A collection of quilts stitched entirely by hand by DeAnne Hartwell-Jones will be exhibited, with free entry, at the National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre from 1 April until 30 April. DeAnne Hartwell-Jones, a traditional Welsh quilter who has been making quilts since she was a teenager, takes much of her inspiration from her surroundings and the landscapes of West Wales where she lives.

The exhibition will be officially be opened by John Griffiths AM, Minister for Culture and Sports on Thursday 3 April.

DeAnne Hartwell-Jones, who is a member of the Quilters Guild has exhibited her work widely including at the Birmingham NEC, in Sitges near Barcelona as well as Dortmund in Germany. She has held talks in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England.

The quilts on display will include: Snowdonia (2008), which is a quilt inspired by the work of the late Welsh artist, Kyffin Williams; Pumlumon (2006), a night scene of Pumlumon Fawr and Llyn Llygad Rheidol; Map of Wales – Hedfan Gartref (1984), a 3D representation of the physical geography of Wales, constructed in various sizes of pyramids; Log Cabin (1980), the hundred blocks are hand sewn using the method of stitch and flip on a calico foundation, made from various cottons saved from dresses, skirts and blouses; 3D Hexagons (2010), a fun piece of work made up of scraps of plain fabric, paper pieced and hand quilted; as well as a number of medallion quilts and many others.

DeAnne Hartwell-Jones works with many fabrics including silk and flannel, bought from the small Welsh woollen mills in West Wales. The geometric patterns of some of her creations are done over papers and some foundation piecing. Talking about the way she works, she said: “As I quilt I’m already planning the next project. The whole design, colours and finishing are all in my head and nothing goes down on paper. This is the challenge I create for myself whether it be geometry or landscapes. Around me everywhere are mountains, the ocean, wonderful skies and sunsets, which are my inspiration.”

She added: “This exhibition celebrates the handing down of traditions and crafts and how invaluable a skill like this is. Many of my quilts are medallion quilts, a complex, traditionally Welsh design. Everything Welsh is important to me, from the arts and crafts the way of life and the Welsh language.”

Hand in hand with the exhibition will be a guided tour and talk by DeAnne Hartwell-Jones around her quilts at the National Wool Museum, to be held at 2pm on Saturday 5 April for the small fee of £5. DeAnne Hartwell-Jones will hold two quilting workshop, the first, on Saturday 12 April when she will teach the art of piecing Welsh Flannel over papers to create an 18 inch pin-wheel design, often seen in the centre of medallion quilts. The second workshop, on Saturday 26 April, will be a patchwork workshop, entitled - ‘Stripey Flannel’ where DeAnne will show how to carefully cut through stripes in order to create different patterns. The paper geometry will be supplied as part of both courses. The various coloured flannel required for both course will be for sale on the day in Melin Teifi. The cost of each course is £30, including buffet lunch. For further information or to book your place, contact the Museum on 029 2057 3070.

Ann Whittall, Manager of the National Wool Museum said: “We as a Museum look forward to welcoming this colourful exhibition of over twenty quilts here for people to enjoy the detailed and beautiful work that has gone into their creating. It will be an honour to welcome the work of DeAnne Hartwell-Jones, who is an expert in this traditional craft, to the Museum.