About Helen
Helen can’t remember a time when she wasn’t making something. As a young child her greatest joy was the ‘useful box’ which lived in the cupboard under the stairs and was the repository for empty egg boxes, cereal packets and yogurt pots, all fantastic stuff to feed a creative mind.
When Helen was seven her Grandmother taught her to sew and opened her mind to a whole new avenue of creative expression. Helen designed and made her first full size cross-stitch sampler before she was nine, and made various garments for dolls and bears and eventually herself, creating patterns by the simple method of lying on the floor and drawing round herself, much to the amusement of her Mother & Grandmother – both accomplished dressmakers.
Helen worked in graphics, and then advertising, for ten years, until she and her partner had the opportunity to quit the London rat-race and move to Yorkshire to run the family’s marina business. During this time, Helen taught herself patchwork, quilting, beading, origami, marquetry, doll making and canvas work. She discovered that, not only does she love crafting and the challenge of learning something new, she also had a hitherto undiscovered competitive streak deep inside which prompted her to hone these new skills to the point where she regularly won awards in the handicrafts section of shows.
Fifteen years later, Helen decided to combine her experience of running a business with her enduring passion for crafting to start LITTLE PATCH POCKETS. Helen creates patchwork designs and writes patterns so you can make your own unique, lovely things. She also offers kits, classes and workshops where she teaches her designs.
Helen loves using three dimensional illusions in her work. According to Helen, “I love to create an illusion of three dimensions and many of my designs are based on this concept. I do occasionally use curved lines, but since my mind seems to work in straight lines I find lots of inspiration in architecture, engineering and even mathematical concepts. I like accurate piecing and often create my own foundation paper pieced blocks in order to achieve the precision I enjoy.”
Helen is an avid follower of the Modern Quilt Movement as well as a great believer that quilts are for using: “for your three-year-old to drag down the garden, for the dog to sleep on and to go in the washing machine.”
Signature Technique
Modern Quilting
Helen’s Top Tips
- Colour choice is key to 3D work. Always select three shades of the same colour, or light, medium and dark tones of the same colour.
- Auditioning fabrics is one of the most useful skills any patchwork artist can develop. A quilt needs contrast of tone, however subtle, to accentuate the design.
- Never use a fabric with a low thread count or a loose weave, however good the colour. Thinner fabrics do not handle well, will fray quickly and will not wear well in the finished quilt. It is worth investing in good fabrics.
- Many of the fabrics at the cheaper end of the market cover up this deficiency with excessive amounts of surface ink and stiffening treatments – the secret is to turn to the back and check.
- Always look for a fabric that is likely to shrink only minimally. Some shrinkage is to be expected, especially when combining fabrics from different manufacturers. Look on this as part of the charm of a washed quilt. However, cheap fabric with an open, loose weave will shrink hugely when washed, ruining your work.
Videos
Books and Patterns
Posts
Take 9 a great success
Hi all Just giving an update on my king size quilt,I decided to try take nine for the side of quilt and cut all the pieces out ,this wasn't easy for me but I got there eventually,I purchased my fat quarters from Hobby craft in Havant & I just want to tell you not all of their fat 1/4s are good size some in the 6 packs are a bit smaller and I used some pieces from my stash.I have sewn 4 of my blocks together and am so chuffed with them - each 1 is exact size and went together so easily.Thanks Valerie for pattern and video couldn't have done it without you xxxxx from Sheila (learner) Want to know what Sheila was making?
What sewing machine would you recommend for a 6 year old.
Question: Can anyone advise me on a suitable electric beginners sewing machine for my 6 year old grand daughter who wants to appliqué and quilt! Help please!
Many thanks Answer: How great that you have the next generation so interested. Two of my ladies have children also sewing and they have started them off with a small machine, around £100 I think; if you buy something cheaper they will often not have the grown up options of applique and quilting - so you should check that she won't outgrow whatever you purchase too quickly.
Chris Porter and Mary Gamester join Valerie in the studio.
We had a great day as always and some great workshops were filmed; Chris shared with us her love of Flying Geese and Dresden Plates, for which she has designed her own templates, as well as showing us how to put a sleeve on the back of a quilt, which she personalises with text and lovely pics too. Valerie gets ready to sew some Yo-Yo's and Mary reminded us how great she is at transfer printing with woven strips, printing blocks and lace (all of which are in her book - Transfer Painting) so keep watching!