I offer you a certain type of patchwork freedom. Freedom to work quickly concentrating on design and fabric usage rather than slavishly following my sample. There is freedom to break rules and challenge tradition - injecting your quilts with new vibrancy.

Stargazey Quilts patterns are designed to be accessible to all skill levels. Knowledge of rotary cutting and using a sewing machine is essential but other than that all you need is an open mind. Sometimes it can be an advantage to be experienced, sometimes it can be an advantage to be a beginner. The best advice I can give you is to read through the whole pattern before you begin. Follow the pattern - don’t assume that we will be following the rules you were taught in beginners patchwork, eg we don’t generally worry about the grain of the fabric, the blocks are usually trimmed to perfect size at the end - therefore grain becomes irrelevant. Make up a sample block, (or two or three), until you have an understanding of the design.

Fabric is cut straight with a rotary cutter and ruler but the size of the piece may vary, for example I may say “cut a 4” x 5” rectangle. That rectangle only has to be rectangular’ish’ - it may have rough edges, it may be more like a parallelogram, it just has to have the same sort of measurement. This makes for easy quick cutting and economical use of fabric. It also helps to make each block a little different!

I create unusual cutting and stitching techniques to enable you to make these unique blocks. Cutting always starts from rectangles, but how these rectangles are further sliced and trimmed not only adds to the quirkiness of the designs but also the ease of construction. I don’t use fancy or difficult techniques, they just differ from the norm.

Generally the patterns have multiple block sizes given. This enables the user to mix sizes to create interesting settings. It also allows you to use the block size that fits the quilt you want to make, eg for a cot quilt choose the smallest size, for a king size quilt choose the biggest size.

Fabric requirements are very loose, I give you minimum yardage. I love scrappy quilts and I don’t expect you to be using the exact same fabric in the exact same spot as I did on my sample. I want you to use fabrics that you love, their colour may be similar to mine, but your quilt will be different. Be prepared to add and subtract fabric as you work. I’d advise you to build a fabric collection so that when you run out of one you can substitute another - I generally buy 1/2 metre, (1/2 yard), cuts of those I love.

What then about those bits of fabrics that we trim off and have left over?
On the Freebiez page I give you a fun little design called Starz on Stickz, a way I have been using up scrap fabric for years now [go to Freebiez]. Be creative with these leftovers or give them away to a foundation piecer - they will love you!

Fabric colour then - I use brights, it is my style, colour inspires me, it makes me invigorated and happy, but you may need to choose differently. Your choices may be country, you may go florals, pastel, shabby chic. Lot’s of looks are suitable. Feel free to move beyond my colour choices if they don’t inspire you.

I would like you to think of these patterns not as individual purchases but also a library of patterns that may be used in themed quilts, [go to Samplerz]. Think of your purchases as having more life than just one quilt. You can build up a repetoire of techniques this way too. I love to combine blocks, and hope to do a lot more, in time, to inspire you. Over time some patterns will be deleted to keep our catalogue manageable but we will warn you of this (it’s bye - bye to Basketz, Neck Tiez and Churn Dashez for example - we still love them but....).

Oh and the Z thing? Just my bit of fun! I look on the Z to denote difference from the norm, my crooked designs, my encouragement of creativity and a gentle rule breaking spirit - I hope you learn to love it too!