UK Quilters
After learning how to make and use half-square triangles in the first instalment of this series, in this blogpost, we will move onwards, discovering how to make quarter square triangles. As usual, this will be illustrated by two traditional blocks: Ohio Star (an easy one well known to many of you already) and Silent Star,…
This is the first of a series of eight blogs which will teach you different techniques used in traditional American block patchwork. Each section will include full, free instructions for two Star blocks using the technique; one easy and one more difficult, so that you can practice and develop the skills. You could use these…
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…
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…
As the crisis we are facing deepens there’s an ongoing debate about whether the wearing of masks is effective against Covid-19. We are not advocating the wearing of masks either way, nor are we endorsing this as the definitive pattern for making them either, but the lovely Paula Doyle, who many of you will know…
Just a quick and easy pattern for you today, brilliant for appliqué and hand sewing. My friend, Veronica, showed me one she had made and said how fantastic it was. It really is, such a simple idea but you’ll find it so useful. Requirements 4″ Square of fabric. If you have smaller hands, then 3½”…
I’m a convert to those mini irons for taking to workshops or for having beside me when I’m sewing lots of little pieces that need pressing, but when you have a mini iron you really also need a mini ironing pad. I’m not sure where I first saw the idea of using a cork backed…
Join me this year by tracking the temperature everyday, and making your very own flying geese temperature quilt. You can choose to track the temperature of any spot around the world, so track the temperature at home, or whereever you wish. Everything you need to get started is explained in the video below, and I…
This lovely free pattern download features fabrics from many of the FreeSpirit designers – Tula Pink, The Kaffe Fasset Collective, Amy Butler and more. The soft gradient of colours evoke the feeling of leaves being wafted away after the Autumn but it would make a great scrappy pattern for any fabric. The PDF can…
Not sure if the fabrics are available in the UK that are used in this pattern from FreeSpirit, but it would make a great quilt whatever fabrics you choose. It’s not as difficult as it might at first seem – break it down into the components and see whether you agree. The pattern download…
Another lovely project from Freespirit fabrics, featuring the fabrics of Tula Pink. Download it here. https://www.freespiritfabrics.com/product_images/DaisyChainLightQuiltFINAL.pdf
The Grove Fabric is in the shops now and this fabulous quilt from Makower really showcases the range. Download the instructions here: http://www.makoweruk.com/test/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Grove-Quilt-Instructions-high-res.pdf
Carolyn Gibbs
Helen Kent
Sylvia Priest - webmaster and quilter
Corinne Curtis
Emma Bradford