Modern Quilts with Historical Roots in the English Countryside by Deborah McGuire.

Post Graduate Quilt Researcher

Quilt Magazine Columnist

Longarm Quilter

Modern Traditionalist Quilter

Hand quilting. One of life’s simple pleasures. I have long described the calming balm that hand quilting brings me. Just a spool of thread, a book of needles, a bar of beeswax and a sharp pair of scissors and you’re in business. I couldn’t really be without this. Someone told me once that its ability to soothe was because the rhythm of the rocking stitches falls in line with your heartbeat. Da dum, da dum, up and down, its like being gently rocked. And we’re off. I’m feeling the gentle creak of this old frame as it limbers back up after a long wait in a thatched attic for 3 decades. Like a prime athlete I can feel it has a muscle memory. I’m loving the softness of the tension that sits perfectly between sloppy and too taut, a sweet spot I’m always chasing in a hoop, yet the frame accommodates it perfectly. Those quilters of old knew what they were about. I was up first in the gloom to do some work on drawing out this pattern, you need to be early in this house to get first dibs on the long table before Sunday morning breakfast erupts 🍳. I’m still gradually marking up my epic #antiquequiltframechronicles project. This pattern is from an 1820 beautiful welsh quilt in the collection of @jen_jones_welsh_quilts and featured in Making Welsh Quilts by @red_alfreda and Clare Claridge. The back is a complete contrast - an improv piece inspired by another antique welsh quilt in #stfagansmuseum . I’m excited to see the dramatic detailed contrast of the structured detail quilt design and the improv patchwork. It is going to be hand quilted on my #antiquequiltframe as a modern exploration of the skills and practices of hand quilters of the past. #themidsummerharvestquilt Busy week. Double jabbed. Field full of teenagers. Good friends. Lovely lunch catch ups. Lots of writing. Lots of reading. Torrential rain. Football. New tech hell. Just a lot going on in every direction. Saturday night and I’m finally sitting and sewing! #saturdaynightcraftalong with @charmaboutyou #epp #hexagonpatchwork #remembermeforgetmenotquilt #linenquilt #libertyfabric It’s too hot to live indoors at the moment. This weekend we ran away to the field at the end of the garden to live out under the cool stars. Looks like this might be the extent of the teens festival fun this summer! #campinyourbackyard #teencamp #summer2021 #diyfestival 🏕 Quilt audit. I haven’t pictured this WIP #dadadeiladuquilt for a month or so, but I’ve been slowly working away on it in the background - hand quilting. It’s so hot at the mo so I’m contemplating packing it away until the autumn but I’m so close to done (less done on the side folded behind!) I’m usually a one-project-til-it’s-done-quilter (I have multiple piecing projects), but I like to just double down on one hand quilting project til it’s finished but this one might have defeated me for the summer. 🥵 Glorious summer birthday cakey symmetry. 🍓 🍓🍓🎂🎈🎁 Oh, how lovely to see the feature about my #apinchofmotheringquilt in this month’s @todaysquilter magazine in @sarahashfordstudio column alongside my @bbcradio4 #talkingpictures programme from back in 2017 that we made about the #annwestcoverlet at the @vamuseum plus lots of other treasures in #thequiltersguildcollection including the #redmanorhousequilt that we @thequiltersguild revisited back in 2018. Lots of links in the mag so do get yourself a copy or pop over to my blog (linked bio) to read more about these gorgeous old quilts and how you can use them to take inspiration for modern makes. This is such a bumper issue and its lovely to be alongside so many beautiful new quilts. Plus don’t miss our curator @audinheather and a fascinating interview with the always wonderful @barbarabrackman . Phew! Such a great read, i’d highly recommend getting a cup of tea and taking a sunny hour to enjoy! #todaysquilter @todaysquilter #sarahashfordstudio #quilthistorian #quilthistory #apinchofmotheringquilt #redmanorhousequilt #1718coverlet #annwestcoverlet #1820sappliquequilt #remembermeforgetmenotquilt #debmcguirequilts #imintheguild #qgbiregion7 Hasn’t it been just glorious this week?☀️☀️ My post-exam teenagers have been lounging about in the sunshine (spot that perpetual phone-in-hand-lazy-stretch behind the box balls) whilst I’m shut indoors in the shade tethered to a crappy laptop-