About Linda
Linda Seward is an experienced quilter, writer, lecturer, and quilt judge.
Linda’s been doing needlework ever since she learned to hold a needle. She was taught to embroider by her mother and to knit and crochet by her grandmothers. She began to sew her own clothes at the age of 10, but didn’t begin making quilts until she was in her 20s.
Linda attended Livingston College (Rutgers University) where she earned an Anthropology Degree, then switched to Douglas College where she received a Home Economics degree in clothing, textiles, and design. She studied fashion in New York City at Tobe-Coburn School for Fashion Careers before working as a needlework and crafts editor in both America and England. She taught herself the basics of quilting while working as an editor for McCall’s Needlework & Crafts Magazine in New York City. After that, although she edited dozens of books on all types of needlework and crafts for Dover Publications in New York, Linda always felt that she would rather be quilting.
Linda has written twelve books about her favourite subject, quilting, including The Complete Book of Patchwork, Quilting and Appliqué , which has been used as a source book for the British City & Guilds Patchwork & Quilting course and has sold over a quarter of a million copies in several languages. It has recently been updated and reprinted by Search Press. Linda’s latest book, entitled The Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting, is published by Sixth&Spring, New York. She has also published books on puppies, babies, crochet, knitting, and general crafts (under her maiden name, Linda Macho).
Linda has appeared on television and radio shows, and has judged numerous quilt shows around the world. She had a regular column in The Quilter magazine for 20 years, and works now as a freelance writer and photographer as well as being a quilter, of course!
Linda found a new obsession in lockdown during her daily walks: nature photography. According to Linda, “I realised that I didn’t know much about the natural world and resolved to teach myself as much as I could through photography and research. This lockdown project turned into a new obsession as I continue to learn about all aspects of nature from plants, lichens insects, birds and animals to fungi and even slime moulds.”
Linda lives in London and Oxfordshire with her husband and two Border Terriers.
Signature Technique
Art Quilting
Top Tips
- One of the best ways to expose yourself to new techniques is to take a workshop with an expert.
- Add aloe vera gel to heighten the colour of inktense pencils.
- Use confetti fabric and glue granules to get a wonderful confetti applique effect.
- Add a little sparkle to your project with printer foil (make sure that you iron colour side up!).
- Use a silicone pressing sheet to keep your iron clear.
- Give the viewer a gentle surprise by adding soft sculpture faces in your quilt.
Videos
Patterns
Posts
Same pattern different quilts.
One of the enduring joys of patchwork I think is that the same pattern, using different fabrics ends up creating such a different quilt and I wanted to share with you my latest favourite scrap quilt. Here it is made up three times and just how different can they be! Their destination is the charity Momentum (based in Kingston upon Thames) who look after and suppport children with life limiting illnesses and their families, and also to St.George's children's ward (where one my students is the nurse in charge!) My thanks to Lynne Goldsworthy for the original pattern which is featured in the Sept/Oct 2015 issue of Quilting for You entitled Sherwood Forest - I did make one quilt using her instructions and then rescaled for the three above down to a 6" block.
How NOT to make half-square triangle units.
As someone who thinks the rotary cutter is the best bit of kit ever invented for patchworkers, I am open to any idea that is quick and easy. BUT that doesn't mean throwing caution to the wind and the current trend flooding the internet to completely ignore the grain of the fabric when making quilts, fills me with horror (and I know lots of quilts that will be horrific too!) The current issue of Love Patchwork & Quilting shows a stunning quilt on the cover designed by Amanda Castor, but when looking at the making instructions all the half-square triangle are off-grain, and then the blocks are set on point, and then the edges are cut - for a beginner this is a nightmare scenario and if you haven't someone to ask, you will wonder why everything goes wobbly when you try to quilt it - and applying spray starch is not the answer.
6th November 2015
It may be Bonfire weekend but the countdown to Christmas [...]