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
Our visit to Mandy Shaw
As mentioned in the newsletter the boys from Bizview.tv (Matt Bigwood and Dave Harries) and I (plus hubby Stuart) popped down to East Sussex to film Mandy Shaw’s exhibition called ‘Quilts on the Farm’ where the work of her students was on display. The weather was glorious and the exhibition superb and we captured it all –including the bluebell woods and the Alpacas.
ColourBox Prize Giveaway
Colour Therapy with Shott cotton from Oakshott Fabrics: The New ColourBox from Oakshott Fabrics containes 100 1/8thmetres of fabric, all colour themed and numbered; all these small pieces are backed up with yardage in their warehouse so you can really play and design and know that you can order more! To have a chance to win this all you need to do is send us a email to justhandsontvcomp@gmail.com with the word Colourbox in the subject.
Charity event to raise money for Momentum
Val: On Monday 11th Justhands-on.tv together with Creative Quilting hosted a sewing and cardmaking workshop day to raise funds and awareness for Momentum. Momentum is a Kingston-upon-Thames based charity which supports children and their families who are undergoing cancer and other lifelimiting conditions. Janome were kind enough to sponsor the sewing machines and we used the new little CXL301 which was a delight.