About Mandy
Mandy has made things since she was a little girl – – from clothes and bedding for her dolls and teddy bears through to her first patchwork quilt in the early eighties. When Mandy started her family, she focussed on adorning her home and children with homemade crafts of all varieties. Mandy lives in East Sussex with her husband and four children.
The inspiration for Mandy’s quilts comes from a wide variety of sources, She loves old vintage children’s books, vintage china designs, and old fabrics. And she often gets ideas from details of old buildings… parquetry, tiles, drain covers, anything that has been embellished
Mandy’s work includes Redwork, Christmas projects, foundation piecing, applique, jewellery, embroidery, recycled bags, pincushions and more!
Mandy’s designs have appeared in numerous magazines including Country living, BBC Homes and Antiques, Today’s Quilter, Homespun, Inspirations, Fabrications, Popular Patchwork and Making…to name but a few. She teaches a wide range of classes in the UK and overseas. She appears regularly on TV and justhands-on.tv! And, she has written many patterns, published several books and creates kits for her inspirational designs.
According to Mandy, “I haven’t much time for sleep; I have too much sewing to do.”
Signature Technique
Bringing distinctive whimsical design style to traditional techniques such as embellishing with buttons and rik rak.
Top Tips
- Dressmakers carbon paper is great for transferring designs. If fabric is thick, then use iron-on transfer pencils
- 505 works a treat as basting spray on wadding for small quilts. Spray as lightly as you would for your hair.
- Use cotton abrazo thread for embroidery.
- Don’t use felt pens on silk!
Videos
Books and Patterns
Posts
Mandy Shaw
Mandy brings a distinctive whimsical design style to traditional techniques such as embellishing with buttons and rik rak.
Our visit to Mandy Shaw
As mentioned in the newsletter the boys from Bizview.tv (Matt Bigwood and Dave Harries) and I (plus hubby Stuart) popped down to East Sussex to film Mandy Shaw’s exhibition called ‘Quilts on the Farm’ where the work of her students was on display. The weather was glorious and the exhibition superb and we captured it all –including the bluebell woods and the Alpacas.
More from Mandy Shaw and Jennie Rayment
Val: Mandy Shaw shows us how to create festive bunting for your home (or garden or any reason at all) and Jennie Rayment gives us tips on how to make 3D patchwork flying geese units; these only have ONE seam and NO triangles - how great is that.