Innholdsfortegnelse for 67 i Today's Quilter

Before you knew it, we are doing our Christmas issues and planning ahead with all the quilts and projects to make for presents, our homes and, if there’s time, fun! Although it is not quite the festive season yet (the shops haven’t even started playing carols), quilters need to plan ahead. Plus, I think you can agree, what the world needs right now is some joy! So we have gone out to bring you some inspiring designs to get you into the holiday spirit. But what you might notice on closer inspection of Lynne Goldsworthy’s gorgeous cover project, is that it’s not made using Christmas fabric. Yes, it’s just red and white/cream prints, but looks just as cosy next to a Christmas tree as it would on a crisp white…

Lynne Goldsworthy from Lily’s Quilts is a modern British quilter. She has been sewing since she was a young child and, on a business trip to America, she fell in love with American quilts and tried her hand at the craft. Then life and family happened and she didn’t pick up another quilt for a few years, until she discovered Flickr, blogs and online shopping. She immediately ordered some pre-cuts, started her own blog and has never looked back. www.lilysquilts.blogspot.co.uk lilysquilts @lilysquilts…

Sally Ablett has been happily making quilts for nearly 30 years. During this time, patchwork has developed from a hobby into Sally’s full-time job. She has a great deal of experience teaching courses and day workshops, and she gives regular talks using her own collection of quilts to demonstrate patchwork techniques and to pass on the tips and shortcuts she has learnt throughout her years of quilting. Sally does freelance design work, and she works with Lewis & Irene to design quilts and produce patterns that are used to showcase its new fabric collections.…

Linda Clements is a leading technical quilting expert, editor and writer who, for 25 years, has worked on many fabric and craft titles for David & Charles and other leading craft publishers. Among the many quilters who have trusted Linda to ensure their books are both accurate and reader friendly, are Lynne Edwards MBE, Susan Briscoe, Pam & Nicky Lintott, Pauline Ineson, Mandy Shaw and Lynette Anderson. Linda’s own book, The Quilter’s Bible, is the must-have guide to patchwork, quilting and appliqué, and includes everything she has learnt working with the industry’s best designers. For Today’s Quilter, Linda is working with the team to select practical and creative techniques. She will then go in-depth, exploring the methods, taking them from the basic premise to their full technical and creative potential.…

Yasmeen K. Branton FESTIVE APPLIQUÉ Yasmeen not only designed the appliqué templates that come with this issue, but also the stunning cushion on page 69 using them. Nicola Dodd IT’S ROSY Check out Nicola’s design on page 50. Although not technically a Christmas design, the colours work so well for the season! Janet Clare SPOONDRIFT SAMPLER After a year of stitching her blocks, Janet finally reveals the finished sampler from her nautical-themed BOM series. Turn to page 76 to see it.…

This month we reach the last of my thirteen columns with a look at some important aspects of quilt making that are often overlooked. As you become more obsessed with this craft, those finished quilts begin to mount up. Once you’ve covered all your family and friends with fabric comfort and perhaps made a few for charity, the urge to make quilts doesn’t necessarily abate. You may also be hoarding quilts that seem too precious to use or part with. So, what is the best way to store these quilts? The most obvious solution is to fold them into a neat pile and, certainly, a stack of folded quilts is an aesthetically pleasing sight, especially if you have the perfect display space. Deb McGuire’s pile has become an interior design…

African American arts have helped to shape America’s visual culture, but only in recent years have they received proper recognition for their contribution, both by the fine art world and the wider population. Influenced mostly by a mixture of African, European and Native American heritages, African American art has a distinctive aesthetic, expressed in art forms including paintings, woodcarvings, basket weaving, pottery and, of course, textiles such as quilts. Quilting traditions Although hugely varied in their compositions, there are recognisable traits that distinguish African American quilts from their European and American counterparts. Common features include: the use of strips; unpredictable geometry, such as asymmetry and changing scales; improvisation; and bright colours. The quilts also often incorporate familial themes and personal experiences. These characteristics frequently produce dramatic, dynamic and exciting works…

