Atherton, Qld
Ruth Bloomfield has loved fabric ever since early childhood. She recalls playing with beautiful hair ribbons and cutting up bits of fabric to create décor for her dollhouse. As soon as her feet could reach the pedals of the sewing machine, she learned how to stitch.
Ruth’s first patchwork creation was a hexagon quilt. This was years ago, and it took her two and a half years to finish the project. Quite awhile went by before she again attempted patchwork. Although traditional quilt making really didn’t appeal, her desire to create with fabric was so intense, she continued on with the art of patchwork and quilting. In 1992, she created her first original picture quilt of the rainforest with a confetti forest floor. Ruth realised that she had found her niche.
Confetti patchwork is a unique fabric artwork devised by Ruth, which is like doing a painting with fabric. “The bits of fabric are used like a palette of paint” and allows for a soft blending of colour perfect for replicating nature’s beauty. Ruth’s confetti creations have a wonderful three-dimensional quality that interpret the lush surrounding of her home in Far North, Queensland -the rainforest and it’s creatures.
Having created such an original technique has led to stories about Ruth in Needlecraft Country Quilts and Patches and Down Under Quilts. In the last 15 years when Ruth hasn’t been creating her own masterpieces she has travelled around Queensland conducting workshops, sharing her wealth of knowledge and creativity. During this time she worked as a teacher’s aid, and even owned and ran a patchwork shop.
It isn’t surprising that Ruth has earned many awards for her art. In 2003, Ruth’s creation, “A Tale to Tell” was ‘Commended’ at the first Australian wide quilt show – the Homespun Australian Quilt Show. A pictorial quilt of her childhood homestead, “Koreelah” won acclaim in an American competition. Ruth’s quilt “Feeling Australia” won inclusion in the 2006 Down Under Quilts Calendar. And it isn’t just quilt fame – her “There’s a Pig in my Garden” quilt won the inaugural Pan Pacific Pigs in Art Competition in Canberra.
Ruth believes that fabric is “an ideal medium for creative people to express themselves”.
Her other works also incorporate an exciting use of fabric and originality. She is accomplished with silk ribbon embroidery, dying ribbons and fabrics, hand appliqué, free machine appliqué and machine embroidery, Her projects include miniature quilts, story telling aprons, cloth books, beaded handmade cloth pots, dolls and crazy patch quilts.