Meet the Makers behind the patterns in Make Modern Issue 43

Let's hear from quilter

Heather Cartmel

Q: What inspires you when starting a new quilt?
A: My inspiration usually comes from fabrics or a fabric series. Not only does that suggest a suitable pattern but also the range of colours that I could use. The other source of inspiration is a notion of the type of quilt design that I want to try out. The brief for Naturale from my daughter was for the quilt to be modern, flying geese but no other piecing and muted colours.

Q: What’s your favourite part of quilting?
A: The fascinating part of quilting is the way a quilt evolves – from selecting the fabrics to making a block (wow) to putting the blocks together (that looks different) to quilting (another change). It is when the binding goes on that I finally ‘see’ the whole quilt. In fact, my husband never comments on a quilt I am making until it is finally finished as he finds it impossible to visualise the finished quilt until the end.

Q: Do you live in a big city or small town?
A: I live in an apartment on the 10th floor on St Kilda Road, Melbourne – a fantastic tree lined boulevard. My morning sun sewing room looks out over the Botanic Gardens and I love seeing the trees and the changing seasons.

Q: Do other members of your family quilt?
A: I have two sisters – one in Adelaide and the other in Sydney – who have both started to quilt. We started having challenges when two of us travelled to the V&A quilt exhibition in 2010. We bought some V&A fabric and then had to make a quilt using the fabric incorporating some aspect of the exhibition. The next one was to do a Sudoku pattern as an introduction to quilting for the third sister. The last challenge was to create an Improv quilt based on the house we grew up in. It has been a lot of fun to both create these quilts and to challenge our quilting skills. The challenge culminates in a reveal weekend get together of sewing, knitting, golfing and lots of great food.

Q: Do you design quilt patterns?
A: For a very long time I have been designing my own quilts. Even if I make a quilt from a pattern, I am changing elements to suit my style or the fabric that I am using. I have advertised and sold quilts and for copyright rules they must be my own designs. I have recently started to publish my quilt patterns but am learning that this is a quite difficult process unless I document the quilt as I go. More often I just start making a quilt and then have to go back to create the instructions.

You can find Heather on Instagram – @hcartmel

Heather’s Naturale Quilt pattern is available in Make Modern Issue 43.

Purchase Issue

Let's hear from quilter

Lynett Muhaso

Q: How long have you been quilting for?
A: I caught the quilting bug in 2013 when l was asked to make a quilt for a friend. Have not stopped since then.

Q: What’s your favourite colour?
A: This one continues to surprise to me that l am here today declaring pink as my favourite colour. I used to want nothing to do with pink, but here we are.

Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I love fish and l have a school of Neon Tetras and Skull Creek Rainbows as my pets. I’m hoping to add a few more to the tank.

Q: What’s your go-to sewing time entertainment?
A: I mostly listen to episodes on Netflix. I say listen because l miss most of what actually is happening with my eyes on my sewing.

Q: Is quilting your day job?
A: I would love for quilting to be my day job, one day. I work as a Social Worker in the Family Violence space as my day job.

You can find Lynett on Instagram – @lynsavenue

Lynette’s Diamond Lily Quilt pattern is available in Make Modern Issue 43.

Purchase Issue

Let's hear from quilter

Ronni Chavez

Q: Who taught you to quilt?
A: I had a terrible time learning to quilt. Every time I would find a teacher or club, they would move, or I would start a new job; time and again something would conspire to cancel lessons. Finally, I found a Saturday morning class with a master quilter. She had us draft and quilt a sampler entirely by hand, the very best training I could have hoped for.

Q: How old is your oldest WIP/UFO?
A: That sampler I just mentioned… I still haven’t finished that class sampler. My first quilt is my oldest UFO! Now I’m a little superstitious about finishing it. What will happen if it gets a binding?

Q: What’s your go-to sewing time entertainment?
A: Old-time radio detective shows, especially Johnny Dollar and Phillip Marlowe.

Q: How do you organise your fabric stash?
A: My stash is divided by seasons, with the exception of a box of leftover binding cuts and a box of green. Because every season uses green, it helps to have them readily available.

Q: What project is on your quilting bucket list?
A: Oh I’m glad you asked this! My niece is an excellent swimmer, practically a mermaid. She has asked me for a t-shirt quilt, which I have been dreading. So I recently decided, why not do your bucket list Storm at Sea for Mermaid Megan? If I draft the blocks large enough, I can replace the square -in-square sets with t-shirt cuts. It could work, right?

You can find Ronni on Instagram – @roadhomequiltn

Ronni’s Sunshine is for Everyone Quilt pattern is available in Make Modern Issue 43.

Purchase Issue