Tag: Patchwork Designer

Hi Jemima, thank you for joining me. I’d love to start with some general background questions.

• Could you please tell us where you call home?

Perth, Western Australia

• How long have you been doing patchwork quilting?

Since I was 16 so for 30 years (oh no – now I have given away my age – lol)

• Was this the first craft you tried? Did you dabble in another craft first?

I first tried crochet, My Nanna taught me how to when I was 7 years old and absolutely loved it from the first stitch.

• Who or where did you initially learn the skills of patchwork and quilting from?

Initially self-taught from Magazines, until I was about 18 and could take myself to Quilting lessons at my local Quilt store. 

• What made you get into patchwork and quilting?

With lots of fabric always in our home (as my mum would make our clothes and bedroom décor) I loved collecting up the leftovers from mums’ projects and use these in the quilts I started to make.  At school I loved Textiles and sewing my own clothes as well, so I was familiar with a sewing machine.

I’d love to chat about your signature style.

• Looking at your Instagram feed is like scrolling through a bright rainbow! Would you say you’re drawn to more bright and bold saturated colours?

Yes, I am a big lover of all things bright and bold – I think this has changed over time as when my girls were young, I used to sew with a lot more pastel colours. 

• What is your favourite colour combination?

I love Pink, Aqua and Navy together. And I always love it when you can add in a metallic accent of some sort.

• Your design style is quite modern with a nod to traditional quilt blocks re-imagined or reworked, is this how you would also describe your design style?

That is a great way to describe my style – I love looking at ways I can add my own style to classic blocks. 

• How did you develop your design style? Has it changed a lot from when you first started quilting?

Very much my design style starts with patterns being able to be made by beginner quilters.  Over the years I have drawn inspiration from family and friends and stories I can build quilt design around. I love looking at Architecture and Street Art– especially how this can be re-imagined into my quilting designs.

• What do you think is a key element in a modern patchwork quilt?

I think that it doesn’t have to follow rules – you can interpret, change or make it what you want it to be.

• What do you think takes a quilt design from traditional to modern?

In how the maker sees it being constructed – changing it or working it so that it doesn’t have to be how it may have been traditionally pieced.

• Do you have a favourite quilt block?

Well I think it’s safe to say I love Equilateral Triangles.

Let’s chat about crochet and your new book.

• How long have you been crocheting?

I learned to crochet when I was 7, from there I was immediately hooked.

• What drew you to this craft and how did you learn?

My Nanna would start me off with a traditional Granny Square Centre and then from there I would use all the yarn I could be given to make a lap size blanket, going round and round, then when it was too big for me to carry, Nanna would start me off again on a new Granny Square Blanket and this continued for years.

• What sparked the idea of designing quilt patterns with matching crochet patterns?

This was actually an experiment that turned into something bigger than I imagined.  I began to see in Crochet designs the correlation between block styles and how many of these existed in the quilt patterns I loved.  I then decided to look at what Quilt patterns I had that could then be re-interpreted as Crochet Blankets.  So, after looking through my designs I settled on taking my Aurora Quilt and seeing if I could make it into a crochet version.  Little did I know how much people seemed to be invested in my experiment as I went along and the call for a pattern then for this crochet version was asked for again and again.

• What came first the quilt pattern or the crochet pattern?

The Aurora Quilt pattern was first then came the Merryweather Blanket – the sister blanket to the quilt.

• What was the most challenging thing about converting a quilt pattern to a crochet pattern?

Keeping the skill level at beginner.  I had big great ideas for how crochet blocks should be constructed with all types of stitches but trying to keep it simple, meant pulling at the reigns so to speak.

• Is this the first time you have written crochet patterns? How did you find that experience versus writing a quilt pattern?

I had written a few Crochet patterns and also my Merryweather Blanket pattern before the book.  Writing the Quilt patterns came easily, the Crochet patterns definitely took me longer to write and edit.

• Do you have a favourite pattern from the book?

Vivienne’s Heart Quilt and Blanket, these are named after my Nanna so are very sentimental to me.

Some questions to close with.

• Teaching patchwork is a big part of your quilting career, what is the most rewarding thing about teaching the skills of patchwork/quilting?

Seeing beginner quilters start to flourish in their new skills and watching them as they go from unsure in where to start through to making something they previously thought unachievable.

• What would be your number one piece of advice for someone just starting their journey with patchwork and quilting?

Take a class in person, you will learn so much more than you ever imagined you could.  Having someone show you through the process can really set yourself up.

• What is something you have learnt from someone else that had a big impact on the way you design or create patchwork quilts?

That not necessarily loving a technique doesn’t mean a “bad thing” or is a waste of time, it takes you in the direction of what you do love and shows you what you like to create most.

• I am a strong believer in community over competition. What are your thoughts on the quilting/patchwork community in terms of support and encouragement?

I am all for collaboration – I wouldn’t be anywhere without it, and I am happy to share my experiences and skills with those who want to work together. I think it comes back to my professional career as a teacher in which sharing is how we learn.

• How do you think sewing/patchwork/quilting/crochet benefits your life? Does it benefit you mentally, emotionally, physically?

All of the above.

• What do you love most about patchwork and crochet?

I love sharing the skills, knowledge and techniques I have learned with those that are keen to learn.

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