Today's Quilter - UK (2019-11)

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COUNTRYSIDE QUILTING l planning for winter

Waste not, want not

Although I write lists, they never seem to get any

shorter. I am currently remaking my alternative

advent calendar quilt – the quilt itself has twenty-five

houses all with opening, numbered doors that have a

charm or special button inside for you to hang on the

Christmas tree. The door to the last and biggest house

on the quilt is to be opened on the 25th of December

where you’ll find a star or an angel to put at the top

of the tree. I made the first one in my usual palette of

blues, greys and reds, but would like to sew another in

a winter night’s sky theme –we have some really sweet

snow fabric with trees in the shop at the moment and

I can just hear it crying out to be used for this! I’d like

to possibly add more reindeer with little patchwork

rugs on this time. There’s a certain fascination of little

houses in the snow, which I think possibly comes from

the idea of escapism from the real world – like a story

or fairy-tale; it greatly appeals to me to tell a story

in my quilts. I am also working on some new crazy

patchwork Christmas stockings, which are so good

for using up small bits of festive fabric; I never like to

throw anything away.

This year, we will be making a dolly bed with a mini

quilts, a pie-crust mattress and lovely, little pillows

at my Christmas class. It would make such a special

present for a little girl, and it can even have mini

stocking hanging on the end of the bed. The little bed

came from IKEA, so I better buy some more before

they all run out! I was so saddened this week to hear

that plastic has been found in the Arctic snow, and it

made me think that I must try harder to avoid plastic,

as the Scandinavian/northern landscape is such an

inspiration to me. Speaking of which, Sandra Meech

from Somerset had a wonderful solo exhibition at

the NEC with work depicting the flooding of the

SomersetLevelsandthe

eects of climate change, including her

wonderful Arctic themed work. Sandra uses photo

imagery, dyeing and painting as well as stitch, and the

end results are truly brilliant. I hope Sandra, Quilt Art

and Natural Solutions will all having exhibitions here

next year – it would be a real feast for the eyes.

New beginnings

I can't believe how fast time flies! It seems like only

yesterday that I wrote my first column for To d ay' s

Quilter, and now here I am writing the last one in the

series. I have absolutely loved creating these articles

for you, and receiving all of your very kind comments

about it along the way – I do hope my mad columns have

made you laugh! Although, I do have to admit that with

Christmas around the corner, and so many quilts still to

be stitched, I am also very pleased to be concentrating

just on my sewing for a while. In fact I am already

working on some patterns for the magazine... From next

issue, I leave you in the very capable hands of Jo Avery,

who I wish a very happy year of writing. I would also like

to take the opportunity to say another big thank you to

everyone who contributed in any way to the Quiltathon.

Each of the 70 quilts was made with love and care,

ready to be received by their new owners courtesy of St

Petrocks charity. I do hope they give someone who really

needs it a huge, quilted hug. Well done everyone!

For now, it’s back to the sewing. Love to you all – Jo x

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stitched up by Hazel Brookham

NEXTMONTH:JOAVERY’S

CREATIVECORNER

CatchJo’sfirstcolumnonhowto

chooseandmixcoloursforyourquilts

in issue55,onsale31stOctober2019.

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