Weaving a warm network

With the cool weather prevailing many of us may have pulled out our sweaters, blazers, shawls and other warmers. A quilt, among other things, provides cosy comfort in the bedroom and family room alike.

Quilts are a universal symbol of love and warmth. Whether spread out on a bed or thrown over a sofa, hung on a wall or tucked into a crib, a quilted piece of work has a certain charm. For centuries men and women alike have been protected by quilts, been intrigued and inspired by their history, and fascinated with the process of making quilts.

Quilt making experienced its first modern revival in the 1930s, but the year 1976 is the year that quilt historians recognise as the beginning of the current revival. Today, a lot goes into this activity in terms of time, money, effort and creativity. Few hobby revivals have gained this much momentum and interest. And with quilting shops, books and web sites sprouting around us, quicker than ever, it is no wonder that the hobby now has a worldwide appeal.

For quilters based in the UK and many parts of Europe, June Thorpe needs no introduction. And for the rest of us who are not familiar with her achievements, June Thorpe is a keen textile craftswoman whose teaching and business skills have helped her achieve her present status of being a reference point for many quilters.

June visited Dubai recently and spoke to members of the Dubai Quilting Guild about her work and years of dedication to the cause and history of quilting. Essentially a teacher, June taught creative studies to teenagers in a school. But when her children flew the nest, somehow her life needed a change of direction. So in 1983, when patchwork and quilting was becoming popular in England, she opened a quilt shop in her hometown, Romsey.

It became the centre for quilters in the Southwest of England. June kept shop for 13 years but could not get away from teaching. This time around she taught patchwork and quilting to adults who were interested in adopting this hobby. Unable to keep up with the pressure, she is now a full-time teacher and quilter.

"Textiles and textures have always excited me," says June. "I look at a fabric and think – Now what can I do with this?" While nature has inspired her a lot, June's love for different textures has always dominated her work. Another unique part of her work is applique on a pieced background. Applique and piecing are two separate techniques quilters usually use to put the quilt tops together, but June combines the two for a very stunning and concentrated effect.

Church textiles are another area of specialisation. Back in her hometown, June is a co-coordinator of a group that designs and makes church textiles. June explains, "The decorated and embroidered altar pieces and other fabrics used during worship have to be done in the tradition followed by the abbey. Besides the worship and altar pieces, flags and capes for the priest have also to be made."

June is a founder member of the Quilters Guild of the British Isles. The 200 members of this guild, who meet twice a month, have put together a book called Heritage of Quilts. And another book is due soon. But it is the heritage section of this guild that is recording the history of quilting through the ages.

One of members can actually look at a piece of fabric and date it, giving the year and era to which the fabric belonged. A historian is at the job, tracing and recording the history and trying to get the many 17th century heirloom quilts out of the homes of people and into the Guild's treasury.

Obviously, procuring these heritage quilts and preserving them under certain conditions costs money. The Guild raffles and auctions quilts made by members to collect money for this task. June's contribution to this Heritage Section is titled, 'The '90's collection'.

June is also on a panel that has been established to introduce a common judging standard for all quilting competitions. June says, "Besides loving to quilt, quilters love to compete. And with the standard of judging not being common in all countries, or even within a country, it obviously became difficult to cross these 'quilting' borders to compete and display work."

The panel is in the process of establishing a common judging standard on the following basis,

* Degree of uniformity

* Categorising

* Set easier scales so that the competition is more inclusive rather than exclusive (the idea being to encourage more people to quilt rather than discourage)

* Judges' comments are to be light and constructive and not over critical

* Points for imaginative use of fabric and correct usage/techniques that match the fabric.

June has participated in all of the major quilt shows in the UK, both as a judge and an exhibitor. Her work has been exhibited in Europe and the U.S. She continues to give talks and conduct workshops but is planning to spend more time on her own work.

The Dubai Quilting Guild has a website www.geocities.com/dubai_quilters/