Meet the Maker: Coralie Green

Coralie Green is a self-taught quilt maker who creates bright, modern quilts, based around colour play. She works from an old cotton mill in the heart of Manchester, where she can spend weeks pondering over the design, simplifying it over and over again until the perfect contemporary quilt emerges. Coralie spoke to fellow Folksy designer Naomi Greaves about her inspiration, her work and what craft means to her…

See more of Coralie Green’s modern quilts on Folksy >

As a child, I really enjoyed jigsaw puzzles and in a way, quilting is a bit similar.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?
Hi, I’m Coralie Green, a quilt maker and textile artist. I’m entirely self taught so I’ve broken plenty of rules and invented new tricks along the way. My quilts are bright, modern and based around colour play rather than traditional quilting building blocks. Rather fittingly, I work from an old cotton mill in the heart of Manchester, surrounded by painters, creative businesses and musicians. When I’m not working, I like to spend time outdoors, running and camping.

I’m entirely self taught so I’ve broken plenty of rules and invented new tricks along the way.

How long have you been making and what got you into crafting?
I’ve been dabbling in crafts all my life and have been quilting for about nine years. As a child, I really enjoyed jigsaw puzzles and in a way, quilting is a bit similar. I fit pieces of fabric together to create something new.

I can spend ages desperately fishing for an idea but nothing happens, or I get a huge mental avalanche and I can barely write or draw fast enough before the moment has gone.

What inspires you?
Inspiration is a funny thing. I can spend ages desperately fishing for an idea but nothing happens, or I get a huge mental avalanche and I can barely write or draw fast enough before the moment has gone. I sometimes like to think about how a sound or smell or mood might look as a quilt.

My quilts are bright, modern and based around colour play rather than traditional quilting building blocks.

How long do your quilts take to make?
My style is quite modern, so often the quilts come together more quickly than a lot of traditional styles. Where I spend a lot of time is in the design process. I often spend weeks pondering and simplifying a design over and over again until I’m left with a limited colour scheme and far fewer fabrics than I started with.

I seem to get requests for king-sized wedding quilts in the middle of summer.

What’s the largest quilt you’ve made?
I seem to get requests for king-sized wedding quilts in the middle of summer. They are over 2m x 2m and I always wear gloves for grip when sewing so those projects are extra toasty.

Craft is a wonderful antidote to our fast-paced, instant-gratification society.

What does craft & handmade mean to you?
I love everything to do with handmade crafts. I think it’s a wonderful antidote our fast-paced, instant-gratification society. Making something slowly, from start to finish is extremely rewarding. I’ve lead craft sessions for children not in school and they always have a great time and show a lot more enthusiasm than their education situation might suggest. Aside from quilting, I’m also a mediocre baker, one time potter, and terrible painter. Craft doesn’t always have to be slick and polished. Making an ugly mess is also wonderfully therapeutic.

I often spend weeks pondering and simplifying a design over and over again until I’m left with a limited colour scheme and far fewer fabrics than I started with.

Which artist dead or alive would you love to work with?
I’m a huge of Matt W Moore, a graphic designer and geometric graffiti artist, based in the US. His work would translate beautifully into fabric. Matt, if you’re reading this, call me!

Making something slowly, from start to finish is extremely rewarding. I’ve lead craft sessions for children not in school and they always have a great time and show a lot more enthusiasm than their education situation might suggest.

What’s the last exhibition you went to see?
I went to the DMZ open studios recently. Admittedly, it was more of a Christmas party, catching up with old friends. We all scattered after our last studio was closed to make way for swanky new apartments (a sadly all too familiar story) so it was great to see what they had been up to for the last six months.

I work from an old cotton mill in the heart of Manchester, surrounded by painters, creative businesses and musicians.

If you could have a studio anywhere in the world, where it be?
Ooh tough question. There are so many wonderful places in the world. Somewhere warm and sunny, with great food, hills for running, waves for surfing and music for dancing. Not asking for too much, am I!

There’s nothing more satisfying than working for yourself and tackling all the challenges that it brings.

What advice would you give to a new maker starting out?
Get ready to do a lot of admin. I had no idea how much time and energy was taken up in front of the computer. I probably spend a full day each week answering emails, updating my website, ordering supplies, researching and learning new things. Sometimes it can get boring but, ultimately, there’s nothing more satisfying than working for yourself and tackling all the challenges that it brings.

Aside from quilting, I’m also a mediocre baker, one time potter, and terrible painter. Craft doesn’t always have to be slick and polished. Making an ugly mess is also wonderfully therapeutic.