts have long been great favourites of mine. There are lots of different techniques that all help us to make and quilt our quilts in small, portable and easily manageable sections. This is one of those methods. Due to the fact that, when the blocks are sewn, you are actually stitching the block to the wadding and backing, I often think of these quilts as ‘Quilts that need no basting’. Once sewn, the blocks can have extra texture added in the form of more hand or machine quilting added, but they are basted and ready to go. You can stitch a number of block types for this quilt, but I have used a simple scrappy strip arrangement for this one. Part of the charm of this…

The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles has several fascinating British wholecloths in its Museum Collection, many of which can be viewed online at www.quiltmuseum.org.uk The Jen Jones Collection includes some wonderful Welsh wholecloths and hand quilted patchworks. A selection will be displayed in the Welsh Quilt Centre’s main gallery exhibition, The Magical Quilts of Wales, that runs 1st May to 24th December 2020. In Gallery 2, Sandie Lush’s Paisley Pageant of hand quilted Welsh cot quilts will be on show, and Sandie will be teaching at the Centre in September. Find out more at www.welshquilts.com Barbara Chainey has written several books about quilting. Best known is The Essential Quilter, which gives detailed practical instructions, along with projects and traceable motifs. Averil Colby was an influential British quilt-maker, historian and…

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES Cath Kidston homeware www.daisypark.co.uk www.cathkidston.com 03333 202 663 Clover sewing tools clover@stockistenquiries.co.uk Leather pouches www.sarahdunbardesign.co.uk FABRIC COLLECTIONS Earthen www.liveartgalleryfabrics.com Handiwork www.makoweruk.com 01628 509 640 Island Batik www.makoweruk.com 01628 509 640 Pink Lemonade www.windhamfabrics.com Summer Bloom www.makoweruk.com 01628 509 640 BOOKS Hearth & Home www.shopmartingale.com Quilted: From Pattern to Patchwork www.centralbooks.com 02085 258 800 Sew Cute Quilts & Gifts www.searchpress.com 01892 510 850 The Seedling Quilt www.thegmcgroup.com 01273 488 005 Why We Quilt www.storey.com…

1 Lay a piece of fusible web (paper side up) over the templates and trace the letters for ‘Hope Anchors the Soul’ and two pieces of seaweed. 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 the traced pencil lines. Use small, sharp scissors that cut right to the tips as these pieces are very fiddly. 3 Peel off the backing paper. If this is tricky, scratch the middle with a pin and peel it away from there.…

LILAC LULLABY APPLIQUÉ AND FPP TEMPLATES ACTUAL SIZE Includes seam allowances where necessary. QUEEN’S SALON FPP TEMPLATES ACTUAL SIZE Includes seam allowances. QUEEN’S SALON FPP TEMPLATES ACTUAL SIZE Includes seam allowances. QUEEN’S SALON FPP TEMPLATES ACTUAL SIZE Includes seam allowances. BLOCK OF THE MONTH APPLIQUÉ TEMPLATES ENLARGE 200% PLEASE NOTE: Appliqué templates are reversed and do not include seam allowances. 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 it multiple times without permission. Copyright law…