Piece by Piece: Patchwork & Quilting Talk with Lauren MacDonald

Lauren MacDonald is a designer, maker and founder of textile studio Working Cloth. She's made every sewing project under the sun but is perhaps best known for making quilts. Her first book, In Pursuit of Color: From Fungi to Fossil Fuels, was released by Atelier Editions in July 2023. Working Cloth has collaborated with the Institute of Making at University College London (UCL), Toast, and Sydney Craft Week. Lauren's work has featured in The New York Times, Vogue, CNN, Hyperallergic, Country Living, Homes & Gardens and House & Home.

Lauren joins us to talk on her new book Piece by Piece, a guide to making 20 modern patchwork and quilting projects to make from preloved fabrics.

Piece by Piece is a hands-on craft book complete with patterns, tutorials and projects that use a mix of quilting, patchwork and applique. Lauren shares her enthusiasm for and knowledge of quilting with approachable warmth and humour in this indispensable guide to modern patchwork and quilting.

A homage to tradition with a contemporary aesthetic, Piece by Piece offers heritage quilt patterns in a fresh, modern colour palette. The 20 projects, all designed to be made with second-hand fabrics and scraps from other projects, are simple enough for the beginner and advanced enough to keep experienced makers interested. Each of the three sections - kids and baby, homewares, and clothing and accessories - is organised in a skill-building sequence, with smaller, simpler projects at the beginning and more challenging ones towards the end. Beautifully illustrated, the step-by-step guides detail how to make a kid's and women's jacket, quilts, cushions and bolsters, a patchwork party hat and teddy bear, and more.

A manual to be treasured and leafed through for years to come, Piece by Piece encourages you to repurpose and reuse - a practice quilters have been following for centuries that now feels both timeless and timely.