Pauline Macaulay - Talking Quilters: Saving Quilters’ Stories - by Jo

We have travelled from Dunbar to Dorset, via zoom, and to a fascinating evening with Pauline Macaulay on the Patchwork revival of the 1970's and the Oral History project to record quilters narratives, practices and experiences from all over the UK, so that their quilting journeys will be enjoyed for many generations to come.

As soon as I saw the picture of the patchwork hexagons, I was engrossed, it brought back memories of my first attempt at hexagons, and as Pauline said any material, poly cotton, corduroy would do and as for wadding, backing and then quilting, never heard of it. Mine certainly wasn't "Proper Patchwork" and the Women’s Institute would not have been impressed with my stitching and points, but in my defence I was only 13 and learning on my own. Strange because the fact so many people sewed in isolation in the 70's is a little like the way we have sewn this past year.

It must have been so lovely when people realised their patch working was a pastime shared by many and started to meet up and sew together in their kitchens and share their ideas and learn from one another. The basis of all Quilt groups and Associations. 

I really enjoyed then listening to some of our members’ stories and also hearing how much those first quilts and memory quilts mean to them. 

A fascinating evening and maybe we should all remake our first quilts using cotton fabric, wadding, backing and quilting it, what a Show and Tell that would be. 

Thank you to Pauline for a very enjoyable evening and to listen to the Quilters stories that have been recorded please go to www.talkingquilts.org.uk.