Spinning Squares workshop at Gresford

I taught my new workshop. "Spinning Squares", for the first time today. It is designed for Layer Cakes or 10in squares.

With such a wide range of Layer Cakes and 10in cuts available now, I wanted to make the most of that cut. It would seem a bit illogical to pass up the opportunity to make something that would give you a head start if made from a Layer Cake, i.e. a design which hinted at it's prigins as a stack of squares rather than something that could be made just as easily from yardage or a strip cut.

Cutting the squares in layers with an irregular wedge design produces a lively and interesting block when the pieces are reassembled, with the quilters learning how to position the pieces for neat centre points in the process! Not the simplest of things to do, but useful once you have learned how to work with triangles of various angles - something you can apply to other blocks and patchwork designs.

Tracey had chosen the same Moda Layer Cake I am going to use for my next workshop sample - "Urban Couture" by Basic Grey (they also design scrapbooking papers etc.) It is a funky, modern range with lots of large scale prints. I'm looking forward to seeing her finished quilt top and working with the same fabrics myself.


Caroline used a selection of small floral prints with checks and other tiny patterns, in pinks and creams, while Debbie chose deep blues and turquoises, including some batiks and metallic prints.

Sylvia also had a selection of batiks and prints, including gold prints, having cut squares from one of Dot Sherlock's (Quilter's Needs) fat quarter bundles. Dot has a knack for putting together tempting fabric combinations. Purples, blues and greens always work and must be one of the most popular colour combinations for quilters in the UK.

Dee brought a selection of gold prints with traditional Christmas motifs and colours. I hadn't thought about how well this would work with Christmas fabrics - I must add a Christmas Spinning Squares to my list of workshop samples, perhaps with a Christmas version of the Super Strips quilt as well!