MEET THE QUILTER: BEN MILLETT

We talk to Ben Millett about his creative journey, quilty likes and dislikes, advice for beginners and what comes next…

How H did you first get into i quilting?

I volunteered to aassemble a queenssize wedding quilt for a cousin when the work for that became too much for f my grandmother. I didn’t know any better, so I went all-in on piecing, quilting and binding on my small Singer domestic machine. This was when I thought 'pin basting' meant straight pins and had no clue what a walking foot was. I used the scraps from that quilt for a baby quilt and by then I was hooked on translating designs into physical quilt tops.

Have you ever encountered a quilt block or quilting technique you didn’t like?

Even if it means using overlycomplicated Foundation Paper Piecing, for some reason I go out of my way to avoid appliqué. I have a better appreciation of appliqué after seeing quilts in-person that have used the technique; I just prefer to over-engineer a design so that I can piece it instead!

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from quilting?

I've realised that I don’t have to do every step of a quilt. It’s okay to 'quilt by check' (hire out the quilting). The second queen-size quilt top that I ever made sat in my cupboard for a year because I was terrified I’d mess up the quilting on my domestic machine. But I felt I had to do every step or it wouldn’t be my quilt! While I do continue to try to do everything on my quilts, I recognise that there are others in the community with skills I can rely on while I develop my own.

Do you have any advice for new quilters just starting out?

Don't be intimidated; dive right in. Try a few patterns from different people to learn alternative methods for the same skill. Play with different colour combinations. All that exploration will give you a better idea of what shapes you prefer to work with, how colours can transform designs and what skills you want to develop further.

What is the most recent thing you’ve been working on?

Last summer I interpreted the traditional Broken Dishes quilt block with a Mid-century modern influence. I've scaled that 12in block up to 36in to make a quilt to cover our new Mid-century modern bed. It's been a fun project to work within the confines of using only fabric in my stash, which has meant changing course halfway through cutting patches, when I realised I didn't have as much yardage as I thought I did.

What fun things can we expect from you in the future?

I want to continue my exploration of improv piecing, to push myself to accept more serendipity in my quilts, while using only the scraps and yardage I have in my stash. I'll also have a few more seasonal wall hanging tutorials coming up!