From my sketchbook: Let it Snow...

Last year, as I was knee deep in preparations for the Nutcracker block of the month, I wasn't able to make a Christmas Quilt for Today's Quilter. So it was a real joy to make this quilt for them as that programme came to a close and I started to get Christmas-quilt-withdrawal symptoms.

My quilt was inspired by an appliqué technique, called Scherenschnitte - German for 'scissor cuts' - made by 19th century Swiss and German settlers in Pennsylvania. The designs were created in exactly the same way that we make a paper snowflake: a square of fabric was folded into quarters and then, diagonally, into eighths, before the design was traced onto the fabric and cut out to form a filigree motif. The motif was then hand-appliqued in place.

There are many exquisite examples in one of my favourite books, Red & White Quilts: Infinite Variety (figures 543 - 575 in the book). They are grouped with Hawaiian quilts, which are made with a similar technique, although Hawaiian applique tends to use one large motif, which is distinctively quilted to echo its outline.

And back here in Blighty, I also found a delightful cot coverlet in the Quilter's Guild of the British Isles collection. Made in brightly coloured Victorian dress fabric by a Mrs Routh from the North of England at the end of the C19th, it uses the same technique to create the motifs, but in this case they're set on point and the gaps between them are crammed with whimsical little figures (below left).

But the quilt that initially piqued my interest was posted on the Folkling Instagram account (above right). Folkling is a beautiful shop in Virginia, full of antique quilts and textiles and not too far from Pennsylvania where this quilt is likely to have been made.

I particularly like the way the motif is halved and quartered to create the border and corner blocks. It feels like a gentle nod to the way the motifs were made. And while I love the unusual summery chartreuse print - I wonder if that was green once? - snowflakes most definitely mean Christmas for me, even if the only snowflakes we usually see are of the paper variety.

As I knew I'd have nether the time, the patience or, frankly, the skill to recreate the applique, I translated it into a simple pieced block. I chose a favourite Fig Tree collection, for Moda Fabrics, called Christmas Stitched to make my quilt, along with some additional low-volume Liberty prints for the border.

And just wait until you see the backing!

Pascal quilted it with a classic meander, which adds lots of gorgeous texture to those big blocks, and I bound the quilt with a red Lori Holt text print from my stash to echo the backing.

One of my favourite prints from the collection is a tiny schoolhouse, based on the classic quilt block. I don't always worry too much about directional prints, but as these blocks are made in a single fabric I did give the placement of my squares some thought before I started snowballing my units.

With its snowflake theme, this would make a lovely wintery quilt in shades of icy blue that you wouldn't have to put away after Christmas. Or you could choose classic red and white, or indeed chartreuse and white, like my initial inspiration.

You can find Let it Snow in issue 146 of Today's Quilter, which is full of festive inspiration, and rather thrillingly I've had an early Christmas present, because it's made the cover.

Now all we need this Christmas is some actual snow!

with love from the studio,