It’s almost that time of year again when all Quilters start to become focused on one thing.   The annual visit to the Festival of Quilts.   Suddenly all the talk over at the Facebook Groups is about this and for those who have not been before here’s a beginners guide.  It might help those of us…

The Quilt Convention is a quilt show that features the best of Australia from the past year from each state guild. It also has a number of other travelling and international displays that are just fantastic to experience. The work of visiting tutors is displayed which makes it possible to see works which we might…

Take out the guess work with Certain Stitch Needles! These brilliant needles have been developed to give consistent length stitches that are evenly spaced, just like a professional. These exciting new needles will help build your confidence and speed up your sewing whilst also enabling you to achieve perfection. There are multiple ways you can…

Every sewing basket needs a good Needle Threader and Clover has a great range to choose from!  I, for one, could not manage without a needle threader of some sort these days, but I didn’t realise there were so many different sorts! Yarn Threader This firm, flat threader has a large opening making it ideal…

Vlieseline are committed to reducing carbon footprint, offering products made from plastic bottles and other recycled polyester materials. There are many positive reasons for reducing consumption of new and precious raw materials and Vlieseline are able to do this without compromising on the superior quality they are renowned for. Optimising environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and…

Look who I was talking to recently, and he is really encouraging to speak with.   I asked Stuart about his lovely Rainbow Etchings range of fabrics that the Craft Cotton Company have donated as the first prize in our new September competition . and he has popped over this article of encouragement.    Stuart will…

The second book by and about UK Quilters United is very soon available to purchase on Amazon globally. The Kindle version went live on 27 June 2019 and the paperback should be available shortly too. The book is the result of the hard work carried out by 25 amazing volunteer writers during the last couple…

The new 10 reel, 100m Sew All Thread Pack includes a free pack of 5 universal sewing machine needles plus an assortment pack of 30 hand sewing needles. The excellent quality and versatility of Sew All Thread makes it the perfect choice for almost every hand or machine sewing project, providing great results in these…

I woke on the morning of the 14th June to see a picture on a close friend’s timeline on FB at 7.18am just as she landed at Heathrow after returning from Africa. It showed the plane’s engine and a massive plume of smoke over West London. At that point I hadn’t seen the news &…

  Easier to use than standard templates, these mini squares and right angled triangles  are perfect for creating smaller piece quilts. They complement the existing pentagon, diamond, triangle and hexagon shapes in the Sew Easy range of mini template sets with an RRP of only £16.99. Great for beginners and experienced quilters alike, each set…

It really pays to select the right thread for hand sewing so your project runs smoothly without the thread splitting, tangling or snapping. Gütermann creativ provides the perfect choice with this premium quality 100% mercerized cotton hand sewing thread that is both tear and abrasion resistant, washable to 95 degrees and does not twist or…

Congleton Chronicle – a quilt made by 21 members in 1987, raffled for a local Hospice. 35 years ago (1984) a lady put an advert in a shop window in Congleton, Cheshire,  asking if anyone wanted to get together and form a patchwork and quilting group.  There were about five responses and so the group…

With the Festival of Quilts on the horizon I am sure many quilters are frantically burying threads in readiness for completing their entries.    Clover has a clever snag repair needle that might help. The quick and easy way to tidy up stray ends and the occasional pulled thread on clothes and accessories, the new…

Whilst our focus here at UKQU is patchwork and quilting, there are other needlecrafts that cross over into our territory so to speak.    Many of our members enjoy applique, or will mix crafts to embellish a quilt with embroidery and a hoop makes things much easier. Groves Trimits range have brought out some new…

Quilts UK has just finished and what a show it was. It is held over four days at the Three Counties Showground set at the foothills of the stunning Malvern Hills. People come from all over the country and quite often use it as a reason to meet up with friends from near and far…

Next month we will be looking at recycling in patchwork, which some might say is where our craft began.   The lovely people at Gutermann have put together a great collection of threads for working with denim, and of course denim is not just for jeans.  What about all the old pairs we grew out of,…

Gulliver has been very busy theses last few weeks. So much so he’s kept my sewing machine very occupied. March brought with it two storms, Freya and Gareth. It’s no fun being a small bird in all that weather. Gulliver barely held onto his perch.   I don’t know if you have ever watched seagulls…

Needlework was an important accomplishment for all women in times gone by, and some exceptional examples are up for sale as two important private collections of Samplers and Quilts come up for auction in Tennants Auctioneers’ Costume, Accessories and Textiles Sale on 18th May. First up is a lifetime’s collection of rare and beautiful 17th…

So today’s blog post is not the one I intended I write!  I had planned to continue my series of posts on modern quilts with an exploration into design aesthetic but I am going to postpone that one. Last weekend saw the 7th Annual British Stitch and Quilt Village running at Uttoxeter racecourse and this…

