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Holly Clarke Design

Quilter, pattern designer, maker, sharer

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Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my little corner of the internet. My name is Holly Clarke. I’m a designer, quilter, fabric junkie, coffee drinker, and flower smeller. I live in Winnipeg, Canada and I love how the World Wide Web connects me with quilters from all over the world. If you want to reach out to me, email me here.

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Once the Christmas quilt gets put on the couch and

Once the Christmas quilt gets put on the couch and Jovie claims it we officially declare it the Christmas season in my house. Normally we wait until December but we got a huge dump of snow a few weeks ago so it’s been really hard to hold back on getting into holiday mode.
#christmasquilt #quilting #modernquiltingcommunity #catsonquilts #jovie

Ta da! Here is a full reveal of my latest Juicy He

Ta da! Here is a full reveal of my latest Juicy Hearts quilt. If you haven’t seen it already, I wrote a blog post about this quilt and specifically a tutorial about my process for sewing curves without pins or glue. Feel free to hop over to my website to read all about it.

Fabric: Falling In Love by @dmogstad @rileyblakedesigns
Backing: Blossom by @the_tattooed_quilter
Batting: @hobbsbatting
#fallinginlovefabric #rileyblakedesigns #fatquarter #precutfriendly #quiltingcotton #modernquilting #canadianmqc #juicyheartsquilt #quiltsofinstagram #modernquiltingcommunity #holdmyseamripperpatterns #hollyclarkedesign

Are you shopping or sewing today? 🪡 🛍 Or sho

Are you shopping or sewing today? 🪡 🛍 Or shopping during breaks from sewing? You gotta relax those tense sewing muscles somehow. 😆
#quilting #quiltinprogress #juicyheartsquilt #pfaffsewing #fallinginlovefabric #rileyblakedesigns #curvedquilting

Here’s another WIP photo of my “Falling in Lov

Here’s another WIP photo of my “Falling in Love” Juicy Hearts quilt. I looooove seeing a quilt come together on my design wall. I think that’s my favourite part of the process.

The Falling in Love fabric collection by @dmogstad for @rileyblakedesigns will be in stores soon so start thinking about your Valentine’s sewing plans now. I absolutely love all the little romantic Valentine’s Day details in this fabric collection — from the hearts, roses, X’s and O’s, dainty plaids, soft florals and whimsical love notes.
#fallinginlovefabric #rileyblakedesigns #fatquarter #precutfriendly #quiltingcotton #modernquilting #sewingcurves #valentinesquilt #canadianmqcwip #juicyheartsquilt

Here are a few WIP shots of my latest project. As

Here are a few WIP shots of my latest project. As @lynsavenue guessed, it’s going to be a new Juicy Hearts quilt!
This upcoming fabric collection is called Falling In Love by @dmogstad for @rileyblakedesigns. I absolutely love all the little romantic Valentine’s Day details in this fabric collection — from the hearts, roses, X’s and O’s, dainty plaids, soft florals and whimsical love notes.
#fallinginlovefabric #rileyblakedesigns #fatquarter #precutfriendly #quiltingcotton #modernquilting #canadianmqcwip #juicyheartsquilt

Thank you to all who supported my Folk Festival ac

Thank you to all who supported my Folk Festival acrylic template kit launch yesterday! It was my birthday so your support and kind words truly made it a special day. 🎉🎂🎁 In case you missed yesterday’s post, here’s a video showing my printed pattern.

These acrylic template kits will make cutting your fabric for the Folk Festival quilt a breeze, just line up the templates according to the pattern instructions and easily cut around the templates with a rotary cutter. The templates are made of clear acrylic so you can fussy-cut the fabric motifs to make it even more unique!

There are two options: you can buy the templates on their own or with a full-colour, 8.5”x11” 36-page printed pattern. Click link in bio to purchase.

#folkfestivalquilt #quiltsofinstagram #modernquilt #modernquiltdesign #quiltingcommunity #canadianquilters #quiltpattern #quilting #quiltpatterndesign #modernquiltpattern #millenialquilter #modernpatchwork #quiltpatterncommunity #quiltsofinstagram #drunkardspath #curvepiecing #quiltingtemplate #quiltingacrylics

Big news! Have you already purchased the Folk Fest

Big news! Have you already purchased the Folk Festival Quilt pattern but were hesitant to make it without the use of acrylic templates? Or were you holding off on trying this pattern because the fabric cutting seems intimidating? Well, good news! My acrylic template kits will make cutting your fabric a breeze, just line up the templates according to the pattern instructions and easily cut around the templates with a rotary cutter. The templates are made of clear acrylic so you can fussy-cut the fabric motifs to make it even more unique!

