Quilting the Patchwork of Life

It has struck me recently how many creative and talented colleagues and friends I have and I wanted to showcase some of their creations and stories for you.

Derryn has been making quilts for a long time now and she really has been quilting the patchwork of life: starting with her first quilt for her mother; then quilts for her children; quilts for playgroup; quilts for special occasions and quilts for special friends (even on the other side of the world). Each quilt is a work of art made with love and Derryn has allowed me to share her story and some of these pieces with you.

Patchwork is the art of sewing together pieces of fabric to form a pattern or block. Quilting is the sewing together of the three layers that make up a quilt – the top, the central wadding, and the backing.

I asked Derryn how she got into quilting and how she chooses her designs:

I can’t remember why I started patchwork and quilting but I have always been ‘crafty’. Both grandmothers were also crafty so I must have their genes. I also knit, crochet, paint and have tried sculpting but I always come back to “cutting up fabric into little pieces then sewing them back together again”.

I do remember taking my first basic patchwork class in which you are taught the basics of the craft. I didn’t like the end result so raced on ahead and made a knee rug for my Mum.

Over the years I have made many quilts, done courses, joined quilting groups and used the internet for inspiration. I get some ideas from all of these, but I usually change the design somehow – I think it personalises the quilt. Each quilt has a label on the back with my name and the year I made it – I usually add washing instructions too as these quilts are made for using, not to be put away in a cupboard.

I like to stretch myself and learn new methods with each new quilt and while I am making the quilt, I like to think about the person it will be gifted to. Sometimes I just make a quilt because I like the design or have learnt it in a class, then years later I will give it to someone.

My quilts have ended up all over the world. My penfriend in England has a Kiwiana quilt on his wall and a colleague in Korea has the remnants from this in another wall quilt.

Derryn’s Kiwiana Quilt

For her penfriend on the other side of the world

When the kids were young, I organised an alphabet quilt for their playgroup. Each Mum selected a letter then did a block corresponding to it. I sewed them together – it’s still hanging up in the rooms, twenty years later.

I am currently working on special quilts for work colleagues – each one has a story. My boss is learning French so his is made from a collection of French themed fabric. Another colleague will get a quilt made from a pattern called ‘Northern Star’ – because she is from the north of England and she is a ‘star’!

The family too have quilts – wall quilts with the first letter of their names – ‘A’ has apples and astronauts, ‘B’ has butterflies and bananas as well as bed quilts. There are quilts all over the house – in the winter its really nice to sit, covered by a quilt or to be able to throw one on the bed. All the nieces and nephews have quilts and major birthdays always means another quilt is specially made.

Autumnal Quilt

I belong to an internet group that helps me when I get stuck on ideas or methods and we also organise block swaps, mystery quilts and quilts for charity. In these last few months during the pandemic lockdown having this crafty outlet has given me something else to focus on and given me hours of pleasure.

Quilts can take as little as a weekend for the smaller ones or many months (sometimes years if life gets in the way) for the bigger bed-size quilts. I usually quilt small to medium -sized ones but a friend who owns a special quilting machine quilts the bigger ones. I did hand quilt Mum’s first quilt but that takes AGES and a lot of patience!