Australian Art Quilts & The Joy of Shows

We were thrilled to award Linda Steele the ECT Travel sponsor’s prize at Carrefour - European Patchwork Festival 2026 for her vibrant and transporting quilt ‘Turquoise Sea’. We caught up with the Melbourne-based quilt artist to find out more about her work, how she got started and the joy of travelling the fibre art world.

Turquoise Sea by Linda Steele

ECT: What inspired 'Turquoise Sea'?

LS: I have made a series of quilts about the ocean and coral reefs. Growing up in Australia, we are always aware of the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef and how lucky we are to have it. The colour and diverse fish and coral are so different and inspiring. I love embroidery and embellishment and the coral reef theme gives me so much scope for using a variety of hand and machine techniques. I painted the background sea fabric which gave me the inspiration to title my quilt ‘Turquoise Sea’.

ECT: How did you first get into quilting?

LS: I have been quilting for 30 years, a friend encouraged me to join a beginner’s class and I loved it from the first lesson. I started off with traditional designs and tried every class and technique I could. It wasn’t long before I wanted to make my own designs. I design art quilts as well as contemporary. I like my quilts to have meaning and my design process is quite spontaneous. I have a rough idea in my head and design as I go so I never know what a quilt will look like until it is finished.

Magical Coral Reef, Linda Steele

ECT: You exhibit your work at quilt shows around the world. Do you have favourites?

LS: I admire so many international quilting shows. I have been to Carrefour European Quilt Festival twice, it is so unique with the beautiful French villages and the attention to detail, great food and breath-taking exhibitions. I love the Australasian Quilt Convention because it is held in Melbourne, where I live, so I can go every year. They display the best quilts from Australia and internationally. I was at The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham recently and it was huge with so many quilts from around the world and so many vendors displaying their wares. I love how all the major quilt shows have their own unique flavour.

Ocean Dance by Linda Steele

ECT: We’re taking a group to the Australasian Quilt Convention 2027, which will be the first time we have taken quilters to Australia. Is there a style/technique that is particular to Australian quilts?

LS: Traditional quilting is very popular in Australia but for the last 20 years art quilting has been growing in popularity. Australians have a love for colour and a flair for nature inspired quilts. The standard of quilts in Australia is amazing, every year the quilts at the Australasian Quilt Convention seem to be better than ever. I am going to be at the show next April with an exhibit from the Ozquilt Network Inc. an Australia-wide art quilting group I’m the President of. It will be the first time we have exhibited there and I am really looking forward to it.