I am really pleased to be part of Plum & June’s “Let’s Get Acquainted Blog Hop” and I can not believe it is my turn to post already. I have had such a great time checking out everyone’s post each week and finding new inspiration and new friends.
How did you get into quilting?
I started quilting after watching “How to Make An American Quilt” on video. I was recovering from a car accident and quilting was the perfect way to keep me out of trouble. I did not have anyone to teach me so I read some books and made lots and lots of mistakes. This is the first quilt top I every finished – I still have not quilted it, and I am not sure I ever will…
My first ever quilt top… circa 1997
My quilting skills have grown over the years, particularly after I moved to the States in 2006. I found wonderful wise older quilters at Project Linus who taught me how to bind my quilts properly, how to sew my bits of batting together (nothing goes to waste), and how to make a whole pile of interesting traditional blocks. I also found the Portland Modern Quilting Guild who taught me how to English paper piece, how to make creative quilt backs and most importantly that there is no right or wrong in quilting.
What do you love about quilting?
My favorite part of the process is design phase. I love to play with colour and pattern.
My colour and fabric choices are linked to the second thing I love about quilting, which is giving the quilts away. When I started quilting all those years ago my sister was a oncology nurse at the local children’s hospital. She was doing so much good and I felt like I wanted to contribute as well, the only problem was I hate hospitals and faint at the sight of blood. My solution was to make quilts for her chemo kids. Bright, fun, loud, interesting quilts. I have over the years made hundreds of quilts for children in hospitals in Australia, England and now Portland. 90% of my creations are given away to kids/people I do not know but who I hope get some comfort out of them.
I also love to paper piece. In the beginning of my quilting adventure I found paper piecing was the easiest way for me to get accurate blocks. I am not the most precise person, and paper piecing allows me to achieve blocks and quilts that would be otherwise out of my range.
Paper Piecing Monday blocks
Why did you start a blog?
There were two reason I started this blog:
1. To force myself to take photos and document the quilts I was making and giving away.
2. To force myself to try new things.
So far the blog has succeeded in both of these areas but has also given me the added bonus of linking into an amazing world-wide community of quilters who support me, encourage me and keep me honest.
As for my blogs name… I am not sure why I choose Wombat Quilts but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Just in case you have not seen one, this what a wombat looks like…
What are you working on now?
I must admit I have way too many projects in progress. My currently priorities are:
- My Paper Piecing Monday Brights quilt
- My Star Crossed quilt
- My Blush log cabin quilt
- My hexagon floral quilt
A little bit about me…
1. I have dual citizenship – I was born in England to Australian parents…. but consider myself Australian.
2. Two years ago I married an amazing American man, much to the surprise of my family who had given up on me ever marrying.
3. For 15+ years I developed and produced animated feature films in the UK and USA.
4. I have lived in four different countries in my life – Australia, Israel, England and the USA.
5. I hate being photographed (you may have worked this out from the fact that there is no photo of me on this site!)
Now that I have written one of my longest posts EVER…. go check out these other amazing bloggers who are part of this weeks hop.
WOMBAT QUILTS 
What lovelies you have made! 🙂 I especially love those paper pieced stars- those are going to make a fantastic quilt. It’s so nice to meet you!
Wombats are kinda cute. I never knew! Thanks for that 🙂
Nice to get to know you a bit! You have made some lovely quilts. They are extra beautiful when you give them away to such great causes. 🙂
What a beautiful post and the lovely photos of your work. It is so nice that you give your quilts to little people. Marie x
it’s so wonderful to get to know you better through the hop! your projects are absolutely gorgeous!!
🙂 Kelly
Loved reading your post and getting to know you a bit! I always love popping by and seeing what you’re up to. You have a fabulous eye for colour and of course I’m drawn to your paper piecing blocks 😉
So pretty to see all this color in one place! The Star Crossed quilt is going to be a stunner.
I must admit when I was putting this post together I was concerned about the over abundance of loud colour. There are a handful of gentler quilts but most of them are obnoxiously bright!
Better adjective: CHEERFULLY bright. 🙂
Oh I like that. I will use cheerfully more in the future as a adjective.