The brilliant people at Clover have come up with a clever new ruler to help us draft our own patterns or blocks.   This pliable ruler adds a new dimension to scaling and drafting sewing and knitting patterns, marking up curved shapes and drawing true 45° bias lines with precision. Thanks to its green zone,…

New to the Gütermann creativ range is a pack of ten x 100m reels of gorgeous thread colours with a 5% discount. Made from100% mercerized premium Egyptian cotton, C Ne 50 thread harmonizes with a wide range of fabric weights and is high strength with a natural sheen. The pleasantly soft grip of this quality…

We spoke to Anna Baptiste, the event director for the Festival of Quilts and she agreed to give a very rare interview for us here at UKQU.    Leave her a comment and someone will win a pair of tickets to this years event.   They go on sale to the general public on Monday 15th…

Maggie Lloyd-Jones .. founder of the Q4CL Project has an appeal ..in her own words: I’ve written lots about Quilts For Christmas Dinners – the public face of Quilts for Care Leavers (Q4CL) – and our fantastic company of quilters. We are aiming for 1000 quilts this year, enough for at least 20 Christmas Day…

The patchworks done and the backing chosen.  You have sourced the wadding so now you need to think about putting the layer together ready to quilt. If you are lucky enough to have one of the many different longarm machines out there then it’s said to be much easier using them, but what about this…

This Patchwork Ruler from Sew Easy is ideal for cutting strips, squares, rectangles and triangles and an absolute ‘must-have’ for patchwork and quilting. Suitable for both right and left-hand use, it has clear markings and measures 24”x 6.5.  RRP £19.99 Sew Easy products are available nationwide from haberdashery, sewing and craft suppliers. You can learn…

New! Deluxe Sewing Machine Bags with collapsible trolley Available in two sizes, the deluxe sewing machine bag from Hobby Gift comes with a sturdy collapsible aluminium trolley to provide the most practical transportable storage solution. With ultra-thick padding and heavy-duty base plate, the bags are the ultimate in lightweight, protective casing for sewing and embroidery…

Once again, this show has not failed to impress me. Now – my mum had a saying: “Better to be born lucky than rich”, and I tend to say that whenever I win something! Once again, I was lucky enough to win tickets for this amazing show, and I have said that I will not…

The Facebook groups have been really active with commentary about the Hauxwell Collection that recently went under the hammer at Tennants Auction House and one of the quilts will be joining the collections at the Bowes Museum in Teeside. The remaining quilts will, we are told, remain in the UK for the time being so…

Every so often something wonderful happens and today was one of those days. You may have heard already about the Quilts for Christmas Dinners project.  For those who haven’t there are several blogs already covering this, but in a nutshell, this project aims to donate up to 1000 quilts to the Lemn Sissay Christmas Dinners…

There’s been several comments lately over on the UK Quilters United FB Group about irons.   This popped into my inbox today and it offers sound advice on how to preserve your iron and ironing board. There are many ways that build up can occur on your iron and even though it might appear to be…

  The Quilter’s Flexible Curve is the perfect tool for creating your own designs, especially those involving wavy or curved lines. As the name suggests it is a very flexible tool and will hold its shape until changed. There are metric measurements on one side and imperial on the other making it easy to produce…

CLover are always coming up with clever notions to help improve our crafts. This set of seam markers allows you to neatly draw seam lines along the edges of any pattern or template, whatever the shape. Suitable for transferring patterns and templates on appliqué, Hawaiian quilts and other sewing projects, they enable you to draw…

Tonal flowers, stripes, spots and even a cockatoo all add to this vibrant new range from Makower UK.   Known for their wide variety of 100% cotton fabrics, they have put together a colourful pallette of fuschias, turquoise and and lime greens that will look well framed against white backgrounds. Expect to see Monsoon hitting the…

The South West’s favourite Needle & Hobby Craft show returns to the Westpoint, Centre in Exeter, the show runs from Thursday 14th to Saturday 16th February 2019, doors opening 10am – 5pm every day. Returning to the show will be Barnyarns, Art Van Go, Black Sheep Wools, Maggie Grey, Fantastic Ribbons, Jan Tillett, Jeff Rosenberg,…

EDITED 22/01/19  This giveaway is now closed.  The winner, selected by random.org, is Mary Carrington This weekend sees the first Quilt Show of the year at Newark Showground.  It is a show run by Grosvenor Shows and this is only its second year.  I didn’t go last year but was very eager to go this year…

Maggie Lloyd-Jones’ ‘Quilts for Careleavers Christmas Dinners’ project captured our imagination .. she started in October and by Christmas Eve 2018 had 125 Quilts donated.  How did that happen …. Orphan blocks and all sizes of quilts arrived at Project HQ and tweaked to meet the preferred size [44″ x 60″].   5 ladies quilted donated…

