by GillyMac | Jan 5, 2022 | blog, Patchwork, Sewing Made Simple, Tutorial
Of the many things I made in 2021, this table runner is my favourite. Apart from many other qualities, it is an exercise in achieving perfect points. This runner and the accompanying Snowy Days Quilt were the projects in last Autumn’s Virtual Retreat; however,...
by GillyMac | Jun 30, 2021 | Applique, Beginners, blog, Patchwork, Sewing Made Simple, Tutorial
Following on from last week’s tutorial on raw edge applique, let’s have a look at using invisible thread. This tutorial follows some of the processes to create my Flower Power Quilt. Last week, with raw edge applique, we sealed the edge with thread. If the thread had...
by GillyMac | Jun 23, 2021 | Applique, Beginners, blog, Patchwork, Sewing Made Simple, Tutorial
This tutorial covers raw edge Applique. Next week, I will cover turned edge machine applique with invisible thread, often called invisible machine applique. With all machine applique, there are three steps. Preparing the applique piece Providing the first fix of it on...
by GillyMac | Jun 16, 2021 | Beginners, blog, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple
My criteria as to what makes a quilt pattern suitable for a beginner is The project shouldn’t be too big The pattern should have lots of diagrams and simple steps to follow or be accompanied by a good video. The project should teach you something new, but not too...
by GillyMac | Jun 2, 2021 | Beginners, blog, free, Patchwork, Patchwork Block, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple, Tutorial
In last week’s blog, we learned how to make Half Square Triangle Blocks. This week I have written an easy baby quilt pattern using them. My Super Quilt Baby Quilt is a simple quilt that is a winner every time. Each block is half colourful and half plain. You can...
by GillyMac | May 26, 2021 | Beginners, blog, Patchwork, Patchwork Block, Sewing Made Simple, Tutorial, Uncategorised
Half square triangles (HSTs) were one of the first patchwork blocks I learnt to make. They are easy to make and the design is really versatile. I have used HSTs in many different projects including bags, cushions, table runners, pouches and quilts. One of my absolute...
by GillyMac | May 19, 2021 | Beginners, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple
Quilters have been layering and basting quilts for centuries, and as there are lots of different methods. One thing to be clear about is that layering the quilt and temporarily holding it together before sewing, typically referred to as basting, are two different...
by GillyMac | Mar 31, 2021 | blog, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple, Temperature Quilt
A temperature quilt is a way of recording the temperature in a place or places over time in textile form. You can make it anything you want. It can have the maximum and minimum temperature in your location. It could have the temperature in your area and another place,...
by GillyMac | Mar 24, 2021 | Beginners, blog, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple
I am frequently asked ‘how much does it cost to start sewing?’. The amount of equipment and tools on the market is vast and can be confusing. In this post, I have boiled down what you need to just the bare essentials. There is always more to add, but let us start with...
