Making a quilt was historically about recycling. In New Zealand people made utility quilts to keep warm. In Australia these are known as ‘Waggas”. You may have a bag of cotton clothing left over from when your kids were very small, or clothing from a loved one, a bag of old denims, doilies, aprons, able cloths or tea towels. These are perfect for Waggas!
Instructor: Clare Smith
Clare is an award-winning fibre artist whose work has been shown in solo shows as well as juried exhibitions across New Zealand and around the world. A graduate of visual arts programs, majoring in textiles and printmaking, she has taught quilting and surface design classes at colleges, symposiums and quilt groups. She was Artist in Residence in 2014 at the Tiapapata Art Centre in Samoa. Her work has been published ‘500 Art Quilts’ by Lark Books, as well as magazines such as Textile Fibre Forum where she was a featured artist in 2013.
What to Bring:
- 1-2 bags of textiles such as cotton shirts, jeans, doilies, household linens, kids clothes, etc.
• Backing and lo-loft batting (or polar fleece) to suit the size of the quilt you are making (maximum size to fit top of single bed).
• A 1m -1.5m remnant of fabric in tones coordinating with the clothing you have brought. This might be a metre of chambray if you are bringing denims, black fabric if you are bringing bright hand dyed clothing, a piece of wool that has sat in your cupboard for years unused which goes with a bag of old wool skirts. Make sure everything is clean and freshly washed.
• Hand sewing Needles, tacking thread, safety pins, fabric scissors, unpicker/seam ripper
• Optional Sewing machine. If you are a slow worker or intend to hand quilt or embroider your ‘Modern Wagga’ you will not need a machine.
Please note: This is not a piecing class. Preparation at home Cut items such as shirts into their parts (cut and open out sleeves, cut out fronts, remove collars and cuffs, open out gathered skirts, cut trousers apart). Keep the pockets on the shirts, they make good details. Remove buttons as they are hard to sew through but can be sewn back on later. Wash everything, the cut edges will unravel a bit and that is good! Visit my website for examples of how the clothing will be used. http://users.actrix.co.nz/smith_c/layers.htm
BASIC SEWING: ALL LEVELS