Our Facebook group UK Quilters United is turning five years old already. My how time flies when you’re having fun. With almost 16,000 members the group is a thriving community sharing pictures, questions and answers. We love any excuse for a competition and as usual, all of our fabulous prizes are generously donated by group…

I heard about cancelled shows and change of direction in the UK. Let’s have a look at the situation in the Netherlands. This week we received the, to me shocking, news the planned yearly General Exhibition of the Dutch Quiltersgilde was cancelled! De Algemene Tentoonstelling 2019 gaat helaas niet door you can use the translate…

How did that happen then!   A whole year since we launched our website! 12 months.  365 days of quilting just flew by. Have you all enjoyed it?   Have you joined in?  Are you a member yet! We could look back over the last year with you, but it’s all still there, for you to review…

Imagine you are 18, been in care most of your life, and next week you will be living on your own for the first time, with no one other than your overworked social worker to turn to. This is the situation for many young people every year, and Christmas 2019 will be a time when…

Thirteen lots of quilts and textiles from the estate of Hannah Hauxwell are to be sold in Tennants Auctioneers’ Costume, Fashion and Textiles Sale on 9th February, in their North Yorkshire Salerooms. Hannah Hauxwell (1926-2018) was emblematic of the tough, resourceful upland farmers of North Yorkshire and County Durham. Having run her family farm, Low…

How many questions to Lyn Butler’s New Year’s Eve Quiz did you manage to get through?   If you are still struggling here’s the answers:   THIS FRACTION NEEDS SW                                       FAT QUARTER BIT OF A TRIFLE TURNING     …

This time last year, we had just about finished sorting all the quilts that had been donated for the Grenfell Tower appeal and they were about ready to go out. Many of the people in the Facebook Group asked if the group would remain or expressed sadness that it might come to an end so…

Banyarns have always been a great friend of ours here at the UKQU website and were one of the first companies to offer their support to our regular competitions with prizes and rewards, so when we started to see mention of problems happening, missed orders and more, we decided to investigate on behalf of everyone.  At first, we…

We are constantly on the lookout for fresh ideas and new people and at FOQ this year I was lucky enough to meet Kelly Cline, who has kindly agreed to write short articles for our website now and then.   Some of you will certainly recognise the name and the face, but for those who are…

Maggie is so busy with her project we have posted a little news update.   If you can pledge to help next year with this marvellous charity project then contact her.   Just one quilt could make a great difference to a child leaving care.   For the back ground check the https://ukqu.co.uk/quilty-hug-christmas-appeal/launch post for this project here…

This versatile stitch guide is cleverly designed for use in a variety of different ways to suit a multitude of sewing tasks. Once aligned with the edge of your fabric the stitch guide will give you a professional finish and you can confidently achieve a neat, accurate and consistent seam width. The guide can be…

There’s no need for stitching with Wundaweb from Vlieseline. This fine, fusible fleece bonds fabric quickly and easily, providing a natural but secure finish.    This could help when you are faced with difficult areas – such as a few skipped stitches in the middle of your quilt. Just cut a small strip and place…

We talk often of the fabrics in Aldi .. read here the ‘big box retailer’ inference that Scott Fortunoff refers to when talking of Walmart in the US.   Its a matter of choice whether you buy or not .. but if we don’t support our LQS [local quilt shop] then we may see them going the way…

Everyone with a sewing machine needs a plentiful stock of bobbins and neat storage accessories and Hemline provides everything you need! Bobbin Box –Clear Plastic Keep your bobbins tidy and tangle-free with this nifty storage box. Displaying up to 25 bobbins, it has a see-through lid for easy view.  RRP £3 approx. Metal and Plastic…

  These bias bars from Sew Easy are so easy to use and are a real help to making perfect stems for applique and craft projects for vines, basket handles as well as for curved, celtic and leadlight designs in sewing and quilting.  We are sure you can find lots of other uses for them…

A pack of eight x 100m reels of gorgeous, high quality polyester Sew All Threads from Gütermann creative make a great gift and come in a range of gloriously fresh, bright shades plus black and white.  Perfect to pop on your Christmas list. This pack is just what’s needed for projects during the coming months…

Many of you will have seen on my personal page that I recently won Best of World at the World Quilt New England Show in the US with my quilt Silver Linings. Overwhelmed and overjoyed does not go anywhere near to expressing how I felt when I heard the news, and yes, I admit to shedding…

I’m so proud to have been involved in the setting up of Middlesbrough’s newest creative space, TeesCreatives. The brainchild of Jen – a friend as addicted to dressmaking as I am to quilting, her plan was to offer a space where fellow sewists can come and learn, develop their skills and be sewcial with like-minded…

