We’ve received the first beautiful Quilt SOS Quilt into the studio for our 2020 project. It’s a completely stunning quilt which has so much detail within it. It’s a quilt that is full of fun and interest and therefore perfect for a child. It has been made by Kathryn Ross and was inspired by her daughters bedroom floor and by Arbury Hall. The Quilt SOS project is now in its 5th year – later on this year we are taking the quilts to London to be given to the children and their mothers currently seeking refuge in the safe houses of a charity called Hestia. These women and children have suffered domestic abuse and have had to leave behind almost everything they own. I hope that these quilts will give them back a sense of the home that they have left behind whilst looking towards a new safer future.
I asked Kathryn about her wonderful quilt and why she had chosen to support the Quilt SOS project this year.
Why did you decide to support our Quilt SOS project and is this your first quilt for the project?
“I have seen the details for the project before but have never had enough time to do it. I have made birth quilts for many many years for friends and family but the Lockdown meant my wedding dress designing and making went out of the window and I had the time to do something I love to do. I also really liked the idea of the quilt going to a refuge centre.”
What inspired this beautiful quilt?
“I had made some little mice for a friend of mines children and they loved them so much I thought it might be fun to include the mouse in the quilt as a little friend for whoever has it. My favourite books as a child were The Borrowers and I liked the idea that the little mouse should be living amongst objects you might find on the bedroom floor of a child.”
There is so much amazing detail in the quilt – which is your favourite part?
“I am particularly fond of the plimsol, I enjoyed working out how to make it with the shoe laces as part of the design.”
We would love to know a bit about your sewing history.
“My Mum taught me to sew. She gave me her singer sewing machine when I was 8 years old and we bought a dolls clothes pattern. I have not stopped since then designing and creating everything from clothes to theatrical costumes, quilts, wedding dresses and sometimes my sculpture.”
The little mouse, called Elsie, has her very own wardrobe of clothes tucked away inside this gorgeous zipped case on the quilt. The detail within this quilt is amazing.
What do you love about sewing with Liberty?
“I have loved Liberty and their fabric from childhood. The fabric is the most beautiful quality to sew and the pattern, colours and designs are timeless. The quilt contains pieces of Liberty Tana Lawn which are more than 30 years old and come from clothing which has been washed many times but still retain their quality and colour. I have made a couple of wedding dresses with Floral Eve Tana Lawn and they were not only delightful to sew but also looked stunning.”
Which is your favourite liberty fabric?
“I think it has to be Strawberry Thiefalthough it’s hard to choose.”
Thank you Kathryn for making this gorgeous quilt for the project – everyone in the office was blown away with it when it arrived!
We still need pledges of over 30 quilts to be able to give enough to the refuges towards the end of the year. If you are interested in being involved, please take a look here. Thank you to all those who have made quilts for this project in the past – we have donated over 260 quilts to children in previous years.
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