On 1st May 2021, two artists from Aotearoa Quilters, Lee Harper and Verina Thirlwell, came to Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch to give demonstrations on patchwork quilting. 30 people consisting of Friends of FGY and members of Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island attended the demonstration.
At the demo, Verina demonstrated the basic quilting skills with a small piece of textile fabric, showing how to sew pattern onto a piece of cloth with needle and thread. Verina did not pre-draw any pattern on the cloth when making her patchwork but created the pattern based on her feelings, enjoying her freedom and creativity in the process. Whereas on her part, Lee presented two large pieces of patched quilt works. Each piece of her works was formed by intertwining many small pieces of textile fabric of different shapes and colours into a single colourful and lively piece of patched work. Lee’s works were the results of her years of painstaking efforts and they fully manifested the exquisite skills and unyielding dedications of hers.
The attendees to the demonstration were very amazed by the skills of Verina and Lee in producing such high standard works. The Artists mentioned that, apart from experience, dedication and patience are the most important elements in quilting. At the demo, the Artists exchanged ideas and their experiences with the attendees, and in return drew inspirations from the audience. On the question by the audience why women are so fascinated by Patchwork Art, Lee replied that Patchwork Art can be a source of great pleasure to women. It promoted the reuse of used textile materials, thereby extending useful lives of these materials. By being a Patchwork Artist, a woman will be able to explore her talents and create her own new world. At meetings, patchwork quilting can become a topic for conversation among women, contributing to the establishment of good relationships. In addition, patchwork quilting is also a traditional custom in New Zealand. When a child is 12, 18 or 21 years old, the mother will personally sew a patchwork and give it to him as a family gift.
At the day’s demo, both the Artists and the audience were very happy. They were happy that even under the ever changing torrent of social developments, patchwork art can still find its place in New Zealand and is well preserved here. It has even been developed into a work of art, with a different new life filled with lively and colourfully works. This has, in turn, become the driving force that propels the Quilting Artists to move forward with new creative zests.
