JULIE HADDRICK

Winner of AQIPP 1999

© Barbara Macey

Ozquilt Network Newsletter Issue #34 DECEMBER 1999

Julie's winning quilt 'Women in My Studio' may be seen in the foyer of the Queen Victoria Women's Centre, 210 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne where it is on permanent display. This large quilt (229cm x 167cm; 92" x 67") is the second in the stained glass technique that Julie has developed in her own style. It's hard to believe that she has only been quilting for two years, but the work she is doing now is the culmination of a lifetime of enthusiasms, influences and experiences. The theme of the AQIPP exhibition, 'For Women, by Women' is one that she had already given a lot of thought. It encompasses aspects of her life as a teacher, as well as her private life. She worked for ten years at an all girls school where International Women's Day was celebrated. At her present school mothers and daughters come together to celebrate being female.

She uses a wide range of techniques appropriately and with obvious expertise. the imagery thus created vividly translates her ideas into visual mode. 'Women in My Studio' is a still life taken from her studio, that is charged with meaning. We see the studio window with draped curtain and flower pots on the sill. Next to the window is her grandmother's chair, complete with cushion. In the statement accompanying her quilt she explains:

"Purple, green and white were the colours chosen by the early suffragettes at the Women's Social and Political Union in Britain in the early 1890's. It was the textile garment workers who first went on strike for better pay and working conditions on March 18th 1908, the date designated to celebrate International Women's Day. These colours have special meaning: purple for loyalty, green for faith, white for purity.

Every flower has its historic meaning... Loyalty is represented by the flowering crocus, Faith is symbolised by the iris, and Purity is associated with lilies. As they bloom on the window ledge, I have used the partly opened window drape to represent enlightenment in the journey women take towards liberation and fulfilment...This still life is taken from my studio, the flowers from my mother and the chair from my grandmother. Take time to ponder your view."

Julie Haddrick is an art teacher who actively promotes textiles to her Year 11 and 12 students. She thinks it most important to have textiles in public places, and finds other teachers support this idea too. There is such a lot of excellent work not seen by the public.

She originally trained in art, craft and design and undertook secondary art teacher training at Underdale Teachers College, Adelaide SA. In the 1980's she studied screen printing, dye technology, and fabric design at Stanley Street Art School, Adelaide. In the 1990's she took up leadlighting whilst renovating the old house she now lives in with her husband and two children.

Both William Morris and Tiffany are strong influences on her work. Captivated by the rich, iridescent colours of the glass of the period, she made her first quilt, 'Iris in Favrile' (favrile is a type of Tiffany glass). It was exhibited this year at the Bernina World Quilt Competition in the USA and will soon appear in Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Another quilt, 'Lemon in Favrile' has been selected for the 'Australian Bounty' exhibition curated by Dijanne Cevaal, which will travel to France, Britain and New Zealand in 2000.

Generally her imagery comes from her home environment. She looks at her own life as a starting point. The irises in 'Iris in Favrile' and the lemons in 'Lemon in Favrile' came from her garden. Julie collects bric-a-brac such as magazine pictures and photos and assembles them in an A4 sketch book to make a visual diary. At meetings she often sketches in it, using coloured pencils. She is particularly captivated by the creases and folds in fabric and by still life and interiors. On a recent holiday trip to North Queensland with her family she constantly sketched and took photos of plants, trees, landscape, with and without quilts in mind. Whilst travelling she worked on miniatures and has also made small pieced works by machine - a discipline in stitching and piecing that she finds very different from her large quilts.

Julie enjoys buying hand dyed fabric, though she dyes, spray dyes and overdyes a great deal of fabric herself. At present she is dyeing fabric for the quilts that will result from her Queensland trip. She often works with dyes late at night, outside under lights. She really prefers this to working during the day as it is prime creative time without interruptions. If it were possible she would work all night! If she can't sleep she sometimes works later that 1am. Her husband Peter Smith sometimes acts as assistant in the small hours too. He is very interested in what Julie does, and very supportive.

Sewing has always been important in Julie's life, though she has no formal training. At eight years of age she used a hand operated sewing machine. She learned some sewing from her mother, but at school she was streamed into an academic course with no opportunity to study art and home economics. She continued to sew as an adult too, making clothes and furnishings. She believes that both her parents strongly influenced her artistic development. Her father, an architect, encouraged her interest in art and her mother was a keen gardener, creative with flowers. Julie's talent, commitment and enthusiasm is now being manifested in her own children. Henry, 11, is a prolific artist and Claira, 9, sews with Julie. She has her own sewing machine and has already made her first quilt. With a piano and TV as well as a huge table the studio is a place for the whole family. Both children now want to accompany Julie into quilt shops to choose their own fabrics.

Julie doesn't know where her talent and enthusiasm will lead her next, but she says that quilting is increasingly important to her. She has no fixed ideas before she starts to work but with so many ideas crowding her sketch book, she will never run out of subjects. Happily it looks as though we'll be seeing a lot more of her remarkable quilts in the future.

© Barbara Macey 1999

AQIPP (Australian Quilts in Public Places) is sponsored by Melbourne group The Australian Quilters Association Inc.