ABOVE Curator Heather Audin in front of a contemporary quilt made by Jenni Smith and Kay Walsh of Jenni and Kay Create, inspired by Red Manor House Coverlet (from the 1850s) in The Quilters’ Guild collection.
By Patricia Belyea
YORK UK It all started in August 1979 when a group of 40 gathered at the British Crafts Centre in London to form The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles. By the end of its first year, membership had swelled to more than 800.
The vision was to create a national network of local groups, publish a quarterly newsletter, exhibit quilts, and build an inspiring quilt collection.
BELOW The first newsletters, beginning with Winter 1979.
Today The Guild counts more than 5,000 members, from Cornwall to the Shetland Islands. They’re people just like us — captivated by the simple magic of cutting fabric apart and sewing it back together.
I met Katy Jones, Communications Coordinator for The Guild, at last year’s Festival of Quilts. We stayed in touch afterward, and Katy invited me to write feature articles for the Guild’s quarterly magazine. (I’ve submitted three so far.)
BELOW The original newsletter has evolved into a colorful magazine called The Quilter.
Victoria and I toured The Guild headquarters on the lower floor of St. Anthony’s Hall in York City Centre. We chatted in Katy’s office while waiting for Curator Heather Audin to join us.
BELOW Katy Jones in her office at The Quilters’ Guild.
As we headed down a behind-the-scenes hallway, Heather pointed out a Victorian bustle dress she had made herself! Costuming, she told us, is one of her passions.
BELOW Curator Heather Audin with a Victorian bustle dress she made.
In a back room, Collections Assistant Roupal Jain was repairing a brown frame quilt from the 1850s. Patiently, she stitched through nylon mesh to stabilize areas where fabric had disappeared with time.
BELOW: 1 Collections Assistant Roupal Jain at work. 2 An area needing repair.
Our next stop was the Education Room, where quilts needing special attention were spread across large tables. Heather pointed out fading fabrics, worn areas, old repairs, unusual interior layers, inventive mending, and other clues left by generations of use.
BELOW Reviewing damaged quilts in the Education Room.
In the Collections Storage Room, Heather turned a large wheel to shift the location of mobile shelving filled with carefully labeled archival boxes.
BELOW 1 Mobile shelving in the Collections Storage Room. 2 Box for the Triple X Wholecloth Quilt, acquired in 1998.
When we asked to see her favorite quilt, Heather surprised us by bringing out antique quilted clothing — baby sleeves, tie-on pockets, and stomachers.
BELOW 1 Curator Heather Audin with antique quilted clothing. 2 Tie-on pockets — one made with quilted-style fabric and the other with patchwork.
We finished our visit upstairs in the Great Hall, a soaring room framed by massive timbers. From 2008 to 2015, this space housed The Guild’s Quilt Museum and Gallery.
BELOW The Great Hall of St. Anthony’s Hall.
There, a group was meeting with researcher and artist Ruth Singer to explore hand work in both sewing and surgery. Yes — surgery. The workshop included students from the Royal College of Surgeons England.
BELOW Researcher and artist Ruth Singer with a damaged textile she reclaimed.
It was a memorable afternoon spent with Katy, Heather, Roupal, and Ruth. Their care for quilts and textiles — and their commitment to preserving, studying, and sharing them — felt deeply familiar.
An ocean may separate us, but the threads connecting quiltmakers run strong. Whether in the United Kingdom, United States, or beyond, we are part of the same generous, curious, fabric-loving family.
Patricia and Victoria traveled to the UK to scout exciting people and places for their inaugural Great UK Quilt & Textile Journey. To be on the Interested List for this Summer 2027 tour, email Victoria +here.
