Quilt Goals with Fat Quarter Shop

As a Quilter one of the most exciting things you can hear from a friend is “Can you show me how to make a quilt?”  All the emotions start running as you know that the adventure ahead for your friend is going to be amazing and hopefully the start of their own loved and long quilting journey.

I have been invited by Fat Quarter Shop to participate in the Quilt Goals 2023 Challenge and my Goal was to help a friend with Quilting for the first time.  I thought that it might be helpful to share with you, my top 5 Tips for Teaching a friend to Quilt.

 

1. Keep is Simple

For someone starting out in quilting – choose a pattern that is simple in design but big on impact.  Repeated blocks work well as you can focus on teaching them the importance of a 1/4in seam allowance and how to sew one block – which they can then gain confidence in sewing by repeating and seeing their skills grow as they make the blocks.  They will love seeing their stack of blocks grow and it spurs their enjoyment of quilting.

 

This design is my Liberty Belle Quilt and it uses a repeated block pattern to achieve this stunning quilt.  How amazing are the colours from Melody Millers Curio Collection for Ruby Star Society.

Get the Liberty Belle Quilt pattern here

2. Colour Confidence 

This takes time for quilters to develop and will grow and change over time.  Start out using collection. These already have colour combos worked out and work really well together. This means at this early stage for a new quilter they can work on their skills of sewing rather than being worried or unsure of what colours work well together or if it will turn out ok.  Fabric collections take out the guesswork.

3. Get the right Equipment 

Setting up the sewing machine with a 1/4in foot will be such a game changer.  Often when people are new to quilting, they take the machine straight out of the box or dust it off (a gift from a great Aunt) and start quilting and soon run into trouble when all the points and blocks don’t line up.  While this isn’t about perfection – it is about having the machine “Quilt ready” with the correct foot for quilting. 

4. Borders – make or break!

Not all quilts have borders but when they do this can be the make or break of how a quilt looks.  Make sure you correctly teach your friend to measure and then cut the Border strips to fit the quilt top measurements.  Just sewing border strips to the quilt top, then cutting off the excess can result in flared or buckled quilts once quilted.  By doing it this way you can be adding length to the quilt top and this is why the borders then flair out.  It is important to measure and cut each border strip to size.  You can watch here to see how to do this.

 

How to get Perfect Borders – 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbxLmNXDZWD/  

 

5. Binding is fun!

I know it can often be that part that many quilters aren’t that over the moon about but I wanted to share a couple of my favourite ways to Bind so that you can easily love binding yourself and show your friend how it can be relaxing and that last final touch to a quilt. 

 

Continuous Corner Binding Tutorial – https://www.blog.tiedwitharibbon.com/2018/01/how-to-sew-your-quilt-binding.html

 

How to invisibly sew down your Binding - https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgwNv3ljYwF/

 

 

With these tips, you and your friend will absolutely love quilting up a storm together.

Liberty Belle Quilt Pattern

If you loved it to – make sure you keep up to date with all the Tied with a Ribbon News here - https://subscribepage.io/TWARnewsletter

Happy Quilting

Jemima x 

The Liberty Belle Quilt Glow Up

Once upon a time.... I wrote my very first Quilt pattern.  It is called the Liberty Belle Quilt.  I adore this version still to this day that I made from my Liberty stash along with some Linen.  It is all hand quilted and this was made for my oldest daughter who had a hand in choosing the Liberty fabrics that made up the colour palette.   It was one of the first patterns I released in my Tied with a Ribbon range and always has been a quilt I have loved.

Back in 2015 when it was released it was written in one size only.  It had been on my mind to revisit this quilt pattern and give it a glow up so that I could now remake a new version and add lots more value to this pattern that has proved to be even so popular still today.

So fast forward to today....... and a bundle of Tula Pink Daydreamer later and I had a new cover girl star for this pattern.  

Here is the stunning Queen size version of my Liberty Belle Quilt which has undergone a “Glow Up”.  This size uses a Full FQ Bundle. I used the beautiful @tulapink Daydreamer fabrics. 🦩 🦐 🌈 🦋 🐆 🥝🍍

The new pattern now includes:

🧡 Available in 4 sizes (Baby, Lap, Single and Queen size)
💛 Pre-cut Friendly (Jelly Roll for the Baby, Lap and Single sizes)
💚 Cutting Layouts included
❤️ Colouring Pages included
💜 Beginner Friendly 
💙 Fast and fun to make

You can get the Liberty Belle pattern here

Wholesale through Creative Abundance and in all the best Local Quilt Stores. 

Happy Quilting

Jemima x x

Cover Girl!

When I first started Quilting on a "professional" level it was one of my dreams to be asked by Homespun Magazine to make a Quilt for them. Earlier this year I had my Sew Reel Quilt published in May.  This was an absolute thrill as it was so exciting to see my first major quilt published within its pages as well as being on the cover.  

In July my "Every Which Way" quilt was published and now in November I am  over the moon to have my third quilt published for Homespun.  This quilt - "Liberty Belle"  is a particularly special quilt as it was made for my oldest daughter.  She had a very big hand in the creation of the quilt choosing the Liberty prints and the colour way she most loved.  Within the published feature is an article all about how she shared in this quilt.  

Liberty Belle has been exquisitely styled for the front cover and I just love how beautiful it looks (although I am slightly biast).  This quilt also has been completely hand quilted - this was a big undertaking but so well worth every stitch I made as I know Shay will have this quilt for many years to come and I would love to think it is even an heirloom she would treasure to pass on to her own family some day.

I have been keeping buys with a little wardrobe updating over the past weeks.  I have made another Wiksten Tank.  

This is my go to summer top pattern and this new one is now my third.  I love how versatile they are.  This pattern is great and comes together easily in about 1.5 hours.  My newest one is made from Liberty Lawn in Tresco from Alice Caroline Fabrics. 

I also could not resist making these City Gym Shorts from The Purl Bee - well three pairs - one for me (Chambray and Nani IRO), one pair for Shay (Chambray and Liberty Lawn) and one pair for Ash (Chambray and Kokka Metallic Raindrops).  This free pattern/tutorial was well written and the shorts were quick to make and I can see that there also will be many more of these cute shorts made over the summer.

Jemima x x