The Whitworth Gallery in Manchester is currently still showcasing the work of Barbara Brown, a major designer for Heal Fabrics in the 1960s and 70s. She had originally wanted to be a sculptor, but because she was a woman, her tutors at art college encouraged her to get into fabric design instead. Her incredible graphic … Continue reading Last chance to see: Barbara Brown fabric design
Make a case for storing your needles using the ‘stitch and flip’ technique sewn onto a foundation. You can make it in whatever fabric you like – you only need small pieces so it’s a great project to use up your scraps, as well as being a useful item for your sewing box. Requirements 1 piece … Continue reading Strip-Pieced Needle Case
Time for another patchwork block! You will need Fabric A: 1 ¾ inch wide strips Fabric B: 1 ¾ inch wide strips Seam allowance: ¼ inch Finished block: 12 inches x 12 inches Pair up a strip from Fabric A and Fabric B and stitch them together length-ways using your ¼ inch seam Iron … Continue reading Rail Fence block
Book publisher SearchPress are giving away a copy of the wonderful book 'The Textile Artist: From Art to Stitch' by by Janet Edmonds. Don't miss out on this fab freebie...all the need to do is email: youngishquilters@quiltersguild.org.uk stating your name and membership number. The winner will be contacted on the 14th February! If you're not … Continue reading Fantastic freebie!…win a copy of ‘The Textile Artist: From Art to Stitch’ by Janet Edmonds.
When the rest of your family is rushing into town to spend their Christmas money, you know what's really important. Grab some hot chocolate. Settle yourself down at your laptop, and hit the Boxing Day sales quilter's style! Fabric shops join in with Boxing Day sales too, and you can get some great fabric at … Continue reading 7 days till Christmas: Boxing Day Sales!
A bit of wintry inspiration from Hallstatt in Austria: pattern, colour, decoration, and just general mood. Don't you think these icy greys and whites pair very well with that light brown colour of wood? And maybe the reflections in the water above, or the wood stack, could be the inspiration for a very original quilt.
I love visiting museums and art galleries. They're full of fantastic stuff and we are so incredibly lucky in Britain that many museums are free to visit. The spate of free time over the Christmas holidays is a perfect opportunity to pop into your local gallery, or indeed to travel further afield to make a … Continue reading 12 days till Christmas: Visit a museum or art gallery
I bet you'd probably like to change up your home decor every now and then, but painting is messy and expensive and your parents might not appreciate it. Quilts provide a perfect solution for those who need a fresh environment from time to time, especially as they are an ideal way to mark the passing … Continue reading 13 days till Christmas: Deck the walls
I just discovered these Scandinavian 'paper' baskets whilst re-reading an Astrid Lindgren book of Christmas stories ... Yes, there I go again with the Danish/Swedish influences, but my mum really likes Scandinavia, so a lot of my Christmas memories are quite Scandi-heavy, alright? These are really easily made out of two different colours of paper … Continue reading 14 days till Christmas: Scandinavian ‘paper’ baskets
This is certainly part of a perfect Christmas for me! Cats and quilts ... such a good combination ... Hmm... or maybe not!
