Sew Inspirational

Bernina Friends

By Kerrie Hay

In every issue of Sew Inspirational I will be introducing you to our Bernina Friends.
Bernina Friends are an elite group of artisans, each with their own unique and amazing talent in one or more of the many different aspects of needlework. From patchwork and quilting to dressmaking and home décor their talent will delight and inspire you.

Every year Bernina Australia and New Zealand sponsors two different artists to demonstrate and exhibit their artwork at a selection of major sewing and craft shows throughout Australia and New Zealand.

In 2007 Bernina featured Kirry Toose at the Stitches and Craft Shows around Australia. Kirry is a Textile Artist extraordinaire, who is world renowned for her highly detailed and textured couturier garments.

Bernina is also featuring Mariya Waters, at the Craft and Quilt Fairs, in Australia, throughout 2007. Mariya is a multi-award winning Quilt Designer who puts her ‘tools of the trade’ to the test with the intricate appliqué techniques she is so well known for.

A different Bernina Friend (or two!) will be featured in every quarterly issue of Sew Inspirational Web Mag and an inspirational project, showing some of the wonderful techniques they are renowned for, will be added to each monthly update.

So don’t forget to look out for your monthly Sew Inspirational Update email delivered FREE direct to your In Box.

Mariya Waters

Mariya Waters is an International and Australian award winning quilt-maker and teacher. She has been married to Gavin for 35 years and has two children – Elizabeth and Alan. As a New Zealand expatriate wife Mariya began quilting in New Zealand in 1989 and was juried into the first New Zealand National quilt competition with her first quilt. In 1994, while living in England, her third quilt won the prestigious Ascot Trophy at the National Quilt Association competition.

Since then Mariya has specialised in designing and making quilts for exhibition. All exhibition quilts completed since 1994 have won both local and international awards. Many of her quilts have appeared in magazines, books and advertisements and her quilts have been acquired for public and private collections. Although she currently specialises in hand appliqué with machine quilting and trapunto in both large and miniature formats Mariya has also won international awards for a series of innovative pieced quilts.

In 1999 Mariya moved from England to Melbourne, Australia where she became an accredited state quilt appraiser. Mariya continues to teach and her classes in hand appliqué, machine quilting and trapunto are in high demand.

Mariya’ has been working full time for almost four years on her latest masterwork quilt called Renaissance Revival and hopes that it will appear in some of the 2007 quilt exhibitions.

Mariya’s philosophy on quilting is "If it can be drawn it can be constructed –somehow!"

Kirry Toose

Kirry has had a very traditional background in the ‘Rag-Trade’ after studying Fashion Design at East Sydney. Teaching has now become her main focal point, driven passionately in her belief in the validity of the textile arts...

She regularly exhibits, in Regional Galleries, private and community galleries, Australian Image Gallery, Art to Wear Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, London, Alexandra Palace and Pittsburgh USA Fibre Arts.

Recently she was accepted in the World of Wearables in New Zealand, Supreme Award Winner at Fashion Fantasia; plus, Supreme Award Winner at Fashion Flair and Fantasy. Fortunately her Artwear has an International appeal, with numerous works acquired not only by galleries, but also privately.

She constantly challenges herself with the creation of every new artpiece, as her greatest fear is that of stagnating. Her work practices centre around this ‘fear/challenge’ and her art evolves because of her fear. This fear develops her design options, either focusing on streamlining a new technique or product, or extending a concept further. Research becomes a multi-levelled factor…

Traditional design elements come intuitively and the successful combination of very traditional skills (eg hand embroidery) with paint and technology are part of Kirris’ current strategies in design and creation.