I was delighted to receive a copy of Fiona Pullens’s revised edition of Making & Marketing a Successful Art & Craft Business to review. This is an updated version of Fiona’s first book Craft a Creative Business, that was published by Search Press in 2015, and brings it up to date on such issues as:…

Having the right marking tool to suit your project is essential and Clover provide an excellent range for Quilters to choose from. It is advisable to test your chosen marker on a scrap of your fabric before using on the project itself. Water Soluble Pencils are suitable for precise marking on sewing, stitching and patchwork…

From time to time things pop up in the Quilty Charity World.   Lemn Sissay is a brilliant poet, and Maggie Lloyd Jones is working with him to support the Care Leavers Christmas Dinners he has started a movement about with a donation of as many quilts as possible to wrap the Care Leavers up with…

Now available in packs of 10 and 20 x100m reels, C Ne 50 thread is made from 100% mercerized premium Egyptian cotton. Harmonizing with a wide range of fabric weights, it is high strength with a natural sheen and a pleasantly soft grip that ensures beautifully smooth seams, making it ideal for patchwork and quilting…

The thimble is a staple for every sewing stash but the basic thimble has its limitations and isn’t always the best or most comfortable option, especially when it comes to the exacting needs of specialised or prolonged stitch work! It isn’t always the tip of the finger that needs protection and many of us prefer…

Yes, I know, Christmas comes along earlier every year it seems. But we all need to get our things created in time for the man in the red suit turning up on 25th December don’t we. So the Christmas fabrics have been in the shops for a while now which made us think about having a…

Quickscreen Triangle and Quickscreen Square   Recognised by the clear blue printed grids, these interfacings provide a guide for patchwork designs from traditional square blocks to modern styles. They are a great option for creating hand sewn hexagon or square patchwork quilts. Save time and ensure accuracy with Quickscreen and cut out the need for…

New from Gütermann creativ is a Sew All Thread Pack containing ten x 100m reels of very useful colours. Sew All is a high quality, 100% polyester universal thread range that is totally reliable and suitable for both hand and machine sewing. A welcome addition to your stash, it’s always reassuring to have a good…

There have been a few strings on social media about how to keep rulers and templates tidy.   Sew Easy have come up with a clever, affordable idea for us all. The ideal storage solution to keep rulers and templates tidy, organised and protected from scratches. This wall-mountable design has built-in fixing slots on the back…

Thank you and welcome to the people who have bought my Christmas 18 pattern and are joining in with the QAL. This week we are starting off with Introductions and a Full Cutting List, should you wish to cut it all out in advance.  If you have sourced fabric to the requirements or bought the…

Busman’s Holiday, that’s the term, isn’t it? This July I had a week off, relaxing in the sun, a little vino and time with the family. Then I realised that Jen Jones has announced that she is retiring and is holding the last exhibition at the Welsh Quilt Centre in Lampeter so I squeezed in…

To celebrate an almost year of being the UKQU website , the Bloggerati of Blogger Central, who you all know, love and follow are going away on retreat. Being quilters  [yep i am going too … secret location so we are not mobbed by our fans haha] we are not braving the high seas, but we are…

From time to time there is a madness that develops amongst facebookers who start to develop a need to swop.   It’s a great way of meeting new people, enjoying others interpretation of a theme and a brilliant way of creating a randomised quilt.    Hence the Block Swop.  In the UKQU fraternity the block swoppers often…

The event of the year is over for another year and slowly our thoughts will turn to the Christmas period.    Hemline has a fabulous idea that ought to be on all our lists this year.   No chocolate involved, but a perfect Advent Calendar for any sewist out there. Recapture that magical spirit and get…

Day two at FOQ dawned bright and early.    We stumbled down to breakfast at our hotel and enjoyed a frugal banquet of cereals, scrambled egg and tomatoes, looking longingly at the bacon and sausage.   Being on a diet has to be obeyed even whilst we are out enjoying the phenomenon of the Festival of Quits.…

It is the event of the Quilting Year here in the UK.  The Festival of Quilts is what everything builds up to each August, whether you are planning a visit or exhibiting a quilt,  a retailer taking advantage of the biggest shop front in the UK or you are a passionate quilter and want to attend a workshop,…

More words from Scott Fortunoff, the guy from FreeSpirit!   He is certainly innovative, and it would be fabulous to see our UK shop owners joining in with his challenge.  Keep in mind that Jaftex is based in the US, but have representatives worldwide.   In his own words … I have some news to report that…

Quilting samples (have I got time to do an extra one?); Workshop handouts (mostly written; need to finally proof read and print off);  Antique wholecloth quilts (which ones shall I bring? Maybe not the really heavy ones, as the class is upstairs); Mug rug sample (ooh, must get the backing on that!); pencils and erasers…

Back in the spring this year [2018] we came up with the idea of a sew-a-row pattern for everyone to follow.  There was no agenda .. just the germ of an idea.   To begin with we thought there would just be one and we asked the clever Bloggerati whether they would be interested in working together…

