Page 99 - The Digital Cloth Issue 3

I became a florist in my early thought we’d go and have a
twenties which gave me the chance look. It was as though we’d
to play with color, texture and wandered into a wonderland
design not only with flower with so many beautiful quilts
arrangements of all types but also and endless aisles of fabric.
eye-catching window displays, The spark was lit and I went

installations for large events, home that evening with a bag
fashion and magazine shoots. I see of quilting tools.
my quilting very much as a
continuation of a creative life I ignored some friendly advice
journey. I apply so many of the to start with a potholder or
creative processes and design cushion and jumped in and made
elements I learned through my work a queen size quilt of squares.
with flowers to quilting. I didn’t have a pattern
because I thought “How hard
I discovered patchwork and quilting can it be to sew squares
in my mid-thirties when I arrived together?”. I wasn’t brave

in a new city and decided I needed enough to machine quilt it so
a hobby. I looked around for I entirely hand quilted it
dressmaking classes but couldn’t with stitches that would make
find any that fit in with my busy the quilt police laugh.
work schedule. Around that time the Looking back, I realize I
Sydney Quilt Show was on and on the pretty much did everything
spur of the moment Mr. Daisy and I wrong but the quilt has
lasted all these years and is
still one of my very favourite
quilts.

I’ve described myself as A

Kangaroo on a Pogo Stick when
it comes to a quilting style.
I say this because I jump
around using different
colours, styles and
techniques. One minute I’ll
make a quick colourful scrappy
liberated quilt and the next
quilt will be a slow project
of hand sewing clamshells.
Again, bringing it back to

my floral experience, in the
flower shop one minute I would
make a delicate posy of pretty
spring flowers and then then
next arrangement would be a
big modern tropical
arrangement. In that same way
I enjoy the variety of styles
and techniques quilting has