together, end to end, in pairs to
make four long strips.12
Measure your quilt vertically
through the centre. Trim two
of the long strips to this length. Sew
them to the left and right edges of
the quilt. Press seams outwards.13
Measure your quilt horizontally
through the centre. Trim the
remaining two long strips to this
length. Sew them to the top and
bottom edges of the quilt. Press
seams outwards.FINISHING
14
Cut the backing fabric in
half and remove the selvedges.
Sew the two pieces together side by
side with a^11 ⁄ 2 in seam allowance and
press it open.15
The backing, batting and quilt
top are ready for a longarm
machine as they are. If you’re doing
the quilting by hand or on a domestic
machine, refer to Step 10 on page
112 to layer and baste the quilt.16
Quilt as desired. Kate free-
motion quilted an all-overpattern of swirls and loops on
her domestic sewing machine
in white thread.17
Repeat Steps 12-15 on
page 112 to trim, bind and
label the quilt using the eight
strips of green fabric you cut in
Step 2.KATE HENDERSON
How did come up with this idea for a modern
floral interpretation? Flowers are always a
‘go to’ when designing quilts. There are so
many interesting-shaped flowers out there,
and I’m always thinking about how I can
interpret those shapes.
What was your inspiration for the design?
I wanted something simple and used lots of
bright solids for a happy garden of flowers.
What’s next on the agenda for you and
your quilts? My book Scrappy and Happyhas recently come out, so I’m excited to
see the projects people make from the
patterns I’ve presented in it.
Do you like to participate in craft shows,
workshops and sewing bees? I love them. I’ve
been a bit stuck at home with children for the
past 12 years, and I’m just starting to be able
to get out more and get to workshops. It
doesn’t matter what people are teaching, you
always learn so much from the presenter and
also from the other people there. I always
come away so inspired.
How long have you been stitching? I’ve been
sewing I think forever and have been doing
embroidery on and off for more than 20 years,
but hand stitching is a new thing for me.
I started doing some English paper piecing
a few years ago and love it. I’ve just started
doing some hand piecing.
What’s the biggest stitching mistake you’ve
ever made? I make small ones all the time,
like stitching the wrong things together. I do
remember finishing a dress once and while
snipping the last threads off , I snipped a hole
in the skirt of the dress.
And what’s been your greatest crafting
success story? Writing my books; I never
thought that would ever happen. But I’m
always pretty happy when I make something
one of my 12-year-olds will wear!Do you have any stitching secrets you’d
never share – like Colonel Sanders’ and his
secret herbs and spices? No – I don’t think
I’ve invented anything new; I interpret things
in my own way, but I owe a lot to all the
stitchers and quilters I learnt from. I think one
of the best things about sewing and quilting
is sharing what you know with others.
Would you love to spend all day, every day
making your quilts or do you prefer to steal
some stitching time now and again? I like
to mix it up; if I am stuck on something, I go
and work on something else.
What’s the best tip you could pass on to a
beginner? Don’t overthink – just dive in and
have a go. You’ll learn and improve and find
your own style as you go along.
What’s your favourite:- Piece of music – A bit of everything. Loud
rock music definitely makes you sew faster,
but folk is better when you’re hand stitching. - Movie – Definitely ’80s teen movies. I love
that my girls are just getting to an age where
they enjoy watching them with me. - Sport – I’m not the biggest fan of watching
sport, but I do love watching my girls play
netball and basketball. It’s also great knitting
or stitching time, I find. - Book – Whatever I’m reading. Getting stuck
into a good book is one of my favourite things.
Gett ing to know ...
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