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October 30, 2014 1:32 pm
Recently I had the opportunity to meet one of Australia’s Quiet Achievers. I had never heard of Lessa Siegele before the Queensland Quilters meeting, but after her talk I wondered why, when she has so many achievements to her name, she was not more widely known.
Lessa began on her Quilting path after taking a class with Eleanor Burns in Oregon in the 70’s/80’s and has been teaching quilting and craft related classes since 1973. She has been a respected member of the Quilters Guild of South Australia since its inception in 1984, and it was with some friends from this group, in 1993 that her achievements really took off.
Working together, Lessa and her friends organised a 6 day live-in quilt camp. This camp ran for the next 20 years, continuing in 2013 under a new banner “Quilt Encounter”. The inaugural Volunteers of the camp decided to take on some fund raising efforts and organised a quilt display in Leesa’s home and garden. The display, along with sales tables and morning teas, grew in prominence and stature and eventually the 100’s that came were too much for the little home that Lessa and her Honorary Quilter husband, Roger, now shared.
In 2002 Lessa was awarded the OAM, (the Order of Australia Medal), in the Queens birthday honors list for services to the art of quiltmaking as a teacher and to the community through fundraising.
Never to sit idle, Lessa had the idea to organise a pre-cut Mystery Quilt kit to raise monies. Each year at the camp, Quilt Encounter, they had a Mystery Quilt, so they knew the idea would be popular. The committee all had a “little” spare fabric which they pooled, along with their energies and cut the kits. The original thought was to have two classes, one on each side of Adelaide and perhaps if they were lucky, sell 100 kits. But while teaching in Sydney Lessa was asked if she could provide a mail order kit, and it snowballed from there! In 2008 they cut 300 kits and raised $16,000, about $10,000 more than they expected! In 2010 they raised $39,000. 2012 raised $75,000 and in 2014 they cut 1230 kits and raised over $104,400.00! They have ‘SOLD OUT’ this year.
The 9 women, whose age ranges from 54 to 85, have all achieved amazing efforts; Starting and running the camp for the last 20 years and cutting and counting so many kits. In 2014 they cut 4000 metres of fabric, most of which was donated by generous quilters. As an added incentive for kit sales this year, if people bought 20 or more kits, a teacher would tour and teach the kit. 20 groups took up the challenge this year, including Queensland Quilters, which is how I came to meet Lessa.
The monies raised have been donated to many charities over the time, but this mystery event was for Bedford. An organisation in Adelaide, Australia that help the physically and intellectually disadvantaged. One of the members, Faye Packham, who received the Lut-da award at the Australasian Quilt Conference this year for her outstanding contribution to her community through quilting has a daughter Lauren who has been helped by this wonderful organisation and she now works for them.
In 2007, Lessa received the coveted Rajah Award, which prompted her to make her own version of the iconic Australian quilt. While the original Rajah quilt is held in the National Gallery of Canberra and is 126” square, Lessa’s quilt is 63” square, and after many requests she wrote to the gallery and with permission has written a pattern. The pattern, which she still sells, has been very popular both here and in the USA.
While preferring to carry on the heritage of Australia’s own quilting heritage, she saw an old quilt in the USA which really appealed and has also written a pattern for that. She calls this one Ring Cycles, which is based on a Jack’s Chain block with unusual colour placement.
Lessa still teaches wonderful classes, concentrating on machine and foundation piecing techniques, achieving accurate points and details. Unfortunately Lessa has decided not to teach any more, preferring instead to slow the pace of life alittle.
Brenda Wood can be contacted at TwoSewTextiles@Yahoo.com.au for quilt pattern enquiries.
These quilts are amazing in the flesh! tiny, perfect and vibrant! Absolutely amazing – Brenda Wood
Photos with thanks from Roger Siegele, who is accomplished in photography, technical drawings, spreadsheets and without whom Leesa would be lost.
For more information about Lessa’s Rajah Quilt & Pattern click here.
