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DESIGNER PROFILElemma bridgewater
Join us at http://www.todaysquilter.com
Stoke-on-Trentafterattendingthefinalmeeting
of theTalkingQuiltsProjectCommittee.
ProjectManager,VickyMartin,whois based
inSta ordshire,suggestedthatweholdthis
significantmeetingat theMiddleportPottery
inSta ord,hometoBurleighPotterieswhose
legacydatesbackto1851.Vickyhadcometowork
withusaftercompletinganoralhistoryproject
recording 300 potteryworkersstories,fromsmall
family-runfirmstolargewell-knownfactories.
Herpassionforpreservingtheheritageof this
centuriesoldindustrywasa perfectmatchfor
ourquiltproject.AsI walkedthroughtheEmma
Bridgewatershoplaterthatday,I wasverymuch
awareof howimportantthedecisiontobasetheir
factoryinStoke-on-Trentwas,whencommercial
factorsmighteasilyhaveledthemoverseas.Seeing
thefullrangeof theeponymoussponge-painted
designsoncreamywhitepotterywasa feastforthe
eyesand,withinthisfrieze of colourandpattern,
I spiedsomefamiliar
designs– Grandmother’s
FlowerGarden,blue
patchworkbeddingand
rowsof pinkmotifsthat
echoedprettycross-
stitchedsamplers.
Thisyear,whenI hadthechancetochatto
Emma,I wasdelightedtofindthatat theendof a
day,shelikesnothingmorethantocurlupunder
a quiltwithherwickerwork basket and a bundle of
scrapscloseat hand.
Her experiences of sewing will strike a chord
inthegenerationwhogrewupduringthetime
of thequiltrevivalinthe1970s– Singersewing
machines,HomeEconomicsprojects(someless
successfulthanothers!),andLauraAshleyprints.
Quiltshavealways
beenpartof herstory.
Herbeddingrange,
‘Wallflowers’,featuring
theGrandmother’s
FlowerGardendesign,
wasinspiredbyherGranny’slargepatchwork
quiltwhich,sherecallsinhermemoir,Toast&
Marmalade, rustledundertheweightof writing
paperthatsheusedforpaperpiecing.She
describesherasa “topstitcher”,notingthat“she
wasprobablynotunusuallyaccomplishedfor
her generation, but for me these were towering
Emma’s
quintessentially
Britishdesigns
area staplepart
ofthecountry
kitchenstyle
manyofus
aresofondof.
Crockerythat
is treasuredin
everywayboth
in useandon
display
Aboveleft,
Pattern– a
detailedaccount
ofthestories
andinspirations
behindEmma’s
classicdesigns
thatweknowand
lovetoday
Aboveright,
Emma’s
memoir,Toast&
Marmaladeand
OtherStories,
featuresbeautiful
photographs,
personal
recollections
andthestory
oftheEmma
Bridgewater
brand
“There’sthatintangible
connectiontoitemsthatare
handmade that we can relateto”