Patchwork and quilting

Sometimes we quilters have an inspiration block just like writers and other people. Even day to day things . How many times do we think,I.ve no idea what to cook for dinner tonight,out comes the cookery book for ideas . With quilters it,s the same,we have mountains of fabric, shelves of books, and yet we look to what our friends are doing and think ,I will make one of those . I,m saying , look through your fabric and get your books off the shelf . they are work manuals as well as books to dream by . the people who wrote those books intended you to use them . Mix your fabrics, dip into your books and those costly magazines, add a square from one pattern and a block from another.

I use to teach patchwork/ quilting and fabric manipulation. I always use to tried to steer my ladies away from the safe option. To be brave and daring. It,s fabric not something you are going to eat that might give you a pain in the tummy .

Give free range to colour combination. You don,t have to be slaving over a quilt for months for it to be a stunner .

Lay your fabrics out like a paintbox.

Put strips together in rail fence or hourglass, both can be cut in multi layers with your rotary cutter. when you have finished your cutting, lock yourself in the sewing room with your drink and sandwich and make it your quilt in a day project .

You might think afterwards , I could never put this on a bed, but quilts are not just for beds . Put it on the back of the chair in the garden. Fold it over the radiator that isn,t switched on . Put it casually crumpled into a log basket to be picked out and put over your legs when it gets chilly in the evening .

My friend bluebell has a Kaffe Fasset book called country garden quilts. this book illustrates perfectly the joy of putting together bright colours. I have borrowed this book from her to use over the May bank holiday.

Two days ago I bought a range of orange coloured fabric, I shall mix in some of my own stash, and I feel a quilt coming on. I will most likely say " I could never put it on a bed " but then I don,t need another quilt to put on a bed .

Sometime in the near future I will show my orange quilt , so watch this space.

The quilt I,m showing today was a Judy Martin free pattern , last year . I liked it so much I made two . The first one I made to the pattern this one I put a bit of my own magic into it . It,s machine quilted on a Brother innovis 2oo. just a basic domestic sewing machine . Safe colours !yes, but I dipped into the blue mountain . I made two double bed quilts and the mountain is still there .

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