Marianne Roberts
Editor
For almost two years, Marianne Roberts has had the great pleasure of editing AP&Q. It's her job to find all of the amazing projects that fill each issue, as well as to make sure the different facets such as photography, design, project instructions, advertising and the stories are ready on time. "Creating a magazine that I've enjoyed for many years is so satisfying," she says. "As is making it the best magazine it can be and working hard to bring it all together with the help of a lot of talented people."
Marianne came from a publishing and printing background, which also involved copywriting and marketing, and for over a decade, her hobby has been quilting. So when the opportunity to combine her professional experience and private passion presented itself, she jumped at the chance and hasn't looked back since.
"The day goes in the blink of an eye," she says when asked what a normal day entails. "It's always busy and I'm fortunate enough to be working with beautiful quilts all day, every day." A favourite role is contacting contributors, especially to tell them that their work made the cover of an upcoming issue. "It's one of the best parts of the job - it's always a pleasant surprise for them and it makes their day," she adds.
Marianne loves all types of quilt styles and techniques from traditional to modern designs -she's made over 150 quilts and always has several projects on the go! She's currently working on two matching Kaleidoscope quilts that are ready for quilting - one of which she plans to keep while the other is a gift for a baby due later in the year. In fact, many of the pieces Marianne makes are gifts for family and friends. Along with the baby quilt, she's also working on a braid design for a cousin and has just cut out a medallion quilt for an aunt. "And I can't forget my lunchtime hand-piecing project - a golden Wedding Ring come Pickle Dish design," she laughs. "Oh, and there's another hand-quilted project that's been in progress for three years, plus some antique quilt tops, which are just waiting to be hand-quilted." As if that's not enough, there's a Lone Star quilt, another braid design and lots of pink and yellow fabric on the drawing board.
About two years ago, Marianne bought a quilting frame and long-arm domestic sewing machine so she could machine-quilt her own works, but she also does quite a few made by members of her local group for the Quilts for Keeps program at the Children's Hospital in Westmead.
Marianne's quilting journey started 10 years ago with a class she took at a local quilt shop taught by Val Nadin. The class was on the Lazy Log Cabin block set in a Streak of Lightning layout and being a complete beginner, Marianne learnt rotary cutting and only made three blocks that day. However, with inconceivable zealotry, she then completed the remaining 61 blocks needed, added an extra 16 and made a further 64 blocks for a matching quilt - all within the week. "The shop owner declared that I was hooked - and she was right!" she laughs. "Someone once told me, 'there's more to life than quilting' - I'm still trying to work out what that might be!"
Lauren Circosta
Editorial Assistant
Before AP&Q, Lauren was busy at Adelaide University completing her Arts degree where she majored in Media Studies, and like most students she kept herself busy working part time in hospitality. With a love of reading and writing she often spends her spare time devouring the pages of a great story. “It’s not just books I love,” she admits, “I’m a magazine fanatic with a wardrobe full of the glossy companions – some dating as far back as 2003!”
Although not a huge crafter herself, she has been bitten by the knitting bug and enjoys getting stuck into some scarves and beanies during winter. “Seeing all the beautiful quilts that pass through the office daily is a great part of the job,” she says “and working with Marianne is fantastic – not only is she a great teacher in all things publishing and quilting, it’s also nice to work side by side with someone who shares the same love of chocolate as me!”
REBECCA WARE
Editorial Assistant
Rebecca is the newest member of the AP&Q team, and she joins us after recently completing a Bachelor of Media and Communications majoring in Journalism. While at university, she also did a minor in Japanese and is very interested in the culture.
Although she’s not a craft addict – yet – she has a lot of knowledge about it passed on to her by her grandmothers, both of whom were very involved in it. She does have a love for knitting, however, and while she’s not quite a professional, she hopes to upgrade from scarves to something more challenging soon.
At the weekend, you’re likely to find Rebecca at a concert or two, seeing one of her favourite bands. “Music is something that I am extremely passionate about,” she declares, “and hopefully, in the future, I’ll be able to pursue my goal of becoming a music journalist.” At the moment however, she is very excited to be working with the friendly crew at AP&Q. “Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful,” she adds, “I can tell it will be a great place to work!”
