Learn the art of quilting and patchwork
Posted by Sarah Ashford on Jul 12th 2021
There's nothing I love more than passing on the 'quilting bug' to those who are yet to experience the joy of patchwork. I've taught in the US and the UK, and I run a regular sewing group in my hometown of Wellington in the UK. In these pandemic times I've turned to zoom to teach, and while it will never be the same as being with others face to face, busying ourselves with fabric and thread and coming together virtually has been a wonderful distraction from all that's going on in the world.
I'd love to give everyone who wants to learn to quilt a private lesson, but there are just not enough hours in the day! So what better way than to share my knowledge in my debut book, Jump into Patchwork and Quilting. It's the perfect starting point for the beginner quilter and I take you through the quilting process, step by step. The best thing is, you can work at your own pace and I'll be there whenever you need me. With six projects, each covering a different skill, you'll be learning progressively, with the final sampler quilt featuring all the skills you've learnt along the way.
Before we even set about quilting, I cover the very basics, including advice on tools, notions, thread, choosing a sewing machine and putting fabrics together. Then I talk about the all important stages of cutting, piecing, quilting, basting, binding.
The first project in the book is the Pretty Patchwork Pillow; it's a great opportunity to have fun putting together your favorite prints and colors. Cutting squares is also the best way to practice using a rotary cutter and ruler. With a simple envelope back, the pillow comes together really quickly. Warning: making patchwork pillows is addictive – you'll want to make one for every couch and chair in the house!
The next project is the Little Moon Mug Rug, which introduces half square triangles. Over size the units and trim them back to get perfect points. This is also the first project that uses binding; a skill that once you've mastered will allow you to finish quilts and small projects beautifully every time.
The Tea and Treats Table Runner, which features octagons, is very easy when you know a few simple patchwork tricks! This is another great opportunity to have fun with color and create a beautiful centrepiece for your home.
The remaining projects in the book are quilts, starting with the Making Waves baby quilt, featuring one of my favourite traditional quilt blocks, the Churn Dash. There are endless possibilities with this block, not to mention the fussy cutting potential, as I've done here, with the adorable young surfers catching the Malibu waves. With simple strip piecing, squares and half square triangles, this is the perfect beginner quilt.
My other favourite block is a log cabin, and for the Lazy Log Cabin quilt I've used fabrics completely from my stash to create this beautiful throw sized quilt. Organization and clear labelling of all your strips of fabric is key for this quilt, and once you've cut out all those strips, you will be surprised how quickly you can piece it all together!
The final project in the book is the cover star, the Cherished Sampler Quilt. This quilt captures my true loves; pink, hearts and traditional quilt blocks against a background of white to make the colors really pop.The pink fabric in the quilt is from my own Great British Quilter Back to Basics collection for Dashwood Studio, so this quilt is all the more special to me for it! It includes all the techniques used in the book; HSTs, strips, squares and the flip and stitch method to create those clever shapes such as the flying geese blocks and the stem on the Maple Leaf block. I hope you love making it as much as I did.
I am thrilled to have partnered with Aurifil thread to create the accompanying Jump into Quilting thread box, which includes 3 neutral colored threads, for all your quilting needs.The pink and turquoise threads, my favorite colors, give the perfect pop of color and are ideal for piecing, quilting and topstitching.
I hope reading my book and stitching up some of the projects is just the very start of your quilting journey and that it brings you as much joy as it did for me! Do find out more about my work and teaching on my socials. I'd love to connect with you!
Instagram: @sarahashfordstudio
Facebook: /sarahashfordstudio
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