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
Filming day with Karen Nicol
We spent a wonderful morning in the company of this very talented lady; she lives in Surrey and is a textile artists who has worked for some of the world's top fashion designers and now uses her talents to create stunning unique pieces from the objects she finds around her - and in charity shops! Here we are busy chatting over one of her 'lace skirts' which were in an earlier exhibition She is however currently working on her Monkey Tricks exhibition entitled 'Singerie' - 5th Nov -30th November 2013 and at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, 28 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2NA
To see more of Karen's work you can visit her website: (and she also the author of a lovely book entitled 'Embellished - new vintage')
www.karennicol.com She is part of a very talented textile household as her husband (Peter Clark) works in paper collage: - you can see his work when you visit
www.peterclarkcollage.com
What to do about the layers in hand applique
Question: I am trying to do an applique flower it has abour 4 layers, including the back ground fabric, would it be better to applique 2 layers first, then do 2 on there own, and then attach it to the first 2 layers? as when i do the 4 altogether l am finding it hard to get the needle to go through all 4 layers.i am hand stitching the design.thank-you this is my first attempt at this so am very green on the best way to do this. Thank-you for any advice Sandra Answer from Valerie: The easiest way to do this layered flower is to put the first piece down - i.e.
What to do with the fusible applique pieces.
Question: Hi have just recieved Mandy Shaws Follow your own star quilt pattern and have already become stuck with the applique angels . They all have different coloured drsses on, so do l first cut out the whole angel then cut out the different parts of their colthes and then fuse them on to the background angel so it appears they are dressed ?