Happy Valentine’s Day!
Lucy Boston’s Patchworks are featured in the April 2014 issue of The Quilt Life!
It is a fascinating FIVE PAGE article by Diana Boston, Lucy Boston’s daughter-in-law, with beautiful photography by Julia Hedgecoe.
POLB 
POTC
Some of the photos in The Quilt Life are familiar from Diana’s book, The Patchworks of Lucy Boston, and from my book, Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses.
Lucy Boston gives hope and inspiration to any artist or quilter—but especially those of us in our fifties and sixties.
The Life of Lucy Boston
Lucy Boston made her most famous quilt, The Patchwork of the Crosses when she was in her 60s. She was most prolific when she was in her 80s and continued to quilt in her 90s.
A LONG, CREATIVE OLD AGE, DESPITE LIMITATIONS
I cannot help but wonder how Lucy Boston’s artistic expression might have developed without three limitations that we do not face today.
1. Limited availability of fabric
Lucy Boston’s efforts to find suitable cotton fabric in England are described in letters in The Patchworks of Lucy Boston, (sold out, may be available on Amazon) one of my all-time favorite books.
Did you know that even though the war ended in 1945, sugar, meat and other food was still rationed in England until 1953-1954? Cotton fabric was in limited supply in the 1960s and 1970s too, before the revival of quilting in America. In our abundant world, it is hard to imagine.
Lucy Boston had a painter’s eye, and fabric was her palette but she lived at a time when only a very limited selection was available. Did it spur her creativity or limit her?
It’s a great time to be a quilter! In the whole history of the world there has never been more beautiful cotton fabric available than there is now. What would she have been able to create with it?
2. Failing eyesight
The last 10 or 15 years of Lucy Boston’s life were saddened by her failing eyesight. How tragic for an artist!
She tried using a magnifier and village children threaded needles for her after school. “Damn my eyes. I could keep my spirits up if I could see,” Lucy wrote in a letter to her niece when she was in her nineties (POLB, page 5).
It’s a great time to be a quilter! There have been breakthroughs in the treatment of glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes, and other age-related causes of blindness in the past 50 years. If only there had been help for her! All of us have a better chance of keeping our sight even if we live to be 98, like Lucy Boston.
3. English Paper Piecing
Lucy Boston is famous and respected as an artist for her brilliant use of the designs in the fabric, not for her sewing method.
Joan in Australia was inspired by Lucy Boston to create stunning POTC blocks by hand (more in the albums on Inklingo IO) but she sewed with a running stitch, not English Paper Piecing, and was able to finish blocks in a fraction of the time.
English Paper Piecing is the slowest, most difficult, and least precise method in my book, but that was the method used in England at that time.
American quilting methods were not well-known in Britain, and Lucy Boston learned to sew by mending quilts that had been made in the early 1800s.
She cut her own templates from brochures and Basildon Bond writing paper. What if she had spent that time designing and sewing instead of basting and whip-stitching? A key to her artistic vision was matching identical motifs, but they were hidden from her when she was sewing!
I will always believe that she had even more exciting designs dancing in her head as she sat by the fire on long winter evenings. (That’s Maggie Smith sewing POTC in the movie From Time to Time based on one of Lucy Boston’s children’s books.)
We are grateful for the magnificent quilts, her delightful books, the impressive garden and the restored manor house, but I also think of “the lost quilts of Lucy Boston.” How many more masterpieces would we be admiring when we visit Hemingford Grey if she had had a better, faster method?
It’s a great time to be a quilter! Even if we choose EPP instead of faster, easier methods, we can print freezer paper templates and the best of everything is readily available. (One of many EPP Tutorials)
We have many options. We can sew by machine or with a running stitch by hand to create her designs in a fraction of the time, with or without printing the shapes on fabric with Inklingo.
Fern in Singapore has finished a spectacular POTC quilt using Inklingo to print the shapes on fabric.
“I attempted and abandoned Lucy Boston’s quilt some 12 years ago. Inklingo makes it easy-peasy to make a complex, exquisite and magnificent quilt. I am having so much fun with mine now.”
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
As the article in The Quilt Life explains, music and gardening were also passions of Lucy Boston. She had a large collection of classical recordings. During the Second World War, she regularly hosted musical evenings for RAF pilots in her ancient manor house, as described in Diana’s book.
Given Lucy Boston’s passion for music, it seems appropriate that I have a favorite song running through my head while I write.
It’s not Lucy Boston’s classical music, but she makes me think the best is yet to come.
All quilters would choose to be as creative and artistic as Lucy Boston was in her sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. Lucy Boston showed us how. She is our heroine.
We need to believe that the best IS yet to come for us.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LUCY BOSTON
- Diana Boston’s website—The Manor at Hemingford Grey
- My website—Main Lucy Boston Page (includes video)
The All About Inklingo blog is also searchable. There are dozens of articles about Lucy Boston, her quilts, English Paper Piecing, fussy cutting, etc. (right sidebar).
