Oh, what a beautiful day!

Today for the first time since last summer, I bravely journied to LP&Q HQ without a coat. Not even a jacket or stylish lightweight mac – I'll never be that girl, perfectly poised on the train station platform. I'm the one fighting to untangle my earphones while scrubbing toothpaste out of my top. This morning I felt relaxed, body and soul, in warm spring morning sunshine. Everyone is so much happier in the sun and I even feel inspired to tackle everything on my to-do list! Well

nearly everything; my desk needs a good tidy, if only to locate the remains of an Easter egg I know is lurking somewhere…

Happily, this month's issue is all kinds of sunny where fabric is concerned! The most obvious place for quilters to brighten up their home is the bedroom. To help you do this, Cristina Tepsick has not only created our generously sized cover star quilt in fresh shades of mint and peach, but also a pair of quick and easy pillow cases. Art Gallery Fabrics mixed two fabric collections to create a sunny quilt glowing with yellows and golds. Elizabeth

Dackson has the perfect mini quilt for those precious scraps you've been hoarding, while Julie Rutter's alphabet beanbags are perfect for little one's al fresco playtime. Before you start, check out Susan Standen's amazing block folder – an ingenious way to store (and admire!) your blocks for WIP quilt tops.

I truly hope this issue brightens your day like the sunshine has brightened mine. And while I sit here wondering if tomorrow's skies will be as glorious, you are guaranteed a beautiful day every time you open your copy of the mag!