Welcome, Hi I’m Rosalee Clark, I live in country Victoria, Australia. Inspired Needleworks is where you can find quilt patterns that I have developed inspired by my interests in literature, and the lives of men and women throughout history.
I am a Wife, Mother, Nanna, Patchworker, Avid Reader, History Buff, Documentary and Movie Watcher, Wannabe Gardener & Garden Designer, with a history of employment in Sales and Merchandising and the Aged Care Industry, and currently working in the field – which is the love of my life – Education, I work as a Primary School Librarian. I love to unearth an enthusiasm for learning in children, awaken them to the wonder of books, history, writing and their creative abilities and support these by providing them with new experiences and ways of expressing themselves. Being willing to guide a child to find what they are good at opens a child to improved learning in all areas of the curriculum. Being creative in my own life is very important to me. I can’t imagine not ‘making’ things. Seeing the rewards of this in a child – being able to receive reward and positive feedback on something that they have made, built, written or drawn, boosts a child confidence in themselves like nothing else can. I love my work.
My first experience of patchwork was in the early seventies. The mother of a friend of mine was piecing a hexagon quilt by hand when I went to visit. I started a hexagon ‘piece’ of my own and ‘pieced’ on the way to school on the bus. This piece sadly never became a quilt, and most sadly I don’t still have it. However, the hexagons and how to do them stayed with me and twenty years later when looking for something to do with my hands and time while convalescing after an illness I embarked on a hexagon quilt for my daughter. The rest is history as they say. I am also a keen patchwork researcher, delving into the history and reading everything I can get my hands on about the craft. This interest consumes some of everyday of my life.
Although I started off hand piecing quilts, I am also a keen machine piecer. I always seem to have several under construction at one time and no matter how I try to discipline myself, there are several UFOs and project boxes with fabrics for other planned quilts waiting their turn. Sometimes, I wish my brain would stop for a little while from coming up with new ideas for quilts, and allow my hands to catch up.
Reproducing Jane Austen’s Quilt/Coverlet was a long time wish and project of mine and you can read all about it here on my website. If you are one of the many people making one or wishing to I’d love to hear from you.
I hope you enjoy what you see here, please contact me if you have any comments or questions. I’d love to hear from you. There is great pleasure in finding others who share our obsessions.