Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 133 i Today's Quilter

Our October issue is not only special because it is filled with magical Christmas makes, but in October we celebrate 10 years of Today's Quilter! I can't really believe how time has flown! I officially started in Issue 3, so not quite from the start, but almost. What I love most is how we are still working with many of the same incredible designers who were there from the start. Designers like Pam & Nicky Lintott, who feature in this issue, Mandy Shaw, who was in Issue 132, Carolyn Forster, Lin Clements, Jo Avery, Lynne Edwards MBE and so many more I wish I had space to mention individually. We have also welcomed designers over the years (Lynne Goldsworthy comes to mind), and I still get a buzz of excitement…

When crafting is your passion, having the best tools to work with is essential. The process is so much more enjoyable and relaxing when using high-quality tools and accessories – and you’ll get better results, too. Clover has a long and proud history of listening to crafters’ needs and creating the finest needles and tools to enhance their hobby. As Clover celebrates its 100th anniversary in October 2025, the Japanese company continues to inspire and delight crafters with its flagship ranges, including the Desk Needle Threader. Clover was founded in 1925 by a young entrepreneur, Toshio Okada, who set himself up as a wholesaler of sewing needles and notions. His business, Okada Keishichi Shoten, was based in Osaka City, Japan, and in 1946 he built a factory to begin manufacturing…

BEHIND THE QUILT FESTIVE FLORALS “For this pretty Christmas quilt, we used the festive range Poinsettia Plaza by 3 Sisters for Moda Fabrics. A Layer Cake is perfect to use for tilting your blocks and the quilt goes together so quickly that we felt justified in making our little 4in centre blocks. You could also use a 4½in square of conversational fabric to pop into the centres, which would, of course, be even quicker!” – Pam and Nicky Lintott You will need One (1) Layer Cake or thirty-six (36) 10in squares Background and inner border fabric – 1yd Outer border fabric – 1yd Batting – 70in square Backing – 4yds Binding fabric – ½yd Finished size Quilt: 62in square Block: 9¾in square Fabrics used Poinsettia Plaza collection by 3 Sisters…

SHOPPING FABRIC COLLECTIONS All is Bright www.lewisandirene.com ACCESSORIES Clover Flexible Rubber Thimble Set www.clover-mfg.com/en Heirloom Splendour Sewing Machine Bauble www.johnlewis.com GIFTS Daylight Tabla XL www.daylightcompany.com Handi Quilter Moxie Longarm Quilting Machine www.pinholequilting.co.uk Needle and Bear Floral Pattern Weights www.quiltedbear.co.uk Sewing patterns www.gatheredshop.com Quilter’s New Perpetual Block-a-Day Calendar www.searchpress.com Today’s Quilter subscription www.ourmediashop.com…

We just love the festive period – shops and streets are decorated, there are twinkling lights wherever you go, fridges are packed with tasty food and there is tangible excitement in the air as the big day draws closer. But one of our favourite things is seeing quilted creations that celebrate the season decorating people’s homes. So we thought: let’s inspire our readers with festive ideas they can use to dress up their home décor this year or give to family and friends as presents. And, of course, no Christmas tree would be complete without a tree skirt. We’ve included the most magical one to date, filled with carolling woodland creatures under glowing lamps. Little ones will be enchanted by the scene, and this will become a family heirloom you’ll…

BEHIND THE QUILT GENTLE FESTIVE GREETINGS “Some Christmas quilts are overtly Christmassy with rich dark greens, reds and golds and lots of Christmas motifs. This quilt is a much gentler Christmas quilt as the palette is fresher and more contemporary and the motifs in the prints are only very subtly festive. Depending on your choice of fabrics, this quilt could certainly be used all year round and could even be made in non-Christmas fabrics and not be a Christmas quilt at all. The quilt is made of lots of traditional quilt blocks – Flying Geese, Halfsquare Triangles, Economy Squares and Nine-patches and is a lovely way to practice all those classic and traditional quilt elements. And P.S. “Buon Natale” means “Happy Christmas” in Italian!” – Lynne Goldsworthy You will need…

BEHIND THE QUILT MERRY LITTLE MICE “Mice quilts are my favourite quilts to make and I’m always up for a Christmas design. I fancied the idea of mice singing under the Christmas tree but, of course, they are rather small compared to fir trees, so I thought a cake tier layout would be perfect! The appliqué is sewn in a modern style with free-motion embroidery using scraps of batik cottons.” – Andrea Gorman You will need Dark blue fabric* – Fifteen (15) to twenty (20) pieces in various shades between 2in square and 8in x 5in Mid-blue fabric* – Thirty (30) to forty (40) pieces in various shades between 2½in square and 8in x 5in Light blue fabric* – Seven (7) to ten (10) pieces in various shades between 2in…

