Quilt heritage: Celebrate the Designs of William Morris

Reproduction quilts and fabrics are hot stuff in the quilting world, and this makes us so happy! As the latest William Morris fabric range is released, join us to explore the history and behind the designs of William Morris that have inspired generations of artists. 

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Published: March 12, 2019 at 10:05 am

We're so excited to bring you our new supplement, delving into the heritage of one of Britain's best-loved artists! William Morris: Celebrating the designs of the Arts & Crafts icon is available with issue 32 of Today's Quilter magazine (get the digital issue in our apps for Apple Newsstand and Google Play).

Inside your exclusive supplement

Here on the Today's Quilter team we've been planning this for months. We've toured his houses, spoken to experts from the Morris & Co. archive and National Trust, gone behind the scenes of his new fabric collection and even commissioned an exclusive quilt project filled with his iconic prints.

"I have so often looked at fabric and uttered the phrase, "Oh it's beautiful – very William Morris!" confesses our Commissioning Editor Jenny Fox-Proverbs in her welcome page. Jen has lived by the designer's best-known saying: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful," and we're pleased to reveal Sally Ablett's classic quilt project (pictured below and using the Kelmscott fabric collection) ticks both of those boxes.

Todays Quilter Willam Morris quilt
Sew the look with Sally Ablett's Strawberry Thief quilt – find the instructions inside the digital issue 32 of Today's Quilter magazine.

Join us on a William Morris virtual tour

We've filled all 64 pages of our exclusive supplement with features to feed your curiosity about the man whose designs have inspired homes, design work and artists for over a century. Features Editor Jane Rae has created a 'virtual tour' of historic Morris homes and locations, and traced the landmark dates in his life and career throughout the 19th Century.

We couldn't resist finding out more about the Style Library's role as custodian of the Morris & Co. archive, and we were lucky enough to get our hands on the latest Kelmscott collection of fabrics, inspired by his Cotswold retreat and featuring iconic designs such as the Strawberry Thief, Bachelors Button and Lily Leaf. The range has been created by FreeSpirit fabrics and The Original Morris & Co.). Sally Ablett's Strawberry Thief project (long-arm quilted by Mary-Jane Hutchinson) is the perfect way to sew William Morris designs into an heirloom quilt to treasure. You'll find step-by-step instruction in the supplement.

William Morris Kelmscott Fabric

Oh happy days! Now we can sew quilts with William Morris prints thanks to the new Kelmscott fabric collection.