UK Quilters
While it is possible to use all sorts of threads for hand quilting, which is the best, and why? There are two things to consider: What will the finished appearance be like? How easy will the thread be to use? Both of these things are, of course important! Most people start off thinking about the…
How do you start hand quilting? This webpage will discuss the types of wadding (batting in the USA) that you will need. The thickness and the density of the wadding makes an enormous difference to the ease of the quilting, and also to the finished appearance. Feathered heart design using high loft wool wadding Feathered…
Hand quilting is relaxing to do (once you have got the hang of it!), and gives beautiful results, which are different to those obtained by a sewing machine. Maybe you would like to try it, but are not sure where to start? This is the first in a series of blog posts, in which I…
HAND QUILTING or MACHINE QUILTING Today I want to talk to you about my thoughts on Hand Quilting and Machine Quilting Let me get one thing straight up front. Personally I Love Hand Quilting And I love Machine Quilting (All kinds) Do you Hand Quilt? Look at those fabulous hand quilted spirals on my Welsh…
“There.” Linda put down the scissors which she had used to snip the last piece of thread she had used to stitch the edge, and held up the little quilt. It really was the loveliest thing she had ever made. The golden stitches sat sweetly on the creamy surface, outlining the fans, cables and spirals,…
Concentration….. Now that I have got past my first blog, I should probably explain that the reason that I volunteered to be a blogger for UKQU was for my own benefit! I felt that I was something of a contrast to all the brilliant, experienced quilt bloggers that are on this site by being clear…
English paper piecing (also known as mosaic piecing or just “EPP”) is becoming really popular at the moment. This is a very old technique which was used to make the wonderful 1718 coverlet, which you may have seen recently at the Festival of Quilts. From the Collection of the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles;…
There is something nice about making a reproduction quilt but putting your own stamp on it. I’m not sure what initially attracted me to the 1718 Coverlet, but having a facebook quilt-along as well as a published book available (The 1718 Coverlet, by Susan Briscoe) with pattern instructions for both the original and a more…
Have you ever seen a wholecloth quilt? A surprising number of “quilters” today don’t know what this is, and even fewer have made one. The UK has a wonderful tradition of quilts which contain no patchwork at all, but just rely on the texture created on a single fabric by hand quilting the entire design.…
The Rocking stitch is the most common method of hand quilting, and once mastered produces beautiful results. If you are struggling to produce neat even stitches, then watch how Carolyn Gibbs breaks the process into steps in this short video. It does take practice – see how Carolyn’s stitches improved on the first project…
