Stash Buster Quilts. Lynne Edwards
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STASH-BUSTER QUILTS
Lynne Edwards
Time-saving designs for fabric leftovers
A DAVID & CHARLES BOOK
Copyright © David & Charles Limited 2006
David & Charles is an F+W Publications Inc. company
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
First published in the UK in 2006
Text and illustrations copyright © Lynne Edwards 2006
Lynne Edwards has asserted her right to be identified as author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
The designs in this book are copyright and must not be made for resale.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7153-2194-2 hardback
ISBN-10: 0-7153-2194-3 hardback
ISBN-13: 978-0-7153-2463-9 paperback (USA only)
ISBN-10: 0-7153-2463-2 paperback (USA only)
Printed in the United States of America by CJK
for David & Charles
Brunel House Newton Abbot Devon
Executive Editor Cheryl Brown
Editor Ame Verso
Assistant Editor Louise Clark
Head of Design Prudence Rogers
Project Editor Lin Clements
Production Controller Ros Napper
Visit our website at www.davidandcharles.co.uk
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To the memory of my dear old dad, God bless him, who was the one who suggested that Making Scrap Quilts to Use It Up needed a sequel.
Also to the memory of Pam Kearney, a much-missed Thursday Girl, and to Hazel Hurst and Phyll Howes-Bassett, dear friends who supported and encouraged me in everything I did. These two were my fairy godmothers and I miss them hugely.
To all my family, especially my brother and his wife, who were towers of strength when I needed them.
And finally, of course, to the quilters in Chelsworth, with whom there is never a dull moment. Still no respect but I can dream …
Contents
Bargello
Buzz–Saw
Squaring It Up
Squares on Point
Boxed Squares
Bits and Pieces Quilts
Tessellating Leaves
Scrap Lattice
Corner Square
Star and Nine–Patch
Small but Satisfying
Sheep in the Meadow
Perfect Patchwork Pig
Japanese Folded Patchwork Bag
Finishing a Quilt
Bordering a Quilt
Backing a Quilt
Ideas for Quilting
Binding a Quilt
Acknowledgments
About the Author
The Art of Stash-Busting
For more than four years I have been focused on finding, creating and developing quilt designs that will make some inroads into the piles of fabric that have accumulated relentlessly over the years – fabric on shelves, in drawers, in boxes and in piles on the floor. But I don't need to tell you about all that. If you have been a quilter for more than a year you know exactly what I am describing. To the uninitiated eye this represents the mindless accumulation of useless stuff (we won't even touch on the capital outlay involved). But what they need to understand is that when we buy fabric we are building and maintaining a collection. Collecting is just as much a creative activity as painting, writing novels or making quilts.
Everyone's collection is different. I don't feel a compulsion to buy autumn shades or really bright fabric. Soft shades and subtle tones of blues/greys/mauves/pinks are my areas of addiction. Our fabric choices are personal and probably colour co-ordinated and it is that element of a collection that appeals. Nevertheless, what we have to realize is that the longer a piece of fabric stays in a stash, the more it loses its power and attraction. It needs to be taken out, shaken, grouped with others that give it new life, as it gives new life to them. In other words we have to use some of our collection or it cannot grow and continue to give pleasure.
Don't be afraid to use the stuff: it justifies your collecting habit and after all, that's what it was made for. Reviewing my fabrics both for this book and my previous one, Making Scrap Quilts to Use It Up, proved to be an unexpected pleasure, like going to a family wedding or college reunion and meeting up again with people you had almost forgotten. Not only had I renewed my relationship with some lovely pieces of fabric but in using them in a quilt I have introduced them to other people who now also