Table of contents for Issue 137 in Love Patchwork & Quilting

Measure twice, cut once? Pfft. Trim perfect 2½in squares each and every time with our nifty new square-up ruler. Don't let its diminutive size fool you, this little tool will help you in a myriad of ways – you won't know how you got by without it in your quilting kit! Start by cutting perfect 2½in squares (one of the most common sizes in quilting) from strips – or scraps – of fabric using your rotary cutter. If you've already whipped some units up with your sewing machine, simply use the printed guidelines for perfectly aligned seams in your Half-square Triangles, Quarter-square Triangles and four-patch blocks. Perhaps you need something to help you centre your fussy cuts? Look no further! No matter how you use it, or for what purpose,…

Picture this: you’re snuggled on your sofa, the wind is howling outside but you’re tucked up warm under your latest WIP, slowly adding stitch after beautiful textured stitch. Isn’t that blissful? Sure, it probably took some practice to get there, and perhaps you gained a few sore fingers and pin pricks along the way, but don't worry – we’re here to help you graduate from frustrated fumbling to smooth, soothing sewing success. 1 Sew on the go Ok, scrap our cosy daydream. Hand quilting is a super easy, portable project. Why not try taking it to your favourite park? Perhaps in the car? Busy parents and caretakers can relax a little in waiting rooms. Whether you’ve got ten minutes to kill or a few hours to fill, it’s scientifically proven…

FOR EXTRA SECURITY, MACHINE OR HAND APPLIQUÉ YOUR LETTER PIECES IN PLACE YOU WILL NEED ■ Letter fabrics: fifteen (15) scraps, each approx 3in square■ Banner fabric (peach): one (1) fat quarter■ Fusible interfacing: 9in x 15in■ Stranded embroidery thread■ Dowel rod■ Twine or ribbon for hanging■ One (1) copy each of the Banner and Letter templates FINISHED SIZE ■ 13in x 8¾in approx NOTES ■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted.■ Press seams open throughout, unless otherwise instructed.■ Templates include seam allowances, where necessary.■ For the embroidery, Shikira used DMC thread in colours 3340 Orange, 742 Warm Yellow, 445 Lemon Yellow, 162 Light Blue, 959 Green Blue, 209 Light Purple and 3837 Deep Purple. FABRICS USED ■ The letter fabrics are all Kona Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman…

TAKE YOUR TIME HAND STITCHING FOR A CALMING AND THERAPEUTIC EFFECT YOU WILL NEED ■ Main fabric: 1yd■ Contrast fabrics: three (3) approx 4in squares■ Stranded embroidery threads■ Three (3) wooden buttons (optional) FINISHED SIZE ■ 14in x 22in NOTES ■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted.■ Press seams open throughout, unless otherwise instructed.■ Manjari used embroidery thread for the appliqué. FABRICS USED ■ Manjari used Indian hand block printed 100% cotton fabrics from her stash. You can use any printed cotton fabric like voile or poplin. Note, if your fabric is thin/fine then use a double layer. TOP TIP Manjari says, “Kantha is all about upcycling. Feel free to use old bedsheets or even offcuts of fabrics to create this cushion.” CUTTING OUT 1 From the main fabric…

A huge driving force behind my love of quilting is that it encourages me to slow down, focus on the task at hand and be in the moment. For me, nothing compares! This issue is dedicated to just that, with projects to slow your roll and help you switch off from the noise of the week. Daisi Toegel’s blooming cover quilt will brighten your day with its bold colours and calming curves, while Sonja Schauer’s tonal triangles make a satisfying finish. Helen Creasey’s crisp coffee-themed FPP templates are just the thing for a quick dopamine hit, or opt for something slower and sofa-friendly with Manjari Singh’s soothing kantha cushion. Plus, feast your eyes on our floral feature, where we delve into the allure of blooms with three inspiring quilt and…

USE THE TWO TEMPLATES PROVIDED TO PIECE CURVES IN THIS BLOOMING DESIGN YOU WILL NEED ■ Fabric A (light pink, background): 1yd■ Fabric B (dark pink): 2yds■ Fabric C (pale blue): 1⅛yds■ Fabric D (dark blue): ⅜yd■ Fabric E (yellow): 1yd■ Binding fabric: ½yd■ Backing fabric: 3½yds■ Batting: 60in square■ One (1) copy each of Templates A and B FINISHED SIZE ■ 54in square NOTES ■ Seam allowances are ¼in throughout, unless otherwise noted.■ Templates include seam allowances.■ Press block seams to one side.■ Press all other seams open, unless otherwise instructed.■ RST = right sides together.■ WOF = width of fabric.■ Pattern assumes WOF is at least 42in.■ Daisi used Select Natural by Quilters Dream Cotton Batting (quiltersdreambatting.com).■ Thread supplied by Mettler Thread (amann-mettler.com).■ Fabric supplied by Robert Kaufman…

