Meet the December contributors

Lesley Brankin: Maker of ‘The Village’

I am a textile artist and freelance needlecraft designer developing and promoting patterns both for my own range of patterns and on behalf of a number of clients. Although readily turning my hand to many different patchwork and embroidery techniques my favourites are wholecloth painting, foundation (paper) piecing, reverse appliqué and Japanese folded patchwork.

‘The Village’ was developed as a direct response to requests received for more ‘how to guidance’ regarding some of the appliqué and quilting techniques that I incorporate into my work. Often drawing upon architectural sources for my inspiration, the idea for designing a set of ‘mix and match’ buildings came to mind when looking through a pictorial book featuring village landscapes. I hope that you have as much enjoyment in making this project as I did.

Please visit www.lesleybrankinquilts.co.uk to see other examples of my patterns and/or view my latest exhibition quilts.

Rebecca Collins: Maker of the ‘Festive Screen’

Since being introduced to patchwork while living in Africa many years ago, my interest in the craft has become what my sister once said, “Rebecca has found what she wants to do when she grows up!”

The Christmas hanging was prompted by my husband who wanted something to hide the television screen during the festive season. It has been so successful that I will now have to make others for the rest of the year – eventually! I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did - mainly while visiting my husband in hospital when he was acquiring a new knee.

A fairly major health hiccup stopped my usual patchwork workshops for awhile, but I have now resumed some teaching.  For information on the workshops available, email me on rebecca@dermaguard.co.uk

Betty Croke: Maker of the ‘Table Centre’

I have been knitting, sewing and embroidering since I was quite small. I took up quilting for the first time about twelve years ago after a visit to a cousin in America. For many years I had been teaching machine knitting and designed and sold knitwear patterns, but at the time of my visit knitting was a dying interest and the time was ripe for a new hobby. I love to design my own interpretations of traditional patterns and there was so much more scope in the use of colour than I had had in my knitting, that I soon fell in love with this new discipline. I also love to teach and was soon involved in taking classes both at home and at my local quilt shop. This has grown so that I now give talks to various groups, showing my quilts. I have a great many of these and the most common comment I get is that there is such a variety in my work. I don’t like to repeat things and am always looking for a new approach or new technique which I can pass on.

While on a recent visit to my cousin I noticed she had a new table centre in Autumn colours which I very much admired. When I got home I decided to make something similar for my table, though I used a different design which allowed me to try out a new technique for making an accurate square in a square. I thought it would also look nice in Christmas fabrics to use over the holiday. The result is the table centre pattern in this December issue.

If anyone wishes to know more about my talks or classes please contact me by phone on 01819730162 or by e-mail at betty.croke3@virgin.net and I will send a list of my classes etc.

Christine Thomas and Melyn Robinson: Makers of ‘Salsa Spin’ and ‘Seaside Salsa’

We have been friends and quilters for more than 25 years. Salsa Spin was the result of an experimental fun day where we challenged ourselves to create a project suitable for Christine to teach in a workshop. We have since worked together on several different patchwork projects. Two of them ‘Button Bag’ and ‘Spinning Star Table Runner’ are available as free patterns to download on Melyn's website www.luckleywood.com . Christine teaches regular classes and workshops and details of these together with free bag patterns are on her website www.xtinequilts.co.uk

Anja Townrow: Maker of ‘A Family Christmas’

After making a Lone Star quilt with Batiks, I was inspired to make another one, intending to use up my scraps of Christmas fabrics. I was keen to add the blue and I think it adds something extra. Of course, after completing the quilt, I seemed to have more Christmas scraps than before!

I teach workshops in a variety of techniques and styles, aiming to provide an enjoyable day for people of all skill levels.

Contact:
Anja Townrow
44 Brookhouse Road
Walsall
WS5 3AD
01922 722798
07976625504
www.anjatowrow.com
email:anja@anjatownrow.com