What Are You Stitching?

Warm weather or cold, it doesn’t seem to have any effect on the desire that quilters have to make more quilts. Of course, we are particularly fond of those quilts which combine their clever construction with beautiful embroidery. Today we want to highlight a number of these clever people who aren’t just skilled with the needle, but also with arranging and constructing all of those bits and pieces of fabric into coherent and beautiful designs.

‘I decided I wanted to make just a simple quilt for a friend’s second baby. Thanks to Jenny McWhinney for the bunny pattern (which I have now embroidered twice!). The rabbit is on a piece of calico and I thought that perhaps I could get some rabbit printed material and make it up.’

‘Well, I couldn’t find rabbit material and it was difficult to find the right colours without making it too girly or boyish! I made do with what I could get here in Tasmania and I think it has turned out ok for a light quilt for Perth’s warm weather.’

It looks perfect, Gill. The colour choice works really well and you have done a superb job re-creating one of Jenny’s gorgeous rabbits who looks perfectly at home surrounded by the wonderful fabrics you have chosen.

‘I love embroidery and quilting and have combined both lately, which is very satisfying. In 2017 I embroidered the birds but cancer in 2018 and life issues prevented working on it. I finally finished the quilt top last week using Robin Kingsley’s ‘Sheltering Tree’ red fabrics. When completed it will be hand quilted and have more beads added.’

Your quilt is a gorgeous combination of embroidery and quilting, Bobbi. What a spectacular result you have achieved under what sounds like very trying circumstances. We look forward to seeing the final piece once completed.  

‘A few years back I bought the ‘A is for Alphabet; Q is for Quilt’ book with the hope of another grandchild.’

‘I spent three years on and off working the embroidery, and I really enjoyed doing all the blocks. I assembled it and Cooee Quilting, located in Yeppoon in Queensland, Australia, quilted it for me beautifully.’

‘And this year in February we now have a cherished grandson Aiden.’

That is a spectacular family heirloom you have created Anna, something to be very proud of and to be treasured for many years to come. Congratulations on a beautifully finished quilt and the exciting news of your new grandson Aiden, we trust he enjoys it.