Festival of Quilts Celebration Giveaway :: Lou Orth Designs

Anyone fancy some new quilt patterns, that's what's up next in the #cutandalterfoqgiveaway ...

EDITED ON 01/08/2020 AT 19:00  ::  THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

If you are into Modern Quilts then you will definitely have seen some of Lou's designs, not only at Festival of Quilts, but also in quilting magazines in which she regularly has her patterns.  

She has an online shop where all of her patterns are available as paper or pdf.  Her recent big news is that one of her patterns, Fraction (can I admit that it's a favourite of mine?), has just featured on Sewing Street!!

Giveaway Prize:  Fraction, Vintage Tiles and Sprout Quilt paper patterns 

Apologies to overseas readers but due to postage costs this prize is limited to UK addresses only

Conditions of Entry:

To enter this giveaway you need to go to Instagram or Facebook on the links below.

Enter on Instagram

Enter on Facebook

Good Luck!!

Where you can find Lou Orth Designs

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Festival of Quilts Celebration Giveaway :: The Crafty Nomad

There will be THREE lucky winners for this #cutandalterfoqgiveaway from Jo at The Crafty Nomad

EDITED ON 31/07/20 AT 20:25 :: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

If you have been to the Festival of Quilts in the last couple of years you may well have seen one of Jo's quilts hanging in the show.  She has recognisable style of quilts and also has a little something for rainbows - who can blame her?  

She designs quilts under the name The Crafty Nomad which can be found in her online shop along with kits and cards.  Aswell as designing, she also gives talks and teaches workshops, which will hopefully be back up and running again sometime soon!  In the meantime you could always take a online class with her - details to be released soon.

Giveaway Prize:  3 lucky winners will each receive a pack of sewing themed postcards and their choice of pattern from The Crafty Nomad online shop

Apologies to overseas readers but due to postage costs this prize is limited to UK addresses only

Conditions of Entry:

To enter this giveaway you need to go to Instagram or Facebook on the links below

To enter on Instagram

To enter on Facebook

Where to find The Crafty Nomad

Website

Instagram

Facebook

The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook :: A Book Review

It is always exciting to have a new book to review, but this time it's even more exciting because I 'know' the author.  OK well know is a relative term, but it feels like I know her after having various online conversations with her through Stash Bee involvement and then also longarm chat after she became a Handi Quilter owner.  One day hopefully I will know her in real life but I reckon I have to get over to the States for a chance of that!

So the book is The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook and the author is Sylvia Schaefer from Flying Parrot Quilts.  It is published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, and is available in the UK through Search Press.

My first impression was how it was so full of colour - oh that's got to bode well hasn't it?!

I actually received and read it through from start to finish in one day.  It is so much more than a book of patterns and contains such useful information for anyone interested in making modern quilts - either from a pattern or by designing their own.

 

In each chapter there is information on techniques to make quilts modern, for example taking a traditional block quilt and removing elements, varying sizes and inverting colours to name a few.  I really liked how Sylvia talks you through each process and gives examples along the way.  Some of these are computer generated images but there are so many lovely photos of real quilts that just make you want to touch them.

If you don't want to design yourself, each chapter has a pattern with full instructions for you to make the quilt.  I have to say I now have more quilts added to my ever-growing, or is that never-ending, to do list.

The quilt below features in the book as an example of disintegration but it isn't a pattern in the book -  I just included it here because I happen to love it!

All in all I think this is a fantastic book and a wonderful resource for quilters both modern quilters and those looking to explore modern route more.  Watch this space for upcoming quilts that will be made using some of these techniques.

cut&alter Christmas 18 QAL :: Week 1

..... and it's started Week 1's instruction have just been mailed out.

I am looking forward to seeing what fabrics people choose!

What's it all about?  Head over here to see ....

Want to join in?  Get the pattern over here ....

cut&alter Christmas 18 QAL :: it's nearly here!

Can we talk Christmas now that it's September?!!  

During that rather long heatwave we had in the UK this summer the cut&alter Christmas 18 QAL was launched.  The timing couldn't have been worse but now the summer holidays are coming to an end, the temperatures are dropping (hooray I can finally sleep under my duvet again!) and the days are getting shorter.  If you have yet to decide on your next project or would like to make a Christmas Quilt (in time for Christmas 2018!) then it would be great to have you join my QAL.

Finished quilt made in Makower Silent Night fabric

The QAL starts next week on Wednesday , 05 September, with a general introduction, fabric selection and cutting.  Then there is a Block a Week for 9 weeks followed by sashing, borders, basting and quilting with several catch up weeks included, because we all know that life can get in the way of quilting - isn't it so annoying when that happens?!  We finish on Wednesday 12 December with, fingers crossed, a lovely quilt ready in time for Christmas.

I love the house fabric from this range

There'll be lots of skills to learn or build on, a lovely group of quilters. maybe some random prizes and, of course, a quilt at the end of it - what more do you need?  The pattern can be purchased from my UKQU shop, upon which further information and a full schedule will be sent straight to you - make sure that email address is correct!  Then each week that week's pattern and instructions will be sent direct to your inbox.  If you don't want to make the whole quilt but like the look of a block or two then standalone patterns for each block will be released each week throughout the QAL.  These will be available to purchase in my shop.

Whilst I made my quilt from the Makower Silent Night range of fabrics, which The Cotton Patch have kitted up for this QAL, it can, of course, be made in any fabric - seasonal or not.  My pattern testers had free rein over their fabric choices and it was fantastic to see the blocks coming to life in different fabrics.

These blocks, made by Kim, show a different layout and a different block from the finished article.  They were test blocks after all and I did make some changes!

Tandy also made up all the blocks and these will give you an idea of the quilt in non seasonal fabric.

The pattern testers were invaluable for this process and I would like to thank each and every one - so a BIG thank you to Kim, Sue, Tandy, Rebecca, Tracey, Amy, Anneliese and Sarah.

For further information please head over to my Launch Post and if you have any question please just ask!