A delightful corner for quilters

Liisa Dawson and Khan have a warm welcome for everyone at The Quilters Corner – a treasure trove of quilting and haberdashery supplies. Photo supplied

LIISA DAWSON, her partner Darren Harris and Khan the greyhound have made the move from the northern suburbs of Brisbane to Deloraine to find a quieter way of life and a sense of community.

As well as chasing cooler weather, a more relaxed lifestyle is possible in a smaller town, says Liisa. ‘In Deloraine you are round the corner from everything’.

Liisa’s philosophy has always been to go with the flow. ‘If it’s meant to be, its going to be.’

So her lifelong love of sewing and quilting was destined to happen. As was settling into a new life in Tasmania and then finding the perfect space

in which to open a quilting supplies shop, at the back of Deloraine Creative Studios on Emu Bay Road.

As a child Liisa sewed scrap material together, while sitting opposite her grandmother, who worked as a seamstress.

Despite learning the art of sewing at a young age, Liisa chose midwifery as her career, but after 20 years, Liisa gave up work to care for her mother.

With time on her hands at home, Liisa ruefully acknowledges that with two sons, the opportunities to sew clothes was always going to be somewhat limited.

But then Liisa discovered quilting. And as she describes it, once she picks up the needle and thread, ‘everything else falls by the way’.

Liisa’s dedication to quilting has slowly transformed her career. Starting with quilting classes for other parents at her boys’ school, a shopping expedition to a local quilt shop provided the opportunity for Liisa to expand her teaching into the wider world.

From there, a chance to open a small shop of her own led to 15 years of sharing her love of the craft with the quilting community in Brisbane.

Store front quilting and sewing shops are a dying institution. With so much shopping and instructional information available online, it is now possible to learn a craft without any human interaction.

Traditional skills are constantly being ‘discovered’ by newer, internet savvy generations, but Liisa firmly believes those who love the craft should build a community around it.

With a lifetime of sewing and quilt making, and practical experience, Liisa is passionate about sharing her knowledge.

For those of us still scarred by compulsory school sewing lessons, Liisa advises we rediscover our love of creating with small, achievable projects.

And because Liisa advocates the old fashioned approach, she has opened her Deloraine shop, The Quilters Corner – a garden of delights for any dedicated quilters in the valley.

Liisa is also planning a broader range of haberdashery items to fill the gap in what is available locally.

Beginners’ quilting classes will be held at the shop, starting in March and Liisa has a class list ready for those interested in booking. Classes will be held during the day but with sufficient interest, evening classes could be a possibility.

And during shop hours, Liisa is available for a consult or a chat about quilting any time.

The Quilters Corner
59–61 Emu Bay Road, Deloraine Phone 0403 862 286