Innehållsförteckning för Issue 136 från Today's Quilter

Hello, how are you? A new year has dawned and we are at the start of our 2026 journey. And while times flies, our love for this hobby of ours doesn’t. Another year just means new projects to make... and perhaps a few to finish from last year. That is the thing about quilting, there is always another fabric line you must have or a new pattern you want to try. And we hope the designs in this issue inspire you to sew something new. You might have noticed there is a nod to the classic blue and white colourway that never goes out of fashion, is always stylish and really just “works”. It can be as clean and “simple” as the Irish Chain, or more complicated as in the…

BEHIND THE ACCESSORY ALL HAIL THE OCTAGON “It’s ever the case that we as a team are always on the lookout for ideas for cover gifts for you dear reader – and we all know it’s impossibly difficult to reinvent the wheel, but we do try to create gifts that inspire and make your quilting life easier or more interesting. You must know already that we do love a hexagon here in the office, but what if we increased the number of sides? Let’s sing the praises of the octagon! Present in many a tessellating floor pattern – I have photographed countless as part of cathedral or Basilica marble floors – and so inspiring for quilt making! “With this issue, we have two template shapes for you; an octagon with…

Introduction What could be more charming in a quintessential English village than tumbling blooms hanging from crooked shop fronts and pots of pretty flowers? I have filled my hanging basket using three different flower techniques to add interest and texture but feel free to be as creative as you like. I have made hexie flowers using EPP, little Suffolk Puff buds and, to make things simple, I used a piece of embroidered fabric cut from the corner of a rather badly stained tablecloth for the background. If you don’t have any old, embroidered cloths to use, you could try charity shops or why not add some embroidery to some fabric yourself before you cut out the triangle? If all else fails, cut a nice floral print that is quiet enough…

For hundreds of years the woollen industry was a major source of Britain’s wealth, so wool plays an important part in the country’s heritage. In the late Middle Ages trading of wool fleeces was of great significance and the ubiquity of the trade can be seen in pub names and inn signs all over Britain, such as The Fleece and The Woolpack. Wool cloth has an equally long history and has been made in Britain for thousands of years. No one knows when the first pieces were woven, but evidence suggests production was developed as far back as the Iron Age (in Britain, approximately 800 BCE to 43 CE). A nationwide domestic activity, local wool was collected to be spun and then woven to provide blankets, rugs, tweeds and flannels.…

ANGLES In patchwork, the angles we are most used to dealing with are 900 angles, which arise from predominantly using squares and rectangles in our work. Once we begin to explore other shapes and more complicated patchwork blocks, we usually need to cut more unusual angles, in particular 450, 600 and 300. This article looks at those angles and how they can be cut with a normal quilter’s ruler. You will remember from school days that angles are measured with a protractor (Fig 1). When added up, the total angles on a shape will vary. For example, in a square the four angles of 900 will add up to 3600; in a triangle the three angles will add up to 1800. A quick recap on using a protractor may be…

GO LARGE WITH LOG CABINS Use up scraps from your stash to sew Carolyn Forster’s striking asymmetrical Log Cabin block quilt in contrast tones HOME DÉCOR UPDATE Combine classic block squares and curved-edge Geese to sew a stylish cushion for your home CURVED SEAMS MADE EASY Lynne Goldsworthy treats us to a simplified version of a Dresden Wedding Rings quilt Your GiftCable Wave Template • Sew a crop of colourful flowers for Nicola Dodd’s charming quilt • Lin Clements’ guide to sewing mitred borders, plus top tips for pattern matching of striped fabric at border corners *Please note, gift and contents may be subject to change…

BEHIND THE PROJECT CALMING COMBINATIONS “It is always fun to play around with the Kaleidoscope block to try to create new patterns. In this quilt, I have combined Kaleidoscope blocks with stretched Sawtooth Stars to create new, fun and interesting secondary patterns. I have also restricted the use of the Kaleidoscope blocks so that nine circles emerge in the design. The border of the same stretched Sawtooth Stars frames the whole quilt top giving it a lovely traditional feel. Since this edition of Today’s Quilter was all about blue quilts, the fabric line Bluebird’s Nest felt like the perfect choice. I really love a monochrome fabric line, especially one containing either blues or reds – they create such a calming quilt design as your eyes don’t have to fight with…

BEHIND THE PROJECT FEATHERED FRIEND “My intention for this piece was to capture the charm of a wren in a natural, lifelike pose. I wanted the little bird to feel alive and expressive, with subtle shifts of colour and shape giving it movement and personality. To bring this to life, I chose Lumin batik fabrics, which add beautiful texture and depth to the design. The border was added to frame the wren like a portrait, drawing the eye to its detail and giving it a finished and balanced look.” – Jo Hart You will need Scraps of brown fabrics for the wren Cushion front (background fabric) – ½yd Accent border fabric – One (1) fat eighth Lining fabric – One (1) fat quarter Backing fabric – ½yd Batting – 20in…

BEHIND THE QUILT MAGIC OF MONOCHROME “I have thoroughly enjoyed making this Irish Chain quilt, especially the clean look of the soft cream and blue. I cannot believe I have made two Irish Chain quilts within the last couple of months after not sewing one before!” – Sally Ablett You will need Soft cream fabric – 4¼yds Blue fabric – 2yds Batting – 80in square Backing – 80in square Binding – ⅝yd Materials used Blue fabric – Makower Linen Texture collection in Navy Cream fabric – Moda Bella Solids in Off White (200) Sew Simple Super Soft 100% Polyester Wadding Backing fabric – Makower High Tide Reef in Navy Blue All kindly provided by Finished size Quilt: 69½in square Block 1: 12in square Block 2: 12in square Notes All measurements include…