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Clearing the Decks...I find mid-Winter a fairly peaceful time of year, teaching slows down until January and I have a chance to think and plan. Once the festive madness has calmed, I like to spend some time assessing and reflecting on the past year, perhaps even going as far as tidying my workspace! Steady now. I ponder ideas for future patterns and classes and spend a happy afternoon or two sorting fabric - a never-ending job - and revisiting my stash. Just like you, my taste changes and evolves as I am influenced by what I see around me. A fabric which brought joy a few years ago might make you shudder in horror now.I categorically cannot throw fabric away, but I am happy to pass it on to fellow sewists. I also like to make a charity quilt every year - a great way of using up some of that horror-inducing fabric and perhaps to play with a block I wouldn't otherwise make. Although I design patchwork and lean towards the Modern side of things, I fully appreciate the roots of the craft and will happily make traditional blocks if they take my fancy. Charity quilts are a great way to use up fabric - get a group of friends together, have fun pooling and exchanging your discarded fabric, and make it sociable, a traditional sewing bee. I sometimes hear people say that they can't start any new projects until they finish their UFOs. Well, there is no shame in admitting defeat, especially if you have fallen out with a project. Yes, UFOs can be paralysing, so clear them out of your stash, and your mind. There are several ways of dealing with UFOs depending how far you have got into the project, you could pass them on to someone else or use the blocks you've made as orphans in a charity quilt; the charities below will take part-made quilts. Another reason for weeding out the old stash is to make room for new fabric! This is an excellent time of year to visit your local fabric shop, with thoughts of your reviewed stash in mind and future projects - large or small - in the planning. You might also find they have a sale on and you can find the perfect fabric to finish that charity quilt! Nothing beats actually seeing, feeling, and being inspired by, shelves and shelves of fabric. I know online shopping is the option for some, but I would encourage you visit your local shop, there's more than just fabric there, there's a community and people who share your passion. If we don't support the shops they will become a thing of the past, don't let that happen. AitchBee and Helen Howes Contact us direct on newsletter@modernartquilters.co.uk Why not forward this message to your quilty friends who might enjoy our ramblings. They can CLICK HERE to go straight to our newsletter sign up page. HEADER IMAGE: HEADER IMAGE: RED AND BLUE by Helen Howes. An excellent example of a group of reject/orphan blocks drawn together by the use of the strong red into a single quilt. |
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 Christmas money to spend? Why not treat yourself to the STREAMLINE Block of the Month by HB |
 TIGER TIGER - newly formatted pattern by HH including a huge variety of tigers in different habitats |
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Click on any picture in this Newsletter to read more. These are mostly links to external websites and blogs - have fun and enjoy looking!  |
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DEALING WITH ORPHAN BLOCKS
In this article, Sherri, from A QUILTED LIFE give us excellent guidance of dealing with orphan blocks. How to take a seemingly disparate collection of mis-matched blocks, different sizes and designs and make them work together. |
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IS IT A WIP OR IS IT A UFO? (it's definitely not SUPERMAN!)
Kristen of SCRAP FABRIC LOVE talks about the difference between a Work in Progress (WIP) and Unfinished Object (UFO) and ways of dealing with them |
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USEFUL FREE RESOURCES
This link will take you to the MAQ website where you will find a whole pageful of links to FREE TUTORIALS for all sorts of aspects of finishing quilts including layering and binding. |
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FREE PATTERNS FOR CHARITY QUILTS
The block pictured here is VICE-VERSA and is one of many we have on the MAQ Sew-A-Long and Patterns pages. Great for charity or multi-maker quilts.There are many worthwhile charities that welcome quilt donations but these often need to be a particular size depending on their use - please check before finishing your quilt. We have included contact information for some charities below, but you might also contact your local hospital for possible donations to NICU's and angel babies (individual hospitals have different schemes) as well as your local Women's Refuge. Please note that not every charity appreciates the gift of a quilt: We would advise against donating quilts to care homes for various reasons including the need to wash bedding at a high temperature unsuitable to quilts. Also note that UK Military charities are unlikely to welcome the donation of quilts. Again disaster zones would be better supported by donations of money or specifically requested equipment - shipping quilts in bulk is a costly process. Our advice is that you do your research before donating. |
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Charity: QUILTS FOR CARE LEAVERS (Q4CL)
You may be aware of this charity through the words of writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay who went through the foster care system and found, first hand, at the age of 18 all support stopped and he faced life alone. Q4CL run a series of Christmas dinners for care leavers who would otherwise spend the festive season without family contact, and it is their ambition to provide every attendee with a "quilty hug" The image is linked to Q4CL's Join Us page which shows lots of ways you can get involved. You can also visit the Q4CL facebook page |
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Charity: PROJECT LINUS
Named for the character in the Peanuts cartoon who always carried his security blanket with him, Project Linus has been running in the UK since March 2000 with the aim of bring warmth and comfort to any child in need by the donation of new, homemade and washable quilts. Again there are various ways you can get involved with this charity and it is worth looking at the specific sizes of quilts they request. |
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MORSBAGS - Sociable Guerilla Bagging
Not a charity, more a movement. Morsbags' aim is to provide re-usable fabric shopping bags and reduce the use of plastic carrier bags. The idea is that you make these simple fabric bags from your own stash and give them away - take extra bags to the supermarket, hand them out at shows. No charge, just spread a little joy and help illiminate a bit of plastic waste from polluting the environment. A great way to use some of that slightly improbable fabric you have in your stash! |
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MORE FREE RESOURCES
Having made a Great Success of the Tutor Boxes for the Modern Quilt Group, we thought it would be good to carry these forward with new ideas and inspirations, to encourage sewing and fun... The last few samples are now being sent out, and will not be replaced. Click on the image to find out more... These are free resources for small groups working together or individual quilters. They can be printed off and used for groups working together, but are not designed for teaching commercially and must not be amended or republished. |
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I am pleased to announce that I have a group of my big quilts travelling with GROSVENOR SHOWS at their Spring 2025 Exhibitions. To kick things off in style I will be accompanying the quilts for the first show of the year with demos and small classes.
Come and meet me at The Newark Showground on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th January 2025 Both my prize winners from Festival of Quilts 2022 will be on display including NEW PERSPECTIVES shown right. |
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My choice this month (HB writes) and this is a quilt I fell in love with when I saw it on an on-line round up of quilts seen at this year's QuiltCon exhibition in the States. I love the use of square and oblong blocks as well as that strong black & white stripe to tie everything together (also used in the binding).
This is a small section of FEELIN' GROOVY by prolific Modern quilter, Linda Hungerford, and can be seen - with lots of her other quilts - on her blog, FLOURISHING PALMS. |
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This month's PINTEREST board, BEST LAID PLANS, has a whole mix of different projects, large and small, including lots of projects to keep your sewing things tidy. Hopefully you'll find something to tantalise your tastebuds and get you sewing again after the Christmas break | ||||||
| Our mailing address is:- 4, The Raveningham Centre, Beccles Road, Raveningham, Norfolk, NR14 6NU. United Kingdom | |||||||