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
More films for Justhands-on.tv
A great day was had on Monday filming new content for the site; we were joined by Myfanwy Hart https://www.myfanwyhart.co.uk/, textile artist and fabric dyer, who worked with her embellishing machine and a wonderful new product to texture fabric; Val Toombes of Silk Sacks www.silksacks.co.uk/ showed us how to make silk paper and also a delightful brooch, and Lynette Harris (our very own Stitch Witch) www.stitch-witch.org.uk did several small pieces to camera from folding tree decorations to designing your very own celtic pattern.
Guildford Quilters Exhibition – Clandon House
Due to be held 24th April onwards at Clandon House, an 18th-century Palladian mansion ( West Clandon, Guildford, GU4 7RQ)
spent a really lovely few hours doing a recci on the place for Dave and Matt as we will be there on 24th filming the event. The house is spectacular as are the grounds – it is now part of the National Trust so if you are a member of that you will be able to get into the exhibition for free.
Quilts for Momentum – Kingston upon Thames
The many and varied blocks made for the 'Be a Star' competition are now merging into quilts; here are the first two (as work in progress) Thank you to all who took part. Momentum is a registered charity established in 2004 which aims to help children (up to the age of 17) and the families of children, undergoing treatment for cancer in Surrey and South West London.