Interview with Annette Jeukens from the Netherlands

Sewn:
How did you get involved in the “Quilt” world?

Annette:
Through my textile training (fashion education and art academy) I often visited the local “haberdashery” shop. This was when I was creating baby clothes for a shop in town. The owner was considering selling quilt fabrics, but first wanted to know if I will accept to give quilt classes. I love quilt fabrics and was very curious to see what can be created with them. That was in 1989. So I was thrown into the deep at once! 

In 2000 I started first with the Quilten Special group, which became ‘TeXui” ; we mainly worked with a theme. Until September 2011. I was a member of this very successful group.

Sewn:
How do you get your inspirations?

Annette:
I get my inspiration mostly from fantasy books, the news and life itself, especially my emotions. Also recycling is a very important element and inspired by my memories I created the series: “Tape-e-stry” and “Treasures”. “Tape-e-stry” are the music memories of my family: my parents, my husband, our kids and myself. “Treasures”: my parents’ and our tablecloths

Sewn:
How do you start?

Annette:
Usually when I start with a new project there is already something “incubating” for a while. The series “Railway to….” was created when we were fully occupied with the upcoming death of my brother. The question I ask myself since I started quilting was getting more intense. Where does the road lead us? Therefore the first Railway was very dark, but slowly it became brighter. There are always ways that make our lives more pleasant!

Sewn:
Tell us a bit about your style?

Annette:
My work is quite varied . I can’t tie myself down to one style, well, experimentally! But I’m not only working on quilts, also clothes, pieces of jewellery, 3-D, equipments; as long as they include some textiles. It’s very important that I control the techniques, so I can choose among different possibilities according to my projects. I experiment a lot.

Currently I am working on a very colourful project. After my brother died, I believed I had to colour my work and started thinking about the most suitable material: it was silk. When you dye it you get the most beautiful colours. Now I create my personal “Silk Route” and of course for the Nord-Groningen Quilt Festival, I am preparing new works;
under the theme “Memories”. Along with others, I’m also involved in the organization and I am also working for “Colours of Africa” a project we are preparing for the second textile festival in Essen, Belgium, in 2013.

www.annettejeukens.blogspot.com