Meet the editors of British Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

Dianne Huck

I discovered patchwork and quilting in the early 80’s when stitchers became excited by American block designs – a tremendous change from hexagons over papers. At that time most of us pieced by hand, using home-made cardboard templates with every patch cut out individually with scissors! I was there when it became ‘OK’ to piece by machine; I was there for the revolution caused by rotary cutters and template free piecing and I was there when machine quilting developed from just ‘outlining’ the shapes to the free machine quilting popular today. I have also witnessed the development in design from geometric patterns and traditional appliqué to modern quilts where, in many cases, the artist seems to have ‘painted’ the design but used fabric instead of paint.

One element that I think has been particularly important in taking patchwork and quilting to its present day popularity is the friendship and support given by fellow quilters. The group meetings echo the ‘quilting bees’ begun by the American pioneers. Everyone seems very happy to pass on their own knowledge to encourage newcomers to feel as enthusiastic as they do.

Secondly, whether a quilter wants to sew by hand or machine, to concentrate on traditional designs or do something contemporary, prefers piecing to quilting or vice versa or really loves appliqué – all are valued aspects of the art/craft.

Thank goodness - it is this variety and development that has kept British Patchwork & Quilting magazine full of inspiring projects and features for over 20 years. Considering I hated needlework at school and was fairly useless at it, I can’t believe how much of my life has been connected to needle and thread!

Judi Mendelssohn

Like lots of us I used to make my own clothes when I was a teenager, made a patchwork quilt which became a duvet cover when I was about twenty and sharing a house with friends. Hideous but I’ve still got it. Then in 1981 I saw a Log Cabin quilt at a craft fair and went to a meeting arranged for people who expressed interest, which turned out to be the beginning of Glamorgan Quilters, who still meet every month.

Returning from living abroad with the family I spent four years on the Executive Committee of The Quilters’ Guild, something I have always been grateful for – I met so many people and learnt so much. For a few years I had a patchwork and quilting shop called Joseph’s Coat in Cowbridge, South Wales; absolutely loved it but I was a terrible businesswoman!

Not long after my husband and I separated, Di Huck asked me to help out by leading a couple of groups for her P&Q Tours, which is the most fantastic privilege and has taken me on travels I’d never dared dream of. In 2007 I joined Di as Assistant Editor on P&Q, which is what I work pretty well full time on now. I still teach the occasional workshop at groups and shops, so, along with going out and about for the magazine, also manage to see more parts of Britain and continually meet new and old friends in the wonderful band of people involved in our craft.