Written by Donna Hanmer
What was the inspiration for my quilt? In June 2024 at Beartown P&Qs we had a guest speaker -Mike Fitchett – whose talk was titled “Travels with my sketchbook”. He recounted how he had started his quilting journey creating railway poster style quilts. They looked really simple and effective and I left the meeting feeling really inspired to create my own quilt in the style of a vintage railway poster.
Shortly afterwards, a trip to Dunkerque provided the perfect opportunity to develop this idea further. While walking along the seafront at Malo-les-Bains, I was drawn to the 1940s lifeguard building and the surrounding beach huts. These elements, with their strong lines and period character, became the starting point for the quilt.
I began the design process using squared paper to sketch the layout, carefully working out proportions and creating a sense of depth. Once the basic design was established, I focused on selecting colours that reflected an Art Deco palette.
I thoroughly enjoyed every stage of making this quilt — from sketching and designing, through choosing colours and scaling the design into fabric, to the final quilting. Each step brought the original inspiration to life in a new and satisfying way.
The final quilt was submitted to the 2025 Festival of Quilts at the NEC – ART 51.
It will be on view at the Nantwich Quilt exhibition and Fabric sale held in the Civic Hall on Sunday January 18th 2026.
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