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Stitching that is flexible and portable, QAYG Hexie with some Chicken Scratch embroidery. Very much a take along, pick up put down project that I can see myself working on long term, but started here with the household disruption of building and decorators 🤦🏽♀️, patchwork for every occasion 😆🧵🪡.
#quiltasyougo #quiltingonthego #QAYG #hexies #chickenscratchembroidery #portablepatchwork #scrapquilt #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
Loving seeing all the blocks and quilts coming along for the #quiltingonthegosewalong2025 ☺️. @yotawillis is doing such a great job of keeping us on track and inspiring us 🙏🧵🪡.
This weeks block needs a bit of concentration as the diamonds actually do have a long and a short side 🤷♀️.
The setting for the Arrowhead block is one of my favourite, a simple courthouse steps of fabric strips. This would be great as a whole quilt, too many ideas, too little time ! #handpiecing #handpieced #handstitching #handstitchquilt #quiltinprogress #sewalong #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
Finishing off some appliqué blocks and trying out different threads. Swapping between Aurifil number 50 and 60. And still looking for the perfect for everything colour 🤣. What are your favourite colours and thread weights for hand appliqué?
#handappliqué #handapplique #aurifilthread #scrapquilt #backbastedneedleturnapplique #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #quiltinprogress
Oldie but a goodie, string patchwork and it can be put together QAYG! What’s not to love, and what’s to stop you making a quilt? #patchworkquilt #stringquilt #quiltasyougo #QAYG #quiltingonthego #searchpress #wastenotwantnot #usewhatyouhave #sewyourstash #reusereducerecycle #scrapquilt #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
I had a little blast of sewing yesterday and I’m almost half way through, 7/16 the basket blocks 😃. I started to square them up ready for putting together and I played with some layout ideas. All this keeps me going when there are still blocks to quilt. How do you keep motivated in a long ongoing project? #patchwork #quiltinprogress #quiltasyougo #QAYG #libertyfabric #libertytanalawn® #machineappliqué #EPP #machinequilting #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
You know it’s never too early to talk about what you are entering for @thefestivalofquilts this year! This was my offering last year, I suppose you could say it’s my characteristic scrappy all put together for ease with a QAYG method!
If you’re planning your trip, then think about entering a quilt to inspire others, after all that’s what we are all going for! I entered this into the Traditional Category last year and it’s so exciting to see your quilt beautifully hung ☺️. The category is sponsored by @vlieseline_uk a company close to my heart, having grown up sewing with their products!
I’m still deciding which quilt to enter this year, how about you?
#festivalofquilts #vlieselinefreudenberg #vlieselinebatting #patchwork #traditionalquilt #handquilted #QAYG #scrappyquilt #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #quiltingonthego
Whilst my sewing is temporarily on hold (builders in 🤷♀️), I’m going down rabbit holes of inspiration 🧐. I’ve been collecting together all my work using #quiltersgrid from @vlieseline_uk and getting inspired to get the full creative use from its design potential. It’s such a great way to prep blocks before stitching, then sew them when the machine is accessible again!
What’s inspiring you today?
#patchwork #vlieselinequiltersgrid #quiltingnotions #onepatchquilt #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
This is the next block on the #quiltingonthegosewalong2025 and it’s a fun one for those fussy cutters amongst us ! Check out the hashtag to see how everyone is doing! #handstitchedquilt #handstitchedpatchwork #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #searchpress
Stunning inspiration at the @vamuseum . Definitely worth a visit and even more so if you are thinking of travelling with me to India next year with @stitchtopiauk 🤓🧵🪡. #stitchtopiauk #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #textileinspiration
As always for me with EPP and fussy cutting, just how do you decide when you can’t make them all ? 🤷♀️🧵🪡 #epp #fussycutting #handstitching #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
All stacked up and ready to go. I’m aiming for one a day 🤓🧵. #quiltasyougo #quiltingonthego #QAYG
These basket blocks have been ready to go for 30yrs 🤦🏽♀️.
In my sorting out, and looking for a mindless project that I can stitch on the machine for the next few weeks, these fit the bill. They were originally paired with white calico but I didn’t like it and the background squares were cut too small all those years ago. So 16 of the baskets are now on a grey gingham ☺️.
The blocks were originally made EPP and I’ve now machine appliquéd them on with straight stitch and 28wt Aurifil thread . This is very old school done in the same way I see on vintage quilts, that combination of hand and machine work, just love it!
