In this video Linda explains how she uses many different colours of fabric scraps to create a simple pieced top and then works with embroidery stitches to add texture and visual impact. She explains her choice of thread colour and type and demonstrates how she uses basic fly stitch instead of a conventional quilting stitch to add a new dimension to the quilted surface. The top is machine pieced and the quilting is worked by hand. This idea can be scaled up or down to become a perfect project for all those scraps you’ve been hoarding!

You may not have a top of the range, sophisticated embroidery machine but have you really looked at the creative potential of the basic utility stitches on your sewing machine? In this video Laura demonstrates how she uses the automatic buttonhole feature to create fascinating colour, pattern and texture in her quilted projects. She explains exactly how she layers different types of fabrics before working the buttonholes and how she often cuts back through the top layer to create even more interesting colour and texture. Join her to see how she combines a functional machine technique with thoughtful design decisions for intriguing effects.

In this video Laura returns to her sewing machine to make inspirational use of its automatic utility stitches. If you love the effect of hand stitched seed stitching but find it too time consuming for your quilt projects you’ll love her machine stitched version where she exploits the bar tack function to great visual effect. This is a quick and easy method of introducing convincingly realistic seed stitch marks to your quilting. A great addition to your quilting vocabulary!

In this video Laura shows how a very traditional embroidery stitch can be used to create drifts of colour and texture at the same time as quilting the layers of your quilt. She explains how her closely spaced, handworked seed stitches modify the perceived colour of the fabric below and how they can be used to either blend colours or to emphasise them. Laura shows how receptive the heavily stitched fabric is to applications of fabric pastel if you choose to involve a final layer of colour once the quilting is complete. You’ll see lots of examples of the seed stitch technique involved very effectively in quilts that Linda and Laura have made over the years.