Berisfords are known for their lovely ribbons, and this year they are releasing a lovely range of retro-inspired designs to choose from!  Nostalgia and Christmas always seem to go well together. Retro Truck A pick-up truck loaded with pine trees fresh from the farm. Printed on a taffeta ribbon for the rustic look that is…

In the shops now, the new Gutermann Thread Pack with the bonus of a Tape Measure New from Gütermann creative, a lovely Thread Set in rich, vibrant shades for those on-trend sewing projects in bold colours. Each set contains ten 100m reels of this high-quality polyester Sew All thread which is ideal for creating beautiful…

This year will be my second year working at Festival of Quilts.  It seems like yesterday that I turned up at Pinhole Quilting’s stand, well shall I say floor space because on the Tuesday lunchtime that was all it was!, as the new girl and not really knowing what to expect.  I had bought my…

Vlieseline have a new addition to their range. This new bi-elastic, lightweight, fusible woven tape from Vlieseline is cut on the bias and therefore perfect for use on jersey and other stretchy fabrics. Seam Tape Flexible prevents warping and fraying and can also be applied to curved shapes to provide the necessary support and stability.…

Every so often we post the blog extracts from Scott Fortunoff who many of you will know took over Freespirit fabrics earlier in the year .. the home of Philip Jacobs and the rest of the Kaffe Fassett Collective Clan.  Sometimes his wisdom really could resonate across the World and not just into his home…

The organisers of the Festival of Quilts would like to mark this lovely occasion with an exclusive website discount for our members who would like to enjoy an Evening with Ricky Tims at the Hilton Metropole on Friday 10th August, taking £4 off the price of the ticket.   That’s at least a couple more FQ to…

Can you help the Oxford English Dictionary to identify and record the words, phrases, and expressions particular to our quilting?   You could make a difference and see our craft vocabulary embedded into the English language for good .. fat quarters or any of the quirky phrases we use daily are not often understood by people outside of…

The competition to celebrate the launch of my Christmas 18 QAL quilt has now closed and a winner has been picked ….. Congratulations to Jane Nicholls!! The fabric bundle from the Silent Night range by Makower will be shortly winging it’s way to you. Don’t forget that the early bird discount of 20% applies until…

This beautiful, dreamy new collection from Makower UK, due to hit the shops this August, is perfect for light summery quilts to decorate our bedrooms and homes over the next few months. Dream is a pretty mix of blush pinks, creams and greys with subtle neutrals, all in perfect coordination to create the prettiest of…

For the next few weeks, something fabulous has been appearing in shop windows across Whitby.   It’s not all about the sand, sea air and the fish and chips since Whitby has a thriving quilting community, and we asked Antonella Jones to explain what’s going on.   A nod too to Chris Hart, a quilter from Pickering who…

Parkham Patchers Quilting Group are holding a Patchwork and Craft Exhibition at Parkham Methodist Chapel, Parkham, Devon EX39 5PG, Friday 6th July and Saturday 7th July from 10am – 5pm, and on Sunday 8th July 12pm – 4pm. Parkham Patchers Quilting Group has been in existence for over 20 years, and members have come and…

I had a wonderful day at the Sydney Quilt show run by Quilt NSW. The standard of quilts was very high and the prize winning quilts were all wonderful. Here is a quick tour of my favourites, not in any particular order. Karen Terrens ‘Snow White’ is a particularly lovely wholecloth quilt. The pale blue…

Way back last December, I was given the chance to work with the 2018 Christmas range of Makower fabrics. The brief was to design a quilt that could be run as a Block of the Month (BOM) or Mystery Quilt. Now I know a lot of you love your Mystery Quilts, but I can’t get…

Create a wonderful array of patchwork and quilting designs with these easy to use templates from Sew Easy. Made from 100% acrylic using laser cut technology, all three templates include a ¼” seam allowance and are suitable for beginners as well as more experienced quilters. 90° Triangle Templates Used for marking and cutting out strips,…

Every now and then we all find ourselves in the middle of a project and realise that there might not be enough fabric to get to the finish line. That one specific fabric, or maybe one small piece to fussy cut and you search and search but struggle to find it. Well there may be…

Due to contractual restrictions imposed  in the US we have been asked to remove the explanation provided by the ladies creating this Quilt.   We would like to point out this quilt was created as a Community Quilt from quilters who support Freespirit and Philip Jacobs patterns from around the world.    It would be a…

This summer my Grandson George will be four and he is very excited to be going to ‘big school’ in September.   Back in June 2014 I was helping my daughter plan his Nursery Bedroom so I was happily sewing some of my very first quilts for him.  Play quilts for him to lay on and…