There are two options: you can buy the templates on their own or with a full-colour, 8.5”x11” 36-page printed pattern. Click link in bio to purchase.

#folkfestivalquilt #quiltsofinstagram #modernquilt #modernquiltdesign #quiltingcommunity #canadianquilters #quiltpattern #quilting #quiltpatterndesign #modernquiltpattern #millenialquilter #modernpatchwork #quiltpatterncommunity #quiltsofinstagram #drunkardspath #curvepiecing #quiltingtemplate #quiltingacrylics

May I interrupt your IG feed full of Christmas qui

May I interrupt your IG feed full of Christmas quilts and Black Friday ads to bring you an explosion of Valentine’s Day loveliness? Riley Blake Designs sent me this stack of fat quarters to play with and I can’t wait to share the full reveal with you. (Head on over to my latest blog post for spoilers if you’d prefer). This new collection is called Falling In Love by @dmogstad for @rileyblakedesigns. I absolutely love all the little romantic Valentine’s Day details in this fabric collection — from the hearts, roses, X’s and O’s, dainty plaids, soft florals and whimsical love notes. Swipe to see all my cut pieces and let me know if you can guess what quilt they’re going to be.
#fallinginlovefabric #rileyblakedesigns #fatquarter #precutfriendly #quiltingcotton #modernquilting #fabricpull

ICYMI, my FREE Clock Watcher quilt pattern is avai

ICYMI, my FREE Clock Watcher quilt pattern is available on the @pbsfabrics website. Search for the super fun fabric collection called “9 to 5” by @lysaflower to download the pattern. For this quilt I fussy cut Lysa’s motifs of vintage office supplies and decor including rotary phones, time punch cards, typewriters, retro florals, groovy coffee cups, and motivational pencils. How awesome is that!!!
#clockwatcherquilt #lysaflowerfabric #pbsfabrics #quiltsofinstagram #modernquilting #freequiltpattern #quiltpatternlaunch #holdmyseamripperpatterns #aquiltpatternby #canadianmqc #modernquiltingcommunity #modernquilt #midcenturymodern #modernpatchwork

Time’s up… My Clock Watcher Quilt is finished

Time’s up… My Clock Watcher Quilt is finished and the best part is you can download the pattern for FREE on the @pbsfabrics website. Search for the super fun fabric collection called “9 to 5” by @lysaflower to download the pattern. For this quilt I fussy cut Lysa’s motifs of vintage office supplies and decor including rotary phones, time punch cards, typewriters, retro florals, groovy coffee cups, and motivational pencils. How awesome is that!!!
#clockwatcherquilt #lysaflowerfabric #pbsfabrics #quiltsofinstagram #modernquilting #freequiltpattern #quiltpatternlaunch #holdmyseamripperpatterns #aquiltpatternby #canadianmqc

Here’s a pro tip when making binding with a geom

Here’s a pro tip when making binding with a geometric print such as a plaid or stripe... When cutting your strips, use scissors ✂️! (Gasp!) I know this is a hot take - quilters don’t like to part with our rotary cutters for anything - but stay with me here. You see, printed inks don’t always follow the grain of the fabric so if you use a rotary cutter and straight edge (ie. ruler) to cut them them, you’ll end up with a wonky looking design on your binding. However, if you use your scissors to cut along the straight edges of the printed design you’ll get a nice clean geometric design that looks even throughout your binding. Swipe for videos.
Fabric is from the 9 to 5 collection by @lysaflower for @pbsfabrics
#quiltbinding #quiltingtips #quiltingtipsandtricks #9to5fabric #lysaflowerfabric #pbsfabrics #quiltersofinstagram

This photo of my Clock Watcher quilt is a commemor

While rummaging through my sewing room “junk dra

While rummaging through my sewing room “junk drawer” I found this old tool which I can honestly say I’ve never used before (or even known what it was meant for). Turns out it’s a great quilt marking tool. Same idea as a Hera marker but because of its thin disc, it leaves a finer mark on the quilt than a Hera. I love that a vintage sewing tool helped me out on my vintage office themed quilt. Let me know in the comments if you know what it’s meant for. 👇
#9to5fabric #lysaflowerfabric #pbsfabrics #quiltingtools #modernquilting #modernpatchwork #clockwatcherquilt

