Crowds of keen quilters bent on adding to their fabric "stash" have gathered at the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Quilter Marianne Roberts says shopping for fabrics is a major drawcard of the event, billed as "four days of quilting bliss".
"It's all about increasing your stash, when you're a quilter you like to have as many different fabrics as possible," she told AAP.
The convention has attracted thousands of crafty types from around Australia and overseas for exhibitions and workshops, and the chance to test out the latest sewing machines.
The annual event has been running since 2005 but was relocated to Brisbane during the pandemic due to Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building being used for mass vaccinations.
Ms Roberts said the crowds were overjoyed to be back.
"There's so much pent-up demand and hunger to be with your own tribe," she said.
It started as a hobby for quilter of 20 years Rachelle Denneny. Then it became a side hustle, and then a full-time business teaching and publishing her own quilting patterns.
She even attends specialist "craft cruises" in which like-minded crafters can practice quilting while sailing the seas.
As for her fabric stash, it takes up two rooms plus an additional storage area, but it's an activity well worth the space, Denneny said.
"It's a bit like yoga but you're actually creating something," she told AAP.
For the uninitiated, quilting and patchwork are not the same thing. Patchwork is piecing together materials, while quilting is joining together layers of backing fabric, batting, and a top layer of quilt.
Quilting in Australia has quite a history - the first quilt was made in 1841 by female convicts sent from London to Hobart aboard the convict ship HMS Rajah.
The Rajah quilt, part of the National Gallery of Australia collection, is made from 2815 pieces and even has small bloodstains on the fabric, likely from convicts who were not so good at sewing.
The annual quilting challenge for 2023 is themed "in full bloom", attracting 70 entries with Sue de Vanny's Grow Around You the winning piece.
The Australasian Quilting Convention runs April 13 to 16 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
Australian Associated Press