PLAY WITH COLOURS TO KEEP IT MONOCHROME AND MODERN OR CREATIVE AND COLOURFUL YOU WILL NEED Quilt ■ Fabric A (beige): 1½yds■ Fabric B (soft pink): 1¾yds■ Fabric C (pink): 1⅛yds■ Backing fabric: 4yds■ Batting: 70in square■ Binding fabric: ½yd FINISHED SIZE ■ 61in square NOTES ■ Seam allowances are ¼in unless otherwise stated.■ Press seams open, unless otherwise instructed.■ WOF = width of fabric.■ If you are making both the quilt and cushion, you will not need all the fabric listed for the cushion, as you will use a spare block from the quilt. FABRICS USED All quilt top fabrics are Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids, as follows: ■ Fabric A: Sweet Macadamia.■ Fabric B: Grapefruit.■ Fabric C: Coral Reef. CUTTING OUT 1 From Fabric A cut: ■ Seven…

Painter and notorious garden lover Claude Monet once said: “I must have flowers, always, and always”. His sentiment is echoed by botanical dreamers the world over, particularly within the sewing community. Try to picture a fabric stash or a quilt collection without any florals in it all. Not so easy. Flowers are universally beloved, it seems. They are bright and beautiful, adding variety and a welcome sense of the organic to any textile creation. But why are artists and makers drawn to floral themes so endlessly? For Hawaiian quilter Patricia Gorelangton, it comes down to one simple question: “What’s more beautiful than a flower?” Her bold designs exemplify the Hawaiian quilting style, celebrating native plant life with curving symmetrical appliqué. “I’ve been quilting for 38 years and have exclusively made…

WHY WE QUILT Being creative is like breathing for me – it’s the essence of who I am and who I will always be. From early on in my life creativity has been really important to me. I have always been creative and I've always found ways to be creative, whether that was through learning musical instruments or creating a fun scrapbook with lots of colours and photos every summer when I was younger. I suppose I could say that being creative and using creative skills is in my blood. My grandmother was very creative and was always trying new things, she's the person who taught me how to knit and she always had a creative project on the go. My ancestry is a mixed one – of English and…

CHOOSE DIFFERENT FABRIC COLOURS TO MAKE YOUR OWN SANDWICH FILLING! YOU WILL NEED Sandwich block ■ Light blue fabric: ⅜yd■ White fabric: ½yd■ Brown fabric: ¼yd■ Beige fabric: one (1) fat quarter■ Lime green fabric: one (1) fat eighth■ Dark yellow fabric: 2in x 7in■ Bright coral fabric: 2in x 7in FINISHED SIZE ■ Sandwich block: 24in square (24½in unfinished)■ Quilt: 78in x 86in To make the whole quilt You will need Confetti Cottons by Riley Blake as follows: ■ Bleached Denim (light blue) (background): 5¾yds■ Silver (light grey): ½yd■ Grey (mid grey): ⅛yd■ Peony (coral-pink): ⅜yd■ White (white): ⅝yd■ Piglet Pink (mid pink): ½yd■ Petal Pink (light pink): ⅜yd■ Dandelions (yellow): ⅛yd■ Violet (mid purple): ¼yd■ Purple (dark purple): ⅛yd■ Lilac (light purple): ⅛yd■ Mustard (dark yellow): ⅛yd■ Green…

DAISI TOEGEL Daisi is a self-taught quilter who loves quilting with an explosion of funky colours! Head over to p14 to check out her amazingly colourful Bright Blossoms quilt SHIKIRA ALLEYNE-SAMUEL Shikira sees creative pursuits as a great way to boost people’s mental health and happiness! Have a look at her positive and inspirational banner on p47 YASMEEN K BRANTON Yasmeen is a hand appliqué designer and slow stitching is her meditation. Learn more about her creative and quilting journey in our Why We Quilt column on p70 QUILTING IS FOR EVERYONE At Love Patchwork & Quilting, we want inclusivity to be at the heart of what we do. We’re committed to creating content that reflects and celebrates the diversity of the quilting community. Quilting is for everyone, regardless of…