CONQUERING HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLE MASTERCLASS Is there anything more satisfying as a quilter than nice pointy points when piecing a quilt with triangles, whether by hand or by machine? But equally, few things garner more frustration and dissatisfaction, leaving us snarling and reaching for that seam ripper, than when those points are more of a plateau than a peak! So, let’s look deeper into making half-square triangles, or HSTs as they’re most commonly known, and a few different techniques you may wish to try. The method you choose for a project may depend on whether the pattern calls for 12 or 312 HSTs! THE SKY’S THE LIMIT The humblest of blocks but with so much flexibility and potential. Once you have perfected the HST, there is an almost endless number of…

BEHIND THE QUILT FESTIVE FAVOURITES “Celebrate the season with the peppermint and holly table runner and placemats. Swirling down the centre, peppermint pinwheel candies are intertwined with lush holly leaves and red berries as well as sprays of pine, adding a whimsical yet elegant charm to your table. The simple piecing and appliqué work make this striking but easy-to-make set a joyful addition to any holiday season table. “We asked our long-arm quilter to use a very pale pink thread. This choice was intended to slightly lift the quilting in the negative space without too much emphasis on the red fabrics. The result was stunning, and the holly and berry vine pattern complemented the overall design perfectly. Amy has a unique ability to truly ‘read’ quilts and intuitively know what…

BEHIND THE QUILT WINTRY DÉCOR “I am always heavily influenced by traditional quilts and blocks; while flicking through some quilting books from the 80s, I spotted the Goose Track block and was immediately inspired. I like the striking design and ability to change the colour placement to achieve a different look to the block. I find that making a single block for a cushion is a great way to test out a design before committing to a bigger quilt. I have chosen a beautiful range of soft blues for this project, as this makes it seasonally appropriate for a longer time than traditional Christmas colours.” – Rachel Tomlinson You will need Light blue fabric – One (1) FQ Dark blue fabric – ¼yd Background – ⅝yd Backing – ⅞yd Binding…

BEHIND THE QUILT PIECED TO PERFECTION “It is very tempting to assume that everyone knows how to do English pieced patchwork (now often referred to as EPP) and that you will have already established your own favourite ways of doing this traditional technique. There are many YouTube tutorials to refer to for guidance, and I tackled the whole process in one of my own videos, but I still want to offer the methods and choices here, plus a few tips for making things easier.” – Lynne Edwards You will need Contrasting fabric 1* (green) – One (1) fat quarter Contrasting fabric 2 (red) – One (1) fat quarter BKG (fabric 3) – Two (2) fat quarters Batting – 22in square Backing – Two (2) 11in x 20in pieces Templates –…

BEHIND THE QUILT TRY SOMETHING NEW “The Hands all Around block is a lovely old traditional block and one which would have been made by hand rather than on a machine because of the Y-seams and curved seams. However, I’ve simplified the construction of the block to avoid the Y-seams and this makes the block much easier to machine piece. The two techniques you’ll be using for the quilt are curved seams – and those are very gentle curves so shouldn’t be too intimidating – and making half-square triangles using the paper method. This technique enables you to make HSTs in sets of 12 and avoids all the time-consuming trimming that is usually needed when making HSTs, so it’s a much quicker and easier process. The strong red quilting in…

One of the primary colours, red certainly packs a punch, and symbolises both negative and positive emotions. The colour of blood, it has long been linked with sacrifice and danger, but it is related to love and passion, good fortune and joy, as well. Red is also one of the oldest colours used in art, so no wonder quilters, too, enjoy using this bold and enduring shade in their creations. TEXTILE DYEING The history of textile dyeing goes back thousands of years, but prior to the 1800s, for most people in most communities, colours were limited, and everyday cloth was generally the shade of the local raw material(s). Though for millennia, in developed civilisations colourful fabrics existed, with the brightest and deepest always the most expensive, hence only available to…

BEHIND THE QUILT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT “This charming quilt is made with one of my favourite half-square triangle blocks – Broken Dishes. I love the way the blocks create a secondary pinwheel pattern when joined, providing plenty of practice for getting those perfect points. “A simple little quilt, it has been designed for you to try out the different methods of making HSTs as described in this issue’s Quilt School on page 53 so you can decide on your favourite method. Refer back to the article as you go for details on the different techniques. “At 37in square, it is the perfect size for a table topper, and the pretty pastel fabrics I have chosen make me think of delicate bone china cups and saucers. So, why not make this…

FESTIVE FANCY CUTTING AND HST TEMPLATES ENLARGE BY 200% PLEASE NOTE: Templates include seam allowances. SWEET MUSIC APPLIQUÉ TEMPLATES ENLARGE BY 200% PLEASE NOTE: Templates DO NOT include seam allowances. SCAN ME! Scan the QR code here, to go directly to the templates page on Gathered.how and download all templates for the projects at full size! DOWNLOAD THESE TEMPLATES FULL SIZE Visit our blog: www.gathered.how/todaysquilter today! FINE CHINA CUTTING AND MARKING TEMPLATES ACTUAL SIZE PLEASE NOTE: Cutting templates include seam allowances. Marking templates DO NOT include seam allowances. PEPPERMINT AND HOLLY APPLIQUÉ TEMPLATES ACTUAL SIZE PLEASE NOTE: Templates DO NOT include seam allowances.…