In this issue

Bursting with light and loveliness, this month’s projects are a beautiful mix of styles and techniques, all designed to bring some much-needed sunshine into your life. Kicking off this issues makes with a distinctly Moroccan vibe, is the Kasbah Star quilt by Mandy Monroe. Creating stars from half square triangles, the result is deceptively simple! Debbie Von Grabler-Crozier’s Day Out quilt is another reminder of why quilts (like life) don’t need to be complicated as she mixes her squares with triangles and patterns with plains, to stunning effect. Lynne Goldsworthy has worked her magic and created the gorgeous Beachcomber quilt, while Judith Hollies has turned her talenteds to Rex- the ultimate dinosaur quilt! For smaller projects and quick make’s, we have the perfect Beachcomber tote, a rather cute Butterfly peg bag and the fabulous Ombre cushion.
Away from the projects, Julie Sheridan catches up with collector-come-designer Christopher Wilson Tate and finds out about his vast collection of antique quilts and his exciting new collaboration with Moda. Dispelling any outmoded beliefs that quilting is women’s work, American designer Luke Haynes is the focus of this month’s feature From Building Blocks. With all this and much more, don’t miss this June issue.

Handy Hints For Project Success

If you are new to Popular Patchwork or sewing in general, following a pattern can be confusing. We want you to enjoy making the projects in the magazine, so to help you here are some questions we regularly get asked.

4 mins

Block Of The Month - Point Squares

Block Of The Month - Point Squares

3 mins

Novel Stitching

This spring, Jane Austen’s House Museum will unveil a very special quilt to commemorate Jane Austin’s life at Chawton in an exhibition entitled: Piecing Together Jane Austen. Elizabeth Betts describes a year in the making.

10+ mins

Wedding Quilts

Diana Woolf takes a fascinating look at the history of quilt making and the designs traditionally associated with weddings.

7 mins

Handy Hints For Project Success

If you are new to Popular Patchwork or sewing in general, following a pattern can be confusing. We want you to enjoy making the projects in the magazine, so to help you here are some questions we regularly get asked.

4 mins

Patchwork Of My Life Ruth Singer

Ruth Singer left a much-loved job in museum curating to follow her heart and has since become known for her amazing talents in stitching and fabric manipulation. Her recent projects have ranged from being an artist in residence and honorary fellow at Leicester University Department of Genetics to extending her Criminal Quilts project, which was originally commissioned for the Shire Hall Gallery in Staffordshire. Here we find out more about this versatile and scholarly artist.

2 mins

Ruaab - A Producer Company Of Women

How a group of women in India have taken their hand sewing skills into the international marketplace.

4 mins

Abigail Booth of Forest + Found

Louisa Goult talks to quilter and textile artist Abigail Booth, half of the crafts partnership Forest + Found.

5 mins

Down By The Riverside Competition

Back in May we launched a group design competition, in partnership with Lewis and Irene. Each group who entered was given a 10m length of the stunning ‘Down by the Riverside’ border print and the brief was to design a quilt to incorporate it. The entries were a varied and gorgeous mix of designs and choosing the winning quilts was a challenge. However, judging by the overwhelming response from visitors to the Popular Patchwork stand at The Festival of Quilts, we are confident in our final choice. Here we talk to the finalists about their experience of working as a group for this design challenge.

5 mins

Stuart's Surgery

Each month Stuart Hillard answers your quilty questions!

3 mins

Q&A Amy Butler

Amy Butler is known the world over for her stunning designs that include fabrics and textiles, sewing patterns, rugs, wallpaper, and fashion. She’s also the author of many best-selling craft books including her most recent, Piece Keeping. Here she tells us how she maintains her work-life balance as she launches her new Soul Mate fabric collection.

7 mins

Orange Peel

This striking modern quilt repackages a very traditional block.

