DesignMatters TV

What thread do we use for our machine quilting? In this article Laura will share her tips for how to choose the right thread for the effect you’re looking for.

A flip-through Linda’s hand-bound, plant printed sketchbook with drawing, painting and stamping.

Season’s Greetings everyone! Here is our Christmas card to you for 2022. You are welcome to download, save and print the image.

Inspiration can come from objects you live with everyday, and setting up a Still Life to work from can be a brilliant way to practise your skills of composition, drawing and painting. In this two-part workshop first Laura shows how to create a consistent environment for your arrangement, and shares tips and ideas for objects you might choose and how to place them.  

In the second part Linda encourages you to try a ‘back to front’ approach of painting first, drawing second, using a combination of oil pastel, watercolour and soluble pencils. It’s great fun, and a fast and free way to record what you see – perfect for getting to know your still life subject.

Linda is adding the final touches to her latest fish quilt using fabric painting. See how it’s coming along.

See the box that Linda made inspired by chameleons!

Linda’s working on a new quilt featuring monoprinted fish. Take a look at the piece in progress and see how she’s adding the quilting and painting.

Take a look at an antique Drunkard’s Path quilt which caught Laura’s eye recently.

Have a look at the drawings Laura’s been working on this week.

Linda talks about how you can integrate elements into your sketchbook or altered book and make them look like they belong.

Using photographs in design compositions can be exciting, but also tricky. Join Laura to see lots of examples and discover tips for success.

Join Linda in this set of two videos where she demonstrates how effective stamping with compressed sponge can be. This technique is suitable for use on both paper and fabric, but in this class Linda will focus on taking the ideas into fabric and will make a cushion from her stamped fabric that has stitch and beading to enhance the lovely printed texture. 

Laura demonstrates the Sketch module of Premier+ embroidery software to show how it can be perfect for creative quilting.

Many manufacturers of watercolour paints also make a range of mediums to extend the possibilities of their product. Join Linda to discover how she’s been experimenting with watercolour ground to allow her to paint on a box canvas surface.

Laura talks about her recent digitising project and shares a few tips on how to translate a sketchbook design into stitch using software.

Take a look at some of the highlights from the Portrait Artist of the Year exhibition at Compton Verney.

Take a look at some paintings from the British Portraits room at Compton Verney and explore how the artists represent the garments of the sitters with a particular focus on embroidery.

Join Linda in this set of two videos where she demonstrates how basic block printing techniques can be combined with traditional patchwork to simplify the piecing and create visually complex designs. We think these ideas can be applied to lots of different designs and will appeal to anyone who would like to add a really individual touch to their traditional quilt making.

The medium that you use has such a huge effect on the look of the work that you create. In this video Linda shows you how she explores different media in her sketchbook from pencil, to pen and wash and oil pastel resist with watercolour. 

Take a look at how Linda’s been using a combination of commercial digital stitch designs, freehand quilting and hand painting to produce a composition.

Join Linda in two videos where she demonstrates how to make useful and attractive embellishments for textile based mixed media work using a packaging material which is often simply discarded. You will probably already have most of the bits and pieces you’ll need to make the beads she uses for jewellery or to attach to hand made books as a decorative bookmark. Finally she distresses Tyvek to make fernlike appliqué motifs to upcycle an empty chocolate box.

Laura will show you how you can use a tracing method to quickly record a tonal study, both with crosshatching and wash. This is a great technique for developing a drawing as an end in itself, or as a preliminary study for something more.

Working from a photographic or sketchbook study as your inspiration, join Linda to use free applique to create a bird panel. Build layers with raw edged fabric scraps before using machine and hand stitch to add texture and detail.

We love making rubbings, they’re a great way to draw without really drawing. But have you ever considered how you can make transfers from your rubbings? In this video workshop Laura shows you how.

Try drawing with glue in your sketchbook and mixed media paintings. It’s a fantastic way to add line and texture to your work and the perfect base for flooding on washes of rich watercolour or acrylic. 

Learn how to use your needlefelting (Embellisher) machine to create a colourful fabric with felt and wool fibres. Then decorate it with appliqué spirals, and enhance with machine and hand stitch before constructing a simple triangular bag.

Make a smart and reusable bottle gift bag. We’re using cork fabric, but you can use anything from your stash.

Add a stylish touch to your Christmas gifts this year with a handmade and reusable plant pot cover. Just perfect for gifting that Poinsettia and making it look extra special!

Folded inserts such as prairie points are a fun way to add texture and embellishment to your quilt making, but they can also be much more. Join Linda for a workshop on how you an use them to create an intriguing new dimension to traditional blocks.

We’d like to wish peace and love to you all this Christmas with this free printable painting by Linda. See how Laura has used it to make greetings cards and gift tags.