Quilts are something I have made for community projects like 365 Leeds Stories, The Seacroft Tapestry Project and the Arts and Minds Hope Quilt but I’ve never tackled one for my own work. I use techniques like English paper piecing and applique in my practice but something I’m hoping to tackle next is a pictorial art quilt.

On a recent trip to Hayburn Wyke, I was inspired by a picture of the cliff edge and thought it would make an interesting art quilt. What is an art quilt?

An art quilt is an original exploration of a concept or idea rather than the handing down of a “pattern”. It experiments with textile manipulation, color, texture and/or a diversity of mixed media. An Art Quilt often pushes quilt world boundaries. An Art Quilt should consist predominately of fiber or a fiber-like material with one or multiple layers which are held together with stitches or piercing of the layers.

The Art Quilt Association

Here are some samples from my 2019 visit to The Festival of Quilts at the NEC. From left to right: Aina Muze – Eternal Thread – Interchange of Centuries, India Flint – Cailleach and Karina Thompson – The Leperous Skull.

I’m looking forward to exploring different processes like dyeing, painting and applique to create the quilt. I’ve treated myself to a book about pictorial art quilts which talks you through the different stages of a quilt, even professional artists need to brush up on their skills.

For regular updates about my work you can follow me on Instagram or sign up to my monthly newsletter.