UK Quilters
Some of you may have read some of my stories in the past, stand alone episodes about breaking an Olfa cutting mat, how to tackle a Moda scrap bag, a festive garland with sprouts, shrink-wrapping a Christmas tree, and a charity quilt that got taken to Kosovo on an aid convoy. There was also the…
This spring I think lots of us have had more time on our hands and I’ve seen many posts on the Facebook group talking about setting up of dedicated sewing rooms. As I work from home I have an office come sewing room, small but perfectly formed. Well, if I actually tidied up a little…
I’ve been designing a new sampler quilt recently for people that would like to expand their knowledge as a follow on from my beginner’s quilt workshops. Incorporating lots of different techniques in the blocks, I’m planning on running this on a monthly basis and I was thinking that perhaps creating a Quilt Block Keeper Bag…
When it comes to designing a quilt it can sometimes help to go with a theme – especially for a sampler or a block of the month – such as ‘seaside’, ‘houses’, ‘trees’. You then have the entertaining task of finding blocks that fit the theme, that ‘go’ together, that perhaps make use of different…
Which blocks work best together when making a Sampler Quilt? Some people would say that you could choose any blocks, but I think that the finished result will be more pleasing if a bit more thought goes into your decisions. (It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree with me by the way – you can…
How small a scrap of fabric do you keep? The answer is different for everyone. Some scraps I have are tiny but I might just need that particular shade of blue for an appliquéd eye at some point. So during lockdown I have vowed to tackle my scraps and reduce the ever-expanding bags/boxes that grow…
A “Sampler Quilt” is one which has many different blocks, usually separated by sashing strips. They are very popular with those who like to experiment (or get bored easily), as you only do each block once, and can have a lot of fun trying out something new. Often, they are provided in a “Block of…
As a beginner in this wonderful world of patchwork and quilting, you can easily become a little confused with all the terminology and general guidelines that can apply to the many different sections of the craft. Should you wash new fabric? What fabrics can you use? What thread is best for each task? Well, for…
I don’t know about you but when this lockdown started I felt a little glum. I found I had lots of time on my hands and, rather than let myself get stuck in a downward spiral, I decided that I would try and do what mental health professionals suggest is a good way to battle…
Right now we are wondering how to use up all our fabric bits so we can keep sewing even if we can’t go to the shows and shops to buy more (although, don’t forget though that most shops are doing mail order via the web or phone). But it is also that time of year…
Welcome to the New World where social distancing has become a byword, self-isolation essential to save lives and staying at home has never been so important but for us quilters, where get-togethers, knit and natters and quilting groups are part of our being, it is difficult to be so isolated. I consider myself lucky in…
As you know I work for British Patchwork and Quilting magazine and we are running a series of features by Chris Hammacott on ‘Sustainability in a P&Q World’. The first was on needles and pins which got me thinking. For the full feature, you will have to get the March 2020 (issue 314) but I…
Teresa Barrow
Helen Kent
Chris Franses
Carolyn Gibbs