Anna Hicks has kindly swapped nights with her.

Anna Hicks is a sustainable textile artist from Wellington, New Zealand. She has a fashion degree from Massey University and is a passionate advocate for sustainability and the health benefits of creativity. She works mainly with waste materials to create a variety of textile art and sustainable fashion. She enjoys nothing more than the challenge of working with what you’ve got. 

Anna’s award-winning upcycled fashion and textile art has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including in the World of Wearable Arts, NZ Eco-Fashion Week, NZ Quilt Symposium, Changing Threads exhibition, the World Quilt Show and many more. 

Anna is also an event producer who has designed and curated many quilt exhibitions and fashion shows. 

Member of: Wellington Quilters, Aotearoa Quilters, Wellington Embroiderers' Guild.

This is from the Anomaly website -

"We are the Scheepers family and we have a passion for sewing machines. A strange affliction, to be sure but one that has interested and shaped us as a business. David is the main technician, the 3rd generation of sewing machine technicians in his family, trained from a young age by his grandfather. Being a sewing machine technician is definitely a family affair with Grandad, two uncles, a cousin and Father in the business, David is now also training his son the craft.

Our main goal is to provide knowledgeable assistance from experienced technicians who specialise in sewing machines and overlockers. Also to do everything we can to not let any old sewing machines end up in a landfills.

We now have a workshop in Petone and one in Paraparaumu with plans for a 3rd workshop in Porirua. Additionally we have 3 collection points with plans to add more over the next year.

The idea behind the (photos at right) is to provide a visual experience behind our business and show the people behind the scenes. 

For more information about Anomaly and machine repairs click herel: admin@nzanomaly.com / We

September 2023 Speaker - Pat Webster

Kaffe Fassett and "The Power of Pattern" Exhibition, 

at the Dovecote Studios, Edinburgh.

Earlier this year when KCQ member Pat was visiting friends in her hometown of Edinburgh, one of them, knowing how much she enjoys quilting, took her along to see a  Kaffe Fassett exhibition, "The Power of Pattern".  

Pat says "The exhibition was so impressive and exciting. It showed how many skilled quilters from around the world combined their creativity and design skills with Fassett's ebullient fabrics. I was buzzing when I left" 

The experience prompted Pat to learn more about Fassett and his development from an artist with paint to a designer of colourful knitting, tapestry and finally quilts and fabric design. Pat will show and talk about some of her photos from the exhibition.

She would love it if anyone has a quilt or two made with Kaffe Fassett fabric or even just some fabric that they could bring along to the meeting. She has also overheard people talk about having been to classes given by Fassett and would love them to share their experiences.      

Mary Self is well known to Kapiti Coast Quilters. She owned Nancys Stitch Studio (formerly Nancys Embroidery Shop) for nearly 22 years, Those years have given Mary time to indulge in a wide range of textiles and craft areas. She began designing needlepoint designs after having attended a design class with Jennifer Pudney in 1988. Mary then went on to complete the Textile Design Degree at Victoria University Wellington in 1998. During the 1980s and 1990s, Mary exhibited Textile Art at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts. Her work is in the Hawkes Bay Art Gallery and other private collections. More recently her piece “Fly Away” won Judge’s Choice at the 2022 Quilt Symposium. 

Now she has started a new phase. She has sold the retail shop to make more time for what she really loves - designing and stitching. She continues to run online stores at maryself.nz, jenniferpudney.co.nz and thestitchsmith.co.nz, selling the kits that she manufactures and also sells wholesale. She is working on series-based textile art works. Sometimes inspiration or new ideas can be challenging but working in series’ allows one piece of work spark an idea and a “what if” for the next piece. 

Mary will inspire you with a range of samples of her work. 

Kay Coolbear - Crafting Threads of Aotearoa 

Individuals Helping their Communities One Stitch at a Time

Crafters who are keen to make a difference

Crafting Threads of Aroha is a registered charity that enables the supply of hand crafted and repurposed items to numerous charities and organisations who provide support to people and communities in need. We have over 500 members and regularly distribute hundreds of items across the Greater Wellington region.

Our members are all volunteers, who are knitters, crocheters and sewers. They make items that local charities have identified as needed by their communities. Our network of local drop off places is set up to make it easy for members to get their contributions to us. Volunteers pick up and deliver these items to the charities we support.

Sometimes our charities identify particular items their people need. Such requests have included: blankets, singlets and booties for newborns; scarves, gloves and slippers for school children; and beanies, hand warmers and toilet bags for adults. We’ve had wonderful responses when we put out these challenges to our members and the charities are overjoyed to receive the donations. 

February 2nd 2023: 

Anna Hicks

Anna is a sustainable textile artist who loves getting inspired by waste fabrics and creating textile art & sustainable fashion pieces. She holds a Bachelor of Design in Fashion & is a passionate advocate for the health benefits of creativity. Anna spends her time creating, teaching, speaking and is always learning something new. She was recently a tutor at the Quilt Symposium and will be our first class tutor of the New Year.  To see more of Anna's innovative work on her website - click here

Clare Smith & Chris Kenna - Our judges from the exhibition