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
Minerva Arts Centre
Jennie: Film crew went to Minerva Arts Centre in Llandidloes, Powys – fantastic collection of ancient and modern quilts. Just you wait until you see the quilt with 12,000 3/4 inch hexagons made by a 9 year old boy!!! Also the complete contrast with four very contemporary Welsh quilters. Then off to see very special charity quilt made by 49 ladies in Crickhowell. Wow what a qult - each section tells of the journey through a landscape either your inner toughts and feelings or a real landscape that inspires you.
How it all started
In the beginning - Summer 2008: Valerie Nesbit (from Creative Quilting, Hampton Court, Surrey) dreams of creating a TV based web site devoted to Textile Arts. Jennie Rayment, nips and tucks, prattles and teaches internationally in her own little calico heaven August 2008: Seeds planted
Valerie finds a film crew and goes to Festival of Quilts, Quilt Museum in York and records workshops with several well known quilters.
Make Do & Mend
Broiderie Perse is a very posh way of using fabric to hide a stain! - lovely job though Jennie and no-one would ever know if you hadn't shared the secret.