Reflections by Threaded Together

The Threaded Together group of quilters displayed some of their work at the Newark Quilt Show this year, and it’s interesting to see how their group came together during lockdown and how they have continued to grow and support each other; their virtual workshops developing over time into friendships. They continue to meet as a group through residential holidays, face to face catchups and online, as they started.

They say they are ‘Threaded Together by experience, inspiration and friendship’ and that’s great, but not unusual amongst crafters.

The quilts they displayed in Newark were all quite different, but all equally amazing.

STORIES OF CHILDHOOD, PHIL ADAMS

STORIES OF CHILDHOOD, PHIL ADAMS

I could have spent way longer than I did looking at this small but absolutely packed quilt titled ‘Stories of Childhood’ - it’s an eclectic celebration of vintage textiles, embroidered family heirlooms and woodblock printing combined to help the maker remember their favourite childhood tales. I loved it and there was much included that I remembered from my childhood - and the rhyme above - which I’d forgotten about until now, and I did have a chuckle to myself at the memories which came flooding back.

I did warn you that they were all quite different and this is a complete step change isn’t it? This one aims to evoke the hush that follows a celebration with scattered memories, softened emotions and the dimming glow of the once bright lights.

REFLECTIONS - AFTER THE PARTY, JACKIE GOULDING

And even if you didn’t know that, it’s a great study of colour isn’t it?

This next one is based on a photo the maker took of two ladies selling scarves and hats which uses silks and ribbons for the background as a representation of the prolific colours on that trip to Mexico.

STREET SELLERS OF SAN CRISTOBAL, ANNE FARNELL

There’s less colour in this one, but I was drawn to the skies and the poems on the cliffs. They are the cliffs at Saltdean and the quilt is a reflection on the life of a dear friend of the maker named Cliff.

CLIFF’S, JULIE KONRAD-KOSICKI

CLIFF’S, JULIE KONRAD-KOSICKI

This next quilt is a reflection on a month-long trip to India with the images based on photographs taken - it is very India, and it makes me want to go back to see and experience more of this fascinating country.

INDIAN ADVENTURES, LORRAINE ORGAN

INDIAN ADVENTURES, LORRAINE ORGAN

I’m itching to get back to my sewing machine, and the many (and ever increasing) projects I have in mind and planned, soon hopefully, soon.

Modern Quilts by Mandy Munroe

It’s been a while since I’ve shared some quilts from this year’s Newark Quilt Show, so today I’ve got some brightly coloured modern designs to share. The quilts here are all made by Mandy Munroe for a variety of modern quilting magazines over the past twelve years or so, and it was great to see them all together. Mandy says this is just a small selection of her quilts, and I’d love to see them all, but for now I’m happy just seeing, and sharing, these - I hope you enjoy them too.

, MANDY MUNROE

The show notes also said that it took Mandy a while to get used to designing quilts six months ahead of publication, so making winter quilts in summer and vice versa, but with access to top-secret fabric prints pre-release must have been thrilling, even if they couldn’t be shared widely, just yet.

I love the colours in the next two square based quilts, but I’m under no illusion to the amount of work in either of these. The Happy Squares quilt below brings ‘doodles in [Mandy’s] notebook were brought to life’ against the colourful squared backgrounds. I’m not sure my doodles could be a quilt, or even if they’d ever be this structured!

HAPPY SQUARES, MANDY MUNROE

CHEQUERBOARD, MANDY MUNROE

And what’s better than a chequerboard - well a chequerboard within a chequerboard of course! This quilt was made from scraps, and the smaller chequerboards meant that using every small scrap was possible.

BUCKLE UP, MANDY MUNROE

Mandy notes that for the Buckle Up quilt above she’d had the bold repeat pattern in her notebook for a while, and with this fabric she ‘went large!’ - I like it, and I like how the shapes make your eyes keep moving over the design.

This next one appeals for the colours, and is an experimentation of different colour combinations pieced into square blocks, and I can see what Mandy means when she says the finished quilt looks like a summer garden with umbrellas (from above).

AL FRESCO SAMPLER, MANDY MUNROE

The brief for this quilt was colours of the Kasbah, and the design is based on a motif that Mandy saw everywhere in Marrakesh. It’s great isn’t it, and I love how the bright colours pop against the neutral background.

KASBAH STAR, MANDY MUNROE

Now this one is very clever, and uses a bundle of Dear Stella Intermix basics which clearly I now need to check out! The bold prints were used on the triangles and the paler prints used to create streaks across the sky - I’m definitely a little bit in love with this one.

INTERSTELLA, MANDY MUNROE

What also struck me though was not every quilt needed to be quite so detailed. These next two take repeating shapes and are no less impactful for it. The one below was for a ‘Monochromatic with a pop’ issue and Mandy kept the design minimalistic and graphic.

MONOCHROMATIC, MANDY MUNROE

STACK, MANDY MUNROE

The quilt above according to the show notes was ‘possibly inspired by containers loading at the docks’ - and now I can’t unsee that, it just goes to show that inspiration is everywhere if we take time to notice it.

WINDOWS AT KEW, MANDY MUNROE

This final quilt was inspired by the brickwork surrounding the windows at Kew Palace, and is based on a photo that Mandy took and then simplified. And if you let your imagination wander it’s perfectly possible to imagine the flowers reflected on the glass.

They’re all brilliant quilts, and I’d be hard pressed to choose a single favourite from them, but what about you - is there one that speaks, or sings to you?

A quilting triangle challenge

The Exe Valley Contemporary Quilt Group displayed their triangle challenge quilts at the 2026 Newark Quilt Show, and the results were thought provoking as perhaps not all of the triangles were quite what you’d think. Many quilting blocks use triangles, notably the half square triangle, which is pretty self descriptive. But the group’s challenge allowed any medium or technique, and the only criterion was that the quilt should include at least one recognisable triangle of any size.

I loved to see how the individual quilters interpreted the challenge, and I hope you do too. The challenges are set by members and quilters from across the region from North Dorset to South Cornwall participated.

Here’s some of the ones I loved from the display:

LET’S GO FLY A KITE BY SALLY HARRADINE

If triangles were the challenge my mind wouldn’t automatically go to kites, but the inspiration for this one came from looking out the window on a blowy day and thinking that it would be fun to fly kites with the grandchildren - and so the triangles are incorporated in amongst the kites, in what I think is a really effective and dreamy looking quilt.

I’ll admit that the next one is my favourite from this display, I love its contemporary-ness, plus it uses scraps and simple stitches, and hand sewing - all of which appeal to me.

TWELVE TRIANGLES BY JANE SYERS

TWELVE TRIANGLES BY JANE SYERS

But look at the detail, and how the triangles are included. So very clever, meets the brief in a quiet and understated but also impactful way. Bravo!

NOT SO TRADITIONAL HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES BY PENNY KUROWSKI

NOT SO TRADITIONAL HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES BY PENNY KUROWSKI

I mentioned half square triangles at the top of this post, and this quilt uses them in a not so traditional way, again with scraps but also the plain triangle is organza, which is way harder to sew with so I take my hat off to this quilter and her shimmery creation.

COLOURS OF ANDALUCIA BY MANDY WINTER

I love the colours and patterns in this quilt which is inspired by visits to Spain, and influenced by and created in the style of artist Poul Webb. The triangles form the sky and the grassland, but also the mountains are kind of triangles too right?

So it just goes to show, not all triangles are equal, or even equilateral!