TAKE CARE TO POSITION DIRECTIONAL FABRICS THE RIGHT WAY UP IN YOUR BLOCKS! YOU WILL NEED Quilt ■ Fabric A (white): 1½yds■ Fabric B (green): 1yd■ Fabric C (pink): ¾yd■ Fabric D (lime): ¾yd■ Fabric E (dark blue): ½yd■ Binding fabric: ½yd■ Backing fabric: 4yds■ Batting: 66in square FINISHED SIZE ■ 58½in square NOTES ■ Seam allowances are ¼in throughout, unless otherwise noted.■ RST = right sides together.■ Press seams to one side throughout, unless otherwise instructed.■ Press all fabrics well before cutting.■ Lou used Vlieseline Cotton mix 80/20 batting (vlieseline.com).■ Fabrics provided by Dashwood Studio (dashwoodstudio.com). FABRICS USED ■ Print fabrics are from the Stitch and Sew collection by Louise Cunningham for Dashwood Studios.■ Fabric A is White from the Twist collection from Dashwood Studios. CUTTING OUT 1 From…

ADD EXTRA INTEREST TO YOUR CUP WITH A FUSSY CUT PRINT! YOU WILL NEED Tea cup ■ Pink print: 4in square■ White print: 4in square■ Background fabric (blue print): one (1) fat eighth■ One (1) copy each of the Tea Cup Template Sections A and B FINISHED SIZE ■ 6in square (6½in square unfinished) NOTES ■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted.■ Press seams open, unless otherwise instructed.■ RST = right sides together.■ FPP = Foundation Paper Piecing.■ FPP templates include a seam allowance around the outer edge only.■ For FPP, set your stitch length to 1.5.■ The Layout Diagrams for the FPP blocks are a reverse image of the completed blocks, to match the printed templates.■ Helen pieced the large section of her tea pot using several pink…

CREATE THE RIDGED SHELL TEXTURE WITH QUILTING LINES IN A COORDINATING THREAD YOU WILL NEED Zipper pouch ■ Exterior fabric (pink): one (1) fat eighth■ Lining fabric (blue): one (1) fat eighth■ Fusible fleece: 7in x 14in■ One (1) 5in zip■ Pearl beads (optional)■ One (1) copy of the Zip Pouch template FINISHED SIZE ■ 5in x 6in approx NOTES ■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted.■ Press seams open, unless otherwise instructed.■ For the fusible fleece, Debbie used H630 fusible fleece by Vlieseline (vlieseline.com).■ Polyester toy filling for the pin cushion is Deco Wadding by Vlieseline (vlieseline.com). FABRIC USED Solids for the three projects are Blushing, Fresh Water and Periwinkle from the Pure Solids collection by Art Gallery Fabrics. CUTTING OUT 1 From the exterior fabric cut: ■…

TECHNIQUE FOCUS EACH MONTH, OUR EXPERT PAULA STEEL WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO MASTER ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF QUILTMAKING! Basting a quilt involves temporarily securing the three layers of a quilt together in preparation for quilting. Securing the quilt top, batting and backing fabric together stops the movement of these three layers and reduces issues such as puckers and warped blocks. Taking the time to baste properly will improve the quilting finish and lead to a more pleasurable quilting experience. TYPES OF BASTING: 1 Pin basting – As the name suggests, pin basting uses pins to keep the three layers of your quilt together. You can find speciality safety pins that are slightly curved – this curve helps when feeding the pins through all layers. By pinning your quilt…

1 Mustard or ketchup? Find the perfect recipe to satisfy your hot dog cravings and elevate your picnic in style with this delicious pattern by The Weekend Quilter. Take advantage of the lovely weather and find this oh-so-tasty pattern via LoveCrafts: bit.ly/3J6KwWS 2 Time for brunch Raise a toast to the most important meal of the day with this egg-tastic FPP quilt pattern by Susan White. It's all we avo wanted and more! Find it in issue 84 of Love Patchwork & Quilting via Zinio, Pocketmags, Readly or the LP&Q app. 3 Silly sausage While this design may be more delightful than delicious, we can't resist the charm of Gaby Sartori's witty dachshund pattern! Find it as a PDF download in our Etsy store, TQandLPQPatternShop.etsy.com 4 Just add sprinkles With…