They are now all being quilted on a machine in a grid pattern (40wt thread) following the checks, one down, 15 to go! #quiltinprogress #EPP #quiltasyougo #QAYG #quiltingonthego #machineappliqué #machinequilting #scrapquilt #libertytanalawn® #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
My sewing week, before the builders moved in. Normal stitching will resume in a few weeks but in the meantime I’m a bit restricted 🤦🏽♀️. And it’s the sitting and hand stitching in the evening that I miss the most 🤷♀️🧵🪡.
#igquiltfest2025 day 28 texture.
Have a swipe through to see how I started on this Kawandi style mini quilt and you can see how the simple running stitches not only holds it all together but adds that hand quilted texture that we quilters are addicted too 😆🧵🪡. #handquilting #handquilted #quiltasyougo #quiltingonthego #QAYG #runningstitch #bigstitchquilting #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #kawandi #kawandiquilts #siddiquiltinspired
#igquiltfest #igquiltfest2025 #igquiltfest2025day27
Current WIP.
Do this in showing my most recently prepped quilt. The piecing had been done a while back and now I’m sandwiching the blocks ready to quilt. It’s going to be QAYG so that will make it nice and manageable, and hopefully be quilted sooner rather than later. I’m quilting on the machine in cross hatch as I loved the look of it when I did it on a sample way back of this block. The batting is @vlieseline_uk 80/20, always playing an important part in quilt making but invisible once finished 🤓. #patchwork #quiltinprogress #quiltasyougo #QAYG #quiltingonthego #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #vlieselinebatting
Hopping back on with #igquiltfest #igquiltfest2025 after a brief unintended pause 🤔. Binding Method.
If you have any of my books you’ll see me using either mitred or square cornered binding methods, machine sewn on from the front and hand finished on the back (with Aurifil 40wt, because thread matters 🤓), so nothing new for folks there.
But in String Quilts I ventured out to show big stitch finished binding and this one, that I term as a Hack.
It started with a vintage quilt I own that has binding like this, you start at a corner as if doing Square Corner binding , but then continue round with mitres , finishing with the square corner. And I love it, for me it uses the best of both worlds. And as much as I feel binding is one of the most important parts of the quilt, when I use this binding, no one ever notices, because that’s just it, nobody notices all the little things, just the big picture 🤷♀️🧵🪡. #quiltbinding #bindingaquilt #patchwork #scrapquilt #miniquilt #patchworkquilt #stringquilt #stringquilts #searchpress #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #igquiltfest2025day26
Every so often I go off on a stitching tangent, and lately for me it has been this one stitch Sashiko. I’ve been sewing it on gingham as it was to hand and I’d seen a Japanese sample stitched with it . It meant I didn’t have to mark a grid too 🤓. I tried stitching from samples I saw, but really needed the guidance of a book, swipe to see. This was gifted by @searchpress 🙏. I’ve stitched a few samples and love the process, but now I’m re energised with my own stitching ideas I’ll be putting it away for a while.
What do you do to recalibrate your sewing mojo ? #sashiko #onestitchsashiko #runningstitch #mindfulstitching #searchpress#carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
Just loving my linen log cabin quilt in issue 125 of @todaysquilter ☺️. Thanks for another lovely publication! #todaysquilter #todaysquiltermagazine #logcabinquilt #patchwork #scrappyquilt #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts #bigstitchquilting #baptistfanquilting #handquilted #handquilting #aurifil12wt
#igquiltfest #igquiltfestday21 other hobbies?
In doing and researching one activity (patchwork, quilting and appliqué) I often hit upon other stitchy crafts. One of these that has stuck as opposed to trying it and moving on is Chicken Scratch embroidery 🤓🧵.
So much to stitch and research with this and then to share with others! It’s usually stitched on gingham, but I’ve been exploring other ways to create the designs and this latest one ended up on a book bag 🧵🪡. So many avenues to go down with needle and thread ! #embroidery #chickenscratchembroidery #broderiesuisse #bookbag #makeityourown #handstitching #handstitched #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
Catching up with #igquiltfest #igquiltfest25 and Comfort Zone.
This is my go to, a running stitch. When I don’t know what to stitch, or I don’t want to have to think about it, it’s always a running stitch, be that for quilting or piecing 🤓🧵🪡. #runningstitch #handstitching #handstitched #straightstitch #carolynforster #carolynforsterquilts
