Menu
I am a quilt designer, longarm quilter and teacher in Townsville, Queensland Australia
“I’ve had a few different careers starting as a computer programmer at Mount Isa Mines. In those days we had punch cards and magnetic tape. The internet was a concept yet to be born. Interesting work but not creative enough for me. “
I opened a handcraft shop in Mount Isa selling and teaching everything from needlepoint to weaving, leather craft to macramé, and basket weaving to rug making. I even taught macramé via School of the Air Radio to remote Girl Guides! Great fun.
Macrame was the big craze at the time. I loved sewing clothes. Patchwork and quilting had not yet become a “thing”.
After becoming mum to young children I found that the hours away from them became too difficult, so I sold the shop. Not long after that I discovered quilt-making as a hobby and have been hooked ever since.
As my husband’s industrial business began to grow I moved into his office to run the administration side of the business. We became friends with many of our customers who were scattered all over outback Australia, especially North West Queensland and Northern Territory.
Quilting became a big part of my life after I joined Mount Isa Quilters Group (MIQG) many years ago. Such a wonderful bunch of caring sharing people. Many of my best friends are quilters.
I got right into the activities of this very active group, attending many workshops and classes with talented local as well as more widely known teachers from around Australia and all over the world. I was elected to various official positions in the group including Newsletter Editor, Exhibition Co-ordinator and President.
I travelled to visit as many of Australia’s big quilt shows and conventions as I could and took classes with some amazing international teachers when possible.
I even attended International Quilt Festival in Houston Texas USA. Wow! Wonderful way to observe, learn, and soak up inspiration.
As MIQG we held exhibitions of our work regularly every year or two, and exhibited at the local show, Mount Isa Potters Art Gallery and community craft fairs.
Over the years I won a few quilting challenges and one time even Viewer’s Choice at our members exhibition. Among many other community projects we made four art quilts depicting extinct animals for the world famous Riversleigh Fossil Centre located at Mount Isa. They are still on display there now. Don’t miss it if you are ever in “The Isa”.
A real highlight, and one of the most rewarding projects I was ever involved in was organising the 2012 Travelling Exhibition of 64 Red and White Quits named “Infinite Horizons” under the auspices of MIQG. It’s name epitomises the landscape in our part of the world and honours Johanna S Rose. Johanna held an Exhibition in 2011 called “Infinite Variety Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts” It was installed by the American Folk Art Museum in Park Avenue Armoury New York City. She collected the 651 red and white quilts over her lifetime.
It was a mammoth team effort to get our outback endeavour off the ground. Our exhibition of red and white quilts by outback quilters travelled to 10 outback Queensland towns raising money for the elderly pioneers in each town and culminating in a grand finale at Queensland Quilters’ Annual show in our state capital Brisbane. If you drive from Mount Isa to Brisbane it takes two long days of travel, non-stop: so you can see we covered some vast country. What a year that was. We had a marvellous response, met lots of great people, and raised some welcome funds for our valued seniors in the process. My own red and white quilt was named “Catch my Disease,” after a song (that I love) by Ben Lee. Says it all really. I’m not looking for a cure by the way :). You may have guessed that my favourite colour is red.
Even though we moved so far away I remain an MIQG member today as they conferred the great honour of life membership upon me! How humbling.
After owning and operating our family business for 28 years we , we sold up and moved 990 kilometres east for a sea change, to the “capital” of tropical North Queensland, Townsville.
I spend day after day in my studio with my stash, tools of the trade , design walls, books, music, coffee and occasionally quilting friends.
Life doesn’t get much better. I love all forms of art and try to see through an artist’s eye. However, my main focus is on quilting.
I especially love geometry and the magic it can give us to play with.
Piecing by machine is my favourite modus operandi.
I enjoy using my acquired skills to nail good technique in order to achieve accurate and visually pleasing results.
Modern and traditional, applique and embroidery—I love it all.
Colour to me is super important. I’ve taken a lot of time to learn colour theory and design principles for my own pleasure and to help others to achieve a beautiful quilt.
I am now able to devote time and energy to developing my designs and teaching others who share my passion. It would be a pleasure to come to your group or shop to teach and help you “Catch my Disease”. You can contact me.
In 2020 (the year of the Covid-19 pandemic) I spent a lot of time in my studio working on UFO quilt tops and I began to accumulate quite a stack of them. So, I finally bit the bullet and installed a Gammill Statler Stitcher longarm quilting machine – a long held dream was realised.
After lots of practice, the time to quilt for others is now here.
Click on an image to learn more about the quilt
You can also use the search bar to search my quilts
