Quilters pull together for Norse display

Twenty women – 14 Hamefarers and six locals – joined hamefarer and quilter Ann Hill at Islesburgh on Wednesday in a class to work on quilted cushions.

The women were all stitching the same design of the three Nornes, the three fates of Norse mythology which gave advice to the god Odin about the past, present and future.

Each participant of the class was presented with a certificate and a Shetland Jewellery charm by jeweller Kenneth Rae, whose father created the design.

Mr Rae said: “I’m delighted to see so many people here and to see them all enjoying themselves.”

Mrs Hill, who had a quilt with five Norse charms worked into it on display on the wall, thanked Mr Rae for permission to use the designs, which she said, were ideal for quilting.

Also on display were quilts which had been entered into a competition with three main winners.

Nicky Hunter-Smith from South Africa won The Shetland Times award with quilt titled Memories, Helen Burgess from Shetland lifted the Shetland Jewellery award with a quilt of postcard-type Shetland scenes and Sheila Peterson, also from Shetland, won the Popular Patchwork magazine award for her evocative depiction of a Shetland kitchen, complete with Rayburn.

The best young quilter was Emily Butroid, aged seven, from England, who created a puffin.

Mrs Hunter-Smith, who made her quilt of a Weisdale landscape in one week, used Fair Isle knitting from relative Pearl Hunter for the sheep and fabric found in a box belonging to her husband’s Shetland grandfather Jeremiah Smith to make the sails of a ship. “I was under pressure to finish it, I was still sewing when I got here,” she said.

Mrs Hill spoke of the camaraderie of the class. “Quilting is fun. This day has been great fun, everyone getting together and speaking, the class has mixed really well.”

That was borne out by the fact that quilter Glennice Flynn from Massachusetts, whose grandfather was William Ratter from Lochend, is now sponsoring a coffee afternoon for her new friends at Busta House. And Caralyn Way from New Zealand, who is staying with her relative Dennis Williamson from Sullom, came to the class in spite of a broken leg. “It’s my first real quilting class but I’m thoroughly enjoying it,” she said.