Introducing...
Sarah Humphreys, our patchwork and quilting guru, who lives and breathes her craft. We're lucky to have such an expert on board and even more lucky that Sarah just so happens to be super lovely and very cool to boot! She's as bright and vibrant as the quilts she makes, with ever changing hair colour (blue the last time I saw her), and she sets every one of our customers at ease with her patience and quilt-side manner. You can take a number of classes with Sarah at Ministry of Craft although you'd do well to book in advance as they regularly sell out!
What first drew you to your craft?
In 1991 I went
to see Gillian Clarke talk about a quilt she had made depicting women’s work in
the Middle Ages. I went because I
was interested in women’s history.
And I came away excited about the wonderful quilts I had seen – as well
as charmed by the talented, welcoming women who made them. I started my first quilt soon
afterwards, and I’ve been making quilts ever since.
What’s your crafting background?
I come from a
crafting family – and I have crafted for as long as I can remember. My mother, aunt and grandmother would
encourage embroidery, sewing, knitting, papercraft – any craft you can think
of. The worst thing you could say
in my family was that you were bored – there was always something to do.
I didn’t train
professionally as a quilter – nor am I entirely self-taught. Over the years I have attended evening
classes, local quilt groups, workshops and quilting retreats to learn and
develop my skills. Of course the
internet is an amazing resource – and I love to buy and read patchwork
books. Mainly though I have learnt
from being around other quilt-makers – quilters are amazingly generous when it
comes to sharing skills and ideas.
What are your main sources of inspiration?
Other
quilters. From international quilt
shows to ‘show and tell’ at my local quilt group, there is always more to see,
admire and learn from. I am a
member of the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles and the conference and AGM
is one of the highlights of my crafting year – I attend lectures, view
exhibitions and spend time with some of the most talented and diverse quilters
in the country.
Who’s been the biggest influence on your career so
far?
My mum. She encouraged me to go to that first
talk and we have quilted together ever since. We have travelled all over the UK together to attend
shows, conferences and workshops.
She is always supportive of my work – and lets me raid her craft room
when I’m short of the right bit of fabric.
What’s the best thing about being a crafter?
Spending time
with other people who love the same things you love. The quilting world is predominantly women and it is amazing
to spend time with women of all ages, learning and sharing skills with each
other. Positive female
relationships have been really important in my quilting history – I have met
women who I may otherwise never have even spoken to and they have become really
good friends.
I enjoy cross
stitch and free embroidery.
Sometimes I make cards and have done a bit of scrap-booking. Occasionally I make clothes. I dabble but I always come back
to quilts.
What’s you’re the best thing you’ve ever made?
It depends who
you ask!! I have two modern
sampler quilts in the living room which my husband loves. He can often be found tucked up with a
quilt and the cat on the sofa watching late-night cricket or early morning
Grand Prix. My best friend loves
her wedding quilt - she requested ‘sky blue and sunshine yellow’ - not colours
I tend to use but we were both delighted with the end result. My personal favourite is ‘Frank’ – a
wall hanging I made last year depicting Frankenstein’s monster. He hangs in my house like a family
portrait!!
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| We'd love a Frank in our lounge! |
Have you ever made a creative mistake?
Who
hasn’t?! In fact, if there’s a
mistake that can be made I’ve made it.
And I’m still making mistakes – but that’s part of learning.
And your favourite tool or material?
I have a pair
of Fiskars scissors which I am particularly attached to. They have a non-stick coating which
makes them easy to keep clean. I
use them on anything and they seem to stay sharp – and they are just the right
size for me.
I’m also really
into interesting threads for quilting.
I love Superior threads as they produce a great range of different
colours and weights. I use their
bobbin fill ‘Bottom Line’ almost all of the time in my sewing machine. And I adore the vivid shades of their
‘Nature Colors’ polyester thread – I use a lot of this for free machine
quilting.
What’s you favourite crafty anecdote / story?
I love to see
learners’ work displayed in quilt shows – I teach adults and young quilters and
it’s always exciting to see their quilts on show. My ‘claim to fame’ is that one of my young quilter’s wall
hangings – along with young lady herself – was visible on the tv show Kirstie’s Handmade Britain. I was so excited when I saw it!!
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| Halloween style quilting! |
Where can we see / buy your work?
You can see my
work on my website www.edwardandthewhitebear.co.uk. I also use my blog to show lots of work
done in my classes both at Ministry of Craft and other venues.
What have you got coming up in the future?
I’m really
excited to be expanding my teaching as I love helping other people to discover
the world of quilt making which has been my passion for so long. I have regular classes now in Leeds and
Doncaster as well as at Ministry of Craft. This year I’m teaching four workshops at Festival of Quilts
at the NEC. And in October I’m
running the first ever Edward and the
White Bear quilting retreat with my mum – we can’t wait!!
You can follow Sarah and find out more about her quilting adventures on twitter @EandTWB or by following her blog www.edwardandthewhitebear.co.uk
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