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
Quilting retreat at Dunford House weekend – June 2011
Our weekend get together at Dunford House in Midhurst was, if I say it myself, a great success. There was a great deal of laughter and not only during the quiz and Jennie's talk which included various layers of clothing being taken off (!)but there was also a lot of quilting and patchwork done; Jennie's class got to grips with the 3D effect and inset Y seam and Sarah's class beavoured away making jelly roll quilts like they were going out of fashion - and several were layered quilted and bound!!! and my group got to grips with UFO's.
Wedding present from Marie
Dear Valerie and Jennie I thought you might like to see the quilt I made for my Niece’s wedding present, it is curved pieced rather than appliqued and based on a quilt I saw in a book by Judy B Dales. Kind regards Marie
Quilt for Teacher wins award at Quilts UK Malvern
I do so love it when the younger generation get involved and their contributions and of such a high standard too. Quilt for Mrs Brodie: Children at Kingswood Primary School in Gloucestershire won the Village Fabrics Award for Under-16 Group Entry at the Quilts UK show in Malvern during May with a quilt made for their former headteacher. Mrs Carol Brodie retired from her role as headteacher in December after 26 years at the school, but the gift of the quilt made by the children came as a complete surprise to her.