Working 9-5! What a way to make a quilt top! 🎶

Working 9-5! What a way to make a quilt top! 🎶 Here’s a peek at the clock blocks I designed for the pattern I wrote for @lysaflower’s new fabric collection called “9 to 5”. I fussy cut Lysa’s gorgeous retro office-themed prints to create the 9am to 5pm clocks. What fun!! Stay tuned for details of the pattern launching really soon. To see close-ups, check out my previous post.
@pbsfabrics #9to5fabric #pbsfabrics #lysaflowerfabric #quiltingfabric #clockwatcherquilt

How incredible is this stack of fabric??? @lysaflo

My Blue Ribbon quilt is finished and here is the f

My Blue Ribbon quilt is finished and here is the full reveal. I started thinking about this quilt while participating in #quiltcontogether in 2020. I thought about how nice it would be to earn a ribbon of excellence for one of my quilts. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that while it’s nice to win a ribbon it’s even better to feel proud of your own work and so I decided to make this quilt as an award to myself in honour of everything I have learned and accomplished in just a few years.

I entered this quilt to QuiltCon this year but whether it gets accepted or not, I am pleased to have this blue ribbon quilt up on my wall.

Font pattern: Quilt it like Futura by @madeinyambaironsandcraig

#blueribbonquilt #quiltsofinstagram #yellow #quiltitlikefutura #celebratemyquiltsubmission #modernquilting #modernpatchwork #quiltingcommunity

I have learned quite a few new skills while making

I have learned quite a few new skills while making this quilt. The final new (to me) skill I tried was “facing” a quilt. Rather than binding, you sew a strip of fabric - the same width as binding - to each edge of the quilt, press it completely to the back and hand stitch it in place. I learned how to do it from the full tutorial that my quilty hero Audrey @cottonandbourbon wrote for her website. Facing gives the front of the quilt a clean finished edge and makes the quilting stitches look like they’re running off the sides.

#quilting #quiltfinishing #quiltingtips #patchworktips #yellow #quiltingdetails #konacottonsolids #quiltfacing #quiltingcommunity #quiltsofinstagram

For anyone who was wondering why a quilter would g

For anyone who was wondering why a quilter would go to the trouble of burying threads (see my previous post), here’s a close-up of my results.

The point of burying your threads is so that you you will end up with a nice clean finish with no visible back-stitches or micro stitches. If you quilt various sections of your quilt differently you will go through lots of stops and starts as you come to the edge of a section or start a new colour thread.

In this case, I not only used different coloured threads for my blue sections and yellow sections, but I also had yellow stitching that was horizontal and blue stitching that was diagonal so there was lots of stopping and starting at the edges of each section. In order to deal with all of the thread “tails” that come as a result of the stops and starts, you knot the ends and use a needle to bury them below the surface of the fabric and into the batting. I also left my letters as “negative space” meaning I didn’t quilt over them because I wanted them to puff out a bit. I buried the threads adjacent to each letter so that look as neat as possible.

Font pattern: #quiltitlikefutura by @madeinyambaironsandcraig

#quilting #buryingthreads #quiltingtips #patchworktips #yellow #quiltingdetails #konacottonsolids #buryafriend #buryathread #quiltingcommunity #quiltsofinstagram

Oh hi there 3/8” quilting! I’ve never quilted

Oh hi there 3/8” quilting! I’ve never quilted anything this densely before but I am loving the texture. I usually quilt much more loosey goosey because I enjoy snuggling under a drapey and soft quilt but I have no plans to snuggle up under this one, it’s going up on my wall.

#quilting #quilttexture #walkingfootquilting #yellow #konacottonsolids #modernquilting #modernpatchwork

I love lining up all my basting pins in an orderly

I love lining up all my basting pins in an orderly fashion and then powering through them with a knitting needle or chop stick to close them all up in record time. I highly recommend this time saver if you haven’t already tried it. UPDATE: I added a quick video to my Reels to demonstrate how I use a knitting needle to close the pins.

#pinbasting #quiltingtips #patchwork #modernpatchwork #yellow #konacottonsolids #quiltwip #quiltinprogress

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Did you know…

I'm also a graphic designer by trade. You can check out my website here Waterloo Design House.
And my other business is Small Potatoes where I make handmade baby clothing and gifts.

Holly Clarke Design

Quilt making, quilt design, fabric appreciation, sewing tips and tricks, and all-around crafty inspiration.

Want to share my photos?

I’d love to collaborate. To share photos, please email me here for permission. All photos © Holly Clarke, 2021.

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