2 mins

Swatch This Space

This month’s issue is all about muted shades accentuated with sharp, clean bursts of colour. The first two collections from Robert Kaufman and Birch Fabrics give us grown-up, minimalist style in the shape of Arroyo with its subtle markings, and Western Birds that depicts our feathered friends in a modernist style. Bag lovers will be delighted to hear that there’s a free download of the Trail Tote bag using the Arroyo fabric to be found at: robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/trail_tote_2073/ To Market, To Market by Emily Isabella for Cloud 9 injects colour and life with its depictions of market traders and their goods in delicate brush strokes whilst Artichoke Garden captures the gastronomic delights of Corinne Haig’s California upbringing.

1 min

Offers & Giveaways

For your chance to win one of this month’s giveaways, visit popularpatchwork.com and simply click on WIN! Select the competition you wish to enter and fill in your details. Good luck!

1 min

Elizabeth Betts In Love With Landscape

Living in a city situated between the sea and the South Downs means I’m never short of beautiful places to go for a walk. My constant companion is Dusty, my little whippet, and I am usually joined by another two-legged member of the family. The combination of natural surroundings and the repetitive motion of walking help to clear my head, as well as to help shift a few pounds.

2 mins

Horrid Histories

Murder and quilting are two words that rarely appear together in the same story, but the sorry tale of ‘Joe the Quilter’ brings the two together in a gory mix of crime and craft. And what makes the tale particularly interesting for Popular Patchwork readers is the fact that although Joe sounds like some character from folklore, his story is true and examples of his quilts can still be seen today at the Beamish Museum near Durham.

7 mins

Patchwork Of My Life

Louisa Goult loves to inspire others with her passion for quilting and developed her first beginner’s quilt pattern whilst working for Doughty’s. She’s gone on to develop her own successful business and sells her patterns and kits through sewmotion.com where she also offers tutorials. Here she tells us about her quilting quest.

2 mins

Your Forest Stars Quilt

Every month we show you how to bring one of our featured projects to life in your home. This month we’ve chosen to style the Star Blocks quilt 

1 min

The Fabric Of Life

A journey of creativity, self-belief and love has mapped out a path from one continent to another for Cassandra Ellis, piecing together and adding new sections has been the making of her – literally. Sophie Harper talks to the designer to find out about her world of quilts and love for design.

7 mins

Stuart's Surgery

Each month Stuart Hillard answers your quilty questions!

3 mins

Q & A Patricia Belyea

A trip to Kyoto was the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Patricia Belyea, whose love of Japanese textiles and passion for quilt-making is combined in her exciting new book East-Meets-West Quilts. Here, we find out how her journey unfolded.

7 mins

Patchwork Of My Life - Sara Cook

Sara Cook progressed from having the best-dressed teddies in town to dressing the opera stars at Glyndebourne. Now, this talented quilter and teacher is exploring the traditions of the Korean textile art, Bojagi. Here she tells us what gets her creative juices flowing.

5 mins

History In The Making

When The Quilters’ Guild acquired a 1718-dated patchwork coverlet, it was clear they had something very special in their possession, but what of its mystery maker? Diana Woolf talks to guild curator, Heather Audin, to find out more.

8 mins

Stuart's Surgery - Each Month Stuart Hillard Answers Your Quilty Questions!

Karen from Somerset emailed me recently with a dilemma I think most of us have experienced at some point in our quilting lives: “What are neutral colours and how do I use them?” Great question Karen, let’s see if we can give you a definitive answer…

3 mins

Read all stories from Popular Patchwork

Popular Patchwork Magazine Description:

"Popular Patchwork has been bringing the latest news and inspiration to quilters for over 15 years. Every issue is packed full of features, interviews and projects for beginner level to advanced quilters written by familiar names from the quilting industry. Our patchwork obsessed team love to bring you news of the latest fabrics and gadgets, dates and details of upcoming events, as well as reviews of new patchwork and quilting books.
Popular Patchwork publishes 13 great issues a year."