This is SAQA Europe/Middle East: The United Kingdom

Linda Seward

I was born in New Jersey, but have lived in London for more than half my life. I have been doing needlework since I was about 5 years old (embroidery, needlepoint, knitting, crochet), and learned to sew clothing when I was 10 years old, but making quilts was not a family tradition, so I didn't start making quilts until I was in my 20's. I worked as the Needlework & Crafts Editor for Dover Books and edited books by all the well-known quilters of that time, which is how I learned to quilt. I had an instinctive affinity for quilting, and knew that once I started making quilts, I would no longer be interested in sewing my own clothes, and I was right. The joy of stitching fabrics together to create a design took over my life and I found I just didn't want to do anything else (although I do pick up my knitting needles and a crochet hook from time to time).

Mountains and Meadows

I began writing books in 1980. Most of my books are about quilting, but I have also written about crochet, knitting and babies. I have a new book on puppies coming out very soon. My latest quilt book came out in 2014 after a 3-year period of intensive work. Entitled The Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting, it is a step-by-step guide to all the new techniques in quilting that have developed since my earlier step-by-step book: The Complete Book of Patchwork, Quilting & Applique.

Poppy Fields at Sunset

I enjoy all forms of quilting, from traditional patchwork to raw edge applique to art quilts that feature dyeing, slashing, discharge and monoprinting. I enjoyed studying and trying out all the new techniques for my book, and am very grateful to the generous quilters who shared their expertise with me, either by teaching me one-on-one, or by reading and checking the pages for me.

Seward Beads

I make quilts for my own enjoyment. There is nothing I like better than settling down at my Bernina sewing machine or in a comfortable chair with friends and sewing. It frees my mind, makes me feel creative and relaxed, and I have something wonderful to show for all the time I have invested in it. There are some days in my life that go by in a flash and I wonder what I did with my time--with quilting there is a tangible result that is interesting to look at, possibly beautiful (at least to me!) and serves a purpose: either as something to hang on the wall or snuggle beneath.

Orange Leaves - detail

Orange Leaves