Many quilters will have heard the news by now that the long-standing UK quilting magazine, Popular Patchwork, closed a month ago with the June 2018 issue being their last issue. It was a sad day when the announcement was made as both Popular Patchwork and British Patchwork & Quilting magazine, of which I am Editor,…

New! Gutermann Thread Pack with Seam Gauge We all like something extra with our purchases don’t we, so you might like this latest bonus pack from Gutermann. Contents include 8 x100m reels of Gutermann Sew All thread in fresh pastel shades that are perfect for summer sewing projects. This high-quality polyester thread is the ideal…

Vlieseline Bondaweb – is this the best fabric fuser there is! Vlieseline Bondaweb, the original, renowned brand is still the best and most reliable for fusing two fabrics together. All Vlieseline products are ethically sourced and our high-quality interlinings provide perfect and safe solutions. Be sure to buy the branded product. Bondaweb is a truly…

The sun keeps shining (hopefully it’ll stay that way!), flowers blooming, birds tweeting away. The summer is arriving at long last we think. Longer lighter evenings give us much more time to sew, and you can even do it on the go whilst you’re on your summer holidays with some English Paper Piecing. If astronaut…

With hand embroidery so on-trend, the Embroidery Stitching Tool from Clover enables you to sew as quickly and easily as drawing a picture. It can be used to create satin, loop and back stitch so you can personalise projects in an instant, giving a handmade, individual finish to home and fashion accessories. The kit includes…

Every now and then something different happens! We are happy to announce Jenny Haynes has joined our website to take everyone along her journey into modern quilts. A Swedish exile having spent the previous 18 years in London and Sheffield, Jenny Haynes (née Nilsson) studied Pattern Cutting and Tailoring in her native Stockholm. Soon after,…

I have always been attracted by blue fabrics, and the Makower ‘Something Blue’ Range designed by Edyta Star has not failed to satisfy this attraction.   The summer is always a popular choice for weddings, especially this year with the newly married Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the headlines everywhere and this fabric range is…

With our UKQU Baby Feature coming soon (watch for further announcements) and our Bloggerati busily preparing for it we can’t resist showing you this lovely new range from Makower UK. Its full of bouncing bunnies, little chicks and fluffy sheep and co-ordinates perfectly with the 920 Gingham and Multi Stars too with a soft range…

We all love fabric .. it’s what being a Quilter is all about, so when a stack of fabric arrives on my desk what is a girl meant to do except spend a while stroking the lovely new patterns. Makower UK are launching three new lines this June.   The first is Bloom .. a beautiful…

Little did I realise when I visited the Victoria and Albert’s quilt show in 2010 and was inspired to write a novel in which a quilt was the central character, that by doing so I would stumble inadvertently and happily into a great international community of quilters! It is already five years since the publication…

We asked Philip Jacobs, part of the Kaffe Fasset Collective for his comments about the new range he has designed for his Snow Leopard Designs and that will be in the shops soon.  Here’s what he says. Arcadia” is my new collection for my brand “Snow Leopard Designs” for FreeSpirit fabrics. It is previewing at…

Ok so maybe not technically the first thing you think of from a quitling point of view, but many of us are dressmakers too I imagine.   And by the look of things this might be useful for applique too. New from Vlieseline, Stretchfix is a stretch webbing on a backer paper, ideal for jersey and…

Available in a variety of vibrant colours and styles Berisfords Neons, are great for theming a party, trimming fashion items, decorating gifts and embellishing all manner of creative crafts. Featured ribbons; Neon Oatmeal Stripe – 4 colours; Pink, orange, yellow and lime, 15mm Neon Stitch – 4 colours; Pink, orange, yellow and lime, 15mm Neon…

I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for ways to improve my own techniques.   Precise cutting is important to make sure what you see in your head translates to the quilt you are making and Clover are known for making specialist templates to help us with both our piecing and quilting.  There’s…

Love a magazine now and again? Or fancy trying a new magazine with a different point of view? Well Spring is in the air and the sun is in the sky (as if you couldn’t tell) If nothing else, you could get a magazine to fan yourself with! Here are some current offers to get…

Studio E Fabrics recently finalised the purchase of the Freespirit brand and from time to time we will be featuring his personal blog for you here. A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a few FreeSpirit price increases that were necessary to implement immediately. The increased prices were, in my opinion, based on things…

  New! the fabulous Neon Thread Pack from Gütermann creativ   With Neon so on trend, this new thread pack from Gütermann creativ will soon have you adding a bit of zing to your projects! Each pack contains seven 100m reels of vibrant Sew All Neon Thread in six luminous colours as well as a…

Things change rapidly here at Website HQ!   The Book Club Group is certainly popular with you all and there’s a change in the person leading the discussion.   Nina has stepped away for personal reasons, so we have persuaded Arelene to take over things.    She loves reading and just as important her quilting means a…

