Liz - Having always had an interest in needlework, textiles and embroidery I got into patchwork while living in Bangkok. When I moved to the UK I joined a few quilting workshops in Yateley and Camberley. This fueled my interest again, and inspired me to do a City an Guilds course in Yateley.  Loose Threads has allowed me to exchange challenging ideas and keep in touch with the friends I have made on those courses.

Debbie - Having learnt to sew in school, I got into quilting many years later and managed to work up to making a quilt. I then managed to get onto a City and Guilds Course and developed a interest in art that I had never really developed before. Having practiced many of the traditional aspects of quilting I now prefer a more contemporary approach.  I have just started the Part 3 of the City and Guilds at Dorking.

Erica - Having learnt sewing from my mother, I made my own clothes as a teenager, dabbled in embroidery and I would always sew my own curtains.  I started quilting by accident about 10 years ago.  Not able to get on the lace-making course, I thought I’d try the Patchwork and Quilting course instead, and have never looked back - and I still haven’t done lace-making!

Christine - I did not enjoy my initial experiences in sewing while at school and it took another 15 years before I took an evening patchwork course.  By the time I had finished a sampler quilt I was hooked!  From then on I have always been involved with patchwork, even taking a correspondence course while away on secondment.

Anna - I have been sewing and pattern cutting for a living for over twenty five years now, but in fact I am a novice when it comes to patchwork and quilting. My experience lies in garment construction and industrial machinery, working for companies such as Rohan, Warehouse, Windsmoor and Jaeger. I have recently retired from Kingston University Fashion Department and have started teaching garment making in Guildford and Bracknell. I am finding my new interest in patchwork and quilting so exciting, my love of fabric can now be transferred into pieces of art work, not just garments.

Sue - I have enjoyed sewing, since I was twelve, but mainly practical things like clothing for me and the family, curtains, etc. Then about 6 years ago I was forced into retirement by ill-health and looked around for something to do. I did a Patchwork and Quilting class and by the end of it I was hooked and never looked back.

Mary - I have been Patchwork and Quilting since the 80’s, but completing the City and Guilds Diploma in 2006 has opened up new opportunities for creativity which I am enjoying exploring. Joining Loose Threads has given me the opportunity to continue the stimulus invoked by City and Guilds. Our group discussions and challenges are an excellent forum for creative development.