Innholdsfortegnelse for 68 i Today's Quilter

Traditions are a big part of Christmas, and that is what makes this holiday so special. Year after year, you and your family follow certain traditions, and not only does it bring joy, but comfort too. That’s why the Today’s Quilter team love the festive period so much... plus, of course, we get sent tons of gorgeous Christmassy makes to drool over. In this issue, you’ll find Lynne Goldsworthy’s bright red & green design, sure to put a smile on your face. There is also a lovely, traditional Christmas Star quilt by Amanda Little and the delightful Lynne Edwards is back with another fabric folding decoration idea in the form of her tree bells, perfect for making while watching your favourite Christmas movie! And, of course, one of the stars…

Let it snow! When I first saw Mandy Shaw’s The Nutcracker Collection supplement in issue 54, I knew I had to have a go! It has taken all through lockdown to make and I have learnt a lot along the way – I thought you might like to see my effort. Some of it is hand sewn and some by machine, and I’m now making the Christmas tree skirt from the same issue! Dawn, via email This looks like the perfect quilt to snuggle under this season! Delectable decor I have just finished this quilted wall-hanging using Lynne Edwards’ mini sampler quilt pattern from issue 65! I have attended the retreat workshops mentioned in the article by Lynne Edwards and Judi Mendelssohn and both of these tutors are very inspirational!…

“There are so many wonderful Christmas lines that come out every year, and Fig Tree fabrics have always been one of my favourite designers. This collection splits into three simple festive colours – red, lime and green – and is Christmassy without being too overtly so. “I also tried out a new batting for this quilt, which was sent to me by Vlieseline. It’s called R80 and is a brand-new batting and a lightweight supersoft polyester. It quilted beautifully and made for a very soft, supple lightweight quilt. Because it was lightweight, it was also very easy to manoeuvre through the machine. As yet, it only comes in widths up to 60in, so I joined two pieces together for this quilt.”…

You will need ■ A Teflon sheet or baking paper ■ Scraps from your scrap bag including wadding pieces ■ Threads, rotary cutter, scissors, ruler, Bondaweb Making the mini panel 1 Trace each section of the design (see Templates section) onto the Bondaweb. 2 Cut out around the shapes leaving a small margin around each piece. 3 Iron each piece onto the chosen scrap of fabric for the panel, glue side down on the wrong side of the fabrics. 4 Cut out each shape around the pencil lines, then peel off the paper backing. Place the Teflon or baking paper over the full design so that you can see it clearly. 5 Place your shapes in the correct position on top of your Teflon sheet and iron in place. Continue…

You will need Two (2) fabrics – 5in x 14in of each for small bell OR 8in x 21in of each for large bell Ribbon for hanging loop – 8in-10in length Narrow ribbon for clapper – 5in-9in length Small decorative beads plus a bell or large bead for clapper Folded shape templates – see Templates section* Finished size ■ Small bell – approx. 2½in x 2½in ■ Large bell – approx. 4½in x 4½in Notes ■ Three folded shapes are needed for each bell, using two fabrics. ■ *A 60-degree triangle is used for the design, provided as Template A for the small bell and Template B for the larger bell. Alternatively, you can use a 60-degree ruler. Cutting out 1 Place both fabric strips right sides together on a…

Quilting with Liberty Fabrics: 15 quilts celebrating 145 years in fabric by Jenni Smith, Lucky Spool Media, 2020 In this beautifully -llustrated book, Jenni Smith shares her passion for Liberty prints, which have now been produced for 145 years. First, she considers the ‘anatomy’ of a Liberty print – essentially, the ingredients which make them so special. She dips into Liberty’s incredible fabric archive, the design and printing processes, the base cloths and the fabulous haberdashery department at their flagship London store. She then tells the history of the company, and its fabrics and styles over the years, through 15 projects, with one quilt representing each decade. As well as giving a glimpse into this quintessential British brand, the projects also introduce a range of different techniques, with patterns suitable…

