Lizzy: Heathcote, Victoria

home based quilter

My interest in quilting began at an early age as I watched my Great Aunty Olga create beautiful hand pieced patchwork quilt tops. I always admired her attention to detail and the hours of work that went into each of her creations, but it wasn’t until I was 25 that I finally tried my hand at patchwork. My husband gifted me my first quilting book and after some trepidation I completed ‘Drunkards path’. Great Aunty Olga showed me how to button tie the quilt top, because at the time I was too frightened to quilt it.

Around the same time, I met a group of ladies in a community group for partners of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) serviceman. My husband a medic in the RAAF was deployed so I spent many hours with these ladies who shared their knowledge and passion for all things craft and sewing. A true sisterhood these ladies supported one another in both personal and creative endeavours and shaped me in to the textile artist I am today.  In 1996, I made a sun-bonnet sue quilt for my daughter’s 4th birthday – a quilt she still has today at 30 and is now using with her own little baby, Spencer.

My quilting story has evolved over the past 30 or so years, from button tying to long arm machine quilting every day.  I quilt because I love the creativity it involves – For me quilting is like drawing with a needle. But it’s the stories of the people making their quilts, that captures my heart. I love hearing my fellow patchworkers and quilters tell me about their special quilt and why they made it. I love knowing that these precious quilts will be gifted as wedding presents, baby presents or for anniversaries and will last a lifetime. They will keep their caretaker warm and surround them with love. They will be passed down and the story of who made them and why shared over and over again. It’s the romance of quilting for me. These days I find myself fascinated with the history of quilting and patchwork. I love learning about the textiles, techniques and practices of quilting around the world and understanding these influences on modern day quilting.

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