Profiles

I have always dabbled in sewing, embroidery and fabrics and approximately fifteen years ago was introduced to patchwork and quilting which seemed to combine all my interests. Initially I was self taught, but decided to improve my skills by enrolling on the City & Guilds Creative Patchwork course, completing Part I in 1998 and Part II in 2000. Whilst on the course I met the fellow members of MAJYK Scraps whose friendship and support I value greatly. I enjoy dying, fabric construction and manipulation, machine and hand piecing and quilting, using which ever technique gives the required effect. Whilst I have great admiration for traditional quilts, my current interest lies in contemporary quilt making.

In 1991 I won the cup for a Childs quilt and the Quilters Guild cup for workmanship at the National Patchwork Championship, now the National Quilt Championship. In the subsequent two years I came second in the categories for quilting and innovative design. I have also exhibited at Quilts UK, the Great Northern Quilt Show, Chilford Quilt Fair, and numerous local quilt shows. I have had two of my quilts featured in patchwork magazines and have had an entry in the book "Treasures Underfoot", the quilt currently part of an international quilt tour. In 2001 and 2002 I have been a guest exhibitor at the Peninsula Craft Society.

I started quilting in 1998 making several traditional bed quilts. After completing city & guilds Part 1 my interest turned to pictorial applique mostly of nature, wildlife & local suffolk scenes.

My inspiration usually comes from photographs taken by myself and by my late father. My speciality is machine work, including machine applique, free machine quilting and free machine embroidery.

I have entered my work in many major quilt shows & have won several awards, including a 1st at the Quilts UK and a 3rd along with a judges choice at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham.

My work has been featured in several magazines including Magic Patch, Patchwork & Quilting, Popular Patchwork & Fabrications. In the past two of my quilts have been accepted into a juried show & have toured America and this year I have had a third accepted. It's touring America as you read this.

I have also taught machine applique & the art of making bags at Quilters Haven in Wickham Market in Suffolk which I thoroughly enjoyed. At the present time I'm currently into dying fabric and have experimented with indigo & natural dying techniques which I have included in my recent works.

Being a member of Majyk Scraps has been, and continues to be, of much enjoyment & inspiration to me. We meet once a month to share ideas & best practices.

As a teenager, I made the inevitable quilts of hexagons over papers using scraps from my dressmaking. There is still an uncompleted one in the cupboard! Later I progressed to pieced quilts and started going to classes to further my knowledge.

I was persuaded to do City & Guilds Patchwork and Quilting Part 1 which introduced me to design and three dimensional work, which I have continued to develop.

One of my course pieces is featured in ‘Applique and Beyond’ by Annette Morgan and Bailey Curtis.

I do not have a particular style, but like to have an attempt at most things and maybe continue with a technique to produce several pieces.

My work has been exhibited at several regional/national shows and at Sutton Hoo.

I started patchwork and quilting in about 1993 when I attended a course at Suffolk college entitled 'Quilt in a Week' and got hooked.

In 1994 I joined and exhibited regularly with Heritage Quilters. I attended Otley College to complete City and Guilds in Patchwork and Quilting in 2003.

Since then my work has developed and I enjoy the challenges set within Majyk Scraps

I run a busy bed and breakfast at my home, through Farm Stay where some of my work is on display.

I have been sewing/knitting and making things for as long as I can remember. The instructions for one of my first attempts at Patchwork and Quilting was taken from a seventies Golden Hands publication. Over the years I have attended various classes and absorbed lots of techniques.

I have made cushions and bed quilts but moved on to making smaller items and wall hangings over the years. Whilst working at Quilters Haven I taught hand applique classes and parent and child classes. I attended Otley College to complete city and guilds Patchwork and Quilting in 2000-2002. I really enjoyed the Art and Design element and trying more experimental techniques.This has given me confidence to design my own quilts rather than trying to follow instructions!

I have been a member of the Quilters Guild for many years and was the Young Quilters rep in region 8 for three years. I enjoy visiting a variety of exhibitions including textile art and the regular Suffolk Craft Society exhibitions. Some of my quilts have been exhibited at Sutton Hoo and Chilford.

I am fortunate in that both my sister and mother quilt. We have set each other challenges using pictures, poems and postcards for inspiration and have had one challenge featured in the Quilters Guilt magazine.

I am currently taking an Open College of the Arts Drawing Course to extend my drawing skills and am looking forward to the challenges set as part of Majyk Scraps.

My creative journey in quilting began when I went on a summer school, as a "Mental Health holiday", relaxing from a demanding full-time job.

By 1997 I was working part-time and free to undertake the 4 year City and Guilds course, which I successfully completed in 2001, thus continuing my creative journey of exploration.

Whilst studying I was also fortunate to visit a number of Asian countries and developed a fascination with ethnic textiles and sewing techniques. In this way my journey encompassed the physical and the mental.

My favoured techniques include appliqué, quilting and working in wool, felt and silk. I am mainly inspired by the natural world with particular reference to trees and flowers. My journey continues daily, and I regularly attend workshops and events, visit museums and galleries to learn more and to explore the creative world of arts and crafts.

I won first prize in a national millennium textile competition, and have had work published in Shirley McGregor's book "Manholes Covers"

I am a member of the Quilters Guild, Embroiderers Guild, the National Association of Felt Makers, Suffolk Open Studios and T.A.G.S (Textile Art Group Suffolk).

I teach all aspects of patchwork and quilting, run workshops and day schools and give talks on several aspects of textiles.

I have been involved in patchwork & quilting since 1993, before which my interest was in spinning and weaving. I attended Otley college City & Guilds Creative Studies course in Patchwork & Quilting, completing Part I certificate in 1997 and Part II Diploma in 2000.

I am currently teaching Textiles at various locations in Suffolk, these include both regular weekly courses at Badingham and Sew & So's Bungay, regular monthly Saturday workshops and also one-off workshops. I enjoy the challenge of developing new ideas for my students and my projects.

My work has been exhibited at National shows where it has been included in the brochures and seen on TV, and a large wall hanging, 'Sail Free' has been featured in the book 'Quilters Guide to Pictorial Quilts' by Maggi McCormick Gordon.

My style ranges away from the Traditional form to innovative new directions in Patchwork including machine embroidery. I enjoy strong colour and bring techniques from other disciplines into my work.

I am a member of the Quilters Guild, Embroiderers Guild and Suffolk Open Studios.

Send mail to annie@majykscraps.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2002 MAJYK SCRAPS Textile Group

Send mail to annie@majykscraps.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002 MAJYK SCRAPS Textile Group