Catherine-Marie Longtin: A Modern Take on English Paper Piecing
This September, as part of London Textile Month, Montreal-born quilt-maker and textile artist Catherine-Marie Longtin invites you to explore the meditative possibilities of freehand English paper piecing (EPP), a method of patchwork where fabric is wrapped around shapes cut from thin card or heavy paper. Each piece is then stitched by hand to the next, building up intricate patterns one seam at a time. The paper forms are removed once they have been joined on all sides, leaving the fabric to hold the structure.
Longtin's full-day workshops, held on Friday 5 and 18 September at Ray Stitch, the contemporary fabric and haberdashery store on Essex Road, offer the rare chance to learn this intricate technique from a maker whose work blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.
Quilted artwork by Catherine-Marie Longtin.
Longtin’s path to quilting was anything but linear. She grew up in Montreal, learning to sew from her mother and making her own duvet covers when she couldn’t find what she wanted in shops. After completing a PhD in cognitive sciences and spending years moving between Montreal, Paris and London, she left academia to dedicate herself fully to textiles. Now based in South East London, she works from her Camberwell studio, creating minimalist quilts inspired by abstract art, architecture and interior design.
Optical quilted artwork by Catherine-Marie Longtin.
It was during the pandemic, juggling home-schooling and family life, that Longtin turned to English paper piecing. The slow, meticulous process of drawing designs, cutting templates, basting fabric, and assembling shapes with tiny stitches became both a creative outlet and a source of calm. She began developing a freehand approach, moving beyond the rigid geometry of hexagons to create fluid, organic compositions with a painter’s sense of colour and form.
Quilted artwork by Catherine-Marie Longtin.
In her upcoming Ray Stitch workshops, Longtin will guide participants through every stage of the process: drawing original patterns, choosing harmonious fabrics from Ray Stitch’s expertly curated selection, cutting and basting, hand-stitching, and finally appliquéing the finished piece. Along the way, she’ll share when freehand EPP is most effective, which shapes work best, and how to build movement into your work. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is necessary - you’ll leave with both a finished textile artwork and the confidence to continue at home.
Quilt by Catherine-Marie Longtin.
For Longtin, quilts are more than functional objects. They can carry memory, mark a milestone, or simply transform a space. Many of her commissioned pieces begin with fabrics of personal significance: a fragment of a loved one’s clothing, a flea-market find, or a remnant tied to a family story. Each quilt becomes a vessel for meaning, stitched together with the care and attention that only handwork allows.
Her work has an understated strength: pared-back palettes, clean lines, and the subtle irregularities that hand-stitching imparts. Whether inspired by an Anni Albers weaving or the soft light in a Parisian apartment, her quilts invite the viewer to pause and take in the detail.
For those seeking both creative inspiration and a grounding, tactile practice, Longtin’s London Textile Month workshops offer the perfect opportunity. In her hands, English paper piecing is not just a method - it’s a way of giving form to time, one stitch at a time.
-
Further Information:
Catherine-Marie Longtin's English Paper Piecing workshops take place on Friday, September 5th and 18th at Ray Stitch, Essex Road, as part of London Textile Month. Tickets are available HERE.
-
Image Credits:
All images courtesy of Catherine-Marie Longtin