Mo Jones is one of the hardworking Administrators who keep everyone happy over on the UK Quilters United Facebook Group.   From time to time there’s exciting news to tell. I am excited to announce that our Facebook Group, UK Quilters United will be seen live at two exhibitions this year in the West Country. The first…

Philip Jacobs, one of the designers from the Kaffe Fassett Collective explains how his beautiful designs develop.   We continue the journey, in his own words I use a Stanley knife to cut the design off the drawing board. Philip now explains how he achieves the fabric repeat to a question from an interested party “How…

Have you ever wondered how a designer creates the beautiful patterns for their fabric .. we have been given a wonderful insight into the mind of one of our most respected UK designers, part of the Kaffe Fasset Collective, Mr Philip Jacobs.   Here he takes us all through how he created his Cactus Dahlia design. …

  With over sixty members joining the UKQU Book Club in less than twelve hours (!!!), I felt the pressure to select the first book as soon as possible.  Our first book To start us off, we are going to dive deep into the 1850s slave trade in the United States by reading Tracy Chevalier’s The…

We all love quilting and patchwork, and it doesn’t have to stop with the planning and creation of quilts! There are plenty of fiction books available where quilts, quilting and quilters are featured. Also, with the days (hopefully) getting warmer, many of us may be looking at getting outdoors on a regular basis, or going…

Would you like to see one of your own Quilts on show at a Grosvenor Show next year?   Well, now is your opportunity.   But if you don’t feel up to submitting your quilt .. well how about winning the fantastic Janome 6700p* instead! Donated by Janome UK The Memory Craft 6700 Professional provides the…

We have been working hard with the leading creators of needles for both sewing machines and hand sewers to create yet another exclusive for our members.     We have listened to all your comments and passed them onto the manufacturers. Ferrous Only Open Links  have discovered that by a slight alteration to the way in…

Sometimes when I come into work there’s a parcel waiting for me that brightens my day!    Last week was just one of those days.   A mysterious parcel had arrived, and when it was opened it was full to the brim of the latest samples from MakowerUK.  It certainly brought a smile to my face…

Excitingly we have Scott Fortunoff joining us from time to time .. whether you are a fan or not of the fabulous fabrics, I am sure you will just love what he has to say!  [adapted from his personal blog with his express permission]. Who knew? Who knew that my world was going to be…

It always lovely to hear of a success story.    We spoke to Talia Phillips about the Award the Craft Cotton Company won at the recent trade Show held at the NEC.   It’s where all the lovely shops we buy our stash supplies from meet the manufacturers and choose the ranges of fabrics and notions…

Thank you to all those who had a read of my pattern review for the Inside Outside Pouch by Aneela Hoey. I enjoyed making the pouch and reviewing it and hope to bring you more reviews in the future. Now for the all important winners! Winners were chosen by Random Number Generator. On the blog…

The magical world of CIRCUS turns every child‘s room into a dazzling big top for small princesses, courageous beasts of prey, talented gymnasts and skilled jugglers. Hearts beat faster at the thought of a ride on the giant elephant and eyes light up at the sight of performing artists. Imagine a wonderful quilt for a…

We might be the new kids on the block here at UKQU but we have been having a look around to see what else has been happening online. Clover has given their site a makeover: the new-look site is easy to use across a range of platforms, enabling you to watch videos on how to…

Related posts: We are launched! Which Wadding is better? Useful  patchwork templates from Sew Easy Teaching at Festival of quilts

Here at UKQU HQ we are really excited to have Diane Rooney, one of the brightest new designers to join Makower joining Blogger Central.   In between designing and looking after her family, and working alongside her partner in their own design Studio  she happily agreed to introduce herself.   Living in Cornwall it just had to…

Did you ever have an idea for a quilt pop into your mind with such vividness and detail that you could almost touch it? What did you do? Did you . . . think “that’s nice” and go on about your day? sketch it out on a napkin that later got thrown away? head directly…

Or that could be ‘Snowy Day Ramblings’? Down here in Cornwall we get very excited at snow, we’re strange that way, we see so little!!  It gently, silently, fell from the grey, laid around and made even the un-pretty look pretty and gave me a perfect day for quilting!! (the snow lasted all of about…

In January 2018 we set a challenge to the Six Administrators of UK Quilters United to choose a quilt from the ones the members posted onto the Facebook group feed. They were transferred to Competition Corner and throughout February people are voting for their favourites.  We asked each of the quiltmakers to tell their story…

In January 2018 we set a challenge to the Six Administrators of UK Quilters United to choose a quilt from the ones the members posted onto the Facebook group feed. They were transferred to Competition Corner and throughout February people are voting for their favourites.    We asked each of the Quilters to tell the…

In January 2018 we set a challenge to the Six Administrators of UK Quilters United to choose their favourite quilts from those posted by the Facebook Group members during January. The six chosen are now part of our February Competition and the details of how to enter are at the bottom of this post. We…

