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
Competition winners
Val: Fabric is in the post to the girls who won and Elizabeth in Ayreshire loves the idea that she will soon be the proud owner of the Husqvarna Viking ER10 Embellisher machine. Congratulations to you all. Don't forget that there is a Janome BCC-30 sewing machine on offer; all you have to do is answer 3 simple questions correctly to be in with a chance to win it.
Tilda Bag from Panduro Hobby
Val: This is a super little workshop sponsored by Panduro Hobby and filmed at Creative Quilting in E.Molesey, Surrey. The bag comes from the Tilda book Tilda's Summer Ideas and is one of a large range of extremely appealing books full of 3D and easy home-dec ideas. Valerie Nesbitt and Alex Planidin of Panduro Hobby on location at Creative Quilting.
Naze Tower textile exhibition
Val: Earlier this week I went over to Essex to visit the Naze Tower (CO14 8LE) where my friend Hilary Davies has a textile exhibition - on the 6th floor. This is a truely amazing building, built 1720-21 by Trinity House as a 'Navigation Mark' to aid shipping and now is a tourist attraction with the added bonus of exhibitions on each floor. www.nazetower.co.uk The current exhibition runs until 5th September and well worth a visit BUT if you are travelling by car round the M25 anticlockwise be warned of the horrendous traffic problems around junctions 27/28/29 (and if you have satnav get it to help you round them to join back up to the A12).