Modern Quilts with Historical Roots in the English Countryside by Deborah McGuire.

Post Graduate Quilt Researcher

Quilt Magazine Columnist

Longarm Quilter

Modern Traditionalist Quilter

This fleecy collar is shaping up to be so cosy! I’m sharing my #themissesbarronquilt at today’s #quiltshowandtell at #bqsg and talking about how we might keep drawing on the patterns of the past to make new work which melds the new international codes of modern quilting, but remains rooted in the rich history of British quilt making. I’m also touching on why quilting in a frame is really just going back to the future, learning from the past whilst innovating forward. This morning I presented to the #bqsg #britishquiltstudygroup at their annual conference, and who were such a wonderful audience! I took them on a journey through the slums of Victorian England to the baronial castles of Scotland in the search for the moments where quilts might offer us a route to the exploration of the concerns of the human heart. Thank you so much for having me, for asking such interesting and insightful questions and sharing such powerful personal experiences of the power of textiles to express emotions (both the good and the troubling). Gosh it’s been a long week full of wonderful varied and inspiring work. I love what I do, but I’m finally relaxing into the weekend sewing the crucial finishing touches to my little girl’s #quiltcoat . A #libertyfabric heart in the lining summoning mum-magic to keep these precious people safe and warm in their quilt coats in the world. #amwriting #amresearching #bqsg #britishquiltstudygroup #postgrad #postgraduate #handquilting #imakemyownclothes #sewingforkids #libertyfabric Gloriously joyful evening exploring 40 years of curating at @thebowesmuseum with Joanna Hashagen this evening at the #bqsg #britishquiltstudygroup conference. The ‘behind the scenes’ of the recent #northcountryquilts exhibition was such a joy. Reminded how important it is to tell the stories of makers of the past, elevate their art in galleries, and keep a living tradition alive to inform new work. It’s taking shape. I had to pin it together so that she could check out the cuddliness; it passed the test. School is out for half term, the temperature has dropped so it’s time to finish it off. ‘When all my bones are gone to dust’. I’m embroidering the words of needle workers of the 1800s when they reflected on their stitched inheritance, whilst attending the completely fascinating @inheritingthefamily conference online exploring inheritance today- including a really thought provoking paper by my fellow stitcher @misselvey . I’ve exhausted all the audience good will in my household as I hone my presentation for the weekend’s British Quilt Study Group Conference. It’s just the dogs twitching a lazy ear now. Here’s hoping that next weekends audience enjoys my presentation more 🤣 Once you’ve made a regency dress there are a surprisingly large number of occasions in which it is the perfect outfit. My girl channelling some wholesome Lizzie Bennet countryside walk vibes this past weekend.