MEET PENNYDOG PATCHWORK

What quilting challenges would you like to conquer in the next 12 months?

Two things- curves without puckers and machined Y-seams. I have a serious mental block with those which is just ridiculous.

What’s your 3 favourite quilts that you’ve made that reflect who you are as a quilter?

Recently I discovered I liked making cultural reference quilts. I don’t have many to show for this apparent discovery as I make more universally friendly quilts for publication so I don’t get to indulge the arty side very often.

First off lets go with this one – it’s my Penny and Fletcher quilt, which were my first two greyhounds and this was my first ever competition quilt. It didn’t go down that brilliantly with the judges but people still recognise it now so I guess it’s a “signature” quilt of mine. I went on to make a Giant George one (he was the World’s largest dog at the time) which I actually sold too.

I was going to choose Parquetry, my modern brown quilt that sticks two fingers up at anyone who says brown can’t be modern, but instead number two I will bore you all to death with as it’s what got me into Sewvivor which makes it significant. Tis is the only pixel quilt I have ever made and it’s of the eminent British actor, comedian and all round great guy Stephen Fry. I’m planning a French and Saunders one next, but it seems to be I need a two year gap between these kinds of projects!

Lastly it’s got to be Billy hasn’t it? I would have loved to make this dance as well as sing and strip the mechanics out of a charity shop Big Mouth Billy Bass. I may enter this into a quilt show as a mini quilt because you HAVE to touch it to press a button. Take that, quilt police.

If you weren’t a quilter, what other creative endeavour would you like to master?

I’d love to be able to draw or paint properly. I can do the odd doodle or sketch but largely that is from looking at something, rather than out of my imagination.