Making HST units eight (8) at a time Take two (2) squares and align them right sides together. On the lighter fabric square, mark a line diagonally in each direction. Stitch a scant ¼in from this line on both sides. Cut apart through the centre both horizontally and vertically, then cut apart on the lines. Press seams towards the darker fabric and trim and square up units if necessary (Fig 1). Making HST units two (2) at a time Take two (2) squares and align them right sides together. On the lighter fabric square, mark one diagonal line. Stitch a scant ¼in from this line on both sides. Cut apart on the line. Press seams towards the darker fabric, then trim and square up units if necessary (Fig 2). Making…

Help! I find blocks with lots of triangle points a problem as I have trouble matching up the points... Do you have any advice to achieve this? Try this… For blocks like Storm at Sea, I find foundation paper piecing the best way to achieve good results. However, the units still have to be matched up neatly for the best results. 1 The first thing to check is that you have a ¼in seam allowance at each point of a unit. Fig 16A shows these crucial areas. If making the block with foundation paper piecing, these seam allowances should be near perfect, but sewing with normal piecing may not be so accurate, so check and trim if needed. 2 To help me match up points, I use what I call…

Susan Ache finds colour inspiration in her native Florida surroundings. She’s always searching for new and fun ways to show off as many colours as she can in a quilt. Most of her quilts are a creative impulse inspired by a trip to the garden centre, a photograph in a magazine or a few paint colour swatches. She never sees just the quilt – she sees the room where the quilt belongs. Working in a quilt store for years helped cultivate Susan’s love of colour and fabric. @yardgrl60…

Karen Styles has been quilting for more than 20 years and is the owner of Somerset Patchwork in Melbourne, Australia. Her online store specialises in antique reproduction fabrics from the 19th century and features quilt designs also inspired by that era. Karen has taught throughout Europe, the USA and Australia for several years and can be found at many international show events too. If you would like to follow Karen’s adventures visit: www.somersetpatchwork.com.au Karen@somersetpatchwork.com.au karenatsomerset…

Are you interested in joining Lynne Edwards’ virtual classes? Drop her an email at lynneedwardsquilts@me.com Join a Thread House Virtual Retreat – the Halloween Retreat takes place 17th-18th November, and the Christmas Retreat takes pace 5th-6th December www.thethreadhouse.co.uk It’s not too late to join Lynette’s Mystery Button Quilt Club where you receive a new block design each month. This year’s mini quilt has a lovely, festive theme entitled “Peace and Joy” and is available in the UK through Puddleducks, Cowslip Workshops, Coast & Country Crafts and Poppy Patch. www.littlequiltstore.com.au Follow the progress of Lynne Goldsworthy and her daughter Rose as they develop their fabric designs for ‘Lily and Rose’; and keep an eye out for Lynne’s quilts featuring many of our favourite reindeer! @lilysquilts@rose.artings @lilyandrosedesign Don’t miss Mandy Shaw’s new books!…

You will need One (1) Jelly Roll or twenty (20) 2½in x WOF strips Taupe fabric for the roof – one (1) Fat Quarter Red fabric for the one (1) Fat Eighth Border fabric – ¾yd Background fabric – 3yds Binding fabric – ½yd Batting – 60in x 72in Backing fabric – 3½yds Templates – see Templates section Finished size ■ 52½in x 64in Fabrics used ■ Juniper by Kate & Birdie for Moda Fabrics my.modafabrics.com Notes ■ Please read through the pattern before you begin, assuming a ¼in seam allowance and a fabric width (WOF) of 42in. Cutting out 1 Choose fifteen (15) teal Jelly Roll (2½in x WOF) strips for the trees. From each, cut as follows: ■ Four (4) 2½in x 5¼in pieces and four (4) 2½in…

