Creative Backstory: Celebrating 20 Years – Year 2003

To mark the 20th anniversary of my first baby quilt, I  have been reflecting on what I have learned along the way. Creative Backstory is a series of blog posts each highlighting a different year. I invite you to share your creative backstory. Each day, I will post an optional prompt. Leave your response as a comment below or on my Serendipity Facebook page or use the tag #creativebackstory or Instagram and I will add your name to my Creative Backstory Giveaway. I look forward to reading about what has shaped your creative life.

A look back to 2003 brings two highlights:

• learning the technique of pinless curved piecing; and
• attending the New Zealand Quilt Symposium in Christchurch.

Freewheeling: Freehand Cutting & Freeform Piecing

I am indebted to Caroline Price for introducing me to freehand cutting and freeform piecing in her Freewheeling workshop at a local quilt store in 2003. How liberating it was to move away from templates and pins and focus on colour, line and shape. These basic techniques underpin my creative practice to this day.

I revelled in creating the wavy blocks that reminded me of the colour and movement of surf life saving competitions. I soon assembled a quilt and secured it with some straight-line quilting in preparation for a more ambitious design. My quilting plans surpassed my skills (and patience). I confess this is still a work-in-progress but I learned so much along the way.

Quilt Symposium: Christchurch 2003

In September 2003, I headed back to my New Zealand homeland for my first quilt symposium which was hosted in Christchurch. It was an exhilarating affair. In addition to five days of classes with Donna Ward, Susan Mathews and Cynthia Johnson, I signed up for a full program of lunch-time and after-class lectures. Inspirational speakers included Rosalie Dace, Judy B Dales and Charlotte Yde. Hungry to learn, I devoured it all!

I have since attended another New Zealand symposium (Auckland 2005) as a student and three as a teacher (Manawatu 2015, Christchurch 2017 and Auckland 2019). These events are entirely organised by volunteers and the vibe is enthusiastic and welcoming. Capital Quilters is hosting the next symposium in Lower Hutt in October 2022. Registrations open in October 2020. It is advantageous to register early so as to secure the lowest possible registration number and to optimise your chances of being allocated your preferred classes and events. Follow Quilt Symposium 2022 on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date

Sharing Stories: Prompt # 3 & Giveaway

I invite you to share your creative backstory. Here are some optional prompts:

• How did you learn the foundation technique in your creative practice?
• What is your favourite symposium or quilting conference event?

Leave your response as a comment below or use the tag #creativebackstory on Facebook or Instagram. I look forward to reading about what has shaped your creative life and will put your name into my celebratory giveaway. At the end of June, after I have completed Creative Backstory posts, I will select one commenter and, pandemic postal system permitting, this King Parrot textile sketch will wing its way to a new home.