My dearest friend of 57 years, Kathryn McLeod. She taught me friendship and love. Passed away of a brain tumour January 2020.

My patch is to honour Lenore, a lovely friend who has loved & supported the Arts forever. A wise gentle soul who passed away late last year and is sorely missed.

As part of the NELL + ANNE Quilt Project I have stitched my mother's name on an old tray cloth embroidered by her many, many years ago. I have quite a collection of table cloths, napkins, tray cloths and travel scrap books all made by her. My love of textiles, design, craft and gardening have been very much influenced by her skills and love in these areas.

Mother daughter relationships are often complicated. When little I was told I should be a teacher ... like my mum. Then go into politics ... like my mum. I fought not be be like her, only to realise that she is responsible for so much of who I am and what I do and value. And for that I am truly grateful.

I chose my mother Alice Thwaites.
The waratah flower represents Australia where she was born and lived for 30
years. The pohutakawa represents New Zealand where she lived for the next
sixty-five years. There were four boys and two girls in our family, Mum
sewed all our clothes, even our school blazers, she was a wonderful cook and
it was 16 years and more before she had a vacuum cleaner, washing machine
and refrigerator and many years after that moved to a house with an electric
stove. All things we take for granted. She was a very loving person and
always enjoyed having the grand-children and great -grandchildren to visit.
She passed away in 2002, I still miss her.

I decided to embroider my daughter’s name as my contribution to the #nellannequilt

Kate was named after my Nanna who was Katherine
Nanna was called Kitty by her contemporaries so I imagine Kitty was the common diminutive at that time.

Kate is Kathryn because I prefer that spelling & it’s just occurred to me that I don’t know the origin of the spelling I prefer nor even the origin of Nanna’s spelling of Katherine

It was, & will always be, about connections

Kate never knew Kitty tho i suspect they would have enjoyed each other’s company.
Kitty was a bit cold & hard around the edges - a product of the times she lived in perhaps
Kate, on the other hand, is warm & gentle around the edges

I’m also pretty sure I didn’t really know my Nanna; that’s not how it works with your grandparents is it ?
It’s about feelings
It’s about memories
It’s about love
oh & smells . . . it’s definitely about smells

Then at some stage it occurs to you that it has become about the future

Kate is the future
Kitty is the past
I am simply the one in the middle.
The one who carries the past through the present & hands it on to the future

I embroidered “Toh” which is my mum’s nickname, she was a hard-working dressmaker who has inspired me since I was little, watching her technique on her sewing machine and playing with the fabric scraps. I loved watching her and that inspired me to start making handmade clothing, finally starting my own brand “IsSara” which I launched last month.

Aunty Juanita is a fictional character, concocted by my mother and aunt, as the more flamboyant and fabulous partner of Santa Claus. They decided that Mrs Claus was a tad drab, and no sort of role model for young women, so they created their own.
She was a feminist, artistic and chic, and full of wisdom about self care, accessorising and personal hygiene. She made quite the impression on my young mind, far more interesting than Santa himself.
Looking back the memories are all the fonder thinking of my mum and aunt, staying up on Christmas Eve and brewing such a woman for us to aspire to. She may be a fabrication, but she is the warmth, humour and love of them both, and she represents the inspirational women in my family.

American typewriter font for my grandmother Marie Greta. A gun stenographer and single mother and globe trotter... a woman ahead of her time. Pivotal in my life, she had an incredible work ethic, unfaltering generosity and a collection of fabulous hats. She would pile me and my brothers into the back seat of her Morris minor called Cookie and take us on nighttime drives around the industrial areas of Marrickville. There was a peanut factory somewhere and to this day when I smell peanuts on an industrial level, I am right back there squeezed between my brothers on the back seat of Cookie. Embroidered for Nells Quilt project. Miss you MGB xoxo

My mother was called Bid; her name was actually June. She was a farm girl living in the city. Bid was a wonderful mother to 5 boys - unflappable, straightforward, always loving. And in Bid’s home everyone was welcome.

I have made a contribution to your quilt project to remember my mother Joy. Joy died in October last year at the age of 90 years. She brought up 6 children in the 50’s (5 girls) and was always a wonderful example of the kiwi tradition of do-it-yourself. Mum made all our clothes, knitted for children and grandchildren, outfitted caravans with squabs, curtains and mattresses and did wonderful embroidery. In her later years she made tiny exquisite gowns for the hospital to use for stillborn babies and knitted hundreds of little woollen hats for the hospital to give to new mums.

It was Mother’s Day yesterday and I decided to honour and remember my late mother Valerie (Joan Valerie Lovis, nee Van der Smagt). It’s more than ten years now since she passed away in early May and this year, with everything going on in the world, was the first time I’ve forgotten to mark the anniversary of her death. She was a strong, intelligent, courageous woman with many interests including biology and plants. She loved these fern print table mats which I’d kept but wasn’t sure what to do with, until now. Valerie’s last and hugely generous gift was to donate her body to medical research. Arohanui Mum.