You will need Dark teal prints – four (4) fat quarters* Light teal prints – four (4) fat quarters Red prints – four (4) fat quarters Background fabric – 3¾yds Border fabric – 1¼yds Binding fabric – ½yd Backing fabric – 4½yds Batting – 80in square Templates – twelve (12) HST templates (see Templates section) Finished size ■ 72in square Fabrics used ■ Juniper by Kate and Birdie Paper Co for Moda Fabrics. my.modafabrics.com Notes ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ WOFQ = width of fabric cut from a fat quarter or fat eighth – cut from selvedge to centre cut. ■ FQ = fat quarters. ■ BKG = BKG. ■ HST = half-square triangles. ■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise stated. ■ Press after each seam. ■…

Mary Mayne SCRAP BAG BUSTING! In a 3-part series, Mary is going to share some of the secrets she’s learnt over the years for using up all your precious scraps (page 25). Heather Audin HISTORICAL QUILTS Curator of The Quilters’ Guild Collection, Heather, reveals some of the treasures they have. Find the first in this year-long special on page 90. Karen Styles NEW BOM! We are so excited to welcome Karen Styles with her new Block of the Month, Rippon Lea. Turn to page 75 to find out more.…

PICK A CARD The quilter’s card deck Pre-order yourself a belated Christmas gift that’s sure to make quilting in 2021 that little bit more adventurous! Featuring 50 cards to deal from, create dynamic quilts with endless possibilities for a unique quilt! Each card features a fabulous quilt block on the front and cutting information on the back. Available for pre-order now, published 31 December 2020. www.searchpress.com WIND IT UP All sewn up! The latest thread pack from Gütermann creativ not only includes 10 x 100m reels of Sew-all thread in glorious, colours, but also 10 x bobbin clips so you can attach pre-wound bobbins in matching colours ready to sew! gütermann@stockistenquiries. co.uk SEW FESTIVE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN! On the twelfth day of Christmas, Hemline gave to me... With Christmas just around…

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…

“A couple of years ago in Today’s Quilter, I offered a wreath made from folded fabric shapes stitched together to make a stylish decoration, as a Christmas project. This proved very popular, not only with the readers of the magazine, but also with my own regular students. I had given instructions for the main large design, which used a total of eighteen folded shapes and also for a smaller version made from just six shapes. It was then suggested that a single origami folded unit could make a great hanging ornament for a Christmas tree, and that a handful of these individual units would make a good present for a deserving friend! “But it didn’t stop there – one of the members of the stitch group in Hatfield Peverel in…

■ You can use any stitch you like on the raw-edge appliqué, but because the shapes are complex, requiring you to change direction frequently, and you’re working on the whole quilt top, Fi strongly suggests you either free machine or hand-stitch your appliqué. Any stitch using the feed dogs is going to mean you’re continually manipulating the whole top under the harp of your machine, a recipe for either tears or swearing, neither of which we want to be the cause of! ■ Even if you haven’t done a lot of free machining, why not give it a go? Use a straight stitch and darning foot and drop your feed dogs. Practise on scrap fabric to get used to moving the fabric in all directions and remember that the fabric…

You will need Greensolidforblocks inner border, outer border and binding – 5⅝yds Ivory solid for blocks and middle border – 3⅞yds Backing fabric – 7½yds Batting – 89in square Templates – see Templates section Template plastic Finished size Quiltsize 80½in square Block size – 21in square Notes ■ Yardage is based on 42in wide fabric. ■ All measurements include ¼in seam allowances. ■ Trace patterns A and B (see Templates section) onto template plastic and cut out the shapes on the drawn lines. Trace the templates onto the wrong side of the fabrics specified below and cut out. Be sure to transfer the centre marks and corner matching points to the templates and then to the fabric pieces. These are used when joining the pieces. Cutting out 1…

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES Hemline mini folding scissors www.lovecrafts.com Fiskars scissor sharpener www.lovecrafts.com Create Every Day enamel pin www.thecraftynomad.co.uk Gütermann creativ threads gütermann@stockistenquiries.co.uk BOOKS Quilting with Liberty www.luckyspool.com Red & Green Quilts www.shopmartingale.com FABRIC COLLECTIONS Best of Morris - Fall my.modafabrics.com Regency Zarafa my.modafabrics.com Marchés de Nöel my.modafabrics.com Christmas Figs II my.modafabrics.com French General Favorites my.modafabrics.com…

