[Artist Talk] with Valda Sutton - President of Aotearoa Quilters

Artist Talk with President of Aotearoa Quilters, Valda Sutton.

When: 11am - 11:45am, Saturday 29 July.

Where: Percy Thomson Gallery, Prospero Place, Stratford.

[ABOUT SPEAKER - BIO]

Born and raised in Wellington, I went to Auckland Secondary Teachers College in Auckland and became what is now known as a Fabric Technology Teacher. Because of this I have an extensive  background knowledge of sewing techniques, designing and problem solving skills.

While waiting for my first child to be born and to keep myself occupied, I dabbled in Patchwork, my first project was a cushion, made of Hexagons in 1975.

Since then my dabbling has become more adventurous, making quilts for my three children, my grandchildren and for the community, but it wasn’t until I started to travel again that I saw what I really wanted to do. I really wanted to design my own quilts and create something different.

When I retired I joined Aotearoa Quilters to gain some experience in how to exhibit my work and to find out if my work was of an acceptable standard. I needed to get some knowledge on how the quilting world worked.

I have always enjoyed travelling and do so when the opportunity arises. I take quite a few photos of things that interest me ie. painted ceilings, China, rug designs, mosaics, tiles, doors, stained glass windows and many more. Once home they go into a file for later use.

I like to design my own quilts and really enjoy the problem solving aspect of working out the design and selecting the colours.  I particularly enjoy applique work and this technique works well with the intricate detail required on the designs from the Middle East and Turkey.

I still get a thrill when I see my work displayed and enjoy sharing my knowledge with others.

In my roll as President of Aotearoa Quilters and Convener of The Great NZ Quilt Show 2023 I find it inspiring to see what other quilters are doing, the challenges they have faced and the diversity of designs.