Mabel’s Garden

Back in 2019 I started creating a miniature patchwork from ½" hexagons. I had lost my Gran and as part of the grieving process I felt the need to create. She had been a big inspiration to me as she loved all forms of needlework although she never tried patchwork. I'd discovered a product called hexiform a few years previously. It's an alternative to paper in EPP, designed to be left inside as it is made of fabric. It stabilises the piece enough for the shapes to hold but is flexible and easier on the hands to work with, so I prefer it to paper. I also discovered I could embroider into it which opened a whole world of possibilities to me as embroidery was always my first love. 

The piece is based on a traditional Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt design, a design loved by many for generations. The floral hexagon flowers represent flowerbeds and the solid coloured hexagons that surround them represent pathways around the garden. The design resonated with me because my Gran's garden was exactly like this when I was a child and I have many happy memories of skipping around it without a care in the world. I named my piece Mabel's Garden in her memory and began to share little videos of making it on Instagram. It caught people's attention and that is how my account began to grow. At that time I had no idea that would be the start of what is my small business today.

Later that year I saw a local art gallery put a call out for submissions for an open art competition. I was unsure whether my piece would be considered art but got the courage up to submit it and it was accepted. My gran used to love visiting that gallery and always enjoyed a latte in the cafe there. So you can imagine my delight when I went to the opening of the exhibition, only to see that my piece had been displayed in the cafe, right by where she used to sit. After that experience I continued to push myself out of my comfort zone to share my work and passion. It's still something I find difficult to do but have always found it very worthwhile. I hope this little story inspires you to create, push yourself out of your comfort zone or just know that your creativity and point of view are worth sharing with others. The variety of perspectives in the sewing, quilting and patchwork world are what makes it so interesting after all.

Today, Mabel’s Garden is my best selling kit. I feel so grateful to everyone who has bought a kit or come to a workshop to make it. It is truly something so special to me. If you’d like to make your own, you can find the kits restocked here.

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