DIANNE JOHNSTON - SCHOLARSHIP '96

Dianne Johnston is well known to many quilters as a fine teacher, an imaginative fabric dyer and maker of superb quilts. She was the winner of the 1996 Quilters' Guild (NSW) Scholarship which enabled her to travel to the U. S. A. to see the standard of quiltmaking and to study methods of teaching. As part of her scholarship studies she took the opportunity to visit Santa Fe and Taos to see native American and other art in the numerous galleries. At Houston she attended the Quilt Market (for introducing new products to the wholesale trade). There she was able to spend part of the time helping to promote her books 'The Love of Applique' and 'Decorate with Applique' at the J. B. Fairfax stand. She attended several short classes and a lecture by Kaffe Fassett. At the Festival itself, she also attended classes on dyeing and a lecture by Michael James. We thank Dianne and The Quilters' Guild who have given their permission to reprint the concluding paragraphs from her scholarship report which was originally printed in 'The Template' of March 1998.

© Dianne Johnston

Ozquilt Network Newsletter #28, June 1998

FINAL ANALYSIS

The aim of my trip to the International Quilt Market and Festival was to make myself aware of where we stand in the level of world quilting today and what we need to concentrate on to improve that standing. On a personal basis, I needed to see how my quilts stood up against quilts from around the globe and where I needed to improve. I wanted to see and experience teaching methods in the U.S., what is expected of teachers, and conditions, and venues for classes. The touring, visits to art and craft galleries, and learning a little about the American Indian culture - to expand my visions of colour, design content, and diversity of subjects for my quilts.

CONCLUSIONS

The standard of quiltmaking in Australia still has a long way to reach the levels achieved by many quilt makers in the U.S.A. and Japan. The winning quilts displayed a complexity of design elements yet to be seen in Australian quilts. Multiple techniques are used within a quilt and taken to the highest level of complexity and technical perfection. I did not see any techniques which we have not experienced, but the level of perfection reached by the leading quiltmakers exceeds what we are producing to date. Much of this comes down to two things, firstly the history and length of time the U.S. in particular have been involved in the industry. The huge numbers allow for more choice of fabrics, threads and general products related to the industry to be available to the quilt artist.

The percentage of hand made quilts is dropping dramatically in the U.S.A. It now appears that only 23% of all quilts are made by hand. The quality of the machine made quilts, particularly the machine quilting, is of such a high standard, that more than rivals the hand made quilts in visual appeal, design element and technical perfection. Whether this is a good trend or not, differs with each person you speak to. Some consider the two types of quilts to be of equal value, the more traditional people still consider the hand made quilts to be superior.

My conclusion on the making of quilts is that it appears to fall into three distinct categories. The first level is the general quilt maker who attends classes and makes as many quilts as she can to please both herself and the people who receive the quilts. Next is the quilt teacher who designs and develops new quilts which will be accessible to the majority of quilt makers, incorporating new ideas and techniques to stimulate the students to a higher level. The final level is the quilt maker who wishes to produce exhibition quilts. These quilts usually display a technical level beyond that of the teaching quilt and which generally take years to produce. It is difficult for the quilt teacher to find time to produce a quilt which will be difficult if not impossible to use as a teaching sample. Perhaps certain elements of these exhibition quilts could be passed on to students, but not the entire design and technical level.

My own quilts need to be extended in all facets. More complex design elements, more courage with the use of colour and greater perfection in applique stitches, smaller stitches and more quilting, and general improvement on neatness and finishing. All these elements involve more time being needed for each quilt, and with the teaching being such a strong part of my life, it is going to be difficult to juggle the time to produce the type of quilts I desire to make.

In the realm of teachers and classes I feel we have reason to be extremely proud. Our tutors, facilities and workshop content are easily as good if not better than the classes I experienced at Houston. Australian tutors are open and giving with their knowledge and skills and pass on as much information as possible within the time limit. I was disappointed in general content of the classes I attended, and the very meagre amount of tips and techniques the tutors were willing to impart.

Exposure to the best in the world of quilting has to offer has been a wonderful experience for me. I will be eternally grateful to The Quilters' Guild (NSW) for giving me the means to follow my dreams, and become not only a successful quilt maker, but a reputable teacher and a supplier of specialised fabric to the patchwork community of Australia.

© Dianne Johnston 1998