VARIATION BLOCK STRIPED PETUNIA For the variation block I have chosen to use a fine pink-stripe fabric to experiment with the design. Repeat the cutting and piecing steps for the main Petunia block, but make sure you draw your pencil line in the same direction on all pink-stripe squares. This will mean you can rotate your half-square triangles so the stripes in neighbouring units are the same orientation.…

’Tis the season to be jolly... and sew up a storm. We asked three designers to interpret the theme of ’Twas the night before Christmas using the gorgeous Juniper fabric collection by Kate & Birdie Paper Co for Moda, and were delighted with their ideas. From Nicola Dodd’s Scandinavian-inspired Dala horses, which she imagined a woodcutter carving infront of the fire before Christmas, to Mandy’s charming Redwork “wreath” hoop, featuring all of Santa’s reindeer. And Lynne Goldsworthy stunning design combines Christmas Star blocks with Jacob’s Ladder-style detail, perfect for wrapping up with on cold winter nights. But that’s not all, find a combination of quilts and smaller projects to while away the time till the big day, for this really is the season of sewing!…

You will need Solid red (centre & appliqué) – ½yd Red patterned fabric 1 (outer borders) – 1¼yds Red patterned fabric 2 (FG border) – ½yd Red patterned fabric 3 (appliqué) – 11in x 8in Solid teal (border 1 & appliqué) – ½yd Teal patterned fabric 1 (borders 3 and 5) – ½yd Teal patterned fabric 2 (border 5 and appliqué) – ⅝yd Pale blue patterned fabric (border 2 and appliqué) – one (1) fat quarter Whitepatternedfabric ½yd Solid white fabric (appliqué) – ¼yd Teal ric rac – 4½yds Backing fabric – 60in square Binding fabric – ½yd Batting – 60in square Embroidery thread Templates (see Templates section) Finished size ■ 52in square Notes ■ Use a ¼in seam allowance throughout. ■ Some border lengths will need to be…

“Once upon a time, deep in the timeless forests of Dalarna, a cabinet maker and his family lived in a little red cottage made of wood. One winter evening before Christmas, as the snow drifted down and frost sparkled on the pine trees, he sat by the stove, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the aroma of spiced biscuits baking, and carved toy horses for his children. And so the Dala horse was born. Or at least that’s how I like to think it happened… My quilted ode to the iconic Dala horse is made with a Jelly Roll, and I’ve devised a simple trick to create the sweeping pine branches and steep cottage – or stuga – roof.”…

“I made two projects (see page 37 for the second) using Juniper, a beautiful Christmas fabric line by Kate and Birdie Paper Co. This project is in a traditional style and combines a Christmas Star block with Jacob’s Ladder-style detail running between the stars, created by combining HST blocks with corner square triangles to the corners of the star blocks. Because the fabric line comes in a range of flannels, it makes for a very warm and cosy winter quilt.”…

■ Nicola Dodd recommends simple, drawstring shoe bags for hard-to-buy-for men. Fill them with polish, cloths and brushes and you’ve got a quick and practical gift! ■ Lynette Anderson has a great selection of covered coat hangers, both knitted and made from fabric. Her maternal grandmother was a great knitter and loved to make these as gifts – “They keep your clothes in great shape and they’re made with love and last for years,” said Lynette, who has some that have been hanging in her wardrobe for over four decades. ■ Both Sally Ablett and Lynette love to make fabric boxes. Sally stitches two pieces of fabric wrong side together (you may want to add wadding for larger boxes to give them some stability) and leaves an opening for turning…

