About 20 years ago, then Whittlesea councillor Julie Adamson was juggling full-time work, the responsibilities of her roles on council and raising three daughters.
“I thought I needed something relaxing in my life to help me wind down,” she said. “I spotted a Welsh whole cloth quilt (the top of which is a large, single piece of fabric usually quilted with an intricate design).”
She began working on her first piece.
“Little did I know what I was getting into; it got to the point where it took over my life,” Ms Adamson said.
No longer a councillor nor a mother of young children, Ms Adamson now spends her time teaching quilting and needle turn, and working on her craft.
One of her quilts has just been shipped off to Colorado for inclusion in the Rocky Mountains Quilt Museum’s next exhibition
Australia Uncovered, which starts at the end of April.
The small quilt, called Jessie, was inspired by traditional designs used on damask and old wallpapers. It was runner-up to best in show, given the Narelle Grieve Award for excellence in hand quilting, and one of three judges’ awards, at the 2015 Victorian Quilters Quilt Showcase.
The Mill Park resident is now working hard behind the scenes for the upcoming Australian Quilting Convention at the end of the month.
Ms Adamson has been invited by event organisers to tutor hand quilting and applique.
She’ll be teaching on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as building frames and hanging quilts for the four-day event.
The convention will be in Melbourne from April 14-17 at the Royal Exhibition Building.
