Portsmouth Fabric Company

Maggie Walker

Maggie Walker has been using fabric as a medium of expression ever since she got a chance to visit the American Craft museum in New York some years ago. At the time, she was representing several illustrators, including her husband, and doing freelance work as a graphic designer. As she walked by the museum on that working trip, Maggie spotted quilts from a contemporary quilt exhibit, and she was hooked. She began to collect fabric and make quilts. Joining quilt guilds and taking classes was the natural next step.

As her fabric stash grew, Maggie began to to dabble in experimental quiltmaking. Small collage and pieced quilt; quilts were soon followed by quilted clothing in which she used her own collage applique technique: composed arrangements of several different fabrics with attention to a natural cascading rhythm. She added swirling ribbons and threads over and under the appliques, and the sewing machine became Maggie's drawing tool for thread painting, allowing her to visually weave the appliques into the background fabric. As her technique gained exposure, Maggie was asked to teach Art-to-Wear classes. Developing garment patterns was a natural result of her sewing and teaching. A desire to continue drawing lead to a line of applique quilt patterns that are treated as beautifully colored paintings in fabric.

Maggie now hand dyes, paints and scribbles on her fabric, so quilts and fabrics are truly one-of-a-kind. She has her work juried into regional and national arts-and-crafts shows. Sometimes her garments and quilts are the only fiber-art pieces in a show -- coexisting with painting, sculpture, pottery, and jewelry.

Some of Maggie's accomplishments include:

Finalist in the So-Fro House of Fabrics' America Contest.
Her work was juried into the prestigious American Quilter's Society Quilt Show in 1995.
Several of her quilts have appeared in Traditional Quiltworks and Quilting Today magazines.
"The Blue Collection" quilt won a blue ribbon in the 1998 National Quilting Association Show.
Her Reversible Gypsy Vest was featured in Sulky of America's Patchwork Concepts in Sulky and in Sew News Magazine
Maggie contributed a reversible tunic to the book Dressed By The Best from That Patchworks Place.
The Best Raggedy Jacket and the Best Raggedy Vest have been featured in Sew News Magazine, September 1999
"A Country Journal" quilt won a blue ribbon at the Quilters Heritage Show 1999 in Lancaster, PA and the Pennsylvania Quilt Extravaganza in Fort Washington, PA 1999
"The Blue Collection" quilt won a Viewers Choice award at the Quilting By The Lake Show 1998.

At Portsmouth Fabric Company ...
Inspired by vintage Roseville pottery, Maggie Walker's beautiful collection of fabric is distinguished by graceful patterns from nature in unusual colors and monochromatic textures. The Roseville Quilt pattern reflects the artistic style of Roseville pottery and Maggie's love of roses and her own garden.

Visit Maggie Walker's web site