Hello!

Hi, I am Dione Gardner-Stephen. I have been creating and crafting as long as I can remember. I became addicted to patchwork and quilting in late 2011 and have never looked back. Sewing is a calm happy place for me, an activity that works wonders for my overall happiness in life.

I have a post that gives a more detailed story about why I started quilting. It wasn’t a good time in our lives, but it has led to this, which is.

I love textile crafts because there is so much scope in technique, so many colours to play with and so many textures to touch. Talented people are always pushing the boundaries of what is a quilt and how to make one, that one has to work very hard to get bored! I also love quilting because it is a very social craft. My friends got me hooked through shared afternoons of fun and laughter, and I have met lots of wonderful people through more formal quilting adventures. Quilters seem to me, by nature, a pretty generous group of creative people.

Quilting appeals to me on so many levels….

Quilting appeals to my hardwired desire to recycle and use up scraps, my scientific/mathematically-oriented thinking processes (I am a trained scientist who also loves jigsaw puzzles) and my predisposition to give handmade gifts to the people I hold most dear. Designing and making quilts for specific recipients, and making that process as meaningful and purposeful as possible is one of my main motivators. Clever Chameleon is the culmination of a lifetime love of crafting items mostly for other people. I hope you will find something in my experiences to help you personalise your quilts, have some fun and write your own quilt story.

Beyond Clever Chameleon….

In the rest of my life I am blessed to be a mother, and I am a passionate supporter of the Serval Project (a humanitarian and emergency telecommunications research project headed by my husband), my local arts community and Compassion Australia. I like gardening for food and also have been privileged to travel a fair bit recently. In the interests of full disclosure, I prefer cats to dogs!

The Prologue to my Quilt Story…

Check out the gallery below for a small taste of my creative journey since I was little. The prologue to my quilting story!

Small hand-sewn teddy bear by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Say “Hello” to Tiny Teddy (junior primary).

Drawing of koala with baby by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Drawing happy animals (primary school).

Cottage craft photo frame by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Cottage craft phase. Yup, that’s me in Year 7.

Textile art toys by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Weird bright creatures made from painted fabric (mid-primary with artist Bob Daly).

Girl Guide badges earned by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Girls Guides…. lots of craft badges to be had here!

Hand-sewn animal toys by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Still making handsewn critters (early high school).

Jumper sewn by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Sewing clothes (high school).

Hand-appliqué parrot cushion by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Hand applique cushion (high school).

Clay animal made by Dione Gardner-Stephen — Cute clay critters phase! (high school).

Christmas nativity made from recycled materials by Dione Gardner-Stephen — An entire nativity scene out of items you can find in a laboratory! (early working life).

Cross-stitch — Lots of cross stitch and other needlecrafts pre-children (not my designs).

Dione Gardner-Stephen at PhD graduation — Paul and I took our baby to graduation dressed just like us!

Yellow Dinosaur beanie design — One of my all time favourite designs – a yellow dinosaur beanie (2011).

Lego Chase McCain costume mask and flak jacket by Dione Gardner-Stephen — More costumes – Lego cop Chase McCain

Improvisational pieced quilt by Dione Gardner-Stephen — FIrst large quilt – improvised piecing made from scraps 2012.

DIone Gardner-Stephen at SALA 2015 — Susan and I at our first SA Living Artists exhibition 2015.

And it’s all Dione Gardner-Stephen the quilt addict from then on!

I’m seeing some recurring themes here…. textile crafts, recycling and use of scraps, a tendency to self-design, a preference for animal and flower subjects, and a slightly wacky sense of humour….. All things you’ll still find in my work today! What has influenced your quilt story?