About Claire
Claire is a modern quilt designer and teacher, based in Stratford Upon Avon in the UK.
Claire has always had a love for sewing which was reignited when her children were born and needed a creative outlet for herself. It wasn’t long before quilts were the only thing she wanted to sew.
In 2020, during the pandemic, when Claire was stuck between never ending on-line lessons with her kids home-schooling, she designed her first quilt pattern, the Retro Metro Quilt. It was a way she could still channel her creativity when life wouldn’t allow much time behind the sewing machine. Since then, Claire has immersed herself into the quilt designing world and has had her work featured in Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine and justhands-on.tv videos.
Claire’s designs are Inspired by modern geometric designs and repeated patterns – – wherever she finds them – – including toilet tiles and the front covers of books. Claire is the designer behind Made Just Sew. Click her to see her bright, colourful designs.
Though not formally educated in art or teaching, Claire has excelled as a quilting teacher – – winning the Big Janome Skill Share in 2021. What makes her unique is her passion for quilting and a passion for sharing what she has learned.
Click here to watch Claire share her Walking Foot Quilting techniques in an episode of The Makers Studio.
Keep up to date and follow Claire’s quilt journey over on Instagram @madejustsew
Signature Technique
Quilting with a Walking Foot
Top Tips
- Pick your backing fabric first, then match your front colours to your backing. This works really well for those of us who love colourful printed fabrics for our backing.
- If you’ve struggled with quilting, use the walking foot. It makes quilting so much easier.
- Don’t be afraid to quilt straight lines across your patchwork. It gives your project enhanced depth and texture.
- Marking quilting lines with a hera marker provides a useful guide for your straight line quilting.
- Don’t worry about mistakes. We all do it! Remember, you can always unpick stitches and come at it fresh tomorrow.
- Use quilting gloves to help you guide your quilt under the walking foot. The sticky tips of the glove give you a little extra grip.
- If you want your quilting to stand out, choose good quality colour thread to contrast the top. Colour thread can look dominating when on the spool, less so when on your quilt.
Videos
Posts
Fusible Wadding
I have purchased fusible wadding for a wall hanging made yesterday, but it came off a roll and there were no instructions. Do I just layer up with my project back and front and iron on? Answer: I seem to recall that a good press will adhere the wadding BUT a gentle iron will add to the fusion; so see what works!
To sash or not to sash (your quilt)
I have just finished 12 blocks and i'm ready to put them together.
The question is 'to sash or not to sash'. Is there a rule? Answer: Definitely personal choice but you might also be governed by how big you want the quilt to be; and are you adding more borders? In which the 1st outside sashing could be considered to be a border - see The First Sampler Quilt series if you want to know what I mean.
Also it depends on the block: by putting them together do you get an interesting secondary pattern? or are there more seams that need matching that you don't want?!?!?
Border Fabric need joining but where?
One of my ladies is piecing the top of a 9 block sample quilt..and because she has made her sashing a little wider..when she is putting her border on the it is shorter than the full width of the fabric by a few inches...she will obviously have to add a little but where would you suggest she puts this add on please?