We are continuing our series covering the quilts entered into the February 2018 competition and Shirley has claimed her quilt.  It’s an interesting technique and one I am sure you will all appreciate. If you want to place your vote for Shirley or any of the six quilts in the competition then the link is…

Rohilla Judith has claimed her beautiful quilt which is part of the February competition.   We have asked everyone whose quilt was chosen to write a few paragraphs so you can all understand their thoughts and techniques behind their makes. Judith is well known for her Gullivers, but this is something quite different with a memorable…

We have some great News to bring you about the wonderful collaboration of your favourite UK website, UKQU and British Patchwork and Quilting magazine. British Patchwork and Quilting magazine has been at the forefront of the Patchwork and Quilting movement in the UK for over 30 years and is the UK’s longest running quilting magazine.…

In January 2018 we set a challenge to the Six Administrators of UK Quilters United to choose a quilt from the ones the members posted onto the Facebook group feed. They were transferred to Competition Corner and throughout February people are voting for their favourites. This is the story of Samantha’s Quilt After finishing a…

During the Festival of Quilts last year, MyTime Media (the publishing company behind British Patchwork and Quilting), ran a competition asking people to tell us ‘Why they sew?’. We were overwhelmed by how many people commented on it being a form of ‘therapy’ and when our team got chatting we all had our own stories…

14th June 2017 changed the lives of the residents of Grenfell Tower forever and touched all our hearts.  This is the story of a group of quilters who decided to do something to help and show their support. AMY:     Most people will remember the images of the Grenfell Tower fire.  They were on every…

‘Unfolding Stories 3’ is the third major exhibition from the dynamic group, Contemporary Quilters West. 24 members have come together to exhibit their new collection of work, several of whom are internationally renowned award winners. For many artists an interest in the environment and local landscape feature greatly as inspiration. Each artist is working to…

From time to time we hope to feature news from across the World. Siobhan Foster is an Irish creative living in New Zealand and although not a Quilter (which I am sure we can work on with her) she does work in textiles This is her story about the Fish out of Water Trail that…

Here at British Patchwork and Quilting magazine, we are always on the lookout for new talent. Joanna Kent, the editor, is in charge of all the projects that go into the magazine. She is the main point of contact when thinking about publishing and can answer any initial questions you may have. My first BP&Q…

Available now, UKQU logo badges! Show you’re part of our community with a UKQU badge and reap the benefits. At shows and festivals go up to anyone with a UKQU badge and say Hi, make a new friend! Lots of stall holders offer discounts and free gifts to badge-wearers too so it can even save…

The Campaign for Creativity aims to provide more and better opportunities for school children to be creative and have more chance to express themselves creatively or artistically. Vital to children’s development, creative thinkers hold the key to the UK’s future success. The chance to be creative helps develop skills such as problem solving, strategic thinking…

The doyenne of handworked appliqué, embroidery and quilting has teamed up with Oakshott Fabrics for several new deigns which can be made as pillows or wall hangings. Deborah is an ardent admirer of the modern quilt movement and loves working with the shot cottons for which Oakshott’s are renowned. Sumac on a Rainy Day and…

Director’s Choice Beginners’ Challenge announced by Grosvenors Shows. A new category is to be added to the competition lists at the National Quilt Championships, Sandown. Designed to encourage new quilters to take part at competition level there is a gift for all who enter. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of three categories –…

Oh wow .. we are here!  Its been an incredible journey so far getting all things in place in time for the Website Launch.    Our lovely crew here at Resolution Television have worked their little socks off to get things ready, burning lots of midnight oil back in November and December last year. The…

I think we all welcome anything that makes our beautiful patchworking and quilting easier.  Plus, how do you save your Iron soleplate from becoming sticky with glue when using fusibles .. without burning your fingers! This Mistyfuse Goddess Sheet claims to help, so we have sent one to our Product Reviewers to test it out. …

We all agonise over the better wadding to use or should it be called batting perhaps?     Sew Simple Super-Soft 100% Cotton Wadding is with our Product reviewers this month to try out, so watch out in February for what they think. This soft and breathable 100% needlepunched cotton, with scrim provides a high quality…

With both the beginner and the sewing enthusiast in mind, we offer beautiful sewing craft kits with easy to follow step by step instructions. We use only 100% cotton fabric in our kits which is cut by hand. All you need is a pair of scissors as everything else comes with the kits including high…

Fabric shop and classes available in Bexleyheath and online

Cotton Cocktails Studio on Thorp Arch Estate near Wetherby hosts classes and workshops in patchwork, quilting and sewing in a well equipped studio with a haberdashery stocked with beautiful fabrics, threads, patterns and sewing supplies. You can book a class online or click here to visit our online shop.