Love Liberty Customers!

I Love Liberty customers!  They never cease to amaze me.  I wanted to introduce one of my lovely customers to you. Tracy Aplin has been one of my customers for a while now and her sewing skills are second to none.

Tracy recently came to my rescue with a sewing magazine.  When I launched the new Alice Caroline exclusive range, I was inundated with enquiries.  The magazines all wanted to showcase a project in the new fabrics.  We had so many requests, that it just wasn’t possible for me to make everything.

Tracy offered (I asked really nicely!) to make my ‘Trip Around the World’ quilt in the new fabrics for Quilt Now Magazine.  Here is the beautiful quilt Tracy made for us.

Love Liberty Customers!

Tracy quilted it with the most amazing spiral design.

Tracy loves making dresses too!  Here’s a gorgeous picture of her in a rather lovely Liberty Tresco dress alongside one of her quilts.

Love Liberty Customers! 

This isn’t the first time Tracy has made beautiful things for us in Liberty fabric.  She has made other wonderful dresses too.  Here’s a link to one of the lovely dresses she has made using our fabric.

I Love Liberty customers!  I thought I would get Tracy to tell you about her love of sewing.  Here’s what she said:

Why did you start sewing?  My mum always sewed, and I just loved watching her make my summer dresses.  Soon, I started making clothes for my Sindy dolls, then on to bits for me. Simple tops and pencil cases.  Once I got to secondary school I found out I was dyslexic, sewing was something I could do really well and didn’t have to read or spell… Great, top of the class!

What do you love best about sewing?  Being creative and doing your own thing is the best thing about sewing. Individuality!  One day I could be doing an alteration, next a quilt top then the following day a dress for myself.
It’s also making something from a piece of cloth… 

What is your favourite thing to make?  Oh favourite thing to make…….. I love to piece quilt tops and make dresses. Both my best thing.

I’ve heard you take your sewing machine on holiday with you – is this true?  About 5 years ago we got our first caravan, we are now on our third! And yes a sewing machine comes with me! I have a 3/4 size Jenone and also 3 Singer Featherweights which are just perfect sized for holidays. I mass cut pieces before I go and then I can sew till my hearts’ content.  I also have hand sewing to hand for by the pool, on the beach or while traveling!

What do you love about Liberty fabrics?  Liberty fabrics have been with me for years. I went to Canterbury Art collage, studying Fashion and Textiles. The principal then was a Mr.Emmery, and he went on and on about the beautiful prints at Liberty. We also had a Liberty shop in Canterbury. How lucky was I then? I would often be found in there at lunchtimes!
Now, I love the designs and the variety of prints. The classics and new modern together still always go.
I love the feel too of when your handling the fabric, be it in a dress always so nice to wear, or patchwork, can’t beat sleeping under a liberty quilt.  Just love it.

I am looking forward to seeing you at the Festival of Quilts – what is your favourite thing to see there?  FOQ is a time to meet up with old and new friends. I love it and save my £2 coins all year! To see so many familiar traders and have a chat, putting websites and names to faces.
The quilts always take your breath away, I have a sketch book and pop down ideas, then there is the fabric buying! 
I’m exhibiting a quilt again his year, I have done every year apart from one when my youngest daughter was born! So thats always a joy to see and listen to what people have to say.

Detail of the Trip Around The World quilt with Tracy’s lovely edging and spiral quilting.

Thank you so much Tracy for helping me out and for being such a fab Love Liberty customer!

love Alice x