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I hope you are feeling loved on Valentine’s Day. Lucy Boston is certainly well-loved by quilters all over the world every day of the year.
“Whatever she touched, whether it was literature, horticulture, topiary, needlework or simple everyday life, bore the imprint of her unerring sense of beauty and quality.” (Lucy Boston Remembered: Reminiscences Collected by Diana Boston)
What a legacy!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Linda & Monkey
I’ll have to remember to look for a copy of the Quilt Life. I’ve started my POTC, but haven’t gotten very far on it. Thanks for the super giveaway!
Thank you Linda for the giveaway and for the Lucy Boston history. She was an amazing woman.
POTC is my favorite pattern – and I’ve been playing with it, but “the best is yet to come!” Each one I make looks better and better as I figure out the ways to make the fabrics work. Such a cool pattern – and what a history too!
Thanks Linda for this one!!
Looking forward to learning more. Lucy is so in inspiring.
I love Linda and Monkey and Inklingo, can’t wait to spend the $50!
I have POTC and have collected fabrics I thought would be fabulous. I love what other Inklingo-ists have chosen but my always seem pale in comparison, I’ll keep trying until I find one that is ‘perfect’…and I’ll have a bunch of ‘samples’ to make into Mug Rugs
I just recently bought the POTC as my first intro to inklingo, can’t wait to start and love all the potc blocks posted. So much inspiration on this site. Thanks for a chance to win!
I love, love the POTC quilt project. I started my project using pre-cut paper templates. That was before I knew about Inklingo. I’m finally assembling all the blocks and it has been worth the wait. Wow! Oh, and by the way, it’s hand pieced all the way.
I plan to start a hand piecing project soon and Patchwork of the Crosses is beautiful. The best is yet to come!
I can’t wait to get that issue of The Quilt Life. The POTC quilts are so gorgeous; it may be time for me to give it a try.
Got to get a copy of the magazine to add to my collection of POTC materials. Thanks for the heads up. From northern Iowa.
Well, wow! I had no idea that Lucy Boston continued making quilts into her 90s. Gives me hope that indeed, the best is yet to come, and thank you for sharing her inspiring story.
The last couple days I’ve had fun playing with my QSTs—even the printer played nice! (Shh, in case it changes its mind!)
Hazle
what an interesting article! I love quilt that comes from traditionnal patrimonial (not sure if that sounds correct english?)
and about winning a gift certicate ? yes! it would be wonderful!
have a good day!
Marie from france
I just finished my Lucy Boston (Inklingo) quilt and gave it to my oldest daughter for her birthday in December. I did mine scrappy and just loved it. Thanks so much for the templates in Inklingo and thanks also for all you do to make the building of quilts with small pieces so much easier. I love your site and incentives to try more. Thank you, Thank you….. SandyB
Thanks for the giveaway! Would help me get the ” Castle Wall Collection”. Got Lucy boston POTC book, can’t wait to get started.
Is there a source code we should use when subscribing to The Quilt Life so they know Inklingo sent us?
Linda you have such wonderful ideas and followers. Id sure love to win your giveaway so i can get all the Lucy Boston books/items from your site!! My first experience with inklingo was about a year ago when i began hand sewing the Pies & Tarts quilt. Lucy Boston was such an amazing person, and she left a wonderful legacy which you continue to insoire in us. A lucy boston quilt is next on my list of “to-do’s”. I envy how fast so many quilts seem to be made but think it will take another year to finish Pies first before starting POTC.
The Lucy Boston books would be top of my list if i were lucky enough to win this generous gift voucher…… I have made a start using papers and it is quite laborious
Thanks for the giveaway chance! I love my Lucy Boston books, still thinking of starting the POTC blocks!
LOVE Inklingo!
Have a couple projects on the go, right now… with Inklingo but I sure would love to be able to win some more Inklingo stuff!
Please add my name in your hat. I put my name in for this contest, yesterday, but I can’t seem to find it, today.
Tks!
Rosa Robichaud
Saint John, NB
Thank you for sharing the story of Lucy Boston. She’s a real inspiration!
I love looking at the POTC others are working on. Lucy Boston is an inspiration. Linda, you are another inspiration. To come up with a way to make the most complicated quilt patterns and have them accurately cut and easily put together. I am working on Storm at Sea right now which I would not have attempted without Inklingo. I would love the opportunity to acquire more Inklingo.
I love this website you make it so easy to use the patterns and I would love to win the gift certificate so I can give it right back to you in purchasing more patterns to print on material.
The patchwork of the crosses are breathtaking-ly beautiful. I want to learn more about Lucy Boston so will definitely order Quilt Life. You’re right…$50 will buy a lot of inklingo. I would love to win. Thanks for the offer.
Patchwork of the Crosses has been on my wish list for a while now and I would love to do it the Inklingo way rather than paper piecing, which is so time consuming. Lucy Boston is such an inspiration to all quilters. I hope I’m still quilting when I’m in my nineties. Thanks, Linda for your generous give away.
