On my annual trip to Festival of Quilts there is always one quilt that stops me in my tracks, and that makes me giddy. This year it was Nicholas Ball’s entry – Triangle Colour Study III. It is original, beautifully pieced and there are so many tiny details that you would never get tired of hanging out with it (look at the tiny moon – which apparently wasn’t planned!)
Nicholas is very modest, and throughout the Festival he seemed continually surprised that people wanted to buy his debut book Inspiring Improv, which I read on my summer holidays and which is exceptional in many ways. In fact, Nicholas’s very honest and empathetic style of writing has been a big inspiration to me whilst finishing my own manuscript, and the feel, style and content of his book spurred me on. Definitely put this book on your Christmas list, or just buy it now. You won’t regret it.
The hardest part of editing this film was deciding what not to include. Everything Nicholas says is insightful and inspiring to people starting out on their quilting journey, or for those wondering where to go next. Who would have imagined a classy food photo of a leek tart could start a quilting revolution.
Perfectionism and legacy are also explored in our chat. I’m in no doubt Nicholas will be remembered for his quilts – and not just as the vegetable man. There is plenty more to come.
I’m very relieved that Nicholas’s well-groomed face and sweet smile capture your attention, because the backdrop of the film is a quite dodgy pair of curtains in my hotel bedroom! In the spirit of improvisation, we took the opportunity to shift a bit of furniture and make do in order to capture this Just One Quilt story, and I am very happy that we did.
Follow Nicholas on Instagram @quiltsfromtheattic
Read more about Inspiring Improv at http://www.luckyspool.com
Nicholas also has a stunning Aurifil thread collection to compliment the projects in his book.
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