Christmas is one of our favourite times of year, from decorating the house to cooking up a storm in the kitchen, plus, of course, warm mince pies with clotted cream – just the thought of the jolly season puts us in a good mood. So, we asked three popular designers, Mandy Shaw, Lynne Goldsworthy and Nicola Dodd to interpret their idea of “’Twas the night before Christmas”, and come up with two designs each, a bigger quilt project to sink your teeth into, and a smaller design that can be made in a weekend! Using the gorgeous Juniper fabric collection by Kate & Birdie Paper Co for Moda, they have not disappointed, coming up with a combination of Scandi-inspired designs, traditional blocks and, of course, Mandy’s quirky and much-loved redwork…

For those who don’t know me, my career in patchwork started in the early 1960s and involved a bag full of scraps left over from my dressmaking days. My first attempt at patchwork was a total disaster, as I thought I was preparing hexagons ready for a quilt or cushion. When I came to sew them together, however, I found I had prepared a carrier bag full of octagons, so they wouldn’t go together as planned! Despite this, I decided to add small 1in squares in-between the octagons as “fillers”. This gave me a piece of work large enough to go on a single bed, and the blue squares made long lines of colour through the octagons, which looked quite nice. This work was never finished or quilted and eventually…

“We love Christmas in our house! It was actually a Christmas quilt that ignited my passion for quilting many years ago – my dream was to make a quilt for our daughter’s first Christmas. I imagined a beautiful heirloom piece, to be kept in a big wooden chest scented with pine, oranges and cloves. Each Christmas as we decorated our tree, we’d take out the quilt and snuggle under it together during those long winter nights, drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas films in front of a crackling, roaring fire. “That quilt never came to be for a few reasons. Firstly, I chose a pattern that was far too complicated for a beginner, and at the time I didn’t own a ¼in foot, then I foolishly cut out hundreds of…

Growing up, quilt-maker Jenni Smith was surrounded by creativity. “My parents and grandparents were always making things so, invariably, I was encouraged to have a go too,” she says. “Then, when I was a teenager, a friend of my mother’s taught me dress-making, which is something I still enjoy, including designing my own patterns.” Quilts came onto Jenni’s radar when she was living in Toronto in 2006. Her husband was busy doing a medical fellowship and most of Jenni’s time was spent looking after their one-year-old son, but she did have a few hours to herself each week while he was at nursery. “The first time I dropped him off, I felt rather lost,” Jenni confesses, “but next to the nursery was a quilting shop, which drew me in with…

“Most William Morris fans will recognise his famous ‘Strawberry Thief’ design, which is reproduced in the Best of Morris - Fall collection from Moda Fabrics, used here. But this collection is all about the rich colours of autumn, and strawberries say ‘summer’ to me. While William and Jane Morris might have had thrushes stealing their strawberries, I have a pergola festooned in two grapevines, and the biggest thieves of my fruit are blackbirds, with the occasional rook and jackdaw. So, this quilt became all about the fruit thieves in my garden! “I’ll be honest – while I love the glorious Art Nouveau flourishes of Morris’s pattern designs, I’m not a fan of dark, heavy, Victorian colour schemes. When I saw this collection, I knew I’d have to use it with…

“This month, we look at different methods for making a Storm at Sea block. We also explore some of the ways that the block can be arranged.”– Lin Clements THE STORM AT SEA BLOCK Storm at Sea is an old block, with the pattern dating back to around 1897. It may also be referred to as Ocean Waves and Rolling Stone. Its enduring popularity is in large part due to its ability to create very different looks, depending on how the block is coloured and shaded. In addition, when many blocks are grouped together, a pleasing illusion of curves can be created. In this article, we will look at two different ways of making the block. We will also illustrate some of the different layouts that can be achieved. Some…

“Whenever I hear the statement, ‘but it’s just a gentle curve’, I think to myself, ‘Well, it may seem that way to you, but it certainly looks like a [race course] curved speedway to me!’, but there are tons of tutorials and videos on how to piece a gentle curve. So I jumped right in after watching them. I finger-pressed the centre on both pieces and pinned them together. I was able to make stacks of pinned pieces, and then I sat down to sew them all at once. This is my grand hint for curved piecing – just start piecing them. Don’t worry too much about perfection, because once you get a sewing rhythm going, you’ll notice that it isn’t as difficult as your mind was making it out…

