Getting to know me…
I realised in late 2023 that I have been quilting for over 40 years although I had been sewing clothes for myself since I was 12 years old. I initially took an introductory quilting class in which we used hand-cut cardboard templates that we drew around with a pencil and cut out with scissors. There was also no such thing as a long arm quilting machine with most quilts being finished by hand. What a long way the quilting industry has come when in 1990 I discovered rotary cutting, modern piecing techniques and all the wonderful 100% cotton fabrics being designed for quilting.
Since these early days, I have travelled extensively and found that quilting was a great starting point for meeting new friends or accessing unique supplies. I have been to the large shows in Houston and Paducah; have twice taken classes at the Academy of Applique held in Colonial Williamsburg and have attended two national Quilt Symposiums in Christchurch and Auckland, New Zealand.
In 2016, due to a burgeoning interest in slow sewing, I began the Royal School of Needlework Certificate in Hand Embroidery; graduating with Merit in July 2019. I am continuing with the RSN Diploma programme and have completed four out of the six units so far. In 2018, I wrote two articles for the Canadian Quilter Magazine; one about an historic quilt that I reconstructed.