This month’s speaker at Bristol Quilters was Katharine Guerrier, who is a really well-known British quilter who has been extraordinarily influential on many quilters through her books and workshops. Her website is http://www.katharineguerrier.com/. She came and gave us her talk on small, medium and large quilts and brought a great number of pieces with her. I love the fact that she works almost exclusively with patterned fabric, and, when asked if she ever used hand-dyed cloth said that she would rather spend the time sewing rather than dyeing. I know how she feels. I am happy to pay other people to dye fabric rather than do it myself. I don’t want the mess and the faff, although I really love the effect. It is also great to see someone who clearly delights in pattern and piles it into her quilts.
She is also the doyenne of the scrap quilt, which is another form dear to the hearts of people who love fabric. I loved her little quilts which she calls pinboard quilts. These are made so that people can pin them up to admire lovely fabric on their pinboards, and also so that quilters can try out ideas. The little quilts are quick to make so trying something out isn’t a great investment either in time or money.
I was also struck by the back of her quilts which often contain leftover blocks from other projects stitched with large blocks of fabric. She said that she thought the backs were sometimes really successful as quilts because she was thinking less about them and so they were freer and more spontaneous. They did look a bit like the celebrated Gee’s Bend quilts and had a real liveliness
Katharine Guerrier is clearly a well-loved figure in quilting in the UK. There was a stifled cheer when she got up to speak and a stampede to have a closer look at her work. I really like contemporary work and art quilts, but it was a delight to spend an evening with Katharine Guerrier and her wonderful jewel-coloured, saturated palette and her beautifully made work.
Every time I visit your blog I can discover something new and interesting. This time it’s an English Quilter but I loved your adventure with Madonna too 🙂
I’m very glad that I found you (through Janet’s Haigh) and just wanted to say “hi”.
Thanks so much for this comment and for taking the time and trouble to post it. I am so glad you like the blog. I will have a look at your blog to see what kind of work you do. I love the way blogging leads to unexpected links, so thanks for the hi, and hello! Ann
Hi Ann, I bet that was a wonderful experience to meet Katharine Guerrier! I have several of her books and just Friday was reading Scrap Quilt Sensation while waiting to collect my daughter from school. I love the way she thinks and explains things. 🙂 Best regards, Dianne B. in West Yorkshire
Yes, you’re right. She explains things really clearly. And I also think that she can really claim to have been one of the founding figures in the British patchwork revival because she inspired so many quilters to have a go at designing their own work and having confidence in their colour sense.
Thanks so much for replying to my post. It is great to know that people are reading the blog. Ann