Today's Quilter 85

If you’ve found January a bit tough, as so many people do, then I hope the projects in this issue will give you a much needed distraction! The third in our Morris-inspired seasonal series, spring, is sure to keep you busy, and your mind off the daily tasks of life... who has time to vacuum when you can be sewing?! Designer Fi has filled it with delightful spring branches and blooms, plus several butterfly species (for all the lepidopterists out there). I think sewing a spring project is a lovely way to get through the colder months, while looking forward to sunnier days ahead. Nicola Dodd’s Block of the Month this issue is also reminiscent of spring days. And if you’d like to change it up a bit and make…

LET US KNOW! Drop us a line – an email, letter, tweet or Facebook post – letting us know about your quilting. Whether it’s a new project, treasured heirloom, favourite fabric or imaginative mood board, we’d love to see what you’ve been up to and hear your stories! CHOOSING THE RIGHT... or wrong colours can make or break a quilt. That’s why we are excited to share with you this combination colouring in book/quilt colour planner. Whether you’re looking for the anxiety- and stress-reducing qualities of colouring in (something we all need these days), or want to choose colours and fabrics for your next make, but don’t want to buy anything until you know what colours work, then this supplement is just for you. Designer Lynne Goldsworthy has come up…

THE PATTERN BEACH SWIM TEAM Although it’s not quite beach weather here in the UK, it doesn’t mean we can’t dream of sunny days swimming in the ocean. To celebrate the launch on Tilda’s Cotton Beach fabric collection (see page 13 for more info), you can make either the cushion or quilt, or both, featuring sweet designs of different swimmers. To view the fabric collection or find out more about the patterns, visit www.tildasworld.com THE BOOK THE BIG BOOK OF FAVORITE SCRAP QUILTS If you save fabric scraps and keep beloved bits, this is the book for you! With 44 projects that highlight a host of well-known quilt designers, like Sharon Keightley’s design, Goose Crossing featured above, and include a variety of quilting techniques, skill levels and finished sizes, there…

Cotton Beach Float away on a gentle, dreamy breeze with beautiful prints that are sure to inspire in Tilda’s new collection, Cotton Beach. Featuring an array of sea-inspired patterns on mesmerising coastal colours that blend with each other in perfect harmony, you can mix and match these glorious prints to your hearts content. With soft mauves, corals, teal greens, ocean blues and yellows that shine as bright as the sun, the range is made up of two main prints, Sea Mist and Coral, along with five beach shell blenders, plus a fabulous new design named Me and My Friend. “Great fun can be had personalising them with appliquéd clothes, hats and accessories and using them on projects such as pillows, bags, pin cushions, ornaments or even quilts,” says Tilda, “the…

Sunshine f lorals I was working on a table runner for my daughter and felt it needed something else but wasn’t sure what. Then, Issue 77 arrived with the Floral Bouquet Appliqué Templates. I chose two of the smaller flowers, cut three of each in different colours and appliquéd them to the runner. I sewed a yoyo in the centre of each and added a bit of embroidery. It was just what the runner needed, and my daughter loved it! Joyce, Canada What an exquisite make, Joyce! We love how the flowers pop on the navy background! FESTIVE WISH I loved this cushion in your Christmas supplement to Issue 68. It has taken me a long time to complete it – cataract surgery on both eyes held me back a…

You will need Fabric 1 (centre squares) – Two (2) fat eighths, these can be different Fabric 2 (low volume or black and white) – ⅝yd Fabric 3 (border and outside corners) – 1¼yds Assorted fabric scraps – Approx. 2¼yds* Background fabric – 1⅝yds Backing fabric – 4¼yds Binding fabric – ⅝yd Batting – 73in x 73in 1in hexagon papers 1in jewel papers Finished size ■ Approx. 64½in x 64½in Notes ■ Read through the whole pattern before starting. ■ EPP = English paper piecing. ■ WOF = width of fabric. ■ FE = fat eighth: half of a fat quarter approx. 9in x 21in. ■ FQ = fat quarter. ■ WST = wrong side(s) together. ■ Figs 3-9 show the order Emma stitched the pieces together in. ■ *Use…