UK Quilters
Hello – I’m Carolyn Gibbs, and my great love is traditional style patchwork and quilting – designing and making things myself, as well as enjoying antique quilts made by others. In my “other life” I teach Chemistry – and this mathematical and technical interest is perhaps why I love the geometry and precision of patchwork.…
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…
Hi Everyone, I said I’d be back soon, well that didn’t work out did it. It’s a year since I did my last very emotional post, and I think it was hard to get back blogging after that one. I’m back and hopefully, back to regular blogs. So what to start with? We have just…
How important is it that your quilt is ‘perfect’? Do all the points and seams have to match exactly? Does your colour choice have to meet with universal approval? Should your stitch-in-the ditch stay there and never deviate? Should your quilting stitches be beautifully even and neat and accurate? Or, alternatively, why are you making…
Have you ever stitched the pieces of your block together, looked at it, and wondered why it doesn’t look right? When assembling blocks, the small units are assembled into rows first, and the rows are then joined together. You have probably turned one of the small units (or even a whole row) around while doing…
Achieving perfect points in patchwork is a great goal. The key involves knowing when to break one of the rules that you may have been taught! Beginners are often taught to “always press behind the darker fabric” – to avoid the possibility of a “shadow” showing through the paler fabric. This is still a good,…
