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
We reach 100 (with some help from Carolyn Forster)
filming days that is ! How great is that and since we film more than one workshop/event each day it means there are SEVERAL HUNDRED videos for you to enjoy! Had another great day yesterday filming in the studio where we were joined by Carolyn Forster; she showed us how she marks her quilts ready for Big Stitch and Utility Quilting as well as Amish Waves and she showed us lots of wonderful examples too plus two delightful little workshops from her Sew Jelly Rolls Quilts and Gifts book: all to come so keep watching.
Various comments from you
I have just watched 'Knotting Off Your Threads' with Valerie and would like to say thank you for sharing such a great method. I was taking both threads to the back, tying them off and then weaving in the ends which seemed to take longer than the actual quilting! A great time saver thanks :)
Jan Brown Re: Leaders and Enders That's ingenious...Lyn Yet again my fingers are itching to start sewing after watching the Leaders and Enders video.
Dresden Plate cushion
have completed my first Dresden Plate block and made it into a cushion. Using the Creative Grids ruler, which I found to be excellent, and a Moda charm pack "Indigo Crossing". I machine pieced then hand appliqued. I was pleased with the result, as I had always thought this block to be very difficult. The cushion is a gift for my friend who has a seaside cottage at Polzeath in Cornwall, where, I am hoping, it will fit in very nicely.
Your site is such an inspiration, I always check for tips and inspiration before I start a new project.
Best wishes
Roberta