Today’s Quilter – September 2019

58

TEXTILE HERITAGE l th r e a d c o u nt s

Join us at http://www.todaysquilter.com

Above,Claire’s

weddingfascinator

madeusingfeathers

stitchedin Rayon

40 (colour1071)on

syntheticorganza

andwire,thencut

outwitha soldering

ironandadorned

withpearlsand

Swarovskicrystals.

Below,Claire’s

Embroidered

Thistle– partofa

corsagemadeofan

embroideredbase

stitchedonMadeira

AvalonFilm;Poppy

Bowlmadeusing

organzafabric

andrayonthread

stitchedonMadeira

Avalon Film

then”,recallsLindaKemshall.Mostrecently,

withthepopularityof longarmquiltingmachines

forbothdomesticandcommercialuse,Madeira

introducedAeroQuiltwhichis onmuchlarger

cones.It’s100%polyesterandcomesina rangeof

solidandvariegatedcoloursandcan also be used

onstandard domestic machines.

Threadmastery

Withsucha largeproductrange,perhapsoneof

thebiggestchallengestoovercomeis toinspire

andinformthesewingandquiltingcommunities

abouttheproductsthatareavailable.Asweall

know,quiltersarepassionateaboutthetoolsof

theirtradeandwillspendhourssharingtheir

latestdiscoveries,whetherthat’sa newlyacquired

appliquétool,anartisanthimbleora pairof

scissorsthatcutthroughfabriclikebutter.Thread

masteryis uncharteredterritoryfora lotof quilters

and,withthatinmind,earlierthisyearMadeira

appointeda teamof BrandAmbassadors,whoare

expertsintheirfields– LindaandLauraKemshall,

ClaireMuir,overlockspecialistJanWright,and

sewingandcreativetextilespecialistHayleyWest.

Theirroleaseducatorstakesthemalloverthe

UK,appearingat specialistevents,inprintand

onTV– it’salsohighlylikelythatyouwillfind

themdemonstratingat eventslikeTheKnitting

& StitchingShowsorTheFestivalof Quilts.I was

eagertofindoutmoreabouttheirMadeirajourney

andhadthechancetospeaktoLindaKemshall

andClaireMuirabout how they use their products

in their studios.

Tex t i led e s i g n

ClaireMuir(www.clairemuir.co.uk)is a textile

designerwhofoundhercreativeblissafter

discoveringfree-motionembroiderywhenshewas

studyingArtandRelatedArtsinthe1980s.A

post-graduateyearat theGlasgowSchoolof Art

furtherrefinedherloveof usingthreadpaintingto

createconstructedtextilepieces.Sheapproached

MadeiraduringhertimeinGlasgowandtheywere

thrilledtooer hera placeontheirSponsored

StudentScheme.Thisculminatedina display

of herworkat the 1991 Fashion and Embroidery

ExhibitioninHarrogate.

Althoughhersponsorshipfinishedafter

graduating,whenClairesetupherstudio,she

continuedtousetheMadeiraNo. 40 rangeinall

of hercommissions.Shestartedoutdesigning

andcreatingbespokedecorativeheaddressesand

accessoriesandhercareerexpandedtoinclude

teachingandlecturing.Clairehasuseda great

varietyof threadsandsewingmachinesinher

work,particularlyinherroleasa teacherat the

WI’s Denman College in Oxfordshire. However,

theperfectmarriageof sewingmachineand

threadinherstudiois withouta doubthertrusty

BerninaandMadeira.Therequirementsof a

3Dembroideredflowerorheadpiecewornasan

accessoryarethattheyneedtobebothbeautiful

andfunctional,andClaireneedstousematerials

that she knows will be fit for purpose that won’t

“Threads are as important to mywork as thefabrics

I choosebecausethequiltingpart of the processis,

for me, the mostimportant part of quilt-making”

• Linda Kemshall

Pictures courtesy of Claire Muir