Whoops! Cheerfully is an adverb; cheerful is an adjective. I am a dope. Either way, the point remains that your quilts are gorgeous and bright, never obnoxious. 🙂
I love the idea of cheerfully as an adjective and though it may not be absolutely grammatically correct it is perfect.
So great to meet you! Your work is lovely! And that Wombat… Adorable! I want one.
Errr…you might need a wombat door then, their holes are about 2ft wide!
I am with Bert… You may want to rethink wanting a wombat. They are big but I have always thought they would make a great foot stool!
I don’t like having my picture taken either. I love reading what brought people into quilting.
Wow all your projects are beautiful! Your paper piecing is awesome! Love it! it is nice to meet you and I am already a follower!
jan@sewandsowfarm
Hi Catherine,
I have been lurking around your blog for a while now admiring your lovely work. Your sister is my sister-in-law and that is kind of cool 🙂
Hi Judy. I love how my real life and cyber life intersect. Glad you let me know you stopped by.
Wonderful post and you have such a giving heart to give away so many of your quilts. Very awesome!
Loved reading more about you, Cath! So glad you were one of the first bloggers I ever commented on! I have learned so much from seeing your quilts and you inspired me to start paper piecing. I love all of your quilts – basically because you are the master of color! Great post!!
Thanks Ashley. You are part of what I really love about blogging – new, creative, talented friends.
I love seeing your blocks and quilts; I love the color and the paper-piecing ones, especially!
Hi Cath! I’m already an avid follower but it’s nice to learn more about you. Always looking forward to seeing your work and I can’t thank you enough for making the Block Rock’n blocks 😀
Julie I love your patterns, they are so fun and different and creative. Please keep them coming.
Brilliant eye for color, hilarious, *and* you’ve got a heart of gold? Shame on your family for giving up hope that you’d marry! (Also, at the risk of sounding redundant: hilarious).
😉 Lovely to learn more about you. I can relate to your resistance to being photographed (that’s why my face is curiously obscured in what is now the only photo of myself on my own blog, hah!)
I’ve just started paper piecing – It’s getting easier but a bit head wrecking at the start. Love your stars! The colours are gorgeous.
Paper piecing does have it crazy making moments but I think the end results are worth it. The more you do the easier it gets.
A Little Bit about Me:
6. I never cease to amaze my friends.
As my best friend you are a little biased!
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Great post! I have enjoyed following your blog for some time now and really love all the color-filled pics. Your paper piecing is amazing!
Really lovely post. Very touched that so you donated many quilts to children in hospital. X
I must admit there is something very liberating in knowing you are giving the quilt away. If the pattern does not work how you envisioned it, or the colours are not quite right or your blocks are a little crocked you know one one is going to appreciate it. It forces you to let go and move on.
I’m sure those quilts were cherished. Great work, love the colours of the ones you posted.
Scrolling through your post was like scrolling through my favorites on flickr, I have so much of your stuff favorited!! I’m definitely going to be following your blog now that I know where you were hiding. 🙂 (Not that you were really hiding, but sometimes flickr can be a bit anonymous) So much beautiful work!! I love your color choices and all the paper-piecing. 😀
I love,love,love your paper pieced blocks. The colors are just perfect. We could at least see a pic of the top of your head or your eyes maybe? lol. You know a quilt WOMBAT is a Waste Of Material Batting And Time, but you and your quilts are not any of those. So great to get to know you. Look forward to following.
I love your WOMBAT acronym. It is motivation not to waste my resources. Make every quilt count.
So Nice to get to know you better! I love the teal and red Monday Blocks, they are absolutely stunning! I also love that you give many of your quilts away, I think that is a great practice and I bet those kids love those quilts! Look forward to checking out your blog more!
Oh, you MUST quilt your ‘first quilt’! It is so sad and forlorn with no back. It is wonderful to meet you. Your work is colorful and loving!
I love your work! I always feel so inspired by you. It was great getting to know you better and I’m obsessed with that hexagon quilt 🙂
Am so awed and inspired by your use of colour. Cannot possibly pick a favourite. So happy to be a new follower!