It’s so interesting reading about Lucy Boston, 90 years old and still quilting. I’m going to have to find some more to read about her. There are so many projects I would never even think to attempt without Inklingo and I thank you. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next!
Ooooo could get the other two Castle Wall collections with that! And one day am going to tackle the POTC, maybe later in my 60’s? Thanks for the inspiration Linda, Monkey and Lucy Boston!
Thanks for the giveaway! I would love to give Inklingo a try and I’ve had my eyes on the Lucy Boston block for a while now. Had my mind set on EPP but Inklingo would make it a little less time consuming.
Thanks for sharing her story and hopefully we will continue to evolve in all things ‘quilting’. Thanks for the generous give away!
Thank you Linda and Monkey for getting us thru these trying winter months with more Inklingo sewing fun.
Of course your adorable spring time movie ( posted on YouTube) made us smile and give gave us a new lift that was “sew” refreshing.
from your appreciative quilting fan in South Carolina
Dear Linda and Monkey, you asked the question, is it important to pass quilting onto the younger generation? Absolutely.If we don’t pass it on all the work of the Lucy Bostons of this world would just fade away.Inklingo is definitely keeping quilting alive in my little neck of the woods.
Who could pass up an opportunity to get more Inklingo!? POTC is a pattern I would NEVER have considered before I found your invention! Thank you for merging traditional methods with today’s technologies!
Hi Linda
I tried to do POTC using paper piecing but could not manage it due to arthritis. I discovered your program by searching the web and am truly hooked. I am already planning my next project ‘Castle Wall’ and can’t wait to start. Thank you so much for your inspiration and designing a simpler way that everyone can use to achieve beautiful results.
Inklingo makes it soooo hard to choose what to make but makes it sooo easy to make those patterns we all love. I have a quilting bucket list ( as we all do….mine -Jane Austen started, Lucy Boston, Drunkards path and pies and tarts are my main ones I HAVE to do).
Thanks Linda and Monkey so much for making all these and many more possible and your generosity.
Have just bought tha potc book and papers so thank you for the chance to win, I would be able to add more shapes to my collection.
Dear Linda,
You inspire in so many ways
Not only with such great articles
and not only with your great system
and not only with your many quilts …
but each day you wake up with so much energy
thanks you it helps us all to keep trying
Regards Anja
I would love to win and begin your wonderful Inklingo methods. They look to be really time saving and more importantly inspiring.
I am a big fan of Inklingo, although I do not have as many of the designs I would like to have, yet. I have been looking for a way to work with the Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses for some time now, and I think this is the way to go, with Inklingo. I would love to win, and I would use Inklingo to advance my artistic endeavors.
I would love to have the book, and I think that blocks are to die for! Thank you for the chance!
I have the books and have seen the movie and have the Inklingo collection, so no excuse not to stitch!
Lucy (and Linda) are pure inspiration! Thank you for a chance at this very valuable gift certificate. Happy Valentine’s Day, Monkey & Linda!
Thank you for the inspiration! It’s fun to read about Inklingo in different publications, and I keep getting inspired to do more and more projects, when I haven’t finished the ones I already have : ) including my POTC!
Spring sounds like such a beautiful thing after this horrendous winter of ice and snow in even the most usually temperate locales. I would love to have the gift certificate to make some of the fancy dresden plate designs. The collection has been on my wish list for some time now.
I’d love to do Lucy Boston’s pattern. I loved her books when growing up in Britain in the late 40’s and 50’s, and remember the coupon days. Though I was too young to do much sewing, my mother made all our clothes, and had to make do with whatever she could get, Helen
How fun and inspirational to see the article published in Quilt Life magazine! Linda, you have done so much to make quilting enjoyable and relaxing for so many! Thank you for the opportunity to join in a giveaway too!
Hi Linda, dear Monkey
thank you for the chance to win. I started my POTC the oldfashioned way
And love the blocks
Greetings
now from Norway
Brigitte and the Peppermint lady bear
I am still flirting with buying the POTC book and Inklingo pattern. I am a Downton Abby fan and I checked…you can get the movie “From Time to Time” on Netflix. I think after I see the movie, I will definitely get the POCT.
At my next quilters guild meeting I am going to demo Inkling as a great way to do Half Square Triangles and more.
Thanks Linda,
Jeannie
Linda: What a wonderful giveaway. I don’t have Lucy’s quilt pattern yet but it is on my list. Maybe we should all contact Alex Anderson and put in a word about your great product.
Thanks so much for the lovely giveaway, Linda. I’m looking forward to getting a copy of Quilt Life and checking it out. How exciting Inklingo was featured.
What a lovely start to my morning…enjoyed the music…almost as good as Frank!…and loved the information on Lucy…saw the movie and it was lovely. I so wanted it to end happily but alas that is war!
Thanks for the chance to win