Classes with Janet Clare
Janet enjoys quilting, dressmaking, knitting, painting, drawing, gardening, baking and reading. She likes to be creative every day and loves being in her studio with her thrifted and hand-me down treasures.
With over 25 years as a textile designer and teacher, Janet regularly hosts talks and workshops, focusing on the design process and creative techniques she uses.
So far, she has written five books (with no plans to stop!) and created a range of quilt & stitchery patterns, and she has designed eleven fabric collections in collaboration with Moda.
You will often find Janet posting on Instagram and Pinterest. These platforms help keep her in touch with the wonderful world-wide community of quilters and designers.
Signature Technique:
Drawing with your sewing machine, and free motion machine appliqué.
Top Tips:
- Breathe life and energy into your appliqué with free motion machine quilting.
- When free motion quilting, make sure to use a new sharp needle (it skips stitches otherwise) and use thread in a contrasting colour to your appliqué.
- Remember that the machine is going fast, but you do not have to as well! If you move the fabric quickly your stitches will be large and if you move the fabric slowly your stitches will be small.
- If you stitch in the same place at the beginning and end, you shouldn’t need to secure the thread ends, just take them to the back and cut them.
- Machine drawing can be unpicked- but is absolutely no fun, so if it all goes wrong (and it does sometimes), throw it away, pretend it never happened and start again.
- When cutting, move your fabric not your scissors.
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How to use Precuts with Janet Clare
The smaller pre-cut sets come in packs of 5″ squares – called charm packs. Moda also produce some packs of 2.5in squares and tempting to purchase, we all often wonder how we can use these. Well Janet has designed some patterns for you that do just that. There is a great project bag that uses the...
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Up Hill and Down Dale Quilt with Janet Clare
This is a lovely modern version of the more traditional pattern Delectable Mountains. Janet has worked out a way to create this simply and easily by using your pre-cut layer cake. If you don’t have those , then you can raid your stash and just cut lots of 10″ squares to start you off.
Janet show... -
World Map with Janet Clare
A wonderfully simple idea from Janet Clare to create a world map. This uses a layer cake of her own design from Moda fabrics, but you could use your stash.
The map is created with fused applique. With fabric created from random strips to give a scrappy look to each of the land masses.
Her pattern... -
Wildflowers with Janet Clare
Janets design for this little quilt, combines strip pieced Irish chain patchwork with her love of our native wildflowers. She uses simple tracing, ironing, cutting out, and ironing again to create fused applique.
The book contains full size templates for all the flowers. With additional drawings... -
Artisan Apron Update from Janet Clare
Janet loves her Artisan Apron which she designed to alert the world around her that she was/is busy working! AND you have a wonderful opportunity to personalise it with embroidery, embellishments, charms and keepsakes.
This robust fully lined, reversible apron has side seam pockets and a cross...
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Doll House Panel with Janet Clare
Freya, Felicity, Fion and their little dog Fred (who have already been the subject of books with Janet) are the best of friends and now have a delightful house that they can share. There are sections of the house that you can embellish – such as the rug; there are curtains on the windows and th...
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The Wordsmith - a Book by Janet Clare
Stitched memories in alphabetical order to create a very personal quilt and you could too. Janet shares with us the stories behind her quilt – so this is a deightful book in it’s own right to just enjoy reading – and then she gives templates for her blocks as well as the alphabet so that you can ...
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Drawing with Your Sewing Machine with Janet Clare
Janet loves to create line drawings with her sewing machine. She does this either simply by sewing with thread or by following the edge of a fused applique shape. Her books and patterns are full of inspiration with simple shapes of dogs, cats, birds and flowers.
She talks through the equipment yo...
