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From September 11th to 13th I organised an exhibition of over 35 quilts in the venue where I teach my weekly classes, Ilkley Playhouse.  I did a smaller version 18 months ago to celebrate World Quilting Day but this show was more ambitious, and attracted around 500 visitors. My main incentive was to show people what a fantastic, creative community exists in and around Ilkley and also to try and dispel the myth that quilting and patchwork is outdated and uncool. Often when I speak passionately to people about quilting I know they simply don't get it,  so persuading them to come along was a challenge. However, lots of people showed their support and everybody was inspired and impressed by...

Many of the pictures that I create show animals fast asleep in their bed, snuggled beneath a cosy quilt. The original inspiration was a nursery rhyme I sang to all of my 3 children at many of the local playgroups I used to go to. The words tell the story of a bunny who lays down and goes to sleep (the children all copied this and were deadly still) and then wakes up and hops around (they all then jumped wildly around the room).  It was basically everybody's favourite and was very sweet to watch, and I sang it hundreds of times so it is ingrained in my mind.  About 4 years ago I made some quick sketches of sleeping bunnies.  I...