Innholdsfortegnelse for 75 i Today's Quilter

As we shake off the cold of winter and lockdown, with all the mixed feelings and emotions this brings, and embrace the warmth of sunny days – however intermittent – it’s great to keep your mind and hands busy during this transitional period. So with this in mind, we filled this issue with projects that will not only have your mind working, but your sewing machine whirring away too. Carolyn Forster’s charming scraps project, using the Stars and Spider’s Web design, is just the thing to get you digging through your stash for precious pieces of fabric you just couldn’t throw away. And the wonderful thing is, they can be small or large pieces, even strips... anything goes! The finished quilt will make you want to wrap up with a…

“Stars and Spider’s Web is a traditional design from the 1880s, which uses up leftover scraps and strings from other quilts and garment making. Depending on how you place the colours and fabric, you can change the design – usually, the stars use plain fabric and the webs use scraps. Using a cream fabric for the outline of the stars will help make them stand out, and making the outline strips different widths will give the webs a quirky effect. It also means you can use a print fabric for the stars without it getting lost among the webs. “When choosing the star fabric, I went for a print with lots of colours and a large pattern. That way, all the stars look different, and the various colours balance out…

You will need Purpleprints Five (5) fat quarters* Blue prints – Five (5) fat quarters* Green prints – Four (4) fat quarters* Red prints – Four (4) fat quarters* Black dot fabric – 1yd Background – 2¼yds Binding – ¾yd Backing – 4½yds Batting – 80in square Templates (see Templates section) Finished size ■ Approx. 72in square Fabrics used ■ Winkipop by Jen Kingwell for Moda Fabrics my.modafabrics.com Notes ■ Use a ¼in seam allowances unless otherwise noted. ■ Press after each seam. ■ Press seams open, unless otherwise instructed. ■ FQ = fat quarter. ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ WOFQ = width of fabric for a FQ. ■ HST = half-square triangle. * We used more prints for more variety Cutting out 1 From the purple…

“This project is designed to equip you with the skills to use freehand machine embroidery and appliqué to create your own beautiful, life-like textile art portrait of your pet or an animal that you love. You will learn how to interpret your own photo or image into a ‘stitchable’ sketch and then how to break it down into an appliqué puzzle piece. Next, you will be guided through a technique to accurately appliqué and freehand machine embroider your portrait to create a realistic, life-like copy of your furry friend. “This project is tailored to you, so you can use your own image, your own colour palette and your own style to create a truly unique piece. I hope this project helps release the budding creativity in you and that you…

You will need Fabric A (background fabric 1) – 6in x WOF Fabric B (background fabric 3) – 3in x WOF Fabric C (purple) – 5in x 15in Fabric D (blue) – 5in x 15in Fabric E (pink) – 5in x 22in Finished size ■ 12in x 12in Notes ■ Please check all instructions for this block before cutting and piecing. ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ ‘You will need’ is for one (1) block, make two (2) for the quilt using the main block, variation block or one of each. Camellia This month’s block, Camellia, is very similar in piecing to last months, Rose. Template A is the same as month 7 and can be reused. To make this block, you will need to create templates from plastic…

When it’s a clear night... and not too cold... I love sitting outside and looking up at the sky. I am always greeted with one of nature’s most beautiful displays; a scattering of stars twinkling down at me from millions of light years away. Perhaps that is why, like so many quilters, I am drawn to star quilt designs. Or maybe it’s the aesthetics of the shape, the maths of creating these designs, or simply that, by translating the magical and indescribable feeling we get from stargazing in fabric and stitch, we somehow capture that fascination? Whatever the reason, star blocks and designs have been a popular choice for quilters over centuries all across the planet. So I hope you enjoy this celebration of them as much as the team…

“We are so very fortunate to have such rich resources available, so we must always respect their copyright!” If you have been inspired by a quilt design that you have seen at a museum and want to find out more about reproducing this for commercial use, it is always best to check with the museum as your first port of call. The world of copyright and licensing is complex and you must obtain permission from the copyright owner and licensing body. In most cases, they will be more than happy to collaborate, as this will ensure that these wonderful heritage quilt designs are enjoyed by quilters far and wide, for many more years to come.…

“Many (not all!) quilters love the geometry of quilt design. This quilt uses Pythagoras’ Theorem, which states that A² + B² = C² where A and B are two sides of a right angled triangle and C is the hypotenuse. In the triangle we are using in this quilt, each straight side is five squares long, so 5² + 5² = 50. The square root of 50 is 7.071, so we can get away with using seven squares on the hypotenuse because there is a little bit of give in fabric, which will allow us to stretch that extra teensy bit. And for a quilter, what that means is that all of our half-square triangles in this quilt can be made 2in x 2in, which makes life so much easier.…

