About Lucy
Lucy Engels is a Modern Quilter and Visual Artist, Based in Edinburgh.
With a background in Fine Art and a BA (Hons) in Printmaking from Grays School of Art, Lucy has always been creative. But the real world beckoned, so she side-stepped into the world of social work for a good decade of her life. When Lucy moved back to Edinburgh for her partner’s work, this was her opportunity to step back into her artist shoes. She hasn’t looked back!
Lucy feels that her artistic background helps her bring different kinds of knowledge, skill and inspiration to the quilts and patterns that she creates.
You may have seen some of Lucy’s work exhibited at QuiltCon in 2018, 2020, and 2021 – – where she won an award in the appliqué category for my Naive Melody Quilt. She is heavily influenced by music!
Lucy collaborates regularly with industry leaders such as justhands-on.tv, JanomeUK, Aurifil Thread, FIGO Fabrics, Oakshott Fabrics, Purl Soho, and RJR Fabrics. She also teaches online workshops to individuals, groups, and Guilds, as well as in-person workshops in my Edinburgh studio.
According to Lucy, “I create unique, modern quilt patterns that coax out your inner artist by allowing you to put your own personality and stamp on what you’re making. This isn’t quilting by numbers. You don’t have to follow what I do to the letter. Consider it more as a map to guide you towards creating a stunning piece of art that you can curl up under when it’s done.”
To see Lucy’s designs and limited edition fabric collections, visit her website: https://lucyengels.com/
You can watch Lucy make a colourful modern quilt design using a foundation paper piecing technique that she calls, “controlled improv” in this episode of The Makers Studio series.
Signature Technique
Controlled Improv
Top Tips
- Experiment with colour to create movement in your quilt.
- Map out your design on a wall before cutting and sewing.
- Use music as an inspiration for your quilt design.
- Blue tip needles work a treat for paper piecing. Fine and sharp.
- A single line of different colour thread in your quilting creates lift.
- Fold the freezer paper along template lines to help with your foundation paper piecing.
Videos
Patterns
Posts
Take 9 variation from Tina
Tina came to our weekend retreat with some wonderful turquoise fabrics AND a fabric with the pink ribbon logo of Cancer Rearch and wanted to make her dear friend a quilt; not only did we redesign the front blocks - a version of the Take 9 that others were working on - but we worked on the back too and while the quilt wasn't finished in the weekend - it is now!
Dresden Plate from Joyce
I would like to show you my Dresden Plate lap quilt which I have just finished. It is such a delightful pattern and I might try something with the tucks in as Jenny demonstrates. May I say how much I enjoyed today's workshop of Jenny's Origami Hexagon. we could not have a - it was just lovely. Many thanks.
Crazy Patchwork options
Question from Anna: Can one use an oblong or has it got to be a square? (You made yours 9 3/4 inches, I, on the other hand, could make mine 9" X 11.5")
I am aware that this then would limit the way one could put them together. With a square one can rotate 4 times, with an oblong it works only two ways.) Answer:
You can of course tinker with this as you wish but the 5 sided figure in the middle gives the more traditional look; sewing is much easier with a 4 sided centre but then you run the risk of it looking a little like log cabin - which again may be your choice.
As you say with a rectangular finish then you can only turn the blocks in the opposite direction rather than rotating them in your finished design.