Quilt work Canterbury comes of age

'Renaissance Revival'

Our City O-Tautahi Press Release

Title of Exhibition: Coming of Age

From the Combined Patchwork Society of Canterbury & Featuring Mariya Waters

Quilt work Canterbury comes of age at Our City O Tautahi

A multi award-winning quilt by Christchurch’s own Mariya Waters will feature prominently at the “Coming of Age” exhibition at Our City O-Tautahi from today.

'Renaissance Revival', which took nearly fours years to complete, has won numerous awards around the world, including being the first machine-quilted winner at the prestigious Founders’ Award in Houston, USA. It also stitched up numerous “Best of the Best” awards from the major quilt shows in Australia for 2007 and is currently touring the country with the Quilt and Craft Fair.

The 215 cm x 215 cm motif, derived from a ceiling panel Ms Waters saw in the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia, includes hand appliqué techniques combined with embroidery and machine quilting and will be showcased during the Combined Patchwork Society of Canterbury’s exhibition from November 13 – 16.

“Mariya’s research shows that the 18th century design had probably been created in Italy and taken to the Ottoman Empire,” says Fiona Clayton, Our City O-Tautahi Exhibition Coordinator.

As the exhibition also marks the 21st Anniversary of the establishment of the Combined Patchwork Society of Canterbury Inc, the “Coming of Age” theme is apt and “quite up the challenge of the exhibition,” says Ms Clayton. The Combined Patchwork Society of Canterbury Inc (better known as CPS) is the “umbrella” for all groups and individuals interested in the art of patchwork and quilting in the Canterbury region.

Background for Mariya Waters

Mariya Waters is Christchurch born and educated; She is currently based in Melbourne, Australia with her husband.

Handcrafts were an integral part of family life. Her father made toys and dolls’ houses and smocked and embroidered. Her mother sewed and knitted for the family. Mariya’s grandmother taught her to knit when she was six. The nuns at school gave her a love of cross-stitch.

Mariya studied for the City and Guilds Embroidery course at Newlands College, Wellington in 1980.

Her major work 'Renaissance Revival' took nearly four years to complete; a total of 16,916 hours and includes hand appliqué techniques combined with embroidery and machine quilting.

Exhibition:

Date: 13 – 16 November

Time: Displays are open 10am to 4pm

Location: Our City O-Tautahi, corner of Worcester Boulevard and Oxford Terrace. Admission $5.00

ENDS

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