A visual delight

The Abu Dhabi Quilting Guild held an exhibition of its quilts at the Hilton hotel recently which proved quite a visual delight. On display were around 100 quilts, many of them handmade. And they all had something artistic to say and show.

The president of the Guild, Laura Marzooqi, said that the association, which was formed in 1993, is truly cosmopolitan in nature and this perhaps explained the international appeal of the quilts on show.

On display were fun quilts, like Porter's Memories and Nine lives Aren't Enough (evidently from a cat lover). Porter's memories was a wonderful example of how a quilt can be turned into a family heirloom. The quilt had photographs of the designer's family scanned on to the fabric and then quilted into a unique piece of family history.

Another one was the Y2K quilt celebrating the new millennium quilters from around the world.

The Guild is not only about sewing artistry. Every year the ladies work on a piece which is later presented to some corporation which in turn makes a donation to a charity.

Since the UAE is often linked with sand and sea, this time the Guild members decided to concentrate on the sea. Each member was given two pieces of fabric to work out a pattern. The result was wonderful, and since ADCO was the recipient of the charity this year, the logo was also incorporated into the quilt.

In an elegant ceremony at the exhibition, the nautical quilt was handed over to Andre Van Strijp, general manager of ADCO, who in turn will donate an unspecified amount to the Red Crescent Society. Hassan Al Saqil and Jala Al Khalid, top executives of ADCO, were also present.

Claire Al Habsi, vice president of the Guild, explained that women of all nationalities meet regularly to share and learn the techniques of quilting. The Guild offers beginners classes, mini workshops and activities. For a nominal annual fee, it also gives members a comprehensive library, newsletter and a chance to take classes with an international teacher every year.

This year the Guild had Barbara Weeks, a textile artist and tutor of international standing, to come over to Abu Dhabi and conduct a four-day course on bonded impressions, free quilting and mosaic.