As I watched rows of freshly washed fabric flapping on the clothesline the other day, I reflected on how much satisfaction I receive from simple pleasures. Whenever life seems to be complicated, I like to take a step back. During my first patchwork class last century, we were advised to wash our fabrics before using […]
Quilters – is too much choice a bad thing?
Is too much choice a bad thing? Is it easier to select exactly the right product for the job or does it make it difficult to decide anything at all? Recent research shows that the answer depends on whether you are a ‘maximiser’ or a ‘satisficer’. Maximisers want decisions to be perfect. They will research […]
The power of stories
For four years, I was Editor of an Australian quilt magazine. A few years after I left, the business was sold and the magazine subsequently shutdown. Until then, the magazine showcased a wide range of stories about the Australian patchwork and quilting community. I was proud of the hard work I put into nearly 50 […]
When a quilt is a challenge
The challenge was to make a quilt that measured 50 inches square. Sounds straightforward, right? No such luck – my quilt had other ideas. It simply did not want to be that size and fought me all the way. The quilt won. It has always been difficult for me to make a quilt to a […]
The value of creating
Have you ever read something that forces you to immediately stop whatever you are doing? Like when a sentence hits you with force and make you wonder how that couldn’t possibly have occurred to you before? For me, it happened when I read a quote from Neil Gaiman. I’m a voracious reader. To me, reading […]
Hand piecing in 2023
This year, I have started a new hand-piecing project to take with me to my quilt group sewing sessions. It’s a pattern called Marguerite by Marg Sampson-George and contains many interlocking pieces. Hand piecing has always been my favourite method of making quilts. I guess it’s because that’s the method I learned at my first […]
Celebrating UFOs
Most quilters have Unfinished Objects (UFOs) stored in cupboards, boxes or under the bed. This is usually seen as a Bad Thing, but let’s stop this negative thinking right now, because it’s very draining and we don’t need that in our lives, do we? Let’s examine the positives of UFOs. The fact your UFO exists […]
Having quilters as friends
Quilting involves much more than the creative activity of making a quilt. It is also about women coming together to share their skills and life experiences, often forming real and lasting friendships. I remember leaving a place where I had worked for more than 20 years. Most of my colleagues were women and many of […]
Summer solstice
Today we welcome the summer solstice, that time of year that marks the beginning of summer. Given the amount of rain we’ve had this year, it may have been optimistic of me to expect sunshine. A temperature of 13 degrees and steady showers is what we have instead. Ah, well… Instead, I’ll add brightness with […]
Six years to trip around the world
This month, I sewed the binding to my Trip Around the World quilt. It’s the biggest quilt I’ve ever made, finishing at 231cm x 256cm (91in x 101in). Let me tell you the story of how it came to be. Six years ago, I started cutting squares from fabrics in my stash. I wanted to […]