Nicola Dodd has been quilting since 2010 after chancing upon a quilting website and becoming hooked. Having designed all her working life – as an architect and as a garden designer – the temptation to start designing quilts was irresistible and she established her pattern company, CakeStand Quilts, in 2015. A regular Today’s Quilter contributor, Nicola now has a successful blog, where she enjoys sharing tutorials, and is a regular contributor to the Moda Bakeshop. www.cakestandquilts.com cakestandquilts @nicolajdodd…

BEHIND THE PROJECT COSY UP! “There’s no better time than at Christmas to get cosy and stuck into some slow hand sewing, especially with a cup of hot cocoa! In what has been an uncertain and unusual year, it’s comforting to have the tradition of Christmas, and these templates will provide you with lots of options to create classic yet festive designs. I wanted to design appliqué templates that could not only be used to adorn cushions and quilts, but also give you the option to use the templates to create Christmas decorations, or maybe even some festive present tags to give your gifts a special quilt-y touch!” – Yasmeen K. Branton You will need ■ Background fabric (purple) – 21in square ■ Assorted red fabrics (poinsettia petals) – fourteen…

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

THE FABRIC LIBERTY’S A FESTIVE COLLECTION We love Liberty designs, so are thrilled that we can now use them in our Christmas sewing. The beautifully-illustrated 18 piece festive collection has 10 designs in whimsical styles, including Christmas ornaments, trees, stars, houses and robins, plus of course a delightful red and green holy print. Your Christmas sewing just got sorted! To view the complete A Festive Collection and find a stockist, visit www.eqsuk.com THE BOOK CHRISTMAS AT BUTTERMILK BASIN Stacy West’s 19 festive projects in this book are a wonderful mix of ornaments, stockings, gift bags, framed stitcheries and small quilts. West’s simple wool-appliqué and embroidery techniques make them a snap to complete! So deck the halls, trim the tree and create a home full of welcoming signs of the season.…

BAMPFA is an internationally recognised arts institution on the Berkeley Campus of the University of California in the state’s Bay Area. Each year it hosts an eclectic array of exhibitions, film screenings and public programmes. It houses more than 25,000 works of art and more than 17,500 films and videos, which represent a range of global cultures and historical periods. At the time of going to press, BAMPFA was closed due the COVID-19 pandemic, but the website contains online exhibitions and events, and a rotating selection of streaming films. Click ‘On View’ for current exhibitions, where you can find out more about ‘Rosie Lee Tompkins: A Retrospective’ and also link to the one-hour virtual tour of the gallery with Lawrence Rinder, BAMPFA’S director and chief curator. www.bampfa.org@bampfa…

“Wool fabrics come in many forms – from 100% wool tweed to wool mixes and wool felt – and this month we look at ways of using these fabrics in our work.”– Lin Clements WOOL FABRICS For most of us, wool isn’t the first fabric we think of in relation to quilting, but it can be used very successfully, both alone and in combination with cottons and other fabrics. Wool is a natural, animal fibre that is highly versatile. It can be woven or felted or re-processed, and is available in a range of weights, weaves and textures. Pure wool can have various appearances, for example it can be thick or thin, soft or crisp, napped or smooth. You may be familiar with the names of some wool fabrics, such…

For the last stop on my quilt travels column, I’m heading south, virtually of course, to visit Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably at their home studio in North London. Pilates by Zoom, daily walks and the 5:2 diet created by Dr Michael Mosley have all been part of their regime to keep themselves feeling good, both in heart and in mind. Brandon, a dab hand in the kitchen, punctuated his weeks with visits to the Farmers’ Market in West Hampstead, stocking up on local produce to create meals that were fresh, light and simple, but packed with flavour (stewed plums with cinnamon and crystallized ginger paired with homemade muesli and natural yoghurt were on the menu at the time of writing!). Creative nourishment has come from some surprising places. With…