I am glad to know your story, and a little bit more about you. I love your blog because you aren’t afraid of lots and lots of color, and you’re very skilled at using it effectively. I think my favorite thing that you’ve done is your Sunburnt Country quilt. I can’t stop thinking about it!
Lovely to get to know you better after following you for a while now – your Monday brights Icky Thump block inspired me to try one of my own that I’ll be blogging about soon. I just loved your teal and gray version!!
Great post, Cath! You know we all love those bright, beautiful blocks that are your signature! Your paper piecing is obviously your passion, too. Have been following you since I began blogging myself, but I am sew glad you are in the new blogger hop as it has given me the opportunity to get to know you a little more.
Lorna:)
http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com
I enjoyed your post very much and love how much colour you use in your designs. I imagine the people who receive your quilts are instantly cheered at the sight of them. Nice to meet you on the hop!
WOW, your quilts are amazing! I love your use of colour. It is an incredibly generous gesture to give most of your work away. So glad to have found your blog via the hop.
It is so great to learn more about you Cath! Your blocks and quilts are so fantastic and colorful!
🙂 Kelly
Great blocks and your projects are so lovely! So nice to meet you on this hop!!!
Thanks for the great post! I think the thing that comes out most in this post are the fantastic colors you choose for your quilts! I am also a lover of paper piecing for the exact reason you mention. Great to meet you on this hop!!
Great post! I love how bright and colourful your quilts are! You are very generous to give away so many quilts – I am sure they make a big difference for the recipients! Nice to meet you!
Wow, your work is amazing. But more impressive than that, is the fact you have so generously shared your quilts with so many. Wow, again. I would love to paper piece more. Your work is inspirational!
What a great introduction, you have so much great work on display here, especially the paper piecing. out of your latest stuff, My Blush log cabin quilt is a great block – I love it.
Love your story and your quilts!! The bright star crossed quilt caught my eye! Must put it on my quilt bucket list. Thanks for sharing!!
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Those red and blue paper pieced blocks are stunning! I wonder if it is ever hard to give a quilt away and if you’ve kept any for yourself?
I have kept one quilt so far. It is a rainbow log cabin I made in 1999. I know that my hexie quilt will also stay with me when it is done.
Wow – so many gorgeous quilts! I’m sure you’ve bought lots of happiness to many children with all your quilts 🙂
It looks like you have made a lot of quilts- beautiful eye candy, and the Paper piecing Monday blocks are fantastic!
What a great post! You have made some amazing blocks. I am super jealous because that is my least favorite part of quilting and I think probably because I am such a perfectionist! You have done a really great job!
I should send you some of my pile of unfinished quilts then lol. I make the quilt tops then struggle to finish the quilts, usually because I have had another idea for a block/top and I want to start it right away.
Nice to meet you on the hope!! I love your facts about you and your paper piecing is amazing…anyone who paper pieces like that is my hero. 😉 Your quilts are lovely and that is SO awesome you give so many away to kids in need. Inspiring!
Your use of color is amazing! your blocks and quilts are so bright and cheerful, i’m sure those who receive them are very happy.
I am in awe of quilters who do paper piecing and am still trying to work up the courage. Your paper piecing is amazing, gives me a little push closer to giving it a try. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself – and for showing me the wombat, I had no idea! Glad to have met you thru the hop.
My post got deleted – shoot. Gorgeous quilts. I love the paper piecing. It’s a wonderful method, although challenging. Loved meeting you on the hop.
It’s so nice to meet you through the blog hop! I am floored by the number of quilts you’ve given away–what a lovely thing to do! Which animated films did you work on?
A friend of mine just posted a photo of themselves holding a baby wombat on Facebook and then I see your wombat photo. Love your paper piecing projects. They are gorgeous! I really need to get on the paper piecing bandwagon. I keep seeing a ton of beautiful patterns but am too chicken to actually try any of them out.
Amanda you should definitely try paper piecing. It is an easy challenge, with little commitment of resources. Just pick a block, pull some scraps and see how you go. It is one of those processes you either like doing or you don’t. The end results can be fabulous. Good luck and may the pp force be with you!
Wow, some gorgeous quilts and I am in love with your paper piecing. I have yet to try any but it looks soooo pretty:)