Elly Edgar’s passion to create is taking on monumental proportions.

What began as a part time hobby has become a major part of her life and looks like developing into a full time business.

Two weeks ago she was the proud recipient of an industrial-quality quilting machine measuring over three metres long.

This is an impressive item indeed and comes with a laser pattern tracker enabling the operator (In this case Elly. I know if it was mine nobody else would be getting their eager hands anywhere near it) to replicate detailed patterns many times over with exacting precision.

Husband John and his spirit level came to the rescue too during the setting up process.

A quilting machine of this magnitude and sensitivity must sit perfectly in the horizontal, lest it ‘take off’ of it’s own accord. 

A quilt is the finished product.

Elly Edgar demonstrates the intricacies of quilting
on her industrial-quality quilting machine.

It can be large as in a cover for a king sized bed or sometimes quite small such as a cushion cover or place mat.

Patches of material are sewn together to create patterns or pictures.

When a sewing machine is used for regular shapes it’s called ‘patchwork.’

When irregular pieces are glued and painstakingly stitched by hand it’s called ‘appliqué.’

 
The numerous patches are then sewn together to form a bedspread for example.

The resultant large piece is then laid over a similarly sized piece of wadding (the bit that keeps you warm) and a backing layer of sturdy material.

All three are then criss-crossed with intricate stitching patterns by using the quilting machine.

And it’s this final process that is called ‘quilting.’

“I love creating story quilts about people and places,” Elly told me.

She’s made quilts depicting Jindabyne, the Snowy Mountains, Berridale and her native Holland where she lived till her eleventh year.

Most of the quilts are Elly’s own designs and inspired by the surrounding countryside.

Elly draws inspiration from her garden to create garden themed quilts.

Her garden themed quilts are especially inspirational possibly because gardening is Elly’s other creative focus.

“Now I have this wonderful machine I’m able to say that every quilt I make is entirely my own creation from beginning to end,” she said proudly. 

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