A dardener’s gournal Welcome to our new quilt-a-long series designed exclusively for Today’s Quilter by the internationally-renowned quilter, Karen Styles. Get your fabrics lined up, it’s going to be a beauty... Quilt requirements Background fabric 1 – 2yds (used in months 1-8) Background fabric 2 – 1¼yds (used in months 9-12) Background fabric 3 – ¾yd Pink floral – ¾yd Blue floral – ¾yd Four (4) pink variations from light, medium, dark – ½yd each Two (2) blue variations from light, medium – ½yd each Four (4) purple variations from light, medium, dark – ½yd each Two (2) brown variations from medium – ½yd each Border fabric – 2yds Binding fabric – ½yd Backing fabric – 4¼yds Batting 74in square Fabrics used ■ Karen has used assorted fabrics from…

I’ve been catching up with quilters up and down the country, from our friends at Cowslip Workshops near Launceston in Cornwall to Jo Avery in her new Stitch Gathering School House in Scotland, and further afield to Lynette Anderson, who’s preparing for another balmy Christmas down under. As I’ve discovered, when it comes to Christmas, one size doesn’t fit all, but what I can be sure of is that wherever we all are in the world, there will be quilts – and lots of them. Merry Quiltmas! Pam Lintott, from The Quilt Room, will be decorating her home with red and white quilts including Raspberry Ripple from her second book with daughter Nicky, entitled Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls and Charm Quilts (was it really published in 2009!) as well as…

You will need Calico/linen cotton background fabric – 18in square Scraps of teal fabric – four (4) pieces approx. 2½in square Scraps of batting – two (2) pieces approx. 2½in square Lightweight iron-on interfacing – 18in square Red quilting embroidery cotton/ regular embroidery thread 5mm High-tack sticky tape (used for lampshade making) 18mm wide red bias binding 12in hoop with screw closure 4in hoop with screw closure Hanging ribbon – 12in length Three (3) small red pom-poms Templates – see Templates section Finished size ■ 12in diameter Creating the design 1 Transfer the two (2) halves of the design onto the middle of the calico/linen fabric using a lightbox or by taping a photocopy of the design onto a window pane and tracing with a sharp pencil. Water-soluble pens also…

You will need Background fabric – 1¼yds Contrasting fabrics for trees – four (4) 2½in x WOF strips Lining fabric – 1yd Fusible batting – 21in x 57in piece Cord or ribbon – 2½yds Templates – see Templates section Finished size ■ 20in x 28in Fabrics used ■ Juniper by Kate & Birdie for Moda Fabrics my.modafabrics.com Cutting out 1 Choose one (1) of the 2½in x WOF strips to make the cord/ ribbon channel and cut two (2) 2½in x 19in pieces. 2 From each of the three (3) remaining 2½in x WOF strips, cut as follows: ■ One (1) 2½in x 5¼in piece. ■ Two (2) 2½in x 4¼in pieces. ■ From the leftover strips, cut an additional 2½in x 5¼in piece, one (1) 1in x 5in piece…

You will need ■ Dark teal prints – scraps equivalent to one (1) Fat Eighth ■ Light teal prints – scraps equivalent to one (1) Fat Eighth ■ Red prints – scraps equivalent to one (1) Fat Eighth ■ Background – scraps equivalent to one (1) Fat Eighth ■ Binding fabric – 5in x WOF ■ Backing fabric – ½yd ■ Batting – 20in square ■ Templates – Twenty (20) square, eight (8) triangle and thirty-two (32) diamond EPP templates ■ Optional 20in square of fabric to line the cushion front if desired. ■ Templates – see Templates section. Finished size ■ 20in square Cutting out 1 Pin the paper templates to the back of the scrap fabrics and cut out the following, adding a ¼in seam allowance to all…