Lynne Goldsworthy PRISMATIC BEAUTY Create a stellar kaleidoscopic design in a fusion of colour and pattern with Lynne’s magnificent project. Read more on page 37. Katie Essam APPLIQUÉ & EMBROIDERY Katie is back with another appliquéd wonder – this time with a twist (page 57). Create your very own personalised portrait in stitch! Pam and Nicky Lintott PARISIAN DREAM Turn to page 48 to stitch a luxurious two-tone beauty in Pam and Nicky’s elegant Jelly Roll project.…

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…

“The kaleidoscope block is always fun for creating secondary designs. In this case, the blocks are alternated to create stars within stars, as well as the impression of circles around the stars. The black dot fabric used in the tips of the stars brings unity to the pattern. I used a linen for the background of the design to add weight to the quilt. “To keep track of fabric placement, you may want to photocopy the main layout diagram and make a note of the fabric prints on it for each star, as all the stars spread across multiple blocks. Or, to avoid having to keep track, you can make the stars from the same colour prints without trying to match them.”…

■ Read the rules carefully and make sure your quilt satisfies any requirements listed, such as size, hanging sleeve, label, if a design needs to be original, and so on. ■ Ensure you enter the most appropriate category. No matter how brilliant your quilt is, if it’s in the wrong section it won’t be considered for a prize. ■ Go over the finished quilt carefully to ‘tidy’ things up. Check for things like… stray threads; seams coming undone; appliqué motifs not fully secured; embellishments which could come loose; quilt markings or basting stitches, etc. ■ You will need to submit images, so try to do your quilt justice by taking the best quality and well-focused photographs you can. To get a sharp image that will allow details to be seen…

“This beauty is made from just one Jelly Roll plus background fabric, with just one extra strip needed to coordinate with your Jelly Roll. We can’t imagine this will be a problem, as we’re sure you have something tucked away in your stash! At first, we hadn’t planned to add the pieced border, but after playing around with the quilt for a while, it just materialised. Then, we decided it needed an outer border, so the quilt kept getting bigger! We hope you love the overall effect.”…

When selecting a photo to make a piece of textile art from, there are a couple of things you need to look for to make sure your artwork is going to work well: ■ Make sure the image you are using is in focus and is high-res enough to be blown up and printed out in full on an A4 page without being pixelated. ■ When you have selected your photo, on your computer, size your image to fit an A4 page. Then print yourself a copy or two, onto normal printer cartridge paper. ■ Look for a photo taken at your animal’s height, not from your standing height or viewpoint looking down on them. This is because the perspective of a large head in the foreground and then small…

Help! My piecing isn’t always exact and sometimes seams don’t match up. Which seam do I follow when quilting in the ditch? Try this… Yes, piecing glitches happen and I deal with this problem in two ways: ■ Simply guide the sewing from one seam to the other and don’t worry about the slight slant – see Fig 10A. Personally, I think a mismatched seam will be more noticeable than slightly angled quilting, so if you weren’t too concerned by the seam mismatch, don’t be too concerned about the quilting. ■ Quilt to the end of one seam and stop. Raise the needle and presser foot and carefully ease the quilt sandwich so the needle can be lowered again in the correct place on the next seam. This will make…

“Traditionally, six-point stars, made of 60° diamonds are made using English paper piecing, which is lovely for anyone who has the time and patience to piece a whole quilt this way, but I have decided to speed the process up a bit. In this design, the quilt top is pieced in horizontal strips with each star in four strips. Brenda Riddle’s Sophie fabrics give the design a lovely gentle vintage feel and I’ve arranged them in a pattern of repeating colours across the quilt, rather than going for a completely random scrappy look. This piece was quilted with lines echoing the piecing lines, breaking each star into twelve triangles and each hexagon into six triangles to give the impression of the quilt having been EPP’d.” –…

THE BOOK BIG STITCH QUILTING Big stitches sewn by hand lend an irresistibly tactile quality and visual style to quilts and other items, as well as being meditative and relaxing to sew. Each of the 20 stylish projects in this book by Carolyn Forster is quilted using a range of big stitches, inspired by Boro, Kantha and Sashiko-style stitching. There is a comprehensive techniques section at the start of the book exploring everything from fabrics best suited to big stitch quilting to the stitches and methods used. Big Stitch Quilting by Carolyn Forster (RRP £14.99) is available from Search Press www.searchpress.com THE FABRIC REGENCY SOMERSET BLUES Christopher Wilson-Tate’s sixth collection with Moda is based on fabrics from two antique quilts from the west of England. The prints date back to…

