Page 80 - Patchwork & Quilting - UK (February 2020)

REGULAR // first & last

Cathedral
Window
cushion

FIRST AND LAST

Sylvia Priest

This month Sylvia Priest tells us about her journey from
Cathedral Window cushions to administering the UKQU website.

I have always sewn, right back from my school days. Back
then it was mostly clothes, dressmaking and that sort of
thing. I dabbled a little in patchwork but not to any extent
and certainly didn’t have a stash or indeed any of the notions
and trappings of what is considered the norm today. I did
have a go at Cathedral Window and this cushion was the
result, back in 1982, but nothing much happened after that
for many years.

Then grandchildren arrived in 2014 and I asked my best mate,
Jeannie, if she would make me a baby quilt. Well, no, she said,
but I will show you how and so my love of patchwork and

quilting began. The very first one I made was for my grandson,

George. A floor quilt and the simplest of patterns too.
Jeannie and I chose the fabrics together, I can’t even
remember where from or what range, but they would
definitely have been shop bought and not over the net. Back

then I was still using an ancient New Home machine, who are
now Janome, and only had straight stitch or zigzag. I sat at my
living room table and had to tidy it all away each evening too.
It was sandwiched with polyester batting and self bound with
the backing. I can lay bets on it being sewn with Moon thread

George’s quilt too. He still has the quilt today and I often find him laying his
toys out on it.

78 British Patchwork & Quilting FEBRUARY 2020