Ev is my darling mother who continues to be an inspiration to me. All my life I have known Mum to come up with fun, quirky, original ideas to add to the already creative environment we lived in. As long as I can remember we had a house full of hand created art projects, paintings and sculptures by both my parents. Mum had her own studio which she loved disappearing off to whenever she could to make pottery and potter around in. I have a small embroidered cushion with her name on it which she had as a child. I hope I have inherited some of her love of objects and the art of making, doing, seeing and playing which was inherent in our family life.

I learnt about Katherine Strong when I was doing some research regarding the 1893 Suffrage Petition. Katherine signed the petition in the area I live, Mangonui. Katherine came to my attention because I personally know her Great Grand Daughter but what made me especially interested in Katherine was her listing in the Electoral Roll. Most women of the time were listed as "Married Woman", few recorded an actual occupation. Katherine's occupation was listed as "Boarding House Keeper" and her husband was listed as "Boarding House Worker" - a woman ahead of her time I think.

Marie Louise Alexandrine Piatti later Steele (c.1849-1929), known as Louise, was married to the artist Louis John Steele, who is the subject of my PhD. A highly-skilled artist in her own right, Louise trained as a miniature painter in Paris, exhibiting at the Salon and selling a miniature after Fra Angelico’s Coronation of the Virgin to the Empress Eugénie in 1867. She continued to practice as a miniaturist in London, exhibiting portraits of her two sons at the Royal Academy. When Steele left for New Zealand in 1886 (effectively deserting her) Louise supported herself, and surviving son (also Louis) then aged 14, through her art practice. Her son Louis became a noted photographer and electrical engineer. According to a biography he was “ever ready to attribute the greater part of such successes as he has met with to his devoted and talented mother”. Like Anne McCahon, Louise’s practice exists very much in the shadows of her husband’s art. Shedding some light on Louise is a post-PhD project for me, but as I focus on motherhood and supporting my family through lockdown, the Nell Anne quilt seemed an apt way to acknowledge her now.

A piece to honour my Mum, Margaret: for all that she does, all that she is, and for the many, many things that she has taught me. With very much love.

Mum’s sister, Aunty Bet, took Me(Jude) and younger brother, Don, under her wings for 9 months down on the Waikato farm, while Mum(Clare) recovered from several health problems - That was 3 yrs after Dad(Ned) had died of kidney failure in 1947. She, Elizabeth Treves Brown, or Aunty Bet, was a rollicking-good-fun, BIG-woman with a lovely contralto voice. She also died too young aged 43, in 1955. I am so pleased to Honour her with my stitch. She was very significant in my growing up. I so loved her

Mavis was my Nana and looking back, she modelled what it was to be creative but also humble, although I’m not sure she knew the influence that had on me.

My grandma Johanna was born in a tiny village in Ireland with a romantic sounding name - Mooncoin. As a child I was fascinated by the couple of Gaelic words she was able to teach me and her recipe for Irish soda bread. She didn't talk a lot about her childhood. Her mother died when she was young, and by her early twenties she had made her way to New Zealand. She must have been very courageous, and I wish I had gotten to know her better as an adult. She showed her love through actions rather than words. I have embroidered her name on behalf of myself and my mother, Clare.

Doreene lived in Glebe Point, Sydney. She was my beloved grandmother and friend. She wrote poetry and fiction, painted, gardened and travelled widely collecting antiques and minerals with my grandfather Albert. They together founded the Mineralogical Society of New South Wales and worked with their colleagues on building the Australian Museum’s mineral collection.

Laurette was my granny. She approached all challenges with fierce intelligence and aplomb. Besides these traits, what I loved most about her was her resourcefulness and ability to make things out of other things. Bread bags were carefully folded in the bottom drawer for later, scraps of wool collected and separated into colour tones for a yet-to-be decided project. Her creativity was expressed through thoughtful interactions with the world.

Rose was my very loved Grandmother, she comes to mind in these times.
She had three children under five during the Spanish flu epidemic in 1917. One of the children was disabled. She lived without electricity or running water. Cooked on a wooden stove, made clothes and grew fruit and vegetables. During this she still helped and supported others.

I have stitched for Sue Pedley a wonderful friend, artist, maker, teacher and inspiration. As a practicing female artist, she continues to reach out toward new mediums looking for connection to people and place. She is a people gatherer who generously encourages others. Thank you for always pushing me to make.

Elva Jean was my beloved Grandma. I have wonderful memories of many happy hours spent playing cards, drinking tea and making up stories. Elva was a creative soul who in another life would have perhaps followed an artistic path as I have had the freedom to do.