Spring is in full bloom, the days are getting longer and the opportunities to get outside and enjoy the fresh air are plentiful. There’s something very cathartic about being outdoors when the sun is shining – listening to the birds, watching the clouds and admiring the flowers is so joyful and uplifting. I’ve made an effort this year to walk a lot more, whether it’s to post a letter or to collect my children from school, and, of course, with the lockdown restrictions earlier in the year, walking was the only way to enjoy time with a friend, so I’ve had some lovely unexpected jaunts through the woods that most certainly wouldn’t have happened otherwise! Nature is excellent for the spirit, and it’s no wonder we often reflect our connection…

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…

For up-to-date information and to book tickets (there will be no on-site booking office), visit The Festival’s website. Tickets are due to go on sale on 17 May 2021 (10 May for members of The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles). Visitor numbers will be limited this year and entry will be by timed slot, so make sure you book early. To get all the latest news direct to your inbox, subscribe to The Festival’s mailing list, which can be done via the website. COMPETITION One of highlights of The Festival is the hundreds of competition quilts. There are seventeen categories that cater for every style of making and most are open to everyone. There is a total prize pool of over £35,000! In all adult categories, the winner will…

You will need A light upholstery fabric – 21½in x 15in for an A4 image (One (1) piece for the front and one (1) piece for the back. Katie used a thin denim type fabric) Various appliqué fabrics – cottons, poly cottons, linens, cut up old clothing Pattern paper Iron on interfacing (Katie used Vilene, H250/305) Bondaweb Machine threads in a variety of colours Cartridge paper A length of dowel Twine 157½in A length of medium thickness wire – 39½in A digital photo of your pet or animal Sewing machine with an embroidery foot (size 90 needle and bobbin) Fabric or multi-purpose glue Finished size ■ Approx. 18in x 12in Notes ■ If you don’t have a sewing machine, you could always hand stitch it with backstitch. Drawing…

You may wish to paint some areas of your pet portrait to add in extra detail. For example, the whites of the eyes or a shine on the nose. These can be painted carefully and directly onto the fabric, or even on any small pattern paper pieces that you may have left in place. You can either do this with a small white stitch (hand or machine) or with a small bit of white paint. In addition to highlights, you may wish to add in some shaded areas with a wash of black acrylic paint. For example, in the mouth or lightly on any obvious shadows in the fur. When painting shadows, it’s best to use a dark brown and black mix rather than just black as it is softer.…

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.…

This double-sided wool coverlet is one of the few items in our Collection that has a recorded male maker, and enough information that we can use family history resources to find out a little bit more about his life and work. One side uses plain coloured wools to create a stars and tumbling blocks design, while the other features a central star with rectangles of dark suiting fabrics arranged in diagonal rows around the centre. It was made by Christian Hermann Carl Korf, known as Hermann, a German born tailor who had lived in Lippe and Amsterdam as a child, before moving to Chipping Ongar in Essex in 1884 as a 19-year-old apprentice tailor. It was here that he met Ellen Matilda Lacey, introduced to him by his friend and…

Curator of The Quilters’ Guild Collection, Heather Audin, shares some of the stunning examples of star quilts in their possession. To view the collection, visit www.quiltmuseum.org.uk/collections To join The Quilters’ Guild or find out more info about it, visit www.quiltersguild.org.uk Elizabeth Sanderson was an apprentice to the quilt marker and draper, George Gardiner, and her iconic style and expert skills made her more famous then her tutor. Her reputation spread, and she set up her own business, taking live-in apprentices to learn the trade. She must have marked and produced hundreds of quilt tops, but very few can be attributed to her with any certainty as no quilts were ever signed. Elizabeth is best known for her Sanderson Star – a striking eight-pointed star design usually pieced in two contrasting colours…

“This quilt has thirteen different star blocks. Each pair of blocks of the same colour has the same basic construction, but with some kind of design variation, while the centre black block is entirely unique. I have used Kansas Troubles Quilters’ Homemade Homespun wovens for this quilt, but you could use any wovens or in fact any prints, blenders or solids to the same effect. For the centre of the black block, I have used a Mandala-style panel from Karen Lewis Textiles. In the background to the quilt design, I have used over-sized HST blocks to create an additional overall star design and to frame each of the star blocks. When making this quilt, you can refer to the main assembly diagram throughout to keep track of which block you’re…