For more information about Jacks chain Quilt & Pattern click here.
For more information about Lessa’s Margery quilt click here.
For more information about the Bedford Mystery Quilt Pattern click here.
Posted by Addicted2Fabric
Categories: Amazing People, Amazing Quilts, Patterns
Tags: Bedford, Charity, Foundation Piecing, Leesa Siegele, Lessa Siegele, Lut-Da, Queensland Quilter, Quilt Patterns, Rajah
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I love your work
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By Annette Loft on February 1, 2015 at 7:14 pm
Thanks Annette! What a lovely thing to say! ((Feeling chuffed!))
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By Addicted2Fabric on February 1, 2015 at 10:33 pm
Leesa, I love your lone star quilt. Do sell the pattern? I would love to make a quilt like that.
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By Linda Barth on May 5, 2015 at 3:36 pm
Hello Linda, Brenda here, Lessa does not have an online presence, but has asked me to get her patterns to those wanting them. I do believe that this is available in Paper, but not yet in .pdf. I will investigate further for you and get back to you. Xx
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By Addicted2Fabric on May 5, 2015 at 4:08 pm
Hello Linda,
I’ve contacted Lessa and the lone star pattern is by Karen Stone from Texas. On doing a search about Karen she has a couple of books with the pattern in it. Leads wrote to Karen to see if she could teach or sell the pattern but has never had a reply.
Lessa’s version used very different fabrics to the beiges that Karen uses. Her brights certainly make it pop!
I’ve just listed Lessa’s twisted log cabin if that’s of any interest …
http://www.craftsy.com/user/6614059/pattern-store?_ct=fqjjuhd-lyum-qbb-fqjjuhdi-ro-tuiywduh&_ctp=129941,6614059
Thanks for looking at my blog! Xx
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By Addicted2Fabric on May 10, 2015 at 8:30 am
Hi, I would like to purchase the Rajah Quilt pattern.
Please let me know where I can get it and how much. Regards Coral Mencshelyi
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By Coral Mencshelyi on May 23, 2015 at 12:18 am
Hi Coral, the Rajah pattern is listed on Etsy and Craftsy under 2Sew Textiles
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/rajah-revisited-quilt/135071?rceId=1432379701678~qo4yhdno
Etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/people/2sewtextiles
Thanks for stopping by! Let me know if I can help further! Xx
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By Addicted2Fabric on May 23, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Hello. Could you possibly give me contact information for Lessa? I made my own version of the Rajah Quilt a few years ago. I was fascinated by it from the time I saw an article about it in a magazine. I’d like to send her a photo.
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By Barb Horte on June 24, 2015 at 3:24 pm
Absolutely, She would love that, her email is Siegele@internode.on.net
I wouldn’t mind seeing your version as well… did it take you long to make ?
Brenda
** note: I’m so sorry, but I had a typo in the email! It’s correct now! :-}
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By Addicted2Fabric on June 24, 2015 at 6:51 pm
Hi I have purchased the pattern for Mariners Compass 16/32 point foundation pieced. Is there a tutorial I can watch on this . thanks Janet
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By Janet Gray on February 16, 2021 at 11:38 am
Hi Janet, sorry there is not a video for making the Mariners compass quilt… but here is a link to a good video using foundation piecing! I hope that helps.
If you do need help, Lessa is only an email away. xx
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By Brenda Wood on February 16, 2021 at 5:44 pm
You replied to this comment.
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By Sharon Palmer on July 17, 2021 at 7:42 am
Oh yay! Congratulations!!
It’s not an easy undertaking so you must be proud of yourself.
I’d love to see it..
I’ll try find you on social media, otherwise my email is 2Sewtextiles@gmail.com (hint hint)
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By Addicted2Fabric on July 17, 2021 at 8:02 am
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By Lessons in Lozenges Quilt Blocks | susies-scraps.com on March 29, 2024 at 6:00 am